It's me again, Ms. Sakura. I apologize for putting this up, then taking it down. I had technical issues, and I didn't want to get your hopes up for a new story that is probably going to take me a long time to finish. I'm doing school FULL-TIME and I have no time for anything else, barely even sleep, but here I am, presenting you with a new story. It was originally inspired by the really shitty job I had but don't have anymore. Like my last story, this one will probably follow a similar theme (I'm so sorry I write such depressing stories.) but who knows at this point, it will be rated M eventually. I guess...enjoy? Updates will come when they come, I am up for ideas or comments, so please do leave one. Also thank you to the people who encouraged me to put this story back up again, I thrive off of your support!

The streets were completely darkened under the veil of night, the ice on the roads shimmered underneath the car's headlights. His upper back arched up against the seat of the car with a grueling strain. The heels of his feet seemed to be under so much pressure that they might as well come popping out from within the skin that incased them. He released a miniscule groan from barely parted lips. The clock on the dashboard of his car was illuminated; insistently reminding him that it was about 11 at night. Every day at his dead-end retail job was like acting in the same dramatic saga over and over again. He had to play the role, wear the mask of an obedient, approachable, responsible adult.

There must be something wrong with his face in order to give people the impression that he was disengaged and fatigued day in and day out. It was true, that was how he felt most of the time, but even when he was feeling up to the task of life, apparently his face betrayed him with vacant grey eyes accompanied by straight, tight lips. He wasn't cut out for this kind of life, this kind of mundane, meaningless existence. He often ached for a life of purpose, but that bullshit only existed in those brightly colored storybooks, which give children much too high expectations of what their life should and will be. Life was almost nothing else but routine. There was only one light to his darkness, waiting for him at the end of the day.

The door creaked as he slipped into the seemingly empty apartment. He let go of a reserved sigh. He meant to get off earlier, but the demanding cleaning routine of the store he worked at required him to stay far after closing time. He slipped out of his shoes that seemed to be glued to the bottom of his feet allowing them to breath a sigh of relief. He took off his fitted grey coat and hung it up on the rack next to the black one that belonged to the one he shared this small apartment with, Eren.

Eren, of course, had the exact opposite schedule, or routine, as Levi. Eren worked days at a cheery smoothie bar where he spent time chatting to customers and blending bananas. Levi spent nights at a retail-clothing store that catered to younger customers with a knack for what they considered to be rebellion and individuality, as if what spikes or leather you wore would set you apart from any other tool in society. The managers disliked Levi's demeanor, although he did all that was asked of him quickly as well as efficiently. Unless he could magically learn how to match the pasted smile on his lips with the disdain of his eyes, he was pretty sure he was about to hit the curb before the end of January.

The manager at his job fully realized Levi's small ticks and his moderate to severe OCD, and would do everything in his power to set off the man of smaller stature. Tonight he knocked over a pile of shirts as he was leaving with a grand, overly flamboyant flip of his hand. He giggled to himself as he watched Levi picked them all back up again, folding each one diligently before leaving fifteen minutes after that.

Levi made his way to the bedroom, making sure to open the door as silently as he could. Eren's breathing was slow and even, filling the room with the sweet orchestra that was his body. Levi's brows seemed to unfurrow themselves the slightest bit at the sight of his frame that appeared small and hidden under the comforter of the bed.

Levi entered the bathroom and shed his clothes like the uncomfortable second skin that they were. When he had a day when he had less control than usual, he knew there was one thing, which he could always command with his own two hands, his own body. He turned the knob for heated water up as high as it could go, watching the steam rise and float in the air. He stayed in the scorching shower for a half an hour, scrubbing at his body viciously, hoping to exterminate every last speck of uncleanliness. When he got out and saw that his skin was raw, he was pleased that he had cleaned himself so thoroughly. Looking up farther in the mirror, he noticed wrinkles of worry nesting under his eyes as well as across the space between his eyebrows. He had only just turned thirty-one, yet he felt so old. Eren was still a bright twenty-six year old, with the whole world to his disposal. Levi dried out his obsidian black hair and dressed before heading back to the bedroom. He was carful as he crawled back into bed, his body aching from the days work, but Eren woke nonetheless.

"Levi, you're home so late." Eren's voice was thick with sleep.

"Just go back to bed." Levi murmured in return.

"You're burning up. Did you take another one of those ridiculously hot showers?" Eren turned to face the older man, his hand reaching out to touch his arm, which was still radiating heat.

"Eren, just go to bed."

"Not unless you tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing, I told you to go back to bed." Unintentionally, his voice had a sharp edge to it. The moonlight shone through the cracks in the blinds, reflecting off his ebony hair.

"Levi..." Eren buried his face into his chest, inhaling shakily.

Levi's hands made their way to Eren's hair, stroking and soothing him; his lips touched the top of his head.

"I'm sorry. I wish things were different." Eren apologized softly.

"What do you mean? Everything's fine. I have you."

"You hate what you do."

"At least I haven't gotten fired. Yet." Levi sighed quietly, "Well, unless someone can magically shove a stick of happy dynamite up my ass, I'm pretty sure I'm dead meat once the holiday season is over."

Eren chuckled despite himself, "Maybe you should be a stand-up comedian."

"As if." Levi scoffed.

"You sore?" Eren's voice was so empathetic and gentle, just the sound caressed

Levi's tension enough to make everything okay, even if just for those few moments.

"A little. It's fine."

"But I could-"

"You don't have to." Levi interrupted.

"Are you sure?" Green eyes peered up at him with nothing but adoration in them.

"Yes Eren, don't worry yourself." Levi's hands circled around his shoulders, falling limp, releasing the tension that had built up within them.

"How can you expect me not to? I love you idiot, I worry about you every second of the day."

"I'm not an idiot, you brat." Levi's eyes narrowed but quickly relaxed once more.

Eren's eyes were almost lighting up the dark, "Levi" he whispered as he leaned in, letting his lips find Levi's in the darkness.

The kiss didn't last long, Eren's hands began kneading at Levi's tense back, the raven haired man not arguing against his gentle, warming touch, each tug and pull on his muscles making him want to moan out ever so quietly. There was nothing better than coming home from the cruel and meaningless world outside and then falling into Eren's soft arms, letting the way he touched him ease his mind whilst cradling everything within him.

His breath fell from his parted lips, his eyelids had long since given up the fight. "I love you, Eren. What would I do if you weren't waiting at home for me every night?"

"Levi," Eren's breath was hot on the back of his neck, he could almost feel his vulnerability and his devotion by the subtle tones of his voice. "You know I'll always be here for you. I want to be with you forever, care for you always. You can always trust and depend on me."

Levi thought he could hear Eren's tears sliding down the soft arches of his tight pale skin and crafted cheekbones. Eren was the type to fall headfirst and often irresponsibly in love. After his mother had died when he was ten, and his father had disappeared, he became a different person. He was no longer a boy who smiled thoughtlessly while letting his fragile heart be crumpled. Behind the smile he so often wore hid years of loneliness, anger, and shame. He had never revealed these dark pages of his life to anyone but Levi. They were polar opposites, the soothing swish of water and the blazing fire, tearing away at all in its path. But when they met in the middle, the water washed over the fire and the fire warmed the water, they became one unit of fluid warmth, peacefully combining.

"Eren, I…" words were not a thing that Levi found came easily to him in this moment in time. It was a simple Thursday night, but yet it was so much more than that. What determined the important days from the unimportant ones? Who knows whether or not they would ever be like this again? Sure, it might've been a pessimistic way to look at it, but he too knew how easily life was given and taken away, how softly the lows and highs appeared from around the bend.

Forgetting the words he turned around, seeing those tears that he had sensed were there. He raised a lily-white hand, dispersing of the unruly droplets upon his face. He kissed the round tip of his nose, the planes of his cheek, the smooth surface of his forehead, then the crest of his barely pink lips. He saw as Eren's wet eyes shimmered with iridescent green color. He found that the lips under his own began to curve up at the ends.

"Let's go to sleep now." Levi's voice mingled with Eren's breath.

Eren only responded with a nod, his face quickly becoming hidden within the depths of Levi's protruding clavicle, the place on his skin where he could easily smell his fresh rain scent.

The next day the almost heart attack inducing ring of the alarm clock sent Eren crawling over Levi's chest to stretch for the snooze button and give it a satisfying smack. Eren collapsed onto Levi's chest. The journey to the alarm clock had quickly drained him.

"Fuck you alarm clock," Eren mumbled incoherently, burying himself against the man below him, possibly hoping to disappear for the rest of the day in his arms.

After what felt like thirty seconds, the alarm began to ring again. Eren slapped the giant snooze button once more.

"Eren, get up. Don't be late for work." Levi was quiet underneath him, his grey eyes barely open, specks of light reflecting off the surface of his eyes.

"I don't want to go. I want to be with you." Chocolate colored hair hid his desperate emerald eyes.

"I know. I do too." Levi's fingers wove into Eren's hair, pushing back the veil over his eyes, "This weekend we could do something together if you want."

"That's the problem, I don't want to do anything. I just want to lay in your arms like this." Eren released a sigh, collapsing back on top of Levi.

Levi's lips found their way to the top of his hair, kissing softly. "We can do that too, if you want."

Eren's head rose, his eyes carving their way into Levi's. He could become so entranced in those deep forest green irises that captivated him so much. Eren caught his lips with his own, gripping onto him almost clumsily.

Levi softly pushed Eren back, "Come now you lazy ass, go to work," his words were harsh, but his tone was still soft.

"When was the last time we had sex? Or had a long talk with one another? Or had dinner together?" Eren's eyes were having some kind of effect on Levi that was wringing his heart out like a rag.

"You don't think I want to do those things too? I do, trust me. It's just that things have been fucking hectic for both of us right now. We'll have time for all of those things if you just wait."

Eren let go of a frustrated breath, "I'm sorry, I'm being selfish."

"You're not. I miss spending time with you too, brat." The ridiculous nickname was sure to bring a twitch to the corner of Eren's lips.

"I'm not a brat."

"Sometimes you really are."

Eren sat up on the bed, stretching out his ligaments before hitting Levi on the chest. "Am not." His white teeth were exposed when he smiled, leaning down to kiss Levi once more before leaving the warm oasis that was the bed.

Not long after that, Levi too was forced to get up like some type of adult robot and trod off to his job. Although he had been in a fairly good mood when he was with Eren in bed earlier, something inside of him had changed, like a switch being flipped off. His head began to pound and his stomach twisted like a washing machine, grinding everything inside of him. The breakfast of cereal and coffee soon seemed like it was about to come spewing back out.

He was in the backroom before going on shift, sitting in a chair with his head buried in his hands. One of the other associates named Sasha entered the back room, "What's the matter with you today Levi?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," He mumbled, he raised his head to meet the hazel eyes of the girl in front of him, his vision was blurry, the light seemed to burn his corneas.

"You don't look so good," Sasha commented, her voice bouncing off the walls in Levi's head.

"Hey, is Jean working today?"

"Yeah, he's being an asshole like usual. Oh wait, did I say that out loud?" Sasha stuffed half a sandwich into her mouth.

Levi felt way too old to have this job. How had it come to this?

Sasha interrupted Levi's thoughts, "Well, I'm going home, so have fun with Jean all by yourself."

Levi managed a small murmur of the word fuck before waving goodbye to Sasha. When he was finally able to stumble onto the sales floor he began folding all the shirts with an annoyed scowl, adjusting all the things that arrogant customers before him had failed to even attempt to put back in a correct manner.

"Levi! Come ring this customer up!" It was the boisterous voice he wished he didn't have to hear, that of Jean's.

Levi walked over as fast as his suddenly wobbly legs would carry him. The customer at the register tapped her foot impatiently. Levi didn't even attempt to try and make conversation, his head was ringing and the numbers on the screen before him seemed to turn upside down.

He was sure he would throw up all over the woman before him. After barely making the transaction, he said a goodbye to the woman as she began to walk out the door. After thinking for a moment, it hit Levi with a vague sense of panic. Levi realized he forgot to remove the safety tags, the alarms would sound, and Jean would freak the fuck out on him. In a desperate attempt to catch the woman, Levi tried to run after her, only to lose his balance and fall back on one of the displays, suddenly out of breath. His eyes fell closed, he heard the alarm begin to blare loudly, he waited for Jean's voice to pound against his eardrums.

"Levi! What are you waiting for? Go check her bags!"

Levi glanced back at Jean. His eyebrows were furrowed, his entire stance belittling the man who was at least six years older than him.

Levi tried to explain, "I don't feel-"

"Shut up." Jean's voice was the last sound in the store, ringing with an ominous tone.

For a moment, Levi's mind was debating two options. Maybe he would be able to bear Jean another day if he could just get rid of this headache, if he could just have one god damn moment to figure out what was happening to him. But all of the discomfort and hazy confusion soon turned into rage. It was the last time he was going to put up with this bullshit.

"Fuck you." Levi's voice was firm, his eyes clouded with disinterest, his lips narrowed into a thin line.

"E-excuse me?" Jean looked like he was about to explode, cross the counter, and start a fight with the shorter employee.

"I said fuck you. You're a disgusting asshole, so maybe you want to try shutting that shit hole you call a mouth once in awhile. I quit."

In a moment of absolute adrenaline, Levi ripped off his name badge and turned with a flip of ebony hair. He slammed those doors so loudly on the way out that the surrounding stores would be peering out the window to see what happened.

On the walk to the car, he had a fleeting moment of adult responsibility. He had this job for a reason, for money, and for Eren. He knew there were other jobs to be had, but it was hard enough getting one as shitty as this. Only then did he realize that the phone in his pocket was vibrating. He pulled it out of his pocket, glancing at the screen. Four missed calls, each accompanied by a voicemail. With a sigh he pressed on the screen and held the phone up to his ear. He only got through about ten seconds of the message before he threw his phone to the ground, the screen shattering against the cold sidewalk. His silver eyes churned like storm clouds as he marched off to his car, speeding away as fast as he could.