AOT: Insight

Choices

Groaning my eyes fluttered. My head hurt. The soft light surrounding me hurt it. I raised a hand to shield my eyes. My arms felt heavy, like I had worked out too much. Armin. The name sprang to my head. It was swiftly followed by another. Levi! I cried out the second name as I sat up.

The room around me spun. The darks and lights blending together. My stomach didn't agree with the sensation. Not having a whole lot of time, I bent over. Something was thrust into my lap, everything in my stomach came spewing out. A cold sweat broke out on my skin as I threw up more and more. Soon there was nothing left but my body didn't know that. Dry heaves racked my body for a few seconds. A cool hand touched my forehead. It brushed the sweat plastered hair back.

"Hey, bright eyes." A soft worried voice whispered slightly above me.

I wanted to pull him to me, to kiss him, but I knew he would find that gross. I had just vomited everything inside me up. Also, the sticky sweat still covered my body. I reached up to brush the hand away. Hearing the tsk sound, I wanted to laugh, but I knew that something had gone very wrong.

I knew I was endangering them all. I couldn't stay here any longer. I twisted away from Levi. My time with him had come to an end. I had fulfilled my promise to Armin. I found him a home. I was sure Levi would keep him safe, but there was no safe for me. There never had been. I closed my eyes as the hand found my face again.

"What are you thinking?" Levi hissed.

"Nothing, just tired." I muttered.

"He's planning on running." Armin's voice cut through my fog like a knife.

Turning I glared at him. I still hadn't looked up to face Levi yet. Armin eyed me with one eyebrow raised. His backpack was slung over one shoulder. Mine was clutched tightly in his hands. He smirked at me as he pulled it into his arms. I rolled away to face the wall. Right now I didn't even have the energy to sit up.

The bed sank beside me. "Please don't go, Eren." The raw open emotion in that voice made me feel bad.

Squeezing my eyes shut I tried to contain the tears, it didn't work. They leaked out. Soon my shoulders were shaking. Levi placed his hand, a bit awkwardly, on my shoulder. He rubbed at my back. The sensation calmed me enough to allow me to drift back to sleep. I was afraid to stay awake. Afraid to wake up back in that lab...

When I came aware again, the room was darker, quieter. I sat up. Levi was slumped in the chair by the door. His small body stretched out, arms folded over his chest as his chin rested a few inches above them. He was asleep. I gaped at that. I couldn't recall ever seeing him sleep.

Looking around, I noticed we were in Armin's and my room back at Levi's house. Armin was curled on the other side of the bed. He still had both backpacks held tightly in his hands. I looked up at the window.

"Don't try it. The guards are making five minute sweeps. They have orders to detain you using any means, other than lethal, until the runt gets to you."

I hadn't seen the shadow leaning against the wall. I blinked now as the cigarette lighter flared in the darkness. Kenny. He drew in, the tip of his cancer stick glowing. It illuminated his face in a frightening way.

"You're here to protect your kin, right?" I whispered to him.

He didn't reply to me, but nodded his head. The harsh smell coming from the smoke filled my lungs. I coughed a little. He eyed me.

"I'm endangering them. Just let me go. If I leave, my family won't have any reason to come after you." I pointed out.

"You think it would be that easy getting away from them?" Kenny's deep timbered voice asked.