The male tripped over a tree root, and hissed quietly, bringing his leg up to rub his leg gently. He looked down, and glared hard at the tree, before walking away from it. Sleep deprivation was a regular thing for Eren: nightmares of his friends and family dying would always result in him screaming for help, only to be met by silence as he opened his eyes and found himself alone. He was too frightened to sleep: he didn't want to have to live the same nightmares on repeat. Wandering outside would help to calm him down a little, the cold air and eerie silence comforting him more than anyone else ever could. He heard a twig snap behind him, and froze, his body seizing up. If anyone caught him out here so late, they'd most likely question why he wasn't asleep, and he couldn't tell anyone his secret; he was humanities last hope, he had to stay strong to aid humanity in the battle. He closed his eyes, turning slowly, and his stomach dropped as his corporal approached him, giving him a death glare. He shook nervously as he tried to smile, his breath uneven as he tried to calm himself down.
"Eren."
He started to shake even more at his voice, which sent chills down his spine. He knew he was in trouble, was he not supposed to be out here?
"Y-yes corporal...?" He squeaked nervously, his voice shaking more than he was. He looked away from his eyes, too scared to look directly at his superior. He distracted himself by looking at a tree, watching the wind blowing silently through the leaves. Wouldn't it have made a sound?
"What are you doing out here?" His superior asked, eyeing him with narrowed eyes. He was stood upright, in his utmost professional stance as he glared at the boy before him.
"I- I couldn't sleep, sir." Eren quavered, trying to take deep breaths to calm himself down. He bit back a squeak as he watched him come closer.
"You're not allowed out here." He said, pulling on a glove. "Tell me, Eren, what made you think you had the right to be strutting about at night as though you own the place?"
Eren laughed nervously. "I- I didn't, sir...!" He pleaded. "I j-just couldn't sle-" he was cut off by a slap to the face, causing him to grunt and hold his cheek, not finishing his sentence. He looked back at the male, realising at the last second that his foot was aiming for his stomach. He fell to his knees as the force hit him, gasping for air as he felt his lungs being crushed. He started to cough, blood spraying from inside of his throat as the shorter male kicked him hard, his face throbbing in pain. "A-ah...!" He cried out as another blow hit his throat, and he whined in pain, his voice quiet and muffled. "P-please...!" He choked, holding himself up on his hands and knees as he felt him grab the back of his head.
"Levi."
He closed his eyes as he heard a lower voice, and coughed blood onto his boots, shaking hard. He heard the two males speaking, but couldn't understand what they were saying. He suddenly felt his head hit the floor as Levi let him go, and he sobbed in agony, unable to hold himself any longer. He watched Levi walk away, and tried to hold up his head to see who it was that had sent him away.
"Stay down, it'll only make it worse." He looked up, seeing his commander bent down next to him, and he started to sob even harder, resting on his arms as he shook.
"Eren."
He looked him in the eyes, his own clouded by tears as he managed to make the outline of commander Erwin raising from the ground. He then felt a pair of arms scooping him off the ground, and winced as his stomach turned. He held onto his commander tight, despite his dignity, and sobbed hard into his shirt, staining it with his blood as he coughed into him.
"Ssh, Eren." His commander murmured, flinching slightly as blood soaked into his white shirt. Erwin carried him in his arms to his room, holding him tightly. Eren kept coughing, more blood splattering his superiors jaw as he winced. Erwin pulled a face, and kicked open the door to his room as quietly as possible, setting Eren down on the chair by his desk. "Stay here for a second." he told him, leaving to get a first aid kit and some towels. When he returned, he found the brunette on the floor, and he sighed before setting down the equipment onto the desk and pulling him off the floor, and putting Eren onto his bed gently. "It might hurt..." He warned him, before setting to work on his wounds. Eren cried out in agony as the strange liquids burned into his skin, and tried to pull away from the commander, tears falling from his eyes.
"Calm down...." Erwin said, gentler than Eren expected. He looked up at the blonde, his eyes blurred with salty tears as he made out a sad expression.
"What happened...?" Asked Erwin softly, dabbing at his cheek with some cotton wool. Eren flinched slightly, and looked away.
"L-Levi found me outside.... Then he yelled at me for being big headed..." He tried to stop shaking, but failed, and looked away in shame. Erwin merely narrowed his eyes in thought.
"Big headed?" He asked finally. "How is walking outside big headed?"
Eren shrugged lightly, and winced again. "A-ah..."
Erwin held his shoulder gently. "Don't move so much..." He told him. He put away the first aid kit, and laid down a towel underneath his head. "Just in case you decide to bleed..." He chuckled, before his face softened again and he stroked his hair. Eren looked at him.
"I shouldn't be here..." He said suddenly, trying to get up. "We'll get in trouble...!"
Erwin rose a brow. "What's brought this on?"
"We'll get in trouble!" He said again, trying to stand. Erwin pulled him back gently, as Eren started to struggle in his grasp. "L-let go...!" He said, tensing as his stomach started churning. Erwin narrowed his eyes, holding him tightly. "You need to stay put." He told him. "You'll make a mess if you continue to struggle..."
Eren gasped as he tried to pull out of his arms. "N-no...!" He choked. Erwin bent down and pressed his lips gently onto his, silencing him at once. He closed his eyes, waiting for a response. He kissed him softly, brushing his lips gently as he played with his hair. Eren was taken aback, and froze immediately, eyes wide. He stared at the blonde, letting out an involuntary moan. "Erwin..." He mumbled, blinking down at the figure.
"Yes?" He answered, pulling away to look at the boy. He stared into his green eyes, and smiled gently.
"W-why...?"
Erwin smiled wider. "Why do you think, young one? If I did not like you, then why would you be in here, underneath me. Most would think it a little weird."
Eren stared at him, and made a noise. "B-but...?"
"But?" Erwin prompted, raising a brow.
"But... You-"
"Yes, Eren. I do love you. Get over it." He simply leant next to him, holding an arm over him to prevent him from moving. "You'll have to stay here tonight, either way... Your injuries are pretty bad, and the expedition is only tomorrow...~"
Eren blinked, remembering what he had said earlier and flinched slightly as a stabbing pain occurred in his stomach. "I can't not go...." He mumbled quietly, moving back ever so slowly into the males comforting arms.
"You may have to...." Erwin replied, smirking gently as he felt the boy accept his embrace and pulling him closer.
Eren groaned. "I need to be of some help..." He muttered, holding his stomach and closing his eyes.
"And you will be...."
"Not if I'm stuck here...."
Erwin pondered this for a moment. "You're sure you're up to it...?" He asked slowly. Eren nodded eagerly, before clutching his head in pain.
"We may just postpone...." He suggested, raising a hand to his jaw and stroking it slightly. "Yeah... It'll give you time to recover..." He shifted, spooning Eren gently. "You do like me back...?" He asked seriously.
Eren looked back at him. "Would I be letting you do this if I didn't?" He asked, laughing quietly.
"Mmh... I guess not." He gently bent forward to place a kiss on his cheek, before turning off the lamp and resting his head behind the boy.
Eren sighed, ignoring the pains in his body and sinking into the males touch, butterflies in his stomach not helping the situation as he tried to rest.
