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"Sasha and Connie have been acting strangely, don't you think?"

Mikasa's musing reached Eren's ears, waking him slightly from his trancelike state. He'd been doing that more and more lately, though he wasn't sure what to call it. Daydreaming? Mm, not quite. It was like he shut himself off, sometimes for hours at a time, simply performing the most basic human functions, and sometimes even skipping those.

It was easier this way. He could avoid all the internal debate and depressing thoughts.

"Why do you say?" he asked quietly. Mikasa's head snapped around and she looked shocked when her eyes landed on him. Then there were tears shimmering in her eyes, but she blinked them away rapidly. Her hand closed over his as she composed herself, though for the life of him, Eren couldn't figure out why she was suddenly so emotional.

"They've been avoiding everyone, haven't you noticed?" That was Armin, though he sounded distant. He had his nose buried in a notebook, as he had every time Eren had seen him the last few times he'd bothered to pay attention. He was scribbling furious, so fast Eren dimly worried that the paper would catch fire. "They also whisper a lot amongst themselves. I suspect they probably think one of us is the murderer."

"Why?" Eren questioned, perplexed.

"Well, if it's not one of them, it's got to be one of us, right?" Armin didn't even look at him.

"But it's not," Eren stressed. "I hope," he threw in quickly, to make sure they didn't think he knew.

"What if it's one of them?" Mikasa asked, keeping her voice down as she stared at the duo on the other side of the cafeteria.

"I don't think so," Armin said thoughtfully, flipping through pages in his notebook.

"So do you think it's one of us?" Mikasa accused playfully. Armin snorted.

"Hardly."

"What are you writing?" Eren piped in suddenly, peeking over his best friend's shoulder. Could he still call Armin that? He hadn't been much of a friend to any of them. Lying, concealing, allowing them all to die. He repressed a shiver.

Armin snatched his book away, a vicious look on his features briefly before he schooled his expression into a calm one. "You aren't allowed to see. Nobody is."

"You don't trust me?" Hurt flashed across Eren's face. Even though there were very good reasons not to trust him, Armin didn't know all he'd done, or at least he was fairly certain. Was there something else he had done?

"I can't take chances," Armin said simply, averting his gaze. "There's only a seventeen percent chance you did anything, Eren, but there's a large chance that anyone in this entire building could be an accomplice or enabler. As much as my heart tells me you're innocent..." The blond placed a hand on his chest for emphasis, then moved it to his forehead. "... my brain tells me not to tell anyone. That includes you two. All I can say is I'm writing about the murders."

Eren nodded slowly, eyes dulling as he reverted back into his trancelike state. Mikasa's arm around his waist felt like the only thing keeping him grounded to reality these days. He'd been avoiding Levi lately, and it was showing in his workload, though not negatively. The captain was going easy on him, giving him the least hours for the easiest tasks. Was it some form of apology? That was the only thing Eren could come up with. Maybe Levi was worried. Maybe he thought Eren was trying to leave him, trying to end their relationship.

Eren couldn't ever do that, no matter how much he hated Levi. He loved him so much it hurt. He just didn't think he could take being so close to the murderer. Not anymore.

It was wearing down on his health, it was obvious. Everything was. His once sun-kissed skin was pale, an almost deathly pallor reminiscent of his boyfriend's. Once-beautiful turquoise eyes were now dull, heavy bags dragging them down, red-rimmed from crying so much. His body always felt heavy. So, so heavy. It was always hard to move. He was considering dragging himself upstairs and laying down for rest, and perhaps just not getting up the next morning.

Armin's voice snapped him out of that dark place.

"Eureka," he breathed, eyes huge behind his reading glasses as he stared at something on the page. He dropped his pencil and slammed the notebook shut, expression closed off as he clutched it to his chest. He stood up quickly and glanced down at his bewildered friends. "Eren, can we talk privately?"

"Privately?"

"Yes. There's something I have to ask."

Fear coursed through Eren at his words. Something in his gut told him something was wrong. Still, he stood and followed his friend into the hall, his fingers sliding from Mikasa's outstretched hand. She stared after them until they disappeared from sight, and Armin led his friend a little ways down the hall before looking around to see if they were alone. Taking a deep breath, he mustered up the most serious look he could give, and spoke.

"Is it Levi?"

Eren's blood ran cold. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised Armin would be the one to find out. But now he was terrified. An overwhelming sense of relief came with someone finding out, but he was also struck by the immense fear of his lover being taken from him. He had promised himself that he wouldn't rescue Levi if he was found out, but he didn't tell himself he'd merely let it happen, either.

He forced out a laugh. "Levi? Of all people, it can't be him. He's been pissed about all the paperwork."

Armin clearly didn't believe him, but the complete lack of doubt in his eyes shocked Eren.

"Eren... he's not threatening you, is he?"

"Armin..."

So many words and phrases flashed through his head, so many things he could say to deny or refute his best friend the information he demanded. But he knew Armin would see through it all, and he couldn't risk the blond thinking he was being forced into anything. That would guarantee Levi's punishment faster than anything. So he begged. Dropping to his knees as helpless tears started to well up, he clutched at Armin's shirt.

"Please, Armin... don't tell anyone..."

"Don't tell anyone?!" Armin hissed, looking offended. "He's killed all of our friends! He's lost his mind, Eren. Why are you defending him?"

"Because..."

Eren gripped at the fabric tighter, trying to hold onto his composure. The words 'I love him' bounced around in his head and he barely stopped himself from saying it. He couldn't. That would only make Armin suspect him, think something was wrong with his friend. Perhaps there was.

"Because he'll kill you," Eren gasped out instead. It was true, and his heart twisted and writhed at the thought that he hadn't come up with that first. Was Levi's safety worth that much more to him? "He'll kill you before you can tell anyone. Please, Armin... I don't want him to kill you."

He didn't want to see Armin like that. Bruised and bloody and broken, the life gone from his eyes. Armin was precious. He loved Armin so much. He didn't know what he'd do with himself if Armin was killed. He knew it was naive, but he never thought he'd have to choose between two people he loved dearly.

"Eren, I..." The conflict on Armin's features was clear. "Please, Eren, tell me. Is he threatening you? Hurting you?"

"No, Armin... he... he loves me." It was such a strange concept, that someone who hated the world loved someone who dearly wanted to save it. "He wouldn't lay a finger on me."

"You're certain?"

"I'm certain. But that means he blames everyone else for everything. Armin, please, please don't tell anyone!"

Armin was silent, the gears in his head turning. "I won't. For now." Before Eren could thank him, the blond continued. "But only if you turn him in, because he won't hurt you."

"But Armin -"

"I don't care if you love him, Eren," Armin growled, hitting the nail on the head. It was disorienting to see Armin so upset and angry at him, but he had all the right to be. "I'm giving you two days. It's me or him, Eren. Make your choice."

And he pried Eren's hands off of his shirt and stormed back to the cafeteria.

Shock coursed through his entire being. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised with the sudden change of events, but he couldn't help it. As tears overcame him and helpless sobs shook his frame, he wondered what he could possibly do to fix things, but he knew it was too late.

"He's figured me out, huh?"

Eren nearly jumped out of his skin at the familiar voice, and when warm, soothing arms wrapped around him in what was supposed to be a comforting embrace, he curled in on himself. Levi clicked his tongue, unimpressed, as he scooped Eren into his arms and started walking down the hall to his office. The brunet couldn't bring himself to do anything but cling desperately to the captain, hating himself for it.

"Please don't."

"I can't stop it, you know. It's kill or be killed."

"When are you going to do it?"

"Midnight tonight. If it's any consolation, I didn't want to have to kill him. He's too smart for his own good."

Eren's heart thundered loudly in his chest as he curled up tighter, hoping it would stop beating altogether.

.-.-.-.-.

Armin was found missing the next morning.

I'm a horrible person.