Family

Chapter Two; Gone

"Eren Jaeger, what are you doing?" Hanji asked, tapping her foot, one hand on her hip, the other holding Eren a foot off the floor by the back of his cloak.

Eren gave a muffled yelp of surprise, which he quickly cut off and turned into an angry huff.

"Let me go, Hanji!" He hissed.

"Where were you going, hmm?" She asked, her glasses slightly askew from her hurriedly putting them on when she heard footsteps quickly passing her door.

"The bathroom?" Eren offered, but it sounded more of a question than an answer.

Hanji raised an eyebrow, taking in Eren's regulation issued uniform and green cloak, the exact same as all full members of the Survey Corps wore, just in a smaller size. He wore a backpack with rations and an army knife packed carefully inside.

"Mmm hmmm. Sure you were. But you aren't going to those training camps, mister. Your father already told you no." Hanji said, hauling Eren back to his room and locking him in.

********

That had been Eren's first attempt at leaving for the first round of trainees, nearly a week ago, but Hanji had foiled it.

And, worse yet, Hanji had informed Levi of Eren's foiled plan to join the trainees, Levi had placed a guard in the hallway outside Eren's bedroom, most of the time being Levi himself.

Traitor. Eren thought glumly, wondering if his dad would be able to hear him packing his bag quietly. It seemed like Levi could hear his thoughts sometimes, when he was doing something he wasn't supposed to, and since Levi's room was just next door to Eren's, it was like every somewhat loud sound reached Levi before it had even happened.

Quickly Eren slipped into a clean uniform-which were the only type of clothes he owned, besides a suit for funerals and formal occasions-and donning his cloak and pack, perching on his open windowsill and gazing at the ground two stories below. Taking a deep breath, Eren pushed down his fears and slowly swung his legs out of the window. Holding the windowsill for balance, he lowered himself down until his feet found hold on one of the cracked stone bricks that made up the Headquarters. Finding another foothold in the windowsill below him, Eren almost turned back. He could climb back up and back through his window and pretend like nothing ever happened.

Instead, Eren took another deep breath to calm his racing heart, and let himself fall until his hand caught the windowsill on the first story. Stepping down onto the dew-wet grass, Eren walked quietly towards the stables and saddled a solid grey mare. Climbing into the saddle, he took one more glance at the castle-like place he grew up in. The Survey Corps Headquarters was illuminated by the moonlight, giving it a silvery gray shine. Eren wondered what his father was doing right now. Probably at dinner with the others. Eren had been grounded for his failed attempt, and wasn't aloud to come to the dining hall for dinner. Instead, he ate in his room when Levi brought him a tray.

Eren knew he didn't have much time before Levi discovered his absence. So he gave the horse a gentle prod in the side like Dita had taught him and rode off towards town, where the next group of trainees would be signing up and leaving at dawn.

********

"Eren?" Levi called, balancing the tray of food in one hand and knocking with the other.

No answer.

"Eren, if your going to continue to be stubborn, then I'll just leave the food outside your door."

Still no answer.

"I'm sorry that you don't understand why yet, but I have my reasons for doing this."

Silence.

"Goodnight, Eren." Levi said quietly, placing the tray on the floor and opening the door next to Eren's, thoughts and memories weighing heavy on his mind as he settled in for the night.

Little did he know, his son was already gone.

*****

The next morning, Eren didn't show up for breakfast.

Figuring his son had simply slept in, Levi knocked loudly.

"Eren! Get up! You're missing breakfast!" He shouted.

Normally he would hear groans and muffled mutters as Eren got up-he wasn't really a morning person-but today there was nothing. Not even the muffled thud of a pillow being chucked at the door.

Anxiety sparked inside Levi, for Eren was never this quiet. Ever. When he slept, he snored. When he was awake, he was loud.

But his room was silent.

"Eren, open this door. Right now." Levi commanded.

Still nothing. It wad then that Levi realized the tray of food from last night still lay on the ground.

Eren had never picked it up.

Heart pounding, Levi flung open Eren's door. The room looked normal. Pictures were tacked on the plain white walls, the bed was made, the floor spotless. Maybe that wasn't typical of a twelve year old boy, but Levi was a bit of a clean freak. He made sure Eren kept his room clean.

Which was why Levi noticed the absence of Eren's backpack, from where it usually lay on the desk, and his cloak and shoes were gone, too. Then, Levi saw something that made his pulse race.

The window was open, and a carefully folded note lay on the windowsill.

Levi snatched the note and unfolded it, eyes growing wide as he read what lay inside. Eren's familiar neat script traced the page of notebook paper, and on the front it was adressed to Levi.

Dear Dad,
Okay, your going to be mad. I know that. But this is something I've got to do. I'm going to enlist in the trainees, and join the Survey Corps, just like you. I'm going to make you proud. I'm sorry if J scared you, leaving like this, but I knew you wouldn't let me go. See you once I finish training.

Love,
Eren.

Levi slammed the Survey note down on Eren's desk, steely eyes flaming.

"Damn him. God damn him!" He hissed, storming out of the room and snatching his cloak off the hook and clipping it around his neck as he hurried down the steps.

Seeing Dita in the stairwell, heading down to the stables, Levi paused.

"Dita, prepare a horse for me. I need to leave. Urgently. Eren's gotten himself in trouble. Again." He ordered.

Knowing better than to question Levi while he was in a temper, Dita hurried towards the stables.

Levi hurried back to the Dining Hall and approached Erwin.

"Erwin. I need to take a short leave of absence. If your wondering why, go check Eren's empty room and the damn note on the desk." Levi snapped, before turning abruptly and heading back to the stables, cloak billowing behind him.

He had to hurry and find Eren before he enlisted.