Same, but Different

•Chapter XI•

Levi

I chased after Eren, grabbing his wrist and resting my forehead against his back. "Eren, no... please don't go."

"Levi, let me go." He said, his voice shaking as he spoke.

"Please don't leave me. Eren..." My grip tightened. "I chose wrong."

"Yes, you did." Eren replied bitterly, trying to shake me off, "But that's your fault, not mine."

"I love you."

"You're too late." He spun around, his face stern. "I'm with Matthew. I'm happy. Don't you dare ruin this for me."

"I'll make you happy," I promised. "Matthew is great and all, but I think we both know why he caught your attention in the first place."

"What? Because I'm in love with you?" Eren's hands were in his hair, tugging. "Levi, I was in love with you, and for all I know maybe I still fucking am, but you're too late. Matthew is great. He's kind, and sweet, and cares about me. He's never hurt me and he treats me like I'm his sun, like his life orbits around mine. And maybe that's unhealthy, and maybe I'm a bastard for liking it, but I do. I like being with him."

"I called you the sun before you even met him. I've cared for you and helped you regain your confidence before you knew he existed. I can't get you out of my head. You're plaguing my dreams and every waking thought I have. I need you." I looked into his eyes, pleading.

"You hurt me more than anybody else has. You turned me into a person I hated, you changed me. I cared before, you know, about things as trivial as firsts and love and romance. I cared. My fiancée, she was my first and my only. Things like virginity, that's a big deal, and I know that now. But before, after you rejected me, I stopped caring about that. I lost one type of virginity at a drunken one night stand with some random guy named Danny! That's your fault." Eren grit his teeth. "You're too late."

"No I'm not. I helped you— I tried to help you stop. I wanted you to keep caring. I wanted you to remain the sun and my hope..." I pulled him into me. "My hope of humanity..."

Eren pushed me away. "Matthew helped me stop. Yes, you saved me once, but so did he. Did you know I almost had Titan kidnapped in front of me? That one of my one night stands was a psycho who wanted to beat up my kid because I wouldn't call him? Matthew was the one who came to my rescue then, Levi. Your chance to be knight passed already, get over yourself." He took a deep breath. "If you don't let me go right now, I'm packing my bags. You've done so much for me and Titan, and I will always be grateful for that, but I have the means to keep on my own two feet and Matthew will let me and Titan stay with him if we need to. Let me go now, and I'll stay. As a friend, and nothing more. Let me go now or don't expect us to be anything more than two people whose kids know each other well. You've screwed with my life enough."

I let him go, my head pounding. "It hurts—"

"You chose wrong," Eren said simply. "Now it's your turn to suffer." He turned away, his voice detached and nothing like the joyous, playful tone it used to be. "I'll be back later, take damn good care of my son." And with that, he left. The front door closed loudly behind him.

Without even thinking, I chased after him in my slippers and pajamas, calling his name. "Eren! Eren! Eren!"

"Shit, help! Help me!" A familiar voice screamed, terror laced into it.

Pumping my legs even faster than before, I held onto my slippers so they wouldn't slow me down and chased the direction of Eren's voice.

That tone. It sound so familiar...