Coming for your heart

Chapter 97

Their fight hang between them, wide and open with an ugly aftertaste. They had spoken so many words and yet so many things were still left unsaid. For once no wind brushed against their cheeks and only the warm sunrays touched their red skin.

"Stop that.", Levi grumbled and Eren looked up at him in surprise.

"What?"

"You look like someone kicked your puppy."

Eren frowned and turned his head sideways so Levi would only be able to see his blond wig.

"Do not."

"Whatever, brat."

Those few words, that were not an apology in nature, lessened the friction and Eren dared to relax his features until his lips resembled a gentle grin. They would have to talk about their fight. Someday.

For now-

Izzy's barking alarmed Levi and his head whipped around.

"Izzy!"

The call went unanswered and Eren stood straight, arms tense and ready to fight. A second later they were surrounded by soldiers. Eren recognized their uniforms, the spears in their hands and met their hostile glances.

Izzy had stopped barking and Levi, who clearly noticed that they were outnumbered, narrowed his eyes and stood still as a statue.

"The Queen is waiting for you."

And everything went dark.

- - -

Everything was...fuzzy. How much...where...

Eren groaned. His head hurt. And his stomach felt...strange. And his shoulder...what the fuck had happened? He tried to blink his eyes open and was surprised by the lack of light and snow when they finally revealed his new location to him.

Another groan.

"You can't be serious.", he muttered and shook his head in an attempt to get rid of that ugly feeling inhabiting his body. When he tried to touch his temples, he found that his hands were restrained, kept on the ground by a pair of metal cuffs cutting into his wrists.

He tugged at them. At first only lightly. Then harder. And harder. But those stupid things wouldn't move, dammit! Four walls of cold and blistery stones surrounded him and a small hole far above his head posed as a window and let in biting cold wind.

A dungeon. Of course it had to be a dungeon of all places.

"Stop that.", another voice said a bit sluggish.

"Levi." He couldn't help the relieved sigh escaping his lips at the revelation that he wasn't alone. "What the hell is going on?"

"Fuck me if I know..." The General had a grim look on his face. He was sitting up against the wall with his legs bent and arms propped up on the knees. The chains around his wrists ended a tiny bit behind his back and Eren wondered if the man's hands were as sore as his.

"Don't think I'll get the chance for that."

A dark voice rumbled through the dungeon and Eren was surprised to realize that Levi was...laughing. Eren smiled tentatively. "Do you have a clue how long we've been out for?"

Levi shrugged.

"Maybe an hour. Maybe longer."

"When did you...wake up...wait a second, how the fuck did we fall unconscious anyway?"

"Shot us with something. Got me right in the shoulder."

Well, that explained Eren's aching around his shoulder-blades. He was careful to try how much he could reach with his hands and touched the place where the burn was the strongest. A hiss later he knew better than to do that.