Crack of Sunlight (Ereri/Riren)

*~Chapter Fourteen~*

Carla's words were still echoing in Levi's mind as Eren maneuvered the vehicle into the parking lot of his apartment complex. The ride had been virtually silent, though for the first time it lacked the awkward. It wasn't to say they were comfortable, but more so that they were starting to get used to each other. Eren took this as a positive step.

"Shit," Levi hissed, breaking the teen from his thoughts.

"What is it?" asked the brunet, sparing the other a sideways glance.

"My sister's here," he muttered, peering out of the windshield.

"How do you know?"

Wordlessly, Levi pointed to a dark red Corvette parked next to the seemingly only open parking space in the entire lot, which Eren took. It exhibited a sleek ambiance, shiny even under the weak light at the end of the row of other, more tattered looking cars. The color indeed reminded him of the raven's sister.

"Is that a bad thing?" Eren couldn't help but ask as he cut the engine and slid his keys from the ignition.

"Hell yes it's a bad thing! What am I supposed to tell her?"

"The truth might suffice," suggested Eren.

Levi turned his steely gaze on the teenager. "Seriously, brat? Do you want her to hate me?"

Eren's brows knitted together. "I don't think she'll hate you. She cares about you. She might want to help."

Grumbling incoherently, the raven pinched the bridge of his nose with his eyes squeezed shut. He was beginning to shake; the monster was on its way out and his body was starting to feel very heavy, the way it did once the high subsided.

"Come on," Eren coaxed softly. "You'll have to face her eventually. Why not sooner than later?"

"She's the only family I have left. I don't want to lose her, too. That's why I've kept this from her for so long." Levi's voice was so low Eren had to strain to make out the words.

"What's the worst that could happen?" he murmured.

"The worst?" Levi glanced back up, appearing immeasurably exhausted and substantially older than he actually was. "The worst is that she'll disown me, tell me she hates me and remind me how fucking stupid I am. Kick me out of the apartment, make Reiner fire me..." Trailing off, his eyes unfocused.

"She's not going to do any of that stuff," said Eren certainly. "Do you wanna know what she said to me when I asked her to give you my letter?"

"What."

"Well...it wasn't so much what she said as it was the look in her eyes. She told me you lightened up a little and she hopes it continues because she wants to see you happy." Eren was twisting Alex's words and he knew it, but he had to say something to get Levi to come clean to his sister. An internal force said having Alex in on the 'secret' would serve to be helpful.

"If she cares so much then why the hell hasn't she been around, huh? You're lying."

Eren flinched. "I'm serious, Levi. She didn't say that, but her eyes did."

Levi sighed. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with so I can go the hell to bed."

With that, he slinked his way out of the car. Eren hurriedly snagged his things and followed the short man up the stairs to the door marked 36. The artist fumbled with his keys for a second before managing to get one in the lock and twist. The door swung open with ease. The interior of the apartment was virtually dark aside from the glow of a small lamp in one of the bedrooms down the hallway.