Besides, he could almost feel the weight of Levi’s eyes on him.

Desperately, he wished he’d glanced at the clock before posing himself like this, because if he hadn’t accidentally napped through a bunch of hours then it couldn’t be more than mid-afternoon, which meant Levi was home early.

Maybe he’d finally decided to apologize.  

As seconds passed by, that little spark of wishful thinking flared a little brighter in Eren’s chest, and his mood soared. He knew Levi couldn’t keep being an asshole forever. Any second now he’d finally apologize, and Eren could stop being mad.

He hated to admit it, but he’d even been annoying himself with how irritable he’d been over the past week.  

But instead of an apology, he heard Levi’s footsteps cross over tile, then carpet, and then the sound of Levi’s study door opening and shutting behind him.

Incredulously, Eren lifted his head and glared at the door Levi had disappeared behind. Grinding his teeth, he slammed his book shut and threw it onto the carpet. He fought the urge to kick at the coffee table, because Levi would probably hear that.

He wanted Levi to know he was mad, of course, because otherwise how would he know exactly how badly he’d screwed up. But being mad was one thing, being emotional about it was something entirely different.

And Eren was hurt. It had been a week, nearly. Five days of not talking, and tonight, yet again, if Levi didn’t apologize, it would be another night of Eren clinging to the edge of the mattress because no way in hell was he sleeping on the couch when it wasn’t even his fault, and Levi wasn’t generous enough to take the couch himself.

It was a cold war. They didn’t fight, they just didn’t talk. Eren even still did all the chores he’d taken on in lieu of adding any of his measly paycheck to the astronomical downtown rent. He made meals, did the grocery shopping, and today he’d even done all the laundry, though he’d had to suppress the urge to dump Levi’s favorite sweatshirt over the balcony wall.

And Levi just carried on like normal, like he didn’t even care Eren was upset, which was why Eren was getting more hurt by the day.  

Truthfully, he really didn’t remember too much about the actual night Levi had humiliated him – he had been pretty drunk. The memories had been crystal clear when he’d woken up that first morning after, but as days went by they all blurred together. In fact, Eren would probably have long since let it all go, if it weren’t for the way Levi had been acting.

Not only had he not apologized, but he’d been treating Eren like an irrelevant piece of furniture.

Eren felt something burning behind his eyes, and told himself it was simply rage as he grabbed his coursebook from the floor. He’d immerse himself in the world of- he flipped pages to check the chapter title – Sequence Stratigraphy, and maybe he’d forget all about that asshole in the other room.

Five minutes later, he dropped the book and flopped back onto the couch. As he stared up at the ceiling, he slowly registered the drumming of rain against the windows. He hadn’t noticed when it finally stopped simply threatening to rain, but decided it suited his mood. The weather should be cloudy and stormy, just like his life.

For a moment he listened to the rain and felt everything get a little calmer.

And then he shot to his feet and bolted towards the balcony door.

He was a few feet away when he realized Levi was out of his office, and already a full two steps ahead of him. As Levi pulled open the door and held it open for him, Eren had to fight back the conflicting urges to thank him, and to tell him to go away.

But he said nothing, and just stepped past Levi and started stripping the laundry he’d hung earlier off the clothesline, ignoring the sounds of Levi doing the same beside him.

With an armful of slightly damp sheet, Eren turned back to the door and wrestled the pile onto one arm so he could turn the door handle. And then he turned it again. He even tried it again because he really couldn’t believe it was locked.

When it didn’t turn for the third time he grudgingly turned around and let his eyes rest on Levi’s top shirt button as he asked, “Do you have the key on you?”

“What?”

“The key. Do you have it.” Eren adjusted the bundle in his arms awkwardly.

“No.” There was a long moment of silence, and then, “It’s locked?”

“I made sure the lock was disabled before I put the laundry out this morning.” At least he was mostly sure he had. “You must have locked it when you opened the door.”

Levi said nothing.

“Fine, don’t apologize for that either.” Eren knew he was being an ass, but he just couldn’t stop himself now. He was just so hurt, and somehow being locked out with Levi on this tiny balcony made it all worse. He shot a glare back at the locked handle. When it didn’t magically turn on its own, he sighed, then plopped down onto the ground in the relative shelter in front of the door.  

Levi studied him. “What are you doing?”

“Armin is coming over tonight to study. Since we can’t get in anyway I might as well save my energy until he gets here.”

Quietly, saying nothing, Levi moved towards the wall and sat, a good five feet away from Eren.

Somehow the distance irritated Eren, even though he’d have been even more irritated if Levi sat directly beside him. Deliberately, he scooted sideways, adding a few more inches between them.    

In silence, they stared out into the rain.

“Are you almost done being angry?”

When Levi finally spoke, his voice was so lazy that it took Eren a good few seconds before he understood what he’d said. The instant the words registered, rage built in Eren’s gut. “What?”

Levi calmly repeated his words. “Are you almost done being angry?”

Eren turned his head to stare at Levi’s profile, so entirely baffled that the rage actually fizzled out. “What the hell are you talking about? You’re acting as if this has nothing to do with you. You screwed up, and you haven’t even apologized.”

“I did apologize. That first morning when you told me you were mad at me.”

“You said ‘I’m sorry for whatever I did that pissed you off’. That is so not an apology.”

Levi thought for a long second, and then nodded. “No, it wasn’t. My bad. But I really don’t know what I did to make you mad,” Finally, he turned his head, and for the first time in a week their eyes met.

The look in Levi’s eyes almost made Eren gasp in shock. Those eyes were anything but calm.

Levi blinked and then looked away, back out into the rain, as he carried on speaking, “And to be honest, I’m mad at you too.”

Shocked, both at Levi’s words and at the look he’d seen in his eyes, Eren clambered to his feet and moved until he stood directly in front of Levi. The rain had picked up, but Eren ignoring it as it soaked his shoulders and back. “Why were you mad at me? You’re the one in the wrong.”

Levi tilted his head back against the wall as he looked up at Eren. “How?”

“You…you humiliated me. You wouldn’t kiss me! And you could have just said ‘no’ and it would have been fine but you shoved me. You literally pushed me onto the floor instead of kissing me in public.”

“I did not.”

“You did!” Eren felt that stupid burning behind his eyes again. “I woke up with bruises the next morning from landing on the floor. And not only was I embarrassed in front of all our friends, I was hurt.”

“You tried to kiss Jean.”

“And you just gave me some half-assed apology and then ignored me all-” Levi’s words finally made it to Eren’s ears. “I…what?”

“We ran into Jean on a date. You jumped onto Jean’s lap, wrapped yourself around him, and told him to kiss you to prove to everyone how much he loves you. He shoved you onto the floor, not me.”  

Eren’s eyes were wide and almost spinning as he tried to process Levi’s words.

“That’s impossible.”

“Ask Jean.”

No way in hell was Eren asking Jean, because at Levi’s words there was a faint but slowly growing more distinct memory in Eren’s mind. If he asked Jean about it, he’d have to apologize. And if he apologized, he’d have to bring up what happened. And now that he’d remembered he never wanted to think about it again. But- “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Levi’s not-at-all-calm eyes studied Eren. “I didn’t know you didn’t know. And, like I said, I was mad at you. It wasn’t a peck on the cheek you were going for with Jean.”

Eren shuddered a little at the memory that last line brought back. He shoved it away, and stood thinking for a long minute, ignoring the rain at his back. Finally, he silently stepped forward and sat directly beside Levi, close enough that their arms touched.

“I’m sorry. I thought it was you I was all over. I was really, really drunk.”

“Yeah. I get that now.” Slowly, Levi’s arm lifted and wrapped around Eren, pulling him into his side. “Don’t get that drunk again, okay?”

“I’ll try. Just make sure to be next to me next time, so I don’t get confused.”

“Uh huh. I’ll do my best.”

Eren scooted down until he could rest the back of his head against Levi’s shoulder. “Also, please tell me next time you’re mad. I’m not good at telling. I thought you just didn’t care.”

“Alright.” Levi’s chest made Eren’s head bounce a little as he laughed. “And I can definitely tell when you’re mad, but tell me why right away next time, okay? Even if you think I should know.”

Eren nodded, and settled in a little more comfortably. Silently, they sat watching the rain, but it was a good silence this time. After all the stress of the past week, the heat of Levi behind him made him feel warm and sleepy, despite the clammy coldness of his wet clothes.

“I hope Armin comes on time today, so he can let us in. He’s been coming later and later all week for some reason. And Mikasa said she wasn’t coming.”

There was amusement in Levi’s voice when he replied, “They’ve been texting me all week begging me to figure out how to handle you. He’s probably been coming late so he could avoid being around you, since you’ve been so grumpy.”

“Grumpy…what?” Eren pulled away to glare indignantly at Levi, “That’s impossible, I never get grumpy. You’re the grumpy one in this relationship.”  

Levi’s mouth twitched. “Maybe I am. But I am a ray of fucking sunshine compared to you when you’re in a mood.”

Eren’s mouth dropped open. He was so shocked he couldn’t quite form the thoughts in his head into words. “I’m sunshine! I’m Mr. Sunshine.”

Levi’s mouth twitched, and he reached out to stroke Eren’s wet hair back from his forehead. “Ok.”

The warmth of Levi’s hand felt almost hot against Eren’s cold skin. He shivered.

Levi saw the shiver. He got to his feet, “We better get inside before we freeze.”

“But how?”

“Ah.” Levi paused, and a flash of something that could have been embarrassment crossed over his face. He reached into his back pocket andpulled out a key.

Eren’s eyes widened, “You had the key all along?”

“Uh huh. Sorry.”

Eren shocked. “What…why?” And then something else occurred to Eren. He frowned, “Wait, how come you’re home early anyway? There’s no way…youcouldn’t have planned this, right?”

Levi swung the key on his finger. “You made such a big deal this morning about stripping the bed so you could do the laundry, and I saw rain on the forecast, so…”

Eren could only stare up at Levi, speechless.

Levi smiled, and reached down to help Eren to his feet, “Now, let’s get this laundry inside, Mr. Sunshine.”