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Eren frowned when his phone showed no new notifications. He had talked to Levi that morning and he promised to call him after meeting with Zacharias at the docks. The meeting wasn’t supposed to take long. Maybe Levi finally killed him.
Armin came barging into his room. “Eren, let's go! Everyone’s at the bar waiting.”
“Sorry. I was waiting for Levi to call me.”
“You talked to him like 6 hours ago!”
“I know but he was meeting with Zacharias to deliver his order. I wanted to make sure everything went ok.”
Armin pulled him up and pushed him towards the door, “Everything is fine! Levi probably is out with Hange and Erwin celebrating a completed order!”
Eren scoffed, Levi always said that he never celebrated a completed order because that was their job, but let Armin drag him down to the bar anyway.
After a few drinks and dancing Eren could feel his phone ringing but ignored it. He was having too much fun. He’d call Levi back later.
Suddenly Petra was in front of him. “Eren! We have to go!”
“What? Why?” Petra looked like she had been crying. He grabbed her arm. “Petra what’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “I’ll explain everything. We just need to leave NOW.”
“Ok ok. Let me just tell someone…”
Petra grabbed him. “We don’t have time! Go grab whatever you need from your room and meet me at the front of the hotel.”
Eren felt a pit growing in his stomach. Something was wrong. Petra never acted like this. He ran up to his room. Fuck all his clothes were thrown around. He just grabbed whatever he could and put them in a suitcase. He’d have someone pack the rest of his stuff later. In the elevator, he checked his phone he had a bunch of calls from Hange and Erwin? The pit in his stomach grew. Erwin never called him.
In the limo, Petra was on the phone. “Ok, he’s here. The jet is filled. We will be there in 8 hours. Ok, I’ll tell him.”
Eren barely sat down before the car took off.“Petra…I’m scared. Is my dad ok? My brother?”
She grabbed his hand. “Eren… I don’t know how…” she looked away and wiped some tears. “Levi was shot.”
“What? Where? Is he ok?” Eren’s heart pounded in his chest. This wasn’t happening.
“Hange and Erwin are at the hospital with him now…He was shot in the chest and ankle. They say it doesn't look good.”
Eren gasped. “No. Please.” Eren felt tears gathering in his eyes. “Who shot him?”
“Zacharias. We aren’t sure why. he escaped. We have everyone looking for him.”
Eren nodded. That didn’t make him feel better. “How did they let him get shot!”
Petra shook her head. “He caught everyone off guard. Nobody expected him to shoot.”
Eren scoffed. He felt like screaming. “Who else knows?”
“Just us. We have to be careful about this getting out if people know Levi is Injured people might try and attack.”
“Stop just stop! My husband is fighting for his life and all you care about is people attacking us?”
“No, It’s not like that! I love Levi. Of course, I’m worried about him! But my job is to keep you safe. If we are under attack… it won’t be good. Listen, let's just stay positive. He’s with the best doctors.”
Eren nodded. Stay positive. Sure. The 8-hour flight home was the longest flight ever. Eren couldn’t sit still; he paced up and down the isles. glad the jet was empty. What was the last thing he said to Levi? What was the last conversation they had? Did he know how much he loved him? Horrible images of him standing in front of a coffin filled his mind. No Levi would be ok.
Finally, the plane landed and his car took off towards the hospital. Petra led him up to the third floor where Hange and Erwin were standing in the waiting room. “What happened? Is he still alive?” He almost didn’t want to know the answer. Hange came up and pulled him into a tight hug.
“We don’t know anything, he’s still in surgery.”
“Still!? It’s been hours!”
Hange nodded solemnly. “The bullet nicked an artery in his heart. They are trying to stop the bleeding.”
Eren collapsed. He wasn’t a doctor but any injury to your heart was bad. He sat curled up with Hange. Eren couldn’t tell if it had been an hour or another 8 hours before the doctor was calling for them.
Eren was the first one up “Is he alive?”
“Are you the husband?”
“Yes. Please just tell me is my husband ok?”
The doctor sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ve stopped the bleeding. He’s very lucky the bullet only grazed the artery.”
“Oh thank goodness.”
“He’s not out of the woods yet. There’s still a chance the artery could burst again. We will just have to keep an eye on him.”
Eren gulped. “Can I see him?”
“Of course. Right, this way.”
The doctor led him into Levi’s room. Levi was hooked up to a bunch of machines; his left leg was in a cast and propped up. His right arm was in a sling and he was breathing shallowly. He looked so much younger when he was asleep. Eren ran to his side and took his left hand to kiss it. “Oh, Levi. It’s ok I’m here.” He brushed some of Levi’s hair out of his face.
Hange and Erwin came and sat by him. The doctor nodded. “I’ll be back to check on everything in a little bit.”
Eren wasn’t listening, all he cared about was that Levi was alive.
Erwin coughed. “Listen, we need to discuss worst-case scenarios. Eren you could very well be the new leader of the Ackerman’s.”
“Stop. The only thing we need to focus on is capturing Zacharias and getting Levi better.”
Erwin sighed. “Very well. I’ll go check to see if there are any updates.”
Soon it was just him and Hange. They patted his back sympathetically “You don’t need to cry he's alright.”
Eren didn't realize he was crying. “I can’t help it! I’m the worst!”
“Don't say that!”
“Yes, I am! I was out partying with my friends in Cabo while my husband was shot! I should have never left!”
“This isn’t your fault. Nobody could have predicted that Zacharias would have pulled a gun.”
Eren wiped his eyes. “I guess. You’ve known him the longest. Do you think he’ll be ok?”
“Oh, sweetie! He’ll be just fine. He’s stronger than you think.”
Eren frowned. “I can’t help but think of our last conversation… Did I tell him I love him enough? Does he know how much he means to me?”
Hange hugged him. “Eren you have no idea how much he loves you. He talks about you constantly. The only thing that kept him conscious on the way to the hospital was to talk about you.”
That made him smile. He had to be strong. He couldn’t lose hope. He and Hange stayed by his side the whole night.
The next morning Erwin came to give them an update. “We found Zacharias. He’s being questioned right now.”
Eren felt himself sigh. “Thank goodness.” He turned to Hange. “You should go with Erwin to continue questioning him. I’ll stay.”
Hange looked unsure. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to be alone.”
“I'm fine. I’ll call if he wakes up.”
Hange squeezed his shoulder. “Ok. I’ll come back in a few hours with something to eat.”
Once it was just the two of them Eren lightly hummed to Levi. After a few hours, Levi’s eyes started to flutter. Eren sat up more hoping Levi would wake up. “Where….where am I?”
Brushing back Levi’s hair to kiss his forehead he whispered. “Shhh, you are in the hospital.”
Levi looked around, eyes dazed. “Why?”
“You got shot.”
“Oh.”
Eren smiled and stroked Levi’s check. “You are gonna be fine. Just rest.”
Levi hummed. “You’re pretty. Like an angel.”
Eren chuckled and kissed Levi. “Thank you.”
Levi pulled back from the kiss confusion written all over his face, “I won’t do that. My husband will kill you.”
He caressed Levi’s cheek, “I am your husband.”
Levi pouted like a child, “No. You can’t marry angels.”
Eren picked up Levi’s hand and showed him their matching rings. “Well, you did.”
Levi looked at the rings, blush rising on his cheeks. “Wow. I married an angel.”
Eren looked over at the heart monitor and noticed it started to pick up. “Don’t get too worked up.”
“I can’t help it!” Levi actually whined. “I just found out I’m married to the most beautiful angel in existence.”
Eren sighed and kissed Levi’s forehead again. “Even hopped up on morphine you are still quite the charmer.”
Levi closed his eyes. “Do that again.”
“What? Kiss you?”
Levi nodded. “Angel kisses heal any wound.”
Who was Eren to ignore something like that? He kissed every part of Levi’s face. Both cheeks, nose, forehead, lips.
When he pulled away Levi’s face was bright red and he tried to raise his arm in the sling and sit up. “Look, I'm healed!”
Eren put a hand on his chest so he wouldn’t sit up. “Woah, there cowboy. I know you don’t feel any pain right now but you definitely aren’t fully healed.”
Levi pouted again. “Then kiss me more!”
A nurse saved him, “Hello! I’m here to change the bandages!” Eren nodded. “Oh also, someone is outside asking for you. I think they said their name was Hange?”
Eren looked down at Levi who was staring at him with big wide eyes. He bent down “I’ll be right back. The nice nurse is going to take care of you.”
Levi tugged on his arm. “Wait, don't leave me!”
“I’ll just be right outside the door. Be a good boy and let the nurse change your bandages. Then I’ll give you more kisses.”
Levi nodded. “Anything for an angel.”
Hange was standing right out the door. “Eren how’s our patient?”
Eren chuckled. “Oh, he’s feeling no pain. They got him on all the good stuff.”
“He’s awake?”
“Definitely. I’m never gonna let him live the conversation we just had down.”
Hange cackled, “Oh boy! I can’t wait to see this! By the way, Zacharias is talking. We are probably gonna take over his clan.”
Eren nodded. “Good. Don’t kill him just yet. Also, I probably wouldn’t talk too much about our business to Levi just yet. He’s kinda got a blabbermouth.”
“Levi? Blabbermouth? He's gonna regret this!”
Eren felt a little better. Levi seemed to be ok at least he was awake and talking.
The nurse came back out of the room. “His chest wound looks good. Don’t let him move around too much; he might rip the stitches. He’s asking for the angel? I’m not sure who that is.”
Eren felt himself blush. “That would be me.”
Hange just laughed next to him.