Burning Inside

Part 3 (of 3)

                "It's kind of a long story."

                "I'm not going anywhere."

                Eren sighs. He moves away from Levi, leaning his body against the wall. He shifts so that his legs are in Levi's lap, and Levi switches from holding onto his thigh to holding onto his knees, but hell if it isn't tempting to touch Eren in other places, what with how his skirt has risen up so that it's only covering the necessities. His legs are bare, no thigh highs or socks, his golden skin beckoning for Levi to move his hands up a little higher. But Levi maintains his hold on Eren's knees. For now.

                "Well," Eren starts, "A few days after Sasha told you about Petra, I let it slip to her that I was going to the dance with you, yeah? She looked a little surprised at first, but then she got really excited and happy for me."

                Eren pauses, moving his arms so that they're crossed over his chest. Levi waits. It's a few seconds before Eren continues.

                "I think Petra overheard me tell her about the dance, or maybe Sasha told her, I don't know. But Petra got really mad at me. She said something about having liked you for a while, and I started to apologize, but she wouldn't listen to me. She punched me."

                "She did what?"

                "Hit me. Over the eye. It bruised."

                "What else did she do?"

                "Erm, not much. I mean, she, uh, she got her other friend to come and beat me up, too. I think he's on the football team. But I don't know for sure."

                "Yeah?"

                "I have to wear a lot of makeup now while it heals, and I have bruises on my arms as well, but tonight I finally got around to finding some makeup to put over it. The past few weeks I've had to wear long sleeves. I, uh, I told Sasha about what Petra and her friend did, and I guess she felt bad, so she took me out and bought me this outfit."

                Levi wants to punch something. Not Eren, obviously, but something.

                "Why the hell didn't you say anything to me about it? I'd fuck Petra up."

                "I don't want you to do that," Eren says, avoiding meeting Levi's eyes. He stares down at his knees. "Petra was just mad. I don't think she meant to hurt me."

                "Don't be fucking ridiculous. Petra deserves to be suspended for that. Who the hell was her friend?"

                "Like I said, I don't know. He had fluffy hair, though. And an undercut kind of like yours. I didn't see much else."

                "They're both fucking dead the next time I see them."

                Eren, much to Levi's surprise, starts laughing at that. Sure, his eyes look a bit glassy, but his chest heaves up and down with each giggle that falls from him.

                "If you beat them up," Eren says through his chuckling, "Can I watch?"

                "Hell yeah. You can join in, too."

                Eren laughs even harder at that. Levi squeezes his knees, his eyebrows raised as he watches Eren shrug off any pain that came from the memory of being beaten up. Eren's so fucking beautiful now, with so little lighting hitting his body, but all the same, he doesn't need lighting. His tanned skin and silky dress and emerald eyes, his everything illuminates the room and makes up for it being so dark.