Eruri | Let's Try This Again | Reincarnation AU

Chapter 9

TW: Manipulation, brief panic attack, slight sexual innuendo

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Oh fuck. Shit. My leg it's, it's...

Zeke's still alive. Where is he?

I can't move.

It hurts... it hurts so much.

Erwin... I'm sorry. I failed. I couldn't kill him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Levi saw Zeke's torso emerge from a bone on the Founding Titan.

He jumped towards the man but pain shot through his body- he could feel himself starting to black out.

No! Just a little farther, just a little longer!

His blades almost made it, they almost hit, but before he could follow through he was wracked with pain again, and he fell past Zeke harmlessly. As he spiraled downwards he felt his world closing around him. His vision was tinged black around the edges.

He could only see Zeke's face looking down at him solemnly as he plummeted towards the ground. How long had he been falling for? He didn't have the strength to catch himself.

"Why couldn't you do it?"

I know that voice, Levi thought. Erwin.

He wasn't falling anymore, but he couldn't tell where he was. All he could see was Erwin.

"Why couldn't you kill him?" Erwin repeated. Levi was kneeling, looking up at Erwin, who stood, staring down at him with hatred.

"I- I tried. I'm sorry I tried my best-"

"You tried your best?" Erwin's lips curled in a crude smile. "Well then, I suppose your best wasn't good enough, was it?"

Levi hung his head. "I'm sorry", he whispered, "it hurt so much-"

"It hurt? How much do you think it hurt when I was bludgeoned to death so that you could kill the Beast Titan?"

Levi's eyes widened but he continued to look down. "I'm sorry..."

"What the hell's even the point of your existence if you can't follow orders?" Erwin asked, sitting down in the chair behind him. It looked almost like a throne. He crossed his legs and slowly placed his chin on his hand. "You belong to me. What's your purpose if you can't carry out one simple command?"

"Erwin..."

"I'm disappointed, Levi. Look at me." He put his foot under Levi's chin and roughly tilted his face to look up at him. Levi didn't resist.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Levi tried again, and Erwin looked at him with something akin to patronizing pity. He leaned forward and stroked Levi's hair soothingly.

"I know, I know. I forgive you, my love."

"You do?"

"Yes. It just means that you are no longer of any use to me." Erwin's voice was sweet as he said those terrifying words. "So get out of my sight. You disgust me, Levi."

"But Erwin-"

"Levi. I've always hated you."

~~~

Levi shot upwards out of bed, cold sweat dripping down his face. He was breathing hard and his eyes were blown wide open in panic. That damn dream again. His dreams along with his insomnia were making it impossible to get more than an hour's sleep each night. Sometimes he dreamt that Erwin was disappointed in him, or Hange was angry, or Kenny was trying to kill him again, or Mike was being eaten and all Levi could do was watch.