How was he supposed to sleep if he wasn't promised any safety?
He lay on his back and stared dreamily at the shining, twinkling stars with the chilly wind brushing his nose and his ankles. The dancing flames of the once vibrant fire were dying, and it was Levi who was watching him once more. Kenny had just finished his turn and hobbled back to the truck to sleep once more. Levi on the other hand, did not look rested at all despite two hours of dozing off. His black hair was a mess, and Eren could see the shadows under his eyes from the light of the fire.
Eren flipped to his side so that he could see just the tip of Levi's boots. The zip ties were making his wrists sore within each passing minute, and it felt like they were digging into his skin the more he moved around. He had already tried to get up and sprint for his life, but the short man was faster than he looked; he caught Eren in less than ten seconds and tackled him to the ground, scraping his knees and elbows. He decided it would be useless and foolish if he tried to do it again. He exhausted but he couldn't bring himself to fall asleep with fear sinking his heart and the smell of tobacco wafting in the breeze. Eren frowned when Levi had started his fifth cigarette.
"You should tie me up to a tree and sleep. You look like hell," Eren said when he was finally sick and tired of the unbearable quietness.
Levi ignored him and blew smoke into the air.
"I seriously mean it. I'm not even going to try to run away again."
He received no response.
"Cool. Did smoking all that crap finally get rid of your voice or something-"
"Look, kid, shut the fuck up," Levi cut him off harshly. "Why do you care anyway? I'm your captor and you're my victim. Just go to sleep."
"How can I sleep if you're leaving such a stench?" he said. "You seem to hate me already, yet you're troubling yourself by keeping me."
Levi took another drag. "The reason for that is because-" he was interrupted by the vexatious noise of his own coughing. He threw the short stub of what was left of his cigarette and stomped it out while trying to fend off his fit.
"Hey, mister," Eren called out. "Are you okay?"
Levi stumbled back as if hit by something. Not hit physically, but mentally; a wave of nostalgia swept over his brain and paralysed him for a brief moment. He was simply remembering. The freezing day in the alleyway where he thought his life was going to end, the looks of disgust he received from strangers and the flood of warmth his heart felt when there was a little boy who seemed to care. The stupid and stubborn boy with the most enchanting and breath taking eyes that could make anyone drown by just staring at them. It couldn't be the same guy; his mind was merely bored.
Levi looked over at him and shook his head absently and covered his mouth with his hand as if hiding some part of his shocked expression.
"I'm fine," he replied at last and waved his hand in dismissal. "Just shut the hell up and maybe I'll feel even better."
Eren was just about to speak up, but closed his mouth firmly. He watched silently as Levi slipped out another cigar out of the crumpled and wrecked box and placed it between his teeth as he searched for the match and lit it with a faint snapping sound.
He wasn't smoking because he was bored.
He wanted to die.
Levi got a second chance at living, but it didn't mean it would go well. His life had been horrid and lonely, but now it was miserable and meaningless, and that was why he decided to obey Kenny and do his bidding without rhyme or reason. He had more liberty to do whatever he wanted as long as he did a few favours for kenny, and taking away a boy and threatening his life for money was one of them.
