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Pain emerged through me as I limped across the roof. It hurt so much. My hand pressed tightly against the wound on the back of my upper thigh, but that didn’t do anything. I could feel the blood flowing out like a river coming to its nearest waterfall. Ragged breaths came from my lungs. I was already crying. The tears just didn’t come.A few feet away from me was a ceiling window that sprayed out bright light from underneath. It felt like that small light was my savior, but even the gods themselves knew it wasn’t. I was bleeding out. My life was escaping me bit by bit, and that would mean everything else would too. I didn’t want that, fuck no, I wouldn’t have that.But I really didn’t have a choice, did I?My legs gave up on me and I fell right above the window. Wails left my lips more and more. There was so much pain; so much pain that I couldn’t endure. The unsteady pumping of my heart was ringing nonstop to my ears. It was like the world was spinning on a carousel.“Help me!” I screamed through, pounding my bloody fist down on the window. The janitor was down there, cleaning freely, well and alive. It hurt to see him openly allowed to roam like that; something I wouldn’t be able to do again. “H-Help!” I broke through the cries. “H..He-..” I gasped, attempting to slam my hand down harder. “Help.. God, please… H..” My pleads in desperation were cut off by realization and gasps.He couldn’t hear me.I didn’t want to go.But then I suddenly remembered.My phone started to go off and I shifted around to look at it. Levi. Levi was calling. A picture of him appeared in my head, along with trails and trails of tears rolling down my cheeks. He was so beautiful. His smile was so rare and special; it felt like being in heaven just seeing it. The crinkles by his eyes were the cutest things I’ve ever seen. I didn’t even know having such white teeth was possible, but he had it. He always amazed me, and I loved that so much.I just wanted to see that again.“L..Levi!” I gasped. My vision of him was extremely blurry when I answered the video call, but I knew he was at the other end. His hair was unexpectedly messy and terribly adorable. Stacks of cd cases were behind him along with guitars cut off in the screen.“Eren? Eren, oh my fucking- What’s happening? Where are you?” His last question was repeated in a tone of demand and worry. He turned and walked from around the counter, staring hard into the camera.His voice was the sweetest thing I could’ve ever heard. “He.. He stabbed me,” I cried out, my lungs barely taking in any more air. I was feeling dizzier by the second, but I didn’t want to let go. Gasps and gasps of air. They were stopping me from speaking clearly. “Please… Call 911!” I looked back to see if he – the murderer – was coming anytime soon, but I saw no one. Looking back at Levi, I could see that his eyes were widened.“Who stabbed you? Where the hell are you?” He nearly shouted. He was so scared, almost as scared as I was. But that couldn’t be; no one could be as scared as I. I was about the leave someone I cared about so much. Those grey orbs of his were filled with so much fear. And no one could blame him.“Th.. The roof,” I gasped, another cry breaking loose, “Reiner..” For the last time I looked back, only a piece of dust being blown back. “He’s… He’s gone..” I couldn’t control myself anymore.“H-Hey, Eren, brat, just- where are you?” He couldn’t understand me. He didn’t know where I was. He was too late. “Ju-Just look around. Tell me what you can see. Eren-“And he was so, so beautiful.I stared into the phone’s screen with all I could see. I was going weak; too much blood was escaping from me. My phone turned away from me when my hand moved back to my side. I turned so my back was pressed against the window. Staring into the night sky, I began to smile.“I can… see our…stars,” I gasped, tears rolling more and more. I could see them clearly. Just like him, they looked so beautiful.“Eren, no, no. Don’t you fucking dare- Eren! You have to stay with me, please, please stay with me.” I could hear it less clearly now, but he was even more scared than before. I couldn’t see him, and I don’t think I could ever again. The vision of stars started getting darker with every inaudible gasp I took.“Please,” I could hear his soft whisper.My hand lowered down to the pool of blood beside me; although, it didn't touch it just quite yet. I didn't want to say goodbye; I wasn't ready. But I couldn't say anything. I was dying, my body was running cold, my lungs weren't able to take in any more air despite my numb feeling of taking it in. The word was maybe spinning for me now, but I knew it was coming to an end. Before my hand dropped down, the last thing I heard was Levi's last call for my name through the phone. Our stars never shined so bright.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I was getting an odd feeling already.And I didn't know what. There was a weird churning in my stomach, like something bad was going to happen. I swallowed, trying to get rid of it."Levi," Erwin called out behind me, "I'm going on ahead. Are you sure you'll be alright?"Letting out a long sigh, I turned towards him. His tall height made me look up, and that was one thing I hated. That tall height of his, and the features that made his face look intimidating but incredibly attractive. However, I had someone else. Some once else that made me feel so much more, and unlike Erwin, he was amazing.And he was Eren."I'm going to be alright, Erwin. Just because you think I'm different today doesn't mean I'm gonna fuck up my job. That's your thing," My voice was low as I turned around to face the counter. I didn't want to look him in his eyes, because it felt like hell to. It was as if, even for a second, if I looked into his eyes, they could draw the truth out of me."Whatever you say," He paused, setting a hand on my shoulder," Tell Eren I said hi."And with that, he left. That bastard.The music store lights were dimmed, and no one else was in the store. It seemed about right. No one would usually come into the store so late into the day, and that was a fact.My shift was nearly seven hours and ending soon. My piercing gaze fell onto the clock and watched as the seconds ticked its way across the circle. It was painfully slow and sickening. Time has never been this cruel.I really just wanted to see him. I was dying to actually, and I always was. Eren was just a beautiful guy, and I couldn't even explain how much I came to love him. There was something inside him, something within his smooth, tan skin that drew and consumed me all over, like venom. He was irresistible.Taking one last peek around the store, I felt a smile creeping onto my face. My hand slipped to my back pocket, and I grabbed my phone. The feeling of doubt and insecurity washed over my body, but I pushed it away, thinking that if I just saw Eren it would all go away, and it would be like the feelings were never there.My thumb moved fast across the screen, pulling up Eren's contact. I pressed the video call and waited. His profile picture came onto the screen; it was him with the goofiest smile on his face, a mix of a failed attempt to smile and joyful laughter. I remember. He stole my phone when I was preoccupied with picking out a dumb sweater for him to wear. Eren wore that sweater nearly everyday since then.He answered after two rings, and the screen pulled up. I was getting prepared to tell him that I was coming home soon, that my shift was nearly ending, and that we would goof around at our apartment while watching random shows on television right when I returned him.But the room went cold before I could."L..Levi!" His voice came through. It was so broken, so scared - terrified. And it took me by surprise.My stomach dropped. My eyes went wide, and my heart raced faster, and louder. I couldn't hear it past Eren's pleads, but it was there. It was echoing through my head, back and forth, and it wasn't ending. I was becoming terrified. It felt like I was going to lose him.Just like his voice, he looked broken. His eyes were wide, but they were puffy and full of tears. The chocolate hair that uses to be soft against my fingers was now a clump of frizzy mess on his head. His tear-stained face was heartbreaking, and because of it I couldn't even control my emotions."Eren?" I forced out. "Eren, oh my fucking- What's happening?" I wanted to know what. "Where are you?" I demanded. I wanted to know where. He was scared, and terrified, and I wasn't there.I. Wasn't. There.Eren's breathing was heavy and ragged. "He.. He stabbed me!" I felt dizzy immediately. The beating echoed louder in my head. I was becoming so much more terrified. "Please... Call 911!" He cried. He turned his head and looked back, as if he was looking for someone.My eyes became wider, and the beating of my heart stopped. "Who stabbed you? Where the hell are you?" I wanted to shout loudly, but I could only go so far. I was becoming desperate to know.I wanted to save him."Th.. The roof," He was gasping. "Reiner," Eren paused and checked again. That was the person he was looking for. Reiner. "He's... He's gone.." I could tell his eyelids were growing heavy; I was losing him."H-Hey Eren, brat just-" I sighed quickly, realizing my voice was cracking. I was losing time. "Where are you? Ju-Just look around. Tell me what you can see, Eren-"He gave me such a sad smile, like he was giving up. He stared into the camera for the longest time, then disappeared. Eren's features were slipping away as the phone moved, and all I could see was the sky. The stars were clear."I can... see our...stars," I heard faintly through the phone.My heartbeat was back, thumping around my head. Crashing into the depths of my mind, just aching for me to hurt. "Eren, no, no. Don't you dare-" I couldn't lose him. Not again. Not after all we've been through, not after all the memories we've shared. It was us, it was just us against the world. I didn't want to handle it alone. "You have to stay with me, please, please stay with me."He didn't respond to me. "Please," I whispered softly.Seconds later a thud was heard and I knew his phone hit ground. I knew what this meant, but I didn't want to believe it. I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt the hot liquid run down my cheeks. It hurt like hell. "Eren!" I yelled, hoping for him to respond to his name, just like he always did.I didn't even hear the door opening. "Leeevi! Levi! Levi! Levi! I'm here for my..." Hanji was there, and she paused. "Levi!"A set of hands pushed my shoulders back, and I was forced to look at her. She was saying things I couldn't understand.My emotions were growing out of hand. Terrified, frightened, scared, furious. I loved this man. To the moon and back, so God,Why are you taking him away? He did nothing wrong, all he did was love me. Did I not deserve it? Was this your way of telling me that, was this how you wanted to punish me for being a fucked up person?Was this what I deserved?I clutched the phone against my chest and held it there like it was my own heart. And it was, as of now. The last I would hear of him was right there, on that phone.And it was such a terrible thought.So I fell to my knees and screamed, knowing he was gone and that I, too, saw our stars.