[It's not...exactly what Levi is expecting. "To matter to you." That's the part that's really throwing him; not because he doesn't understand the sentiment, but because he'd thought that that much must be obvious.
[Of course he matters to him. All of his Scouts matter to Levi. He knows he's a hard ass, but has he really come off so coldly that Eren thinks he's just a piece of canon fodder to him?
[There's some shame to that idea.
[Because he has been holding back. And Eren does matter. And Levi has drawn a line in the sand where a subordinate is a subordinate and a Captain is a Captain. Yeah. The more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense. Eren must have always thought that his love was one-sided; Levi never let him believe anything else.
[And now he's about to lose him.]
Then stay by my side, Eren.
[His voice comes out a fraction softer than normal; genuine. It's not an order. It may as well be a plea for how Levi feels at the moment.]
You do matter. [Cut the shit, Levi. He could walk out that door at any minute.] To me.
no subject
[Of course he matters to him. All of his Scouts matter to Levi. He knows he's a hard ass, but has he really come off so coldly that Eren thinks he's just a piece of canon fodder to him?
[There's some shame to that idea.
[Because he has been holding back. And Eren does matter. And Levi has drawn a line in the sand where a subordinate is a subordinate and a Captain is a Captain. Yeah. The more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense. Eren must have always thought that his love was one-sided; Levi never let him believe anything else.
[And now he's about to lose him.]
Then stay by my side, Eren.
[His voice comes out a fraction softer than normal; genuine. It's not an order. It may as well be a plea for how Levi feels at the moment.]
You do matter. [Cut the shit, Levi. He could walk out that door at any minute.] To me.