AOT Strutter

In the name of death

Eren didn't respond. Erwin drove them back to their shared house. Hange vanished into the darkness before the door. Levi barely acknowledge them leaving. Erwin nodded to Eren, as the blond went into his own apartment. Eren followed Levi into their apartment.

"It was a few years ago." Eren whispered. He slipped his shoes off, placing them on the mat beside the door.

Levi walked into the kitchen to make tea. Eren came in as the short ravenette reached to get the higher cups. These were larger than the ones on a shelf more readily available to the smaller male. Erne pulled two down. He set them on the counter.

Jumping up, Eren sat on the opposite counter. He watched as Levi set to work to make himself tea and Eren coffee. Eren didn't like talking about what he had done.

"I was young, when dad kicked me out." He began his story.

At thirteen, Eren had only known the cozy life of being a doctors son. He had the privilege of servants, well they had a cleaning maid and a cook/ driver. He also had the pretreatment of going to a fancy boarding school. He took martial art classes, for fun. He had a small group of friends that he hung out with. Nothing to prepare him to living on the street.

If it wasn't for the musician friend, he met on his third night, Eren was sure, he wouldn't still be alive. His name had been Hannes. A tall blond guy, who used to be in the military. Not overly bright, but talented, and he knew the streets. He took Eren in, showed dim how the streets worked.

Hannes had gotten Eren his own place to sleep. Helped him to find different shelters. Not many accepted younger teens without getting authorities involved, so Eren had little hope of really utilizing them. The man found out Eren could sing, so to help each other, they began to play in the different location Hannes frequented.

Eren was known to have an angels voice. People would stop to listen to the innocent looking kid, who could sing just about anything. This had been a good way to get him used to the streets. He had a mentor, a place of relative safety. Erne was learning what to do, want not to do, as well as how to stay out of sight if the law.

"You killed Hannes?" Levi asked.

He was leaning against the far counter. Already having handed Eren his coffee. The teen's long fingers curled around the cup. Levi had his elbow on the counter, hip cocked out, he held his tea by the top as he watched Eren's face.

"No, of course not!" Eren huffed.

He sipped the steaming hot liquid, just for something to do. Truth was, Hannes wasn't all reliable. Sometimes he vanished for a night or two. Other times he would tell Eren he would leave him for up to two weeks at a time. He never told Eren why he left, or what it was he did when he left. The boy had long since learned, not to ask.

During one of these long stretches, in fact it had been almost a month, since Hannes left, Eren found himself desperate. He hadn't been able to make much money just singing. Down to his last few dollars, Eren had bought a water with it. He had hoped, Hannes would be back that night. It was near the two week mark.

The next morning, Eren was certain he would find his friend had returned. Yet, his bed was empty. Eren had walked around the city, singing on street corners or in the subway. He managed to get a whole three dollars. This was taken from him when he actually tried to get on the subway. He was thinking about going to visit Armin. He didn't have enough money for the ticket, but the ticket man took the three dollars and kicked him out of the train.

"I had nothing left. I was about fourteen, maybe fifteen. I didn't know what to do." Eren blinked as he sipped more of his coffee.

"That's when, another person came to me. I had seen him around. He explained how I could get quick money, and lots of it. All I had to do was learn a few things." Eren snorted.