STRONGEST HOPE (ERERI❤RIREN)

CHAPTER 21 - HOLD ONTO EACH OTHER

When they returned to the room, Eren went straight to the bathroom and stayed there for a while. The Captain paced with worry and tried to back up to where he felt things might have gone wrong. He finally spoke through the door and heard the tell-tale signs of Eren jumping at the sound of his voice. "Eren?"

A moment later, a reply. "Yes, Heichou," he whispered.

Levi leaned his forehead on the door and placed his palm against it. "Brat, what's the matter?"

The door swung open and Levi took a couple of steps back, surprised. Eren's eyes were puffy and red. He brushed past the man and sat on the bed. He picked up the Gulliver's Travels book and studied it as if he could read it...anything to avoid Levi's eyes.

Levi chewed the inside of his cheek and patted the side of his thigh. This was not his strength...making things right. He usually just barreled through and left the pieces haphazardly behind, but his own heart betrayed him. He couldn't stand to see his brat looking and feeling like this.

He walked to Eren and got down on his knees in front of him. Eren looked startled and panicked that there was no escape from the close proximity of the other man's face. Levi looked up into Eren's face and studied his eyes. Because of his tears, Eren's eyes were so translucent, they looked Caribbean.

Eren swallowed hard and blinked back more tears that were threatening. "Um...I-I think I should r-rest for a while," he stammered.

He gasped quietly when Levi placed his palm on Eren's face. The Captain gazed back and forth between his eyes. "I hurt you."

Tears broke through and spilled over onto Eren's cheeks, cascading over Levi's fingers. He weakly shook his head. "N-no, Heichou."

"Yes, I know I did. I used to not notice these things," he explained, "but now I know what your eyes look like when you're hurting. I can't let it go now." He put his other palm up and the boy involuntarily leaned into his touch.

"Tell me, Brat."

All Eren could do in response to the uncharacteristic gentleness was cry harder. Levi brought Eren to his chest and wrapped his arms around him tightly, cooing into his ear. "It's okay, brat, it's okay."

Eren buried his face in the crook of the Captain's neck, gasping. "H-Heicho, I'm so sorry."

Levi grabbed Eren by the shoulders and held him out in front of him. "No, Eren...why?" He pushed his hair off of the boy's wet face. "There's no reason."

Nodding his head, his face twisted up in pain, Eren pushed his arms between him and the Captain. "They're all dead...b-because of..." His words were cut off by the sobs that racked his body.

Levi watched the boy curl up on the bed, his knees to his chest and his face in the pillow. He'd never seen anyone so tortured. He got up and went to the kitchen, returning a moment later with cold water and a couple of damp cloths. He put them next to the bed and crawled onto the bed next to the sobbing boy.

"Eren, it's time to start calming down. You're going to make yourself sick again."

When the boy didn't respond, he pulled him gently into his lap and held his head against his chest. Eren hiccuped and gasped for air. Levi took a damp cloth and wiped it over his face and across his forehead. Eren's cries softened and his body began to curl into Levi's.

The Captain continued wiping the cool cloth over Eren's arms, hands and fingers, while humming a song he'd heard as a child. He rocked the boy gently, and as his breathing started to calm, he pressed his lips lightly against his forehead and temples.

Eren let out a shaky breath and the Captain looked down into his eyes. The boy looked at him sleepily. "Please drink some water for me, brat," he said with affection and worry.

The boy nodded his head and leaned forward to the glass Levi held firmly to his mouth. He took a few long sips and hummed with satisfaction. Levi put the water back down and wrapped his arms securely around the boy. Eren put his arms around the Captain's waist and his face against his chest.

Leaning back, Levi straightened his body out so that the two of them were laying in each other's arms. It wasn't long before they both fell asleep, exhausted but satisfied to hold onto each other.