The Glow(Eren x Levi)

Levi's Past

Levi's POV

"What?" Eren asked, his voice filled with worry. "Terrorized you?"

I shifted uncomfortably with a sigh. "I'm tired, Eren." He sat up, my arm sliding off his shoulder. I groaned as I regretted opening my mouth. I felt a bit of grief stick to my gut, a feeling I haven't felt in a long time. I wrapped my arm around his stomach and pulled him closer, placing my forehead against his hip.

"What are you doing?" Eren asked with an adorable giggle.

"Lay with me."

He stayed silent for a few minutes before speaking again. "I'm not laying with you until I feel no anger."

I lifted my head up slightly. "Anger? Why are you angry?"

"You make me angry." He whispered. I sighed again as I sat up and looked at him. His face was just barely recognizable in the darkness, his bright green eyes still glowing. Those eyes stared at me, unmoving. I stared back.

"What did I do to you?" I asked a bit harshly.

"You're a butt face." He said cutely.

I cupped his cheek in my hand and rubbed it lightly with my thumb. "What is it, Eren?"

Eren let out a long sigh. "I just want you to tell me things. You don't have to keep it in."

"If you want to know something just ask me." I said before giving him a quick peck and laying back down. "Now lay down." He hesitated before laying down, facing away from me. I placed my hand on his hip and pulled his body against mine. Eren skin was cold to the touch, which is abnormal for him. I yanked the blanket up and draped it over us.

"What did you mean by that?" He asked even more hesitantly. "Freedom from those who terrorized me."

I kissed his back before answering. "Do you want a bedtime story or something?"

"N-no. I, uh, just-" He stammered.

"I got the tattoo the day I turned eighteen. It was a symbol of my freedom from the filth who took care of me." I paused. "Or at least thought they did."

"You aren't explaning anything." Eren whined. "Give me the bedtime story of Levi Ackerman."

"I have a few conditions. One, don't you dare give me any of your fucking pity. Two, don't let this change your opinion of me. Three, I don't ever want to see the look of pity on your face. If I ever see it, I'll smack it off. Four, tell anyone and your balls are gone."

"Okay." He whispered. I laid there in thought for a minute. 'Do I really want to tell him? Can he keep secrets? Can I handle this? Where do I start? From the beginning, of course.' I took a deep breath.

"I was born in the ghettos. A dirty, poor, and dangerous area. My mother died when I was about two and Kenny took me in. Too be honest, I don't know the connection between him and my mother." I paused, organizing my thoughts. "Anyway, Kenny was rarely there. I was only fed about once a week."

Eren turned around and wrapped his arm around my side, squeezing. "I'm so cold and you're so warm."

I felt a bit of warmth inside my chest and smiled faintly, rubbing his arm. "Eventually I was put into foster care. I was moved from house to house. School to school. I was never adopted. In quite a few of the homes, the men of the house would beat me."

"How old were you?" He asked, obviously trying to hide the sadness in his voice.

"3, 6, 7, 10, 15, 17." I shivered thinking about it. "The one who had me at three hardened me. He made me repeat 'I do not cry. I do not smile. I do not laugh. I do not love.' when I woke up, before I ate, before I went to bed and after I did any of those things. He would beat me if I did."

"I had two friends, though." I continued. "I met Farlan when I was about 10 and then Isabel came in about five years later. Farlan and I would get into all kinds of trouble together. Isabel was a kindhearted kid, for some reason you remind me of her."

"I remind you of a girl?" He laughed softly. "Where are they now?"

A stab of pain shot through my body and I stiffened. "When I was 17, we had some problems with a gang. Well, I had problems but anyway. Us three decided to go resolve it with a fair fight. We all agreed on bare hands, no weapons."

"Levi, you're shaking. Are you okay?" Eren asked, worried.

I ignored him and continued. "But when we started fighting, I heard a gun shot and then Isabel screamed. When I turned around, Isabel was lying facedown. Blood was puddling around her. I looked around for Farlan and when I found him it was too late. His throat had been cut open."

"Levi?"

"Hm?" I hummed.

"You're, uhm, crying." Eren replied sadly. I quickly sat up and put my fingers to my cheek, they were wet. I quickly wiped my eyes.

" I do not cry. I do not smile. I do not laugh. I do not love. I do not cry. I do not smile. I do not laugh. I do not love." I muttered inaudibly.

"Levi. Levi! Look at me." Eren said sternly. I turned my head and he grabbed my cheeks. "You are free from them. You got your tattoo to remind yourself, right? You can cry, you can smile, you can laugh, and you can love."

I turned my body around and laid on top of him, my face inside the crook of his neck. Eren wrapped his arms around my neck and pulled me close. I felt safe. A drop of something rolled down my face and then I heard him sniff, I lifted my head up.

"What's wrong?" I wiped his tears with my thumb but they just kept coming.

"I feel guilty. I used to think you were just heartless. That you were just a sadistic douchebag but I have never been so wrong in my entire life." He gasped softly before sobbing. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry, Levi."

"I thought the same thing." I whispered before placing my head back down. I kissed his neck softly as he started to calm down. The tears stopped but it took him a while to get his breathing back in order. Eren rubbed my back slowly as we both drifted off to sleep.