Eren stepped into the dark room, long forgotten in the bowels of the Survey Corp. base castle. The old wooden door with the rusty iron hinges. Those stupid hinges, that creaked every time he opened the door. They'd wake the whole castle one day. There weren't any lights except for the one ray of white moonlight shining onto the flat top of the small upright piano. But Eren didn't need any. He knew exactly what he was looking for and where it was. He took a moment to revel in the silence of the room, so far from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life and so far from the constant buzz and energy that came at night. Eren waited a moment for the dust to settle before slowly stepping into the room, his light footsteps crossing the threshold of the room silently. He couldn't help himself and he grinned when he saw the shadow of the piano in the corner of the room. No one had been in here in years, not that that stopped Eren. He would come here whenever he could, and escape into the beautiful music that he could create. He sat down at the old wooden bench, feeling it creak under his weight. He closed his eyes, just taking in the ancient majesty that the instrument held. Lifting up the lid to reveal the black and white keyboard, letting his fingers drift over the ivory keys. He hadn't played in years, but oh how he loved it. When he was hiding from Corporal Levi and stumbled upon this room, he could barely believe his eyes. What was a piano doing in a place like this? There was no room for music in a world like this, where the threat of death is imminent at nearly all times. There was no use for music in a world built of survival. They had nothing to be happy for, nothing to do on time off except huddle around each other. But there was no one for him to huddle around anymore. They were all gone, taken, devoured. He was alone. But not when he was here. They were with him when he played alone in this little room. He could feel them beside him, hear the faint ringing of their voices, and feel the gentle rustling of their clothes as though they were right next to him as he played the depression away. The euphoria he got from caressing the keys was more than enough to take him away.
He settled his hands on the keys, taking a deep breath and letting his eyes close. As if they were doing it on their own accord, his graceful fingers started to play, gently starting the beginnings of the Rachmaninoff Prelude in C# Minor. The music began to leak into the air, surrounding him and filling the room. He lost himself in the music, swaying gently to the moving music. He could feel it thicken in the air around him, the forbiddances of the music and the beauty of the music enrapturing him. He knew he'd surely be expelled if he were caught considering this was way past curfew. He didn't care. This was the only place he could be himself and not have to worry. He hit every single note, every single rhythm. The pulse of the music getting more and more intense with each note played. He could feel it surrounding him, pressing in on him from all sides. His hands flew over the keys, the piano rising up and Eren taming it back down as though it were a living thing. His forearms leading his fingers by the head up and down the keyboard masterfully, taking the still, lifeless instrument and turning it into a bright, moving and alive force. He felt his shoulders move and become weighted with the intensity of the music and the power that the ancient composition held. His face contorted with all the raw emotions that the music let him convey. He didn't even know when the tears began to fall, but he saw them shine like little crystals when they hit that one ray of moonlight lighting the room. He let them fall, each tear hitting the keys a tribute to his lost loved ones. His shoulders shook, and he couldn't care less as he continued moving his body to the music, this sad requiem mourning the loss of his friends. His hands shook as he pressed his hands down onto the last sickening note of the prelude, the music gradually fading until he could only hear the intense pounding of his heart as he came back down to earth. A small tap dragged him back to reality and he jumped up, his heart leaping into his throat.
He met the silvery-grey eyes of his commanding officer, and he immediately looked to the floor, straightening up and not wanting to his captain to see him in such a vulnerable state. His face turned redder than it already was and he struggled to keep the tears at bay.
"Go ahead, Heichou… Punish me, I'll go off to the barracks right now, sir…" He whispered shakily, a single tear falling despite his best efforts. He just wanted to leave, to get away from the levying gaze of his captain.
He felt his superior move, hearing the rustle of his tight uniform. He flinched, expecting a blow of some kind and that movement forced another tear out of his eyes. He shook ever so slightly, like a leaf in the wind. This made the captain's normally cold gaze become soft. He lifted his thumb and grazed it against Eren's cheek, his heart warming at how the suffering boy ever so slightly leaned into his touch. He gently brushed the tear away, and moved closer to him. He felt Eren stiffen, but he leaned up and whispered, "Watch."
Eren's eyes shot open, his cerulean eyes still watery as he watched his captain shyly. He watched as he took off his jacket, blushing slightly as the other man kept his eyes on him at all times. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, the white fabric catching in the moonlight. Contrasting against the pale skin were marks, angry marks, travelling up and down the shorter man's arm. Eren's mouth opened in a silent "o," his bright eyes saddening at the pain of the only other person he loved. The marks and pain so similar to his own. Levi sat down at the piano, and began to play Chopin's Marche Funebre. The weight of the emotion pressed down on the keys gave the already mournful melody a new meaning. It sang of true loss, true solitude, and wisdom. Eren watched his superior play, his thin fingers taming the keys better than Chopin himself. Unlike Eren, Levi played in such a way were he was working with the piano. He wasn't battling with it; it immediately subscribed to his will and pressed him forward, weighing the melody in a delicious and tearing way. Eren couldn't help but watch in awe, the simple song suddenly seeming so mastered and skillful. The thin eyes of his captain closed, the smaller man breathing and moving through the music. The heavy mask that he usually wore was slipping away, the depression and the memories and the pure unaltered emotion making itself known on the older man's face. The way the moonlight supplemented his smooth pale skin, his raven hair shining in the moonlight, the way a single tear dripped down his delicate nose…
Eren was frozen, all he could do was watch, feeling the music fill the room and swell up, carrying them both on the waves of sound. The music made the older man look younger, the emotions freeing the age from his face. He gently pressed down on the last note, the lingering sound speaking of all the unsaid stories and meanings behind his sadness. When the note finally faded, the silence filling the room became as thick as the music previously.
Eren stood, watching as Levi's shoulders straightened and he stood up. When he turned, and met Eren's eyes, he was amazed at what he saw. The normally cold grey eyes of his superior were now a warm soft blue gray, with a slight sparkle he'd never seen before. He blushed, now suddenly feeling inadequate and vulnerable, unsure of what to do after seeing this side of his captain he didn't know existed. The grey eyes lingered on his and the raven-haired man slowly walked over to the taller. He stopped when he was right in front of the brunette, and Eren couldn't help but notice how the moonlight made his eyes look almost blue.
Levi kept his eyes locked on the sparkling green ones of the cadet in front of him. He saw himself in Eren. It was important to for him to know he wasn't alone. That he had someone in Levi. He admired the subtle blush on his cheeks and how that bullheadedness was gone, replaced with a shy, amazed look. It made Levi's heart warm, and his desire to comfort the younger man was heightened. All he could focus on were the stunning emerald eyes in front of him.
Eren bit his lip and looked down. Levi gently lifted his chin up with one finger and looked him in the eyes, letting all the barriers in them fall. He leaned in, feeling the other's breath quicken slightly. He stopped his lips until they were just barely hovering over the younger's, and whispered, "You're not alone. Broken wings can fly together." Before Eren could react, he closed the distance, pressing his lips against the others for a soft and gentle kiss. Eren gasped and kissed back, the other man's hand finding his cheek. His eyes closed and far too soon for Eren's liking those lips left his, and the warmth and presence of his captain was gone, the hinges creaking behind him.