UnderWater

Chapter 26

and sparkled in the sun. Eren stared at it, wearing an expression of what looked like quiet sadness. Levi stood behind him, his arms wrapped securely around the brunet's waist as they stood on the cliff (very far from the edge).

"...can we go now?" Levi didn't bother to hide the impatience in his voice. "I really don't understand why the hell we had to come here in the first place."

Eren cracked a smile, reaching to write in his notebook.

Levi, you really are good at protecting me, aren't you?

Flip. I can barely see the ocean at all from here.

The black-haired man frowned deeply. "Good. That's how it should be. Now let's go."

Eren ignored him and continued to write.

The ocean's been my home for almost two hundred years, Levi.

Flip. For a long time, I didn't think I would ever want to leave it.

Flip. I didn't think I would fall in love with a human.

It was rather strange of Eren to use the word "human", but Levi was too distracted by the meaning of the sentence to care.

Eren continued to write.

It's really strange, Levi.

Flip. I haven't known you for very long.

Flip. But when I see you, I feel so happy.

Flip. Whenever you touch me, I feel even happier.

Flip. Even when I dream, I think about you.

Flip. I didn't really mind giving up my voice that much..

Flip. But sometimes I wish I had a voice just so that I could say your name.

"..." Levi tightened his grip on Eren's body. "Shitty brat. You don't need a voice to make me happy."

Eren squeezed Levi's hand before scribbling more.

I'm sorry we had to go to the ocean, Levi.

They were both too far from the cliff to notice the unusual sea waves that started to cling to the edges of the rock, as if clambering to reach above.

Flip. But I just wanted to say goodbye to it.

"Then say it already, for hell's sake, Eren!" Levi growled. "Before a fucking earthquake comes and makes you fall off the damn cliff!"

His green eyes serious, Eren began to write slowly.

Levi, I have to tell you something.

Long ago, I used to-

RUMBLE!

Without warning, the ground beneath them shuddered, knocking both of the two off balance. "Wha-what-" Levi managed to choke out in a mixture of horror and consternation, while Eren gave him a look of sheer terror.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! Earthquakes aren't supposed to come out of nowhere, goddamn it!"

BOOOOM!

The earth suddenly split open, chunks of the cliff were falling into the sea, the waves towering over them. Levi couldn't believe what was happening in front of him. "Eren! We need to get out of here!"

Eren just stood where he was, frozen, his eyes fixed on the water below. Suddenly the ground under his feet gave way, sending the brunet plummeting down the cliff, his green eyes bulging in panic as he opened his mouth in a silent scream.

"EREN!" Before Eren knew what was happening, he was roughly thrown back onto the cliff edge, hitting solid ground with a thump. His heart pounding wildly, Eren whirled backward to see that now Levi was starting to fall off the cliff.

Levi saw Eren mouth his name in panic before quickly reaching for his hand. Their fingers brushed.

And then a particularly large wave closed over Levi, his hand slipping out of Eren's frantic grasp as the water flooded his senses, and the world became black.