The Winter Project-[Levi x Eren]

Chapter Twenty-Two:Sunsets

Chapter Twenty-Two:

Sunsets

TW: Violent flashbacks, blood, offensive language

Eren's POV

We dished our food and enjoyed ourselves as we ate. However, I noticed that Levin was exceptionally good at using his chopsticks. I sat there sort of admiring the way his hands moved, and this time he noticed, "Brat. Why do you stare at me so much?" He asked. "I uh...I don't know..."

He smirked and I put my last piece of sushi in my mouth. Since we were finished, I picked our plates and headed over to the sink.

As I came around the corner I turned too quickly and dropped the plate onto the tile of his kitchen. My vision blurred and the world around me vanished as it shattered at my feet.

"Son of a bitch you can't do anything right! You are a fucking disgrace to this household!"

Glass surrounded my feet and a sharp pain went through my foot.

"If you can't handle a little pain you don't deserve anything in life! You are only worthy of pain!!! YOU NEVER SHOULD'VE BEEN BORN IN THE FIRST PLACE"

I took a few steps back afraid of what could happen next.

Levi's eyes grew wide.

"YOU ARE THE DAMN REASON THAT WHORE OF YOUR MOTHER DIED!!!" He threw the beer bottle held in his hands in my direction. Using a terrifying reflex, I used my arms to shield myself. My wrist and arms went numb only for a stinging pain to kick in, and a piece of glass nicked the top of my ear. I slid down to the floor, and the old man who I called my father walked towards me.

I quivered against the time and screamed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Please don't hurt me. Please, please. Don't throw it at me."

Levi's POV

He wailed louder as I got closer. "Eren." I held out my hand for him. "I promise I won't hurt you. It's okay." He wiped his tears and looked at me in shock. I could tell thousands of things were running through his mind. I held out my other hand and after a minute or so of hesitation, he grabbed them. He stood up carefully and pulled me in. A minute or two had passed and he hadn't said a word. I hugged him back and he hesitantly spoke up,"I- I need you."He squeezed my hands tightly and I could feel him trembling. His skin had become cold and pale. He was terrified of whatever he had just been through.

I gently picked him up and carried him to the bathroom. He had a tiny piece of glass on his foot. I gently removed the shard of glass. He winced and sniffled, trying to hold back tears, "Jesus kid are you ever not injured?" He looked down and shook his head slowly solemnly and I felt a part of me crack. I had no idea what this kid had just seen but he was terrified. Normally I wasn't one to be shaken up by this but seeing him in distress and being able to calm down fairly quickly, gave me a sickening feeling. I could tell that he had gone through hell and back and had just learned to live with it like it was normal because he had no one there that truly would listen, and give advice other than "suck it up" or "get over it and act your age." He was beaten down like a rabid animal.

"Hey, kid..?" I said as I looked up at him after putting a band-aid on his foot, "Before you met me, did you have anyone to talk to..? Like someone who would actually comfort you and give advice." I looked away to the side. "No. I had Mikasa but she just said that I would get over it, or that it was only temporary, but nothing has changed..." So I was right. I nodded and we walked back out to the kitchen. "Just sit down in the living room and don't worry about the plate, It's not a big deal," I said calmly and walked over to the kitchen with a broom. I started sweeping the glass when a knock on the door interrupted me.

I walked over to the door and checked the peephole. Erwin? I opened the door and Erwin stood there looking a bit confused. "What the hell do you want eyebrows?" "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, I heard a bit of shouting and some glass break, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay," He said before glancing behind me. "So is he like living with you now..?" Erwin said with a chuckle, and I could hear the brat giggle as well "Fuck off you two," I said harshly while glancing between the two people in my presence. "Don't forget the bet. Don't get too close to him I have 100 bucks on the line~" He said with a smirk and walked down the hall. I closed the door and sighed. "God damn old men-" Eren shrugged and stood up. "How about we go to bed..?"

When we got upstairs Eren practically ran to the window. "Wow.." He said placing one hand on the glass. "I know, the view of the sunsets from here is amazing, that is one of the reasons I chose this place," I said as I walked over and tossed a new log of wood into the fireplace and lit it. I paced over to Eren's side and slipped my hand into his.

Snow fell in front of the red, pink, and orange sky from the clouds above. Lights flicked on and off from the windows of the nearby buildings and Eren leaned his head on my shoulder.

"Hey, Levi..."

"Yeah?" I said curious as to what would leave his mouth now.

"What is it like to be....." He paused, "To be in love with someone...."

Shock filled my mind. Why would he be asking me this?

"Well....Eren, to be honest, I can't answer that question, but I like to think that being in love is more than just some silly thing. I think being in love is when you start to notice the amount of joy you get from being around a person, or just starting to notice that they've become so important to you that you would do anything for them, give up your life even. I think that you don't realize how much you truly love someone until the last moment, and I think that to be in love you have to be understanding, and you have to communicate. That could all be wrong but I feel like if I was in love I wouldn't be able to realize until I made a mistake..." I said those last couple of words in a solemn tone 'I wouldn't be able to realize until I made a mistake.' "What made you want to ask about that..?"

"I don't exactly know, I just think that knowing what someone's definition of love is, is important to know," Eren turned to look at me and smiled. 

"How about we sleep now..?"

I nodded and we both took one last look out the window, before sliding under the covers. We laid down and I let Eren curl up to me again, I didn't mind. As I closed my eyes, thoughts from today came rushing back. "I need you." That was all he had said. I lay there for a bit and after starting to drift off I leaned into Eren,who was already asleep. "I need you too," I said before placing a small kiss on his head and resting mine on his shoulder.

 "Goodnight."