Those Three Words
Summary: All the three word phrases Eren and Levi said to/about each other as their relationship changes and gives them a whole new meaning.
8. You've gotta choose. (Crystal Cave) (Levi) (Levi POV)
"Eren, I really hate doing this to you," Levi said with all the sincerity he could muster, because he was dead serious about this. He really did hate putting so much strain and so many burdens on this boy, so passionate and so broken that Levi almost pitied him in his heart of hearts if he didn't know not even death would prevent Eren from doing what he wants, what he deems he needs to. "But ..." He met the eyes of his subordinate who had fixated on him faster than he had even registered his friends were around. "You've gotta choose."
It was the same choice that Levi had presented him with in that forest and back then, Eren had chosen to trust his comrades. The despair in his eyes told Levi that was also what Eren was thinking about as he pondered his choice.
Levi was not at all surprised, even if he was pained, when Eren chose to trust in himself this time, as he grabbed some bottle with a strange liquid, bit into it and transformed, forming a huge Crystallized Titan within that Crystal Cave covered in iceburst crystal, saving the Scouts within from being burned to death in the ensuing explosions caused by Rod Reiss' Titan transformation.
He was successful. He saved them all. But what will this teach Eren? That he can never rely on anyone else, only on himself?
Will he even trust Levi to keep him safe from now on?
Eren was becoming stronger and more in control by the day. And if their gambles pay off, with Historia as Queen, Eren's life won't be forfeit over the first tiny mistake. The days of them working together may very well be numbered, especially once they've successfully taken back Wall Maria now that they have a way to plug up the hole in Shiganshina.
Sooner or later, Levi will no longer need to stand by Eren's side and he will lose the last member of his squad. These new brats weren't bad at all, but Eren was the only one left from his original squad and Levi would be lying if he said he hadn't grown a tiny bit attached to the teen. He can't lie to himself and say it won't hurt when Eren no longer turns to him for advice, for guidance or for comfort.
But he guesses that's part of growing up and Yeager is still only fifteen. It's bound to happen sometime.
One day soon, he won't be turning to Levi anymore, but until then, like now, Levi will offer comfort, advice, praise, criticism and guidance in any form his subordinate may need.
Starting with congratulating Eren on finally being able to use Crystallization, taking them one step closer to saving the humanity within these Walls. The way Eren looked at him as Levi told him he did good pierced his heart as he wondered just how much self-doubt his subordinate has and he wondered what, if anything, Levi could possibly do to help him change that.
Perhaps making him choose today had been the right move, even if that choice had opened a new horizon for Eren for him to chase and leave Levi behind because of.
But that's fine. Loving someone, in any capacity, meant setting them free.
And Eren, if no one else, deserved more than just that bit of freedom Levi could afford to give him.