The Ereri Project!

Arm (High School)

"Hey Eren?"

"Yeah?"

"What are those?"

Eren immediately didn't like Levi's tone of voice. It sounded scared. He looked at Levi who was staring down at Eren's arm.

They'd been playing Mario Cart Double Dash on Levi's old Gamecube so Eren, in a haze of competiveness, didn't even think about it when he shoved his sleeves up after the fifth or sixth round.

Eren stares down at his arm as well, with shame. "Nothing," he says.

Levi puts down his controller and holds Eren's arm. "These are not nothing." He sounds like he's trying to sound gentle but Eren's known him long enough to pick up on the angry edge of his tone.

Eren pulls away his arm and pushes his sleeves back down. "Eren."

"What Levi? Are you gonna lecture me too? I've gotten enough shit from Mikasa and then my dad when she told him, I don't need more people disappointed in me!"

Levi is frozen for a moment, staring at the slightly younger boy. "No," he says. "I was going to ask why."

Eren shrugs. "I don't know, it feels like the right thing to do."

Levi shakes his head. "Are you going to talk to someone about this?"

"I don't know," Eren thinks for a moment. "I had an actual counselor in eighth grade but I don't think she took me all that seriously because I was a kid, I preferred talking to my school counselor much more so I told my mom to stop sending me to the professional."

"So this happened before?"

"Well, yeah."

Levi turns to let out a frustrated sigh. "How is this the first I've heard about this?"

"Well it's not I can just start a conversation "Hey Levi, I know that I'm usually pretty happy around you but I think I have actual depression and I cut myself when I'm alone", I could never expect you to know what to do with that even if I told yo -"

Suddenly Levi has pulled Eren into a tight hug. "Idiot," he mutters into the brunette's hair. "I would try to help you, that's what I'd do."

Eren can't stop his bottom lip from quivering and tears from spilling over. He cries on Levi for almost thirty minutes before the sobs stop and his eyes are dry. "Thank you, Levi."

"Call me next time," he replies.

Eren looks at him with sad eyes. "I can try, but I have a hard time doing anything "good" for me when I feel like that."

Levi nods. "Just try then, okay?"

Eren takes a deep breath, leaning back into the couch. It's a long moment before he looks at Levi again. "How long have we been together Levi?"

"How long since we first talked to each other?"

Eren snorts. "Yes."

Levi thinks. "Well, I already knew you were in my art class, but then Hanji dragged me to that dumb concert back in September, I think I spoke to you for the first time the Monday after that because I was absolutely transfixed by you and your playing. So that was about eight months ago."

Eren leans on Levi. "Thank you for putting up with me all this time."

Levi chuckles. "I just want to know how that dumb kid with the guitar is the same one right beside me with potential depression."

Eren leans his chin on Levi's shoulder. "Some days are way better than others. Some days I won't leave my room and others I get on stage with my guitar. One day I don't know if I can feel anything and the next I'm performing Shakespeare with you and the guys and feeling everything."

Levi holds Eren's hand, smiling at the feel of the callouses on Eren's fingers from his guitar. "Do you wanna play more of this game?"

"Not really," Eren replies.

"Do you wanna watch me play something else?"

"One of the Silent Hill games?"

"You want me to get out my PS2 now?"

"Please?"

Levi kisses Eren's forehead. "Fine."

Eren ends up falling asleep with an hour.