The Lab Rat (Ereri)

Chapter Nine

*laughs awkwardly* 😅 *clears throat* yeah...

Levi's POV:

Well, today's the day. I'm finally taking Eren out on a date. I would have done so sooner if the author wasn't so lazy but oh well. If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs.

So I decided to plan the first date. At first, I was just planning on seeing a movie so that we could just makeout in the dark but I figured it would be a waste of money since we could just do that back at my place. So I decided on dinner and a walk instead.

Right now, Eren and I were walking to a German restaurant called Bauklotze which we had to cut through the park to get to. I had made reservations as soon as he said yes to the date.

"So you're sure you want to go through with this?" Eren asked me. I glared at the question and he raised his hands up defensively.

"Hey, I'm just making sure. It would just be really awkward if at some point tonight you take me aside and say something like, 'It's not me. It's you. I realized that this isn't going to work. I finally came to my senses and realized that you're way too lame for me and we should see other people.'"

"Eren, I swear I will slap you." I grabbed his hand and entwined our fingers. "You are not lame and if I am delusional, I never want to come to my senses."

"Alright but now that you've said that, you can't take it back. You're stuck with me." I kissed him on the cheek.

"Good."

Eren's POV:

A lot has happened in the past two weeks. I met Levi, and even kissed him; was saved from the dark by Christa and Ymir; and found out that not only has Grisha escaped prison somehow, but he also found me. He fucking found me! I've been trying to wrap my head around this since he showed up in my house and I'm terrified. I know that now that he's found me and has met Levi, he's going to target him. And everyone else that I've befriended and interacted with will be killed before my eyes just like last time.

But I'm selfish. And cruel. And I don't want to give them up for anything. I don't want them to be in danger, and I don't want to risk their lives, but I want them by my side.

Over the past week, Hanji and Levi haven't left my side. They tag-team watching over me at school and we eat lunch together, he comes with me to the lab and then takes me home to sleep next to me in bed. Undoubtedly they are protecting me. But they don't realize that they are at even more of a risk. Ymir and Christa too. They don't know the situation even remotely but when they see me in the halls they smile and wave and protect me from Jean. And that alone makes me feel grateful.

I don't feel close to, or even talk to many people, but in these two weeks, I've made more friends than I have since the incident. And now that they're here, I can't give them up. No matter how little I even interact with a few of them, they're already so important to me. And I'm positive that considering how observant he is, Grisha knows this. And yet, here I am. Recklessly and selfishly risking the lives of my friends, however unwilling.

I'm risking all of their lives but Levi is at the greatest risk. He cares about me and i love him. Or at least it seems to be heading in that direction. But If Grisha is out for revenge against me, he's going to go after Levi. If I'm getting this right, In Grisha's mind, he blames me for my mom's death. He lost the most important person to him so I deserve to feel the same pain. And he's right. If he wants to hurt me in the absolute worst way, he would have to go after Levi. Not me. I don't give a damn about my own life but if Levi gets hurt, I might as well be dead. I've only just met him but already he's too important to me and i don't understand why.