CHAPTER 8: I'll Protect You, I'll Save You.
//"I keep getting the feeling that you're so familiar. I just want to ask; have I seen you somewhere before?"//
[SHORT REMINDER: There will be quite a lot of cursing and use of foul words in this chapter, I apologize if you're sensitive to these ^^U]
~*~
“Eren! Look at that, the Scouting Legion!” Armin’s enthusiasm passed on well to said brunette. He scanned the crowed and pushed his way to the front.
“Woahhh! It’s the Scouting Legion’s highest commanding officer; Erwin Smith!”
“Ah, that doesn’t really matter, Armin! Check that out!” he said with a finger pointed at a shorter male with jet black hair.
“That’s humanity’s strongest soldier, Captain Levi!!!” It was as if sparkles really appeared around him when he caught a glimpse of his idol. Best of all, Levi actually cast a glance at Eren!
“He’s the one who’s said to be able to take down 100 titans single-handedly! He’s so cool!”
~*~
“So brat, what do you plan to do?”
“I… I want to join the Scouting Legion… and just exterminate all the titans!”
“Oh? Not bad…”
The look on his face, that amount of passion and determination that burned behind his olive eyes, caused a spark to enlighten in Levi’s own charcoal-colored orbs. Levi could see that he was a true beast- not for the powers he possessed, but for the pure rage and emotion he saw in Eren that day. It surprised him in the beginning, to be able to feel the emotion from that teen boy by just looking at him.
He was intrigued by Eren.
“Very well… I approve of your request to join the Scouting Legion.” He strode steadily to the bars and leaned his head a little forward to get a better look at Eren.
“I will take care of him. Convey that to the brass, Erwin.”
Levi could feel Erwin’s questioning gaze behind him even as he wasn’t looking.
“It isn’t that I trust him. If he even dares to make one wrong move… I’ll kill him on the spot.”
“!!!”
~*~
“Eren… I’ve said this before; no one could have guessed what would happen. Don’t blame yourself or the choices you made.”
The two of them sat side-by-side in the once merry dining hall. Eren’s eyes downcast, he clenched his hands into fists at the bitter memory that burned into the back of his eyelids. He tried hard to not think so much about what happened. He tried to not blame himself… but it wasn’t going well. He got consumed into his doubts and guilt…
At least, until he felt Levi’s warm hand entangle itself into his brown locks in a comforting gesture.
“Levi-heichou…?” he looked up a little.
“Tch… shut up…”
Looking at Levi’s reaction, a small smile found his lips again.
“Thank you.”
~*~
“I… I love you, Levi-heichou! I’ve thought this through many times now… I want to be with you!”
Eren shut his eyes tight, worried for the rejection he might receive. He didn’t know what led him to feeling this way, but he was sure of his feelings! He didn’t care about what other people would think… or the fact that either one of them might not come back one day. He needed to be with Levi.
“You brat…”
Just two words from the Corporal along with himself being pulled into said male’s warm embrace was enough to leave him smiling like an idiot. He could have sworn that Levi’s cheeks had a pinch of red hue dusting across.
~*~
“Levi! Today might really be the last fight for us…” Eren called to the man as a small breeze blew past him and toward the tall walls they were going to leave soon.
The male crossed his arms with a frown.
“This… will be the worst fight…” he looked down, allowing bangs to shadow the insecure look he had in his eyes. It would be the most dangerous…
Maybe it was just the clouds, but he could have sworn he saw light shining down on Eren as the teen extended an expectant hand for him to take.
“It doesn’t matter. As long as I have you, I feel like I can do anything. So let’s go together, heichou. And we’ll return together….so that we can finally start our life together. Let’s both come back alive for that dream. That’s a promise?”
~*~
“Please… I don’t want this to be the end for us… Promise me that we’ll meet again. Please…”
~*~
A single teardrop rolled down his cheek even as he lay there unconscious on the ground.
~*~
“I can’t believe Levi would just go off alone like that, with nothing to guide him?! Has he finally gone mad?” Hanji wondered with a look of dead worry. She kept pacing around the room after listening to Petra’s explanation. There was no way he would be able to find Eren like this, right?
“I believe he has a way.”
“What?!” Hanji whirled around in a gush, shocked at Erwin’s appearance. Her eyes landed on the file in his hands… and she frowned.
“Wait… don’t tell me… This case Levi was investigating…?”
“Exactly. He definitely would know where to find Eren right now…. And, so do we.” Erwin picked up his keys after casting a glance at Levi’s open office. Apparently the short male had decided to go without his car.
“Hanji, Mike, let’s go right now. We’ll assist Levi and close this case once and for all. You stay here to get some rest first, Miss Petra.”
~*~
BAM!
“Warghhhh!”
“Ahhhhhhh!!!!!”
“He’s here!!!!”
Dozens of screams and yells could be heard even from within the thick walls of his dimly lit office. But he didn’t feel threatened… for now. He still had many tricks up his sleeve, and with that trump card hidden, he was confident to win the round this time… But of course, this wasn’t a mere game, as much as he would have enjoyed it to be.
He needed to get Levi first…
Extinguishing the cherry of his cigar, he pulled out his phone and punched in a few digits to give out his next orders. Sure, the fun had just started. He just had to sit back and relax while he enjoyed the show.
“No… Please spare me!” one of the men pleaded as he was nearly suffocated by Levi.
“Tell me where the fuck your boss is!!!” It was rare for Levi to really snap, but when he did… even demons probably would run away cowering at the murderous glint his eyes presented.
“I-I don’t know! I’m in no position to know the boss at all!!!!”
Levi scoffed darkly as he watched the man weep right before him. With no mercy, he hoisted him up by the throat and just threw him aside like as if he was a toy for play.
There, as he roamed the halls of that big abandoned old building, the image of him in the past would constantly flash by; how he had lived as one of the most dangerous and ruthless thugs in the capitol. And he stayed deserving to his title; no one could stop his advance even as they ambushed him in groups.
To be honest, Levi had wanted to dump this past along with his past self far away and never let it resurface again. He didn’t want anything to do with it anymore… but when something like this happened to Eren, he just lost it.
Snapped like a stick, he was enraged and insecure at the same time, thinking of what could be happening to Eren. The emotions that mixed up turned him back to the “monster” he was. He just wanted to protect Eren right now- to make sure that brat was okay. Nothing else mattered.
He just needed to protect Eren. What would he do with himself right now if Eren was gone?
“Levi…”
His steps dragged to a heavy stop when he heard that voice. He could feel the man’s presence inch up behind him from the shadows that once hid him well. He opted to stay still for that moment.
“It’s been a while. Y’know… we’ve been missing humanity’s strongest.” The voice was chuckling by now and Levi knew that he was directly behind him.
“What do you want, asshole?” he toned his voice down to monotone again.
“Haha… You’re still the same. You’ve never really changed.”
“Shut up.”
In one swift turn, Levi delivered a punch at the man’s jaw, feeling its slight crack from beneath his knuckles. The man staggered back a little, but apart from that, he had no changes in his expression nor posture.
“I assume you’re looking for a certain sweet teenage boy, Levi?” his hand produced a picture of Eren beaten up and bleeding from his pocket and threw it on the ground in front of Levi for him to see.
The menacing glare returned to his face at the sight of it.
“I’ll take that as a yes…” there was his enraging chuckle again.
“If you so much as lay another one of your fucking dirty fingers on that boy, I’ll fucking torture you so hard that you’ll wish you’re dead before I’ve even started!” growled Levi.
“Hahaha… still that same look in your eyes when you get angry. Well, the boy is dying right now—“
CRASH!!!
A kick from Levi was enough to send him crashing through the wall and hit flat on the hard concrete floor together with a ruble and dust. But, before the man could get up again, Levi was already across the room and gripped the man’s collar, dragging him up onto his knees.
“Tell me where he is.” He demanded.
A trickle of crimson rolled down the man’s forehead now, but his smirk was still there.
“Levi, if you don’t find him within an hour, that boy’s as good as gone.”
“Tch!”
SMACK!
“TELL ME WHERE THE FUCK HE IS!!!”
“Find out yourself, Levi… But, if you kill me, the boss is gonna personally put an end to that child. So you better back off. He’s waiting for my reply right now….” Again he chuckled.
“…”
Reluctantly, Levi released his hold and dropped the man back to the ground with a harsh thump.
“…. How do I know if Eren isn’t dead already?!”
“Hahahaha… again, that was so predictable of you. Here. This is a live recording.”
As he took out his cellphone, he clicked a few buttons and turned the screen toward Levi.
….
Levi’s eyes narrowed, his eyebrows furrowed over the normal capacity and he drew his teeth into such a tight clench that you could see the outline of his jaw shaking at the pressure. He wouldn’t stand for it. Eren was tied on the ground, looking pale beyond belief and it was clear that he had lost so much blood.
Levi turned his head down to let his bangs shade and cover off his eyes.
“….What does he want?”
“Wow, you’re really so desperate to save that brat huh, Levi?!” the man was howling with laughter by now, he even had to clutch his stomach at how funny he felt this to be.
Well, until Levi tossed another punch at him and got a firm grip of him again.
“DON’T WASTE MY FUCKING TIME AND TELL ME!”
But…. His laughter continued soon after. It was like as if he was already mad.
“To think… that you…” he said between howls of laughter, “…someone like you… could actually get… so desperate…for a… a boy?”
“Well… I won’t want to take too much of your time, o’ knight in shining armor… Your prince is hidden with the boss. I don’t know the location myself. Head to the third floor to meet the boss. He’ll tell you what to do after that.”
Levi let out another scoff and shoved the still-laughing man out of the way as he hurried to the designated location. He wouldn’t risk anything; he would do anything to get Eren back.
He needed to protect Eren, because he needed Eren by his side.
He couldn’t deny and lie to himself anymore. In such a dire situation, he just wanted Eren back.
He would always protect Eren.
TO BE CONTINUED...
[Author's Note: OH MY HOLY GOD OF FRUITCAKE! 3.9K READSSSSS?! QAQQQQQ YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST EVERRRR <3 THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR HELPING ME ACHIEVE THIS! I APOLOGIZE THAT SOMETIMES I TEND TO POST MUCH LATER THAN INTENDED... TT^TT I'VE JUST GOTTEN SO BUSY WITH SCHOOL... BUT YOU GUYS STILL STUCK WITH MEH! THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOO MUCH! ALL YOUR SUPPORT DOES HELP ME TO CONTINUE THIS SERIES, SEEING THAT PEOPLE DO LIKE IT AND COMMENT MAKES ME FEEL VERY HAPPY!
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