Choice: Attack on Titan

"Choice"

They sat in that vast expanse of sand and endless sky for what seemed like ages.

Eren had told him everything- about what he saw in his memories and everything he chose to do because of it. To Eren's surprise, his senior was taking it quite well- at least, he was on the outside. That wasn't all that seemed well on the outside- Levi's injuries were gone. In this place, he was as good as new.

"Eighty percent of humanity will be destroyed." Was the last thing Eren said before they slipped into this silence.

Levi sat down in the sand, his gaze transfixed on the sky. "If I knock your teeth out in this place, will you feel it?"

Eren widened his eyes. "Uh..."

Levi raised his arm, but instead of balling it into a fist, he flattened it out and patted the ground next to him.

"Sit."

Eren did as he was told.

Levi side-eyed him. "Good to see you can still follow orders."

"Captain Levi?"

"Skip the formalities, kid- if what you said is true, that shit doesn't matter anymore."

Eren dropped a hand to the ground, balling a bit of the sand in his palm.

Levi was the last person on his list- he had already talked to Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Connie, and everyone else- and he could pretty much predict each person's reaction, even Annie's. Captain Levi was too hard to read. This was his biggest hurdle by far. When he had talked to the others, he was able to retain his authoritative persona, more or less. But talking to Levi like this had him feeling like that bright-eyed recruit at age fifteen again.

In a way, it felt refreshing.

Levi cleared his throat. "I guess I can't blame you. You did what you thought was right. That's something I always wanted you to determine for yourself."

Eren thought back to those times- most prominently, the instance of his first mission outside the walls- where he and Levi Squad were being chased by the female Titan. Levi had urged him to make his own decision on whether to fight or trust in his squad. Either decision would have been dangerous, and he needed to live with the consequences of his choices. Fundamentally, this was the same kind of situation.

They knew so little then.

Now, Eren's the one who's all-knowing.

But did he really do what he thought was right as Levi said? Surely there was another way to free the Eldians without causing so much destruction. Maybe if he had just done things a little differently, or ignored the visions that plagued his mind ever since kissing Historia's hand all those years ago...

Eren lifted a hand to his temple, and Levi turned his head, looking at the young man for the first time since he finished explaining it all.

"You had to make a choice. You'd better not regret it."

Eren's exterior broke at those words. "But I didn't want to... I didn't want to do all of this. I just wanted to live my life and be free. I just wanted to get to the beach with Armin... I just wanted to be with Mikasa for the rest of my life... but now, I'll have none of that. I sacrificed it all for this task that shouldn't have even been mine." He raked his fingers through the sand, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. He shouldn't be breaking like this. He has a job to do.

Levi's hand landed on the top of Eren's head, ruffling his hair a bit. It was his signature move whenever things became too sentimental. It was just like what he did to him and Mikasa after they had sacrificed Erwin to save Armin's life.