Stripper Poles (Ereri/Riren)

Josef Salvat: Hustler

 "Why you've been so quiet. Usually you'd be on my ass about something by now."

 "Is that so? Didn't even notice." Levi said, sighing again. "Well, I may not look it, but I've got a lot of shit going on around my way. It's been draining the fucking hell out of me." The ravenette laid back in the seat, puffing out some more e-cig vapor and sighing, his grey eyes slowly closing. 

"Oh...Well...what happened?" Eren asked. Levi was never so receptive to talking about his life, ever. It was almost like that scotch was doing more than being a recreational drink.Levi let out an exasperated sigh, opening his eyes and staring at the open ceiling that was letting in the bright moon into the club.

 "My family. They all know I'm here and what I'm doing, and obviously they don't approve. My father was particularly insistent, for several reasons....and my mother just called me last week."Eren waited for the story to continue, blinking as Levi fell silent. Suddenly it dawned on him. 

"He...is he dead?"

 Levi let out a rather dark chuckle, still looking up at the ceiling."No. Not yet, anyway. He had a stroke, of all things." Another sigh. "Mom says he's in a coma. The way she said it happened, sounds like he won't be waking up." 

"Oh....I'm sorry Levi." 

"Don't be. My father and I were never really close....but...."The silence made Eren feel a bit uncomfortable. He was honored— and shocked— that Levi was even sharing this with him, but at the same time, he wasn't too sure how to react. It was almost like a test, that Levi was gauging whether or not Eren was someone he could bother to trust.

 "But...?" 

"I don't know. Part of me still feels kind of bad, even though we weren't all that close." 

"Well of course you do. He's your dad."

 "That doesn't mean anything," Levi said, turning his gaze to Eren. The moonlight made his grey eyes look smoldering and somewhat cold, but not so that it was harsh. "Plenty of people aren't close to their parents and don't give a rat's ass if they die."

 "Well....you said your family doesn't really approve...especially your father. Maybe, even if you weren't close, there is that part of you that wanted him to approve of what you do here. And now that he's in a coma..." Eren paused as Levi turned his gaze back up to the ceiling. "He probably won't be able to do that, regardless if he eventually would have changed his mind."Levi said nothing for a moment, looking at the moon in a sort of reverent manner. 

"You know, for a young kid, you're pretty smart."Eren blushed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Well, I've dealt with a lot of stuff too, so....I guess I'm more in tune with emotions than I like to admit."Levi turned his full attention to Eren, taking a sip of scotch in the process.

 "Speaking of, how are you dealing with being away from your folks? You don't seem to mind having been abandoned here for....two months." 

Eren shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "I'm kind of used to being without family. My mom died when I was seven, and my dad always travelled, so I kind of learned to get along by myself. I guess the only ones I miss are my friends. But even then, both of my best friends aren't even around anymore, so..." Eren chuckled, also looking up at the moon. "I always relied on my friends whenever my dad wasn't around just to keep me company. I probably spent more time with them and their families than in my actual house." 

"You say they aren't around anymore," Levi asked, looking at Eren. "What's that mean?"

 "Well, Mikasa goes to an all girls boarding school, and it's pretty far from home. And Armin....is in college."Levi noticed how Eren's face seemed to fall when Armin's name came up.