The Killer in the Woods [RIREN] {✔}

◈ Chapter 4 ◈

They searched everwhere for Eren and it had already been a whole day. They tried calling out his name and split up into teams of two but no such luck. Mikasa was pacing back and forth in front of the campfire, Krista was clinging onto Ymir in worry, Reiner sat deep in thought, Marco was comforting a worried sick Armin, Sasha and Connie sat with their heads bowed, Annie was just blankly staring off into nothing and Bertholdt was nervously glancing around.

Jean was worse. His hair was messy, and he had deep, dark bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep. He had stayed worrying over Eren, and everytime he would try to get some sleep, he'd only wake up to the image of a bloody Eren. There was a painful ache in his chest at the thought of his Eren hurt and alone somewhere out there.

But Eren's sudden disappearance wasn't the only thing that was bothering them. It was the fact that when they went back to their cars, they had found their tires slashed. A dagger jabbed into each tire. It sent chills of terror down everyone's spines. Someone out there didn't want them to leave.

Krista was the first to break the long silence with her quiet but shaky voice. "D-do you think that whoever is after us.... t-took Eren?" She glanced around.

Reiner nodded grimly. He looked up and met her wide, terrified eyes. "It could be possible."

Mikasa stopped in her steps, her back towards them and voice devoid of any life or emotion. "We are not leaving without Eren," then she slowly looked over her shoulder, dead cold, violet eyes staring at them. "And we are not leaving until that fucker who took Eren is dead." Her eyes were hard and held no promises of mercy.

Everyone knew how dangerous she could get when it came to Eren. She wasn't someone to mess with and she could easily end someone's life. Not that she hasn't had before though. She wouldn't stop at nothing until Eren was safe in her arms.

"So.....what do we do?" Marco asked, glancing around at everyone. He was just as nervous and spooked as everyone else.

It would've been easy to get help if the closest station wasn't miles and miles away. Now they had no where to go except for the forest and they didn't have any weapons to protect themselves.

Jean snapped his head up. His mouth gaping open as he realized something. "Eren's backpack!" He suddenly aloud, shocking and startling everyone around him.

Reiner frowned at him. "Now's not the time to be fishing for Eren's panties, Jean."

Jean shook his head. "What--? No, I--ugh!" He stormed off into his tent and came back out a second later with Eren's backpack in one hand and the other searching inside it. "Look!" He exclaimed and pulled out the knife from Eren's bag. He held it up so that everyone could see.

They were all stunned and surprised that such a thing was in the brunette's bag. Mikasa was the first to stalk forward and snatch the knife from Jean, saying. "This isn't Eren's---where did you get this?" She demanded, her eyes snapping up to meet his.

"It was in his bag, I swear." He raised his hands up.

She looked back down at the knife in her hand, and she slowly turned it over in her hand. Her eyes widened. "L-levi..?" She said almost in a whisper.

"Do you know this guy?" Jean asked attentively. "Mikasa?"

She shook her head. "No, that I can remember. But it sounds familiar." She said. She stood up straight and turned to everyone behind her. "We need to find a way to get Eren back and soon."

"Ngh! Let go you asshole!" Eren shouted, struggling against the strong arms carrying him up the stairs.

The man bluntly said, "It's Levi."

"I don't give a fuck!"

Levi said nothing as he forcibly yet effortlessly carried a struggling Eren up the stairs and into his restroom. He kept Eren bound so that he wouldn't escape him and run off.

He set Eren on the floor by his legs, and leaned over the tub to turn on the hot water. The boy kept wiggling against his hold and it was irritating him. When he finally had enough, he snapped. "Stop moving or I'll dump you in the tub." He threatened, his cold eyes narrowing.

Eren growled and glared up at him. "Fuck you!" He spat it his face.

Silence.

Next thing Eren knew he was being thrown into the tub, clothes and all. Hot, scolding water encased him wholly like fire and he shrieked in pain, struggling to keep his head up and out of the water with bound hands and ankles. Tears began to prickle at the corners of his eyes.

Levi only sat at the edge, staring down at him. There was a glint in his eyes as he watched Eren writhe in the hot water. After a while, he grabbed the ocean scented shampoo and squirted a generous amount in the palm of his hand. With the other hand he reached over and tugged Eren closer by his hair, uncaring of the pained whine the boy let out.

He scrubbed and ran his fingers through the boys hair multiple times until it was all soapy. He then cupped the boy's cheeks and said monotonously, "Hold your breath."

Eren didn't get to fully register his words before his whole head was being dunked under the boiling hot water and he was being held down with a strong grip. He struggled and thrashed, what came out of his mouth were only gurgles of gasps and bubbles. His lungs began to burn in his chest at the lack of oxygen, choking on the water he accidentally inhaled and he felt weaker and weaker by each second.

Levi finally let him up after a long time, and he coughed violently, gasping for air desperately. He didn't even noticed as Levi began to tug his clothes off and bathe him. He was tired and his head was pounding relentlessly.

Once the bath was done, Levi pulled Eren out of the now cold water, the boy's skin scrubbed pink under his touch as he carried him out of the restroom and towards his bedroom. He set Eren on the bed and began to dry him down with a towel, his hard gaze wandering down the boy's lithe yet slender smooth body. He tore his eyes away and walked towards his drawers where he kept his clothes.

He pulled out one of his white dress shirt and slipped it onto Eren's naked form. The shirt ended just around the boy's mid thigh and the sleeves around his wrist. He began to button up the shirt, leaving only the first few undone at the top.

After he finished, he stepped back and began to admire the sight.

Eren looked stunning and beautiful lying there in only one of Levi's shirts. His tan skin was still a bit pink from all the scrubbing but Levi was satisfied. He smelled of ocean too.

He moved Eren up slightly so that he could cuff his wrist to the headboard, ignoring the weak pushes at his chest as he kissed Eren's head.

"I'll be back, Eren." He murmured, his cold eyes softening just a bit before hardening terrifyingly.

He stepped back and turned away, leaving the room and locking it behind him. On his way out the front door, he yanked out the bloody axe still stuck in the door and left for the forest.