ONE ʙʏ ONE

ᴇɪɢʜᴛ

Levi hadn't thought through his words. The fact that Eren wasn't like him would've made him hold his tongue and come up with some stupid excuse, but it just slipped out.

"H-How do you know that?" Eren said shakily.

Levi stared down for a moment before slyly lying, "He's been blackmailing me for a long time. I thought he was out of my life once and for all." He delicately placed a hand on Eren's shoulder. "Don't worry; I'll fix this."

Levi then stepped out of the car and started making a phone call. Eren waited patiently while trying to piece together everything, but his mind wandered a little further than it should've.

Girsha tried to offer him to a rapist.

He immediately got sick to his stomach as the real situation dawned on him. If he had stayed any longer, he would've gotten raped. He didn't know which was worse: he could've been taken advantage of, or his father was going to let it happen.

He silently cried. Where could he go now that was safe? His eyes trailed through the windshield where Levi stood, angrily screaming at someone.

Levi was there with him. He believed Eren, wanted to protect him, was there beside him through even this! The guy that nearly killed Jean was Eren's sense of safety at that point. He wouldn't trust anyone else—not his few friends, they wouldn't believe him, or his own father.

His mother, well, she needed him to save her. Guilt washed over him as he remembered how he left her there, at their mercy.

Levi returned to the car and stressfully rubbed his eyes. Eren sniffled, "I'm s-sorry for dragging you into this."

The raven jumped and quickly demurred, "No, no, no, Eren. I'm actually thrilled you told me what happened. I can fix this, I promise." A protective hand laid on his crush's back. "I'll protect you...no matter what."

Eren looked up, wistfully into Levi's stormy eyes, sending a silent 'thank you' in the gaze. The raven wanted so badly to embrace him, but the whiskey smell was almost too much for him.

"Why don't you wash up at my place? You can borrow my clothes." Levi suggested. Eren nodded slowly.

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Eren was upstairs showering off the morning's events while Levi was throwing the wet clothes in the washer. Murderous fantasies flashed through his mind in an attempt to calm him down, but nothing was working. A sudden flush of fury sent his fist flying into the washing machine. It slightly dented, and the raven took deep breaths.

"Eren comes first." Levi reminded himself. "Take care of him; then, murder the bastard."

He started the wash and moved upstairs. He noticed the shower was still running, so he just headed into his room. Levi dug through his closet and pulled out his largest hoodie and a pair of loose shorts. He wrapped them in his arms, then went to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Hey, Eren," He called. "Is it ok if I come in and lay these clothes for you on the sink?"

"Oh, sure," Eren replied.

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WARNING

Some sensitive content follows. Read at your own discretion.

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Levi clicked open the door and was hit with the humidity from the hot water. The whiskey smell was gone, but a new terrifying smell replaced it. A scent Levi picked up on over the year; metallic rust was light but noticeable. Levi laid the clothes on the sink as his eyes darken towards the shower curtains.

"Eren," his voice dark, "do you have something to tell me?"

The brunette was quick to answer, "What? No. Are you just gonna stand there while I shower?"

I wouldn't mind it, Levi said in his mind. "Don't make me draw back the curtains while you're naked."

The raven pulled the towel off of the rack and slid it behind the curtain. Eren was quiet with guilt as he shut off the nozzle. If it were anyone else, he would've shouted for them to leave, but it was Levi. The one person he could trust at the moment.

He took the towel and muttered, "Levi, please-"

Eren paused. Levi scowled at his crush's self-hate.

"-don't yell."

Levi's eyes widened a moment before finding the softness in him to say, "I promise to never yell at you, Eren. Now, step out."

The curtains hesitantly slid to the side. Eren held his arm behind him and a towel around his waist. Levi held out his hand and ordered, "Let me see."

The gold-eyed boy revealed his bloody wrist, cuts recklessly scattered through his skin. Levi held back some tears, taking the injured boy's hand. He couldn't ask why because it was obvious. His father's drunken antics brought him to think that death was the best way out.

"Let me help you." Levi soothed, helping Eren step out of the tub.

Eren held a dull look as he watched Levi dug through the bathroom cabinet and pulled out the first aid. The raven went right to work cleaning and dressing the wound. The silence was killing them both.

"Why aren't you mad?" Eren asked. "Aren't you gonna say that this isn't the answer?"

"No," Levi answered nonchalantly. "I'm not gonna say that because you're smart enough to know." Eren ducked his head in embarrassment. "But I do want to ask something."

Eren cocked his head in anticipation.

"Do you feel better, at least?"

Eren felt the sting of the rubbing alcohol that Levi used and nodded, "Yes, I do."

"Ok then," Levi stated. "You do understand I need to keep an eye on you more often, correct?"

The boy nodded in response. Levi finished wrapping his wounds, rubbing them sincerely. The raven then fetched a new towel to clean up the extra blood. When Eren was fully clean, Levi guided him to his bedroom.

There wasn't any tension between them, more of tiredness. They were both tired of being stressed and concerned. They were both wanting peace.

Levi brought the clean clothes and handed them to Eren before asking, "What did you use?"

"The razor I left on the shower shelf."

The raven found it and threw it away, wiping up the few drops of blood around it. Levi couldn't be angry at Eren. He wasn't there to protect what's his, so now he's facing the consequences. He returned to Eren, who got fully dressed while he was gone.

He sat silently on the edge of Levi's bed, disappointed in himself. Levi sat next to him and pulled an arm around his waist. The touch snapped Eren out of the tired trance. He began to sob into Levi's shoulder, muttering apologies and fake promises. The raven embraced him and petted his hair gently.

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Sorry for disappearing.

I'm currently having a stressful time. My chemical imbalance has been getting worse to the point I'm involuntarily twitching. My doctor has prescribed me a new medicine, but I need to see a neurologist if it doesn't work.

Thank you so much for understanding. I will get back into the grind of writing.