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A bloodcurdling screech woke the west wing of the castle.

Eren blinked awake sleepily as Levi shot up beside him, producing a dagger from somewhere Eren was too tired to figure out. The brunet struggled to sit up, and Levi snapped his fingers impatiently.

"Hurry up, brat. Something's wrong."

A few moments later had Eren hurrying after Levi, surprised and awed by how silently the corporal could move. If you weren't looking right at him, you wouldn't know he was there. Must be something from his underground days. They made their way towards where they'd heard the scream, Eren noting how eerily silent it was around them. Hadn't anyone else heard it?

Soft sobbing reached their ears. Eren halted immediately, taken aback, but Levi took it in stride, poking his head around the corner. Immediately Eren saw a disgusted grimace cross his features, and the raven turned to his charge. He rubbed at his face wearily, sighing deeply. "You're not going to like what you see, but I need you to comfort her while I go get someone to help clean up this mess."

"Who is it? What happened?"

Levi merely gestured for him to take a look. Eren gave him a weary glance before rounding the corner.

It took him a moment to register what he was seeing. Blood, a lot of it - precious life substance dripping from the victim's lips and nose. Bruising covered their entire body from head to toe. The face was barely recognizable, disfigured to the point they didn't even look human anymore. There was a sickening dent in their head where they were hit so hard with a blunt object their skull caved in. Both the soldier's legs were broken, and from what Eren could see from where their shirt rode up, he'd been kicked in the stomach repeatedly.

A wave of nausea hit him as he realized who it was, and he fought back the urge to vomit. Hands on his waist grounded him, and Eren clutched at his lover's arms. He could feel bile rising in his throat and did his best to push him down. A gentle kiss was pressed to his neck to distract him, then Levi was tilting Eren's head away to look at the girl pressing herself against the wall.

It was Krista.

Her quick, short breaths suggested hyperventilation, and had curled herself up in a fetal position. Wide blue eyes stared unblinkingly from a curtain of blonde hair, face stained with an unrelenting flow of tears. She hadn't even noticed the two arrive. It was as though she was trying to fuse with the wall.

"Krista!"

Eren immediately darted to her side, shielding her view from the body on the floor. It was hard for him even, knowing those lifeless eyes - or eye, as one was absolutely destroyed - were staring straight at them. Still, he did his best to ignore the fact, focusing on the hyperventilating girl before him. He shook her shoulders gently, trying to snap her out of her stupor.

"Krista, come on. It's me, Eren."

A flash of recognition, then Krista was throwing herself at him, sobbing loudly as she curled up against his chest. Her fingers twisted in his shirt as he wrapped his arms around her. He rocked them gently back and forth, staring helplessly at the wall as tears burned in his eyes. He didn't know what else to do. Krista's crying showed no signs of stopping, and why should it? Yet another of their friends was dead on the floor behind them, barely even identifiable.

"Jean - why w-would anyone -"

"Shh, don't think about it. Think about something happy. Think about... Ymir. She makes you happy, right?"

"Y-Ymir -" That only set her off more, and Eren inwardly groaned. "I want Ymir." It was the most coherent thing she'd said. "I want Ymir... Ymir, Ymir, Ymir...!"

She was like a child crying for their mother, refusing anyone else's comfort, pining for the warmth of a loved one's embrace. Eren stared around helplessly. Levi had disappeared, presumably to find someone else to help. They were all alone here. Eren didn't know how to comfort someone! He was always the one being comforted! How was he supposed to make her feel better when he was trying to hold himself together? Krista's wails were the only sound in the hallway and the way they echoed was setting him on edge. He hoped they weren't alone long -

His prayers were answered as a screech met their ears, almost inhuman and indefinitely terrifying.

"Krista!"

And then the girl was being snatched from his arms and swept up into a strong embrace. Krista wrapped her limbs around Ymir, clinging on for dear life as the brunette buried her head in her girlfriend's shoulder. Ymir took a deep breath and let it out, her strong arms tightening around the tiny blonde, before she took in the scene before her.

"Who the fuck would do this?" she demanded, eyes turning on the other brunet. Eren immediately recoiled.

He knew what she was thinking.

"Jaeger and I were asleep when we heard the scream," Levi pointed out. It was scary how quickly he snapped into his soldier role. "He was with me all night. There was no way he could have done it." Well, that was one way of telling people they were fucking half the night - but it wasn't important. More soldiers were piling in, several wincing at the sight of Jean Kirschstein's broken and bruised body. "Dita, report to Commander Erwin. Hanji!" When had she shown up? She looked so somber too... "Help me clean this up. Everyone, resume your morning rituals as well as you can."

There was no way they could resume as usual.

Eren mistakenly glanced at the lifeless body on the floor. Immediately bile rose in his throat. Who had done this? Ymir accused him of it, but he at least knew of his own innocence. He understood why she would accuse him, however, especially with the one-sided fight from the day before. Anyone would be resentful after having their face pounded in. It was natural for Ymir to suspect he wanted revenge, so he couldn't resent her for it. But who would else would have committed the crime...?

Suddenly Eren's eyes widened. Oh no.

"C-Corporal?" he called out hesitantly.

His voice shook at the shock of the realization, and he hoped desperately that he was wrong. The titan shifter watched his captain hesitate, both knowing that he shouldn't show Eren favoritism, but the tremor in the boy's tone had his instincts raging and demanding he comfort him. Sighing, he muttered a quick apology to his fellow squad leader and motioned for Eren to follow him. The moment they were out of sight and earshot Levi drew him into his arms, the boy naturally melting into the embrace.

"Eren, I know what you're going through, but I have things to take care of." Levi gave a resigned sigh, running his fingers through the brunet locks. "So if you can handle at least going through the motions -"

"You did it, didn't you?"

Levi quirked an eyebrow at being interrupted. But now there was a dark glint in his eyes. He almost looked amused. "I did."

"Why?"

Levi definitely didn't like the way Eren's lip quivered as he asked the simple question. Any show of sadness gave Levi the urge to make someone pay for it.

"He hurt what I hold closest to my cold, dead heart. You didn't protect yourself nor did you get him back, so I took the initiative."

Eren clenched his hands into fists, trying to control the urge to raise his voice. "And if I had punched him when you gave me the chance?" he challenged. "Would you have let him live?"

Levi seemed to think for a moment, but Eren knew in an instant it was all a game to him. His lips spread in a wicked grin as he replied, "Not likely."

The younger male exhaled sharply, feeling the fresh sting of tears. "So there's nothing I could have done to stop you?"

"You could avoid such conflicts altogether," the raven suggested.

Eren knew Levi didn't understand his lover's inner turmoil, didn't realize the torture he was being put through. Or maybe he did. Maybe it was a test to see who Eren cared more about. Perhaps he was just allowing Eren to create more victims for him because he enjoyed the killing. No, there was no doubt he enjoyed the killing. He was so complacent about the deaths he caused, so clearly pleased with himself whenever Eren acknowledged what he had done. He didn't seem to care that his lover looked down on it, so long as he knew what he was doing, supposedly for his well-being.

"You're a monster."

Levi's eyes narrowed and his smile instantly vanished. Eren instinctively flinched when a hand approached his face, eyes squeezing shut and heart pounding painfully in his chest. That had been a mistake. He shouldn't have said that, even if it was true.

Eren waited for the pain to come, only for the corporal to grasp his chin gently.

"Eren."

Soft lips claimed his own. Before Eren could react, they pulled away. The brunet cracked a reluctant eye open as Levi spoke again.

"You're not wrong. I am a monster, shaped by cruelty and hardships into the madman I've become."

So he knew, Eren thought bitterly, but a pang of pity hit him as well. Levi knew there was something wrong with him, somewhere in that twisted mind of his.

"But you don't have to worry. Because I'll never, ever lay a hurtful hand on you."

His heart twisted painfully and he didn't even know why. Why did Levi's sincere words affect him so?

"I'm going to create a beautiful world for the two of us. A world of our own, where no one will bother us. I know what I do upsets you, but the only thing that matters is us. No one will stop me from achieving that utopia with you."

Levi's eyes were shining with something Eren had never seen before. He looked... hopeful. Like he was dead-set on this dream. He truly desired a life with his lover, a peaceful, solitary existence. Levi was a murder, a psychopath, but he wasn't a liar - at least, not when talking to the only person he cared about.

And while Eren didn't approve of his methods, somewhere within him, he yearned for the same thing.

.-.-.-.-.

Why do I still love him?! He's killed my friends! He's a murderer! He's violent and possessive and... and insane... but...

Damn it... I can't stop loving him. When we're alone and he's whispering sweet nothings to me, I can't help but wish to spend every waking moment with him.

And... and I understand. I don't approve. I hate him for what he's doing. But I understand why. And I want to tell someone, but I know now why I can't bring myself to.

Because he's absolutely mad.

And I still love him.