ONE ʙʏ ONE

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ɴɪɴᴇ

Hange and her crew left to prepare the party, leaving Eren and Jean behind. They were too nervous for them to leave the base so soon, so Hange kept them hidden under the protection of two guns and sonny and bean.

Eren was relaxing from the emotional whirl, still trying to sink in that Levi actually killed somebody. Jean noticed Eren's uneasiness and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"What's on your mind?"

Eren shrugged and worried, "If Levi actually killed someone, he has the capability to do it again. Not to mention everything else he's gonna do." He paused. "Why isn't Hange going to the police?"

"If we do, think of all the people who could get hurt." Jean reminded, dipping his head to meet Eren's tired gaze.

The boy argued back, throwing his hands up in frustration, "Think of the lives that are in danger right now!"

Jean sighed in defeat, "I know, I know." He pulled his arm all the way around Eren to pull him into a comforting hug. "But we need to keep ourselves safe first before we can help anyone."

The two sat quietly, reflecting on the exhausting experience. Eren was worried, not only for himself but for Armin and everyone he had contact with. He felt so small, trapped in a rickety building with a lion prowling around, trying to force him into the open. His mom frequently crossed his mind, wondering how worried she might be. He didn't have his phone with him to contact her, but he knew Levi had probably done that for him.

Jean could see the frantic concern bouncing around in his mind and placed his hand on the other's, intertwining their fingers together. Eren glanced down, but all he could see was how Jean's hand didn't belong to Levi. He hated it, but nothing was more calming than Levi's touch. That is if he ignored the psycho tendencies.

Eren returned the grip, squeezing Jean's hand lightly. A yawn escaped Eren as he laid his head on Jean's chest tiredly, earning a slight grin from the other boy. Jean felt his heart flutter as Eren scooted close to him. On the other hand, Eren felt nothing and could only remember how it felt to be next to Levi.

Jean wasn't as warm as Levi. Jean didn't hold him as Levi did. Jean's eyes weren't as alluring as Levi's.

"Hey, Eren, you should lay down and get some sleep." Jean insisted, running a gentle hand through Eren's locks.

Eren nodded and climbed onto the bed, patting next to him and asking, "Will you lay next to me?"

Jean was taken back a bit but soon slipped under the blanket next to him. Eren snuggled into his side, trying to overcome the lonely feeling inside. Jean felt his cheeks light up, but once again, Eren didn't really feel the attraction.

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Levi shivered at a strange sensation that crept across his shoulders. Armin hadn't noticed, more focused on the strange men that sat around the room.

"I need to get Eren back," Levi mumbled, clenching his fists.

Armin shifted uncomfortably, feeling guilty about attacking Eren before. He couldn't believe how harshly his friend took everything. Mostly, he could believe how Levi convinced him to murder the librarian with him. When Levi commanded him, it was like he couldn't refuse.

"Maybe we shouldn't have chased him." Armin timidly thought aloud, barely meeting Levi's eyes. The raven squinted down at him.

"Arlert, Eren is mentally unstable. He can't make decisions for himself anymore." Levi smoothly lied, carefully watching his follower's reaction. "I'm responsible for him, as you said. I'll take my job seriously."

Kenny crept through the trapdoor, slightly fuming from recent news. "I saw the herd of kids piling out of the school, and you're away from the scene. Don't tell me."

"I'm on a mission." Levi shot. "And I don't have time to waste at that place, so I killed the librarian to make everyone leave for a few days."

"Levi," Kenny growled, pulling up a chair next to his nephew. Levi wasn't in the mood to talk, but his uncle wasn't going to let him leave. "You won't be returning to that school again. We're leaving the day after tomorrow until everything calms down here with the police."

Levi's attention was caught at the mention of police. Hange had mentioned before that they were planning on investigating him for Petra's death. Now that there was another corpse at the school, twice the heat would be placed on him.

Armin's eyes widened with fear as he stuttered, "W-What am I supposed to do? Levi, without you, Hange will come after me like she did Erwin. I-I'll go back to being pathetic!"

"Relax, Arlert. You'll come with me."

"And leave my family?"

Levi lolled his head sarcastically towards the boy, sassing, "What other options do you have?" Armin went silent, realizing how deep he tied himself with Levi. "We'll cut your hair, give you an alias, and you'll be fine."

Kenny felt somewhat bad for Armin. The kid had no idea what he was digging into when he became friends with Levi. It turns out he was digging his own grave. Now, he had to face the consequences and lie in it. Kenny tried to comfort Armin by laying an arm on his shoulder.

The old man assured, "I'll bring you up like my protégé, kid. You'll replace Hange, and then you won't have to be afraid of her." Armin wistfully smiled at him, dipping his head for a silent thank you.

Kenny scolded Levi. "You are causing a lot of trouble, not just for me, but for Armin, the school, and that poor boy Eren. You've stepped over your very useful friends. You're going to stop traumatizing people, do you hear me?"

Levi snickered like a drunk man and sneered, "Look, everything I've done has been for Eren. That 'poor boy' happens to be my entire world, and I'm willing to sacrifice ANYTHING for him." Levi stood, grabbing his jacket and shrugging it onto his shoulders. "Arlert, let's go. We have work to do, and I'm not going to listen to this."

Armin jumped from his chair to follow Levi like a lost puppy. Kenny sighed in frustration, knowing well his nephew was about to leave and cause more trouble. But there wasn't enough authority in him to hurt Levi. The teen was his one weakness.

"Don't kill anyone!" Kenny called out to him.

As Levi pulled Armin out of the Fox Hole, he retorted back, "It's work, old man."

The trapdoor slammed shut. 

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Sorry for disappearing for so long. I recently was referred to a psychologist by my doctor. I have been diagnosed with Agoraphobia, Panic Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder. So you can see why I needed a break😅. I thank you so much for your understanding and patience!

Toodles~