Crack of Sunlight (Ereri/Riren)

*~Chapter Eighteen~*

Eren hadn't a thought as to how to respond to Levi's words, and he regretted the heat he felt rushing to his face, surely coloring his cheeks and the tips of his ears. This feature was something he hated about himself, for it happened too frequently and gave him away too often.

"Do...do you wanna move somewhere more comfortable now?" he asked to change the subject in hopes of chasing his mild embarrassment away before the raven could pick up on it.

"Sure," Levi mumbled, raking his fingers through his already messy mohawk.

Eren pushed himself to his feet and offered his hand out to Levi, who took it--though not without a scowl--and pulled himself to his feet as well. He wobbled a bit, his hand coming up in front of his eyes as he leaned on the sink for support, grumbling a curse word under his breath.

"Dizzy?" asked the teen, brows furrowed in concern.

"Only a lot."

"Here." Eren offered his arm once more for the short man to take hold of for balance. The raven merely muttered a 'tch' before squeezing around the brunet toward the door. Staggering, he nearly lost his balance but was lucky enough to catch the doorframe before he went all the way down.

"Just let me help you," Eren half-begged. A frown settled on his face as he moved to Levi's side once more. "You're too weak to-"

His words were interrupted by another round of horrid coughing. Levi crumpled to the ground, unable to hold himself up any longer. His body shuddered as he pulled his arms around himself. Eren felt a pang in his soul with each retch; it was as if his lungs had sympathy pain for Levi. Once the coughing stopped, he drew in a ragged breath and proceeded to hide his face in his knees. His entire body trembled mercilessly.

"I can't do this, Eren," he practically moaned.

Drawing in a breath of his own, the teen knelt down to the artist's side, though refrained from touching him as he so had the urge to. "I know you can," he murmured.

"No. It hurts too much."

"You're stronger than this, Levi. I know you are. You just have to know that you are."

"You're lying to yourself," he mumbled, his voice cracking through its already raspy quality. "I'm not strong. I'm a fucking weakling. You shouldn't be wasting your time on me."

"Humor me, then. If you think you're weak...just try. You can prove yourself wrong."

Wearily, Levi lifted his head once more to meet Eren's concerned gaze. Again, those bright turquoise eyes of his sparked something within the raven. It was quickly smothered by the blackness he bore, but he hadn't missed that feeling...the one that continued to get stronger the longer the brat stuck around, the fool.

"Fine," he muttered just as another shiver ran down his spine.

As Eren offered his hand once more, Levi felt his muscles start to truly ache, particularly in his legs. Combined with his constant quivering, he had trouble standing let alone holding himself up. Reluctantly, he kept hold of the teenager's hand for support and hobbled toward his bedroom. From the bathroom doorway behind him, even after the light was switched off, it was as if he could still feel the syringe on the counter, staring at him in disappointment as if it were the monster itself.

"That better?" asked Eren once he'd sat heavily on his bed and released his hand.

"Again I say, define better."

Eren kept his mouth shut and looked Levi over once more. He appeared so weak it seemed he might just cave in on himself at any second. His breathing was labored and his forehead remained shiny with sweat, random strands of his hair clinging to the moisture. While his hands weren't occupied with something else, he kept his arms folded over his torso and was hunched over like he was having abdominal pain. At that point, Eren wouldn't put it past him. Just by laying eyes on him, it was apparent he was in borderline agony.