Hello! So I kinda got inspired by a post on tumblr and thought "Why not write a heartwrenching one shot? What could go wrong, eh?"
Except everything went wrong.
Enjoy.
Pairing: Levi/Eren Yaeger
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Shingeki no kyojin. Warning: sad.
"A mermaid found a swimming lad,
Picked him for her own,
Pressed her body to his body,
Laughed; and plunging down
Forgot in cruel happiness
That even lovers drown." —William Butler Yeats
It was dangerous, even forbidden to break the surface. Too high were the chances of being seen and captured, tortured, killed. Some may even went as far and said they'd get experienced on, or just kept in big tanks made out of glass, keeping their life a silent misery.
His father had told him several times to not swim on the surface, but the young merman didn't listen. No, he refused to believe them, the outside world was too beautiful, it couldn't be this cruel.
The shades of the endless thing above him, "sky" he had heard a man once say, was beautiful, too. It was a bright blue, much lighter than the blue he had grown up with, it was bright and clear and warm, but what amazed him the most was that it constantly changed. He would come up and it'd be a bright blue, other times a dull gray, and other times it was a beautiful soft orange. Sometimes it was dark, with millions of little glowing dots in it, which kept him out on the surface for way too long. It wasn't the first time that he had gotten in trouble for this.
But Eren wouldn't be Eren if he just simply listened to what others told him.
And that's when he first saw him.
The young boy had just appeared on the surface when he heard several voices, voices of men, before he hid behind a big boulder. His heart was pounding, he hadn't noticed that he came up just next to a big ship, putting him in their line of sight.
Peaking behind the boulder, he noticed a short man standing on the deck, barking commands at the men running around. Curious as to why all these big men were listening to a man, who was at least two heads shorter than them, the merman made a grave mistake.
He left his hiding spot, slowly making his way towards the big ship.
He had just wanted to get a closer look of the man, get to hear his voice from a closer distance. What he had not expected was for the man to turn around and look him in the eyes.
They were a light blue, icy and cold.
They reminded him of the days when the air was too cold to break the surface of the water, freezing the water on his skin and in his hair.
And that's exactly how he felt now. A shiver went down his spine, freezing him on the spot. Too captivated by the now slightly widened eyes to move, to get the hell out of here before they'd try to catch him. But the man didn't call out for his men, he just continued to watch Eren.
"Levi!," a tall blond called, making the man, Levi, spin around.
"What is it, Erwin?," the man asked in an annoyed tone. He really had a nice voice, Eren found.
But he didn't stay long enough to listen to what this "Erwin" had to say. He had been gone for way too long, and got spotted by human's nonthe less! If his father found out...
And just like that, the young merman disappeared in the deep depths of the sea, oblivious to the disappointment in the other man's eyes.
His father did indeed, somehow, found out. Eren was glad that he still had his tail. He was lucky to only get a scolding, a long, oh so long, lecture, and getting grounded.
Time seemed to never pass, but one day, Eren was allowed to leave again.
Naturally, he instantly swam to the surface. He didn't know what he had expected, but he couldn't fight the disappointment he felt when he only saw the blue sky. It's blue didn't seem as beautiful as before, no, he had found a new shade of blue that fascinated him. But it wasn't anywhere to be seen.
He was gone.
Years have gone by and not a days passed where he wasn't outside looking, waiting, for a certain man to cross his path again.
But he never came.
Eren had heard tales of this. What was it called again? Heartbreak? Waiting for a beloved to return, always thinking, dreaming of them, wanting to spend their life with them?
He had no idea when he started to think of the man like this, but he knew for sure, he loved this man, loved Levi.
Why else would he risk his life, swimming to the surface every day, nearing ships, just to look for a pair of icy blue eyes. He was lucky he didn't get caught yet.
Leaning his head on his hand, he sighed. He was resting against the boulder he had hid behind so many years ago.
He couldn't help but think, would he ever see him again?
Even if he would, what would keep him from catching Eren, caging him in a glass case? If he was honest with himself, he wasn't even sure if he would mind. As long a he could be near the man...
A voice snapped him out of his stupor.
He recognized that voice, but...it couldn't be right? Straining his ears, he tried again. There it as again, this time he heard several voices yelling, feet slipping on wet wood, more yelling.
Looking up, the merman's eyes widened. There it was, the ship he had been waiting for.
It was swaying dangerously in the wind, it's men running around wildly, doing anything to keep it fom capsizing. They must have gotten caught in the storm Eren hadn't even noticed.
Staring at the happening as if spellbound, he noted that the men soon managed to stabilize the ship, making their way back to their route. His eyes had never left the man of his desires, watching him as he made his way around the ship, helping his crew, slipping every now and then. The merman couldn't help but wish that he'd slip off his boat, just so he could finally hold him in his arms.
But now they were leaving again.
Eren couldn't have that, he had waited years for his beloved, and now he wouldn't even look in his direction?
Opening his mouth, he began to sing. It was a song to entice the humans, to lure men into the arms of his kind, or to mate with your beloved. It was a beautiful melody, and he knew it perfectly well, even if he had never sung it before. No, he had only wanted to sing it to his beloved Levi, and now he finally had the chance.
So he sang, sang over the loud sound of the rain, the waves, his voice ringing loud and clear in the air, casting a spell over the crew.
It wasn't long before the ship was making it's way towards him, drawing closer and closer to the big boulder that was clearly in the way, yet the creature continued to sing.
He wanted Levi to know about his feelings, wanted him to feel the same, wanted him to be his, and only his alone.
His song stopped with a loud crash.
The ship collided with the boulder, sending half of the crew off the ship, throwing them into the stormy sea, getting swallowed by the waves of the deep blue.
Big splinters and wood flew by his head, landing somewhere behind him in the water. The crash was deafening, but he didn't move. His concentration was fixed on the short man that was clinging to the railing, trying to grasp the blond man's hand.
But Levi slipped and fell into the water. And that was his cue to move.
Within seconds he was by his side, getting a hold of him. A big smile spread on his face.
Finally.
He didn't hear Erwin call for him, call for Levi, he could only hear his own racing heart.
Finally, we are together, love.
Tightening his grip around his love he dived down.
Away from the screams and away from the man who desperately tried to separate them.
He didn't know how long he swam, but he knew that he had to get away from Erwin, away from him and the other men.
No one would separate them, he had waited too long.
Coming to a halt, he looked around. The water was a nice blue here, it was bright since he was near the surface. The sky must be bright again. But most important, they were alone.
Still smiling, he loosed his arms around his love.
"Levi!," he called.
But the man didn't answer. Maybe he was tired? Eren felt him struggle but it wore off after a few minutes of him swimming, so he must be really tired, right?
The merman had waited years for this day to come, his love could rest another day! Again, he tried to wake up his beloved.
"Levi, wake up!"
Still nothing.
Why...why wasn't he answering him? Was he mad because he took him away? Did he not love Eren? Why, why,why wasn't he answering him?
Maybe he couldn't hear him underwater?
Moving his tail faster than he had ever moved before, they reached the surface after only a few minutes.
"Lev-," he stopped because that's when he saw it. His love was pale, horribly pale. His eyes were closed , his raven black hair plastered to his forehead and he didn't move.
With shaking fingers he gripped the man's arms and shook him. But as the man continued to not move, his shaking became stronger and stronger, until the water was sploshing around them, the force throwing the human's head back and forth.
"Lev...i," Eren sobbed.
Why wouldn't he open his eyes? He just wanted to see his eyes!
Slowly, oh so slowly he moved his right hand to the pale man's face. Taking a deep breath he lifted one eyelid.
He had never felt the urge for air, had never needed it to live, but right now he felt as if he was slowly suffocating. He couldn't breathe, couldn't control the trembling that shook his body, couldn't stop the choked gasp that escaped his mouth.
His eyes, his beautiful, beautiful eyes...
Gone was the icy blue, the eyes he had been dreaming of for so many years. Whatever had happened, his eyes were a dull blue-gray.
Lifeless, dead, just like the man himself.
Suddenly his unmoving body felt heavier, dragging the creature down into the deep water.
Had he not been underwater Eren was sure that hot tears would be rolling down his face now.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,..." he muttered, burying his face into his dead love's neck.
What had he done.
"Levi, I'm so sorry,..." why hadn't he just forgotten about him.
"Please forgive me, my love...," he begged.
No one was there to see them, to see Eren.
No one saw the merman press a desperate, small kiss onto the man's lips, as if trying to return the missing air in his lungs.
No one saw what happened to the heartbroken merman, as he never returned.
Thank you for reading!
I hope you liked it~
Reviews would be appreciated so I can improve and make the reading experience better for you guys, yo!