Twisted Fate [Ereri/Riren Fanfic] [COMPLETED]

Chapter Seven: Give Her Back!

While the raven was running for the source of the scream, Eren and his friends stood in shock as they had come into contact with an unexpected guest. Two to be precise. Both were blonde, male and a female. The male held the female harshly as he walked up to the group, but the brunette was the only one who felt something akin to betrayal.

" Why are you doing this?!"

" It's quite simple really; for the cause. It's as Erwin says, we need to dedicate our hearts to the cause, to the survival of humanity, because if we fail to do even that then how can we call ourselves human beings?"

" That isn't what I meant, Armin."

" Then what did you mean when you asked that question, Eren?" Armin hissed.

" Why are you obeying the Commander's every beck and call? Why are you allowing him to do what he did to me? Why?!"

" Oh, I get it, you saw us didn't you?" Eren grit his teeth but nodded slowly, " I certainly didn't expect that, but now that you know I do have a question for you. Of course I'll answer yours first. It's because Erwin has given me a new hope to achieve instead of the one we created when we were little. Now with that aside, my question for you is this. Why does Erwin only think of you when we're together?"

Eren hated this conversation with the utmost disgust, but what really set him on edge was the fact that Armin was disregarding their dream of venturing beyond the walls to see the ocean. It was everything to them both, just to catch a glimpse of the thing that they dreamed since childhood. To Eren, it was as if Armin was stomping on that dream and defiling it with the wrongs that the Commander has done to him. The brunette took a step toward the blonde before coming to a halt.

" If come any closer than where you are now, I'll kill her."

" Please Armin! Let her go and let's talk this out! You always resolved things by talking so why not now?! What's so different this time?!"

" This time... This time I don't have to protect anyone, I'm free to do what I want when I want."

Eren took another small step toward the blondes, reaching his hand for the girl. " Just let her go, if Levi comes back he won't listen to me and he'll kill you."

" And why do you care? Why did you come back if you knew the truth already?"

" So I can save my friends, and that includes you too." The brunette noticed the blonde twitch from what he said, so he took yet another step forward before he stopped again.

" I told you not to come any closer!!!"

" Armin, please, listen to Eren! He's telling the truth, can't you see that?!" The girl in Armin's grips spoke up in her trembling voice.

The blonde looked back and forth between Eren and the girl in his hold before turning around and tightening his grip on the girl. " If you want to save me then you'll have to prove it to me. You'll find me in the Commander's office, and I want you to go there alone. If the Captain comes with you I'll be sure to kill Historia." With this, Armin walked away into the shadows of the hallways.

Eren's feet started to move on their own as he realized he was running after his childhood friend before Mikasa and Reiner held him back by his arms.

" You come back here right now!!! GIVE HER BACK!!!"

The brunette crumbled to the floor, slipping through Mikasa's and Reiner's hold, and this time he couldn't hold back his tears. As much as he didn't want to cry in front of his friends, he couldn't help it.

In the distance, the group heard the running footsteps of someone coming up to them. The figure shouted to them, letting the group know that it was their Captain. Once Levi came up to them, he noticed Eren on the floor shaking. He went over to him and crouched in front of him.

" Eren, what's wrong?"

The teen said nothing.

" Who was it that screamed before I got here?"

Still, the teen said nothing.

" Eren, I need to know what happe-!"

The brunette lunged for his Captain and held him close before telling him what happened.

After Levi heard everything, he remained on the floor holding Eren close to him. He knew that this mission would be difficult for the both of them, but he stopped thinking that once he looked at the group around them. He knew that this group would do anything to protect their own, to protect Eren, and that was all he needed to know. The man moved his head so his mouth was next to the teen's ear before he whispered.

" Eren, it'll be okay. We'll save him from Erwin, and I'll make sure that man is put down if you give the say-so." Levi gently remover Eren from his embrace and held him by the shoulders. " Look around you. These people have forgiven you for what you did, and they want to make it up to you by helping you now. You have no idea how lucky you are to have friends like these, so it's alright to abuse the right of having as friends if it means saving another friend."

Eren looked from face-to-face before looking into his lover's eyes and embracing Levi one more time, smiling ruefully to himself. " You make it sound as though they haven't forgiven you, but if that's the case then know that you don't need everyone's approval. As long as you have a special someone in your life, then that really all you need. My mother told me that whenever I was sad about something or felt rejected, and it always made me feel better."

Levi smiled gently and returned the embrace.

" You know what? Just hearing it from you did make me feel a lot better." The raven gently kissed the teen's head before whispering again. " Thank you."

AN: I know there's a lot of dialogue but I didn't have any ideas on a fight between Eren and Armin. Also, I wanted Eren's group of friends to see how much Levi cared for Eren so that maybe they would change their minds about the poor guy. Anyway, I'm on my way to Pittsburg for my final destination before I head home tomorrow, so I have some time to update a few stories during the car ride. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!!!

TO BE CONTINUED...