Categories > Anime/Manga > Attack on Titan > Mine
"I can't believe he would commit suicide."
Eren found himself saying and hearing these words more than he wanted to. It pained him how casually the rest of the Corps were taking it. One of their own had up and ended his own life, and everyone was talking about it in such a nonchalant manner. The only ones affected by Bertholdt's death were his friends from the 104th, who were absolutely miserable. They'd lost two of the top three, and some great friends in the process. Krista, Sasha, and Armin had been taking it the worst, being the most sensitive of the remaining friends, but none of them were coping well.
What intrigued Eren - in sort of a morbid way - was how Levi was taking it all.
"There's no way that kid committed suicide," he said flatly in response to Eren's hushed whisper, not looking up from his paperwork.
"Why d'you say that?" Eren sounded almost defensive, and Levi knew he had the brat's attention.
"He wouldn't have."
"He lost his best friend!"
"He was too cowardly. He loved life too much."
Eren started to bristle, but the words slowly sunk in. The mention of Bertholdt being a coward irritated Eren's nerves, but Levi was right. Bertholdt wouldn't have been able to bring himself to jump. A chill ran down the brunet's spine, and he stared at Levi with wide eyes.
"Do you think the murderer got him?" he whispered.
"I know the murderer got him," Levi said matter-of-factly, closing his eyes and setting his pen aside. He rubbed his face vigorously and Eren felt a pang of pity; Levi worked nonstop and was probably exhausted. But when Levi's hands moved to reveal his face, Eren was shocked to see the smile that stretched his lips.
He never smiles like that.
"Levi?"
The captain's eyes settled on his charge. Eren swallowed nervously when his lover beckoned him to come closer but obeyed. Familiar hands settled on his hips and pulled him into the man's lap. Levi trailed soft kisses along his jaw, earning a contented sigh. Surely I'm overreacting. Nothing's wrong with him. I should be happy he's happy, for whatever reason.
"You know I love you, right, Eren?" Levi purred against the boy's neck, causing a shiver to run down his spine.
"Mhm," Eren hummed, hooking his arms around Levi's neck. He couldn't manage much else at the moment, closing his eyes and sighing in bliss. He could feel the built up tension from the past few days fading away with Levi's touch. He'd needed this.
"And you know I would do anything for you."
"I know."
"And nobody can keep you from me."
"Possessive today, aren't you?" Eren laughed, but then Levi's arms were tightening around his waist, his face pressed against Eren's neck.
"I don't like people touching what's mine," he said darkly. "Or trying to kill them, for that matter."
"What -" Eren blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of his words and sudden change in demeanor. "What do you mean?"
"Bertholdt Hoover was not your friend in his last days. He was not an innocent victim." Levi cradled the brunet's face, noting the shocked expression. "He was a killer at heart, and he tried to make you his victim."
Suddenly the smile was back, cruel and wicked this time.
"So I made him mine."
Eren's jaw dropped. His first instinct was to scramble away, but he couldn't move. He wanted to punch Levi in the shoulder and tell him to quit joking around, that it wasn't funny, but the raven's smile wasn't one of mirth. Eren could feel a sting in his eyes as the words sunk in.
"You killed him?"
His lover was a murderer. A heartless killer that he was alone with. Oh, hell, what if he made a move on Eren?
"I killed him to save you."
Eren's eyes went wide, and he wasn't sure which feeling was dominant: fear or shock. "But - but why?! Why would you do it?! What did he do wrong?!"
"He tried to kill you," Levi responded calmly, his smile decreasing to one more calm and collected, though still unnerving. "He snipped your cables and tried to have you fall to your death. I saw it happen. It was either confront him or save your life. I decided I could make him pay for it later."
"Why didn't you just tell the Commander immediately?!" Eren demanded, voice raising in pitch. He recognized the signs of hysteria and knew he needed to calm down, but it was all too much.
"Things could have gotten unbelievably nasty if it got out he was directly caught. We needed to catch him by surprise. But he managed to fool Hanji, so I took things into my own hands." He shrugged as though it was nothing. "It's easier to file paperwork for a suicide than a murderer, anyways," he finished casually.
The gears in Eren's head turned furiously, whirring and spinning and trying to make sense of Levi's words. "But... but why would Bert try to kill me?"
"He thought you killed Reiner, obviously."
Eren gasped, wounded by the idea. "But I didn't! I never could have...!"
"I know, because I'm the one that killed him."
Eren's heart stopped. Two deaths on his lover's hands?!
"Why?!"
"He touched what was mine," Levi stated calmly.
"We were joking around, Levi! This isn't okay!"
"Joking around? You must not see the way he looks at you, then. Haven't you noticed you're the only one he harassed like that?"
Eren stopped short, his anger and indignation fading and being replaced with realization. Levi was right. Reiner's advances seemed joking, but it always seemed like there was something behind him, and the brunet had been the only one on the receiving end. No one else got that treatment, not even Krista. It was difficult to fully understand, but in a way, Levi's reasoning fit, even if it was morally wrong.
That's right... morally wrong. Very wrong!
"I should turn you in," Eren mumbled half-heartedly.
It was true, but he could never bring himself to do it, and Levi seemed to know it.
"For what?" the raven asked, quirking an eyebrow. "I've merely been protecting you. I've kept you safe. You wouldn't tell anyone."
You're right, Eren agreed silently. But something in him didn't want Levi to win. "What if I do?" he challenged.
"Why..." Levi pressed his lips to Eren's ear, hot breath ghosting over his skin and making him shiver. "I'll kill whoever you tell."
Eren's breath hitched in his throat. He felt cold suddenly, torn between the want to understand and the urge to run. "What about me?" he asked, voice trembling.
Levi pressed a surprisingly tender kiss to Eren's forehead, eyes sincere when he next spoke. "I won't ever lift a finger to harm you. I'll end my life before I end yours. I would move heaven and earth for you, Eren."
And kill everyone living there, Eren added silently. But he still found himself pressing against his lover, seeking comfort. His heart still urged him to find solace in Levi, no matter what his common sense tried to tell him. And like the idiot he was, he followed his heart.
.-.-.-.-.
I don't know what to do.
I can't believe he killed them. And what about Erwin? He's betraying the commander's trust!
He's crazy, a madman. But I still love him.
What do I do?
Eren found himself saying and hearing these words more than he wanted to. It pained him how casually the rest of the Corps were taking it. One of their own had up and ended his own life, and everyone was talking about it in such a nonchalant manner. The only ones affected by Bertholdt's death were his friends from the 104th, who were absolutely miserable. They'd lost two of the top three, and some great friends in the process. Krista, Sasha, and Armin had been taking it the worst, being the most sensitive of the remaining friends, but none of them were coping well.
What intrigued Eren - in sort of a morbid way - was how Levi was taking it all.
"There's no way that kid committed suicide," he said flatly in response to Eren's hushed whisper, not looking up from his paperwork.
"Why d'you say that?" Eren sounded almost defensive, and Levi knew he had the brat's attention.
"He wouldn't have."
"He lost his best friend!"
"He was too cowardly. He loved life too much."
Eren started to bristle, but the words slowly sunk in. The mention of Bertholdt being a coward irritated Eren's nerves, but Levi was right. Bertholdt wouldn't have been able to bring himself to jump. A chill ran down the brunet's spine, and he stared at Levi with wide eyes.
"Do you think the murderer got him?" he whispered.
"I know the murderer got him," Levi said matter-of-factly, closing his eyes and setting his pen aside. He rubbed his face vigorously and Eren felt a pang of pity; Levi worked nonstop and was probably exhausted. But when Levi's hands moved to reveal his face, Eren was shocked to see the smile that stretched his lips.
He never smiles like that.
"Levi?"
The captain's eyes settled on his charge. Eren swallowed nervously when his lover beckoned him to come closer but obeyed. Familiar hands settled on his hips and pulled him into the man's lap. Levi trailed soft kisses along his jaw, earning a contented sigh. Surely I'm overreacting. Nothing's wrong with him. I should be happy he's happy, for whatever reason.
"You know I love you, right, Eren?" Levi purred against the boy's neck, causing a shiver to run down his spine.
"Mhm," Eren hummed, hooking his arms around Levi's neck. He couldn't manage much else at the moment, closing his eyes and sighing in bliss. He could feel the built up tension from the past few days fading away with Levi's touch. He'd needed this.
"And you know I would do anything for you."
"I know."
"And nobody can keep you from me."
"Possessive today, aren't you?" Eren laughed, but then Levi's arms were tightening around his waist, his face pressed against Eren's neck.
"I don't like people touching what's mine," he said darkly. "Or trying to kill them, for that matter."
"What -" Eren blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of his words and sudden change in demeanor. "What do you mean?"
"Bertholdt Hoover was not your friend in his last days. He was not an innocent victim." Levi cradled the brunet's face, noting the shocked expression. "He was a killer at heart, and he tried to make you his victim."
Suddenly the smile was back, cruel and wicked this time.
"So I made him mine."
Eren's jaw dropped. His first instinct was to scramble away, but he couldn't move. He wanted to punch Levi in the shoulder and tell him to quit joking around, that it wasn't funny, but the raven's smile wasn't one of mirth. Eren could feel a sting in his eyes as the words sunk in.
"You killed him?"
His lover was a murderer. A heartless killer that he was alone with. Oh, hell, what if he made a move on Eren?
"I killed him to save you."
Eren's eyes went wide, and he wasn't sure which feeling was dominant: fear or shock. "But - but why?! Why would you do it?! What did he do wrong?!"
"He tried to kill you," Levi responded calmly, his smile decreasing to one more calm and collected, though still unnerving. "He snipped your cables and tried to have you fall to your death. I saw it happen. It was either confront him or save your life. I decided I could make him pay for it later."
"Why didn't you just tell the Commander immediately?!" Eren demanded, voice raising in pitch. He recognized the signs of hysteria and knew he needed to calm down, but it was all too much.
"Things could have gotten unbelievably nasty if it got out he was directly caught. We needed to catch him by surprise. But he managed to fool Hanji, so I took things into my own hands." He shrugged as though it was nothing. "It's easier to file paperwork for a suicide than a murderer, anyways," he finished casually.
The gears in Eren's head turned furiously, whirring and spinning and trying to make sense of Levi's words. "But... but why would Bert try to kill me?"
"He thought you killed Reiner, obviously."
Eren gasped, wounded by the idea. "But I didn't! I never could have...!"
"I know, because I'm the one that killed him."
Eren's heart stopped. Two deaths on his lover's hands?!
"Why?!"
"He touched what was mine," Levi stated calmly.
"We were joking around, Levi! This isn't okay!"
"Joking around? You must not see the way he looks at you, then. Haven't you noticed you're the only one he harassed like that?"
Eren stopped short, his anger and indignation fading and being replaced with realization. Levi was right. Reiner's advances seemed joking, but it always seemed like there was something behind him, and the brunet had been the only one on the receiving end. No one else got that treatment, not even Krista. It was difficult to fully understand, but in a way, Levi's reasoning fit, even if it was morally wrong.
That's right... morally wrong. Very wrong!
"I should turn you in," Eren mumbled half-heartedly.
It was true, but he could never bring himself to do it, and Levi seemed to know it.
"For what?" the raven asked, quirking an eyebrow. "I've merely been protecting you. I've kept you safe. You wouldn't tell anyone."
You're right, Eren agreed silently. But something in him didn't want Levi to win. "What if I do?" he challenged.
"Why..." Levi pressed his lips to Eren's ear, hot breath ghosting over his skin and making him shiver. "I'll kill whoever you tell."
Eren's breath hitched in his throat. He felt cold suddenly, torn between the want to understand and the urge to run. "What about me?" he asked, voice trembling.
Levi pressed a surprisingly tender kiss to Eren's forehead, eyes sincere when he next spoke. "I won't ever lift a finger to harm you. I'll end my life before I end yours. I would move heaven and earth for you, Eren."
And kill everyone living there, Eren added silently. But he still found himself pressing against his lover, seeking comfort. His heart still urged him to find solace in Levi, no matter what his common sense tried to tell him. And like the idiot he was, he followed his heart.
.-.-.-.-.
I don't know what to do.
I can't believe he killed them. And what about Erwin? He's betraying the commander's trust!
He's crazy, a madman. But I still love him.
What do I do?
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