CHAPTER 4: Truth
[NOTE: So, because I noticed that this chapter didn't really explain much on Eren's job- causing a lot of confusion, and also because I had an idea to elaborate this chapter more for a future plot I'm planning, this chapter will be edited and I will add more details! ^^ So feel free to check back on this chapter! I'll announce it once it's done and this note will also be deleted after the edit c: Thank you all! <3]
//I keep getting the feeling that you’re so familiar. I just want to ask; have I seen you somewhere before?”//
~*~
“Why did you come here, Mikasa?” Eren asked the girl with the red scarf. There was a pinch of irritancy heard from his voice.
Her eyes softened as she held his hand in her own, looking calm and yet alarmed at the same time. She sighed at him, “Eren, why didn’t you let me know that you moved here? Do you know how worried I was—”
“Mikasa, I’ve told you many times before: I can take care of myself.” He pulled his hand away from her, oblivious of how a shadow was cast on her face when he did so. “And,” he questioned, “…how did you find out I was here anyway?”
“My boarding school is under a short holiday, so everyone was allowed to come home for the short period of time.” Mikasa said slowly. “But when I came home to no one, I immediately called Armin. He told me you moved here… and also your intentions, Eren! I don’t want you to get hurt!”
Eren cursed under his breath- probably at himself for letting his best friend know about his move. He looked defiantly at her, “I’m perfectly fine! Things are going great right now. You really don’t have to worry about me so much, all the time, Mikasa.”
Levi blinked at the scene, a little displeased that they decided to argue right in the halls; if it got too loud, it would definitely attract complaints from the neighbors. But he didn’t want to just cut in on their conversation, so he just kept quiet for the time being. It was a good chance for him to understand what was really going on- at least now he knew what happened to that girl… Mikasa, was it? She’s in boarding school, so that’s why she didn’t follow Eren over. He was pretty sure she would have if she was given the chance…
But, something in their conversation made Levi ponder- what’s all that about him getting hurt? If he just moved for a change of pace, then nothing should put him in harm. What other intentions had he hidden?
“… Mikasa I’m being serious right now. Please just go home. I know how to take care of myself!” he repeated himself, bringing Levi back to focus on the conversation.
Levi could see the shadow overcast part of her face, showing her obvious disappointment.
“Let’s go inside, Levi.” Eren said and turned to look at the raven-haired male.
Levi raised an eyebrow but complied anyway; he would find out eventually so he just had to stay out of it for now.
The moment he took out his key from his pocket, he realization suddenly hit him—
Why was he so bothered about the boy? Usually he wouldn’t even think twice about meddling in other people’s affairs- including those who work with him and even below him.
…His mind remind him that it was because this boy was living with him, so he at least needed to know more about him; you’d never know if someone was a criminal, right? But then, there was always a tiny voice at the back of his mind and also at the corner of his heart nagging at him. Ever since he met this boy, he could personally see and feel his life change in broad daylight. And every time he was with the boy… he felt calm; he would constantly feel amiss of something and he almost always had an uneasy feeling before meeting the brunette.
With a sigh, he brushed the thought away temporarily and unlocked the door.
“Why are you with him anyway, Eren?! Since your apartment is unusable for now and I’m back home for a short time, why not come home? You can come back here when the apartment is back in usable state!”
“I told you Mikasa! I still have things to be settled, and I don’t want to inflict anything on the both of you!”
“But Eren, I can protect you there—“
“Thank you for the concern, Mikasa. But I really want to handle this myself. So, just go home.” He closed his eyes and walked ahead into the apartment, passing Levi who stood by the doorway.
Levi cast a short glance at Mikasa and sighed, “I could send you back if you wish. It’s late anyway.” He offered monotonously.
Mikasa looked at him with somewhat hatred and suspicion and turned away with a scoff: “I can go perfectly well by myself. You better wish nothing happens to Eren; or else…” a dark glare was sent his way.
“Up to you.” He shrugged slightly and closed the door with a click, noticing that Eren had run to the kitchen long ago.
Just as he was about to go take a shower, he could hear her voice accompanied by another very familiar voice. He assumed it must have been Eren’s blonde friend, whom he met on that day, on the phone with her. He wasn’t going to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help to overhear something that surprised him…
“… Armin, why didn’t you tell me earlier when Eren stopped going to school and came here to—“
By the end of the sentence, she must have already walked away, so Levi couldn’t hear anything anymore.
He furrowed his brows; Eren dropped out of school? That was something bad, and what was he really planning then? This reeled his mind back to pondering about the boy and everything that had occurred. Eren even said that…he didn’t want them implicated with what he was doing?
“Levi!” Eren called with the cheeriness back in his tone. “Why don’t you go shower first? I’ll make dinner.”
Levi looked up and saw Eren’s head popped out from the kitchen. He scoffed, but there was slight humor in him at how wifely Eren sounded. He gave an agreeing nod at the teen and headed upstairs. The questions he had were partially forgotten- for now at least.
~*~
The next morning, Eren and Levi were seated at the dining table with breakfast in hand (since Eren insisted they eat something before leaving). Levi took a sip of the coffee Eren had prepared. He kept his eyes trained on said teen.
After dinner the previous night, Eren retired to his room early and stayed in there. Levi was still wondering about everything that was happening, but he was sure that the teen wouldn’t tell him openly if he just asked. Curiosity got the better of him; he had thought of an idea to find out what was really going on without having to go through annoying and meaningless questioning.
“Eren,” Levi called the teen and made him look up from his breakfast.
“Yeah?”
“I can check in to work a little later today so let me send you to school.”
A handful of amusement washed over him while watching the teen half-choke on his food at his idea.
“H-Huh?!” he coughed, quickly protesting: “It’s alright, Levi! I can go by myself! Besides, save your petrol—“
“You said yourself that your school was nearer here, and petrol is a small matter to me. I’m curious to see your school, so just let me send you.” Levi cut in with interest in his coal orbs.
Eren looked visibly uneasy and deep in thought about it for a moment. He looked up sheepishly after making up his decision and nodded with hesitance, “A-Alright…”
“Good.”
~*~
Levi’s sleek car parked across the street from a rather average-looking school with students heading in; some cast glances at his car while others were preoccupied with chit-chat to notice. He hummed in his mind, impressed; Eren wasn’t dumb at all, honestly. Judging by the uniform, he concluded that this must have really been the school Eren used to attend. The boy was smart to keep up his cover, but Levi would find out what was really going on behind all this.
“Not bad, Eren.” He said, a smirk sounding in his voice but not exactly showing on his face- what with the poker face he always wore.
Eren scratched his cheek awkwardly and got out from the car, thanking Levi and running off to the building.
Watching Eren go, Levi drove ahead, pretending to leave when in actuality, he just parked his car in the shadows of an alleyway he caught sight of earlier. It was pretty well-hidden, so he just waited with eyes watching straight ahead.
Just like he expected, Eren walked past the alley a while later.
~*~
Levi didn’t look pleased at what he saw before him.
Somehow, he had managed to follow Eren… to this place. He raised his brow when a few drunkards lazing about the site with beer bottles lying everywhere came into sight. They were obviously slacking-off instead of doing their job.
It was still relatively early so the sky hadn’t fully brightened yet. As his footsteps echoed with the crunchy sound of gravel below him, some of the workers turned menacing looks and snickers at him. Levi scoffed internally at how pathetic they looked; acting all tough and gruff like that when in truth he knew how cowardly they would if faced with real danger. If they thought they would be able to scare him, they messed with the wrong man.
Levi buried his hands into the pockets in his coat and looked around the construction site with distaste.
He turned when he caught a glimpse of that familiar brown hair at the corner of his eye. There, a short distance away, he could see Eren standing with an older male that looked pretty buffed.
Said male made a harsh push at Eren, “Bastard! You’re 5 minutes late! How do you expect to keep your job like that?!” he yelled with a sort of Russian accent behind it. And he was loud enough to let Levi hear.
Eren looked down, his hands clenched into fists.
“I’m…sorry, sir.” He growled, trying to contain the anger bubbling up inside.
“Heh, that newbie’s gonna get it from the boss, eh?” Levi heard a couple of the slackers behind him gossiping in hushed voices.
Levi drew his lips into a thin line and his brows furrowed. For Eren to pick a job like this; what was he thinking?! Levi could already understand what was going on with Eren by now, but this was still dumb. Working at a place like this, he’d be better off dead!
He snapped when he saw the man earlier grab Eren by the front of his shirt and pulled him harshly. His temper rose and ran his patience thin.
“If you want to keep this job, then you gotta do everything I ask you to!” the man cackled, “But for now, you need to be taught a lesson!” He lifted up a fist with a crazed glint of a bully in his eyes. Levi hated people like that; ones who find fun in tormenting the weaker.
Eren quickly shut his eyes and braced himself for the impact—
Nothing came. Instead, he felt himself dropped back to the ground.
He opened his eyes, only to be given a full close-up view of Levi before him and his supervisor staggering backwards.
“L-Levi…?” Eren said in shock.
“What are you doing—“
“I’m saving your ass again, that’s what.” Levi said over his shoulder with a raised brow.
“Don’t meddle in this!” the man roared.
Levi turned back swiftly, right on time to dodge an angry punch and kick said man in the stomach again, with more force. The man didn’t seem to give up as he roared another return a while later- but ended up in Levi’s vice grip.
Levi had his bigger body trapped in a tight lock, which put every vital bone in his body in danger of snapping, and threateningly tugged at his head.
“I could break your neck right here.” His voice sounded cold enough to freeze someone’s blood.
“G-Ghhh!” the man grunted, but soon smirked at Levi, not fully realizing how dangerous the shorter man actually was. “Bah, I dare you to do so!” he cackled again. He was quick to shut his mouth however, when Levi’s hand gave a hard pull, causing some cracking sounds from his bones.
“Try me.” Levi lowered his eyes slightly.
With all that pressure and pain, the man started flailing around and coughing, “A-Alright! Okay, I’m sorry!”
His wrists and whole body ached when Levi finally let him go that he slumped to the ground like a zombie. It felt like a dozen bricks had been dropped onto his body when he tried to move.
“I guess I’m pretty useless. I always need you saving me.” Levi turned after hearing that sentence. He saw the dark look of doubt on Eren’s face and sighed; his features softened a little.
“Eren.” He pulled the boy onto his feet again and started tugging him back toward his car.
“You’re still not as experienced as many people around this area; it isn’t because you’re uesless… But, it wasn’t a good idea to work here anyway. I strongly object to it.”
His eyes observed Eren’s face scrunch up in a haze of feelings all mixed up.
With no reply from the brunette trailing behind him, he continued, “So quit this job immediately.”
That made Eren stop in his tracks as he looked at Levi; his expression was as if Levi had gone crazy.
“Wha—?! I can’t! I need a job to pay—“
Eren protested, but swiftly shut his mouth upon realizing that he almost revealed everything to the older male.
A tinge of victory and at the same time, amusement, came back to Levi’s eyes from being dark and threatening a while ago. He turned around and rested a hand right beside Eren’s head on the wall.
“I already guessed your intentions after your sister’s little visit yesterday. So, I have a proposal for you… since I need some help around right now too.”
“H-Huh?”
And for the first time, Eren actually saw a small smirk adorn Levi’s cool lips.
[Author's Notes: I've said it many times before, and I'll say it many times again: Thank you all for supporting this series right now! I always feel happy whenever I see a new supporter! Now, forgive me that this came a little late... *hides in a corner* I've been a little busy with school, but I'll keep my promise to post a bonus chapter for Valentines Day! (Although it's a little late now...) The bonus chapter isn't part of the series, instead it's like a one-shot about how Eren and Levi will spend their Valentines~ I hope you all look forward to it!]
[As usual, if you like this chapter, you could give it a vote, maybe a short comment to give me support or to let me know if I did anything wrong? And, maybe even a follow? *slapped for asking so much* Anyways, thank you for reading until here! And, a personal thank you to puppycatx3 for being my first ever official follower and for always giving me supportive comments to keep me going!]
[Look out for new chapters every week~! And, be ready for the bonus chapter which is going to be posted soon! Thank you!~]