Crack of Sunlight (Ereri/Riren)

*~Chapter Twenty Four~*

"So...I have to go over to the college and finalize my dropping out..." the teen was telling the artist the next morning. Levi stared blankly into his tea cup, saying nothing. "And I have to do it today..." Eren continued cautiously. "I'm not sure how long it'll take, so I don't want to make you wait in the car, but..."

"It's fine." Levi's eyes slid closed so he wouldn't have to see Eren's expression. "I don't have enough for another hit, anyway. You can go."

"A-are you sure?" Admittedly, the teen wasn't too fond of the idea of leaving Levi alone, even for just a few hours and despite the fact that, inevitably, he was running low on his drug.

"Yeah."

Eren pursed his lips in thought. Levi was absolutely in no condition to drive, he was certain, and he decided he trusted the raven enough not to try. If anything, this could be an experiment to see how well Levi really was doing, to find out if he could handle himself on his own at all.

Eren moved to retrieve his keys, jacket and wallet from his bag. Pulling the jacket over his shoulders, he said, "Promise you won't try anything stupid?"

Slowly, Levi's lids peeled open, his tired gray orbs meeting Eren's as he considered his answer. Finally, he said, "Yeah, I promise."

A smile spread across Eren's face as he headed toward the door. Levi's breath caught in his throat at the sight.

"I'll try not to take too long, alright?"

Levi spared merely a nod before Eren exited the apartment, leaving nothing but a waft of cold air in his wake. Shakily, he set his tea cup on the coffee table and curled up in his nest of blankets. The only sound was of the television set to a channel with some crime show and the volume turned low. In the midst of the quiet, his mind went blank and his eyes unfocused.

And then he realized what he was staring at.

His car keys.

They rested in the center of the coffee table, one of them glinting in the sun shining in between the blinds. Next to them was his wallet. They beckoned him to use them. His body plead from the inside, the burning and aching and shaking suddenly amplified. Again, his mind went into overdrive. He imagined himself swiping the items off the table, heading down the stairs and hopping in his car for a quick five to ten minute drive. The brat was gone. The monster was running low. It would be so easy...

Slowly, he shed his blankets and stood up. He crossed the room and peeked down into the parking lot. Eren's car was just turning out of the exit. A left turn. His trip would go the opposite way. So easy...

Before he could argue with himself, his hands were seizing the wallet and keys from the table and his feet were being shoved into a random pair of shoes in the entryway as if his conscience had made the decision for him.

Twenty minutes, no more, and he would be back. Eren would never know he'd left.

That was the last thought before he yanked the door open and stepped out into the cold air, pulling it closed behind him and flying down the stairs without bothering to lock anything.

~*~

The world was a blur to unfocused, intoxicated eyes. They stared straight ahead, sideways at a watery version of the brown cabinet, one side still slightly hanging open. Little dark spots pulsated in front of it from the pumping in the blood vessels of his eyes. The pain was gone, he breathed easier, his muscles were relaxed. But he felt anything but normal - not in the slightest and, try as he might, he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.

Guilt? No, that hadn't settled in yet, likely because the teenager had yet to return.

A lack of food? Possibly, but he'd never felt this empty from not having eaten in a while. Besides, this emptiness felt deeper, more emotional than physical.