More Than a Coincidence (An Ereri/Riren fanfiction)

Chp 15

I faintly hear the squeak of the stairwell door opening and closing. I yelled, assuming who it was, "Armin I already told you I don't have fe-....Levi!" I stopped in my tracks as I looked back noticing it wasn't the blonde standing behind me. "W-what are you doing up here?"

"I can ask you the same thing. Why did you run out in a panic? " He spoke as he strode up to me.

My face heats up and my palms become sweaty, "I got a little overwhelmed in there."

"Overwhelmed by what?" He asked.

I was upset about something already before the whole recent events. "At the ceremony...I saw my dad in the audience..."

Levi's eyes widen and grits his teeth. "Where? Why didn't you tell me?"

"He left before it ended he was only a few aisles away from you gu-"

"What?! That bastard had the balls to show up? I'm gonna-"

"Levi! Stop, just please stop." I raise my voice but it quickly turns to a mumble.

His mouth hung open from my outburst. "I-I'm sorry." He brings his hand up and ruffles my hair, he's made this a habit of his but I hate how the gesture leaves me completely incapacitated, a tranquilizer to my common sense.

I can't help but tense and squeeze my eyes shut. Without control, a quiet girly whimpering sound came from my throat. Luckily he didn't hear because I definitely would have died of embarrassment. "I just n-needed some um air... I-I'll be down in a minute." I stuttered as I turned around but suddenly a cool sensation grabbed my hand.

Levi gripped my hand firmly, his cool hands were surprisingly soft. "Alright just, remember what we talked about okay?" He said in a concerned tone. My heart stops and I am unable to produce the simplest of words so I nod like an idiot. His hand lingers for a bit longer, enough for both of us to notice. He clears his throat and lets go, "Ahem so um... yeah I'll just... go then." He then walked away with much less confidence than he usually does. The was so awkward. The hell was that all about?

I look at the hand he held for so long and it still tingled a bit sending a shiver down my spine. I glance to the two chairs a few yards away and to the pink and gold sunset. I find myself thinking of his features, his black hair, his deep, intimidating voice, and his steel-blue eyes that stood out from his pale porcelain skin.

.......Fuck. Armin my friend, you are right as always. I'm falling for him.

- - - - A few days later - - - -

It was almost 1 in the morning and I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. I could hear the slightly muffled sound of the television playing outside my closed bedroom hinting Hanji was still up. Tossing and turning for hours became a regular thing now, my dilemma keeps me awake. Thinking of why I feel this way, not just about Levi but everything and I usually end up crying myself to sleep.

I can't keep this to myself any longer or it's going to keep eating away at me. And unfortunately this isn't really something I could talk to Levi about. I finally get out of bed and quietly walk out into the living room where Hanji sat on the floor doing some paperwork on the glass coffee table.

"Hey," I mumble as I sit next to her on the soft rug in front of the couch.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked with a yawn.

I shake my head trying to work up the courage to tell her about my predicament. She takes notice of my silence and puts her work away. "What's on your mind?" She wondered. 

I take a shaky breath, "......My dad used to bring me to the zoo all the time when I was younger, they had this beautiful panther in a huge enclosure. She was my favorite. One year she had babies and I kept asking my dad if I could have one. He'd say no obviously but at the time I didn't understand why I couldn't bring a baby panther home. I'd always get upset because I wanted something I knew I couldn't have....you ever felt that way?" I ask.