#in which i can finally stop wearing my moonboot

[sleepybirbies]

i have c r e a t e d

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Undercover Lover prt 25

25

Eren’s plans too a slight turn for the worse. First came sweating with a fever, then nausea, then came throwing up, and finally came being transferred to hospital when his nose started pouring blood and the precinct medic started yelling for an ambulance. Ah. The joys of being handcuffed to a bed. He remembered them well from. Actually, he didn’t. He didn’t remember much about the first few days after Marco had died, it’d all been a blur, but Armin was there to tell him they had to restrain him because he hadn’t taken the news very well. Rushed into emergency, people were yelling, he wasn’t sure he wasn’t one of them as the bright lights assaulted his eyes. Ultimately he lost a day and woke up to Pixis peeling a mandarin while he worked his way through a bottle of brandy. He’d had a severe reaction to alpha suppressants, going slightly feral, his knee had been busted by an officer claiming self defence. Not that he’d been informed who they were but it could have only been one of Rod’s small time thugs trying to get one last hit in in case he shuffled off the mortal realm. Pixis rather jovial as he recounted what Eren had missed. Eren not so jovial as his right knee stung like a bitch.

Things became a real party when Hannes came by to check on his condition. Two of the best men he knew happened to both be functional alcoholics and seemed to delight in exchanging stories of his bullheadedness and opinions on brandy. With fresh officers at his door, and denied pain medication thanks to being a “druggy”, sleep offered the only relief in the whole situation. Levi was fucking going to love this. So, it was Sunday morning he appeared before the magistrate, a special favour called in by Pixis, his bail set and paid, before he was forced onto Hannes... who insisted repeatedly he needed monitoring after his reaction. Now knowing what the hell was going on, Hannes had signed a non-disclosure form, which unfortunately didn’t stop him from giving him hell the moment they’d climbed into Hannes’s blue truck. They’d taken his crutches off him, leaving him hobbling into court with his damn moon boot. Climbing into Hanne’s truck wasn’t so bad, but the idea of climbing out wasn’t appealing. All he wanted was to go home to Levi’s apartment and sleep.

“Eren, I’m talking to you”

Ugh. Red lights. He hated them. Sighing, Eren looked to Hannes tiredly. His head was throbbing, couldn’t the man take pity on him until they’d gotten home? Which reminded him, he still hadn’t contacted Levi. Great. Levi would think he was blowing him off on purpose or some shit

“You know I couldn’t tell you”

“You could have told me something”

“I didn’t exactly plan on being stabbed”

The light turned green, Eren wondering why it couldn’t have done so sooner to save his sanity from this. Maybe he should risk throwing himself out the car? Surely it couldn’t be as bad as Hannes’s “dad tone”

“That’s not the point”

“Undercover work means you don’t talk. I’ve worked my arse off for this...”

“I could have helped...”

Curse Hannes. The man more of a father to him than his own father. Grisha... He’d been there when Eren was younger... then shit happened and now he was pretty much dead to his father... but that was metaphorically. Getting caught in this mess could literally cost Hannes his life

“I didn’t want you to know. Rod is bad news. Between illegal fighting, money laundering, and drug shipments, the last thing I needed was him coming after you. I’ll bet he’s already got someone tracking you down. Going home won’t be safe”

Hannes raised an eyebrow

“That bad?”

“I honestly don’t know why I’ve been released with a clear threat to my life. This is exactly why I didn’t want to get any closer to Levi”

He wanted to see Levi. The second time he’d woken, he’d looked to the side of his bed, thinking Levi would be there. That he wasn’t... it sent Eren’s mind to all the possible dark places

“I don’t think that’s possible. You’re lucky Pixis and Shadis covered for you. The documentation’s been edited...”

“Too late. By now Rod will know I’m an omega of some sort...”

“Then there’s no way you can possibly go back there”

“What am I supposed to do then? Pixis asked me to dig into a certain associate of Rod’s that’s being released...”

“You could ask Levi”

“No”

Absolutely not. No. He wasn’t getting Levi involved. He needed to extract him, yet Levi wasn’t the kind of man to follow anyone he didn’t know in an act of blind faith

“Eren, I think he...”

“I’m not costing him his life! His apartment won’t be safe anymore, and I don’t know if he’s even going to make it home in one piece! Where the hell are we going?”

“Pixis set you up with an alternative place to stay”

“Please tell me we’re not staying at yours”

“Then I won’t”

“Hannes!”

“You need monitoring. A huge dose of alpha suppressants entered your system. There may be more side effects”

“Shouldn’t it be out my system by now?”

“Your system is confused at the best of times. I’ve got the spare room set up, and Levi is welcome to stay”

How could Hannes smile? How could he let Eren into his home knowing he might just get killed for his generosity?!

“How is that not getting you involved?! How do you not get how dangerous this is?”

“And you’re like a son to me. Of course I’m going to be there. I couldn’t be there for your mother, so at least let me be there for you”

Fuck... Hannes... He made it hard to look him in the face when it came to the serious stuff

“That wasn’t you fault”

“I was in the ER at the time...”

He didn’t want to go there. He didn’t want to go anywhere except maybe to Eldia in Marley to see Levi

“She was already sick, just no one knew it... okay. It’s not your fault and you don’t have to act like you have some big debt. You don’t. I can’t contact Levi, I don’t know where my phone ended up, but he’s back Monday”

“Then I’ll take you to see him after work. Try to tolerate this old man until then”

*

Eren wasn’t sure if “tolerate” was the right word for the situation. Hannes’s wife had died due to complications from pneumonia years ago now, and the man embraced a kind of eclectic messiness where he knew where things were and no one else did. Finally medicated, Eren spent most of what was left of the Sunday in bed, a good thing too as Hannes woke him the following morning having decided he should come with him to the clinic where he could keep an eye on him.

Begrudgingly, Eren went. Pixis having gifted Hannes money to buy him something to wear might have been the highlight of damn day. They’d stopped into the local mall before work, Eren grabbing the first shirt and pair jeans that fitted, then remember he needed underwear and fresh socks, Hannes grabbing junk food as he said he needed the sugar to concentrate on the day ahead. Everything being scentless should have made him happy, he had the chance at a semi-fresh start seeing he couldn’t go back to work in a moonboot and Rod probably didn’t want him there... Sniffing his old clothes as he bagged them, they stank of him and his changing pheromones. Unexpected tears welling up in his eyes as the feeling of loneliness struck him out of nowhere. He missed Levi’s scent and now he was crying in the public toilets, missing a man who’d probably got the complete wrong idea about why he hadn’t contacted him. If Levi were there, he’d use some sentence with far too many “shits” in it to describe both the location and him being a brat... Fuck. He just wanted to see him again.

Unable to perk back up, Eren spent the day in a flunk. Using Hannes’s second consulting room, he had nothing to do but sleep and play around on the internet, but there were only so many cat videos a man could watch before boredom set in and both options became boring. His boredom had him almost calling work to see if Rod had returned, though the person he really wanted to call was Levi, who’s number was stuck in his flat phone. He’d offered to pick up lunch for Hannes, but Hannes firmly shut him down over wandering around while unstable. Even if he couldn’t smell himself, Hannes assured him he was steadily releasing a distressed scent that could be picked up on by the wrong kind of alpha. Eren didn’t know what Hannes expected to happen. If anyone made a pass at him, he’d ignore them, and if he couldn’t, he had two very handy weapons to get his point across. This was worse than being in prison. With nothing better to do, he took a page out of Levi’s book, starting to clean up the examination room before Hannes came to tell him he was being too noisy. He couldn’t help it. Sitting still was not his forte.

The hours between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm dragged on. The last hour the worst as anxiety gnawed at Eren’s stomach and he worried his lip until it bled. Everytime he glanced at the clock it seemed to mock him by having moved a minute or two at the time. Levi had to be home by now. He’d have gotten home and seen Eren wasn’t there. He would have been cranky “the brat” had disobeyed him... or maybe he was relieved to come home and find the man who’d thrown his life into chaos gone. Having someone to care about was hard enough, let alone the extra worry given it was his mate who’d spent the past few days surrounded by god only knows what. What if Levi had found someone better in their time apart? What if he’d slept with someone? They weren’t exactly dating, so Eren didn’t have the right to be mad if he did... even if Levi said he didn’t sleep around, alcohol seemed to lower the man’s defences... and hell, Levi was so good in bed... just thinking about Levi like that was enough to make him slick, then whimper at the idea of someone else being beneath his alpha. Fucking anxiety fucking sucked...

*

Hannes accompanied Eren to Levi’s apartment. They kind of had a ready made cover story seeing Eren’s knee was currently stuffed and it kind of was work related. Knocking on the alpha’s door, Eren’s heart was hammering in his chest. He didn’t want Levi to start yelling, though he may just deserve it. He also feared seeing the alpha hurt seeing Levi was terrible at taking care of his own injuries after a fight.

Knocking again, Levi kept him waiting... Eren finding himself nearly in tears again. Knocking for a third time finally summoned the alpha from the depths of his apartment

“Fuck off, Hanji! I’m not in the fucking mood!”

Hearing Levi’s voice made Eren’s heart give a weird beat. For a moment the omega thought he’d be left out on in the hallway, until the door finally cracked open, Eren immediately stumbling forward to throw his arms around Levi, not entirely sure why, only that he wanted to hug him because he’d come home safely.

“What the shit?”

He’d take it. Forcing himself off Levi, Eren tried to smile. The short alpha wearing a very grumpy expression as he crossed his arms and scowled up at him. Not that he’d admit it, yet Levi seemed shorter than he remembered him being

“I’m so sorry. I had an accident and my phone’s been flat so I couldn’t let you know”

Levi’s gaze travelled downwards, narrowing as his gaze came to Eren’s knee

“What the fuck happened?!”

“Twisted my knee. I’ve been at Hannes’s, but it’s nothing really”

“Tch. Do you know how worried I was?”

Eren melted. He wanted to sweep Levi back into his arms, but the alpha had only just showered by the look of him

“I’m really sorry. Hannes has been monitoring me to make sure I don’t have a reaction to the medication... Can we come in?”

“It’s your fucking apartment too”

Thank god Levi was acting like himself. Sure, he was kind of sad the alpha hadn’t immediately let them in, but he’d come back from being with Rod unscathed

“Right... it’s really good to see you”

“Tch. Quit being emotional, it’s only been a few days. Come on in already, before you disturb the neighbours”

Limping his way into the apartment, Hannes followed as Eren made his way over to the sofa. Everywhere filled with Levi’s scent that washed over him like a welcome breeze on a hot day. In the kitchen, Levi immediately went to making tea, Eren smiling at the very Levi action

“How the shit did he manage to get into trouble the moment I left town?”

Eren pouted a little. He hadn’t meant for anything that’d happened to go down

“I...”

“I’m not asking you, I’m asking Hannes”

Hannes sighed, shooting Eren a glance that Eren failed to read

“He got arrested for possession. That’s how he busted his knee. They gave him alpha suppressants, so I’ve had him with me so I can monitor his condition”

Hannes was a dirty rotten traitor. Sure, he might have to explain to Levi what’d happened before the alpha went back to work, but couldn’t Hannes just let him have this?

“Shit!”

Dropping the tea canister, Levi stood there with tea leaves across the kitchen bench. Normally he’d be rushing to clean up the mess, but instead his eyes were firmly on Eren

“I... it’s not so bad. I’m on bail... at least they didn’t throw me back into holding until I see the magistrate”

“You fucking got arrested?!”

“At the garage. I guess I’m fired now”

Leaning against the bench, Levi pushed himself back as he dropped his head

“It was Rod, wasn’t it?”

Fuck. Levi getting into with Rod was the last thing they needed

“Probably... Look, it’s okay. The job there was only going to be temporary...”

Raising his head, Levi showed a rare fit of anger as he kicked the counter door

“Fuck the job. Hannes, will he be okay?”

“He had a pretty bad reaction, but the drugs seem to be out his system now. Given it was a high dose, I’d like him to stay with me for now”

Couldn’t Hannes ease him into all of this? Eren had no idea how he was going to ask Levi to come with them, but throwing everything at him wasn’t the right way to do things

“Hannes!”

“Don’t give me that. You know that I also want Levi to stay for the time being to make sure your hormones settle”

There should really be an age limit for sass. Eren had the sneaking suspicion that it being past “scotch o’clock” was making the doctor cranky. Shit, he was starting to blush simply looking at Levi. Stupid earlier thoughts coming to mind as Levi made him blush harder by asking

“Couldn’t he remain here?”

Hannes shook his head

“I’d like him where I have access to him immediately if something happens. He’s been given the wrong suppressants previously, yet that wasn’t during presentation. I’d also like to keep him in an environment without scent cancellers and monitor his changes”

Eren huffed. He was 27 not 7, or 17. Shouldn’t he have some say?

“I’m not a pet. And I would prefer to stay here”

“Brat, Hannes knows more about this than we do. If he says it’s necessary, then you should stay with him”

“But I want to stay with you!”

Oh. Fuck. Now he’d done it. Raising his voice, both sets of eyes were on him as he died a little internally. His selfishness talking, as he personally wanted to stay by Levi’s side and not just for Levi’s protection. Surprisingly Levi chuckled at his outburst, unsurprisingly, it brought tears to Eren’s eyes as his face burned. Shitty stupid dynamics... He was going to blame them until hell froze over. Hannes placed his hand on Eren’s leg, his tone softening

“Eren...”

“Forget it. I’m going to pack”

“We’re not done talking about this. I’m not...”

Nope. He’d embarrassed himself... again. Why did he have to keep making a total fool out of himself when Levi was in the room? Levi was never going to believe he was a Detective with the Paradis Narcotics Division even if Eren looked him dead in the eyes and told him the goddamn truth about why he was really in Shinganshima. He used to have underlinings. He used to handle cases. He used to handle goddamn briefings and even guest lectured once when meth was in its infancy stage on the island

“It’s alright, Hannes. I fucking get it”

Storming out the room, with his crutches and damn moon boot, his mood hardly conveyed how angry he was at himself. Keeping himself from slamming the bedroom door behind him, he felt all of 17 again. Levi’s scent seemed to follow him in. Sadness hung in the room, and the omega supposed he deserved that much as he sank onto the edge of what had been his bed.

How was he supposed to sort things out with Levi within two weeks?

Three months... they’d been in each other’s orbit for three months. How did explain things to Levi and not make it sound as if he’d spend three months playing the man? Hannes was his friend from his past. Levi had to place a heck of a lot trust in the beta not to be lying to him about the situation. Had Eren been in Levi’s shoes, he could easily see how the results had been faked to keep him close. But he liked him... as a person. He’d liked him before his body started reacting. The crass frankness so damn refreshing after so many lies and the creation of his carefully constructed facade. Now he was sitting in the room Levi had been kind enough to loan him... crying because he couldn’t have things his own way.

Levi came after him. Letting himself into the space, Eren’s face was buried in his hands. Men weren’t meant to fall apart and cry like this. That’s what pretty much every piece of media out there said. His mother used to tease him for showing his emotions, until one day his tears seemed to just dry up

“You okay, brat?”

“I think I’m in the middle of a mental breakdown or a tantrum. I can’t quite decide”

Sighing at him, Levi dropped himself down to sit next to him. Eren resisting the urge to lean into the warmth he knew he’d find in Levi

“Tch. It sounds to me like you’ve had a pretty shitty last few days”

“No where near as shitty as yours, I’m sure”

Being with Rod that long, Eren would have snapped and he knew it. Work was one thing, playing nice and being up close another thing entirely

“It’s over. That’s the main thing”

“Us or Rod?”

“Tch. You really do like to leap to the worst fucking conclusions”

That wasn’t an answer

“I’m sorry”

“Stop it. Now, talk to me. What happened with the medication?”

Telling Levi felt like crying wolf. It was done. No body had the ability to go back in time and change things, nor could they see the future. Mumbling, he wiped at his eyes

“You know the police use emergency suppressants when arresting someone considered violent...”

“Tch. For fuck’s sake. Have you had...”

“I haven’t had symptoms... I thought I was, but it was a bad reaction... You must have thought I was ignoring you”

Levi took a moment to reply. The alpha a master at stomach dropping pauses

“I did. I wasn’t too impressed to find you’d left”

Fuck. Levi’s tone didn’t hold any accusations, only a kind of melancholy that smacked Eren like a guilt train t the face

“I was going to, but... shit. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing... again”

“Sitting on your shitty bed having a cry?”

“There’s that. I kept wondering how you were and if Rod was using this chance to dispose of you now that he’d gotten rid of me”

“With the amount of money I made that fat fuck, his little pecker has never been harder”

Things couldn’t get much worse. Letting himself lean against Levi, Levi didn’t push him away. Eren indulging himself a little more as he kissed the alpha’s shoulder

“I’m... I don’t know why I did that... I’m... I’m really glad you’re safe”

And he sincerely meant that. Levi going missing in Marley would have been so easy to cover up and explain

“Don’t go getting too soft on me, brat. From what I hear, we’re both in the shit”

“I don’t know when I’m going before court. Hannes spoke on my behalf. The cops probably know I’m a shitty beta-omega”

“Rod probably knows too”

“Yeah. Fuck... I keep bringing shit to your doorstep”

“Hannes might be shitty, but he’s not shit. You shouldn’t talk about your friends like that”

Fucking Levi. Despite his low mood, Levi had him snorting with laughter

“This coming from the man who calls his best friends “Eyebrows” and “Shitty Foureyes””

Levi bumped him with his elbow, Eren nearly delirious at all the attention he was getting... really, his face couldn’t possibly feel any warmer at this stage. It had to be the onset of a fever or something

“I know what I’m talking about. Look. Hannes’s place is probably safer than here right now”

“I know that. But I didn’t want him involved like this. I can’t help but feel once Rod learns I’ve walked, shit is going to hit the fan. I don’t want you caught in it”

“Tch. You don’t have to worry about me. I can handle myself”

“I know. Blame the hormones... I’m sorry. I’m not going to make you leave your home for me. I’ll stay with Hannes like a good little omega”

Once again Levi hit him with another of those long pauses. The alpha turning his face away from him

“I’m not good at this shit... I don’t know why, but... I didn’t like you not being here when I got home. It just... shit... I’m not saying this shit right. Fucking hell”

Okay... That sounded suspiciously like caring

“You missed me?”

“Tch. Don’t get too full of yourself... but maybe something like that. Look. I don’t want to stay at Hannes’s but the bigger problem is if you get sick again. So... maybe... for a couple of fucking days, it wouldn’t be so fucking bad”

He didn’t want Levi walking into Hannes’s without being prepared

“His house is a mess and the bathroom has something growing in the corner of the shower. Kind of fucked my knee up so not really able to get that low to the ground”

Growling, the alpha pulled away. Levi running his finger through his short black hair, Eren swallowing hard at the casual kind of sexiness oozing off the alpha. Shit... Maybe he wasn’t just hot...

“Of course it fucking does. I don’t know what an alpha does. I didn’t know if I should go get you. Or if you’d been hurt. Or if you’d fucked off back to your apartment thinking you shouldn’t be here...I didn’t know if you were dead somewhere... Fuck, brat... just shut up and accept some fucking help for once”

Please for the love all things sacred don’t let Levi notice he was starting to slick. Or that the alpha’s scent was starting to change to something way too tempting. Swallowing nervously, Eren forced himself off the bed. Accepting help... It made him feel infinitely worse about the coming two weeks

“If you’re coming, you should probably pack”

“I’m already packed. I haven’t unpacked”

“Then... pack some more... I don’t know”

“Eren...”

“I’m not good at this help thing... and things have all gone to shit. Can I have a few moments alone?”

Levi sighed at him

“Alright. I’m a bit reluctant though. I wouldn’t be surprised if you tripped and attacked the furniture in your state”

“In my defence, I didn’t ask for a fucked knee”

“No. I’m not impressed by that at all”

How Eren wanted to confess then have Levi fix things, but he was in far too deep. Four days he’d been mostly okay, 5 minutes with Levi and he was back to being a mess

“That’s what happens when you put someone with my past in with a bunch of cops. I’m grateful I didn’t end up in a ditch. You should probably pack your work things... and the bed isn’t really the greatest. We’re staying in Phillip’s room and it hasn’t changed since he moved out to go to college”

“What size is the bed?”

Eren blinked, the realised it was a valid question seeing he’d practically insinuated they’d be sleeping in it together

“Queen. Thankfully”

“I’ll pack my own bedding. I don’t want to think about the amount of spoof lingering on those sheets”

“They’ve been washed...”

“I’m sure they have been. Fine. Pack your stuff. But you better call out if you need help”

Both of them knew he wouldn’t, still, Eren forced a strained smile as he answered. If living with Hannes failed to scare Levi away, then maybe nothing ever would?

“Yeah. Will do”