By Your Side - EreRi (ErenxLevi)

Chapter 9 - Scars and Apologies

This is quite late, sincere apologies!!

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Eren's POV

Hanji's eyes glistened with tears as she strutted over to my side, enveloping me with a warm hug. I still felt Levi's hand tightly clenched to mine.

Hanji released me and placed a hand on my cheek.

"You had Mama Hanji so worried Eren," she attempted to say jokingly.

A tear fell from her cheek. Looking at my face her expression contorted into something that was more sadness. She rubbed a finger over my cheek, under my eye.

"It scarred," she whispered sadly.

I was caught off guard at that. What scarred? What does she mean? I remember hurting my arms, legs, and chest but my face?

I turned my head from her and placed a hand over my cheek. My finger slowly traced down my cheek from beneath my eye. I felt the rough, abnormality of my scarred skin in my touch.

At the sight of tears forming in my own eyes, Levi yanked my hand away and my chin over to face him. He then trailed his fingers from my forehead, across my nose, and down my other cheek. I slightly flinched at his touch.

He must have noticed this because once I had he immediately retracted his hands from my face and looked away. I hadn't meant to make him feel that way.

"Lev-" before I could finish Hanji cut me off.

"It's actually quite a surprise to see you conscious right now Eren," she said this with enthusiasm.

She began babbling on about how everything could have happened and what could have happened to me. I could feel the shaking of Levi's body on the cot. She must have noticed too because to abruptly stopped.

"Levi look Eren's alright now, he's right here" as Hanji said this she took ahold of both of our hands and joined them together.

I felt Levi squeeze hard as if making sure I was really there. His back still faced me and he still shook. But when I tried to remove my hand he only clenched tighter and rubbed his thumb over my skin.

Hanji wore a warm smile at our little reactions. "You know I think it would be easier to hold his hand if you faced him Levi."

His only reply was a grunt and he didn't budge. Again I tried to free my hand, this must have irritated him because he gripped my hand so hard I thought it was breaking. Then the next thing was I was in his arms. He pulled me in as close and as right as he could, still holding my hand. Levi pressed his face against my chest, as if listening to the melody of my heartbeat.

"Why?" he whispered.

I looked away in both shame and fright, still worrying about what me may think. He looked up with furrowed brows and sad eyes. Then he grabbed my chin harshly and pulled me towards him. I was inches from his raging and depressed face.

"Why would you do this?" he asked.

Before I could even take a breath to speak I widened my eyes at the sight of what Levi was doing.

Levi was crying again.

Right in front of me the Corporal was shedding tears. They leaked from his face and ran down his cheeks. The only thing was his face. Levi looked at me with soaking eyes, but his expression was nothing. Absolutely no emotion was readable on his face. He held his regular stoic, bored look as the tears kept coming. The sight of Levi unable to express emotion while crying broke my heart.