Two years later, Eren was in the kitchen. He was cooking breakfast while Levi packed the picnic supplies. They had been living together all this time. Creating a rhythm all their own, they danced around each other as they set to complete their tasks.
"Mom will be there, but she maybe late. I already checked with the principal, everything is set." Eren confirmed as Levi snapped the container closed. Eren sat the cups on the table.
"Really, that's great." Levi kissed his boyfriend as he moved the container to the front door with the rest of their supplies.
"So, she's really OK with all of this?" Levi asked for the millionth time.
"Yeah, she stated we have basically been living here alone for the last few years." Eren shrugged. As a graduation present, Carla Yeager had decided to give the boys the apartment. She had bought a small cabin upstate where she planned to hole up for the winter and finish her next book. It did help that her current boyfriend lived near the lake she was moving too.
"That's great." Levi chuckled. He had received a scholarship to the local community College. It would pay tuition for the first two years. Levi had decided he wanted to own his own business. What that business was going to be changed depending on his mood. One day it would be a tea shop, then he would see an entitled ass in the community and he would change his mind.
As of late he had been thinking about a cleaning service. He currently worked nights for one. He often came home telling Eren all about how he would run the business differently if he owned it. Eren had smirked and told him to do it.
For Eren, his online life had spilled over into his real life. Many people were buying his manga's now. When it was discovered he was the author Carla Yeager's son, he got a book deal. He had his first two manga's being marketed worldwide. Which blew his mind! Yet as of three days ago, he was in talks with a studio company to make his first one into an anime.
Not only that, but the company offered him a job once he graduated. They would pay him to go to school for four years, as long as he agreed to work for them for four years after. He would be an animator with the potential to write more manga's. The only problem was they insisted that anything he created in those eight years, they owned.
Eren was in talks with separating his drawing ability and writing. He wanted to create the manga's for the book deal while working for the studio. It was slow going and a lot of back and fourth but it was looking like he may he on the right track of getting most of what he wanted.
Of course all of this lead to his father finding him. It was just after he signed the book deal and it went to public knowledge. Not many people knew he was still in high school. He had left home late. No longer was he bullied. Connie and Jean had become friends. Even Bertolt wasn't so bad once Reiner was arrested for assault on a minor and drug possession. Annie was still Annie, so Eren kept a wide path between them.
It was just after Christmas and the New Year. Levi had gotten sick and Eren forced him into bed that morning. This was why he was late heading out to school. The snow had made the path slippery, Eren was watching where he walked so he wouldn't fall. A fist struck his gut before he ever saw the person it belonged to.
His father held him up by his backpack as he punched and kicked Eren. He didn't say anything to the boy he beat the crap out of. When Eren was barely conscious, Grisha yanked him up. "Now, you fucking little whore ass faggot, we are going to the bank and you are giving me all the fucking money you have." He demanded.
Eren could hardly breath through the broken ribs he had received. Grisha had to practically drag him along. Bertolt saw this. He called Levi and left a message. Thinking the teen would do something, Bertolt went off to school.
Eren had given Levi meds to make him sleep. He didn't get the message until hours later. He tried calling Bertolt back. When he finally got through to him, Bertolt asked about Eren's health. He explained the kid hadn't come to school.
Levi was furious with him. He told Bertolt he was going to kill him if anything had happened to Eren. Armin overheard all of this and got all of Eren's friends together. They started to search for the teen. Erwin was the one to discover all of Eren's money had been withdrawn from the bank.
That was when Levi called Carla. She immediately called the police and flew home. The police started a search for Eren as well. They believed him to have run off, but his friends knew better. After several more hours of searching, it was Furlan who found Eren's body.
He had been beaten and left in an alley a few miles from the bank. The only way the wizard discovered it was through a tracking spell he had created. It took time, but he had been able to follow Eren's path. Eren was unconscious, barely able to breath and was slowly going into hypothermia.
It would take him many, many months to recover. Due to this, he missed the last part of the year. He was unable to graduate with his class. Carla moved them all to another location. She bought a small store front that had a large apartment upstairs. She had the thought of turning the downstairs into a sort of studio for herself and Eren. This worked as she stayed with them until Eren fully recovered.
Levi stayed too, he refused to go back to school and graduate with his friends. He wanted to stay with Eren. So, once Eren healed, and after the long emotional wait to see if he would lose any of his fingers, they went back to school. Eren had been lucky in that a homeless woman had tried to help him. She had given him some gloves. This allowed him to keep most of his fingers. He ended up losing the tip of his pinky to frostbite.
Grisha was arrested several hundred miles away. He still had most of Eren's money. This was given back to him. Eren's father was sent to jail where he was killed in a riot three months later. Eren had gone to the funeral only to make sure he was really gone. This changed their lives greatly. Without the threat of his father, Eren flourished.
"Alright, so, um, I have a bit of a surprise." Levi said as he sat down his empty cup. He eyed Eren across the table.
"What?" Eren asked. Levi smirked.
"Well, I discovered something." He stood up, stripping off Eren's tee-shirt that he wore as pajamas. His toned naked body on full display for his lover. Eren leaned back in the chair. Dropping one arm over the back of it, his green eyes sparkled as he watched the man prowl towards him.
"Hon, I love watching your cock dance, but...HOLY FUCK WHAT THE HELL?" Eren leapt to his feet jumping away from the teen. He just watched as his long time boyfriend transformed into a giant fucking panther.
The howl/ growl it let out turned into laughing as Levi changed back to his human form. Eren looked like he was about to piss himself!
"Oh damn that was great!" Levi snatched up his phone. He had recorded the whole thing.
"What the fuck? Did Petra curse you again?" Eren watched trying to get his heart to stop hammering his ribs.
"No!" Levi slipped the shirt back on. "See, my family are shape shifters. I think the curse might of triggered my innate ability to shift to a cat. But it also held back my true ability over the form." Levi explained.
"How long have you been able to do that?" Eren asked. Levi was cleaning up the broken bits of Eren's coffee cup.
"A few months. I went to Furlan when it first happened. I wanted to make sure you would be safe. See one day I was just thinking about being the cat and it changed me. I got scared and changed back. Now I can do it at will." Levi smirked.
Eren reached out to draw the smaller boy to him. He kissed him passionately on the lips. "I wish you had told me sooner. I knew something was up with you. I honestly thought you were going to dump me and move away." Eren confessed.
"Just the opposite. You're stuck with me, Yeager." Levi chuckled. He kissed his lover before heading off to shower and dress. As they were packing up the car, Furlan and Isabell showed up. The two had eloped three months ago as Isabell was pregnant. Furlan was running a successful online magic emporium shop where he sold a lot of his talismans. He also did some readings and fortune telling stuff. It was enough to keep them afloat. Never one to just sit around, Isabel was doing online college courses. She helped Furlan with his business for now, but had plans to becoming a fashion designer.
"Hey, have you, ya know?" Furlan pretended to be a cat. Levi laughed and showed him the footage.
"Oh damn, that is fucking funny!" Isabel laughed.
"Watch your mouth, you're going to be a mother!" Levi scolded her. She stuck her tongue out at the small runt.
At school the friends were greeted by Hange and Moblit. The pair had full rides to the college of their choice. They were working in a secret lab doing who knows what. Moblit was in charge of making sure Hange survived. She would never eat or bathe or do anything, other than her experiments if it wasn't for her fiancé.
Erwin had joined the military. He was doing four years and planned to get out and go to college. According to Armin, the large blond really enjoyed his time into he service. Eren teased him about being a military wife, which made Armin blush and confirm that was the new plan.
"Actually, I have enlisted myself. I ship out a week after your graduation. I'm going to be an intelligence officer." Armin stated. Their new plan was to serve some time in the service. When they were ready they would get out and marry. Eren wished him the best, but made him promise to stay safe.
"Eren!" Carla rushed down the sidewalk, nearly falling. Moblit expertly caught her. It seemed more of a reflex for the scientist. Everyone snorted as they were sure he had to be on his toes dealing with Hange.
"You made it!" Eren hugged her.
"Yes, congratulations!" She hugged him then Levi repeating her sentiment. They went into the school.
Levi graduated with the rest of the class. Although, not stupid, he never applied himself in school. Therefore he never received the recognition he deserved. He was proud of Eren though. The boy wonder that he was, was graduating with honors. He was magna cum laude. Levi screamed himself horse as he applauded Eren's achievements.
After the ceremony there was a light luncheon where Eren was able to meet with several teachers he wanted to thank. He introduced his mother. Once this was over with, they were going to have a joint picnic/ graduation party. Erwin was the only unable to attend due to his military assignment. He did call Levi and Eren to congratulate them.
At the park, Levi put table cloths over several picnic tables. He laid out the food he had made. Everyone brought something to contribute. More pictures were taken as they ate, laughed and enjoyed each other's company.
"Eren, here." His mother handed him a large manila envelope. Confused Eren opened it. Inside was the deed to the building he lived in. It was signed over in his name.
"I thought you could use the store front for your art gallery. This way you have options other than selling your soul for vultures in this business." She smiled.
"Actually, I was thinking the store would be great for Levi's business." Eren stated.
"Wait, really?" Levi looked shocked. Eren smirked.
"Didn't you tell me I got to keep you?" he asked. Levi smirked.
"Yeah, you're my brat forever." Levi stated.
"Then why don't we make it official?" Eren said. Levi hadn't really been looking at him as Armin was drawing his attention away. He turned back when Armin spun him around. Eren was kneeling before him.
"We've been through a lot together. I love you more because of it, so Levi Ackerman will you marry me?" Eren asked. Levi opened and closed his mouth but no sound could escaped the tightness in his throat.
"You need to answer him, idiot!" Erwin called as he walked up behind his friends.
"Yes!" Levi cried. Eren stood kissing him. He slipped a ring on Levi's hand.
"Erwin, why are you here?" Levi demanded as he snuggled into Eren.
"Well, I did this course online and became an ordained minister. I got leave to come marry you two idiots. My plane was delayed so I'm was afraid I would miss it."
"Wait, you mean marry you, right now?" Levi asked.
"Why not?" Eren smirked. "All our friends are here!"
Armin got them in place. Erwin went through the ceremony pronouncing them husband and husband. Eren kissed Levi. Everyone cheered.
"OK, switch!" Eren cried. Erwin chuckled.
"Yeah I heard you like that!" He snorted. He reached out to take Armin's hand.
"What?" Armin looked shocked.
"Eren took the same class. We planned this. I don't want to wait until some future date we haven't set. Let's get married now." He told him.
"Yes!" Armin nearly jumped into the taller blonde's arms. Erwin only had a few days off, but he escorted Armin to his boot camp.
It was several months later before anyone heard of Petra again. After her "death" she had vanished back into the community she had once come out of. Furlan long suspected her family had hidden her away. This was only partially true. Her parents kept her locked up in their attic. When they passed away in a car accident, it was discovered the horrible conditions Petra had been forced to live in.
Now nearly insane from the years of abuse by her family, she was placed in a mental hospital. Her ramblings of being a witch didn't get any notice. She had pictures all over her attic room of people that greatly resembled Levi. Only a very few were of the actual man. These they allowed her to take to her new residence.
Furlan, Isabel, Hange and Moblit took charge of her. They would visit her often to make sure she wasn't doing anything to hex people. It appeared that whatever her parents did to her in the years since they broke the curse and she was discovered, had all but stolen any real ability she had.
"It's a shame really, she could have been such a successful witch." Hange commented as Moblit and her left the facility Petra was housed in.
The end, (for real this time 😉)