Redemption Song | Levi & Eren

Chapter 12: One

      Eren's newest occupation restricted Levi's shopping preferences. The officer forced himself to avoid Onyankopon's corner shop resulting in him visiting an albeit larger shop, but one at a greater distance from his home.

Levi walked the distance rather than seeing his unsought roommate. He denied having Eren teach him about Uber since he knew Eren would lord his youthful age over him doing so.

Eren's constant shifts had the young man on a tight but reliable schedule. Unlike Levi's longer, unpredictable shifts where he'd get called into work late at night due to the workforce shortage.

It was important to Levi that Eren had a strict sleep and diet plan if had planned to take his return to society seriously.

Levi suffered listening to Eren's huffs directed at his tiring work day as if the homeowner hadn't dealt with a hundred times worth. However, Levi noticed the brat waking himself up in the morning without a kick to the head alarm clock.

He'd started to look excited in the morning before heading out. His showers were short and his clothes were presentable. He'd bought fresh clothes with his weekly pay check. His history suggested carelessness in regard to money, nevertheless, Eren exercised caution with his purchases.

He brought home decent meals occasionally and his new clothes were fairly priced. As far as Levi could tell, he was clean of all addictive substances. The brat had surprised him.

Even with Eren's success story writing itself a new chapter every day, Levi was restricted to different shops if he wanted five minutes away from him that weren't in a police car.

Levi preferred not to spend all day in his room hiding from Eren, especially since the brat liked to bother him from time to time.

He had a metal shopping basket clutched in his grip. It grew in weight with every new item. The takeaway pizza he'd had a week ago still felt like it was travelling through his digestive tract. The artificial fat cheese and salt infected calories were poison to his ageing body.

He'd told Eren he had the flu after Eren realised the walls weren't soundproof. It was less embarrassing. His grip on the basket was weaker than he'd favour.

Levi rounded the corner, exiting the medical aisle. The man passed through the mostly empty hall keeping his business separate from others.

His journey toward the tills to pay was interrupted by a collision. A body of equal height to his own crashed into him. The man lightly stumbled while the second party wrapped her arms around his waist to stay upright.

She lifted her head, embarrassed. Levi met brown eyes and wavy light brown hair. Eren's age, maybe younger. Her clothes smelt. Unwashed. Backpack nearly full. Her hand was in his back pocket until she removed it.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking-it won't happen again." she staggered.

Her words were too perfect to fool him. Her near foolproof crafted plan probably never failed her before considering it was so basic. Pickpocketing was a lost art in today's generation.

"It's all good," he assured.

She disappeared down an aisle. Levi didn't have to use his hands to feel the empty space in his back pocket. The small commotions' attracted audience dispersed, the only reason Levi hadn't snatched it back, robbing her of his wallet and her dignity.

His minuscule luck shrunk. With a shopping basket in one hand, he discreetly set off after the offender. He located her swivelling her head around like a lighthouse.

Expertly, he concealed himself behind the end of the aisle. Other shoppers watched with raised brows at a man standing weirdly close to baby nappies.

The young woman reached in for a pair of gloves after having removed a backpack strap from her shoulder and letting it dangle on her opposing joint.