Mare's Nest (Ereri)

Chapter Twenty

Last chapter, yay!! :)

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Eren's POV

I sat beside Levi's sleeping form. Sasha had tended to his wounds when we arrived at the new location. From a lack of sleep, he instantly passed out, and he currently occupied his cot.

My eyes trained on his rough breathing pattern. The bandages made his face look bulky where he was always frail. His hands were folded together over the pillow to expose his purple wrists.

I still couldn't wrap my head around the previous events. Levi lied to me the entire time. He never cared about me, but I was foolish enough to still care for him.

I stood from the chair I sat in and closed the distance between Levi and I. Crouching in front of him, I sighed as he stirred in his sleep. My fingers brushed against the back of his hand. His skin was freezing. I folded my hand over his to feel the scarred skin warm.

Why did I ever trust him? I've never been one to have faith in someone so easily. But I let my logic fog when Levi entered my life. And I still couldn't find a reason to loose confidence in him.

I removed my hand, and scanned the room. My gaze stopped at the desk pressed against the opposite wall. Sighing, I stood and sauntered to the writing table. Rummaging through the drawers quietly, I removed a piece of parchment paper and a pencil.

Levi owed me an explanation.

I wrote him a quick letter of my intentions, and placed it on his pillow, where he would find it. Gently wiping away strands of his hair, I pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "I love you, Levi," I mumbled softly to the silence as I made my way to the door.

Avoiding any noises in the hall, I arrived to my destination without any interruptions. I stepped in the room to grab as much money as I could.

***

Levi's POV

My eyes fluttered open to see the ceiling of my bedroom. I stared at the maximum not wanting to lift my head from the pillow. But I moved my neck to feel my neck pop. I groaned and turned on my side. I wanted more sleep, but I couldn't force my mind to shut down.

I stretched out on the mattress to wake up my relaxed muscles. My cheeks felt heavy. Bringing my hands up to my face, I traced my skin until I felt the bulking bandages beneath my touch.

My thoughts then wandered to Eren. Now, he most likely despised the mere taste of my name. I couldn't blame him, I hated myself for the lies too. I was such an idiot to hide the truth from him for this long. Now the veracity would take its revenge.

I shifted my position again to be met with the sound of crumpling paper. Giving the wall a tired and confused expression, I sat up. A folded piece of parchment paper laid on my pillow. Still processing how to properly wake up, I picked up the disturbance and unfolded it. Familiar scribblings -that I knew was Eren's- met my gaze. I blinked a few times, so my sleepy gaze wouldn't blur the message. Regaining my proper vision, I read the letter.

Levi,

I am not convinced our feelings of affection are mutual. I demand and deserve proof. If there is an ounce of desire in your heart towards me, you'll find me at the docks. If you do not arrive before the ship's departure, I will know you never cared for me and aboard the boat to Coney Island.

~Eren

My heart stopped as I wonder how long ago he had written this. If I wasn't awake a few seconds ago, I most certainly was now. I sprang out from under the sheets to quickly throw on my suit jacket and flat cap. I bolted out of the room, trying to think of the quickest route to the docks.

"Levi, where are you going?" Armin yelled as I passed him. I didn't answer and continued running to the exit. But I heard fast footsteps approaching.

"You need rest, Levi!" he shouted. "Not now!" I replied, quickening my pace. He seemed to take notice I was wanting to leave the warehouse. "You are not leaving!" he demanded, trying to grab my arm to stop me.

"I need to find Eren," I explained desperately. He narrowed his eyes at me. "He was with you, last I checked."

I vigorously shook my head. "I messed up, Armin. I need to find Eren!"

"You're being hysterical, you can't go anywhere in your condition. Eren has to be here, we'll find him," Armin encouraged.

I finally made it to the exit. Speeding up, I burst the door open to let the sun flood my vision. Not taking a second to hesitate, I raced towards the docks. "Levi!" Armin shouted.

He was still behind me, but I didn't care. The only thing I cared about was getting to Eren on time.

I rushed through the marketplace, ran through tight alleys, and charged down busy streets with Armin following behind me.

Soon enough, I reached the docks. The roads were packed, and i had trouble squeezing past because of my short stature. Armin was quickly following behind. I was able to move in front of the crowd; discovering multiple ships boarding.

I couldn't see Eren anywhere. I frantically searched for a ship that proclaimed its destination as Coney Island. Spotting a man sitting on the dock holding a sign with the correct terminus, I sprinted towards him.

Eren was nowhere in sight. I felt my hope begin dwindling. But nonetheless, I called his name. There was no response, but the man holding the sign gave me an annoyed look. I ignored his stare, and continued yelling over the loud audience.

My arm was grabbed from behind. I whipped my head around to meet Armin's gaze. "What the hell are you doing?"

The man with the sign stood. He set the sign aside, and moved to remove the boarding ladder. My world felt as if it were crashing. I felt tears prick my eyes and a knot form in my throat. "It's my fault Eren is leaving," I choked out. I pointed to the ship.

"I'm so sorry, Armin."

***

!!DO NOT FRET!!
This is NOT the end of Mare's Nest!
Well, it's the end of this book, but there will be a sequel called Snake's Pit.
I can not make a promise on the date of its release, but I will be posting on this story when Snake's Pit is published.
In the meantime, if you have any questions on this story, I'd be happy to answer to the best of my ability without spoiling the next book.
!!Comment for any questions!!
I hope you enjoyed Mare's Nest, and I hope you enjoy Snake's Pit (when it's released).