It was a long painful silence, excluding the buzzing of the irritating white noise.

It made him incredibly sad. He wanted nothing but the sound of Eren's laugh ringing into his ears. Their small reunion replayed over and over again ainside his mind, dwelling in the sweet memory. If he were to die in that moment, he would be glad that his last moment with human contact was with Eren. He would be able to die in peace and no one would need to worry about his unhappy soul coming back and haunting anyone. Partially because vampires don't have souls, but that wasn't the main issue here.

Just when he was about to close his eyes and reimagine the scene again for what seemed like the twentieth time, the sound of heavy footsteps echoes outside his cage. Despite being in pain, he perked up to see who it was.

"Eren?" he whispered, half to himself.

"Oh man," said an annoying voice, the kind that belonged to the asshole type of guy. "They really weren't kidding, huh." He continued to mumble to himself shortly after that.

"Who goes there?" Levi shouted.

There was a brief pause before a figure stepped in front of Levi's view. It was a boy, obviously, with a very mystified expression written on his face. The boy seemed around the same age as Eren, his light brown hair spiked up and styled into an undercut. His intense eyes sparked with curiosity and fear. Levi knew who he was; he was the one that most people nicknamed "Horse Face." He always listened to Eren whenever he ranted endlessly about him. His name was Jean if he remembered correctly.

"Where is he?" Levi demanded ardently.

"I think I know who you're talking about, but he isn't here. I haven't seen him. Due to orders, a much as I hate to follow said orders, I need to take you out of here," he explained with a long laid back sigh. "You're his blood sucking lover, correct? "

"If you're referring to Eren, you are correct. I'm his lover. What business do you have with me?"

"I'm here to get you out."

"It's already unlocked," Levi said as he jutted his chin toward the entrance of the confinement. "I just can't stand, I'm too weak to do anything at all because there's an odd pheromone drifting in the air."

The horse faced boy nodded quickly and strutted his way to the entrance to easily push it forward with the tip of his mud stained boot. For a moment he stood awkwardly in front of Levi before looking away and speaking.

"So uh, what do you suggest I do?"

"You claimed you're here to bust me out of this place and you don't know what to do? I question Eren's choices of friends," Levi replied sarcastically. "Just give me a supporting arm and I'll manage to get  up."

Due to Levi's short height compared to most grown men, Jean bent his knees slightly and offered his arm. With much effort and with the little strength he had left, he pushed himself up onto his knees and made it to his feet again in what seemed like a few thousand years. For a moment he stood unmoving to collect himself; in his eyes the ground was moving on its own and his horrible migraine worsened for a few seconds. He gripped Jean's arm tightly but made sure not to hurt him as he waited for the pain to subside.

"Should I start walking now?"

Levi paused. The throbbing in his brain felt as if someone had just smashed a rock over his head. "Yes..."

Levi held onto his arm for dear life as if letting go would mean even more pain. Jean assisted him as he limped out of the barred space. Although he was not looking up he could tell that the boy next to him was struggling hard to hold his weight up.

"Is anyone currently trying to find Eren?" Levi asked.

"Yes. A few soldiers actually."

"You're not going to take him away from me, aren't you? You're not here so you could separate the both of us, right?"

Jean, being the sarcastic asshole everyone and himself knew he was, was about to reply with a sarcastic answer, but stopped himself when he glanced at the genuine horror in Levi's eyes. Jean had encountered a handful of vampires in his life and knew for a fact that their eyes were filled with thirst and violence most of the time, but that was nothing like Levi's eyes in that moment.

"No. We have to get you out of here so you could be with him, obviously," he answered to reassure him.

"Why are you bothering to help me?" Levi challenged. "I've seen you hanging around Eren and you don't seem like the sort of person to be helping the enemy of humankind."

Jean's left eye twitched. To his defeat, Levi was right. If Jean had to be honest with himself, he would say he was not the helping type of boy. When the army did training sessions and tests he would not care about the well being of others but himself. Nothing mattered to him unless he succeeded. So just why was he helping the dangerous lover of a fellow soldier that he often picked fights with? When he noticed how truly worried Levi was about Eren, it made him realize that he was tired of vampires and humans having bad blood between one another. It was true that they were undoubtedly deadly, but it was possible for both species to live in harmony. Jean was not only lazy to fight them off, but because he was tired of the rampaging slaughter sessions, tired of hearing that another vampire mob attacked a part of town or that one of his friends had passed away. He wanted it all to end.

"I'm not doing this for you." His voice was strong voice echoed off the badly built walls. Levi was surprised. "This is for humanity."

He was answering his own thoughts than actually trying to reply to Levi's question, but the vampire didn't push further.

Peaceful silence drifted between the two men; it was a comforting kind of silence. It allowed Levi to concentrate only on the pacing of his steps and keeping his eyes open. Although vampires did not require sleep to live, Levi was very exhausted. His eyelids felt as if they had stones sitting atop of them and his legs were melting into the revolting stone floor. He felt like a candle waiting to become a disappearing mess. In other words, he felt like he was dying. It was a very familiar feeling; he was no stranger to death but he couldn't help but feel nervous anyways. In some hopeless romantic kind of way, all of his fears revolved around Eren; seeing him getting hurt, him leaving and the biggest of all, losing him. Now that he thought more in depth about it, there was really nothing he was terrified off if not anything related to Eren. The whole earth could collapse or creatures of the underworld could lurk and reach the surface and he would not be afraid.

He came back to reality when Jean suddenly came to an abrupt stop. Levi slowly raised his head to see what was the matter. His heart sank like a stone drifting downward in the sea. Suddenly all warmth and light was sucked away. Everything felt cold and dark.

It was as if all of his fears came together and morphed into one larger and terrifying fear. There on the ground right in front of him was the love of his life sprawled almost lifeless in his own puddle of blood. His leg was twisted awkwardly in an unnatural angle and his face was facing the side opposite from Levi. The whole scene reminded Levi of the times when he would catch children smashing insects with the tip of their little boots and watched as the crushed insect twitched and convulsed uncontrollably. Levi couldn't hear his own voice, but he screamed as he tore away from Jean and bolted towards his unconscious lover. There was no pain as his knees glided against the sharp rocky floors or when the palms of his hands slipped. All of that didn't matter in that moment. All he could think was that there was a possibility that he would never see Eren's beautiful eyes again.

"Eren," he hissed. "Oh no, oh no. This cannot happen, oh please this cannot happen."

When he received no response he nearly had a mental breakdown. He bent forward to hold Eren's shoulders and carefully placed his head on his lap, only to have it fall to the side. Levi stroked his cold face with his blood stained fingers, watching as the crimson colour streaked his sickly pale skin. Human life was as fragile as a small bird in the eye's of a vampire, and it made Levi upset.

"Eren," he repeated sadly as he placed a shaking hand over his heart, desperate to find a pulse.

"He's not dead," Jean stated as he jogged over to Levi's side and squatted.

"How can you sound so sure without finding his heartbeat first?" Levi question hesterically.

"Because Eren is an idiot but he's not stupid enough to die so easily."

"Pardon?" Levi asked, insulted.

Jean flinched at the time of his voice and suddenly regretted shit-talking the lover of a wanted vampire. "What I'm trying to say here is that Eren is just somehow immune to death, you know? I mean, do you know what he's been through?"

"I gusss you have a-" Levi cut himself off when he finally found it; the faint and tiny beat fighting to stay beating in his chest. "I found it. Thank goodness."

"I told you so," Jean mumbled under his breath. "Now we just gotta get him out of here before that crazy vampire comes back-"

"What did you call me?" a feminine crystal clear voice called out.

Levi's neck spun sharply, which could have been dangerous if a human attempted to do the same, and met the eyes of his ex-lover. Her posture was high and mighty like she was royalty, and her arms crossed in a manner that looked like she was about to scold them. Intensity filled the room as her tiny feet walked forward. Hisses came out of Levi's mouth subconsciously as he cradled Eren closer to him. Petra smirked at his protective reaction.

"I'm impressed that your pathetic little human friends managed to get you out, but I'm afraid that's the farthest you'll go today," she informed him with a small bell-like laugh.

"I don't believe so, Petra. You're getting cocky. It's me on the town's wanted list not you, so don't go thinking you're stronger than anyone else," Levi snarled. Jean wanted nothing more than to disappear or run away from that moment.

"That may be true but if my men have managed to capture you, I have confidence in them that they can kill you and your boy toy as well, yes?"

"Why are you doing this to me?" Levi questioned. His voice was sad and weak and although he usually knew better than to ask about Petra's ways, he really did want to have an asmser.

"Because you didn't side with me even after I died. I thought you knew that already, honey, and now you're basically cheating on me."

"I guess I shouldn't have asked if you're going to give me such a plain reply. I'm getting tired of having to remind you that I don't love you anymore," stated Levi with a roll of his tired eyes.

Petra gritted her teeth and Levi watched as her eyes smolderes red with hate and anger. To the watching Jean, it seemed a lot more than just a quarrel between two exes, that was for sure. He was almost cowering in fear as Petra balled her hands into fists and showed off her glistening fangs.

"You're really getting on my nerves and I've had enough. It will all end now, Levi," she told him confidentially. Levi frowned as he remembered that she was the sort of person who always believed she was not in the wrong when it came down to arguments. She was simply too blinded by her ego.

Levi didn't speak after that, only allowed himself to show her a grim grin. Most of the time when he was being chased or hunted down he always had a plan or two, but now that he was facing Petra he had no idea what he was going to do, especially with when two humans were at his side. For the first time in his life as a vampire, he was afraid. Not of Petra, but because there was a chance that he might not make it out alive with Eren. Whenever he had to outrun the soldiers, he was used to being quick thinking, but now his mind was completely blank. Her goonies were most likely around the halls and guarding every inch and corner, meaning he didn't have the choice of running. Although drained from energy, he would need to fight. As if Eren was made of glass, he placed him delicately on the floor and gestured for Jean to hold his head up.

"I will end you first," he announced.

"I'd like to see you try."

Levi scoffed. As if, he thought to himself. In the past, he was out there causing a blood bath while Petra was in hiding.

Jean's human eyes couldn't digest what was happening; all he could see was a gigantic, blurry clash of bodies and the sounds of thunder storms. It appeared as if they were up in the air for a few moments before descending to the ground gracefully. Petra's hands were gripping on tightly on Levi's shoulders while his were wrapped around her tiny neck. They both flopped onto the ground like two fish out of water before both separating from one another.

"Never guessed you would choke me in a violent way," Petra cooed.

"Shut up."

He dove right into her and harshly tackled her to the floor. Even with the loud booming noise from her bottom colliding onto the floor, she was not in any form of pain. It was so unexpected of her since she looked so fragile and soft, like a small animal. Levi did not go easy on her and basically gave the fight his all; he wanted to hurt her to get back at everything she's done to him. Petra, not missing a single beat, sat up unharmed and bolted right into Levi, punching him square in the gut. Levi coughed out and even stumbled backwards but refused to fall down. The petite vampire continued to throw cruel punches as her hair flailed in the air like loose vines and her teeth jutting out as if she was a hungry wolf. Eren stirred as the fight raged on like a blazing bonfire.

Although Levi did manage to get a few good hits on her, he knew that his time was running out. He was getting tired and weakening and that he wouldn't be able to go on fighting her when it seemed endless. At this point she was most likely going to end up killing him due to her massive amount of stamina. Even with the pheromone weaker in the area, he could still sense a bit of it affecting him and his skills. Levi felt like a little kid going on a sugar rush, only to recieve fatigue later on. Eventually he gave up on trying to hit her and shielded himself using his arms. His feet dragged against the ground as her punches pushed him back. What he wanted most was a distraction, which Petra was always almost prone to.

"You're a tough lady, Petra," Levi teased.

She answered simply with a faint grin and that was all Levi needed to know that she was getting tired of dealing with him; she used to give him that smile whenever he went home drunk back in their newly wed human days.

"I think it would be best for you to die already so you can meet your pretty boy up above- oh wait! You're going to hell," she sneered menacingly.

"Really? Maybe I'll see you down there," he shot back as he pushed her away. Her cocky grin melted into a deep frown.

Angered and bothered she finally decided she had enough. Time seemed to pause as she leapt from the ground and landed on his chest like a speeding asteroid. Blood shot out of Levi's mouth from the impact as he wrapped a hand around her ankle and tried to throw her off him. Much to his disadvantage, she was a lot stronger than he credited her for. She stepped hard on him and bent down to snatch his neck and closed her soft but hard fingers around it. Although it did not matter if she was cutting his airway (because vampires are technically dead and therefor cannot breathe), it still felt like he was indeed choking. Her nails sunk into his raw and itchy skin.

His words came out as small wheezes and rasps as they flowed messily out of his mouth. "You can kill me. It won't change anything."

This time she refused to answer but Levi could tell what her emotions were by just looking into her eyes. They expressed many feelings, and some of them were hatred, anger and even hurt. The past flashed in her eyes like a picture book being read to him. He could feel his eyes gradually rolling back into his skull as she squeezed harder and harder within each passing second and he could have sworn that right there and then it would be the end of him, but Petra was suddenly pulled off of him as if she were as light as a feather.

Levi looked up to see a teenage girl with her mousy brown hair tied up and the same uniform that Jean was wearing. She had a quiver filled with a high amount of arrows strapped onto her back and a bow clenched in her hand. Levi was surprised to find that she was human, because it was usually not too easy to shove a vampire away. Her amber eyes stared down Levi with concern before turning to Petra. Fear was clearly written on her face as she loaded her bow but that did not stop her from shooting at Petra, who was caught off guard, in the chest. Her shots did not stop; she continued to aim and shoot at all kind of spots of Petra body such as her arms, hands, legs and stomach.

From the reaction coming from Petra, the arrowheads must have been made out of silver. She yowled out a blood curling scream in excruciating pain and fell to her side, now in her own little pool of blood like Eren was. The sounds of her screaming and arrows whizzing echoed around the large cave-like area. Her head twitched and her body began to shake uncontrollably. Much to Levi's disappointment, she wouldn't die. Silver is a big weakness, but it was not fatal most of the time. Her once perfect porcelain skin was bubbling looking and had a substance appearing like soot surrounding the areas where she had been shot, making her look like a painting of black, red and white.

"You stupid humans always get in my way," she growled as she shook.

"I guess taking extra arrows with me was a good decision after all," the girl muttered. She looked over at Jean, who was shaken, and Eren who was stirring even more than before. "Oh God. Jean, are you alright? Is Eren okay?"

"He's alive. Sasha, how did you get here?" Jean said as he repositioned Eren.

"I heard a lot of yelling and fighting," she answered. "But that isn't the issue here. We gotta get out of here. Hanji says more of them will come our way if we don't leave as soon as possible."

"You're right," Jean said and stood up and struggled to pick the unconscious boy off the ground.

"I'll take him," Levi told him.

"Levi, we're not done here!" Petra exclaimed. She was trying to crawl towards him, teeth bared and all, but it looked painful. A trail of darkening blood formed behind her.

"Oh, dear, I think we are. For now that is," Levi snarled as Jean handed Eren over to him.

"You've made a mistake joining their side. If only you chose me you could have had a better future, but now I see you decided to be with all these disgusting humans instead. I'm disappointed in you."

Levi was not listening. He brushed his bloody fingers against Eren's cold face absent mindedly. "Bye, Petra."

He desperately hoped it would be the last time seeing her. It was like fighting with the past whenever he saw her, which was deeply unpleasant.

---

AN:

i really pushed myself to write 3000+ words for this chapter bc i feel so bad for always being so slow TT

thank you for reading!

love, takeshi