Soldiers of Misfortune

My Brat, My Life

Eren POV
I awoke in the hospital with Levi and Erwin laughing over something. I gasped. Feeling my eyes go round as I starred at that face. It was light, carefree, open, there was nothing more beautiful in the world than Levi Ackerman, unless you ever get the chance to ever see him smile, truly smile.
He was looking up at the taller Erwin, head tilted back. His silver eyes were slits in his face. That smile! It covered half of his face. I could see his tiny teeth as he laughed. Levi had cried himself to sleep in my arms.
“He doesn’t understand feelings. No one has ever showed him anything but pain.” Erwin stated. “There was a time when I had hoped my kindness would show him how to love.” The tall blond had shaken his head as he turned to look at the full moon out my window. “I wasn’t the one to free his heart, Eren. If it is even possible after all he’s been through, please, don’t ever leave him.”
I had shaken my head no, wincing as my left arm tightened on the smaller body on top of me. “Easy, tiger, don’t hurt yourself, or he will hurt me!” he had chuckled.
“Why?” Would he understand. Erwin sighed.
“When I first saw Levi he was…” He paused pinching the bridge of his nose. “He was this thing skin and bones. I could see his ribs through the t shirt he wore. Covered in mud, dirt and even some blood. A mess. Nothing like the clean freak he is now. I was sitting by the pier eating my lunch, when he came up, a knife in his hand. He tried to slit my throat over a tuna sub and some chips.” A small sad smile appeared. “Don’t ask me how, but I managed to get the knife away from him. I divided up the lunch taking half in my pal and leaving the rest on a cloth napkin. I slid away.” He was looking out the window again. “It was like that scene from Star Wars, with Leia met Wicket the ewok.” He had smirked. “I came back everyday after that. I brought him food, sometimes clothing and some cleaning supplies. Gradually he began to trust me. Then talk to me, then tell me how he was such a mess.” Now he turned to look at me.
“My parents were both teachers. I brought Levi home with me one day. I told them he was the one I had been helping. Eren, he didn’t even know his own birthday or how old he was. He had never been to a doctor let alone school. He knew what a book was but only The hungry Caterpillar. Apparently his mother would read it to him. He didn’t know how to read. My parents refused to let him go back. They called the cops on Kenny. This set Kenny off. He came to our house one night. It was only Levi and I home…” Erwin paused again.  “The wild look in his eyes came back. I didn’t know why. I hadn’t heard a thing. Levi had. He sprang away from me. All we were doing was sitting on the couch eating snacks and watching a movie.” A deep sigh tore through him. “I watched my best friend, hell he was my only friend at that point, kill his uncle, in my living room. He did it to save my family. So, I helped him clean it up and hide the body.”  A smirk. “Next time on the adventures of Levi and Erwin, I will tell you how we ended up in school.”  Erwin had sat down in the chair after that. He pulled out a book but didn’t read it, just stared out the window. I fell asleep.
“Hey Brat?” Levi's soft voice pulled me back.
“Beautiful.” I forced out reaching toward his face. He took my hand pressing it against his cheek. Then slapped my chest.
“Use the fucking tablet!” He snarled. “I would hit you upside the head but I’m afraid it would give you amnesia again.” I chuckled. Picking up the tablet I wrote.
“Your smile is beautiful.” His cheeks colored.
“Fucking brat.” He muttered turning away.
“Yeah, walk away Levi. That’s the only person I ever saw who made you blush.” Erwin teased.
“Eren, I uh, well um I…” He stopped then glared at Erwin. “Can you fucking leave a minute.”
“Me, no way. I am going to watch you stutter out every word of your feelings for this “fucking brat" of yours.” He sat down crossing his legs. Levi kicked his knee.
“Owe!” I chuckled.
“Armin!” I had heard the cane on the door. Erwin rushed, limping slightly, to open it. Armin stood there cane in one hand and his hand on Mikasa's elbow. I groaned. Turning away to face the wall.
“Eren, don’t be like that.” She whined. I flung the tablet away from me.
“Brat, knock it off!” Levi scolded. I scowled up at him. He forced the pad of paper back into my hands.
“Where are your parents?” Erwin asked.
“Oh, well um…” Mikasa looked at me.
“Eren's dad would prefer to see him in a casket the next time they meet. And his mom, well let’s just say dear old daddy has brainwashed her.” Armin piped up.
“Dad doesn’t hate him that much.” Mikasa moaned.
“I was there. Your father told him to come back dead or not at all.” Armin snarled. I curled up.
“Are. You.Fucking.Serious.” Levi ground out. My good hand fell back to grab his arm. Worried I looked up at him. Mikasa glared at where I was touching the smaller teen.
“Eren, are you ok?” Armin asked.
“Yes.” I got out through my jaw. Armin nodded. “Sorry for bringing her, she showed up, I wanted to see you and Erwin hadn’t come back yet.” I chuckled.
“Blind" I giggled. Armin smiled.
“Shut up before I beat you with my cane.” I pulled Levi in between us. Erwin laughed.
“He is hiding behind Levi.” The taller blond explained.
“Jerk.” Armin taunted.
“Bitch!” I said.
“Stop fucking talking!” Levi snarled.
“How else is Armin going too..” Erwin stopped. “Eren, where’s your phone?” He asked. I pulled it out. He took it from me after I unlocked it. Then he made it talk.
“Text to speech.” It said. I smiled reaching for the phone. Once again I was laying on my back.
“When I get out of here, you owe me a date.” Eyes darted around. Armin snickered.
“Yeah I know. S’mores on the plane, right?” he asked.
“Yes.” I smiled.
“I’m really glad you got your memories back. You scared the hell out of me.” His hand found my leg. “Sorry to tell you, but they blocked the tower. There isn’t a way up there now.”
“We'll see.” I smirked.
“Why can’t you just obey the rules for once?” He asked.
“Adrenaline junkie, remember.”
“Then we should go go cart racing. Care to race against a blind man?” He asked.
“Double date?” I questioned. I watched his cheeks flush. “Ah, so I guessed right. Who is it?” I demanded.
“Well um, I…” Armin stuttered.
“Don’t blow a gasket he likes you too.” Levi muttered.
“Erwin?!” I asked.
“Um, yeah.” Armin whispered.
“Really? Then would you like to go on a date?” He asked. Armin nodded.
“Hey, wait! I said double date! Levi date me?” I asked making my best puppy dog eyes at the grouchy teen.
“Did you even have to ask?” He snorted. “Of course. But please don’t pass out again. I don’t think what’s left of my heart can take it.”
“Promise!” I couldn’t help grinning like a fool.
“WHY?” Mikasa cried. “Why do you have to be this way? If you could find a girl to like … dad would…”
“Want me to be his perfect solider. Fuck that. I’m tired of his dictatorship. You may still want to live with his demanding rules, but I’m done. I agree with him on one thing… the only way I’m going back to that house is in a pine box!”
She threw her hands in the air spinning around she stormed out of the room. I frowned. Armin squeezed my leg.
“You know she meant her?” He said softly.
“Yeah, I know.” I laid my head back on the pillow looking up at the celling. A hand fell on mine. Small fingers curled around my larger ones. Levi didn’t say anything as he held my hand. For awhile the room was silent.
“Tell me your story, Eren?” He asked.
“Which part? The one where my father wants me dead, how I see things before they happen, how I got my best friend blinded and ended up here, or how my sister is romantically in love with me?” I asked.
“Can you tell me all of it?” those eyes. How could I deny them? I typed it out the robotic voice reading it as I typed each word.
“My dad and I never really got along. See he married the love of his life in college. They had a child together. Then both the wife and son died in a car crash. When he married mom, she wanted children, he didn’t. He is a genetics doctor, something Hange just loves. After several years and more than one miscarriage she blamed him in sabotaging her getting pregnant. I’m not sure what happened, but apparently, he promised her a child. She got pregnant again and he injected her with vitamins, or so he claimed. Anyway, I was born ten months later. Healthy for the most part. I have always had dreams that came true. Mom used to say I had a great imagination, I would talk to people that weren’t there even gave them pasts like the one armed man who fought in the Civil War. I was six.” Levi, nor Erwin said anything.
“Then came the day I brought Mikasa home. My folks called the police and just said she wandered into their yard or whatever, although it was over a mile away. Mikasa fell for me because I saved her.” I shrugged. “She still can’t come to terms with the fact I only see her at best, a friend or sister. When I came out as gay at twelve years old, dad went from being indifferent towards me to downright hating me. Saying he didn’t waste all that research to have an inferior child. All their attention went to Mikasa after that. She looked enough like mom to be her daughter.” I frowned but went on.
“I had always gotten into fights. Kind of a hot head when it comes to people picking on those I care about. I never sought out to fight, I guess I just defended the weak or some shit.” I shrugged. “Freshman year things went to hell. There was these kids Reiner and Bertolt. They lived in a home for kids that had problems at home. Well I sort of had a bit of a crush on Bertolt, but I thought he was dating Reiner, so I never did anything. When Reiner found out I was gay, he started shit with me. Bertolt helped him. They would corner me in the bathroom. Touch me places, kiss me, give me hickies. It began to get worse as the year wore on. I was beginning to get scared they would out right rape me one day.” Levi jerked a bit at this. I ignored it. “We had this huge rival in sports. Our school was hosting there’s for a huge showdown. We were all there. Bertolt and Reiner and three others pulled me into the woods. They uh stripped me of my clothes Reiner was first…then Bertolt…” Levi hissed in a breath. I couldn’t look at him.  “Armin showed up, with Mikasa and Anne her friend from Karate class. They began to fight the guys. Armin covered me trying to shield me from them. I have no idea who had the chemicals. It wasn’t until later that I realized their true plan. See they had dug my grave…” I stopped when Levi swore. His hand like a vise on mine.
“I guess with their plans ruined they still just wanted to kill me. So, they threw the chemical mixture at me. They didn’t even see Armin, I don’t think. He was there between them and myself. He took it full in the face.” I looked toward the blind boy. “As soon as it happened, I threw my water on his face. I managed to keep the scarring to a minimal amount but there was nothing that could have saved his sight.” I pulled away from Levi, or tried. His hand held firm.
“I was kicked out of my house and Armin and I were sent here. I made friends. Connie is really good with computers, and Hange well, that guy is amazing with anything scientific. Between the three of us, we discovered what happened.” I looked back at Armin.
“I never told you this, Armin, but my dad ordered a hit on me. He was the one that paid Reiner and Bertolt to harass me and to rape me. He also gave them the chemical along with instructions on how to kill and dispose of my body so no one could find it.”
“Son of a bitch.” It was the cold way he said it. Without an ounce of anger or emotion of any kind in his voice. Erwin was behind him in a second. He didn’t touch him but spoke calmly.
“Levi, this is Eren's chapter, not yours.” Eyes as cold as the steel the represented looked down at me.
“If I killed him, would your mother and sister be ok?” He asked. The scary thing, he was dead serious.