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bigkyle990 · 4 years

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A Witchy Pirate part 6

Links!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Back to things calming down for a bit and setting into the meet up with Amity (which I only have a partial idea of what I want to do with)

A short time after the attempted raid by the Emperor’s Coven, the three women found themselves back in the living room. Most of the mess that Luz had made while she was injured was cleaned off of the couch.

Lilith had come in with some drinks for them and Luz was now wearing a shirt lent to her by Eda. “You finally got these printed huh?” Luz asked with an amused tone as she looked down at the “Bad Girls Coven” shirt. “Of course, there was no way I was canceling that t-shirt order.” Eda shrugged before taking a sip of her drink. “Now, you have some explaining to do, what happened to you and how are you able to use magic that effectively? Did you somehow get a bile sack?”

Lilith took a seat next to her sister and nodded. “Yes, I’m curious about that myself, along with that glyph you used to heal yourself. I’ve never seen a spell quite like that before.”

Luz leaned back and nodded. “It’s one I came up with after a fight with a guy called Blackbeard, he had a power that allowed him to control darkness as well as absorb things into it and then cast them back out. Normally I use the Siphoning Glyph to take in attacks and reuse the energy right away, but if I want, I can combine a new one into it and have the energy used for that. It’s handy, and probably will be hell for the Witches around here.”

“Okay, guy controlling darkness, you making new glyphs… That’s all well and good, but you still haven’t actually explained what’s going on with you? What did the human world go nuts in the last seven years?” Eda asked, wanting to get to the meaty stuffy. Luz shrugged. “I wouldn’t know, I haven’t been there in the last seven years.” Both women looked at her incredulously. “No seriously.” She held up a hand. “I don’t know what happened with Belos’s machine, but it didn’t send me home. When I got pulled through it, I ended up on a completely different world. There were humans there, but along with them there were giants, fishmen, minks… All kinds of different races of people. Along with plenty of monsters and other strange things. See basically…” Luz began explaining the last few years of her as a pirate. The ups, the downs, and everything in between. Afterwards, Eda leaned back in her seat, looking like she was trying to even believe half of what Luz had told her. “Okay, so your power comes from this Devil Fruit thing? It gave you a bile sack?” “Well, I wouldn’t say it gave a bile sack, rather it gave me an actual magical core. A center of energy within myself that I can manipulate in anyway I want. Bella couldn’t find anything attached to my heart whenever she did a medical exam.” Luz did her best to explain, honestly even after all this time, she didn’t have a complete understanding of how her own devil fruit worked.

“Still, it’s hard to believe that such a power can be granted just by eating one of those fruits... “ Lilith stated, attempting to wrap her own mind around things. “There must be some kind of draw back to it though, correct?” Luz nodded. “Yeah, it probably won’t be a major problem around here, but eating one causes the sea to turn it’s back on you.” “And that means…?” Eda raised an eyebrow.

Luz giggled, waving her hand a bit. “Sorry, I have to remember that most people aren’t going to even know a small amount about them now. Basically it means I can’t swim anymore.” The sisters looked at her with widened eyes. “Wait, it made you forget how to swim!? I mean you could just learn how to again, right?” Eda asked, looking oddly at Luz as she laughed. “No, I remember how to swim, I just can’t. See, if I was to fall into any kind of standing water, a lake, the ocean, a tub of water... It would completely sap all my strength and keep me from using my powers, on top of that I’d start sinking like a rock.” “So we keep you away from large bodies of water, understood.” Lilith said with a nod, before noticing the young woman looking to her right hand every now and then. “Is there something wrong?” Luz jumped a bit, thinking she had been subtle about it and sighed. “Sort of, like I told you before, our crew was in the middle of a war just before I ended up back here.” She saw both nod and continued. “Well, I don’t know what’s happened to the others… If they’re alive, if they made it back to their own world and families. I’m worried.” “You cared about them.” Eda stated. “Of course!” Luz shot up, surprising them a bit. “They were like family to me, we went through hell and back together and I didn’t even get to say goodbye, again!” Luz was tearing up a bit thinking about the others. This wasn’t some little war like it had been with the Payback War or even like the war of Wano the Straw Hats had started against Kaido and Big Mom. This one had quite literally set the world on fire. The Straw Hats and those backing them taking on the world to make Luffy the King of the Pirates, their own flag thrown in with the Rubber Man as well, going up against the World Government and its own secrets. Add in the remains of the Beast Pirates and Big Mom Pirates, and you had yourself a war that was going to turn everything on its head, no matter who won. And the thought that she’d left her own behind was eating at her. That was, until she heard Eda speak up. “Hey Kiddo, what’s that on your arm?” She asked, pointing to Luz’s right hand. Said young woman blinked and looked down, only for her eyes to shoot wide as she fell back. There, forming on her arm was a marking that only looked familiar to herself. She felt her eyes well up as she traced a hand over it, hoping it wasn’t some fake. Her fingers traced over a dark purple dragon like design that started about her mid forearm and wrapped around till it’s head was on the back of her palm, mouth open and trying to bite down on a green gem like design. “Luz, Luz, Boiling Isles to Luz!” Eda called, snapping her fingers to get her attention. “Huh, wha!?” Luz blinked looking at her. “What is that?” She asked again. “Right right, sorry... “ She wiped some tears away and held up the arm. “It’s a Hoard Mark, something that my crewmate Spike gave all the commanders, and since it’s here… it means he’s got to be alive still!” She grinned and then got a look of realization. “Oh! This means I can change clothes! I know I put away some spares for sure…” Luz mumbled as she suddenly reached into her pocket and seemed to start digging around in it.

“Uh, Kid, I don’t think you’ll fi-” Eda started to try and reason with her former student, only to pause and eyes go wide as not only did Luz’s arm go deeper into her pocket, but she started pulling out large objects. “No… No… Not there…” She mumbled, pulling out a few large pieces of treasure, a massive anchor that shook the house when she set it down, there was a moment when an elephant's head popped out of her pocket and was shoved back in. “I swear, Spike would steal anything…” She mumbled before her eyes lit up. “There it is!” She called out, pulling out a large clothing trunk from her pocket, it was marked with her name. She set it to the side as both sisters looked curiously at the trunk, which she popped open, showing that the inside had a large number of clothes inside. “Okay… Um, how did you do that?” Even Eda’s hair couldn’t store that many things away, certainly not as large. “Huh? Isn’t this Adora’s…” Luz mumbled as she pulled out a red jacket, before shrugging and putting it away. “Like I said, it's the Hoard Mark. See, Spike ate the Hoard Hoard Fruit, which made him a hoarding person. He could take anything he wanted and store it away into a separate pocket dimension for his personal use later.” She explained while looking over a shirt that held the Crew’s Jolly Roger on it, it was a dark purple color. “Hmmm, maybe… Anyway, he was able to develop his powers to let him give other people a special mark that gave them access to the storage space as well, just have to have it active and reach into some kind of container. Can be a bag, a pocket, box… Anything like that and it always expands to fit whatever you’re getting.” She pulled out a dark purple dress shirt and held it over her chest. “Think I should go formal? I am planning on meeting up with Amity tonight.” She smirked, giving a bit of a mischievous look. “You’d slay her for sure kid.” Eda laughed. Lilith giggled a bit and nodded. “Yes, I’m sure she’d love it, but try not to get your hopes too high, it may not be the same now.” She tried to warn her.

Luz started getting a few other things, a pair of black dress pants, black tie, and a black blazer to go over everything else, and nodded. “Oh I’m sure, I know that I certainly had my fair share of relationships over the last seven years. At least two serious ones, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try and see if anyone is in the way.” She smirked, grabbing one last thing and closing up the trunk to put away. “Guess I’ll go get ready, it’s nearly time for our meet up.” She said, heading to go get a shower.

#A Witchy Pirate #Luz Noceda #Luz #eda clawthorne #lilith clawthorne #fanfiction #fanfic #CrossOver #crossover fanfiction #Lumity #Owl house #the owl house #TOH #I'll probably try to drew Luz's outfit before the next part

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 6 years

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DOTW 43 - start

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letithappeneverafter · 7 years

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Came across Nicks essay about living in a far-away country and what it means to be a creative human at the arse-end of the world. This comes from a past edition of Griffith Review which is a pretty impressive literary essay magazine. Full of cultural and thought-provoking stuff. Go Nick. I probably shouldn’t just copy’n’paste but I did borrow it from Brisbane library to read in the flesh. Just wanted to share with all you Tame Impala and POND fans.

Creative Darwinism by Nick Allbrook

- This is my city and I’m never gonna leave it. Channel 7 News

WRITING ABOUT MY experience of making music in Perth is a strange thing, because as soon as a ‘scene’ is bound and gagged by the written word it is finished, petrified, swept up into the Rolling Stone archives and forever considered ‘history’. It might be revered and glorified, but it’s still long gone. This could be a very restricting view to take on a community like Perth, which is still just as inspiring and productive as it ever was. I can’t pretend to understand where ‘music scenes’ begin or end. It seems a futile and narrow-minded pursuit. So before I begin, I want to say that this is merely a reflective exercise. There was never a ‘golden age’, and if one does exist I can’t see it, because it’s floating all around, invisible and omnipresent.

For years I suffered serious cultural guilt as a Western Australian. The orthodoxy and banality made me feel isolated, relegated to the company of eccentric long-haired ghosts singing to me from inside my Discman. Every birthday and Christmas, Dad would give me a care package of CDs. This blessed nourishment of Jethro Tull, Lou Reed, Led Zeppelin and David Bowie shone a light into the murky tunnels of my future. Playing music and generally being a flaming Christmas fruitcake became my sole purpose, and me and a few other school friends – Steve Summerlin and Richard Ingham of Mink Mussel Creek, and many other brilliant but criminally under-recognised projects – revelled in our little corner of filthy otherness. This outlook was key to our musical and creative development. We railed against the boredom of Perth not with pickets or protest, but with a head-in-the-sand hubris that made us feel invincible and unique. We found more comrades along the way – Joe Ryan, Kevin Parker, Jay Watson – and together we erected great walls of noise and hair and mouldy dishes around our Daglish share house commune citadel on Troy Terrace where we incubated, practised, recorded, talked and grew. A friend stick’n’poke tattooed a spiral shape into my arm to represent that way of life (which I’d lifted from Hermes Trismegistus and other alchemical mumbo jumbo I learned at university). Look inside and the world can be whatever you want. Look out and it’s ugly and shitty. In Perth, use of public space is regulated to the point of comedy, and Orwellian restrictions on tobacco, noise, bicycles, alcohol and public gatherings breed a festering discontent and boredom because no one likes being pre-emptively labelled a deviant. Being trusted enriches the soul – you can see it on the face of the child who leads the family trek. You can see the flipside on the faces of disenchanted detainees. On weekends, this restlessness is unleashed across clubs and pubs in Northbridge and Subiaco in an avalanche of Jägerbombs (17mL of Jägermeister dropped into a larger glass of Red Bull and then consumed with haste) and Midori and violence and cheap sex. When the Monday sun staggers over the horizon, people rub their eyes and heave a great sigh and the city reverts to its utilitarian state – the ‘bourgeois dream of unproblematic production’, as The 60s Without Apology (University of Minnesota Press, 1984) puts it, ‘of everyday life as the bureaucratic society of controlled consumption’. That this description of pre-revolutionary 1950s and ’60s America is so apt for Perth is damn scary. Or hilarious. I can’t decide. I guess it depends on the depth and colour of your nihilistic streak, or if you actually live here. Whichever way you look at it, it does not paint a picture of a city conducive to creativity. Art is the antithesis of logic and functionality – it is romance and wonder and stupid, pointless lovelies. As good old Mr Vonnegut so often said, it’s an exercise to make your soul grow. So how, in a super-functional and conservative environment whose every will is bent towards digging really, really big holes in the ground, have I seen and heard and felt some of the most brilliant, pure and original creativity in the world? I USED TO dream about living in a cultural powerhouse like Paris or Berlin or New York, but after spending time in these places I’ve realised that the emptiness and isolation of Perth – boredom to some – was a far better environment for creativity. The ‘cultural capitals’ are so rich in art and wonder that it can feel pointless to add to it. Maybe just being in those ‘cultural capitals’ fills us up with wonder? Strolling through Berlin at night, ducking into a bar with fish nailed to the roof, skipping across the cobblestones for some cheap beers in a record shop in a Russian caravan in an abandoned peanut factory…that kind of stuff fills the romantic void. Having a Ricard and a few Gitanes on the terrasse of Aux Folies; stumbling through Camden after a lock-in at the Witch’s Tit or the Cock’n’Balls or the Cancerous Bowel or whatever you call it; recollecting a possible conversation with Jah Wobble over a pint…Perth? It has no secret tunnels to romantic fulfilment. For me, music and art have always been a way to manufacture that romance lacking in upper-middle-class Western Australia. To be honest, if I had lived in New York I probably would’ve been so damn hung-over – or busy ensuring that I would be later – that a whole lot less creation would’ve gone on. Mundane and discouraging places like Perth create a vicious Darwinism for creatively inclined people, where survival of the fittest is played out with swift and unrepentant force and the flippant or unpassionate are left behind, drowning in putrid mind-clag. You have to really need it, and without the mysterious and poetic benefits of a vibrant city culture this has to come from deep inside. Amber Fresh, otherwise known as Rabbit Island, is one person who produces constant streams of music, drawings, essays, poems, calendars, videos and photos from her home. She fills her world with little pieces of homemade, lo-fi, photocopied beauty and magic. They don’t have funding or precedent or material ambition – and the result is something fresh and original. Mei Saraswati does the same thing, although completely different styles of music. She has produced, mixed, mastered and illustrated scores of albums in her bedroom and then released this other-worldly electronic R’n’B brilliance onto the internet with no fanfare, simply to turn around and start making more. These are just two examples. There are many more. SOMEHOW, BY BEING a cultural long-drop, Perth lit a fire under my arse. In more scholarly terminology this could be called a ‘spirit of negation’ – a margarine version of the same zeitgeist that has catalysed most worthwhile movements throughout history, from dadaism to punk to all the intellectual and artistic wonders of The Netherlands freshly unchained from their dastardly Spanish overlords. Being isolated spatially and culturally – us from the city, Perth from Australia and Australia from the world – arms one with an Atlas-strong sense of identity. Both actively and passively, originality seems to flourish in Perth’s artistic community. Without the wider community’s acceptance, creative pursuits lack the potential for commodification. There’s no point in preening yourself for success because it’s just not real. It’s a fairytale, so you may as well just do it in whatever way you like, good or bad, in your room or on the top of the Telstra building, which – as anyone with any common sense will attest – was built for that one potential badass to drop in on a skateboard and parachute off. Growing up in the Kimberley and then Fremantle, the true machinery of the music business evaded me. It was about as real as the Power Rangers and twice as awesome. Led Zeppelin and U2, all the way down to whatever was on Rage that morning, was just a pretty dream. But if I grew up in a city where success in music was common and highly visible, I reckon it would have been far more alluring. I would’ve understood how to go about it, probably before I actually realised how deep my love of music was. With the template for success laid out so precisely – gigs to be got, managers to be found, reviews to be had and the ultimate dream of ‘making it’ tangibly within reach – Perth would find itself producing far less original art. Because as it stands, it doesn’t really matter if you’re crap or silly or unbearably offensive, you wouldn’t get much further doing something different anyway. This helps to preserve a magical purity because it’s executed with love – with necessity. And what’s more, when these artists keep going and practising and advancing – which they must – somehow their crassness coagulates into something brilliantly individual and accomplished, and you can see it performed in an arena that makes the audience feel truly blessed. I saw Rabbit Island and Peter Bibby and Cam Avery play in backyards. I saw cease play in a tattoo parlour in Maylands. Me and Joe Ryan were plastered against the wall by their sound, gawking up at Andrew, the guitarist, precariously standing on his enormous amp wearing high heels and full fishnet bodystocking, slowly trying to drive his guitar through the top of his cabinet like some pagan-burlesque reimagining of King Arthur. After hours they slowed to a halt, and the crowd cheered from the stairs and bathroom door and kitchen and I remembered where we were: in a tiny share-house in Maylands, in the flaming cauldron of hell or the halls of Valhalla. Mink Mussel Creek played there a few times and once, in a flash of drunken inspiration, someone turned the only light in the room off mid-performance. I saw the fourteen guitarists of Electric Toad destroy a warehouse art gallery wearing ’90s WA football jerseys. Tame Impala and Pond played in Tanya’s garage and every time I cried and danced and felt like the breath of God was being embarrassingly saucy all over my skin. We played our very first show in that garage and I can still see Jay demolishing the tiny drum kit – kick, snare, ride, tom – as sparks floated from the forty-gallon drum and lit the faces of the people looking in from the dark. None of us had ever seen anyone play like it in real life, let alone in a garage, sitting on milk crates. As far as genres go, our music ‘scene’ in Perth was an anomaly. A mad mosaic of groups and artists only held together by gallant separation from conventional Perth society. Nick Odell, the drummer of CEASE and Sonny Roofs, still has a poster for a gig at Amplifier Bar that I remember as a kind of microcosmic Woodstock – a tactile realisation of all the beauty and communion we cherished. The line-up included us (Mink Mussel Creek), CEASE (aforementioned stoner/doom/drone lords), Sex Panther (punk-party queens), Oki Oki (Nintendo synth pop) and Chris Cobilis (experimental laptop noise music). I think most members of the bands ended up on stage at more than one time, wrapped in Cobilis’ wires or yelling into a madly effected microphone in front of CEASE. I certainly did. Nowhere else would such a ridiculously mismatched line-up consider themselves a tight community. We all partied together, played together and are still friends. I think this spirit is lacking in a lot of the more culturally enlightened parts of the world. Maybe in these vibrant communities the countercultural idea is so entrenched it becomes capitalist orthodoxy and loses its edge. It is subjected to the rationality it once challenged. In the cultural capitals – Paris, Berlin, New York – creativity and original thinking are accepted and valued parts of mainstream life. In Perth they are not. Paris has over four hundred streets named after artists and writers, and this honour is not restricted to the most unobtrusive or patriotic. Rue Albert Camus, Rue Marcel Duchamp and the recently proposed Place Jean-Michel Basquiat, for example, show the state glorifying revolutionaries, absurdists, libertines and a gay, heroin-using, Haitian–American graffiti artist. Today we can stroll along the verdant Boulevard Auguste-Blanqui, named after the man who led the uprising of the Paris Commune. A revolutionary, a prisoner, an anarchist. In modern terms: a terrorist. There, art is a basic fact of everyday life, while in Perth it is an anomaly hidden in garages and living rooms – deep beneath a conservative fishbowl of productivity. So, all things considered, ‘cultural capitals’ should be havens for art and music, and Perth should not. The romance just seeps into the pores, ja? I always thought this before I left Western Australia, but have since found it to be otherwise. I asked a young photographer and artist in Amsterdam about the music scene there and her reply was wholly negative. A lot of Parisians seem to feel the same way. I look back on my time in Perth and think about the huge number of brilliant musicians and artists who I saw and knew, often not in official venues but in backyards or sheds or the abandoned entertainment centre (yes, CEASE). Perhaps with the freedom – almost expectation – to create, revel and throw it all around the streets, it all just gets a bit boring. Like much good art, it doesn’t really ‘mean’ anything, so writing an essay about it is an odd activity. The experience of a city or community varies so much that it can never be defined while it is still occurring. When it’s actually happening, a ‘scene’ is not really a ‘scene’ – it’s completely intangible and only coagulates into a definitive and convenient ball when history puts it in a cage, when someone from the outside looks in and decides there’s something shared between a bunch of vaguely artistic fools. I guess that’s what I’m doing now, which is pretty ridiculous seeing as nothing is finished and the Perth artistic community is so ethereal that it couldn’t and shouldn’t be labelled at all.

#nick allbrook #nicholas allbrook #tame impala #griffith review #looking west #cam avery #POND #troy terrace #Daglish #perth #western australia

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 6 years

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DOTW 43 - Full

Eren made it through Anna's christening and his birthday in one piece. His post heat blues still lingering, leaving him a sobbing mess as he proudly held his Goddaughter. Erwin was named her second Godfather, but Eren didn't care. He got to cuddle her as much as he liked and she adored the attention. Levi was very attentive to his needs as well. His frayed nerves, coming out of heat, meant this his lover had called Mike to come help him at the apartment, rather than forcing him to go to hospital. Mike had been sympathetic, letting Levi set him up with the saline bag he'd brought with him, and more or less watching over Levi as he gave him a check-up. Given iron supplements to help with the anemia from the nose bleeds, he was warned that if he had another bad nosebleed, Mike wanted him to come in. Thankfully, he hadn't. Because his birthday was during his post heat, Anna's christening was the only thing they had planned. He'd already talked to Hanji about it, and had been made to promise he'd come spend a little time with her again, once his mood had lifted. Levi had surprised him with tickets to the Charity Ball, and a promise of day out once his post heat had passed. From what Eren could remember, it was the same Ball Petra had forced on Levi last year. It wasn't Levi's scene, but his alpha had promised he'd love it, and to dance with him. So it was acting as a kind of light at the end of the tunnel. He just had to hold out a little longer. * Levi had had a shit day at work. He couldn't take time off to be there the whole time Eren went through his post heat depression, which left him bitter enough as it was. What he fucking hated though, was being called out on a fucking prank. It was a waste of fucking time and resources, and maybe because he'd rejected Petra's invitation to this years Charity Ball, she bounced the call through to them like she took some joy in sending them on a nearly hour long trip to nowhere. It was the fucking boons. Erwin was in high spirits, teasing him about leaving Titan behind to rush home to Eren, though that had faded into annoyance rivalling his own when they arrived to find absolutely nothing. No stabbing victim. No fighting. No one even home at the residence... which looked like it'd been abandoned for some time. Levi let Erwin call it through to Petra, the address would be flagged and marked in case of future calls. Irritated, he grabbed his phone off the dash. Erwin raising an eyebrow "Calling Eren?" "After this fuck around, I need to let him know I'll be home late" "How's he doing?" Levi rolled his eyes "You saw him at Anna's christening" "He was post heat" "He still is. It should be gone tomorrow, or the day after" "Mike said his heat had been rough" "Since when do you and Mike talk about my omega?" "Since you leave a stinking blanket in my spare room" "Fuck. You could have washed it and returned it. Its Eren's second favourite" Erwin laughed "Who would have thought you'd care about favourite and second favourite blankets?" "I have no idea about blankets. That's Eren's Department. I just know that the green furry thing is his second favourite" "The word you want it "Mink". It's a mink blanket" "Oh, fuck off. It's furry, but not as furry as the blue one. He's lucky I know how to get stains out" Erwin snorted, making Levi roll his eyes again "Get your head out of the gutter. He over heated during his heat and got blood all over it. Killed both the pillows too" "Damn" "Yeah. Eren doesn't do blood at the best of times. He's not one to run away, but I could see why he was freaking out. Anyway, shut up" Eren was sleeping when he called, his boyfriend mumbling something he thought was intelligible, and even if Levi couldn't work out what he was saying, he was sure it was adorable. A sleepy Eren was adorable. Explaining carefully he'd be late home, his boyfriend gave a heavy sigh, before mumbling he understood and hanging up. He was probably in this shit but there wasn't anything he could do about it. People were wankers. Over the next couple of days, they were called out to another three pranks, while Eld and Gunther also had the same issue. They couldn't ignore the calls, not on the off chance that someone actually needed help. By the time the Charity Ball rolled around, he was done. He didn't want to go. Even though he'd promised Eren. Taking Eren out shopping for something to wear, he'd upset his omega by not paying attention when Eren wanted to know. His boyfriend simply enquiring what was and wasn't ok to do, and what was and wasn't ok wear. The cherry on top being when he'd snapped. Eren throwing his three dress selections at him, before storming out the store. He didn't even notice they'd changed stores, or that Eren had suggested wearing a dress... he didn't mean to bring his work home with him... and heading out after his shift was a shit idea. He was just so done... awkwardly paying for Eren's three selections, he trailed out of the store, looking for his love. Eren was sitting on a bench a little way away from the store. He needed to explain things. Wandering down to where Eren was sitting, Eren turned away from him as he sat. Yep. He was in the shit "Eren. Look. I'm sorry, ok" "No" "We've been prank calls at work, and I guess we're all feeling annoyed over it. I didn't mean to bring my shit day home with me" "Levi. You don't even want to go. What are we even doing here?" "I..." "You what? I don't know any of these people and the ones who do know me, think I'm either a whore for being a stripper, or a basket case for being there while my brother died" "No one thinks that" "You don't need to fucking lie. I'm nervous and I asked you what I should do, and you couldn't even give me a reply. If you don't want to go. Then there's no point going" "I want to go, because I know you'll enjoy it" "How am I supposed to enjoy it? Not when you don't want to be there" "Eren, the whole point of going is to drink some expensive alcohol and dance. I don't usually dance, and I'm usually avoiding Petra, because she somehow can't get it through her head that I'm gay. But I bought those tickets because I wanted to go with you. I want to show off my boyfriend" Eren sighed, an angry pout on his lips as he turned to him "You're not allowed to leave me alone. I cannot fend for myself against your friends. And no Petra. Or Olou" "I won't let Petra and Olou near you" "Do you promise?" "I promise I'll try my hardest not to let you get trapped by them" "And don't leave me with Erwin either, or his friends" "Eren, do you just hate all our work friends?" "I don't hate them. I just don't know them. I'm fucking terrified of fucking this up and embarrassing you. Or saying the wrong thing. I'm a freak as it is. That's why I need you to tell me the do's and don't's of this. Fuck. Just take me home" "You're not a freak and you're not going to fuck up. Eld and Gunther don't mind you, neither does Mike, he'll be there. You've met Marcel, he and his mate will probably be there. So will Erwin, he might even dance with you, though he will step on your feet. You've met Rico and Nanaba before, even if you don't remember them" Eren still looked angry "I'm sorry. Ok. So please, let me take you out for a night of drinks we don't have to pay for, and bad dancing" "And I want a new blanket. My green one is missing" "It's at Erwin's. I took it for my rut" Eren sighed "What? Is something wrong with that?" "No. I just really liked that blanket" "And you'll get it back. Let's just go home. I'll let you use my credit card to buy whatever blanket you want" "It won't be the same" "What does that mean?" "It means that I really liked that blanket" He didn't get the blanket issue. Erwin would wash and return it. Then it could go back into the small colony blankets they'd collected... maybe he could just slip it back in, and all would be forgiven? It wasn't like Eren didn't change his mind about his favourites with no consultation... Omegas... he feared he would never understand them. * Eren didn't want to wear a dress. He'd just dragged Levi into the store because it felt like he was supposed to. He didn't know any of Levi's friends that were male omegas, and was certain that outside him and Marco, there weren't any in Levi's life. That's why he felt dressing like a girl would probably go over better. He'd been trying to ask him all about this, only for Levi to either hum, or reply with "yeah". He didn't understand why Levi didn't understand why this was such a big thing for him. He took up all his alpha's time. Levi never went out for drinks with his friends, other than Erwin. He felt selfish. And what was worse, Levi wore his mark and hadn't said anything about marking him back... Levi was even calling him his mate. But how could he be his mate, without the mark he so desperately wanted? Why had Levi let him mark him? He didn't understand, and each time his boyfriend called him his mate... really fucking hurt. Tonight was just going to make it worse. He didn't want to be near Levi's friends, because Levi's friends would see he wasn't marked back. That he... that his alpha didn't love him as much he loved him. Feeling like an idiot, Eren did his hair and makeup, a shimmering dark green eyeshadow, with black wingtips. His dress just as deep, green in a certain light, and black in another. It hugged the lines of his hips and thighs, while the top ruffled hid his lack of cleavage. Pairing it with silver accessories, he hoped he didn't look too stupid... and that his dress wasn't too short. He could bend over and not show his boxer briefs... which meant it had to be acceptable? This would have been easier if Levi just told him what the fuck to wear, and not fobbed him off with "Just wear what you want to, you'll look beautiful either way". Well looking beautiful didn't just fucking happen. It took tucking, plucking, shaving and styling. Levi had dressed in a plain black suit, with a white shirt and a dark green tie. See. His alpha looked good. Fuck. He should have just worn a suit. Was it too late to head back in? He could change... he should change. Stepping back into the bathroom, Levi caught him before he could flee "Where are you going?" "I'm changing" "You just spent two hours in there. We need to go" "I look stupid!" "I'm sure you look fine" He didn't want to look fine. Fine was a nice pair of jeans and a shirt. He wanted to look good "I look stupid" "Then you'll look as good as I do. Get out here" "I look stupid because you didn't tell me what to wear" "Eren, we're going to be late" "Let me just..." "Get out here. At least let me see" Walking out, he knew he looked stupid. He felt stupid. Climbing to his feet, Levi looked him up and down "I knew it. I look fucking stupid" Levi cleared his throat "What? No. No. Just the opposite. Look perfect" "I think I look stupid" "You definitely don't. I don't know if I want to let you out, looking like that" "I... I'll change" "Eren, you look amazing" "I'm a guy in a dress" "And? So? Is there something wrong with that?" "People don't usually approve" "They're wrong. You look great, and we need to leave. We'll be late otherwise" "I feel stupid" "You're not stupid. You don't look stupid. Every single person there is going to wish they looked as good as you do" Yeah. Well. As long as "Marcel" wasn't there with his boyfriend, he might be able to salvage the night. Levi didn't seem to be in such a shit mood anymore "Fine. The dress stays on" "For now" Eren huffed. He didn't feel sexy or comfortable... he didn't know why Levi would want him out of it... He would never understand alphas. Having called a taxi, so they could both drink, Eren managed to make it out the back of it without flashing anyone. He'd though the Ball would be at some kind of club building or something. Not in a huge grand scale glass building that seemed to soar all the way up to heaven "Impressive, isn't it?" "Not what I was expecting" "It was delayed this year, purely because the place was still under construction. Erwin's already inside, he's saved our seats" "There's seats?" "It's a charity ball, but there's also a silent auction and guest speaker thing. Don't worry, you can drink through the whole thing" "Are you encouraging me to drink?" "I'm encouraging you, as we didn't do anything for your twenty first" "Which was like a whole week ago. I'm fine. We survived it. I didn't want anything, and I got to see Anna" "Anna or not, you barely touched your birthday cake" Levi had made him more of a birthday muffin, because smells had been making him sick. Both of them were paranoid about setting his nose of again, especially before the christening. His nose had bled that night, but only for a few minutes... still, it'd been enough to scare him. He didn't care they didn't do anything, like going clubbing. It was safer inside. He got to cuddle with Levi and cuddle with Anna, and he was legally Anna's Godfather now "Levi. It's fine. Seriously. I'm still not used to having good birthdays, it would have been too much. Can we head inside now? My butt's freezing" "Sure. Let me help you up the stairs" Taking his hand, Levi lead him around like he was a fancy lady from a movie. He didn't just hold his hand, instead he glowed with a confidence, as he really was showing him off. Presenting their two tickets, Levi lead him into the main fiction room. Eren's eyes widened, it was amazing. There was so much glass and rose gold, that he didn't know where to look. It was incredible. For someone coming from a dirty strip club, he'd never thought he'd step foot in somewhere like here "Holy fuck" "Our table is 32. Don't worry about the smells, they use scent cancellers to keep everyone calm" "Levi. You didn't tell me there were going to be this many people!" "It's a Charity Ball slash Gala. It's not my fault people want to come to these things. Here, let's find our seats?" "I think I'm going to fucking face plant" "If you do, I promise to step over and you walk away like I don't know you" "What? No" "There are probably 60 plus medically trained personal here. Not including specialists. You'll be fighting them off" "Don't you dare leave my side, or let me fall" "Relax, you know I won't" Led through to their table, Erwin was already there. As were Petra, Olou, Mike, Eld and Gunther. It looked like they had a full table, which was a relief. Sitting the back "corner", Levi crossed his arms, while Eren took the seat next to him. Accidentally meeting eyes with Petra, he swallowed hard. She was already pouting. It wasn't his fault that Levi chose him, and the didn't have the parts to get him excited "Eren, you look lovely" "Thanks, Erwin. I don't know I feel lovely. There's way too many people" Erwin laughed a little too politely "I know those feelings. Levi's already taken up his usual position. He always hides himself" "That's because I don't want to have to talk anymore than I absolutely have to" See. He knew Levi wouldn't want to be here... "Eld, Gunther. You both remember Eren don't you? He's Levi's mate" Gunther reached across the table to shake his hand "We do, but Erwin always insists of introducing everyone to everyone else like it's his job" Awkwardly shaking Eld's as well, he was happy Olou and Petra didn't try playing nice "We've heard a lot about the omega that marked Levi. He's not this grumpy at home, is he?" "No. Not always. He said he was up for dancing tonight" Eld and Gunther both laughed "Eren's my mate. Of course I don't mind dancing with him" "Eren's your mate? I don't see a mark" Petra somehow always knew where to strike "You should see it. Eren gave Levi quite the impressive mark" Coming past their table, Erwin called a waiter over. Ordering drinks for them all, Erwin assured him that once the formalities were done there was an open bar. Thank fuck for that "Levi was the one who wanted the bonding mark. I should have covered it with concealer" "It's my mark, I don't care who sees. It's not like I don't plan to marry Eren" Petra paled. The look of horrified realisation setting in. She was never going to win Levi's affections and now she would have to sit across from them all night. If only Petra had taken "no" as an answer from the beginning, she could have found her own happiness sooner. Sitting through speech after speech, Eren politely clapped when everyone else did. He had absolutely no idea what they were talking about, and Levi was too busy ignoring their surround to tell him. It was kind of amazing people paid for the opportunity to come to this. Once the speeches were over, it was like a wind had blown through the whole place. The mood changing in an instant. Leaning forward in his seat, Levi nudged his elbow with his "Want to go take a look around?" "You sure? You look pretty bored" "Speeches are boring as shit" "Ok. I supposed I need another drink" His drink had disappeared all too fast, even though he'd only slowly slipped at it "I never thought I'd see the day Levi actually enjoyed one of these things. Make sure you to stay out of trouble" Levi ignored Erwin, taking Eren's hand and "helping" him stand. They did a wide loop of the function room. The art on display was part of the charity auction. A small box under each, with a fancy looking notebook thing for people to write their names, numbers and bid. Eren wondered if there was something wrong with him, because he found none of this appealing. Levi thought the same. Picking up on his thoughts, his boyfriend started picking each apart. It was so much more fun doing that, than trying to interrupt it. Stopping by the bar, they ran into a few people Levi knew. Eren's stomach rolling and clenching at the way Levi kept introducing him as his mate. Their eyes kept going to his neck, only to find no bonding mark. It seemed like Levi knew half the people at bar, all wanting to talk to him. It was probably close to an hour before they continued on, starting to pick apart the art on the other side. By the time they reached their table again, Eren shoes were pinching, blisters forming on his feet... just like those idiots at the New Year's party. He'd tried wearing bandaids, but they'd been rolled down by the backs of his shoes. Sitting down in the closest seat, his hand immediately went down to fiddle with the straps "Everything alright?" "Yeah. It's fine. I just need to use the bathroom" "You should have said. I would have taken you" Leaning back, Eren kissed Levi's cheek. His alpha moving his chair forward enough to slide his hand to rest on Eren's side "It's fine. I need to adjust the straps on my shoes. I've already got bandaids on, and don't feel like showing the world my underwear" "I don't mind..." "Levi, seriously. It's ok" He hadn't seen Reiner or Bertholdt, which he hoped meant the pair wasn't here. They'd done a lap of the room, he would have seen them "If you're that worried, I would love another drink" Levi huffed, as if annoyed. Though Eren knew he wasn't. Besides, if Levi headed back to the bar, he might run into more people that he knew and had been neglecting "Fine. Just make sure you take your phone" "I will. It's just a quick trip to redo the straps" Eren got lost in the labyrinth of white walls and art. At least he knew he was in an art gallery or museum of some sort, now. Not just a huge and pointless building. The art and sculptures outside of the function room, were so much more than interesting. Respectfully keeping on the right side of the corded barriers, he finally found the bathrooms. They were just as incredible as the function room, even though the taps were truly hideous. Matte black with rose gold accents. Yeah.... they were definitely wrong for the space. Or any space. Whoever designed them should be smacked over the head with a frypan, or locked in a room with his hideous creation. Rushing into the first available stall, he collapsed down and started wrestling with his straps. Moaning as his feet were freed. Placing both of them together and stretching his toes to point at the door, he snapped a photo of his feet. Sending it through to his boyfriend so Levi knew he made it to the bathroom and would be back soon. Hopefully when he returned, other people would be dancing and Levi would whisk him away to dance... maybe his alpha would even let dance barefoot. He wasn't particularly attached to the heals he was wearing, and his boyfriend really hated people dancing in stupid shoes. With his feet redbandaided, Eren slipped his shoes back on. Opening the bathroom door, he reeled back in panic. Reiner and Bertholdt were both standing there. Smirks playing on their lips as he Eren nearly fell into the toilet backwards "Eren. We really need to stop meeting this way" His heart was racing. Facing Bertholdt had been bad enough, but now Reiner was right there next to him "W-what do you want?" "We want to know why you did it..." "What? Did what?" "Why you talked. Thanks to you, a certain dog of the police has been making trouble for us" "I didn't tell the police anything" "Maybe not. But you told that alpha of yours" "Wha... Levi doesn't know anything" "So you didn't tell him about the knife or Zeke's shirt?" "N-no" "You know, when you lie, you're only making things worse for yourself" "Levi doesn't know anything" Reiner chuckled, shaking his head while Bertholdt stood taller "We know Levi gave the knife and shirt to Floch... what we can't figure out, is why you suddenly mean so little to him. After all, you begged us to save Levi... instead of saving your poor brother" Eren was thrown further off kilter by Bertholdt's words. He didn't know what the alpha was talking about "You're the one who killed Zeke! You're the ones who stabbed him to death!" "No, Eren. You're the one who killed Zeke. Oh! Ho! I don't think he remembers" "How can you not remember killing your own brother?" "He was high... man, the way he screamed for Levi... I think he loved the drugs as much as the sex" "I don't know what you're talking about! Please. Levi doesn't know anything. The police don't know anything!" "You don't remember? The blade at Zeke's throat? We gave you a choice. Zeke or Levi... and you chose Levi. You let Zeke die" "No! No, I didn't! You promised if I let them touch me... you promised they all be safe" Bertholdt let out a laugh that hurt his ears "Eren, do you really think you have that kind of value? Any kind of value? Why do you think Levi let you mark him? You're just convenient" "Levi's different! Levi loves me!" "No one could ever love you. Not with that bastard's blood in your veins" Eren's heart felt like it would burst from his chest. His thoughts just as messed up as his emotions. What Bertholdt was saying, it made no sense "Even Zeke saw you had no value. No value outside of paying his debts and lining his pockets. Why do you think he kept you around? Floch wasn't wrong when he told you it was for the money" "No..." "He groomed you. Made you rely only on him. Treated you like a joke, because you are one. If only they'd killed you that night. That night they killed your mother... but it's too late to change that now" "Fuck! What do you want from me?! What the fuck did I ever do to you?! Nothing! I didn't do anything!" "Your family did. Your father is the cause of all this, but he was too valuable to just kill. No. We needed him. What we didn't need was that wife of his, or his bastard sons!" "Mum died because of him! I was kept like an animal! I was fed from a fucking dog bowl! I've paid for being his son!" "And until you pay with your life, you'll keep paying. That favours coming Eren. Coming sooner than you think, and when you see what it's going to cost you... you might just wish you'd died next to Zeke" This conversation had to have taken a while. Levi would come looking for him. He'd come looking for him if he didn't return soon... he needed to buy time. He needed to figure out what to do. What... no. Levi had handed the shirt over... that's what they'd said... the shirt and the knife... the police had his confession... no... shit... fuck. Fuck. He had to believe Levi wouldn't betray him like that. It was like the phone. They were messing with his head "You can't hurt me. If I disappear, the police will find out everything" "From who? Who's going to care you're gone? The alpha who lied to you? Who wouldn't give you his mark? Who takes you to bed to fuck you, then runs to the police the first chance he gets? Or how about those sweet childhood friends of yours. Armin and Mikasa. You know, Armin is way too trusting. All we had to do was let slip how we were great friends of yours... people always believe what they want to believe, even when the truth is right in front of them. The truth is, you're going to pay for what you've done, and you're going to die. Then Levi's going to die. After that, well, I guess we'll just pick them all off one by one" With a feral snarl, Eren rushed Bertholdt. He was completely out of his league and was savagely slammed down against the hard bathroom floor. Grabbing him by the throat, Bertholdt pulled him up slammed his head down again. Snarling and hissing like a feral cat, Eren fucking fought. But that didn't mean he didn't try. He couldn't get a grip on Bertholdt's suit, but he did manage a impressive kick to the alpha's shin, causing Bertholdt to snarl. Fucking high heels had to hurt. If he was lucky, he would have torn the skin open "You won't hurt my alpha! I won't let you hurt Levi! I'm going to fucking kill you!" When Bertholdt raised him again, Eren through modesty to the wind. Booting him in the stomach and feeling his heels catching as he did... the satisfaction only lasted for a mere fraction of a second, as Reiner booted him hard in the back. Kicked out of Bertholdt's hold, he skidded on the bathroom floor until he hit the toilet cubicle divider. Driving his shoe into Eren's stomach, the omega screamed, trying to escape, but Reiner was an alpha who'd just seen his partner hurt. He couldn't stand up to that kind of raw fury. The last kick smashed into his nose "You have two fucking days, then we're coming for you. If you weren't so fucking useless, someone might actually want you alive. But don't worry, we'll make it nice and slow, just like he wants" As the bathroom door opened, Bertholdt ducked into the closest cubicle, while Reiner moved to flatten himself against the wall beside the door. Fuck. Fuck. No. Levi had no idea what he was walking into. His alpha didn't even look around "Eren?!" Crying his name, he rushed towards him. He barely managed to take a step. Eren tried to scream in warning, but Reiner was slamming his fist into side of Levi's head. The king hit wasn't hard enough to knock Levi out, his alpha snarling as he dropped his knees, disorientated "Leave him alone!" His heart was hurting. Levi struggling to his feet, only for Reiner to kick his knee out with a crunchy pop that made Eren scream. Even with a busted knee, Levi snarled and struggled. Landing an impressive head butt against Reiner's nose. Roaring, Reiner stumbled back, Bertholdt launching himself at Levi and driving him down to the floor. Levi fucking howled a howl Eren had never heard before. His lover laying unmoving on the bathroom floor. "Two fucking days" Left bloodied and beaten in the bathroom, Eren couldn't even more to curl in on himself. His feet slipping again the tiles flooring as he tried, while his nose was bleeding like crazy. His stomach hurt so fucking bad, that was on par with his heat cramping. Angrily he slammed his hands down onto the tiles, over and over as he screamed. Two days. Two fucking days. Then what? Levi left and never came home? He couldn't live without Levi. He didn't know how to do anything without him. The adrenaline seeped from his body, as the coldness of the tiles started to ebb away at his warmth. He loved Levi. They'd spent time together during his heat. He'd accepted his alpha! He'd actually wanted his alpha! He wanted him there. It might not have been a full heat, but the fact remained that when he needed him, Levi had come home and looked after him... even if by some chance, he'd conceived during his heat, he'd been beaten so badly... Reiner and Bertholdt some how knew his father. Zeke had known his father. The foster home had known his father... his father was the cause of all of this. When would he finally be free of it all? Maybe if he closed his eyes, he'd die right now? He'd probably be damned straight to hell, but his soul would be carried on the wind, and that was enough... but... fuck. He wanted Levi. Levi was right there. He couldn't give up. He needed his alpha. His body wouldn't cooperate or move right. One arm cradled his stomach as he crawled to Levi. Rolling his alpha over, Levi unconscious. Taking his lips with his thumb, Eren mumbled an apology. He'd thought somewhere like this was too public. But maybe that was the point? They could get to him anywhere? It certainly helped that scent cancellers had been installed across the whole building. Even Levi's scent was being erased by them... or maybe it was all the blood in his nose. He'd done this to Levi... Levi needed help. Patting his boyfriend's pockets, he finally found Levi's phone. The lock screen was a photo of Eren kissing his cheek, while Levi faked annoyance. The home screen was the same, with their roles reversed. This alpha loved him. Levi would never have betrayed him... he couldn't help the anxieties and the voices that told him he was wrong for believing that. He wanted to believe in Levi... but right now, help hand to come first. Opening Levi's call log. Erwin was right at the top. He hoped Erwin was paying attention to his phone... "Levi! Don't tell me you're not coming back? Or are you Eren going to be taking a little longer in the bathroom" Yes... but definitely not that way... maybe if he'd ignored his feet, he could have actually danced with his lover. Like a normal couple "E-Erwin... we... we need he-help. Levi's unconscious... they... hit him from behind" "Eren, where are you?" "T-the bathroom... be... be careful..." * No matter how much he'd wished, Eren couldn't pass out. Erwin had brought Mike, and Eld with him, both alphas moving to help Levi while Erwin pulled him away. Passing out would have a been a blessing. Everything hurt, and Erwin wasn't helping. He just wanted to be with Levi, and Erwin took him away. Even when they got to the hospital, he still wasn't allowed to see Levi. His alpha was taken for tests by Mike. Mike was yelling all kinds of things, while Eren couldn't focus on anything outside of Levi's limp body. He was so fucking scared he wasn't going to wake up. He was left with Erwin for a chaperone until they finally took him through for tests of his own. By some kind of miracle nothing was actually broken, even after being booted in the face. Eren was photographed, his clothes taken for trace evidence, while Erwin kept the police from talking to him. Somewhere along the line Mike found him a set of scrubs, which were about as comfortable as hospital pyjamas... it was clear both alphas were dying to ask what had happened... but even if he could talk, he didn't know what to say. They'd given him two days... and then they'd attacked Levi. His boyfriend hadn't done anything wrong. He didn't deserved the violence shown towards him. How was he supposed to say goodbye...? What if Levi died...? What was he supposed to say? His mouth was so chewed up, just the idea of speaking hurt. It was a tortuous wait. One the nurses had given him a sedative. At least, he assumed it was a nurse. It'd felt like everything that had happened since Erwin came, had resulted in him being man handled around, people not asking what he needed, and instead forcing him to do as they wanted. He was so fucking exhausted. Jumping at everyone and every noise. But if he closed his eyes, he feared he'd miss Levi dying. It felt like a whole other lifetime that he'd been adjusting his shoes in the bathroom. The hospital was buzzing with activity, despite the early hour. Lead through to where Levi was, again he was being manhandled. This time by Erwin who insisted on pushing him around in a fucking wheelchair. He didn't need a wheelchair. He needed his boyfriend. Wheeled into Levi's room, his breath caught. Levi. He was laying there, half propped up... and awake. He'd been unconscious. He'd been so fucking scared. The way Erwin paused, Eren had the feeling he hadn't been expecting Levi to be awake either. Climbing from the wheelchair, he hobbled to Levi's bed, his boyfriend rousing from his thoughts as he sank down on it "Hey... brat" "Levi..." Levi hissed slight as he reached over and patted the space next to him. In the background, Erwin objected, but Eren didn't give two shits as he forced his abused body down, laying to face Levi "You look like shit" Eren gave a small giggle. He just felt so fucking relieved "So do you... how do you feel?" "Fucking concussed... but there's drugs, and they're nice" Nuzzling Levi's shoulder, his tears started to run "Hey... you don't need to cry" "You got hurt" "So did you... I'm sorry I wasn't there..." Levi's mouth probably hurt as much as his did... yet his alpha was being so kind... "I thought they killed you... I didn't think you'd ever wake up" "And leave you all alone. I don't fucking think so" "I'm so sorry..." "Hey... no. Erwin, is he ok?" "Bruised ribs, a concussion. He's going to be battered and bruised for a few days" "And they didn't..." It took Eren a moment to figure out what Levi meant "No... they were mad that I didn't want them" "We got some good DNA from under Eren's nails. He put up a hell of a fight" Levi smiled fondly "That's my omega" "For now you need to worry about yourself. Grade 3 MCL tear, and dislocation. Dislocated right shoulder..." Eren whimpered. He'd caused all this "Erwin, that's enough. He's been through enough" "And you're going into surgery in the morning" "I don't need surgery" "Levi..." "Erwin, drop it. Not now" "You could..." Levi growled "I said not now. My omega's distressed and you're making it worse. I'm not in the fucking mood for any of this shit, and you being an arsehole towards Eren isn't going to change anything. Go home. Calm the fuck down, and come back when you have" Great. Now he was causing more troubles between Levi and Erwin "Levi" "Go" Eren didn't know if he was allowed to be there, but Levi was too tired to be angry for long. Laying there, he could hear his boyfriend's heartbeating. It's steady pulse calming him more than words could. Levi waited until he calmed, before sighing softly "Eren, what happened?" "Alphas..." "To bash the shit out of both of us. There's something more here" "Levi..." "Please. I need to know what happened to you" "I..." He what? He tried to stupidly attack Reiner and Bertholdt, and had his arse handed to him for it. Levi needed surgery now, and he had no idea why. He didn't know everything, but surgery... "Please?" "I couldn't protect you. They threaten you. I tried. I tried to fight" "Me? Why would they threaten me?" "B-because... Levi... They know you gave Zeke's shirt and knife to the police. They're in trouble over it all. They didn't think I'd break my word and tell you anything. But then, you went and saw Floch behind my back..." He hoped Levi would deny it. But as the silence between the stretched out, he knew Bertholdt and Reiner had been telling the truth. Levi had gone behind his back. He'd probably even turned his hand written statement thing over. "It wasn't like that" "So you didn't give everything over to Floch?" "No. I did... I was..." "You were what? Trying to get us both killed? Well, congratulations" Climbing up, Eren gripped his side "Eren. Wait... I was trying to protect you" "From what? We've gone from me owing them a favour to "I'm dead in two fucking days"... and guess what, they're more than happy to go after everyone we know. Mikasa and Armin, they've already met with them. They know about Hanji and Anna. Erwin. Everyone. I was trying to fucking handle it. Now everyone's going to end up fucking dead" "Then go to Floch! Tell him what happened!" "We were at a fucking function with security and police and this still fucking happened. Think about it. They know who I am! They know what my father did. The know what Zeke did. They don't care. They just want me dead... for carrying his blood" Sliding off the bed, his knees nearly gave out as his bare feet hit the floor "Eren... please. I just want to protect you" "You can't! The police knowing about them, it puts them in danger too. They have nothing to lose" "Other than their lives" "They're already in trouble! If they're going to die, they're going to take as many people as they can with them! Why, Levi?! We could have stayed together for longer! Instead, you let me mark you, without marking me back! Why? Because you were scared I walk out on you?! Where would I go... I loved you... but you don't love enough to trust me... Everyone was staring... everyone knows you didn't mark me!" Hobbling towards the door, he was exhausted and confused. He wanted his alpha to hold him. To soothe his aching body. But he was so fucking... done. He felt betrayed. He'd trusted Levi and this was what happened. They'd be both been bashed for it... he had to find how to get in touch with Bertholdt and Reiner... maybe if he warned them... maybe there would be away to keep Levi safe? If he warned them, before Floch could find them... then maybe they could escape. Maybe they'd be too busy running... No. They'd still probably kill him... "Eren... Please. I love you" "No. Just... stay away from me" "Eren. Stay... we can talk about this" "Levi. I... no matter what happens. I really did love you. Even if your feelings weren't the same" * Levi had a long night of bitter angsting. Eren had walked out the door, and disappeared. He couldn't move his busted knee, and was too fucking medicated to make it out of bed. He still tried to do both. He had no idea what came next, or what to do. The pain medication he was on made it hard to stay awake, but he didn't want to sleep. Eren had taken off. When he'd tried to ask the nurses about it, they'd soothed him with the usual "I'm sure he'd fine" or "I'm sorry, Mike is still on call. I'm sure everything can wait until the morning". If it could wait, he wouldn't be so fucking angry. When he'd seen Eren laying on the floor, he hadn't even thought about how he'd ended up like that. His omega was injured and that had been all that mattered to him. He hadn't thought Eren could possibly be in any real danger. Other than getting lost. That's why he told him to take his phone. The building was huge and new, and galleries always had way more than needed amount of walls. With the number of police there, anyone sane wouldn't have done anything. And so. It was a long wait under uncomfortable blankets and between scratchy sheets, with Eren's distress clinging to the blankets along his right side. He didn't think this would happen. He'd though that with the names, Floch would be able to track them down... before something like this shit happened. He swore he knew who'd hit him. There was something familiar about it, but when the second one had joined in, he knew he was fucked. Both alphas seemed twice his size... both angry. And now he knew why. He'd fucked up. Because of him, Eren was in more trouble than ever before... he'd said something about two days. Two days... and his omega had left hours earlier. He could be dead by now... When Erwin came, he looked the appropriate amount of concerned. Pulling the visitors chair over, his friend dropped down heavily "Where's Eren?" Fuck... "I don't know" Erwin raised an eyebrow "What? Did you two have a fight?" "Something like that... I need you to call Floch" "Why? Is this about last night? Floch isn't assigned to your case" "Eren was attacked by the same people who killed his brother. They were these last night" "Levi. That's unlikely..." "Look. Call Floch. I would have, but they won't let me have a phone, and I'm too fucked up to move. Eren is missing. They're coming for him, because of me" "Levi" "Fucking hell, Erwin. He's missing. He took off not long after you left last night. Maybe an hour or two. He said they were going to kill him" "If they wanted him dead, they could have killed him right there" "They had to know someone would come looking for him. Everyone saw us together. They saw you with him" "They still had the time to have killed him" Fucking Erwin. It was like he didn't give two shits about Eren. None of this was Eren's fault. It was his for fucking going behind his back "If you're not going to call him, give me your fucking phone" "Relax, I'll call him" "Don't tell me to fucking relax. Eren thinks he's going to die. He's prepared to die. He thinks... fuck" Slightly over active thanks to his agitation, Levi swore as he tried to push himself up, despite knowing better. Reaching for him, Levi growled as Erwin pushed against his busted arm "Levi!" Shoving Erwin off him with his good arm, he glared at Erwin "If Eren dies, I will never forgive you" "I... I'll go call Floch" "Tell him to fucking fill you in. If you find Eren first, don't trust him with anyone. You keep him safe and you bring him here" Erwin nodded "I'll go by your apartment. Maybe he went home..." "Even if he did, the door's locked" "Look, I'll still go. The nurses will be in to prep you for surgery soon. I had Mike pull strings as it was" "He's still here? Did he say anything about Eren?" "No. As far as he knew, Eren was still here. Someone has to have seen something" Even if Erwin was only saying this to pacify him, it was a start. Floch would fill him in... he's been the one to introduce them in the first place... He could only pray that Floch and, or, Erwin could stop Eren from being hurt, or doing something incredibly stupid.

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