Later that evening, Eren stayed inside their room but Levi felt he needed some air, so he headed outside and just walked down the street, his hands in his pockets and his hood covering his head as he hung it low. He watched his feet and barely looked up the whole time. It was freezing but he didn't care. He pricked his ears and glanced up when he heard muffled screaming and looked around him. There was an alleyway to his right and he frowned. The noise was coming from that direction. He frowned and looked into the blackness. He could see a struggling shape being held against the wall. They were female. They were being held to the wall by a ebony silhouette. Levi pulled his hood over his face further and glanced behind him before heading into the alley. Under the cover of the shadow, he edged along the damp brick wall. He caught sight of the hostage's face and his eyes widened in shock. It was Mikasa. She must have come out here to get some air much like him and something must have happened. He could hear the man that was clamping her mouth shut with his strong, large hand threatening her. She had obviously put up a good fight as his arm looked red and was bleeding. When Levi got close enough, he took the male by surprise and grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him into the opposite wall. Mikasa gasped for air and tumbled to the ground, looking in fear at the second person now in the dark alley with her. The man twisted Levi's arm and they started to fight. Mikasa scrambled backwards on her hands, her eyes glassy and wide with fear. Levi punched the man hard in the face but he got the better of him and held Levi against the wall.

"You..." The man hissed. He was a thin but strong looking man with a large scar on his cheek from a knife. He had fierce grey eyes and brown hair. He stank of weed.
"Yeah, me..." Levi growled and narrowly dodged a punch aimed at his head.

"What the hell are you doing out here fighting Levi, I thought you gave up this life a couple of years back! Why'd you protect her? That your girlfriend?" Mikasa was huddled against some bins. She had twisted her ankle and didn't know which way to run out of the alley, she was shaking with fear. Her heart stopped when she heard Levi's name and caught a glance of his pale face under his hood. She listened in horror as the man mentioned him 'giving up this life'.

"No, get off me Lukas you piece of shit!" Levi growled and tried to twist out of his grip. He used his knee to kick the dangerous looking man in the balls and he let out a strangled cry before falling down to his knees. Levi rushed forward and grabbed Mikasa, hauling her to her feet. She screamed and tried to get away but Levi held firm. "It's me Mikasa! Stop!" He half pulled her, half carried her out of the alley and into the street. He pulled his hood off and Mikasa could see him fully. Levi hauled her away from the alley and she struggled as he did. The ravenette put her down on some grass. She scrambled away from him.

"Get away from me!"

"Jaeger, it's Levi, stop."

"You knew that man! You knew him!"

"That was a long time ago, now come on!" He gripped her wrist to drag her to her feet. "I need to get you back to the college, are you hurt?"

"How did you know him?! What are you even doing out here? Don't touch me, why do you care I I'm ok!"

"I could ask you the same question, now come on!" Levi growled and pulled her after him while she struggled in his grip.

"Ow! My ankle's hurt, stop it!"

"You could have said something... We're on the other side of town, how the hell am I meant to get you back?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" She yelled at him.

"I just saved you for God's sake!" Levi shouted back in disbelief. "What is wrong with you?!" Mikasa fumbled for her phone in her pocket and hurriedly called Armin, limping away from Levi.

"Mikasa?"

"Armin get Eren! Quick!"

"O-ok!" She heard Armin throwing open his door and running to Eren's room, knocking hurriedly. He heard them say something and then heard Eren's voice.

"Mikasa? Are you alright?"

"Your crazy boyfriend just dragged me out of some alley and he won't leave me alone, I've hurt my ankle, I can't get aw-" Levi snatched the phone.

"Eren it's me, I found her in an alley and she was being attacked by someone, she keeps- Stop!" Levi wrenched the phone away as Mikasa tried to grab it. Eren listened in shock. "Stop it you idiot, let me speak to him!"

"Give it to me, you lied to him! You knew that man! I heard you with him!"

"Mikasa? Levi? Where are you right now?!"

"On the other side of bloody town and your fucking boyfriend has stolen my phone!" Mikasa roared, trying to get it from Levi, who hit her away again.

"Can you get a taxi or something, Mikasa can't walk-"

"Eren he's not safe! Levi's dangerous and he won't let go of me or give me my damn phone!"

"For fucks sake, shut up!"

"Shut up, the pair of you!" Eren yelled down the phone. "I'm on my way, where abouts are you both?"

"By the er..." Levi glanced around hurriedly. "The cinema." Eren hung up as he rushed to get a taxi. Mikasa snatched back her phone back and Levi glared at her, his black hair brushing across his eyes in the wind. The girl swallowed and turned to run off but found a hand holding her arm in a vice like grip, preventing her from getting anywhere.

"You can't fool me you bastard, you may be able to fool my brother, but NOT me!"
"Just shut up and stand still..." Levi grumbled, not letting go of her arm.

Eren kept on urging the taxi driver to hurry up as they headed through the town. The sky was pitch black and cloudy apart from the occasional star peeking through. The lights in the windows of shops were bright and the street lamps were bold and yellow. Eren searched the pavement with his emerald eyes just in case Mikasa had run away from Levi. He was so worried about them, why the hell were they out there and Mikasa had said she'd met him in an alley! What were either of them doing down there? Levi wasn't getting involved with people again, was he? As soon as the taxi came to a stop, Eren was out of the door. He skidded to a halt and ran back asking the driver to wait before rushing off across the grass. He could see Mikasa struggling in Levi's grip and ran over to them.
"Mikasa!" He yelled and she looked up with wide eyes. She yanked herself free and half limped half ran towards him while Levi rolled his eyes and followed.

"Eren!" She threw her arms around the brunette before glancing over her shoulder at the approaching Levi. She snatched up Eren's hand and started to pull him towards the taxi. "Come on! Hurry up, he's coming!"

"Mikasa, we're not leaving him! What the hell has been going on?"

"I came out here because I wanted to be on my own and when I was near an alley some guy snatched me and dragged me down there! I fought with him but he won and then Levi appeared down the alley and fought with the guy! He knew him Eren, he knew his name and the man knew his, he mentioned Levi having done that before! He's dangerous Eren!"

"Mikasa, trust me, it's ok. I know why he knows him, don't worry about it... Is your leg ok?" Eren mumbled quietly, pulling his hand from Mikasa's grip.

"Don't worry? Don't worry?! He knew a thug and is a criminal! It's fine, just twisted, but that's not important right now!" She cried out. Eren looked back at Levi, his hair in his eyes. The ravenette reached them and glared at Mikasa before turning to Eren.

"Levi, are you ok?"

"I'm always ok. She's not though..." He grumbled and Mikasa hissed.

"You can shut up, you knew that man. Tell us Ackerman, what were you doing in that alley and how did you know him?" Mikasa pulled Eren back protectively.

"I just came out here because I needed some air and I heard some idiot being held against the wall so I went to help them! They then started blaming me!"

"You avoided my question, how did you know him!" Mikasa bristled and Eren turned to push her towards the taxi that was still waiting for them in the dark.

"That's enough Mikasa, leave it. Come on Levi."

"Eren, doesn't it bother you? You know something, tell me what it is!" She hauled herself from his grip and stumbled a couple of steps back, leg twinging. Eren glanced at Levi helplessly as he stepped up to his side.

"Tell her." Levi muttered plainly and Eren's eyes widened in shock.

"W-what? Tell her wh-"

"The truth dammit, otherwise this will never end!" He snapped and Eren swallowed, looking back at Mikasa through his messy hair.

"H-He used to live on the streets, ok? That's how he knew him."

"What, he was some sort of nasty thug?" Mikasa's eyes flashed and she glared daggers at Levi who glared darkly back.

"Yeah, something like that, now move it bitch, we need to get back." He snarled and she gritted her teeth and clenched her cold fists in anger.

"Eren, this fucker is dangerous, come away from him right now! I can't believe you didn't tell me that before or I would never have let you near one another!"

"That's precisely why I DIDN'T tell you!" Eren cried out. "Come on, we are all going back. Move." Eren ordered and gestured for Levi to follow. Mikasa looked as if she was ready to attack Levi so Eren added, "And don't bother trying to fight him, you know even better now that he'd win. We'll talk more when we get back to college."

Mikasa was furious and when Eren got into the back of the taxi beside her, she reached across him and slammed the door. Levi glared through the window at her and had to get in the front.

"Yeah, mature Mikasa." He growled, not bothering to do his seatbelt.

"Well I didn't want my brother to sit next to some crimin-" Eren clamped a hand over her mouth, she mustn't say that in front of the driver.

"Can you do your seatbelt up please Sir, I'm obliged to make sure all passengers are safe." Levi rolled his eyes.

"We won't be safe with him in here..." Mikasa muttered after yanking Eren's hand away and glared darkly at the back of Levi's head. He looked back at her in anger as he did his seatbelt up. Eren sighed and shook his head at his lap. He was having to choose between Levi and Mikasa again.

When they got back to college, Mikasa pulled Eren through the doors. "Eren for God's sake, he's a fucking criminal! He could be a murderer! We have to report him!" She hissed as Levi came in after them, his eyes dark.

"I have never killed anyone but I'm tempted to start right now." Levi snarled and Eren cursed under his breath.

"For God's sake, the pair of you shut up. Mikasa, he's not dangerous, his mother died and his father left, he was on the streets since he was a kid! The worst he ever did was steal things, he never killed anyone!" Eren whispered, his eyes flashing in frustration.

"He still stole things and he could be lying!"

"Trust me, when he first told me this stuff, he was NOT lying!" Mikasa searched his eyes and they were bright with truth.

"I still don't trust him..." She muttered quietly and shot a glare in Levi's direction. "And I don't want you in that room together, I don't trust him near you..."

"Mikasa, we've been room sharing for 3 months now, it's fine." Eren said firmly. "All I am worried about right now is that you are both ok. Do you need a Doctor for your leg?"

"No, it's fine." She replied through gritted teeth, not taking her eyes off Levi even for a second. Her gaze drifted to his pocket and she saw the corner of a box. She reached out and snatched it. Looking down at it, she saw that it was cigarettes. Levi snatched them back, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Oi!"

"Why do you have those?" She yelled and Eren looked at Levi in shock.

"I didn't know you smoked, I've never seen you go out to do it and you don't smell of it, why do you have those...?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well yes, you're under-age!" Mikasa cried out.

"No, I'm 19, I can smoke you bitch." She looked at him in shock.

"W-what? I thought you were in our year! Eren, why are you sharing with someone from another year?"

"They ran out of rooms so they mixed a few years." Eren mumbled, still looking at Levi with a frown but the shorter male didn't meet his eyes as he shoved the cigarettes back in his pocket.

"Eren he's a bad influence!"

"Mikasa, loads of people smoke, now leave it... And if you tell ANYONE about what I told you about Levi, I will never and I mean NEVER forgive you, so don't you fucking dare." He turned to go up to his and Levi's room and the ravenette followed, casting a last glare at the still shocked Mikasa.

"Eren, it's not safe!" She called one last time but the two were gone.

"You weren't meant to see those..." Levi grumbled, looking away from Eren to the side.

"B-but you don't smell of smoke, you don't smoke, why do you have them?"
"I need them."

"But why?" Eren whispered, his eyes sad.

"I used to smoke when I was on the streets but managed to break the habit when I was taken off of the streets, it was difficult but I did it." He grumbled, watching his feet as they went up the stairs.

"So why do you have them now? Please don't start again, it would be a huge mistake! A-and it's bad for you, Levi please don't!" He leaned closer to Levi and could smell the faint scent of nicotine. His heart fell. "You already have, haven't you?" He whispered, upset. "When? How long have you been doing it?" He asked and Levi nodded solemnly.
"Don't copy me and start Jaeger, it's a horrible habit and I'm ashamed of it, but I just can't do this... I know I've seemed better since we talked but I was using these instead of my knife. I know you hate the cutting, but I was still having problems and it's this time of year that it all goes mad with the stuff about Isabel and Farlan, they died in December. I've been smoking since a couple of days after we talked but only a little bit when I could be descrete... I didn't have time to cover it up because I had one before I found Mikasa... I'm getting worse... I just can't do this anymore..." He grumbled.

"Please don't talk like that, it scares me when you talk like that because I get afraid that you'll do something stupid and I'll lose you! You say you can't do it, well I can't lose you!" Eren snatched up Levi's freezing hand, tears prickling his eyes. There was no reply from Levi and a tear rolled down Eren's red cheek. "How have I never smelt it on you before?"

"Because I always made sure to cover it up with anything before I saw you, washing, clean clothes, eating mints, I didn't want you to know Jaeger!" Eren sniffed as Levi led him into their room and he pulled his hand free from Eren's. The brunette had tears running down his face and Levi didn't look at him, he hated seeing Eren cry, it made him feel so guilty...

"I know it's a bad thing Eren and I hate myself for buying them but I really need them..." Levi said softly as he sat on the edge of his bed with his head hung low.

"N-No you don't! There are o-other things that you could do or turn to, t-talk to me, y-you don't need drugs to help, they don't help!" Eren spluttered through his tears as he shut the door behind them. The teen sniffled and sunk onto the bed beside Levi. He reached out and pulled the box from Levi's pocket with shaking hands. He looked down at it and his tears dripped down onto the packaging.
"And don't even think about taking them and throwing them away because I will get more, the only thing you would achieve would be making me angry and feel betrayed."

"But Levi, i-it wouldn't be betrayal because I'd be helping you!"

"That's not what betrayal means Jaeger, it doesn't matter whether it would be helping me, it would be the fact you did it against my wishes." Levi grumbled and took the box off of Eren, stuffing it back into his pocket.

"S-so you never got better... Y-you may have done things less b-but... It is a substitute for... for this?" Eren pointed down at Levi's arm. "Because I d-don't know which is w-worse to be honest." Levi sighed and pulled Eren into his shoulder, wrapping his arms around him. Eren sniffled into his shoulder and tears streamed down his cheeks as his nose was filled with not just the clean Levi smell he loved, but a mix of that and cigarettes. He sobbed into his shoulder and Levi let out a deep breath, resting his cheek on Eren's hair as the boy cried into his hoodie.

"I'm sorry Eren... I really am. But I just can't do it."

(A/N:) Wow ok, that was a long one... Um yeah- *avoids thrown objects* hey, I'm sorry ok? Sorry, it had to be done, things will get bad from here guys, hang on to your seats... I'm such a mean writer XD

Thanks so much for reading! Love you all, I'm so glad you seem to be liking it! :D More coming tomorrow maybe, byee!