ONE ʙʏ ONE 𝟸 : ᗩᗷᑌᔕᗴ ᗩᔕƳᒪᑌᗰ

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴇɪɢʜᴛ

Jean wasn't doing the best along the ride. He was beging to freak everyone out with his antisocial behavior, and they would find him up at night talking to himself. Zeke was worried that the effects of Rose Wall Asylum left its mark on him.

On the first night, Zeke caught him awake on in the common area deck, mumbling and rambling to himself. Zeke tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

"What's up, man?" Zeke questioned. "You're freaking everyone out."

Jean looked up at him. "Eren's gonna kill me too. Then you're next."

Zeke sat next to him and tried to calm him down. "So you're gonna stay up for two nights straight just to make sure Eren won't attack you?"

Jean nodded and gestured towards the captain's quarters window. Zeke stumbled back as he saw Eren's peircing gold eyes staring down at them like a vulture. Once Eren noticed he was spotted, he moved away from the glass and out of view.

"He used to be mine." Jean recalled. "I only got to kiss him once, but it was one-sided." He paused. "I still want him to be mine."

Zeke chortled, "You're kidding, right? Levi would snap your neck if he heard you say that."

"But wouldn't I be a better brother-in-law?"

Zeke paused before huffing, "Jean, you're a great guy, but Eren is too far devoted to Levi."

Jean smirked, "You didn't answer my question — wouldn't I be a better brother-in-law."

Zeke thought for a moment. "Well, if Eren did end up with you, he'd still be sane."

They laughed together, but their laughing ceased when a loud cough came from behind them. They spun around to see Levi glaring daggers at them. Their laughter turned into fearful mumbles.

"Zeke's not wrong." Levi scoffed, walking past them. "Eren is devoted to me...and I will snap your neck for saying that, Jean." His tone spat like venom.

Jean swallowed a lump in his throat. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Eren's having another fit. I went to get him a drink." Levi explained. "What's your excuse?"

Jean shrugged, "Couldn't sleep. Smells like rotting corpse down there. I wonder why." He looked at Levi sarcastically.

"Pathetic." Levi scoffed as he made his way to the stairs that let up to the captain's quarters. "If a little blood and corpse makes you ill, then you're to weak for Eren anyway."

The raven disappeared up the stairs with a cup of water. Jean and Zeke looked at eachother, and out of no where they began snickering. They snickered and laughed all night.

When the others woke up in the morning, it was like Jean's crazy affected Zeke. Berthold and Reiner were the first to wake up. When they entered the common deck, it was like the air had a dense feeling. They saw Jean and Zeke whispering to each other, but they were more disturbed by Eren staring at them from across the area.

"Is everyone okay?" Reiner asked.

To everyone's surprise, Eren spoke up. "They're sick. They hate Christa's corpse."

Berthold raised his eyebrows. "Eren, you said a full, not-as-creepy sentence. Are you getting better?"

Eren looked to them, smiled, and nodded. The motion was the most fluent, non-robotic movement they had seen in a bit. It was Jean and Zeke that made them more uncomfortable.

Berthold walked up to the mumbling two and tapped Zeke's shoulder. "Hey, are you two okay? You're freaking me out."

The mumbling stopped and the two looked up at him. Zeke chuckled, "We're taking guesses on which order Eren will kill everybody."

Jean followed, "First me, then Hange — you two are third and fourth; however, we can't tell which will die first."

Eren answered, "Whoever falls asleep first."

Zeke and Jean began to cackle, which sent a chill down Reiner and Berthold's spine. They quickly got Hange and Holly awake and explained everything.

When they came back to the common area, Levi was there. Eren whispered somwthing to him, and Levi sighed. Jean and Zeke were glaring at the two, who returned the glance.

"Zeke, don't let Jean's crazy infect you." Levi monotoned. "Your mother, I'm sure, wants you sane."

"Since when have you cared about my mother?" Zeke scoffed.

Levi gave him a sarcastic stare. "Ever since she became my mother-in-law. I'm trying to give you the same respect here."

"You haven't married Eren. She's not your mother-in-law." Jean interjected.

Levi grinned and wrapped an arm around Eren's waist. "Oh, I'm just planning for the near future."

Eren looked down at the Raven, almost entranced by him. Everyone noticed the connection between Eren and Levi. Eren knew how to talk properly — him and Levi just talked quietly or in private. It was like he wanted to scare everyone.

Jean was clearly jealous, and Zeke was upset with their connection. Levi was confused.

"I kept my promise, Zeke." He defended himself. "I didn't kill until Eren told me to. He's safe and happy isn't he? I deserve a little credit."

Zeke scowled, "Yeah, you kept your promise, but how does that make up for all the trauma you've put him through?"

"Everyone has trauma," Levi shrugged, almost chuckling at him.

"Yeah, but you tortured him for your own obsession." Zeke stood up. "If you loved him so much, you would've let him be happy."

Zeke and Jean left for the lower deck, glad to see Levi's smug face turn insecure. Hange and Holly were too groggy to understand the drama that just unfolded. They looked at each other with annoyed looks.

"God, I love the S.S. Crazy cruise! How about you?" Hange joshed to her friend.

Holly threw her hands up. "I'm so close to just swimming the rest of the way there!"

Berthold looked to Levi and Eren. "Yep, we are an asylum on water."

A small group of people, on a barely big enough boat — shoulder to shoulder with a psycho and his lover, two psychiatric patients, and a rotting dead girl. It can't get much worse.

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How is everyone?

Toodles~