Between The Lines | eren x levi (editing)

♡Chapter 24♡

He felt like an empty shell of a body being filled with unknown substances and fluids like medicine that he was told would help him feel no more pain or to soften the blow of pain.

They were all lies because lies were like band aids; they would help heal and stay stuck on you for a long time but they would eventually peel off of course because they were only temporary. Lies were used to sooth both the living and the dead and they were one of the best pain killers besides hope.

The next few weeks Eren's health fell dramatically which gotten to the point that he had trouble breathing so they had to attach some sort of machine to him so it would help him breathe properly. He couldn't eat through his mouth so he had all types of tubes attached to his arms and wrists and even stomach which sent the energy and nutriments his body needed to survive.

He was so scrawny now and he pretty much looked like a sack of skin being held together by wires and sticks. he no longer looked built like Levi remembered he was and he was as pale as Snow White but probably way more pale than that. Sure he was alive and still breathing but inside he felt like he was already dead; he couldn't do much but keep his eyes open and if he closed his eyes or even blinked he had to hope that he didn't lose consciousness.

He was just so used to the feeling of pain that it was beginning to be the norm. Eren no longer felt what it was like without pain but he knew he missed it.

Nurses and doctors couldn't do much but research and feed him the medicine he needed because it was almost impossible to keep him alive if they perform surgery if contact with the skin inflicted immense pain. They were all powerless.

There was a small chance that he could live and the whole hospital knew about it so they let visitors visit past visiting hours. His friends were circling him with sad and tear stained faces but they kept a smile for Eren's sake. Mikasa couldn't stop shaking even when Armin tried to comfort her.

Even Ymir and Annie were a bit upset and they both weren't the type to feel that kind of human emotion. Christa, Marco, Jean, Reiner, Bertoldt, Connie and Sasha were there too but they said nothing because they were too sad to speak. Hanji couldn't come because she was way too busy at work.

Despite all his close friends there with him he only asked for one name.

"Levi," he muttered weakly under his breath and raised a shaking hand. "W-Where's Levi?"

"I'm...I'm right here, Eren," he hummed in response.

"Levi," he repeated a little louder this time and made a big effort to turn his head so he could meet his gaze.

"Hmm mm?"

"I don't want to die."

It hurt Levi to hear Eren talk like that. he just casually said such a strong word without any hesitation as if it were lollipops meant to be given away. Levi grit his teeth and looked down at the floor.

"I don't want you to die either," he replied with a sigh.

Everyone in the room was quiet except Mikasa. She started to sob at this point which gotten too loud so she had to exit the room with Armin. It wasn't confirmed he was going to die but everyone knew he was because of his physical state. Sure it was selfish to give up hope but they couldn't help it; it was like a pre-funeral.

They all didn't say much besides talk about what was going on in the bakery but it was all said in a half-hearted tone, even Connie didn't crack a joke and that was as rare as finding a needle in a hay stack. They all began to leave one by one which soon left Levi alone with Eren once again.

"Eren," Levi said in a hushed voice. "I love you."

It was only the second time he has ever told him that and that was because Levi hated to throw that one word around so easily.