Awake My Soul - Ereri

Chapter 25 - All is Fair in Love and War

"I can't believe you!" Eren's voice rang out through the parking lot after school. Him and Levi were standing outside of his car arguing.... In front of everyone.

"How is this my fault?" Levi shouted back. Their argument had escalated rapidly, starting from cold looks to a full out shout fest. "You were the one who was talking to him."

"About an assignment!" Eren yelled.

"It didn't look like it."

"What are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything, I'm saying that it looked suspicious, that's all."

"What was there to suspect?"

"Do you want me to say it?"

"Please do!" Eren almost screamed at Levi. They'd been fighting more frequently, quite a lot actually over the past month. Whenever Levi was in a bad mood. Today was one of those days and he was taking it out on Eren. Eren was frustrated and sick of the way Levi was treating him.

"It looked like you were flirting with him!" And more often than not their arguments had been about Levi jumping to conclusions.

"You're joking right?" Eren shouted, "Why the fuck would I do that?"

"I don't know you fucking tell me?" Levi said exasperated.

"I'm sick of this, I'll walk home. I'm not arguing with you, everyone's staring."

"Eren." Levi said quietly grasping his hand. He did this a lot too, when he realised Eren was done arguing and was hurt, he'd apologise and the cycle would continue. But Eren didn't feel like it today.

"Don't" Eren said. He glanced at everyone staring at the two of them and whispering.

"Eren stop, just get in the car, I'm sorry." Levi looked at everyone also and then back to Eren, he seemed unaware until this point that they had an audience.

"Let go of me." Eren told him, "Please." Levi loosened his grip and Eren walked away. People were whispering louder now and Eren felt trapped with their words. He looked all around him at all the people talking about him, making judgements about him. He looked at Levi with a scared expression on his face. Levi must've got the notion as he grasped Eren's hand and opened the car door for him. Eren got in and sat down, putting his head in his hands. His body was shaking and he was having a little trouble breathing. He was mad at Levi but he was also worried about what everyone would say about him. Levi started the car and drove away he drove the opposite way from Eren's house and parked his car down on of the side streets.

"What are you doing?" Eren asked him.

"I'm sorry." Levi told him. Eren shook with anger.

"You can't keep doing this okay? Stop it. Stop taking everything out on me. I don't know what changed Levi, but it hurts that I'm your punching bag." Eren couldn't make eye contact with the older boy who Eren was well aware was staring at him.

"God. Oh God, I... shit. Fuck me. Shit." Levi swore, hitting his steering wheel so hard that the horn beeped.

"I'm sorry I'm an asshole." Levi told Eren. Eren didn't reply, he just stared out the window.

"I'm sorry for taking everything out on you. I shouldn't I know. I hate myself for hurting you. I don't mean to, I swear." Levi seemed to become more distressed by the second, hitting the dashboard and the steering wheel. Eren didn't know what to say, he just sat there. Levi got out of the car and walked off suddenly, slamming the car door behind him. Eren let out a shaky breath he didn't know he'd been holding. His whole body was shaking and he wanted to go out and talk to Levi, but he was worried that his body would betray him. So for the first minute or two Eren just watched Levi kick gravel on the road. He finally worked up enough strength to talk to Levi. He slowly walked over to the shorter boy and stared at the ground and kicked the gravel also.