Author's Note~ This was going to be split into two different chapters, but I thought it would be boring and a bit repetitive to split this up, so enjoy this really long chapter ^.^~ Lawliet TJ

Levi stayed quiet for a minute not sure if he should really answer or not. He just sat there with his mouth slightly parted for a moment. He was sure caught off guard by the question, and it wasn't really his place to tell others what Eren had been through or what he had done in the past. 'The past should remain the past,' Levi thought.

"Sorry, I wouldn't have normally asked, but I wanted to ask him something if they were?" TJ said stumbling over his words as he told his reasoning. His gaze was towards the floor as he nervously played with the end of his hair near his chest. 

"What would you want to ask him?" Levi asked softly.

He lifted hi head up to look at Levi when he asked him the question. "If it gets better, If life gets better, or if it will always feel like this," TJ whispered putting his head down.

Levi stood up and walked over to him kneeling down. "Hey, of course, it gets better," Levi said. TJ's eyes had started to water, but he tried to hold back his tears so he wouldn't have to make another trip to the bathroom. "You will always have your good days and your bad days, but the good days start to overcome the bad ones," Levi said with certainty.

TJ nodded listening to Levi's words.

"TJ, have you ever-" Levi asked but silenced himself before finishing the sentence.

"Only once," TJ said ashamed. "My sister found out and knocked some sense into me... literally," he said with a smile. "She smacked me in the back of my head and then hugged me really tight," she was always good with knowing what to do when I didn't. She got through to me."

"That's good," Levi said with a nod, "you have to promise me you won't do it again, I know you probably promised her already, but I need you to promise me too," Levi said with a serious look, the last thing he wanted was for TJ to hurt himself and Levi knew the more people you promise the harder it becomes to break those promises.

"I promise," He said looking Levi in the eyes with a look that said no matter what I'll keep it. "Um, Eren seems to know a lot about taking care of bruises and busted lips," TJ whispered. "Also when I told him about the situations with my parents he seemed to understand. Did he-," TJ drifted off.

Levi just nodded patting TJ's head. "He's been through a lot," He said with a sad smile.

The both got really quiet hearing the footsteps in the hall. Eren walked in moments later. He looked like had ran back here.

He walked over to TJ and went to hand him an ice pack. Before he could TJ hugged him. Eren was a little caught off guard by the hug, but smiled and hugged the kid back.

"Thank you, Eren," TJ said once more, but this thank you was for more than just helping him with his busted lip or getting him an icepack. It was to thank him for being living proof to him that things get better and that you can make it through things. Eren had motivated him to make it till he was 18 once he was 18 he could be happy, his life could finally start. Eren would never know just how inspirational he was to this kid who had been through so much.

"You're welcome," he smiled.

TJ let go of Eren and gratefully took the ice pack.

"TJ what happened?" Erwin asked as he silently entered the room.

They all turned to face the door slightly startled at his silent approach.

"I um I," TJ stuttered looking at the principal. "I tripped," he finally said.

Erwin gave him a raised eyebrow before looking at Eren remembering a similar situation. Eren just nodded with a shrug.

 "That doesn't look like a bruise you get from tripping," Erwin pointed out as he crouched down next to the boy who was sitting at a desk.

"I-," TJ went to say but Erwin cut him off.

"What are you going to tell me you ran into a pole too?" Erwin said with a sigh, "look, I just want to make sure that you are safe," Erwin said.

"I got jumped on the way to school," TJ admitted in a hushed voice.

"I see," Erwin said, "where was this?"

TJ finished telling him where and Erwin said he would try and find a solution to this. He asked if TJ would rather be sent home since he looked so drained and in pain, but TJ kindly declines his offer the last place he wanted to be was home. If his mother found out he was getting injured because of his hair she would happily cut it all off. 

When Erwin left TJ let out a sigh and laid his head on the desk. He was already tired and school hadn't started yet.

"TJ?" Thomas said as he walked in the class to see TJ laying face down on a table.

TJ wasn't paying attention so he didn't hear the obvious footsteps as they made their way down the hall. TJ looked up but kept his hair in his face when he did so hiding the ice pack in his lap.

"Oh, hey," TJ said trying to keep a natural attitude while hiding the fact that he was injured. "Sorry I have a bit of a headache," he said trying to justify his head being down in such and odd position.

"Oh okay," Thomas said slightly skeptical about TJ's actions and tone of voice, but he decided not to question it, that was until TJ moved his head to turn to look at the clock and he could slightly see through his hair and seen his lip.

Thomas immediately stood up and reached to brush the hair out of TJ's face.

"Don't," TJ warned, Thomas hesitate but did it anyways.

His breath caught in his throat as he froze staring at his boyfriend's face all beaten up. "Did she do this?" Thomas asked talking about TJ's mom.

"No," TJ sighed. He quickly explained. When he was done Thoms looked visibly angry.

"Those assholes," Thomas hissed, "I'll find them and kick their asses. From now on I'll walk you to and from school," he told him.

"But you would have to walk an extra mile in to go to my house," TJ said trying to protest.

"I don't care, I don't want you to get hurt," Thomas said before wrapping his arms around TJ and pulling him close.

TJ wanted to protest more but gave into the hug. Thomas's firm arms wrapped around TJ as he rubbed his back ever so slightly with his chin resting on his shoulder made TJ melt into the hug.

"I just want to protect you," he whispered holding TJ tight as if he was afraid of losing him.

TJ gave in and agreed with a nod of his head.

The other two teachers watching from a distance gave a little smile to each other as they watch the two kids who looked so happy to be in each other's arms.

"How am I going to tell my sister?" TJ asked Thomas being careful about listening to footsteps and watching the door to make sure she doesn't sneak up on him.

"Just explain it to her," Thomas said with a shrug. "Sure she'll be upset, but you shouldn't hide it from her.

"She will be beyond pissed, she will track down those guys and murder them," TJ said with a serious tone.

They heard footsteps and TJ put his head down on the desk not wanting to deal with his sister's wrath.

"Hey everyone," Hanji said as she walked in the room.

TJ let out a breath of relief before picking his head up.

"How are you guys," she asked leaning down next to the students.

"We're good," Thomas answered with a smile.

Hanji looked at TJ and could tell immediately, "Who did this?" She asked getting extremely serious as she pointed behind his hair.

"Hanji, leave the boy alone," Levi said calling her over so he could explain without her harassing him.

"Why are all of the teachers so good at figuring it out," TJ asked out loud not really to anyone specific, but Eren answered him anyways.

"Because we've all done it hid a bruise or a busted lip one way or another," Eren said.

TJ felt guilty after remembering that Levi had confirmed that Eren was abused as a child, and he wasn't sure if he would accidentally say something that would bring back any horrible memories from his past. He had realized after he opened his mouth that he should shut it again.

"Making your hair cover your face at all times, keeping your hand positioned over it, putting on your hood and angling it. We've all had to do it before so we know what it means when we see other people doing it," Eren said with a shrug.

By the time Eren finished explaining Levi had also finished explaining what happened to Hanji.

"My poor baby, are you okay?" She said running up to him and kneeling down to get a better look at his wounds.

Levi walked up behind her and smacked the back of her head, "didn't I tell you to leave him be," Levi said. "The last thing he needs is you bugging him."

TJ just thanked her anyways and watched as she rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish smile, "oops," she laughed.

After the teachers retreated back to their desk where they were all sitting around TJ heard footsteps and this time he knew they were Alex for sure.

He gave up and decided to take Thomas's advice and just tell her right out. If she found out later she would be even angrier that he didn't tell her. He brushed his hair out of his face and looked down not wanting to meet her gaze.

She turned the corner and looked to find where her brother was sitting today and saw his face that was littered with bruises. She said nothing as she approached and set her stuff down.

She walked over and hugged him tight whispering to him one word as she did, "who?" She didn't need to ask why she already knew why he was bruised.

"I don't know them," he said plainly.

She tried to insist on walking with him from now on, but he explained that Thomas was going to start meeting him a block away from their house.

It took a little convincing, but she finally gave in and told Thomas if he comes home with any bruises because he wasn't there she'd kick his ass. She then gave him her phone number and said that if he was running late or not coming to school to tell her so she could walk TJ to school.

He nodded and agreed to her demands.

TJ laid his head down feeling guilty that they had to go through so much trouble because he likes his hair long. "Maybe I should just cut it I would stop being such a burden," TJ mumbled. He looked back at the two and they were both looking at him. He realized he had said that out loud instead of in his head like he wanted.