Chapter 26

In all of the chaos and calamity the hooded figure has left in his wake, it's all too easy for him to disappear among the throng of screaming, scrambling people and slip into the welcoming shadows of the darkened city.

The soles of his well worn-out sneakers are barely touching the unforgiving, cold, hard ground as he sprints as fast as his feet can carry him. He's constantly checking over his shoulder for any sign he's being pursued as he could have sworn he'd felt a presence in dark of night watching and assessing his every move.

He weaves his way through back alleys, ensuring to avoid the main roads at all costs. He can't afford for his image to be caught on street cameras, especially not now.

Not after what he did tonight.

After running for what feels like an eternity, he finds solace in the form of an abandoned block of apartment buildings, that he knows from his own personal experience, are often used by the homeless community to sleep in when the air starts to become cooler at night.

It's a mild sort of night tonight, not desperately hot from a long day of the sun shining bright in the sky, nor is it cold enough that more than one layer is required to comfortably sleep outside without need of a roof. But still, the air is sticky and dry, bordering on sweat inducing even in his light hooded jacket and thin combats.

Because of this, most of the apartments in the building have been left vacant, and anyone he does pass in the halls or accidently disturbs as they sleep on one of the few dirty mattresses know the unspoken rule of not asking any questions. Covered in blood? Carrying around a dirty shovel? Have green skin and antenna sticking out of your head? Don't matter, no questions asked.

Making his way on to the fire escape, high enough up from the ground to remain hidden from anyone who may come looking this way, he pulls out his borrowed phone from his pocket and dials the only contact listed.

They answer within three rings.

"Is it done?" asks a gruff, deep, male voice on the other end in lieu of a proper greeting.

"Y-yes sir…" he answers shakily "The target has been taken down."

"Good." The man says without any hint of emotion, "And death has been confirmed on site?"

He hesitates, the question was bound to come up and he knows he has to tell the truth. The consequences would no doubt be far worse if he's to lie now. He gulps audibly before giving his answer.

"I…I can't be sure, sir." He admits, "I left straight after, I didn't get a chance to see the body. It was so crowded and I wouldn't have been able to get a good enough look without implicating myse…"

"I ordered you to do one thing, you sack of shit!" The man roars down the phone, "It shouldn't be news that you owe a massive debt, and me being the nice guy that I am, offered to let you clear it with this final job."

"I know, sir. And I truly am grateful…"

"Don't interrupt me! I could send one of my boys down there in minutes to ensure the job is completed, and then finish you off on the way back."

He starts to panic, sweat pours from his forehead and armpits in rivulets as he scans his nearest escape route. He can maybe fit in one last phone call to his mom before he has to run, skip town, or maybe even flee the country. He already has her number memorised.

"Luckily for you, we had a plan B laid out in the event you'd turn into the chicken shit I always knew you were. We still have a bigger fish to fry, and you, well your new job is to give me as much information as you can on that new babysitter of his. I trust even someone as stupid as you can handle something as simple as that?" The man sneers, obviously still seething from the disappointing result of tonight's shooting.

"I…I won't let you down, sir." He vows, his body sagging in relief and his knees giving out from underneath him.

"Oh, I know you won't, kid. Because I won't be so forgiving next time, and I'd hate to think what will happen to your poor mother if you do. Let's not think too hard about that for now, you have tonight to rest, but from then on, the clock is ticking."

And with that, the man hangs up without another word.

'The clock is ticking' the man had said, and he had been correct. The clock is constantly ticking, the seconds getting louder and louder in his head with every passing moment, counting down to the main event, counting down to his boss' idea of 'justice' being served.

Counting down on Eren Jaeger's time left in this world.

And if he messes this up, his own too.

Levi hadn't realised he'd squeezed his eyes shut until he has to blink the blurriness of his surroundings away. A quick internal assessment tells him he hasn't hit his head, and he can't feel any immediate pain, but that's not to say his body isn't in just in shock from the rip of a gunshot wound.

It takes him a few seconds to remember why he's laying on something hard, and immediately his steel eyes lock with Rogue's glowing green and shining gold. They're still blown wide and full of life. Completely and utterly terrified.

Rogue has begun to tremble underneath him, Levi can feel the violent shakes in his arms that are currently wrapped tight around her, cradling her, protecting her.

Sound is beginning to reach his ears again, and the screaming and shouting from all around him are almost deafening. People are running in all directions, away from the club, inside the club…others are frozen to the spot in fear, some are even crawling on their stomachs to reach their friends and loved ones they've been separated from.

Snapping out of his reverie, Levi brings his hands up to Rogue's face, resting his palms on her cheeks and checking for any signs of concussion in her pupils. As he does this, he can feel her palms running up and down his back, doing her own assessment of his condition where her eyes can't see.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?!" Levi asks, knowing the immense fear in his eyes must be pretty visible right about now and he can't seem to stop his hands from shaking, they look even paler now as they rest on Rogue's pretty face.

"No, I think I'm okay. You saved my life." She answers breathlessly, the wind knocked right out of her as she landed on the hard ground with Levi pressed on top of her, "What about you? Did he get you?! Did he hurt you?! I'll kill him myself. Maybe you should be laying down." She rambles on.

"He didn't shoot me; I'd have felt it by now." Levi assures her before resting his forehead down against hers, his eyes finally closing again as he breathes out, "I thought I was going to lose you."

"You haven't lost me Levi, I'm still here. You won't lose me, I promise." Rogue says softly through fresh tears threatening to spill, bringing her hand to Levi's cheek and reverently running her fingertips over it.

It's only when a figure to their left begins to croak out a cry for help that they even realise they aren't the only two people in the world at this moment.

"Levi…" Maria whimpers, clutching tightly at her stomach, "I…."

Levi's eyes go wide and his jaw dropping to the ground, he can feel Rogue tensing up underneath him and vaguely registers what feels like growling. Rogue hadn't been who the shooter was aiming for at all. He was gunning for Maria…and he succeeded…because Levi hadn't been paying close enough attention.

"No! Marco!" Jean yells at the top of his lungs before sprinting over to Maria, catching her as she crumples to the ground in a heap. Jean helps her rest her head on his shoulder and she pulls her hand away long enough to reveal blood and a clear entry wound to the abdomen.

"Jean…I'm s-so t-tired…" Maria says, eyelids fluttering and breath catching on each word. Levi bolts from his spot on the ground with Rogue hot on his tail, as pushes his way through to the fallen drag queen.

"Marco, baby, you need to stay awake right now! You can't fall asleep…please don't fall asleep." Jean begs through hitching sobs that wrack through his entire body, "I need you here, I can't live without you." He takes Maria's clean hand and presses it to his lips, his eyes shut in despair and disbelief.

When Levi finally reaches the pair, he immediately gets down on his knees, unbuttons his waistcoat, shrugging it off and tearing a strip of fabric from his shirt. His first aid training from his Army days beginning to kick in to overdrive. Mikasa and Annie reach them a matter of seconds later, with no sign of Erwin, and kneel down on either side of Maria, sheer terror etched on both of their faces.

"Maria, honey, I need you to bear with me here. This is gonna hurt a bit, but I have to cover up your wound." She nods with a grimace, skin looking paler than he's ever seen it, her usual honey glow nowhere to be found, "Has anybody called an ambulance?!" Levi has to shout to get the attention of those around him.

"I have…they said they wouldn't be long…is…is he going to be okay?" Levi raises his head and meets the eyes of a horror-stricken young man that he recognises as being part of Pastor Nick's group from earlier. Religious nut or not, being faced with harsh reality right in front of your eyes can change a man's whole perspective in life. He knows that from personal experience.

"I'm gonna do my very best, but he need's proper medical attention sooner rather than later, we need that ambulance to get here as quickly as possible." Levi says honestly, lightly wrapping the already bloody fabric over Maria's wound. Blood begins to seep through it at an alarming rate.

The young man nods and waves over two others from the same group from before, "Come on boys, we'll wait in the street and bring them in here!" and they take off running.

"Annie, go with them." Levi instructs with a tilt of his head. As much as he wants to believe they've had their eyes opened on what they're fighting for tonight, he's still not about to take any chances. Annie does so without hesitation, jogging to catch up with them.

Mikasa then moves in next to Levi and clutches Maria's bloodied hand in her own, "Erwin thinks he saw the shooter go East. He's following the trail until it runs cold. I…I don't know what he plans on doing."

Levi nods, "He'll be fine, if he's careful about it. It's what he does." Just then, Maria begins to stir and wriggle around, almost knocking Jean back on his heels as she does, clenching her eyes in pain with each small movement.

"I n-need…I need…m-my…" Maria begins, unable to fully get her words out.

"Whoa! Maria, you need to lay still!" Levi orders, hand shooting out in a stopping gesture, "What do you need?"

It takes a few more breaths on Maria's part, but eventually she manages to say "My J-jacket."

"You can have mine baby; I'll keep you warm!" Jean exclaims, attempting to carefully extract himself from his too expensive blazer to wrap around Maria's shivering shoulders.

She shakes her head frantically at the action, tears of frustration stinging her eyes, "N-no no, it n-n-needs to be m-mine! It h-has to be…"

"I'll go and get it for you! Just please stay still, I'll be back in a minute." Mikasa says, squeezing Maria's hand once more in reassurance before kissing it and rushing back into the club, pushing her way through anyone standing in her way.

Levi works quickly and efficiently, carefully raising Maria's legs up to her chest in the most painless way he can come up with, checking her back for a possible exit wound and when he finds none, argues with a distressed Jean on why he can't just simply 'remove the bullet'.

"That thing could be tearing him apart from the inside out, and you're going to just leave it in there?!"

"Think about it, Jean! We have no idea where it's sitting right now or what it could have ruptured on the way in. That bullet could be acting like a cork in a champagne bottle, all we can do is apply a light pressure and keep…where the hell is Rogue?!" Levi asks sharply, only just realising he hasn't seen her in a few minutes now.

Jean looks around for a few moments before indicating behind Levi. He quickly spots her determined, stalking form heading off in the direction of the shadowed city. With a sigh, Levi balances Maria's legs on the ground so that they are still raised and softly instructs her to press on to her abdomen, but not too tightly, as a way to keep her awake and responding for the time being.

It doesn't take long for Levi to catch up to Rogue, but even as he manages to reach her while calling her name, she doesn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon.

"Rogue, wait!" He calls, no response.

"Rogue, don't do this!" He calls again.

"I'll kill them. I'll kill them all. Every single one of them. They'll beg for mercy when I destroy them."

"EREN!" Levi yells at the top of his lungs, and this makes the drag queen stop in her tracks. Not once has Levi ever verbally acknowledged Rogue and Eren as one in the same while presenting as Rogue. But even so, she can't let this distract her from her main goal.

"Mika said Erwin saw the shooter go East? Well that's where I need to go, he's gonna die tonight. He'll regret ever being born; I swear it Levi." She hisses, fists clenched to the point where it's almost painful and teeth grit so hard she can almost taste blood.

"If you leave now, Eren, you might catch him. You MIGHT. But if you do go, Marco has a much higher chance of dying."

"That's not true…you're LYING!"

"I AM NOT!" Levi roars, before taking a shaky, calming breath, "Eren, Jean is in no fit state to be of any help right now. I only have two hands, plus Mikasa, and at this moment in time, Marco is in severe risk of bleeding out, getting a blood clot or having his vital organs damaged by that bullet if he keeps moving around and…I don't know how long I can keep him alive before that ambulance gets here. He might not even make it to the hospital…"

Rogue begins to sob audibly, and begins biting the space between her thumb and wrist of her left hand, a habit that Levi knows she uses to calm herself when she's incredibly angry or scared. He places a comforting, bloody hand on her shoulder.

"You can go if you need to Eren, I won't stop you. It's your decision. You can choose to leave and hunt him down; you may even find him. Or you can choose stay here until the ambulance comes, and help with Marco. Eren, the difference between your decision and mine is experience, but you don't have to rely on that. Believe in yourself or believe in me, I can believe in my own abilities or the choices of people I trust, but no one ever knows how it will turn out. So, choose for yourself, whichever decision you'll regret least."

With that, Levi begins to head back towards Marco and the others, leaving Rogue to make her own decision on what she wishes to do. It takes about ten seconds before she speaks up.

"Levi…I'll go with you."

"What do you need me to do?" Rogue asks resolutely, kneeling next to Maria and placing a gentle hand over where hers is currently resting on her stomach. Mikasa has since returned and carefully placing Maria's newly obtained jacket over the drag queen's chest.

"Keep your hand where it is, that rag is completely soaked through, so I'm gonna wrap another over your hands. Make sure the pressure is light, blood is much easier to replace than a new intestine, we can't press too hard, as much as we may be tempted to. Mikasa, if you could rub her arms and legs, we still need to keep her blood flowing so she doesn't clot either. Jean, just keep her steady for us."

Everyone gets to work immediately and without hesitation. It's only when Maria begins struggling with her jacket that Levi stops to check in with her.

"Maz, what's the matter? Am I hurting you? What do you need?" Levi asks calmly, and Jean squeezes her shoulders gently in encouragement.

"J-jean…darlin'…can you r-reach into ma j-jacket pocket? The one on the i-inside." Maria instructs, words coming out quieter and even harsher than before, as if each one presents a painful uphill battle, which to be fair, they probably are at this point.

Jean does as he's asked with only mild confusion showing on his face, rummaging around in the deep pocket for a while before his hand reaches a small, square object. He pulls it out and finds it's in fact a velvet box. With a click, the box opens to reveal a simplistic silver band that glints in the moonlight.

"Oh my god…" Jean gasps, a fresh stinging in his eyes as he inspects the engagement ring in his hand.

"It b-belonged to my Daddy. M-momma gave it to me a-after he died. I w-wanted you to h-h-have it. I was w-waitin' f-for our anniversary b-b-but now seems as g-good a time as any." Maria jokes through her own trembling, the pain in her abdomen becoming more and more excruciating by the second.

"Oh Marco…" Jean breathes.

"Jean Kirstein, will you m-marry me?"

"You dumbass!" Jean laughs through his own tears, "Of course I will, I shoulda asked you myself sooner!"

"T'sa real shame, I h-had a whole s-speech prepared n' everything." Marco says with a smile.

"Don't worry sweetheart, we have forever for you to tell me all about it."

And as he watches the heart-wrenching scene unfold in front of him, all Levi can do is hope and pray that 'forever' will last longer than just tonight.

Once the ambulance had FINALLY arrived and Maria had been safely secured in with Jean by her side, the paramedics had instructed everybody else to go home, get cleaned up and get some well-deserved sleep. The reality of the situation being that she would need immediate surgery and wouldn't be ready for visitors until her condition was no longer in such a critical state.

It took much longer to convince Rogue that there was nothing more she could do but wait, and she would be far more productive after at least a few hours of rest at home, than sitting in a hospital waiting room for an update.

However, after a reassuring reminder from Mikasa that it was more than extremely likely that Eren's own father would be the one to perform Maria's surgery, and that Grisha Jaeger would cut out any medical jargon or bullshit and they'd be the first to know any new information when it comes to light, Eren finally agreed to be taken home by Levi while Mikasa would deal with the still terrified crowd gathered around and inside the club walls, whilst awaiting an update from Erwin in the meantime.

When they arrive home, Rogue is in an almost zombie-like state, going through the motions of getting undressed without a word, and only after Levi had instructed her to do so while he draws a bath for her.

"Do you need me to help you get cleaned up or do you think you can manage it?" Levi asks, leaning over the tub as Rogue sits on the covered toilet in only her underwear and filthy wig. She doesn't look at him when she responds.

"I…might need some help getting the blood off my skin, I can't bear to look at it. I can bathe myself after that."

Levi nods because he understands, he remembers the first time he got a fallen comrade's blood literally on his hands. He and Erwin had been the same rank back then, and he'd helped Levi scrub the stickiness from his skin. And even though he knew it was impossible, he could still feel it staining his skin for weeks after. From then on, he ensured to always clean himself and his surroundings to within an inch of its' life.

"Okay, let's get you into the bath alright? If you just sit on the edge facing me, I'll get you cleaned up in no time." Levi offers, and Rogue agrees solemnly, taking Levi's outstretched hand and sitting on the edge as suggested.

Levi begins scrubbing at Rogue's skin with a soapy sponge and without delay, pausing only when he notices that Rogue has been staring at him the whole time, and only then does it occur to him that the bath water is turning red as Marco's blood drips from her body.

"Don't worry, I'll change the water again before you take a proper bath." Levi promises, receiving only a shrug of the shoulders as acknowledgement this time around. So, Levi continues to work in silence and Rogue continues staring blankly until she dares to speak again.

"Are you leaving tomorrow?" She asks quietly, meeting his gaze with the saddest look in her eyes.

"What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere?" Levi responds, still washing away.

"Tonight…you said you're leaving…you didn't say when." Rogue clarifies, "I just need to know so that I can…prepare I guess."

Levi stops his motions straight away, setting the sponge down on the rim of the tub and gently places his hands on Rogue's shoulders, leaning close so that their faces are almost touching.

"Rogue, listen to me and listen to me carefully. I never once wanted to leave you; don't you think that for even a second. I thought it would be best that I leave because…well, my feelings for you are no longer…professional. And that frightens me. I haven't felt this way in a very long time and I thought that running away would be the best thing for both of us in the long run. But tonight, I thought I was going to lose you forever, and it made me realise something…" Levi trails off, taking a moment to admire the beauty and hope twinkling in Rogue's gorgeous, contrasting eyes, knowing for certain he's making the right decision.

"And what was that?" Rogue asks, barely contained excitement beginning to bloom in her voice, hands gripping the bathtub so tightly, Levi fears for the integrity of the ceramic.

"That I don't want to live in a world where I can't see your face every day. That I don't want to say goodbye to you, not for a second. That I want to be by your side for as long as I can and stay there for as long as you'll have me." Levi admits honestly, the weight of his words lifted from his shoulders and weighing Rogue's head down so she can no longer meet his eyes.

"And…that's because…you care for me?" Rogue wonders hopefully, and Levi can't help the smirk that graces his lips.

"Tch, because I love you brat." Levi declares, and Rogue's head snaps up sharply at his words.

"You…do you…you mean it? You love me?"

"Yeah kid." Levi nods, letting one of his hands trail up and cup Rogue's make up covered cheek, her mascara long since run and leaving dark tracks all down her face. Despite this, she's smiling brightly, a watery, sad smile, unsurprising considering the day they've both had, but she looks so beautiful to Levi nonetheless.

"Wow…" Rogue whispers breathlessly, "I've never been in love before. But…you make me feel like my heart is gonna burst from my chest or climb out of my throat whenever you look at me like that…is that what it feels like to you?"

"Don't think it's a one size fits all sort of deal." Levi shrugs, "But don't get me wrong, I'm…not good when it comes to this kind of thing. Love, and stuff…relationships you know? I'm set in my ways, I'm grumpy, I'm neurotic, I'm…"

"Perfect." Rogue finishes with a giggle, and Levi can't help but give her a small smile in return, making her heart skip a whole beat. She loves when he smiles, as rare as his smiles are.

"Far from it, brat. What I'm trying to say is, I'm not likely to change…so please don't expect me to. I don't do the whole PDA thing or initiate…intimacy or, want sex. Not yet anyway. I'm not saying never…and it's not like I haven't thought about it…not that I think about you regularly in that way or…"

"Levi, I understand." Rogue interrupts before he continues to spill his guts, "I'm not going to ask that you become all lovey dovey with me or that we give each other cute nicknames, or start going at it like rabbits. And I will never EVER, pressure you for sex. I would wait forever for you forever to be comfortable before we even discuss something like that. And even if you never feel comfortable with it, you're forgetting it's not something I've ever experienced anyway. You can't miss what you've never had…hell, I've never even been kissed before!"

"Wait, you're seriously telling me that famous drag sensation and former prostitute Eren Jaeger has never lost his kissing virginity?" Levi jokes with amusement, earning him a smack on the arm and a glare from the drag queen in question.

"Ass!" She exclaims, "And no, I have not. Not a proper kiss anyway."

Levi lets the new information sink in for a moment, and makes the snap decision not to wait any longer before tilting Rogue's chin up and softly pressing his mouth to hers, finally indulging in that elusive kiss he's been craving for so long now.

Her lips are sticky from the gloss she applied hours ago, but warm and soft in a way that can only be discovered from kissing, they're pillowed and plush, pressing against his in desperate need for more. There's a very light scratchiness to the kiss, which Levi in the back of his mind recognises as her morning stubble beginning to come through. He pushes the thought away as Rogue lets her hands slip from the tub and wrap around Levi's shoulders, one running up and through his hair, pulling gently for more attention.

Levi lets her take what she wants for a while longer, kissing back just as firmly and rubbing his hands up and down her curvy sides, caressing the dip of her waist over and over again. He pulls away after one last press of their lips, not allowing their tongues touch, not yet, and leans back to watch her catch her breath once again. Her chest is about as red as the bralette and underwear she's still wearing.

"How was that?" He asks, in an only slightly teasing tone.

"Amazing." She answers breathlessly and honestly, "The most amazing thing ever…"

Levi chuckles for a second before giving her one last chaste kiss and stepping away from the tub.

"You need to finish getting washed up, I'll leave you alone for now and I'll bathe when you're done." He says before moving towards the door, completely forgetting to change the water in the haze of Rogue's kisses.

"Wait, Levi!" Rogue stops him, "Why don't you…just get in the tub with me?"

Levi arches one of his thin eyebrows at the suggestion, causing Rogue to back track in embarrassment.

"Just to get clean I swear! I won't…touch you anywhere you don't want me to…and we can keep our underwear on!" She continues, before sighing red-faced, "It was just an idea, we don't have to."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind, also means we can get to bed a bit faster as well…to sleep, that is." Levi clarifies, his own embarrassment seeping through at his inadvertent statement.

Once they've quickly drained the tub and changed the water, Rogue tries not to stare as Levi strips down to his boxer briefs, thanking her lucky stars that they're black, she wouldn't have been able to tear her eyes away if they'd been white.

When they've managed to settle together in the water, they start by cleaning themselves first, facing away from eachother as they scrub at their more…private areas, Rogue taking the opportunity to quickly untuck…the sweat and grime of the day rinsing off in rivulets from the handheld hose attached to the tub.

Levi has just finished washing and rinsing his own hair when he addresses Rogue again.

"Do you want to take your wig off and I'll wash your hair for you?"

In all honesty, she'd completely forget it was on her head, she'd been so used to being 'Rogue' all day that it hadn't occurred to her to remove her hair and make-up. The idea of being truly naked, completely stripped of Rogue, causing a mild anxiety as Levi holds up the hose.

With a deep breath, she removes the bobby pins holding her hair in place, peels off the mess of wig that been practically glued to her head all day and tugs the wig cap aside before placing everything on the floor of the bathroom, forgotten for the time being.

"Do you mind?" Eren asks, gesturing between Levi's legs.

"Go ahead." Levi says, spreading his thighs so that Eren can slip in between them, facing away as Levi sets the hose aside and begins lathering his long, greasy locks with fruity shampoo. Levi's shampoo, Eren realises with a smile.

Levi's fingers are thorough and feel like heaven in Eren's sore scalp, sensitive from the pinching and stabbing of pins and caps all day. It feels so good that he finds himself having to suppress moans of satisfaction numerous times. It's not sexual in any sense of the word, but the intimacy and connection they both feel at the contact of skin against skin, and the memory of their lips pressed together in a loving kiss, makes both of their breaths hitch in their throats, and neither want it to end.

However, the water temperature has another idea as it starts to run cold, and Levi can feel Eren begin shivering in his arms. Levi does his best to warm the boy up with his hands, but it becomes clear it's time for them to get out now.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" Levi asks softly, fingertips still gently caressing Eren's cold arms with his ever so slightly warmer hands. He can feel Eren nodding gently before he turns around in his grasp, and Levi notes all traces of the Rogue makeup have now been cleaned off, it is undoubtedly Eren in his arms right here and now.

"Before we go to your room, are you absolutely certain this is where you want to be?" Eren asks shyly, nervous in the newness of no longer hiding behind his Rogue armour tonight, "You don't want to go back home to Trost?"

Levi is silent for a beat, looks Eren directly in the eyes, steel grey meeting green and gold, and shakes his head.

"This is my home."