The gentle creak of the bed filled the quiet cabin, where numerous nights and days had been spent over the course of four years. Eren sat facing Levi, a small hint of excitement in his voice as he announced, "I have a surprise for you."
Levi's eyebrows furrowed suspiciously, but his curiosity was piqued. "What is it? Better not be another one of your reckless ideas," he responded with a flat tone.
Eren let out a deep breath and averted his gaze from Levi. "Well..." he began, reaching for the nightstand drawer. With careful movements, he retrieved something simple that would hold great significance for both of them - blades of grass intertwined to form a makeshift ring.
"I hope you'll like it," Eren spoke up nervously. He held the ring in the palm of his hand, his heart racing and cheeks flushed with emotion. "It's all I have for now, but maybe I can buy you the real thing, if you want..."
Levi's eyes widened as he focused on the crude ring. He bit his bottom lip, unsure of how to interpret Eren's gesture. Was this a proposal, a promise, or simply an act of appreciation? But before he could gather his thoughts, Eren reached out and slipped the makeshift ring onto his finger with sloppy movements.
Levi froze, his heart pounding in his chest as realization set in. "Are you...proposing to me?" he asked slowly, brows furrowing with anxiety.
"It can be anything you want it to be," Eren said softly. "If you want it to be a proposal...then..." his voice trailed off as he took Levi's hand in his own. Eren's answer shifted to uncertainty. "It can be that..." he replied. Before he could fully process what was happening, Levi pulled away and stood up abruptly.
"No!" Levi exclaimed, slapping Eren's hand away and grabbing onto the ring. "I don't want this…" he said breathlessly.
Eren reached for Levi's wrist in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation. "Please, I've been thinking about this for a while now," he pleaded. "I know it's not the nicest gesture, but I put a lot of thought into it."
Levi growled, jerking away from Eren's grasp and standing with his back to him. His eyes stayed fixed on the ring, his finger tracing its pattern carefully.
"I didn't want this...I never wanted this," he muttered again, bitterly, feeling a rush of emotions flood over him. Why would Eren do this now, after they had finally come to terms with everything?
Eren frowned, sensing that something was wrong. "You don't want it or are you thinking about that again?" he asked cautiously.
Levi swallowed hard, glancing over his shoulder at Eren. "You promised you wouldn't bring that up anymore," he replied defensively.
"I'm sorry..." Eren sighed, shifting on the bed before approaching Levi from behind. He wrapped his arms around Levi's waist and rested his head on his shoulder. "Please, just let me have this...it's the last thing I'll ask for." That was the problem - it would be the last thing Eren would ever ask for and as much as Levi wanted to resist, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in his heart.
"I hate you," Levi said weakly.
"I know," Eren replied softly.
Levi looked back down at the ring, feeling Eren's warmth against his back. "I don't want another one...this one is enough," he whispered. "It's perfect…"
"So...that's a yes?" Eren asked once more.
Levi hesitated before finally giving a quiet, scared "yes." Despite everything, he couldn't deny that deep down, a part of him still wanted to say yes, still wanted something that would never come.