Chapter 4: The song that he remembered
The door slammed violently. To Eren's surprise it hadn't been of his doing. He had been thrown into his own apartment, and just as he caught his balance and spun to give a biting remark he found himself frozen in place. The look on Levi's face could only be compared to someone preparing to mutilate the next thing that moved. Levi's eyes snapped up to catch Eren's and suddenly they became soft, almost happy, but there was a definite look of loss beneath it.
"How did this happen? How did I get into this mess anyway?" Levi's voice sounded tired.
Eren blinked and asked his own question, "Levi? Who exactly are you and why do you look like the guy from corporate?" He began backing up slowly.
Levi caught the movement and instinctively moved forward. "I'm just Levi. Come on Eren, you know me." His words were gentle but his eyes were calculating. Years of dealing with Eren after some of his particularly vivid nightmares had taught him how to handle this situation quickly and quietly. He knew Eren would fake left and run right, he also knew that if he didn't get Eren's face in the carpet soon the kid was going to try screaming.
The next few seconds passed in slow motion for Eren. He leaned left and waited for Levi to follow then sprung to the right and made a mad dash for the door. The moment he felt Levi's ankle catch on his own he knew he would fall. In a last ditch effort to save himself he managed to flip over in midair so that he'd land on his back.
The one thing that neither male had anticipated were the actions of the other. Levi had jumped forward in the hope of landing on Eren's back to make holding him down considerably easier. Eren had flipped over halfway down to avoid most of the pain he would have received from the fall. The result was a very surprised Eren staring up at an equally surprised Levi who was currently straddling the young man's hips.
Eren opened his mouth to try to scream, yell, whisper in terror, really anything would have been fine if only he could make his voice work again. Levi was fighting back the memories of all of the times that he had found himself in this exact position with Eren. The only difference this time was that he couldn't do anything to the poor kid unless he wanted to risk traumatizing him. That's when the idea struck him and Levi smiled.
Eren was currently still attempting to get up the nerve to push the three ton midget off of him. He had no idea how someone so small could be so incredible heavy. He'd been worried about an awkward boner not two seconds prior but when he took stock of the bone crush weight sitting contentedly on his pelvis he knew that that was now the least of his concerns.
Levi leaned forward, just watching Eren, carefully gauging his expressions to see when he'd gone too far. He noticed that Eren wasn't breathing as he hovered over the boy's face. Of course Eren wasn't breathing, he was far too busy trying not to have the whole barn as Levi came closer and closer to his face. Eren felt a gentle hand catch his chin as brilliant silver eyes searched his.
"Eren?" The voice was warm and held a note of amusement.
"Wh-what is it C-corporal?" Eren could practically feel his face spontaneously combusting into the fiery blush he knew was there by now.
Levi froze. "What did you just call me? I never gave you that title. I'm sure I just told you my name."
Eren's eyes widened. How had he known? The name seemed so achingly familiar and yet he couldn't place its origin. "I- I don't know. It just sounds right. Did I say something wrong? Levi?! What ar-" Eren's voice was cut off effectively by the sudden presence of Levi's mouth on his own. The most he could manage after that was a surprised squeak and a broken moan. Something about the way that Levi kissed him made him feel like everything was alright again. He still hadn't realized that his hands had found Levi's hips of their own volition.
Levi broke the kiss a moment later, much to Eren's chagrin, but he just hovered there, his face mere inches from Eren's. "I knew you hadn't completely forgotten me." The warm smile spread across Levi's features like a sunrise and Eren found himself in awe of just how serene the scary midgets face could look.
Eren felt his body move involuntarily to wrap itself around Levi, and for reasons beyond his comprehension he found himself crying into the slight shoulder that was all too warm and inviting. His mouth moved of its own accord forming words that his mind didn't know but his heart understood. They were words he could never remember learning and yet he could here Levi answering in the strange tongue as well. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that he was repeating a very old lullaby and that Levi was giving answer to the song.
When his mouth stopped over-running his brain he pulled away and stared at Levi as though he was seeing him for the first time. Levi's eyes were gentle but searching. He was watching Eren carefully. "How is it that you can remember all that but not my face? You really are something else." The last words came out in a soft huff that could almost pass as a light hearted chuckle.
"I- I don't know. I don't even know what I was saying." Eren's brow furrowed in deep confusion.
"Bullshit you don't know. You're the one that taught me that song. You always liked to talk about how it was a special gift from your mother." Levi's gaze turned harder, it seemed more invasive now that he mentioned Eren's mother. Eren found himself squirming under the intense silver eyes.
"Could you um … c-could you maybe get off of me … please"
Levi realized that his was probably crushing Eren's pelvis at the moment and decided it was best to honor the request. Even if the "please" was added as more of an afterthought than an actual note of courtesy.
Levi moved back to the couch and stayed there. He went over the song in his head. How could Eren remember that so easily and forget the face of the man that valued and love him more than all of the stars above his stupid brunette head.
Levi hummed over the lyrics. Eren had once told him that while it was a common lullaby it was still very special to him because it was the only time his mother had ever sung for him.
Song:
Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf.
Der Vater hüt't die Schaf.
Die Mutter schüttelt's Bäumelein,
Da fällt herab ein Träumelein.
Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf!
Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf.
Am Himmel ziehn die Schaf.
Die Sternlein sind die Lämmerlein,
Der Mond, der ist das Schäferlein.
Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf!
Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf.
So schenk' ich dir ein Schaf.
Mit einer goldnen Schelle fein,
Das soll dein Spielgeselle sein.
Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf.
Translation:
Sleep, baby, sleep.
Your father tends the sheep.
Your mother shakes the branches small,
Lovely dreams in showers fall.
Sleep, baby, sleep.
Sleep, baby, sleep.
Across the heavens move the sheep.
The little stars are lambs, I guess,
And the moon is the shepherdess.
Sleep, baby, sleep.
Sleep, baby, sleep.
I'll give to you a sheep.
And it shall have a bell of gold
For you to play with and to hold.
Sleep, baby, sleep.
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a/n: I'm tracking the tag "fic: twtwf". Feel free to message me with any questions either here or on tumblr. I love reviews because it helps me know when I need to fix something. Also I'll be posting an audio of the song for those of you who don't know the tune. :)