Crack of Sunlight (Ereri/Riren)

*~Chapter Twenty One~*

This chapter hurts. .~.

---

Levi didn't get much sleep that night. How could he, when his entire body was aching in more ways than one, when he continued to puke up everything Eren had managed to coax down his throat that evening and more, when the monster's beckoning from beneath the bathroom sink was almost deafening to him? Somehow he managed to fight it, but he could feel his will weakening with every tick of the clock above his head where he sat, wrapped up in three different blankets and his sketchbook open to a blank page in his lap, favorite pencil poised between his shaking fingers.

The last time he'd checked the clock it had been just before 3 AM. Eren was fast asleep on the sofa across the room, facing away from him with one of his feet sticking out of his blanket. Levi'd picked up that he was a pretty heavy sleeper. Thankfully he didn't snore or talk, though; what an annoyance that would be. His soft, even breathing was the only thing keeping Levi where he sat rather than fleeing down the hall and right back to the syringe.

Before he knew it, rays of sunlight were finding their way between the small openings between the blinds and flooding spots on the floor and coffee table. By then, he'd slept maybe an hour, but no more.

***

Presently, the raven stood just outside the apartment door in his usual spot with a lit, half-smoked cigarette betwixt his fingers. He was there merely out of habit and in hopes that a parasite might help chase away his desire for the monster, though the effort was fruitless. Since his health had been deteriorating so much, even cigarettes were becoming undesirable to him. He already hated the taste and the smoke only brought on more coughing, which only served to amplify the excruciating burning of his lungs and throat.

Sighing lightly, he snuffed the glowing stick out on the brick behind him and carelessly let it fall to the ground before turning and heading back inside. He'd only been standing for a few minutes, but his weak legs were already complaining and ready to give out.

Inside, he found Eren emerging from the bathroom. It always made him nervous when the teen went in there, knowing what was hidden beneath the sink. He put it past him to look down there, though. The brat wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, nor the bravest.

The brunet wandered down the hall, chewing absently on his lip and running his fingers along the wall, brows knitted together and eyes downcast. Watching, Levi sunk back down onto the couch, unable to hold himself up any longer.

"What's with you today, brat?" he asked, reaching for his cup of tea that was, distastefully, already cooling off.

Eren met his eyes, seemingly surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Tch. You're restless as hell and you've barely spoken a word."

"It's nothing," he lied, taking a seat as well. Almost immediately, his leg began bouncing. "I'm fine."

Levi sat back, eyeing the shaking leg. "Stop that," he muttered. "And please, brat, I'm not blind. Spill."

Eren's leg ceased movement as asked, but his hands then found something to occupy themselves with, which was fidgeting with the hem of his tan, long-sleeved shirt.

"I'm just...nervous. That's all."

Levi resisted the urge to roll his eyes for sake of keeping the dizziness away. It was an on and off thing. At that moment it was off and he intended to keep it that way as long as possible.

"Obviously. What about, is what I'm asking."

"I just don't know what I'm gonna do about this whole school thing."