~~(I know its Levi on the picture, but it fits so perfectly the imagination about how Erwin is holding his girl while sleeping <3)~~

"Then, please. Please tell me finally why everyone is freaking out about this crazy woman. I can't hold out much longer. Haven't I suffered enough in my life? Haven't I shed enough tears for the last years? I don't want to feel like this any longer. I don't...I don't want to be lonely ever again. I need him...And I need you." Her voice was shaking and weak, sore from all the screaming and crying. With a low breather, Erwin kisses her forehead without ever stopping to caress her back and head to comfort her.

"I know, darling. That's why I'm here. To stand by your side in this dark moment. And to give you the answers you're longing for and you deserve. Do you want to know why everyone was so overprotective about you since Petra arrived? Why we act so strange and why Levi changed into an asshole? I will tell you..." He takes a deep breath and presses Nina's body closer to him, afraid of letting her go.

"It all started a few years back. Eight years, when I remember correctly. This was the first time Levi and Petra met. They got along very well at first. She didn't care about his fucked up past or his cold acting, just like you do. This affected Levi positively, but not enough to fall in love with her. They had one night, that's it. But it was enough for Petra to believe that he loves her the same way she does with him. She became very clingy and started to follow him everywhere. This got so far that she started to stalk him. She observed him with glasses from afar, rifled through his garbage and even took photos of him when he wasn't aware. And if this wasn't weird enough, she started to scare away all women Levi tried to come in contact with. She threatened them and said humiliating things, just as she did with you. But when some women won't react to this, she became more dangerous. Even I couldn't foresee what she was able to do. When the one-night-stand with Petra was two years old, Levi finally found a woman he could love truly. And it all went pretty well. They loved each other deeply and did everything for each other."

"Yes. Yes. I got it. They were SO deeply in love. And what about Petra?" Nina asked impatiently and visibly pissed that Erwin dared to talk about one of Levi's ex's in her presence.

"I'm sorry dear. I got carried away. As for Petra...Well. Let's say she became jealous. Very. VERY. Jealous. After she observed the couple long enough, she terrorized Levis girl wherever she could. Writing scary letters with death threats, calling her at home and hanging up again before someone could answer, sending her packages with dead animals inside and even writing humiliating things with animal blood on her apartment door. It was really frightening. Levis girl endured it as long as she could, but one fateful day, she gave up and got so deeply depressed by all of this, that she took a whole box of sleeping pills. Levi found her and called the ambulance, but it was too late. She died on the way to the hospital. And she didn't even leave a letter behind where she explained her actions. Useless to say that Levi was far beyond crushed because of this. He did the only thing that he was good at: he took all the blame on himself. That he wasn't strong enough to protect her and that he wasn't there when she needed him the most. But deep inside, he knew that Petra was the real reason why. But unfortunately, there was not enough evidence to prove her guilty. Levi wanted her to be punished for her cruel crime, but he did nothing to make that happen.

He knew about the hopeless situation and without any pieces of evidence to prove her guilty, there was nothing we could do. I tried my best to comfort him and to be there for him in this hard time. But when he still was in deep grief about his lost love, we quickly packed everything together and arranged a full move-out in just one week. We found this penthouse, planned and packed everything as fast as we could and then, in the middle of the night, we left our former home. This was six years ago. Six years of peace where Levi was able to calm down and to forget about what happened back then. And now, after half a year since you came into our lives, his own past is overtaking him again. And he surely fears that the same will happen to you again, now that Petra has found us. Do you understand now? Why we acted the way we did and why he chased you away by saying all these mean things?" Erwin ended his story and it got awfully quiet in the living room.

Nina's breathing was low, but steady and her hand on my shirt played with a knob. "So...that's the reason why...Why didn't he tell me? Does he even trust me?"

"Of course he trusts you. He probably thought that if he'd told you, you would never leave his side and like this, you would've become an easy target for Petra. And since we all know now how she's acting, Levi is terribly afraid that you would get hurt even more. Speaking of which: How do you feel? How's your wound?" Erwin suddenly changed the topic.

"I'm confused. And tired. And my head hurts. But somehow, I feel relieved too. Relieved that I finally know how to deal with the situation. And relieved that I know why Levi reacted the way he did. Moments before, I thought I would die because of the pain I felt. I can't even describe to you how miserable and broken I felt. But now...I have new hope. The way he acts means, that he still loves me but is too afraid of having me around because he fears that I might end up the same way his former girlfriend did. If you had told me earlier, I maybe would've been prepared for today. But it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done. Now that I know all this, I will definitely not back up from Levi. And especially not from Petra. I don't know Levi's former girlfriend, but what I know is, that I'm not like her. I have a different personality and I can tell without hesitation, that I've been through a lot worse than this. You know nothing about the things I had to endure in my past. That's what makes me strong today. I know how to deal with bullies and I know how to avoid them. Next time when I meet Petra, I'm prepared." Nina stated in pure self-confidence. Erwin was far beyond amazed! How bold and calm she reacts right now. Moments before, she was nothing but an emotional wreck. Now, with the newly gained knowledge, it's almost like as if she's a completely different person. Erwin was clueless if he should be happy about by her bravery or frightened. Petra is unpredictable and a tough opponent. But no matter which option he will choose, Erwin was more than happy that she stopped crying. This was everything he wanted.

"I'm glad that you found yourself again." He sympathized while hugging her tightly, stroking over her back and head while she returns the welcoming warmth he offers her with the same affection.

"Thank you for coming here. You came when I needed you the most. And I don't know how to repay you your kindness."

"Please...We're friends. Its only natural that I'm by your side when you need me. And if you wish, I will also be by your side when you'll face Levi. How does that sound?" he asked with a breathy laughter.

"That would be wonderful. But not today. It was a terrible and exhausting day and my eyes feel twice the size." She yawns a big one as any further words were cut off. She probably cried and screamed so much that she's far beyond exhausted.

"Yes. Some sleep will be good for you. For both of us. Again: I'm glad that I was able to help you. Do you think you will be alright?" Erwin already prepares himself for leaving by guiding her down from his lap, but Nina suddenly holds tight to him again, wrapping her arms around his neck and not making any effort to let go of him. This was unforeseen. Is she about to cry again? Before he could ask her, she gave him the answer right away.

"Erwin...Would you stay here tonight? I don't think I'm able to sleep all alone here tonight. I need someone to lean on, to be sure that everything today wasn't just a bad dream. I need a friend. I need you." Her words made Erwin gasp in surprise. She's asking him to stay here overnight? To hold her while she's sleeping? Does she know what she's asking from him? She knows how he feels for her and that they kissed two times by now. And yet, she keeps up with having him close to her.

"Nina...I can't." He protested hesitantly, but deep inside he wants to say the opposite.

"Please, Erwin! Just tonight. I won't ask again. Don't make me beg for it."

But she's already begging. And her words affect him pretty fast. As if his mind didn't already agree to this. With a loud sigh, he pinches the bridge of his nose before he nods. "Alright. I'll stay here. But only for a sleepover. Nothing more."

"Promise" She assured, finally letting go of him to stand up from his lap to go into the bathroom. Probably cleaning herself from the last exhausting hours. While Nina is busy in the bathroom, Erwin leaves the living room as well, going straight into the bedroom. This is the first time he's here for other things than just observing the furniture. And just now, he realizes how intense her scent is in here. Mike was right. She really smells incredibly good. He sits down on the edge of the bed, stroking over the soft surface of the sheets. This is the place he will sleep tonight. A strange plot twist. But he said it's just for sleeping. Nothing more. And she agreed. And to take advantage of her wounded and weak state right now would be disgraceful. And he has more than enough self-control to keep his hands away from her private parts in this situation. Erwin undressed and folded his clothes neatly before he put them on the chair in the corner of the room. Just left in his boxers and a muscle shirt, he lays down in the bed, his head on her pillow as he inhales her scent deeply. A mix of her shampoo, the laundry detergent, and her body odor. A wonderful cocktail of fragrances. After a few more minutes, Nina comes out of the bathroom to join him in here. She looks way better by now and she changed the big white bandage on her head into a more inconspicuous one, since it was skin-colored and not as big as the white piece of gauze.

"Would you turn around, please? I would like to change my clothes." She chuckles as she looks at him with a shy smile.

"Oh! Of course." He totally forgot that he'd already laid down. So he stands up hastily and turns around in the opposite direction to avoid staring at her. He hears her clothes rustling while she changes. He feels the inner urge to take a small peek, but that would only cause Nina to throw him out to sleep on the couch, but that's not what he had in mind either. He pulls himself together and stayed like this until she finished and allowed him to turn around again. She's wearing the same blue sleeping clothes she'd worn when she had her first sleepover at his place, and it still looked gorgeous on her. The set that matches her eyes. Blue is definitely her color. Now that everything is settled and prepared, they both crawl underneath the warm and welcoming blanket. Erwin immediately feels a sudden and satisfying warmth running through his veins. Being able to lie in the same bed with Nina feels like heaven on earth. Even if it's just for comforting her. She moves closer to him under the blanket until she's close enough for Erwin to wrap his arms around her body, pulling her even closer. His heart is pounding in his chest from excitement, so as hers. He could feel it very clearly.

"Nina? Are you alright? Are you not feeling well with me being so close?"

"No. I'm feeling way better now. Thank you for staying here tonight. And thank you for being such a good friend. I don't know what I would do without you." And there is her kind and caring nature he adores so much. These words are enough to calm him down. Erwin strokes over her back a few times while he buries his nose in her hair to inhale her scent. It's selfish of him to use this situation so shamelessly, but he wants to know how it feels to wake up to her the next morning. How it feels to sleep next to the woman he loves. And by now, Erwin could say without hesitation that this is simply intoxicating. Feeling her body and her warmth so close to his own, how she's breathing against his chest and how their legs entwine under the blanket. It's breathtaking. And the more minutes fly by, the more could Erwin feel his own tiredness taking over his mind. Nina was already gone. Her breathing gives her state away. This is how it feels like to have the woman you love in your arms...Its a satisfaction far beyond expectation. To see how deep her trust is means everything to him. By pulling her head closer to his chest, Erwin finally gives up on staying awake as he surrenders to his tiredness, in silent hope to wake up next to her tomorrow.