A tail for an eye - Eren x Levi

Chapter 20

"An Unexpected Arrival"

The chirping of few birds within the even fewer trees awoke Levi, who's body had been pushed into the surprisingly soft sand overnight. He lifted his head, slow, finding himself alone on the island. Eren no longer laid beside him. Levi didn't even recall laying down on the sand, the last he remembered was him against the tree with Eren in his arms, head rested on his shoulder and arms holding on tight as though in worry they'd never meet again. He didn't know where Eren had gotten to, though he presumed out to get food or for a little wander around, supposing that was their equivalent to a quick walk to stretch legs. The sun seemed brighter than usual today, few clouds were around. That storm hadn't lasted long, but of course had convenient timing for when it hit. The near white sand fell from him as he managed to stand up, feeling more alive than yesterday. Levi grabbed Zoe's badge from his pocket, touching the sides of it and admiring the beauty of it. The meaning of it now felt added on to by Levi, now being a symbol of what his crew had meant to him, of what Zoe would always mean to him. He decided to place it back in his pocket, not quite having the mental strength to wear it yet. However, he one day planned to, for Zoe.

Water had already been put on top of the fire, in the meantime he grabbed some of the food to munch on for energy. As he took a few bites, he then noticed an approaching boat just ahead from the island. It swayed gently with the waves in peace, two oars clearly moving from either side of the boat in order to manipulate its direction. As it got closer and Levi finished his food, he began thinking over at how vulnerable he appeared alone on this island. No weapons, no shelter. An interruption of his thoughts sounded from the boat in the form of distorted static and mumbles of yelling. From what Levi could make it, two people were in that little boat. It was only small, somewhat scuffed and scratched. Then, Levi felt his fists turn into balls upon realising who the two pirates were. Or at least one of them. 

"Levi? What the hell are you still doing alive?" The most irritating sounding voice yelled from the boat as they got close enough to land to be get out and push the boat up to the sand for sturdiness. Erwin Smith. 

Levi took a few steps forwards, watching them shake off their boats as they got onto the land, "I'd rather ask you that."

Erwin limped up to Levi, who took everything he had not to punch the man. An unpleasant sight. His clothes were tattered, showing more skin than appreciated but also revealing even more cuts than he'd owned previously. By now, his leg had to be infected and sore, a pain unbearable to deal with. The thought of that actually could've brought a smile to Levi's face due to his personal detest for Erwin, though he managed to own enough self control to be able to restrain that. Levi didn't recognise the other pirate, though he wore slightly different clothing to the other two. Likely just a common pirate also stranded.

"I lived," Erwin yelled out, arms out by his side after he took a seat and raised his leg, "I always live! How the hell did your scrawny self live?"

"Who's this?" Levi changed the topic, finding that when it surrounded Erwin it didn't interest him. Levi gestured to the other guy, who seemed to be aching everywhere, full of scratches and a few rashes over his bare arms. His face seemed tanned but unevenly from the exposure of sun.

"I'm Tom-"

"He's Tom, he's from another ship that went out for a merman. He's the only survivor, he's been swimming about in his little baby boat for weeks now," Erwin interrupted, babbling with a monotone voice as though Tom didn't match his criteria to be talked about with respect, "we were using the radio from your boat which someone works a bit to guide us on the way to land. But it's useless now."

"It's nice to meet you," the boy called Tom approached Levi with a hand out. Levi didn't shake it, finding all the dirt and dryness of his hands to be the definition of a disease, "no? Okay, that's fine. I hear you caught a merman. Erwin said we'd be rich."