Soon after the two of them came, they immediately snapped out of their lust filled states and started changing back into clothes after washing up quickly. Eren sprayed a little cologne on the both of them, making sure the scent of sex was no longer present, and Levi helped Eren with his tie. The two of them were silent and only communicated through cheeky grins and laughs when Levi eyed Eren up and down once he finished changing. He smacked Eren's ass playfully and kneaded it in one hand as he grabbed Eren's chin and placed a quick kiss on his bruised lips, and then they were out of the house.

"I'll drive," Levi volunteered.

"Huh? Are you sure? I thought I was going to drive," Eren said.

"It's fine. Besides, the passenger's seat is slightly comfier and you need it, especially after what I did to you," Levi said with a monotone voice, but winked. Eren swallowed and coughed when he understood what he meant.

"We're going to be almost forty minutes late," Eren whined as he slid into his seat.

"For the record, you wanted to continue after I sucked-"

"Okay, yes. I get it. You have no filter, do you? I hope you intend to think before you speak during this interview, Levi," Eren said with a laugh and softly hit Levi on his thigh before placing his hand on it.

"I'll be on my best behavior," Levi promised.

Eren sighed. "Thank you. I wouldn't be doing this without you."

"Well, I am the reason we even got into that whole kidnapping mess in the first place."

"That's not what I meant," Eren said as Levi started the engine and drove out of the driveway. "You had every reason to leave me, but you didn't. You're here with me, supporting me, loving me with your entire being."

"You have me wrapped around your little finger," Levi said with a small grin.

The two of them basked in sweet silence for the rest of the ride, only speaking when Levi needed directions, but they didn't need to say anything. Being in one another's presence was a treat and although they've been together for quite some time, they still appreciated it. Eren had his hand on Levi's thigh the entire ride, which reminded the older man of the day he first made love to him; Eren had teased him until Levi couldn't contain himself anymore and just took him in the backseat.

As if reading his mind, Eren spoke again. "Remember that day? When I dragged you into an alleyway and kissed you?"

"How could I forget?" Levi sighed with a faint smirk.

"That was the day I decided whether or not I would let you go. You see, I had my doubts, so I wanted to sort of test you. If you hadn't kissed me back that day, I would have left without another word and stopped trying to attract your attention. So when you kissed me back after saying I should kiss you after I told you I wanted to kiss you, I was over the moon," Eren explained dreamily as he crept his hand higher on Levi's thigh, making the man shift slightly. Levi released one hand from the steering wheel to pick Eren's hands up and raised it to his lips to kiss his hand. Before he could retrieve it, Eren wrapped his hand around his wrist and brought it gingerly to his mouth as well. Eren yanked Levi's sleeve down to reveal the long stretch of a scar that remained there throughout the years. It used to be a lot more noticeable and slightly red in colour, but it was slowly fading. Eren scooched closer to the edge of his seat and kissed along the scar, pausing every so often. His eyelashes brushed against his skin when Eren did this, making Levi feel embarrassed.

"I am so in love you, you know. I'm so grateful that the universe gave us a second chance, and that you still want me. Although I am a writer, I don't think I can ever properly express how I feel about you," Eren mumbled when he released his wrist from his grasp.

"I love you too," Levi whispered back. He never knew what to say back to Eren whenever he said things like this, mainly because he was so overwhelmed and he felt the same as Eren, that he couldn't word what he felt for him. Some things didn't need explaining, he thought. You just feel it.

They continued in silence, but soon Eren switched on the radio station to listen to some ABBA. The weather outside was wet but comforting and the air smelled of moist pine and crushed pinecones. The sky was a translucent white with a hue of grey, making the tree appear like ink stains against a blank canvas. He hummed and tapped to the beat on Levi's hand until they finally reached their destination.

---

The lights on the stage were blinding, and the area behind the camera crew was slightly dim, which also included the seating of the audience. The audience appeared to look more than five hundred people, and they went wild at the entrance of the two men on stage. They shared a loveseat as the interviewer sat on a very modern armchair. There was a coffee table in front of them with mugs filled with tea and coffee, but Eren knew it was just for show. No one seemed mad that he was late, but when he thought more in-depth about it they couldn't really get mad because he was the star if the show. Backstage was hectic and chaotic when they had finally arrived; women rushed them to the change room to fix their hair and straighten or iron their wrinkled clothing, and the crew was trying to calm the audience down. Other than that, they didn't face any more problems. Eren was kind of scared. Although this was not his first interview, he knew that there were older individuals in the audience, so he didn't know what kind of reaction the two of them were going to get.

Eren sat close to Levi and the older man had his hand on the small of Eren's back reassuringly as they waited for the interview to start. The interviewer smiled briefly at the two of them before they were cued that the filming began to roll. She turned toward the camera automatically, as if something had possessed her for a brief moment, and showed it her biggest smile.

"You've heard it all; the very shocking case the kidnapping of Eren Jaeger, who came from a very high-class family, and how he was rescued by the one who aided in the kidnapping that fateful night. As you can see, they're on rather good terms. Eren, could you explain your current relation to Levi Ackerman?"

"He's my husband," Eren said with a proud grin as he whipped out his ring finger and showed it to the open-mouthed crowd. He wasn't afraid to let people know mainly because he was used to their surprised reactions, but also because he felt no shame in loving Levi. It wasn't meant to be kept secret, because love was meant to be loud.

As he expected, the crowd gasped. He could spot saucer-like eyes and even heard a few boo's and angered shouting, as well as homophobic comments. He wasn't bothered. He was living a good life and he wasn't going to allow some opinions to affect him. At the end of the day, he was making money and he was with Levi.

"If you two don't mind, could you explain how you were kidnapped and how the two of you came to be?" The crowd had quieted down at this point and all had their eyes on the interviewer and the two men once again.

"Well, as you all probably know, I was taken away by Kenny Ackerman from my bedroom while the rest of my family went to Paris. Levi was actually the one who gagged and blindfolded me and did most of the ordering around to keep me within their control. I remember the night very well when he told me we were going to escape Kenny. Kenny had left for a brief moment and left the two of us together after I had some nails ripped off as a punishment. I didn't believe him at first, but then he beat Kenny to a pulp and told me to run. I can recall that it felt like I had consumed a large amount of caffeine and that I was absolutely horrified but relieved," Eren explained and reached for Levi's hand, who flinched but then tightened his grip on his. "The police searched desperately for the two of us, but we kept on running. We stole because we didn't have many supplies since we had left Kenny, so I was afraid they would jail me. When we were running, we were either lost or exploring."

The interviewer diverted her attention toward Levi. There was something in her eyes that almost made it seem like she was afraid to be in his presence. "Levi, could you comment on that?"

"I saved him because he had saved me a long time ago. I used to be homeless after running away from my abusive aunt. I stayed with her because my father was absent in my life and my mother was murdered. Anyways, I was dying in an alleyway at age eighteen and freshly graduated from high school, and I believe he must have been twelve or younger. He came up to me and handed me a thick wad of cash. At first, I declined because all I wanted to do was die in peace because, to be frank, living was tiresome at the time for me." Levi smirked lightly before continuing. "He threatened to scream if I didn't accept the money, so I eventually did. Because of that, I was able to stay at a hotel and contact my uncle Kenny. I did go through a bad path by doing so, but I survived because of Eren's generosity, so I felt obligated to help him too even if he was supposed to be my target."

"It is known that you were very close to your uncle, but did you know what he had planned for Eren when he kidnapped him?"

Levi squeezed Eren's hand and swallowed before answering. It always made him anxious to remember what Kenny was planning to do to Eren. "He was going to use him for ransom money, but that wasn't just it. As you can see, Eren is a very charming man with a very beautiful appearance, so Kenny wanted to take advantage of that. Kenny did many things, he was a jack of all trades; he trafficked drugs and firearms, so of course, he wanted to take a whirl at human trafficking."

"Kenny was a very intimidating man," Eren added. "But I was more afraid of Levi at the time."

"If you were afraid of him, how did you fall for him?"

"I hated him at first, with every inch of my being I detested him with a passion so great. Obviously, it didn't happen right away, but later on. He turned out to be a very kind, gentle and caring individual despite his dark past, and so we began to bond. I wasn't very sure how I exactly felt about him, so one night I kissed him when we were staying at my friend's house."

"Many people think your relationship with one another in case of Stockholm syndrome. What do you think about that?"

"It's false," Levi started before Eren could. "I'm aware I can't exactly speak for what Eren feels, but Stockholm Syndrome is when a victim develops it as a survival strategy, but there was no need for Eren to do so because he was no longer being threatened when we ran off from Kenny."

"He has a point, I even got tested for it. Though I think it was after the whole ordeal when my feelings for him really began to solidify," Eren added.

"And why is that?"

"Because when we were on the run together, I thought it was wrong to develop such feelings for someone who helped in taking me away. I thought I was being irrational. But even after I took meds, had counseling sessions and had time for myself to heal, I still couldn't deny that I love him. I couldn't help myself, so we would meet in secret and soon we became lovers. We didn't really have a friend phase, but I think perhaps we had always been lovers but we weren't aware of it." At that, the crowd released a symphony of aw's.

"Tell me, Eren, you've recently published your book about your story of the kidnapping and the events following it. Your story is incredible, but why did you decide to write and publish it?" The interviewer was leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, eager and ready for a response to fire from Eren's mouth.

"You see, rumors were bound to occur. People would make things up and post it on the internet. We had to move several times because of the hate we had, and more and more people were hearing the wrong information. I figured that if I wrote it from my perspective, that would get them to understand better, if not accepting. I was tired of hearing awful things being passed around about my husband."

"And you, Levi, how do you feel about the type of things people are saying about you? Does it bother you?"

"Not really, I've grown used to it at this point. Their insults don't change how I feel about Eren nor does it affect my everyday life. I didn't fall in love with him just to taunt and manipulate him like a lot of people claim, but I fell in love with because I couldn't help it. Love doesn't need a reason to exist, because it's just that confusing. What I feel for him is like how the sky appears blue or how we breathe, it's a natural occurrence," Levi explained as he placed a hand on Eren's thigh.

"Eren, in your book you explained that you were separated from Levi for a year because your mother did not approve of him at the time. Could you tell us why it took you quite some time to reach him again? You're an adult, why didn't you just go against your mother's wishes?"

Eren exhaled and swallowed. He hated talking about the subject and still felt guilty about it every day. "I adore and love my mother, but she did many bad things at the time that restricted me from seeing him again. She locked my bank account, hid my passport, changed the passwords of my social media, and kept an eye on me twenty-four-seven. As someone who suffers from depression, this was very discouraging, but it doesn't mean I didn't want to search for him. God. I wanted to so bad, but how? I didn't go against my mother's wishes in fear that she would abandon me as punishment, and I knew my unstable state wouldn't be able to handle it. When I had the chance, I would make my friends attempt to track him down, but he was unreachable. If I did disobey my mother's wishes and if she did kick me out of the house, where would I have started? What was I supposed to do? I was in Italy, and he was on the other side of the world."

Eren turned towards Levi suddenly and stared deeply into his eyes, which startled the black-haired man. His gaze was fiery and sharp but full of love and desperate praise. "I wanted to look for you. I really did."

"I know, angel," Levi muttered under his breath so that Eren could hear him only. "I know you did."

The interviewer coughed awkwardly to catch their attention before moving on to the next question, but she smiled at them sweetly as if their love was the cutest sight. "So Eren, you titled your book 'I Found'. Is there a significance to that? Why did you decide to title it so?"

"Because I found love where it wasn't supposed to be," he answered firmly as if more words would tumble out of his mouth. "As you know, the circumstance in which we met wasn't the most ideal situation. We were surrounded by darkness, violence, and danger, but I found love even in such a situation."

---

The interview continued on, the interview mainly asked questions about Eren's book and the crowd continued to listen intently. They swallowed each word carefully and thoroughly, and soon the interview ended after a while. It went by like a breeze, but the two of them felt like they were reliving some memories when the interviewer asked certain questions. It wasn't that they were too personal, but they struck them both so hard emotionally. The reason why they weren't too bothered was that they both learned that remembrance wasn't the enemy. It was a tool that needed to be used wisely, otherwise, someone would be hurt.

It was sunset by the time they got into their car, and night arrived when they reached their home. Levi had fallen asleep, for it had been Eren's turn to drive. Instead of disturbing his slumber, Eren walked to the passenger's seat and carried Levi out bridal-style. The short man stirred and mumbled in his sleep until Eren reached the front step.

"Levi, wake up, baby," Eren whispered close to his ear.

"Five more minutes," Levi drawled.

"We're already home, and I would hate to place you on the ground if it meant reaching the keys."

With a tired groan, Levi slipped out of Eren's arms and held onto his sleeve for support, still in his sleepy state. When they got inside, he plucked him into his arms once more and carried him to the bedroom, where it smelled strongly of sandalwood. He figured he accidentally left the oil diffuser on. When he lay Levi on the bed, he was surrounded by the wonderful scent. He pulled the covers over both of them like a secret base and faced him after he quickly rid the both of them of their clothes, leaving them in their boxers. He cupped Levi's cold cheeks and brought his mouth to his to lay a tender kiss on his unmoving lips.

"I love you," Eren murmured, thinking Levi would be too tired to hear anything.

"I love you too, my angel," Levi whispered back. His eyes were barely open, but Eren knew he was staring back at him.

If Eren knew that this would be the man he would eventually fall in love with even after their shared brutal and turbulent past together, he wouldn't have fought back his feelings as much as he had. The two of them could agree that they had a very difficult and troubling time trying to be together at first, but admit that it was worth it. The confused emotions, the incline of mental health due to the absence of one another, police and government-related situations and rejection was all worth it because they found one another again. They had found love in a place where it didn't belong, like a rose being planted clumsily in the sand. Perhaps their love was not meant to exist and perhaps it wasn't supposed to blossom, to begin with, but nature has its own cunning ways to make certain events occur without the consent of anyone. That was the true beauty of it all- the abrupt changes and unexpected happenings and lovely mistakes that could be blended together to create one massive and wonderful mishap. And this was what they had, an alluring mishap of their own. It wasn't just the aftermath or product of this shared mess that was so superb, it was the fact that such love had grown in the ruined soil of danger, crime, and violence and survived what was thrown at it. The trust and patience they had for one another was also something to be prideful of. Currently, the amount of time being in counseling sessions, running from the police and arguing with family was much longer than the time they had been together at last, but it overshadowed it. If Levi wasn't having bad flashbacks, he was never thinking of it at all and if Eren didn't have nightmares, the awful past didn't exist in his mind because darkness will always be killed by the light no matter what. Sometimes Eren liked to think that they were meant to be lovers and that it was decided before they were even brought to the world.

As Eren pressed his lips to Levi's for what seemed like the hundredth time that day yet it felt so new and special, he could barely remember that this was the same man who kidnapped him, tormented and threatened him. Life was one big wound, and that whole ordeal was the scabbing, the pus, the bleeding, the swelling and aching. Nothing will ever heal without hurting first and like love, nothing will be right without going through a series of wrongs. Even so, he knew that this was the man who cared deeply about him, supported him, loved him with every molecule of his existence and sang 50's songs while slow dancing with him in the kitchen in their pajamas at three in the morning. He knew now that this was the man he wanted to die loving, the man he wanted on his mind before passing away and proceeding to remain as a mere cadaver. Sometimes he imagined what life would have been if he journeyed to Paris with his family that night. Would Levi and Kenny have shown up at the house? Would he marry a woman? Would Levi end up in jail? Would they continue their lives as strangers? Eren felt a physical ache in his chest at the thought of the past possibility of not being lovers, because being Levi's lover was the greatest thing to be. On the same day a few years ago, Eren had been running and jumping onto moving trains with Levi, and now he was sharing the same bed as him. It made him laugh, how fate has its ways of formulating romances of two very different individuals with two very contrasting ways of living from wrong timings and choices.

He indeed found a love where it wasn't supposed to be.