Eren P.O.V
I drifted in and out of consciousness. Sometimes I would hear frantic and panicked yelling, as well as feel hands grab my body.
Then I'd hear a small, quiet lullaby, sung by what seemed to be a goddess before I drifted back into the endless void that was my mind. Then I'd feel a sudden warmth on my hand, and it would be soothing as someone whispered prayers.
Once I heard someone say, "He's in stable condition." Then I drifted off again.
It was a bright morning when I opened my eyes for the first time, and I immediately regretted it as a throbbing pain pounded in my ears and within my head, as if someone was bouncing a ball around the inside of my skull, banging it on every surface.
After a moment or so, I opened my eyes completely and looked around. I was definitely in an infirmary. My throat was ridiculously dry, and I felt quite hungry. Not to mention the searing pain in my leg and back. I looked down, and my leg was in a heavy cast, and my head was covered in thick bandages.
My hand was wrapped in a thin set of medical tape, so I guess I sprained it. My vision was blurry, and I moved my neck around to look at my surroundings, immediately regretting it as my neck seemed to lock up, and pain erupted down my spine.
I yelped in surprise, and the door swung open, revealing a very concerned Hanji, and three surprised nurses. We immediately made eye contact and all four of them rushed to my side, picking me up so I could sit and placing my glasses on my nose.
One lifted a glass to my lips, to which I eagerly chugged down, and another supported the back of my neck while the third one inspected my cast to see if I had accidentally torn it."It's still intact." She reported, and Hanji sighed in relief before wiping sweat off of his forehead."You gave us quite a scare there, cutie." She said with a nervous chuckle."What do you mean?" I asked, surprised at how hoarse my voice was. "You drifted in and out of consciousness from time to time and nearly died on your way here! The hit from the chandelier severely damaged your spine and neck, not to mention your leg and your head. You suffered a major concussion, broken leg, sprained wrist, and a fracture in your spine. Luckily, Mistress Rico got here rather quickly and your back should be healed, but it might take a while for you to start walking again." Hanji said, and I nodded as I looked down at my leg, surprised at the extensive damage."Is Leo alright?" I asked, my voice still scratchy.
She didn't seem too surprised that I asked about the boy instead of my own health and quickly nodded whit a wide grin. "Yes. Luckily, your throw was perfect and he landed a safe distance from the light fixture. The worst he suffered was a few scratched from fallen glass." Hanji said with a smile, to which I returned before sighing."How long am I gonna have to be here?" I asked, and he sighed. "I'm sorry, but a few days at least. You need all the time you can get to heal before you start walking again."
They slowly fed me food, much to my displeasure, and I softly chewed on the chicken leg as the door swung open. A frantic Isabelle and relieved Furlan stood there, both panting as if they had run here from across the palace.
Isabelle attempted to launch herself at me, scaring the nurses half to death, but Furlan foresaw this event and quickly grabbed onto Isabelle's waist. Isabelle was sputtering incoherent nonsense and it took her about fifteen minutes to calm down.
When she finally did, she had over dramatic waterfalls streaming from her eyes, while I saw Furlan look at me in relief."Is... *sniff*... he okay?" Izzy asked, trying not to breakdown again. "He'll be just fine no need to worry, Isabelle," Hanji reassured, and Isabelle nodded, tears still streaming from her eyes.
Then I watched in shock as the window opened and something whizzed across the room. The figure slid to a stop, holding a witch's broom in their hand as the slowed down, and I'd recognize those shy blue eyes anywhere."Eren!" Armin exclaimed as he walked over to my side, yet I was still trying to recover from how he just FLEW through the window!
"How did you do that?!" I asked, my face beaming in curiosity. His cheeks turned a slight red before she gave me a soft smile. "You should be resting!" He exclaimed before tucking the covers closer to my chest in a protective manner."So who was singing?" I asked, and Armin tilted his head in confusion. "I don't know what you mean by that." He replied, and Isabelle sighed."I'm sorry for the horrible vocals, I just thought that maybe if you heard it, you'd wake up." She murmured before pouting, and I laughed, even though the action made my head pound.
"I loved it!" I replied, and she flushed a slight red before turning to Furlan. "Ha! I told you I wasn't off-key, Fur!" Furlan smiled and rolled his eyes, making me smile at the two partners in crime.
Armin smiled at their antics before holding my hand. Then I remembered something."Then who held my hand?" I asked, and all three of them shared confused looks before simultaneously shrugging.
By then, Hanji and nurses had quietly left the room, leaving us to catch up after I was unconscious for Maria knows how long."I have no idea." Armin said, and I nodded.
It was quiet before Isabelle gasped. "Prince Levi was the only other person who came in here other than the doctors!" Then she gave me a smirk, and I felt my face flush a bright red.
Isabelle shrieked in giddiness. "I knew it! You totally have the hots for him!" She exclaimed making me turn as red as my blood."Izzy!" I seethed, and she gave me a goofy smile before poking her cheek in a joking manner. "Haha. I figured it out and now I'm never gonna let you forget it!" She exclaimed, a determined look on her face. Furlan chuckled and Armin giggled.
I was unable to move from the sudden shock, but eventually groaned. "Don't add insult to injury. It's bad enough my leg is bent the wrong way, but now you have to taunt my crush on Levi-" I stopped short as all three of them went silent.
I groaned and leaned back as they all exploded. "You actually like him?!" They simultaneously yelled, shocking me as Farllon yelled as well. "Why'd you just call him Levi?! Are you two really that informal with each other?!" Isabelle. "What happened on that trip to Stonhess?!" Armin. "I am curious as well to know your relationship with our prince. You two do tend to spend a lot of time alone together." Furlan. I flushed red at what he had implied and shook my hands in the air at a rapid pace.
"It's not like that at all! Look, I just..." I trailed off as I sighed. "I do like him, but his feelings are unknown." Isabelle was quiet for a moment before she walked over next to my broken foot.
Then I gasped as she raised her hand and chopped down onto my broken leg.
To my relief, she stopped less than a millimetre before she made contact, and looked me dead in the eye. A side of Izzy I had never seen before, and I feared I had just unleashed Satan himself upon the world.
"Tell. Me. The. Truth." She growled, and I shivered as a chill ran through my body. "He likes me back." I quickly spat out, horrified of this new Isabelle. Then the dark aura surrounding her vanished and she smiled. "I knew it." She said with a sweet face.
How the-
"So how are you two going to work out?" Armin asked, and I sighed. "We probably won't. That's the problem." I said, and he nodded, a sad expression on his features. "Well, putting that aside, you were unconscious for two days straight, and about eight more hours after that. It's almost midday right now." Furlan explained, and I nodded. "Thanks," I replied, and we continued our conversation until the sun had flown across the sky and nearly vanished behind the horizon.
They waved goodnight and shut the door behind them, me returning the gesture with my good hand.
-+~•~+-
I held the book with my good hand as I realized I couldn't sleep, and my arm was growing numb from lifting the book up for so long.
I eventually set it down in exhaustion and grumbled curse words as I laid back.
Then my door "Come in." I replied to the knocks, and the doors opened to reveal a head full midnight black hair and strikingly gorgeous steel blue eyes.
I felt my face flush red at the sight of him, suddenly feeling very inadequate in the paper-thin t-shirt, boxers and bed hair.
He took a seat on the bed, not a single word being spoken between us until he spoke from under his mask. "Why'd you do it?" He asked, and I tilted my head in confusion. "Do what?" I asked, and he whipped around, his eyes glistening in the lamp's light with tears. "Why did you put yourself in that position?!" He exclaimed and clutched my uninjured hand. "They told me you might not..." he trailed off and set my hand in his hands, and I frowned. "Do you have any idea what it's like?! I was doing paperwork like normal when a guard burst through my door and told me a servant was dying in the dining room. I didn't care all that much, but then when I walked inside and saw..." he trailed off as he stared me dead in the eyes.
"You weren't moving, Eren. Blood was pouring from your head and the chandelier was still stuck on top of you. Your leg was bent the completely wrong way, and you weren't... breathing..." his voice slowly faded away as he finished his sentence, and he whimpered. "I went ballistic. I felt everything, everything, shatter. I thought my life was over... you were gone, just like that, and I had just watched you die right in front of me, and I couldn't do anything about. It killed me. It physically hurt me. I couldn't breathe, everything was spinning, my stomach was churning, and the tears were coming. I just kind of... broke..." he whispered and I took my hand out of his grasp before gently moving his hair out of his face, revealing move of his eye. Both were just as stunningly blue, and I wanted their sparks to ignite me.
I smiled as he stared at me, seemingly not believing I was here, but then I spoke. "Levi... I promised I wouldn't leave you, and I meant it." I said, and he shuddered in sadness. "I love you too much, and I'm so sorry I scared you. You're right, I don't know what it's like, but I am sorry and I hope you can forgive me. I love you, Levi. I love you more than my life itself, and I'd do anything for you. Remember that." I said, and he stared at me for a moment.
Then he smiled through the tears. Then he moved forward and connected our lips, softly pressing me into the pillows as he climbed on top of my injured body.
He made sure to be careful as he attacked my lips with his own, but I kissed like I had nothing left to lose. Our lips moved in sync, and I giggled as he trailed his thumb across my jaw, but quickly resumed my actions.
My eyes were shut, and I could only see the backs of my eyelids, but I felt everything, and that's what I wanted. I wanted to feel this moment, not just see it. I want to remember this for what it felt like, not for what it looked like.
His kisses were hungry as if he had been starving without them, but then again, I was one to talk. This was pure bliss for me, and I couldn't help but feel goosebumps as he placed his hands on my hips, pressing my body closer to his as I grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him closer.
Then his lips left mine and for a moment I thought this moment had ended, but then his lips returned to my jaw before slowly climbing down my neck, making me flush red as he trailed kisses across my skin. "Levi..." I squeaked, flustered beyond comprehension as he laid a series of soft kisses on my collar bone. Then he came back up to my lips, yet he seemed hungrier and gripped my hips to pull me closer and closer like he couldn't get me close enough to satisfy him.
I had no problem with it as I dug my fingers into his soft hair, not as hard with my sprained wrist but still hard enough, and kissed back with as much, if not, more force.
Then I heard something.
A soft cry.
I pulled away and looked at Levi, noticing the tears still cascading down his face.
I frowned, still flustered from our recent moment, and held his cheeks. "I told you, I'm here. It's fine-" he cut me off. "It's not that." I tilted my head in confusion, and for some reason, felt my stomach start churning. "Then... what is it?" I asked, and he crawled off of me to lay beside me, boots, jeans, robe and all. "Remember when I told you that my uncle wants to form an alliance with Trost?" He started, and I nodded "Well... that Alphonse guy agreed pretty quickly... but they have a tradition they need to follow." He sniffled, and I softly held his hand.
He squeezed my fingers before continuing. "We have the alliance set but there's one more thing that needs to happen before it's official... you know how Mikasa was promised to the lord of Utopia's son?" He asked the pit in my stomach getting bigger as the seconds went by. "And you also know how the princess was that maid in the dining room. You know, with the locket?" Again, I nodded, hating myself but knowing that if I claimed the necklace as mine he would think I was lying and I don't know what he would do, yet I'd also not like to think about it. "Well, the tradition is that..." He trailed off, scared of his next words, but continued. "Since I am the only son ..."
"Levi, what's going on?" I asked, growing worried as he kept rambling and trying to steer away from the point. "Their tradition is that every alliance be formed by..." he shuddered in sadness and wrapped his arms around my frail body as he whispered. "... my hand was promised to Petra." He finally said, clearly disgusted by those words as he held me tighter.
The tears came faster than I could blink.
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