My Story of Love (Ereri/Riren)

Chapter 43

Eren was sore for the next 2 days but we still got the house cleared out by the 10th of January. We are driving a huge U-Haul with Eren's car attached to it. We've been driving for about 5 hours. Well, I've been driving because Eren's not old enough to rent any type of car.

We are at a gas station right now, filling up. Which takes about 2 hours.
"Eren?"

"Yes?"

"Can you get me some cigarettes, please?"

"Yeah, what kind?"

"Camel Crush. Get yourself something to munch on and drink." I handed him two 20's and he walked into the store. I honestly hate smoking, it's one of the dirtiest things I do. Sex is probably the only thing dirtier. About 5 minutes later Eren sat in the car with me.

He threw me the box of cigarettes. "Are those the ones?"

I nodded. "Thanks." I spotted a bag on his lap. "What did you get?"

"Oh!" He quickly stuck his hand in his pocket and tried to hand me the change.

"Keep it."

"I don't want to."

"Just keep it, Eren. What did you get?"

"Do you like Monsters?"

"I do." He smiled and handed me one.

"I got you that, with your money obviously, I got two different flavors of pringles, assuming you might like one of them, and I got myself some cold coffee."

I smiled. "Thank you, brat." I messed up his hair. "Let's go for a quick walk. I can't smoke here."

We locked up the car and walked about a minute away. I sat on a curb and Eren sat next to me.

"You might want to sit on the other side of me, unless you want smoke in your face."

Eren smiled, stood up, and sat on the other side.

I pulled out a cigarette and then lit it. I placed it in between my lips and sucked in a deep breath, removed it, and blew away from Eren.

I looked over at Eren, he was just watching me. "You know, second hand smoke is almost as bad as actually smoking a cigarette."

"I know." He smiled.

I crushed the end of the cigarette and sucked in another breathe. It was minty. 

"You know, you shouldn't smoke." Eren was staring at the cigarette in my hand. I nodded and took another hit.

I threw the cigarette on the floor, even though I knew it still had plenty of hits left, and crushed it underneath my foot. I sighed.

"How long have you been smoking?"

"I had my first one when I was 12, I didn't smoke again until 16. At 16 I smoked one cigarette a month, 17 I stopped. 18 I started with one a month again. Things progressed and now sometimes I smoke once a day. I've only smoked a few times since you've been here, so I guess that's a good thing."

"If you want, I can help you get out of it."

I shook my head and walked back to the car. I placed my head in my hands as I leaned against the door. I think Eren saw me but he stayed silent as he jumped in the car. I slid in behind the wheel.

Eren pulled out his phone and showed my some pictures he found funny. He smiled really big when I laughed. He was so cute. I leaned over and kissed his forehead.

About a half an hour later we were back on the road. 7 hours to go.

"Hey Levi?"

"Hm?"

"Will you sing for me?"

I sighed. "What song?"

"Northern Downpour by Panic! At The Disco."

"Okay but you have to sing some parts with me." I smiled as Eren quickly found the song on his phone and it played through the car's radio.

" If all our life is but a dream. Fantastic posing greed. Then we should feed our jewelry to the sea.For diamonds do appear to be just like broken glass to me" I kept my eyes on the road as I sang for him.

"And then she said she can't believe genius only comes along in storms of fabled foreign tongues. Tripping eyes, and flooded lungs, Northern downpour sends its love."

Eren joined in " Hey moon, please forget to fall down. Hey moon, don't you go down." His voice is heavenly, I let him sing the next line alone.

"Sugarcane in the easy mornin'. Weathervanes my one and lonely."

Then I sang and he stopped.

"The ink is running toward the page. It's chasin' off the days. Look back at both feet and that winding knee. I missed your skin when you were east. You clicked your heels and wished for me." Eren giggled.

"Through playful lips made of yarn, that fragile Capricorn,"

Eren poked me when I said 'Capricorn' and I rolled my eyes as I continued.

"unraveled words like moths upon old scarves. I know the world's a broken bone, but melt your headaches, call it home"

We sang the rest of the song together and laughed when we finished. I heard Eren whisper very quietly.

"Mom, if you're out there, I'm in love."