[Ereri] The Screams that Saved my Sanity

21-Monster or Man?

-Levi's POV-

I kept walking on the side of the road towards the police station. It felt like my life was moving in slow motion.
I had just lost the one person I cared about and it was all my fault.
Blocking out the outside world completely, I continued to walk.

I should be somewhat close to the police station now.

I stumbled like I was drunk along the side of the road. I was so tired from walking and I was physically and emotionally drained. Suddenly, I heard a faint noise.
I ignored it.
Then I heard it again but this time louder.

What is that?

It was like a bomb compared to the white noise in my head.

HONK!
Finally I heard it and realized someone was honking at me. Annoyed, by the asshole who decided to honk at me I turned around.

-Eren's POV-

After driving for 10 minutes I saw a figure stumbling on the side of the road.
Levi!
I honked my horn.
No response.

Is he ignoring me?

I honked again.
Still nothing.

My (well, Levi's) car was slowly approaching him. I could make out his features and confirmed it was him. I gave my horn one last honk.
He jumped in surprise and turned around. I stopped the car.

"Why are you honking at me, asshole? Can't a man walk in peace?!" He snapped angrily. As quick as I could I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car.

"What are y--....Eren?" He squinted his eyes to see if I was really there. His he's widened.

"Eren! What are you doing here?!" I ignored his question and ran up to him.

"Eren! Stay away from me!" He cried this too late as I jumped on him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my head in his shoulder-like I did whenever he came home from work.

"Levi! I found you!" He didn't hug me back.

"Eren. Let go of me. I'll hurt you." I was so infatuated with the fact that I had him back I didn't answer.

"Eren...Eren please...don't make this harder for me than it already is. I-I don't want to hurt you." His shoulders shook as he began to cry.
I hugged him tighter.
"E-Eren...please...please...I hurt you...I hurt you..."
I pulled back from the embraced and smiled at him. I started to wipe away his tears.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I shouldn't have. I-I just need you to let me do this. Please, I want to do this. I want them to lock me up." He started to cry harder.
He put a hand gently on the side I was injured. His touch was so gentle I almost didn't notice his hand there.
"I'm s-so s-sorry I h-hurt you, Eren. I never want to hurt you. In p-prison I'll know you're safe. I-I just want you to be safe, Eren. S-safe from me. S-safe from the monster."

I wiped away the fresh tears and cupped his face in my hand. I continued to smile at him, "Levi, do you remember what I said to you the day after the incident in the basement?" His face went from pure sorrow to confusement.
"Eren, why--"
"Do you?"
He looked at me and realized I wasn't going to let up, "Y-Yes."
My smile grew, "Then you should know: You're not a monster."
"What are you talking about?"
With my free hand I pulled his head towards mine so that our foreheads were touching.
"Levi, you didn't hurt me last night." He jumped.
"What do mean?!? Of course I did! The knife...the blood..."
I rubbed his back and tried to calm him down.
"Think about it, Levi. Where did you get the knife in the first place? You don't keep a knife with you when you sleep."
His eyes were glassy from tears. "I-I don't know. Maybe I grabbed it in my sleep."

"Levi. My sister is the one who stabbed me." I said coldly.

"What?!?"

I sighed, "My sister framed you so I would think you were trying to kill me. She had been looking for me and found out that I had probably been kidnapped. When she found out about our relationship she realized I would never say a word against you to the police...s-she drugged you the night at the bar and put the knife in your hand as we slept..."
He looked at me with disbelief. "H-how did she get into the house?"

"We...umm...well we never locked the door..." I blushed remembering that night.

"Are you s-sure that's what happened?" He asked with eyes that I swear could show you all his pain.

"Yes."

I saw another tear drop from his eye, "So t-that means I didn't hurt you."
I felt a tear drop from my eye as well, "No. No, Levi. You didn't hurt me.  Not in a million years."
Finally Levi embraced me with the most wonderful hug I have ever experienced. His head was burrowed into my chest as he cried of relief.
I held him and stroked his head as he cried.
"I-I'm not a monster. It wasn't me! I-It wasn't me!"
"I know, Levi, I know. It's okay."
For a few minutes we stood there like that. The silent night was filled only with the muffled crying of a short raven haired man.

"I k-know that even if it wasn't me tonight, I've still done horrible things to you. I know that I have hurt y-you." He looked up at me, "And I know it's wrong of me. I know it's wrong. I know that I have no right....but I can't help i-it, Eren. I meant w-what I said to you."
I could almost make out the stars above us in the reflection of his crying eyes.
"E-Eren, I love you. I love you s-so goddamn much." My heart skipped. "A-and I'm sorry. I'm s-sorry you had to go through all this bull shit. I-I'm sorry we ever met."

I pulled his face from my chest and made him look at me, "Don't say that, Levi. Don't say that because I'm not sorry at all."
His eyes were swollen and red from crying and he looked like a wreck. He looked like if I were to even speak too loudly he would shatter into a million pieces. I brought his lips to mine and kissed him slowly-yet full of passion. When I broke it I hugged him again and whispered very softly in his ear.

"Levi,

I love you, too."