Pretty Boy

Away From the World

"Eren please get up you're going to be late again. Mikasa and Armin are already outside waiting for you!" Eren's mom was trying her best to get her tired son out of bed. Little did she know he was up the entire night before crying for hours.

"Mom I don't feel good" Eren groaned for the hundredth time.

"Eren you don't have a fever you really need to go to school!!" Eren's mom begged.

"Mom please..." Eren looked up at his mother with tired puffy red eyes.

"Fine honey. Feel better." She laid a hand on Eren's head then went outside to tell Armin and Mikasa he wouldn't be going to school today.

The two walked to school and it was more silent than usual. Armin tried to talk but without Eren there he felt as if he was talking to himself.

When the two got to the school yard they saw Levi and Petra walking together again, as they did before.

"Hey guys!" Marcos happy voice called over to the two.

"Hey Jean. Hey Marco." Armin smiled.

"Where's Yeager?" Jean asked.

"Home sick." Mikasa said.

"Man. I was really looking forward to telling him the new drama. Levi and Petra are back together. He wasn't cheating at all. Hanji is just a friend I guess. She's pretty weird too..." Jean went on and on about all the information he knew, unfortunately Eren was the only one who would've cared about the Levi gossip.

The school day was coming to an end and back at the Yeager residence Eren was still crying. His tears were not for the fact that he didn't have a chance with Levi. They were more for the fact that he was practically outed to the most popular boy in school. He never wanted to go back to that school again.

Eren's mother came into the room. "Honey?" She said. "Are you crying about the boy?"

"No..." Eren said. "I'm crying because of who I am."

"Honey. You're wonderful. There's no reason to cry."

"Yeah..." Eren knew there was.

"Are you gonna be okay alone? Your father has to go on a home visit and I have to go to the grocery store."

"I'll be fine mom."

A bit later, when Eren's face was a little more dry, he got up and changed. He fixed his mop of hair and decided he would get out of the house. He started on a walk for who knows where. After walking out of the area of his neighborhood, he decided he was going to go downtown, maybe even grab some coffee.

Eren was walking along Shiganshina's busiest street, or sidewalk rather. He looked in the windows of the stores and he looked at the people around him. He walked past the coffee shop. When he passed he stopped to look in the window. He was debating on whether or not it was too busy for him to go in when he saw the last person on the planet that he wanted to see.

There Levi Ackerman sat, holding both of Petra's hands. "I guess they're back together." Eren thought as a pang of disappointment struck him. Petra was smiling sweetly and Levi looked emotionless as usual.

Eren had never been so crushed. So for the next three weeks, Eren stayed away from the rest of the world. He didn't go to games with friends and he didn't associate with anyone outside of school. As often as he could he would stay home from school. He couldn't bare to show his face. Not now that Levi knew his deepest secret. Not now that Levi knew he was gay.