A Chance At Love

Chapter 18- Month 7

Levi POV:
I feel so bad for Eren. He's got a bump as big as a full grown watermelon and then some. He can hardly stand up straight. He was already tiny, but this has him bedridden.

Eren grabbed my hand, snapping me back to reality. "Hey, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"How can I not worry about it when even getting up to use the bathroom hurts your back? I'm getting really worried." He smiled softly and cupped my face in his hands.

"Stop thinking about it so much. Just come cuddle with me and I'll help you feel better." It's not me I'm worried about, but I do as he says and climb into the bed with him. Eren curls into me as I place a hand on his stomach and wrap the other around his shoulders.

He sighed softly and holds onto the folds of my shirt as he closes his eyes. "You really are warm. It's nice." I smiled at that and kissed his forehead.

"I'm glad you think so. Anything I can do to help is good enough for me." Eren pouted at those words.

"Stop thinking about it. I'll be fine. There's only two more months of this left, so quit moping."

"I know, I know. I just feel so bad." Eren sighed and lifted my face to look at him instead of the foot of the bed.

"I understand that. I'm really glad that you care about me. But I promise I'm okay. Okay? So cheer up. Let's watch a movie or something. Whatever you want." He smiled at me with those gorgeous eyes glittering and I couldn't help but nod.

Eren smiled and curled back into my shoulder as I turned on the tv and played my favorite movie. Eren had gotten to the point with this particular film that he could quote nearly every other sentence perfectly. Boy, was I proud.

He's come so far since we first brought him here. He wasn't deathly skinny. He wasn't afraid of loud noises or sudden movements. He wasn't afraid to ask for something when he wanted or needed it. He had friends. He actually smiles. That in and of itself was a major accomplishment.

In that time, however, he hasn't changed in the fact that he has nightmares. They've been much less frequent, and considerably less intense, but they'll always be there. That is something I wish I could change.

I can't take them away, but I can sure as hell help him get through them. When they happen, Eren and I have a system that seems to help. He still instantly melts at my pheromones (which I have to admit is rather cute), and he loves being completely enveloped in my arms (or warmth as he claims).

Eren turned off the tv. "You've been thinking so hard I can hear it. What's going on?" I swallowed away my worries and smiled at ky mate. This was time for just us and I needed to stop wasting it.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Now, how about I make you something to eat?"

"I know you're saying that to get me off the subject, but I can never say no to your cooking. Just nothing sweet, okay?" I nodded and placed a kiss on his forehead before untangling our limbs and standing up to leave. Eren turned the movie back on and watched me walk out.

I made a tray of snacks and moved back to the room. Most of it was for Eren's strange cravings, but I threw in some stuff for me as well.

Eren extended his arms to me when I came back to the room. He smiled like I was the only thing that mattered. Cute. We cuddled back up together and finished the movie as Eren ate his strange snacks. The simple days were the best of all.

But I wish I had known they wouldn't last.