"First sleep." Levi had insisted.
"Like you..." Hange began.
"For them. Eren looks like he is about to pass out." Levi snarled.
With that, Hange shrugged before going back to her lab. Levi explained that they were stuck down here for at least twelve hours, it was how long the dome would remain up. A safety feature. He explained. He led Eren and Armin to a bedroom. There was a single large bed in the center. Off to one side was a desk with a well worn chair before it.
"Go ahead, take the bed. I have a few things I need to do, then I can sleep on the couch." He insisted.
Armin shrugged out of his back. He placed it on the bed, after moving the pillow. Levi winced at this but didn't say anything. He watched as Eren did the same thing. The two laid down facing each other. Levi didn't get it at first. Eren's hand was laid against the bed, Armin's on top of it. They weren't exactly holding hands, but reassuring each other the other was there.
"Watching each others back, even in sleep." Erwin muttered as he sat a cup of freshly brewed tea before Levi.
Levi groaned. It was what his eyes realized before his brain formalize did. The odd why they were laying. It didn't seem to take them long to doze off. Levi sipped his tea as he watched them. He sat the cup down on the edge of the desk. His hands falling to the arms of the chair. Eyelids feeling heavy, he had one thought before they slammed shut, fucking Erwin had drugged him again!
Levi hardly slept, hardly dreamt. For him to do both while drugged was unheard of. Even if Erwin managed to drug him, he still didn't sleep long. Usually three hours a night was good for him. If drugged it may stretch til four. Only once did he sleep for six. Erwin was frantically shaking him awake screaming that he didn't mean to put so much in. It was how Levi discovered his friends deception.
This night, it may have been due to all the emotions running through him before he fell asleep, but tonight Levi dreamed. He dreamed of a time when he was about eight years old. His mother had dressed him up.
"You're going to meet a new friend today, Levi. Please don't scowl." She reprimanded him.
"Why do I have to wear this?" he plucked at the itchy shirt he had on.
It was long sleeved, pressed tighter to his skin by the jacket she forced on over it. A suit coat and button up, his hair brushed to a perfect shine was parted on his left side. It flopped over his head, plastered down by all the gel she put in it. He looked like he was wearing a helmet!
"Stop fidgeting. You look respectable!" She insisted. He huffed but said nothing more.
They went out to the family car. Driving for over an hour, Levi was privy to his mother teaching him all about their territory. Where the weapons factories where, the farmers, the coffee beans, all sorts of things that were needed to keep their family thriving. His education often consisted around the time he would become the king of their world.
This day they drove outside of their world. They entered another place. At first it wasn't much different. The houses looked the same, the people seemed to be doing the same things, but soon other things appeared. More technology than what existed in their world. It was a strange mix of things. Wires strung up along the road, different types of cars without a driver, odd things like that.
Then they reached the main town, or compound as his mother called it. She said it was the yay gear compound. He had no idea what that meant, but this place was right out of a sci fi movie, or novel as Levi loved to read.
Glass buildings as tall as the sky. Flying trains and busses whizzed by over head. It looked like a roller coaster for everyday life. Levi was enthralled with it all.
They pulled up to one such building. The glass shined down on them like a million twinkling stars. His mother reminded him, again, not to scowl. He had to be polite.
"It wouldn't kill you to attempt to smile." She had added.
He glared as he got out of that car. A man stood before them. Levi ignored him. He gestured for his mother and him to follow. Levi did. He took his mother's hand like a dutiful son. His eyes scanning the place. It was huge, wide open. He saw large machine arms moving around. All of it fascinated his youthful mind. He blinked when he nearly walked into his mother's legs.
"Ah, Mrs. Ackerman, thank you for joining us."
A tall man with wavy dark hair greeted Levi's mom. He had jewel like glasses on that appeared not to hook around his ears. Beside him stood a striking woman. She played with her bracelet a moment before sending a delighted smile toward their guests.
"Ah, I see you brought the young master Ackerman." The women appeared friendly.
"Cassie, please take Levi to meet ..." She was cut off suddenly.
"I'm afraid Eren isn't feeling well." Mr. Yeager said. Levi had seen his name on a plague.
"That's alright, Levi loves to read. I'm sure your son would enjoy the company." His mother pressed a hand to his back.
Levi, even at this age, knew the reason for this. He stepped forward, voicing his pleasure in keeping the sick boy company.
"Dear, let him just read to Eren?" Mrs. Yeager pressed.
"Very well. Take him to Eren's room." Mr. Yeager instructed a white coat wearing person.
The woman was friendly looking. The type Levi didn't trust. She lead him down a hall that was sterile at best. Levi knew the Ackerman estate had halls like this in it. Instead of ending up inside a residence, they entered a lab. Walking through this, Levi took note of everything, they went out another door.
The woman paused. "Eren is shy. He might not talk to you." She picked up the lid on a box beside a door. Pressing her hand to it, there was a soft click. Levi recalled wondering how sick this kid was if he was needed to be kept behind a locked door.
The lady gestured for him to enter. "You can read any book on the shelves." She explained. She made no move to follow Levi into the room.
The room was small. A bed hardly bigger than a dog's bed, was nestled in one corner. There weren't any windows. A small frame was curled under a thin blanket. Levi noted that the boy was shivering. He looked around for another blanket. The room was a bit too cold.
He didn't find anything to cover the boy up better. "No wonder you're sick." He muttered.
That was when the boy rolled over. He looked at Levi with the most beautiful bright green eyes that he had ever seen. The face didn't look sick at all. In fact, the boy looked fine, if not a little tired. He lifted his head upon seeing Levi.
"What are you?" the boy's voice was almost whimsical.
"I'm a boy, just like you!" Levi snarled. The boy chuckled.
He sat up, dancing his feet over the side of the bed. "I never met a boy before. What can you do?" Levi was surprised by this.
"What?" he asked.
"Everyone who father brings in to see me can do something to me. Do you want me to take off my clothes or just take it out?" the boy asked. Levi dropped back a step.
"Or are you here because of my, um other ability?" he asked.
"Kid, I don't know what you mean." Levi eyed him surprised.
Eren, for Levi assumed that's who this was, sighed. He got to his feet. Slipping his arms out of the shirt he had on, Levi's mouth fell open. Small blue grey wings sprouted from the kids back. They flapped a bit, lifting the boy about a foot off of the floor. He giggled at Levi's face.
"Father says I can't keep them though. Aren't they pretty!" Eren danced around to show Levi them. That's when he saw the tail flicking behind the boy.
"You have a tail?" he demanded.
"Oh, I'm growng that for the Chimera." Eren explained.
"Growing it for... what?" Levi looked confused.
"That's my special power. I have an unusual type of blood. I can grow organs or tails or other things for people. Dad cuts them off once they are the right size." The boy turned away.
"You said another ability?" Levi whispered.
"Oh." The light appeared to fade from Eren. He let out a sigh.
"I was hoping..." Eren shook his head. He then took his pants off. Levi was shocked.
He watched as Eren knelt before him, placed his hands in this thing that locked him in place then turned his head away.
"What? What are you doing?" Levi demanded.
"Getting in position so you can put your thing in me and have fun. It really isn't fun, but mommy and daddy's friends say I'm a good boy for doing it." He tried not to cry.
Levi managed to get Eren to tell him just what it was they did. He was crying by the time Levi figured out how to release him from the shackles. Eren was being abused. Levi told him how this wasn't good or right. That he didn't deserve to be treated like this. Eren appeared to listen quiet intently.
The door opened up not long after Levi had managed to get Eren redressed. He read him a story until he fell asleep. That night he told his mother about all the experiments the Yeager's were doing to the boy.
Levi woke with a start. He tried not to scream at the memory. Shaking himself he got up to go get himself more tea. He had completely forgotten that memory. It wasn't unheard of that his mother dragged him around to other families. Levi had a knack for perfectly recalling what he saw. His mother used this to get information on their enemies.
"Eren you have no idea just what he did to you." Levi sipped the tea as he stroked the teen hair.
In his sleep, Eren nuzzled back into the touch. Was it because he had been so straved for any real connection to people. It was as he stood their watching the boy sleep, that he wondered if it had been his words that made Eren run away.
Years later he had found the bright eyed boy. Levi hadn't been able to explain just why he felt a strong urge to protect him. He had gone to the Yeager compound several more times, never again had he seen Eren, that he knew of. He always met Zeke. Had Grisha done something to make Levi forget? He didn't doubt it.
Levi left Eren to sleep, making sure he was fully covered up.