Author's Note: My apologies for not updating my other fictions. Lately, I've been engulfed in Attack on Titan. So much so that I managed to churn out some Eruri (Erwin X Levi) fluff. This is a yaoi-inspired Alternative Universe fiction. I wrote this prior to reading "A Choice with No Regrets" so therefore any inaccuracies of both the story-line and characters wasn't intended, simply implied. No real spoilers of the sorts either. Nonetheless, hope you enjoy!

Painful Memories

"Levi?"

"Levi?!"

"What is it?!" Levi answers annoyed, not bothering to turn around.

"I bought you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"You should put something in your belly…since you haven't bothered eating anything all day long."

"I'm fine," Levi insists.

"If you change your mind…it will be here waiting for you."

Levi remained mute staring blankly ahead. It wasn't until he heard the door clicking when he turned. Now with the coast was clear, he saunters over to the small wooden table looking over the bowl. He took a long whiff inhaling the broth's savory scent.

"Looks, like chicken noodle…curse you Erwin."

Levi took a seat at the table peering at his meal. He picked up the spoon, taking a long sip. The soup, felt warm, inviting helping clear his parched throat. As soothing as the soup was, he couldn't seem to grasp the taste of his favorite broth. He dropped the spoon, watching it crash against the table. Levi sighed looking at his callused hands.

"That's right how could someone with so much blood, on their hands smell could or taste anything other than bloodshed and pain."

"I'm a fool."

Levi lifts up from the table but as he was walking away he felt a slight ting of pain.

He stops glaring at the floor. "Damn ankle."

Ignoring the prickling feeling coursing through his injury Levi continues on till something caught his attention.

Hearing voices nearby Levi stops, peeking outside his window. He stood, watching some of the Military Police haphazardly sweeping up all the blood, bodies and debris from the desolate street below his loft. Levi sighed shifting his attention over to the crystal, blue skies wondering how Mother Nature could afford them this tranquil beauty in this trying time. Then another thought occurred was this her way of showing the people of Stohess that despite the terror, bloodshed and chaos that he and the Recon Corp bought upon people of Wall Sina that their mission wasn't a complete failure after-all.

In the end, he and the surviving members of the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission managed to not only capture the elusive female titan but they also were able to…save the idiot. Whom Levi, hated to admit was probably their best chance at saving humanity at this point. Which, still bought Levi very little comfort, knowing that Eren Jaeger, the frantic, irrational, boy, determined to become a member of the Survey Corps could be the key that he and the others needed to unlock the secret of the titans. Levi shifts handing his attention back over to the people gathered below.

He leans over the window sill watching, wishes that there was something he could do especially for the fallen members of the Special Operations squad. His mind shifts back to the moment when Petra Ral's father approached him, revealing that she was secretly in love with him. A revelation, that honestly took him by surprise. Still, that aside, Levi simply didn't have the heart to tell him that his beloved daughter was dead. Speaking of death Levi stood there wondering why he was given another chance at life. At this point in his life, he had taken more than a few gambles on his own life, on several occasions. He lingered at the window stalling at the reality that once again his life was spared for some odd reason. He shifts watching the people below, wondering if there was anything he could do to honor the memories of his fallen comrades…

A sharp chill ran down his spine Levi shivered, closing the shutters cutting off the chilly winds. He walked over to the fireplace, looks like now was as of a good time to start the fire seeing how the evening had turned quite frigid. After gathering the wood, Levi lit a small match tossing it into in the wood. He stood watching the embers slowly starting to set the wood ablaze.

He sucks in a long deep breath, the smell emitting from burning embers was drowning out the grim smell of death that was saturating the air. As Levi stood watching the fire grow, loud piercing screams start pervading his mind becoming louder and louder by the second. He tries to shift his thoughts but it was too no avail…Levi couldn't seem to shut off the horrific screams. He shut his eyes, but behind his lids, all he could see was a glow of red.

A deep scarlet red…the color of blood, and fire.

Where was the pervading thoughts coming from he wondered?

Levi tries to focus his thoughts on something, other than the images and piercing screams twisting around inside his head. Levi gasps opening his eyes staring into the fire…and in that very moment his mind started flicking back to the past, back to a time that he would often try to suppress in the far depths of his conscious. But the more he tried fighting the more his mind kept replaying the screams, and images. It was as-if they were on some weird continuous loop, spinning inside his head. If that wasn't enough, he sat there wondering why his mind had suddenly been thrust back in the past.

Levi didn't know.

He whipped away from the fire wrapping his head in his hands. But the searing fire, the heat, along with the screams echoing inside his head sent Levi into a tailspin with him being forced to recall that horrible day that changed his life forever...

"Celeste there you are." Levi ran into her comforting arms.

"Levi I'm so happy that you are safe."

Levi peered at the raven haired girl with the bright green eyes shaking his head. "Why…is something going on?"

"Levi they're here."

"Whose here?"

Celeste peeked outside of the small wooden door. "The titans."

Levi swallowed hard, "they are?!"

"Yes," she said turning back to Levi. Her normally happy expression, was replaced with a look of sheer terror. The normally fearlessly happy, girl that he had come to know, looked sickly, pale as if all the color had drained from her soul.

He gasped, realizing from her expression this was no game, nor was a drill, and the threat was real. In that moment it hit Levi, that there was a strong chance that the both of them could die any moment…second.

He clutched his rapidly beating heart, trying to catch his struggling breath. "Celeste, what are we going to do?"

"We're…" she started pointing towards both herself and Levi, "not going to do anything you are going to stay here."

A wave of confusion swept over Levi, what had she meant by this statement, but as he were preparing to ask what she meant a long quake rattled the vicinity interrupting his attempt. Unable to keep his balance he stumbled to the ground, gripping his head.

"Levi…are you okay?!"

"I'm fine," he insisted, declining her help.

But, as he tried sitting up, Levi knew something was amiss, as everything around him was spinning in some sort of twisted notion. Shrieks, yells, and murderous screams that reeked of death sliced the air cutting off his circulation of thoughts. Suddenly, in that moment the air reeked of smoke, along with a rain of body parts pouring from the air like hail of fire. Levi shrieked staring in horror at the piece of flesh clinging to his leg. Too shocked to move, he sat there shaking, convulsing…helplessly pinned to the ground by his own paralyzing fear.

Fright that was well warranted, their city's greatest fear had somehow manifested into reality.

A titan attack.

He lied there on the ground wondering where were their champions of justice, the people who were supposed to protect them from the biggest threat to humanity.

A long and loud, growl nearby jolted Levi from his state of shock.

"Levi?"

"Yes."

"Come with me."

Levi nodded swiping the flesh from his leg and without question followed Celeste inside. She quickly shut the door behind them skirting pass him.

"Levi, hurry."

He tried moving faster but his feet and his mind for some odd reason weren't in sync with each other. Celeste reached out grabbing his hand dragging him through the empty hallway. He thought he heard her speak, but it was difficult to decipher what she was saying over the rattling of the ground beneath them along with the blood-curdling screaming threatening to bust his eardrums.

"Levi…I want you to stay in here."

"In where?" He looked around the small dining room, trying to find where she was referring too.

"The cubby hole."

"There?" Levi questioned trying to make sense of what Celeste was asking him to do.

"Yes."

"But why?"

"This is the safest place from the titans."

"But, how do you know?"

"Levi, trust me on this I know that it is."

Levi glanced back and forth between Celeste and the small, crawl space. His entire core shook as he watched in horror all the precious memories, memorials, and other treasures become distant memories as they crashed into the ground shattering in pieces. Levi ducked trying to avoid the hail of glass, wood and other debris that littered the ground around them.

"Levi, please go inside now," she begged.

Nodding his consent, Levi slowly crawled inside the cramped hole. If there was one person in this world that he could trust it was Celeste and if she thought this was the safest place, then so be it. He watched the smile that he loved spread across her youthful face. Returning her smile, Levi moved over to make room for her. This was the place where the both of them would often come to share their most intimate secrets, or to simply spend time together but instead of coming inside, he saw her shutting the door.

"Celeste, what are you doing?" Levi demanded holding door.

"Levi, I love you and this is why I'm protecting you."

"What?!"

In that moment, everything around him, including all the chaos, and wreckage ceased to exist.

"Levi by hiding you inside of here the titans won't come after you they will…" she stopped sucking in a long breath, "come for me."

Levi remained mute, feeling his body starting to convulse with that paralyzing fear once again.

"But…but how do you know that they will come for us?" Levi asked, feeling the strain in his voice.

"Trust me they will, they can smell, sense human blood it's what they thrive off live off they flourish from our existence."

"No…that doesn't make any sense if you're here with me they won't be able to find us," Levi pleaded, pressing his hand against the door.

"Levi you have no idea, how much this world needs someone like you."

"Celeste, what are you talking about?"

"Levi, I've seen you out there training you have such amazing skills."

Levi gasped, he hadn't realized that Celeste was watching those pretend training exercises that he often mimicked from some of the local Scout Regiment members. Besides being too young to join, Levi wasn't at all interested in joining or having an affiliation with the government or any of their entities. He simply was playing around and copying their techniques only as a means to pass time.

Lost in his own tangled thoughts, Levi failed to notice Celeste leaning in closer, startled he tried moving closer but the cramped space wouldn't allow him so. He shut his eyes, not knowing what to expect…he lingered there anticipating till he felt a slight peck on his cheek.

"Celeste," Levi whispered touching his face.

"Farewell…" was the last word Levi heard as she shut the door.

"Celeste!" Levi screamed from the other side, beating against the door.

But his call fell on deaf ears.

He tried turning the knob but to no avail she had locked it from the other end. Levi cursed slamming his fists into the cold, hard floor. What the hell was she doing…and why did she lock him inside. A wave of panic, and sheer terror started sweeping over him. Then the truth finally hit him, and there was no way he was going to let Celeste sacrifice her life for his sake. After-all he had already lost his parents in this manner…there was no way he was going to lose her too. Looking around Levi, tried looking for anything he could use to pry open the door. Damn, there wasn't anything he could find anything useful.

As he continued looking, a wave of unfamiliar voices stopped Levi dead in his tracks.

"No you can't do that!"

"Girl…we have too otherwise the titans will come for us."

"No!"

Levi leaned his ear against the door, trying his best to decipher the jarring conversion.

"Please don't!"

"We have too."

"No, I won't let you!" Celeste screamed.

"Guys take the girl!"

"LEVI!"

"CELESTE!"

Thumping, rattled Levi's core, with his heart now beating in sync to the sound of the heavy rattling. At some point, he managed to tune out his flustering heartbeat trying to focus on the voices growing closer to his location.

"They're coming!" someone screeched.

"Do it now!" yelled another.

"NOOOOO!" Celeste wailed.

Levi covered his ears as the bloodcurdling screams ripped through the air. Though, covered ears the thumping sound was all that he could hear. But, then again at this point Levi wasn't too sure if that was the sound of a titan or the beating of his own heart.

Dead.

Silence trickled through the air sending a frightening shiver down his spine.

Why had everything gone so quiet all of a sudden?

Then it hit him…the smell of metallic…that inevitable smell was the stench none other than death. Levi swallowed hard trying to fight the tears swelling at the base of his eyes.

"Celeste…" he called, but Levi knew his attempts were in vain.

He called out to her once more for reassurance but nothing but dead silence answered him back. Levi cursed, slamming his fists against the door. This was it. He slammed fists against the harden floors allowing his emotions to overtake him. Levi lied there not bothering to fight the tears constantly pouring. Once again when he thought he was healing from the anguish of losing his family those many years ago, he was hit with another blow. Levi wailed, not caring if anyone or the stinking titans heard him…he was as good as dead anyway. As it felt like both his heart and soul were ripping away from him.

As he lied there casting out his sorrows a different smell invaded his senses, this smell jarred him out of his stupor. This wasn't any ordinary smell…he took a long sniff of the hot, dry air. The air started choking his airways. Then it became clear that the clogged air was smoke and from the smell of it, there was a lot of it. Panic, swept over him as he tried searching once again for something he could use to escape.

"I have to get out of here!"

Levi managed to find a way to sit up and began kicking the door with all his might. He covered his face, trying not to breath in the toxic air that was threatening to suffocate him. Just as he found the strength to kick down the slacken door some fallen debris thwarted his escape. Levi, shoved against some of the shards slowly crawling out of the hole. Ignoring the prickling pain, and blood dripping from his hands and knees Levi tried his best to stay below the smoke. He stopped sucking in a deep breath, but stopped cold in his tracks looking around. The place that had become like a second home, was scorching, with deep scarlet flames licking the walls, torching anything and everything in its treacherous path.

Levi searched high, low seeking an escape from the burning inferno.

Spotting a small area where the fire hadn't reached he dropped down to his knees, groaning from the both pain and suffocating air he quickly made a beeline for the opening. A shrill scream echoed through the air. Levi dropped to the hot ground, his body was in searing pain. Panic shot though his core he was afraid of the damage that the fallen debris had caused as he looked back at his leg. Levi watched helplessly as the debris seared at his flesh. Paralyzed by his own fear Levi couldn't bring himself to remove the burning ember threatening to engulf his leg.

But he knew he had to do something the burning was starting to rip away at his flesh. It was a pain like no other…it was like hot pelting needles slowly peeling away at his skin. After what felt like a lifetime, Levi managed to shake out of his stupor reaching for the object but before, he could try to get whatever had dropped on his leg off something else had fallen on top of him. Expect this time it was his back that took the brunt. A sickening crack vibrated inside his head, Levi yelped with a voice that he didn't recognize as a razor-sharp like stabbing pain shot throughout his entire body.

Did the piece of debris that fell not only crack his spine, but severed the base of his nerves?

It certainly felt so, he yelled in agony until his throat grew raw and hoarse.

Soon numbness started spreading over his entire body, yet Levi found this strangely calming. He sighed lying his head against the warm ground. In that moment, a sense of peace started overtaking Levi. He knew that this was it and that in a matter of moments…seconds rather he would be dead. A thin smile spread across Levi's lips soon he would no longer be of this world having to suffer this torturous pain.

It made Levi happy knowing that he would be able to join both his parents and Celeste in the after-life. Now the only thing to do was to simple wait and let death take her course. With his eyelids growing heavy, Levi no longer fought the urge to keep them open. An itch ensued inside his throat…soon it manifested in an endless array of erratic coughs...with his lungs unable to keep up with the coughing spell a choking sensation overtakes his breathing.

The taste of bitter metallic filled his taste buds. Once, Levi found the strength to open up his eyes again, around him lied a small pool of blood. He shut his eyes again, feeling the gagging sensation once more. He lied there sputtering, and choking…wondering why he was still alive, and having to suffer. But, as Levi finally felt both his heart and breathing slowing, a flood of voices filled his ears.

"Do you think anyone is in there?"

"I don't know…"

"Commander Pixis, what should we do?" called a deep authoritative voice.

"We need to check every single house to see if there are any survivors," answered Pixis, a man who Levi vaguely recognized.

"How could anyone survive this?"

"Son, you will be surprised what a man does to fight death."

Though the fogginess that was clouding his mind, Levi slowly tried calling out to the people. But it was too no avail, his voice was still ragged and raw, from both the yelling and the coughing. He tried moving but the burns along with the injuries to both his legs and spine prevented him from doing so. Levi sighed…it was too late for him anyways he had come to terms with his imminent death. Succumbing to the pain, Levi shut his eyes, he felt his soul slowly slipping away. But, somewhere in the far corner of his mind, he heard the faint sound of footsteps, and they were gathering closer to him.

"Over there, I think I see a body."

The footsteps were closing in on him that much Levi knew but there was nothing he could do at this point to alert the people to his whereabouts.

"Guys, I found someone," someone expressed excitedly.

"Is he?" another asked trailing off.

"Commander over here…" ordered the same brooding voice.

Levi could feel the warmness around him not from the fire but the people gathering around him.

"Should we?"

"Lift the debris off the body?" asked another.

Levi's body reacted with a hard twitch once the debris was removed from both his back and leg.

"I think he's dead…" someone nearby said.

Levi could feel the remorse in their tone. If they only knew that he was alive, suffering such torturous pain. He lied on the ground anticipating death, he was sure would come any moment now. But, to his surprise, it was none of the sorts. What gives, and why was he still among the living.

"Where was death, and why hadn't she come for me yet?"

"What the hell was she waiting for?"

It was this moment were Levi, realized that maybe it wasn't his time to leave this world. With both the pain and sorrow, continuing to sweep over him, Levi tried desperately to fight the unconsciousness threatening to consume his soul.

"No, I think I saw him move," a shrill voice nearby said.

Levi stirred, could it be that someone had realized he were alive. Even so, he was sure that there was nothing that they could do to save him at this point. He incurred grave injuries, so there was no point in wasting their efforts to save him.

"Turn the boy over slowly," ordered Commander Pixis.

Pain rippled throughout Levi's body, jolting him to life as he felt his body being turned on his back. Levi tried screaming, but with his hoarse voice it was impossible.

"He's…alive?" someone uttered.

"Barely…" Pixis expressed grimly.

In that moment something incredible happened, Levi sprang to life, feeling his lungs clearing out the toxic air. As they cleared he started gasping, trying to cling for any available air.

"Isn't that Levi?" someone inquired.

"I believe so," answered another.

"Commander Smith fetch the air tubes…we need to hurry if we are to save this boy."

"Sir…Yes…Sir!" called the brooding voice beside him.

In that moment, Levi felt something tight wrapped around his both his face and nose suddenly he felt streams of air pumping into both orifices. But, all that oxygen was too much at once, the swell of unconscious started rolling over him once again. Unable to fight it, Levi eyes rolled into the back of his head with every single inch of his body falling limp against the sodden floors.

"Commander…I think we are losing him…" were the last words Levi heard as the unconsciousness took over shrouding him in dark uncertainty…