It was almost three in the morning. His eyes stung and burned, but he couldn't go to sleep.

After talking a bit more to Levi, Eren decided to call it a night. Armin told him he was free to raid the fridge and so without questioning, he helped himself to some soda and leftover sushi. He was thankful Armin's father was not present in the house, because it would be awkward and shocking to find a missing boy pigging out in your kitchen. He was about to close the fridge door, but paused when his eyes landed on a few bottles of vodka. Being the nice guy he was, he took two bottles and headed straight to Levi's room after eating his meal.

Eren didn't bother knocking. He casually opened the door, knowing Levi would still be awake at such a late hour. He remembered he almost never got sleep and how he wouldn't complain. He could see the shape of Levi's body under the lumpy mess of blankets. There was a steady rise and fall of breathing, and Eren was disappointed to discover he was actually sleeping.

He was just about to leave when the mountain of blankets began to move and the struts and screws of the bed began to creak. Eren looked back at it and waited for Levi to reveal himself. His head popped out from the covers, showing his bedhead and tired eyes. He groaned tiredly as he rubbed at his face, yearning to run the sleep away.

Levi stared at Eren with confusion and waited for his sight to focus. Eren stood there awkwardly, waiting for Levi to say something.

"Levi sleeping? That's a sight I've never seen before," Eren commented instead. He made his way to the bed. The old floorboards moaned from under his feet. "I brought you a drink:"

"I'm not a fan of hangover's, but please bring it over," Levi said, accepting the drink when Eren handed it over to him.

The boy sat on the edge of the bed just beside Levi's legs. It dipped slowly from the combination of both their weight. At night, everyone was more clear. Eren could make out the tiny details of Levi's face; his long lashes of his eyes and the dark markings under them. He opened his drink with the opener Eren brought along with him and drank. Even before bringing it to his parched lips, he could already feel the alcohol burning his throat. It slid into his mouth, leaving a trail of fire that he had missed so much. He swallowed and shivered.

"Is there a reason to why you want me potentially drunk?" Levi asked, pointing a finger of accusation.

Eren out his hands up and shook his head. "You don't seem like a soda person, and talking is less awkward when drinking."

"If you must know, I'm a wine person," he answered and took another swig from the bottle. It was already half empty. "I'm tired. So say what you want before I pass out again."

He proceeded to chug the rest of it. Eren was surprised he wasn't choking or coughing yet.

"I just wanted to thank you again. You could have killed me for all I know, but you didn't. You saved me countless times. Like I said before, you're not a bad guy," Eren said quietly. Quickly too, as if he was embarrassed.

Levi gestured for another drink before speaking. "That's because I know what's cruel and what isn't. I've hurt people, but I wouldn't kill anyone. It's common sense."

"I guess I made wrong assumptions about you then," Eren stated. "I'm sorry for that."

"Don't apologize, it makes me feel bad," Levi replied as he took a long sip. "I've hurt you before. You're a stupid boy, you know that? Staying with me when I've basically tortured you before."

"Like I've said before, I guess I'm curious. I... I feel like I've met you before. Maybe long ago but I can't be too sure."

Levi stopped mid-sip and shot him a questionable stare. The drink was really getting to his head, and he was fighting the urge to let his voice slur.

"We have," Levi confessed. He tipped his head back and poured the rest of the drink down. He was starting to smell the sour and stinging scent of the vodka. If he was going to be brace with his words, he didn't want to remember them the next morning.

"We have?" Eren echoed and leaned closer, curiously taking over.

"You don't remember," Levi stated.

"Well, you might be lying," he accused.

"You don't remember," he repeated as he tossed the empty bottle onto the bed. "It was a long time ago."

"Well, why don't you tell me then?" Eren said eagerly, ignoring the speed of Levi's drinking,

Levi's head lolled to the side but continued to face he boy in front of him. Much to his own surprise, he laughed. A bit and bright laugh that rang against the peeling walls and dusty floors. Eren's eyes widened.

"I don't wanna tell you," he muttered as he tightened the covers around his shoulders.

"Why not?" Eren demanded.

"Because it's stupid and there's no point," Levi snapped. He wanted to be stern and serious, but it was hard to do so when he was starting to sound like he was blubbering. He was starting to sound like a stubborn child.

The boy frowned. "Just tell me! There's no point in hiding it either, right?"

Levi didn't respond. He just didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to tell him? Eren had basically backed him into corner, and the alcohol was not helping at all.

"It was raining," Levi recalled. His mouth seemed to be speaking on its own. "I was dying."

Eren looked at him, surprised that he was even answering. He raised his eyebrows and silently urged him to continue.

"I was in an alleyway and I was ready to accept death. Then, just when I thought I was going to take my last glance at the gloomy sky, this kid appeared before me." His eyes fluttered close as if he were about to pass out from exhaustion again. "No one had even looked at me except for that stupid kid."

Eren's facial expression was confused but he still continued to listen. Levi could tell he was still trying to figure everything out as well, like he was searching in the attic for some lost and beloved childhood toy. Despite the tiredness, Levi could seem him as if he were in the viewfinder of a camera. Talking about something so personal to Eren made him feel so small. He wasn't used to feeling that way, and it was as if stage lights were placed above him, showering light into him. He was the center of the attention and Eren was the only audience member.

"I remember it clearly. He gave me a shit load of money without even hesitating. And I would have thought brats would want to spend their ridiculously high amount of money on toy cars or basketballs but not this one. His eyes were green, or at least in the spectrum of it. They were so beautiful and unlike anything I had ever seen before. Then he told me-"

"'Hey, mister,'" Eren mumbled softly. "'Are you okay?'"

Levi's eyes enlarged with surprise. His lips parted unknowingly. "You remember."

"I do," Eren agreed. "It... It finally came back to me."

Levi swallowed. Suddenly so nervous that he was being so vulnerable in front of him. Eren was breaking the walls that Levi had tried so hard to build up, breaking them down so easily. He looked away from the one in front of him so that he wouldn't be able to see the look on his face. Drinking made talking easy, but Levi's heart felt like it was going to erupt into an explosion. His entire body was trembling and all of the warmth in the room had suddenly disappeared.

"You saved me. I wanted to repay you somehow, but I suppose it's too late now," Levi told him.

Eren looked at him with his eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean? You saved me. If it wasn't for you, something even worse could have happened to me. You don't need to beat yourself over it."

The older one out of the pair stared at him, bewildered but angry all at once. His emotions and feelings were a total mess and while he wanted to punch Eren square in the face for saying such idiotic things, he also wanted to thank him or comfort him somehow. Instead, he lurched forward and pressed his hands onto the boy's shoulders, grasping them tightly with a desperate grip.

"What are you, masochistic?" he demanded, then laughed. Eren looked at him as if he were crazy. "I hurt you. Why are you doing this? Why are you sticking around like some stupid puppy? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You saved me," Eren said for what seemed like the hundredth time during their time together.

"I know that," Levi snapped, squeezing his shoulders even harder. "It's just... You act like you don't know what I've done to you. They say a man's actions say more than his words, meaning I'm a horrible human being. Even so, you treat me like any other person."

"You're right," Eren spoke softly as if afraid his words could hurt him. "But I'm not stupid. I can tell it wasn't your choice to... To do that to me. I don't know if this will make sense to you, but it was as if you were his puppet."

Unexpectedly, Levi laughed again. Telling by the sour smell of the room, Eren figured it was probably because of the drink.

"You can see right through me, it's kind of embarrassing," Levi admitted with a sigh. For a split second, they locked eyes. It was sort of intimate; if they were a little closer anyone would have mistaken them as a couple about to kiss.

"But why?" Eren question abruptly, almost eager.

"I didn't have anyone else." Levi couldn't understand why he was telling Eren all these personal facts about himself. If he were sober, he was sure he would have whacked Eren in the face for even asking. He didn't like opening up to most people, but he couldn't shut his mouth. "I was all alone."

In that moment it was as if time was standing still. The quietness was intense, almost irritating Eren. He wanted to reach out. He wanted to cup the man's face in his bruised hands and tell him that he was no longer alone, but he couldn't. One cannot simply comfort someone who twisted their life around. He didn't know why he was suddenly feeling the urge to touch him. It was weirding him out.

"Is... Is that why I'm still with you? Because you don't want to be alone?" Eren asked.

Levi looked at him. He had that deer in the headlights sort of face going on. "I'm not answering that."

Eren, because Levi did not deny the question, assumed yes. Yes, Levi decided to keep Eren with him because he did not wish to be alone after leaving Kenny. Heat rose to his cheeks. He was kind of flustered and flattered, but the feeling disappeared when he realized it could be anyone; he wasn't special at all. He was only the mold to fill in a space. He had to constantly remind himself.

"Anyway," Levi said began as he shot a glance at the clock. "You should probably go now. We're both tired, and I don't want us to pass out if we need to be on the run again."

"But-"

"I don't want to spout anymore stupid things that you certainly do not need to know," Levi said, exasperated. "You came here to thank me, right? Just do it and leave."

"Thanks," Eren muttered, appalled at his sudden cold tone of voice.

"Now leave."

Eren wanted to move his body, wanting to forcefully strip himself away from Levi's presence but found himself unable to.

"Wait," Eren said as he winced and closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Is there anything I can repay you with?"

"I don't want anything," Levi answered almost immediately.

Eren paused with deep thought in mind. He moved closer to the man. Levi did not notice that the boy across from him had his eyes darting quickly to his lips then to his eyes again. If he had seen these signs, he would have pushed him away if he was not drunk.

"Well, can I give you something anyway?"

"I said I don't-"

For a moment he thought that maybe he was going to pull out his wallet and give him a handful of cash again, only to realize that he had taken away his wallet a long time ago. His repayment was something he had least expected; a kiss. The soft flesh petals were soft and tasted faintly of  fizzy soda and suddenly he was very aware of what they were doing. The awareness of the fact that he was kissing him was overwhelming. Fear rumbled deep within him, but the only scary part was that he didn't dislike it.

---

if any of you read my other fanfic, they usually kiss when their feelings are mutual, this isn't it.

thank you for reading anyway!

edit: to those who already read this and wondering why i published this again, my wattpad wouldn't show me this chapter in edit so i had to publish a saved version of this part, so the kiss scene is a little different.

much love, takeshi