Complications Throughout Generations

Chapter 53

Eren's POV:

Today is the day Armin and I will finally be going over Mikasa's house for the first time. It's been 2 years since we've declared our best friendship and it hasn't happened once. We've only avoided it because of my irrational fear of her brother whom I've never even met. But today will be today. I'll just have to suck it up when it comes to the pain. If I pass out, I pass out.

Armin and I took Mikasa's bus instead of our own to get to her house. I was already nervous. Mikasa told me her brother is just as nervous. We still don't say his name. It's almost like he's Voldemort to us. Or me specifically. Judging from the memories I've received, I've only seen an older version of him. So there's a picture there but not entirely. He looks like Mikasa. But they weren't siblings a thousand years ago. Maybe not everything has to line up.

When we walked into the house, it wasn't what I expected. It was all white with gray and black furniture. It was incredibly modern. Mikasa explained how they did some remodeling recently. I didn't ask more questions after that.

"Mom." Mikasa called out.

"In the kitchen, honey!" The 3 of us walked in to see her baking cookies. I'm assuming they're for us. "I thought I could bake some cookies for your friends." She smiled at Mikasa. And of course, my assumption was correct.

"Thanks." Mikasa nodded. "Is he in his room?" I noticed she was still careful not to say his name. Her mother nodded and put on oven mitts so she could put the tray in the oven.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Ackerman." I said. "My name is Eren," And then I pointed to my right, "and that's Armin." He waved and said a quiet hello.

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry. I didn't even introduce myself. You can call me Kuchel." I don't remember that being Mikasa's mother's name. So it must be her brothers. Or maybe not either since they weren't siblings.

I didn't realize Mikasa had left until I turned around and she had another person with her. Her brother. I was bracing myself for the worst but for the first time, I felt the opposite. If anything, I felt a fuzzy feeling in my chest. He was almost hiding behind Mikasa. She held his hand tightly. I could tell they were close just by that. How is this the same person in those memories? Yeah, we're only 10 years old. But at least me, Armin, and Mikasa are fairly the same as we were when we were this age. Then again, I didn't know her brother at this age. It's possible that this is actually how he was. Because the soldier I keep seeing is much older.

"Guys," Mikasa got our attention, "this is my brother."

"I'm Levi." He whispered. Mikasa and Armin both braced themselves for me to fall on the floor or something. But they were shocked to find me staring at him in awe. Who was he to me? But that awe immediately turned to confusion once a new memory came to me. One in much more detail.

"Jaeger, I don't like you. I don't trust you. I protect you because those are my orders and I want to keep everyone alive." He uncrossed his arms and approached me. "Obsession isn't the word. It's caution. I'm waiting for the day when you reveal to all of us who the real enemy is. You. So I'll ask you again, why do you have a weird obsession with me?"

"I look up to you. You have it together. You're strong. You're heroic. You're fearless. I pay close attention to you because I want to be like you."

He scoffed. "Clearly you're not paying close enough attention if you think I have it all together. Just because I can rip your throat out where you stand doesn't mean I'm not as messed up as the rest of us. You don't know me. You will never get to know me. No matter what you try and figure out, no matter how much you think you understand me. You don't. So quit being a brat and leave your obsession behind."

"I don't need to know you." I shrugged. "Then I guess what I see on the outside is enough."

"I'm no hero. I'm not an inspiration. I am not who you think I am. Leave it."

That's what Levi was to me? He was so mean to me, how could I react differently towards him with the way I've been receiving these memories. My other question was what made him so bitter? Especially towards me.

"I'm Eren." I held my hand out for him to shake but Armin immediately swatted it down. That's right, he's a germaphobe. Still weird to be that way at 10 years old. That must mean he doesn't like playing outside.

"I'm Armin." He introduced himself afterward. "Do you wanna play outside with us?"

"Or we could watch a movie?" Mikasa quickly added. She seemed desperate to have her brother around. Levi looked at his mother with a nervous expression but judging from the change in his eyes, she must've given him an assuring reaction.

"Okay." He said quietly.

We went to the living room that had a huge TV in the center. We let him pick the movie. A movie started playing that I had never seen before.

"Levi," his mother came in, "change the movie." It must not have been a good movie. "The Exorcist is not for kids." The Exorcist? I have no idea what that means or what that means but it sounds scary.

"Fine." He groaned and got off the couch to change it. The next movie that came on was actually something I recognized. It was Batman, although I couldn't tell which one.

"Better." She smiled. "The cookies are done by the way." Then she walked over and put a platter down on the table in front of us.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ackerman." Armin said. She didn't pester him for not using her first name, the same as my father to Mikasa when she calls him Dr. Jaeger.

Levi was at the end of the couch only so he was sitting next to Mikasa and no one else. I looked at him again as he was paying attention to the screen. He was small. Not that we aren't already small. But he's tiny. Usually the boys are supposed to be bigger than the girls but he's smaller than Mikasa. His hair was black and his skin was pale white. He almost looked like a kid version of Dracula. Maybe he was a vampire. That could be why my head felt the complete opposite when I saw him. Did vampires exist back then? I mean if Titans were a thing then maybe vampires could've been a thing too. I'll have to ask my dad about that. Levi turned his head from the screen and caught me staring. He immediately moved closer to Mikasa to hide himself. Nice going, Eren. I just want to be his friend.

Why is he so afraid of everything and everyone around him? I need to find out.