I did it, I wrote a multi-chapter fic. Actually, it will only have 3 or 4 chapters at this point. But, I think I have a job now so I won't really have tons of time to work on this, so I should start putting it up now, eh? Anyways, this has drug usage, which I realized I've never actually touched on, but I've seen it, and it's ugly. I appreciate reviews no matter what you have to say! Thanks for your support I wrote this because you guys said you wanted more RiRen. (For those of you wondering, this will be rated M for a reason, eventually.) Updates will come sooner rather than later.

He was running. His veins were throbbing, for the substance he needed, the substance he craved. Tears were in his eyes, that much he was sure of, but he couldn't change what he had done, and who he had become. He tripped, on a can, on a curb, maybe on a body. He was in the dirtiest of dirty places. But the whole world was now dirty, the whole world was now corrupt and smothered in the filth they had created, like a child trapped in its own diaper, screaming out for help. His face hit the gooey sidewalk, and he could barely find the energy to get back up again.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Eren's voice was hoarse, shrill.

Anxious, needy thoughts were pounding through his head.

I need it. I need it. I need it.

Gimme. Gimme. Gimme.

Now. Now. Now.

More. More. More.

He wished he could die, that the world would sweep him into the gutter with the other trash that he was sure he resembled. But the drugs kept him going. They kept him running. They kept him craving more.

"Hey, you." A voice from above him called out to him, he could feel grimy fingers touch his back.

"What?" Eren croaked out.

"This what you looking for?" A small bag of a white powder was lowered down in front of his face.

Eren's hand snapped out to grab for it on instinct, but the bag was pulled from reach.

Stupefied, Eren groaned out. "How much? Give it to me dammit."

"45."

Eren pulled himself up onto his knees, reaching within the depths of his pocket to pull out some money. The man standing before smiled a crooked smile. That's when Eren made his move. He jumped to his feet, landing a fist into the man's face, knocking him to the ground.

Eren scooped up the bag, running as fast as he could.

"You bastard, get back here!"

Eren was too far-gone to catch; he had spent his whole life running. He found solace in a dark alleyway, where he lay out a flat cardboard box and lay down a line of the substance. Just as he figured, there was a set of wings printed on the small baggie. The wings of freedom they called them.

"Fucking OCD son of a bitch," Eren knew this brand and everyone else in the world knew this brand.

He pressed his nose close to the board, letting himself have a deep inhale of the powder. It stung the back of his throat and up deep in his nostril, but it was still the finest on the market.

Eren smirked, "Levi, you've never let me down."

He finished off the bag and passed out in the alley, finally satisfied.

He didn't know what time it was when he was dragged out of the alley. It could've been that night, the next night, or the break of dawn. He wasn't afraid of getting arrested. The cops had so many better things to do than arrest a small drug addict like himself. The cops went after the huge drug lords and trafficking companies, like Wall Maria, Kyojin, and the biggest and the best, ran by the only man fit for the job, as well as named after him, Levi. No one knew what Levi looked like, basically no one even knew if he was a person or what he was. But everyone feared his name, and everyone craved his drugs.

But, Eren had bigger things to worry about at the moment. Like who the hell was dragging him away and where too? His hazy emerald eyes snapped open, to see two men wearing green capes and sunglasses. Eren blinked, where those Recon Corps capes?

His eyes shot open wide, "No, no, this isn't what you think! I swear to god, I'll do anything, I'll pay you back, I didn't-"

Eren's head was pulled back. Duct tape was slapped onto his mouth, and then his head was stuffed into a black bag, his hands tied behind his back. He was dragged out of the alley, and thrown into the back of a van.

No one feared the cops, but everyone feared the Recon Corps. The Recon Corps were Levi's men, sent to capture anyone seen stealing his drugs, illegally trafficking his drugs, stealing his formula, so forth and so on. Now, those taken in by the Recon Corps rarely came out and lived to tell the tale. Eren knew he was risking it. He knew how good his men where, they where everywhere, and no one lived out of their sight.

Eren's head was still pounding from last nights' binge. He was beginning to crave more already, like eating cereal in the morning; Eren usually snorted a few lines. He felt the bumps of the decrepit road as they traveled out to one of the bases of Levi. Part of him wished to beg, but the other part wished to die. After the things he had been through in the drug war, he didn't want anything anymore. Everyone he loved had died or abandoned him.

No longer having time to reminisce his body was pulled out of the car by the string of the bag around his neck, strangling him. His nostrils flared, trying to suck in as much oxygen as possible.

Then he heard one of the Recon Corps men whisper something to the other, maybe something along the lines of, "You're killing him you know."

The hold on his neck was loosened. He was tossed down on his knees, he felt his hands being cuffed to a cool pole rubbing against his back. The bag was ripped off his head. The duct tape however, remained.

Eren blinked a few times, forcing his eyes to come into focus. He looked around, the two guards were now standing attentively in front of him, but he couldn't see anything else, the room was empty and dark.

At the sound of a voice, he looked up. "What's this one done?"

The two guards bowed deeply. One spoke up. "Caught stealing your prestigious drugs on more than one occasion, sir."

"Hmm.." The voice mused. "Death seems like a suitable punishment, does it not?"

If Eren could speak, he probably would've agreed.

"Yes sir, whatever you see fit sir."

"I am feeling a bit shitty today. I would like to punish this one a little before you take him away. If you don't mind." The request was not a request, but a threatening command.

"Of course, sir." The two guards bowed once more before stepping back.

Eren tipped his head back, his muscles tensing in his torso, preparing himself for whatever lay ahead. He was ready to die. He was sure.

Out of the shadows came a man, his stature was very small, he was wearing a green cape of the recon corps, and tall black leather boots. He stood before Eren, even though he was short, he seemed to tower over him in strength, purpose, and status.

He leaned down, his pale cool fingers reaching out for his chin, examining his face. Eren knew he shouldn't look him in the face, but he couldn't help it. His hair was jet black and cut straight below his ears; his ebony bangs shadowed his eyes. Eren was scared yet intrigued by the way his eyes glowed mysteriously silver in the dark light of the room. The duct tape was ripped from his mouth, but Eren didn't make a sound. He shivered from the heavy gaze he was giving him.

"What's your name?"

Eren's lips shivered, he forced himself to speak, "E-eren Jaeger."

"Jaeger, you have been stealing my drugs."

Eren couldn't speak.

"I will not hesitate to have you killed." Levi sneered as if he was touching something dirty, his hands snapped away.

Eren whispered something under his breath.

"Excuse me, what was that?"

"Go ahead." Eren murmured.

Levi's eyes flashed dangerously again, he raised his boot-clad leg, kicking Eren in the face. Eren gasped out, his face tossed to the side. Levi raised his leg again, kicking him in the stomach over and over with increasing force. Eren could feel the pain stinging him, stinging his face and his body. Levi pinned his head against the ground with the toe of his boot. Eren smirked, the pain made him feel alive. He hadn't felt this actually alive in a long time. There were no drugs in his system, just pure pain coursing through his entire being.

Levi kicked him the skull. "What the fuck is that smirk for?"

Eren tried to raise his head, only to have it kicked two more times. "It, feels good…"

"You masochistic freak." Levi's hand reached down once again, grabbing him by a fistful of chestnut hair, examining his face. Blood was trickling down his nose and mouth, lacerations on either side of his cheeks.

"Kill me." Eren instructed.

"Sorry kid, I don't follow orders from pieces of shit like you."

Eren could feel himself boiling up, and he couldn't stop it. "I said kill me!"

Levi's eyes were impossibly narrow, impossibly apathetic. "No."

He tossed his head back on the floor.

"You disgust me." Levi spat out. He turned to his guards. "Get me water and soap, I need to clean myself after touching, that."

Eren laughed into the ground, yet he could feel tears stinging his eyes, running into his cuts and mixing with his blood.

Levi turned to leave, his cape swooshing behind him. The emblem of his brand was splattered with blood. Before he left the room, he turned, barely looking back over his shoulder. "Eren. I will not kill you. I will not relieve you of your pain. Stop being so weak."

Eren began to cry, his screams of frustration and pain echoed off the walls. The guards were forced to duct tape his mouth again as they carried him off to a cell.

He fell asleep surprisingly enough, not long after that, however, he was awoken in the middle of the night by a flame raging through his entire body. The craving was back; it was seeping through his bloodstream, into his brain, his head felt like it was rattling, like it was about to explode.

I need it. It's been too long.

His mossy green eyes surveyed the small cell room, with a sink, a toilet, and the bed, which he currently found himself sprawled out upon. His hands tensed up, a huge cramp ran through his body. He gasped out for air before rising off the bed and running for the toilet. Vomit violently spewed from his lips. He hadn't eaten in days so nothing really came out except for yellowish stomach acid. He rested his forehead against the lid of the bowl. Another wave of pain seared through him, like acid inside his body. He fell onto the floor, scrunching up, his body quacking in a series of spasms. He screamed, his hands reaching for his brown hair, pulling tight on the strands in his grasp.

He heard a guard at his door. "Hey, you, quiet in there."

Eren couldn't answer, he could only scream, his eyes rolling up into the back of his head.

A second guard joined the first. "What the hell is happening to him? We were told not to let him die under any circumstances. What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know what to do."

The second guard hesitated, "Maybe we should get Levi."

"It's the middle of the night."

"I doubt he can sleep with the sound of his screaming anyways."

The first guard sighed, "Fine then, go get him."

Eren heard his footsteps trail away.

His teeth were chattering, he could feel saliva trickling down his chin. All he could think about was the relief he would receive if he could just have one hit, one line. He was in a drug lord's castle after all, couldn't he spare him just one bag, just so he could live through the night?

The click of Levi's boots signaled his irritated entrance.

"Let me in," He commanded. The door was unlocked and thrown open. "Leave me."

The two guards lowered their heads and were gone just as soon as the words were spoken.

Eren's hands were fisting at the concrete floor, his toes curled in on themselves.

"You," Levi began, shadowing over him once again, "Have caused me a lot of trouble today. I'm starting to wish I had just had you killed."

Eren began to gnaw at his own tongue. "Help…me.." He managed to gasp out.

"You're an addict. I hate drug addicts."

Eren began to cry, "Please…"

"Finally you beg. Not for your life, but for drugs," He could've sworn that Levi laughed at him.

He knelt down on the floor; pulling Eren's hands out of his own hair, "Knock it off."

He slapped him across the face with the back of one perfect hand. "Control yourself."

Eren calmed, even if only a little. His breath was still ragged and his body shook.

"Now try and stand on your own two feet, for once in your life." Levi sighed, helping Eren to his feet by cupping his hands under his armpits like a child being carried off to time-out.

He placed him down on the bed, and then walked over to the sink where he got a rag and rung it out over cool water. He returned to his side and placed the cloth on his forehead.

"Now try and calm your breath. Don't think about the drugs or the pain. Count to three and exhale, count to three and inhale."

Levi's voice shouldn't have been comforting to Eren, but it was, he did as he was told, trying to focus his mind not on the urges he was having, but on the way Levi's hand was still pressing down on the rag on his forehead. He was sure he had focused so hard on that one hand that he could feel the pulse of his heart on his forehead.

"Good." Levi's hand left his head. "You're obviously going through withdrawals. But don't expect me to give you anything after how much you've stolen from me. Just go to sleep now, food will be given to you in the morning."

Levi stood up, dusting off his impeccably white pants. He folded his arms and turned to leave the cell.

"Wait," Eren croaked out, "Levi…I'm sorry..."

He turned, but he couldn't see his eyes, he could only see the silhouette of his black hair shimmering in the nightglow. "It's a little too late for that kid."

He left the cell, locking it behind him.

If Eren had it left in him, he would've cried again.

The next morning, it felt as though every bone in his body had been smashed into a thousand little pieces. He pried his eyes open, he could feel them sting at the first ray of light that tried to enter them. He looked down through half-open eyes, seeing a tray with some potatoes and a glass of water. He wanted nothing more than to drink the water in that cup. But his body would not move, his lips were so dry he was sure they had come together at the seams. He forced his hand to move, his fingers ached, and the tendons felt like they were being rung out with each simple bend. He scrunched his aching eyes closed, hissing with pain. Withdrawals, that's what Levi had said. Eren had been through withdrawals but never this bad. He always got his fix. The simple thought of drugs sent a shiver down his spine, but he focused on his breath, and listening to the beat of his own erratic heart in his eardrums. He waited to move again until his heart had calmed some.

It was nothing short of a miracle that Eren was able to toss himself onto the floor and crawl to the cup of water on the ground. He picked it up off the ground in shaking hands. He spilt most of it on himself as he forced open his lips and poured the liquid into his mouth. Never had he felt something better than the water on his lips. He tried to eat, but only managed to finish a few wedges of boiled potato before he wanted to throw up again. He couldn't make it back to the bed, so he sat on the floor, shivering from the cold draft that seemed to be encompassing the room.

He jumped at the sound of a voice at the cell bars.

"You still look like shit. Too bad, I was going to put you to work today." The keys jingled as Levi opened up the cell again.

Eren looked up at him, his green eyes looked more like black orbs of despair, bags were under his eyes, his skin drained of any color that it once had.

"Ugh," Levi's brows furrowed with disgust, "You reek of vomit and you look like you've just risen from the dead. You need to be cleaned. I will not allow this filth to take place under my roof."

Eren bobbed his head slightly up and down, as if he was about to fall out of consciousness any moment.

Levi ripped the blanket off his form, "Give me your hands."

Eren raised up his wrists weakly, his dark eyes peering up at Levi.

Levi sighed again, "I don't suppose you'd pose any threat in the condition you're in. I could kill you as easy as I could squash an ant beneath my boot. Just get up Jaeger."

Eren crawled to his knees, trying to force himself to stand, only to fall back to his knees.

"At this rate, we'll be here all day." Levi scooped him up, just as he had yesterday.

They left the cell, heading down the hall. On the way out Levi gave firm instructions that the cell was to be completely disinfected by the time he got back from cleaning Eren.

Eren was vaguely aware that they were in the bathing area. He didn't have the energy to care, or to argue, fight, or even speak. Levi was streaming water into the bath. Eren could feel the steam on his pallid, sticky skin.

Levi slapped on a pair of cleaning gloves, and a mask before he turned back to the half-comatose boy. Eren felt his rubber-covered hands lift his shirt over his head. He could feel the pants being peeled from his body, followed by his underwear. He continued to sit on the hard tile floor until Levi brought a bucket of water over his head. The water was cold, forcing Eren to focus more on the matter at hand.

Levi's hands began running through his hair, his touch was harsh, and he knew he would have a handful of hair in his hands by the time he was done scrubbing. Then another bucket of water was dumped on his head, matting down his dark brown hair. Levi began to scrub his arms, under them, his stomach, his legs, even his back. He only seemed to avoid the obvious areas. Eren didn't care, he had no pride, or shame.

He was thoroughly rinsed with two more buckets of water. Eren glanced up, seeing Levi reach up with his forearm, wiping away some of the sweat he had produced while vigorously cleaning him. He loved the way his steely grey eyes were always so focused, not weak and hazy like his own. Lastly he was picked up and dropped into the steaming hot water of the tub. Levi sighed, taking his gloves off and shaking them out.

As if Levi could see Eren's curious eyes on his back, he turned sharply, his eyes narrow and focused.

"Can't speak or something? You haven't said a damn word all day."

Eren's eyes flashed down, looking at his now clean skin that felt soft and fresh under his own fingertips. "T-thank you."

Levi paused, as if he wanted to come up with another witty response, but he seemed to give up. "Well, I couldn't live with myself if you remained that dirty, it's disgusting really."

Eren peered up at him, his lips twitched, almost as if they wanted to smile on their own accord.

"Seriously though," Levi pulled the handkerchief down from around his mouth, "Don't expect to get treated like a princess around here. Tomorrow you work for me."

Eren nodded, his wet hand reaching to run through his hair, if was silky as it flowed through his fingertips, he hadn't had hair this soft since before the drug war. His eyes traveled back to Levi, where he watched the impeccable drug lord clean off the shower area where he had cleaned Eren.

Levi looked back again, "What's with that face? You want me to join you or something?

Eren's head snapped away, "N-no, that's not it…"

He could hear those boots tapping away at the tile as he walked over to the bathtub. Eren turned away, averting his eyes from Levi as much as he possibly could. Then he felt his fingers on the tip of his chin. His face was forced to look at Levi's.

His ash colored eyes didn't shift an inch. They didn't give anything away at all. "All you have to do is ask."

"I…" Eren seemed to choke on his own words, "What?"

With a swish of black hair, Levi turned, "The towels are over by the door when you're done. I sure hope you manage to get yourself out of the tub. The guards will escort you back to your room."

The door clicked and he was out of sight.

What the hell was that?

Eren plunged his head underwater; washing out the thoughts of drugs, Levi, or how ultimately fucked up his life was at this moment.

The guards were waiting right outside the door once Eren had managed to scoop himself out of the depths of the tub, dry himself in silent agony, then dressing himself in a pair of white pants, just like the ones Levi wore, and a plain grey shirt. He waited in his room for what seemed like four or five hours. He still was in pain, his hands were still shaking, but he wasn't even sure what to focus on at this point. He remembered what his older sister used to tell him, that he was a ticking time bomb of emotions, irrational and idiotic. He believed her now more than ever. If Mikasa had been here, he was sure he would've smacked, punched, and kicked over and over again by her until his senses returned to him. Almost like Levi did.

"Hey kid, dinner time."

Eren's head snapped up again, his green eyes hazy with nostalgia.

"What's with that stupid face? You've had it all day." Levi scoffed.

He slid a tray of food underneath the door.

Eren eyed it with disdain before pulling himself under the covers of the bed once again.

"Eat."

"No."

Levi's eyes flashed, just like they had before he had beaten him to a pulp just a day prior. "You will eat now. Or else."

Eren didn't respond, even when he heard the door open, and Levi entered. He felt the blanket pulled back from his form, Levi's hands were grabbing his shoulders, forcing him up.

"I'll eat with you, just eat." Levi ordered for his own food to be brought in before he pulled up a chair.

Levi was holding Eren's tray of food out to him. Eren reluctantly took it, picking at a roll with his fingers, eating the dry bread piece by piece. The silence was deafening in its own painfully awkward respects. Surprisingly enough, Levi spoke first. He was the one doing all the talking for the both of them today.

"Still feeling the withdrawals?"

Eren shifted uncomfortably, "Well, now that you mention it."

"The faster you focus on something else, the better." Levi brought the fork to his lips, carefully eating the food off of his plate as if it was some type of art form to be mastered.

Eren's lips, for the first time, curved up into a small smirk, "Really? That's good to know."

Levi's naturally narrow eyes seemed to glower up at Eren.

"You're such a brat."

"What?"

"What made you so self-entitled?

Eren's eyebrows furrowed, "What made you a heartless bastard who deals drugs to people for a living? We all have issues I guess."

"It's called life Eren." He used his first name, which was rare. "You do what you have to in order to make a living."

"Living?" Eren laughed, "Can you really even call it living anymore?"

"Yes, if the world continues to spin and the sun continues to rise."

"That's not living."

"Don't ask for much, and maybe you won't be so disappointed."

"I didn't ask for anything." Eren threw his tray on the ground, the food clattering against the floor. "You don't know a fucking thing about me. So shut the fuck up."

Levi glanced at the spilt tray, "It's not hard to read you, you're an open book."

Eren was at a loss of words. He could feel familiar rage pulsing throughout his body. His fists clenched, all he wanted to do was to punch him in the face.

"Finish eating and calm down." Levi's fork gently scraped the bottom of the plate he was using.

Eren looked down at the spilt food before he realized that it was plain white rice, a dish Mikasa always made him on his birthday, garnished with vegetables cut into the shapes of flowers and stars.

Shamefully, tears were welling in his eyes. He tried to hide his head in his hands, but before he knew it he was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Dammit." His teeth clenched together in frustration, he felt so weak.

"Eren?"

"Get out!" Eren was shaking again. Who the hell was he; to watch him like this, ridicule him like this, when he was just a man at the verge of breaking?

"What are you-"

"Go away!"

He heard Levi put down his tray, when he felt his fingers wrap around his wrists he pushed him back, "Don't touch me." He hissed.

"Eren, what are you doing?"

Eren replied through half-coherent sobs, "That…rice…"

Levi looked down at the scatter white grains of rice. He sat down beside Eren on the bed.

Eren's hands fell away from his face as he looked over at the man sitting on his bed. "What the hell are you doing? What's the matter with you?"

"We all lost people Eren. We have to move on."

"I'm not taking advice from you. You ruined my fucking life! When I lost everything, I-I started taking your drugs. Your evil, addictive, drugs. I lived for another hit." Eren's fists pounded into Levi's chest, pushing him back, but the drug lord didn't seem to bat an eye at the full throttle punches hitting him.

"At least you lived." Levi murmured, still being hit by the enraged Eren.

Eren stopped, his forest colored eyes wide, spinning with so many emotions. "At least I lived? No, this is not being alive." Eren's hands pulled back in, he seemed to fold up in on himself.

Before he knew it, he was crying again, and when he felt Levi's surprisingly warm arm wrap around him and tug him in close, he didn't have the will to pull away. He smelt not of the harsh chemicals he always used, but of fresh rain and dew covered grass. The scent was seeping its self into Eren's nose, soothing and intoxicating his wrecked brain. Soon enough, his hiccup sobs had faded into nothing more than a few silent tears trailing down his sharp cheekbones over young, soft skin.

Suddenly Levi mumbled something under his breath, Eren couldn't quite make it out, but he was sure it was something like, "It really is him."

Eren sniffled, "What?"

Levi's eyes slid closed, "Nothing."

Eren, suddenly feeling embarrassed, pushed himself out of Levi's grasp.

"I'm fine now. I'm sorry for spilling the food, it's just, I was reminded of someone, and I guess I kind of just, snapped…"

Levi looked at the mess and nodded, "A family member?"

"Well," Eren sighed, lowering his head, "Yeah."

"Did they die?"

Eren paused, his face going numb. No matter how many times he thought about it, or said it out loud, it would never feel real. "Yes."

With that, Levi got up, gathering his half-empty tray along with the spilled contents of Eren's dinner as well. His eyes never met Eren's. In fact, he didn't even turn his way. Seemed they were back to the way things usually were.

"Get some rest. Tomorrow you're working."

Eren let go of a half-hearted sigh, throwing himself back under the scratchy wool blanket.