(Levi x Reader x Eren) Terrible Love (Ch. 3)

Terrible Love (Chapter Three)
Levi x Reader x Eren

During the return to the headquarters, certain soldiers had so much racing in their minds. ___(name)___ rode on Petra's horse, since Levi believed that she was too unstable to ride her own horse. It was chaos in everyone's mind–yet so silent, one could hear the soft crumple of grass beneath the horse's hooves.

When a soldier has the heart so strong and mighty like a knight's armor, it will be survive the harsh conditions of life. It will feel no pain nor fear... But even so, the heart will not remain strong forever. It will have dents and scratches after facing countless fights. And when fear slips through the cracks and takes over the heart, it will be madness. The heart, once so foreign to the fear would react more harshly than ever.

___(name)___ clutched tightly onto Petra's evergreen cloak till her knuckles turned white. She did not flinch since, and the tears left a dry stain on her cheeks. The icy grip of fear held onto the pit of her stomach, and a snake crawled up her spine, over and over again. Lips trembling, she could not speak a word–whether or not her mind could process one was a different story.

Levi—whose heart, too, is like armor–may have been correct when he described ___(name)___ as a flower. Perhaps, more specifically, a mountain flower that can endure harsh weathers... However, even such flowers will be stained by brown shade of death. And it will also bloom once again, with new, strong stems and leaves–perhaps stronger. It will also be more fragrant, and more beautiful.

The lone Titan, Eren, has a soft heart. It is innocent, naïve, and open. He will shed tears when he believes he has stored enough sadness, and will shout when he wants to release pain. But that heart will be in a confusion of thought when encountering madness. His warmth will hopefully soften metal, like a kind flame, and embrace a fragile heart within.

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Eren heard footsteps on the stairs, while he lay upon his bed. His eyes flickered open as he lifted the upper half of his body to see ___(name)___ wrapped in a colorful quilt.

"S-sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"No, don't worry. I was just lying down."

"Do you mind if I... talk to you?"

Eren nodded as he found that ___(name)___'s legs couldn't grasp hold of the floor, leaving her unbalanced. He leapt towards her supporting both her shoulders.

"Just how any more times," ___(name)___ said with a wary smile, "will people have to support me to help me not walk forward but to simply stand straight?"

Jäger seated the unstable warrior on his bed and she relaxed a bit.

"As many times you need me to."

There, in the cold dungeon, there was warmth. Silent, yet warm. The sort of warm that refuses to let you crawl out of bed in the morning, when everything seemed peaceful.

"I was born in a red light district. My father betrayed my mother and left for another woman. When I was 7, and on my way home from my grandparent's place in a peaceful hillside, I saw my mother in the alley near my home. She was being killed. I don’t even know why. 6 men kept hitting her with brass pipes, and I simply watched in the shadows. She screamed out my name and begged. That's when I pulled out this."

< u>___(name)___</u> inhaled sharply, held her breath for a moment, and exhaled soon after. She took out the same machete from that afternoon,  with detailed designs carved into the wooden handle of the weapon.

"I killed them. I killed all those men. All of them. With this single knife. Ever since, I craved to see those cruel people in pain. I was a monster. Everyone called me a monster. A beast. A demon."

Eren found himself gripping tightly onto her hand. Ensuring her that she can cry. Telling her that he would accept her no matter what.

"You and I are no different, Eren! I knew that! I am more beastly than you and yet, I considered you an enemy! I tried to attack you! I'm so... terribly sorry..."

She cried. Yet again, those liquids glide down her cheeks.

"I'm a killing machine! I-I... W-what have I become..."

Without thought, Eren pressed his lips lightly against her lips. The tears touched his cheeks, too, and as ___(name)___ gasped for air, Eren took advantage of this hand started to kiss her passionately, exploring her mouth. Both of Eren's hands supported her face, and her hands overlapped his, yet part of her wanted to pull away. The quilt around ___(name)___'s shoulders slipped down, and Eren stopped the kiss.

"Don't ever, say that again, ___(name)___. You told me that it’s hard to gain trust from another. I wouldn't expect any more than what the truth is."

"Eren, I... Thank you. I'll be leaving now, I..."

Soon enough, she fled back up to her room, leaving her quilt with Eren.

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< u>___(name)___</u> softly shut the door, careful not to make Mikasa. She slid down the rough wood and held her breath without thought. She closed her eyes and covered her lips with her hands and recalled what had happened.