Crack of Sunlight (Ereri/Riren)

•~Chapter Five~•

The following morning, Eren lounged on his bed before work, a sly smirk playing on his lips as he held his phone lazily against his ear.

"Hello?"

"I believe you owe me twenty dollars."

"Huh?"

Eren chuckled. "I just got off the phone with Connie asking me for ways he can apologize to Sasha. I believe you owe me twenty bucks," he repeated with a smirk growing.

Armin huffed into the receiver. "Prove it."

"Call Connie yourself if you need proof." Eren studied his nails.

"Alright, alright, I believe you. Take a rain check and I'll pay you when I get the money, okay?"

Eren's smugness suddenly vanished. He remembered Armin was unemployed at the moment due to focusing on his studies and, much like Eren's own, his family wasn't exactly in the best place financially.

"Nah, it's okay. Keep your money. I'll just take the bragging rights."

The brunet could detect the smile in his blond friend's voice when he said, "Thanks, Eren."

"No problem."

"Hey, how's Levi?"

Eren's chest tightened. "I wasn't able to see him," he said a bit glumly. "They have this stupid rule that only blood relatives are allowed to visit their patients." He rolled his eyes. "But his sister said he's alright. I'll just have to take her word for it..."

Armin hummed. "Do you know when he'll be out?"

"Probably not 'til the end of May," sighed Eren, eyes rolling up to the ceiling where his brain automatically began picking out odd shapes in the popcorn. "But if that's what it takes for him to get better..."

"You'd wait an eternity, wouldn't you?" remarked Armin knowingly.

"Er...well...I wouldn't say an eternity..."

"Please, Eren. I've never seen you care so much about someone, even your mom."

Eren chewed on his lip thoughtfully. He really had no response for that. While he absolutely adored his mother - loved who she was and how strong she was, admired her and would go to the ends of the earth for her - there was something inside of him solely reserved for the tattoo artist. It was unconditional. Irrevocable. Irreversible. Armin, knowing Eren as well as he did, saw right through him.

"Yeah, yeah. So how's everything in Arlert land?"

"Same old, same old. School, studying my butt off, more school. It's a vicious cycle." Eren chuckled, having no particular response. "But my grandpa got out of the hospital yesterday," Armin continued.

"Hey, that's awesome."

"Mm-hmm. They say he's doing a lot better, of course, and he's still on constant medication. But he's happy to be home."

"That's good, Armin. I'm glad. Tell him I say hi."

"Will do. Anyway, Eren, thanks for the call but I should really get back to studying."

"Don't work too hard."

Armin chuckled breathily. "Later, Eren."

"Adios."

With a light sigh, Eren tapped the 'end call' key. The screen faded back to his lock screen - a picture of his mom and sister in the backyard - that he stared at until it faded to black. He let the device fall among the haphazard of blankets and limbs of his bed and shut his eyes.