My Neighbor's Friend

The Call

"L-Levi!"

My breath hitches.

T-This voice!

It's been more than three fucking months since I last heard his voice. And yet, I recognize it immediately. The tone trudging just between childishness and adulthood, the breath which I know smells almost like fresh rain, the same nervousness in his voice when he says my name.

Memories of a certain teenager flood my mind, reminding me of a sun that is warm but not too warm. Of a home that is familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Of vibrancy, courage and honesty. And suddenly my heart is beating so loudly that I'm afraid it might break out of my ribcage any second.

"Eren...?" it feels weird to call his name after all this time, and I curse myself for loving the way it rolls down my lips.

His reply is a muffled whimper.

I grip the phone tighter, pressing it so close that my ear hurts, but I don't give a damn. The sudden realization of how much I missed his voice – how much I missed him – overwhelms me and I have to lean against the wall because my knees are suddenly too weak to carry my weight.

For a long time, we say nothing.

But then I'm getting impatient to hear something – anything – other than just his harsh breathing and I'm opening my mouth to form the words, when my eyes fall on the picture.

It's sitting peacefully on the bedside table, right beside me.

Staring at me with obvious mockery.

A picture of me with Isabel.

I snap out of my daze, cursing inwardly at my apparent lack of self-control and tear the phone away from my ear. It rests on my palm as I watch it like it's some kind of venomous insect, ready to poison me with its sting.

On the other side, Eren Jaeger waits.

With a shaking hand I bring the phone up again, this time allowing it to barely touch my ear.

"How the fuck did you get my number?" I say between clenched teeth.

His resulting laugh is so heartbreaking and empty that I backtrack on my next retort.

"I told them you wouldn't wanna talk to me."

Them?

I close my eyes and punch the wall behind me out of sheer frustration.

Of course! Of course Hange gave him my number!

Now that absurd text I got is finally making sense.

Not that my sudden enlightenment is making the current situation any better.

I need to stop this. The reason I refused to give him my number in the first place was so I never have to face situations like this. This... this is dangerous.

"Levi..." he says when my silence is too prolonged.

Dangerous. Dangerous. Dangerous.

"We shouldn't be talk–"