Bite Me.

31.

Eren knew he should be scared, spontaneously embarking on what could be a death mission with Levi, but he wasn't afraid. He had known the risks when he'd gone to that party almost three weeks ago. He couldn't be certain that Levi would protect him, but he remained by his side on the off side that he might just do something surprisingly out of character. Again, he really was losing sight of what was normal. They ended up at some abandoned warehouse, which Levi explained was somewhere that he had been tipped off might harbour the three men he was looking for. He hasn't given any further description than that. Just as they got out the car, Eren grabbed his arm.
'Who exactly are they?' He asked. If he was going to be doing some damage to them, he at least wanted to know who he was doing it to.
'Guillaume, Jacques and Marcel.' Levi divulged. Fuck, it was hot when he spoke French. 'Remember that Archer and I were about to take over Paris? They're the guys who we were trying to overthrow. Only three of them left now, but they're pretty bad news. Do me a favour and be careful, yeah?'
Levi kind of regretted asking Eren to come. He didn't want him to get hurt- all he'd wanted was a little time with him. It had been so spur of the moment to ask. He'd actually been looking for him when they'd bumped into each other, so that he could tell him he was sorry for the way he'd acted. But now that they were here, he had remembered how dangerous this really was. He had a terrible habit of putting Eren in danger like this. He needed to sort that out. But for now, there was nothing he could do.
'What happens if I die?' Eren mused. 'I wonder if Mikasa will kill you...'
'If you die, I promise to make a great speech at your funeral,' Levi patted him on the back reassuringly. Eren smiled, appreciating the sentiment. 'About how much of a slut you are.'
'What?' Eren spluttered, halting in his tracks.
'Oh, come on. You enjoy it when I kiss you, don't you? Because you're a-'
'I don't enjoy it!'
Levi chuckled darkly and pulled him forwards by his shoulders roughly, making him stumble a little. He pressed his lips oh-so-lightly against Eren's neck for less than a moment, but it was enough to spark his excitement.
'Don't do that,' Eren whined. 'It only happened because of the venom. Look, Levi. Maybe we should talk about that.'
'So talk.'
'Well, the thing is... I'm not- I'm not gay.'
Levi laughed again, but this time it was not so unkind. It was more pitiful and ever so slightly pained.
'Yes you are,' he rolled his eyes. 'Whether you see it or not. What am I to do with you, lamb?'
He hadn't used that term in such a while. It brought back memories of a simpler time when flirting with Eren was just a bit of fun rather than a constant internal battle with himself for control.
'Whatever,' Eren muttered, clearly flustered and disgruntled. 'Let's just get this over and done with.'

As he had expected, Levi found Les Deuces in the warehouse, sitting at a table and playing cards. Badly, he might add. And, tied up in a chair in the corner, his brother. He motioned for Eren to remain where he was, and stepped out from the shadows to face his enemies of old.
'Gentlemen,' he announced his presence as cockily as ever. I believe you have taken that which is mine. Now return it, before I take your larynxes and turn them inside out.'
'Levi, don't be dull,' Archer called. 'I'd appreciate it if you save your threats for after you've untied me.'
'Relaxez-vous, mon frère. Je suis arrivé, non?'
'Took you long enough...'
By now, the three burly men in suits were standing up and talking angrily amongst themselves in French. Eren watched the scene playing out, just praying to himself that Levi kept his head. Literally and figuratively. They advanced on him, creating a solid line of muscle. They had height, number and muscle on him. Really, how was he expecting to win this? Eren was genuinely worried for him... But he really needn't be, because when they started swinging punches, Levi dodged them expertly and wasn't caught once. Their fists and feet were flying, pummelling against air, but not once did they hit home.
'You look frightened,' Levi called across, barely out of breath. 'Fighting is second nature to me.'
'Who are you talking to?' Archer didn't really need to ask. There was only one person he knew his brother would want around when he was stressed like this. And he was definitely very agitated. He could see it in the way he was smiling just a little too much, feigning amusement because it was easier than being sad. Marcel suddenly pulled a knife, and Eren yelped, leaping from the darkness and abandoning his safety. He couldn't let them lay a damn finger on Levi.
'Eren, go to the car,' he ordered.
'You forget I was raised on the streets, too,' Eren ducked as Jacques aimed a fist at him. He knew the basics of fighting. He'd had a fair few brawls in the past, and he's not often lost. He tended to have height on his opponents, but not this time. Levi had managed to disarm Marcel, but seemed to be struggling a little as once or twice a foot would connect with his leg or a knuckle with his jaw and he'd hiss in irritation. Did he not feel pain? Eren realised far too late that he had lost concentration for too long. He payed for his mistake with an undercut that sent him rocketing across the room. Oh, right. These guys were vampires. That was cool. Clearly, his adversary had been holding out on him a lot, because now he was really on a roll. Eren felt fist after fist flying into him from all directions. Blood dripped from his lip and he groaned in pain, curling up against the wall.
'I did tell you,' Levi snapped, dashing to the rescue and wrenching Jacques away. With one swift motion, he snapped his neck. 'That won't hold him back for long.' In one swift motion, he separated the man's head from his body with no less detachment than one would expect from fumigating a wasps' nest.
'I'd like to say it's been a pleasure, Jacques,' he smiled. 'But that would be a lie. Now, you two.'
The other two men had stopped dead, their faces pale.
'Shall we finish this now?'
Levi looked like a blood-spattered hurricane as he advanced, his face contorted into a sick grin. The next few seconds were a mess of whirling fists and bones snapping, and then Guillaume was dead. But then Marcel pulled out a pistol, and the fight came to a halt. He placed the end of the barrel against Levi's chest, aiming at where his faulty heart was beating slightly faster than usual. Then he pulled the trigger and the resulting blast ricocheted around the warehouse. Archer looked totally nonplussed, but Eren cried out and dashed forwards. Levi sank to his knees, blood leaking from the side of his mouth.
'Ouch,' he chuckled. 'Eren, do you think for once in your life that you could listen to me and get the hell out of here?'
Eren could barely hear him. No, he couldn't die! He had always seemed so full of life that watching him bleed out was pretty surreal. Well, if he was going to die then he probably ought to tell him some things. But he couldn't speak because there was a huge lump in his throat. He stopped to the ground and cradled his head against his chest, not caring that his shirt was now soaked in the blood that Levi was coughing up, trying to shove him away.
'I'm fine. Just go untie my brother, and I'll deal with Marcel,' he choked out, pulling himself to a sitting position and inspecting his wound. 'Look, the bullet's gone all the way through. At least I don't have to pull it out later.'
'Levi, that's way too much blood,' Eren gestured at the growing dark red pool on the ground. 'I- I'm sorry, I should've do-'
'Eren. Go help my brother, now.'
'I'm not leaving you!'
'Seriously, I appreciate the sentiment and while it really is adorable, I'm going to be fine and I just want to get my brother out of here. Just release him and get to the car, we'll meet you there.'
Eren gave a frustrated cry and pulled them both to their feet. Given the choice, he'd save Levi over Archer any day. But Levi wanted him to save his brother, so should he respect his wishes and do what he was told? Or should he be selfish and just save the person he preferred and save himself from the pain of losing Levi? When the fuck did his morals go to pot?
'Eren, get over here,' Archer sighed. 'I think Marcel might be about to kill you.'
Marcel had been standing just to the side of the scene watching it unfold, and now he was reloading his gun. He began to walk forwards slowly, and Levi gathered the last of his strength and shoved Eren away, falling to the floor once he lost his support.
'Go, you moron! I can't believe you're trying to look after me.'
Eren gritted his teeth and dodged away from Marcel's aim, the bullet glancing off a pillar. He ran faster than he had ever run and yanked hard at the chains round Archer. He couldn't undo them, what was Levi thinking sending him to do it? He was just a weak human... He couldn't break the chains or crack open the bolt. Wait, the bolt! Of course he could do that. He knew enough about picking locks to do something as easy as this. But Marcel was already limping over, injured from his earlier fight before he had pulled a gun. He fired a shot again, and this time Eren felt it whizzing past his shoulder.
'Levi, throw me the knife!' He called. This felt like one of the stupid video games Jean was always forcing him to play... Levi gave him a weird look, then scrabbled for the knife. He just managed to reach it, and then he tossed it was amazing precision. It landed knifepoint first into Archer's arm, making him cry out in alarm.
'You bastard!' He hissed, and Eren closed his eyes as he pulled the knife out of his flesh and then turned his attentions to the lock. Marcel was almost upon them now, and he felt the pressure mounting.
'Hurry up...' Archer looked round to see what he was doing.
'If I could I would. It's almost done...'
'Levi, how you feeling?'
'Fine, fine. I've only been point blank shot through the heart. Should be fine.'
'Will you two stop with the bravado already?' Eren blurted out. 'Levi, you're probably going to die. Don't you think now is a good moment to- I don't know, have emotions?'
'I'm not going to die, Eren...' Levi rolled his eyes. Really, he was rolling his eyes? The fact that he was even still alive was a miracle. How had he not gone into cardiac arrest?
The bolt finally unclicked as the penny dropped. Levi was a vampire... Of course. Jacked up healing powers. The chains fell away and Archer leapt up, taking Marcel's head clean off with as much disregard as his brother. Eren just sat there next to the chair, his head spinning. Levi called his name, and he didn't even look up. He was in shock, probably. He'd really believed that Levi was going to die, and it had scared him so much. It was only really settling in just now that he'd almost lost him forever. Or so he thought. He felt gentle hands lifting him up and dusting him off.
'I need you to carry my brother for me,' Archer winked at him. 'My arm just hurts so much.'
His arm had probably healed by now, but Eren didn't mind. He swept Levi off his feet and carried him like a baby to his car. His eyes were closed and his breathing was so shallow he had to keep putting his ear to his chest to ensure his heart was still beating. At times, it wasn't.
'Will you stop doing that?' Levi's voice was faint. 'Takes more than a bullet to kill me, you know.'
The three of them piled into the car, and what a strange trio they were. Two vampire brothers, one with a bullet wound through the heart, and a human who always fell for the wrong person.