Crack of Sunlight (Ereri/Riren)

•~Chapter Fifteen~•

This is a day late because my days are all screwed up and yeah I don't even know what happened whoops.

Also sorry about the abrupt ending idek about this chapter ._.

---

-A few weeks later-

"This is her house?" Levi was mumbling in disbelief as Eren pulled the car to a stop and shifted it into park.

"Uh, yeah. Christa's family is kinda rich," he said with a casual shrug.

Levi stared at the window at the mansion-like building across a totally landscaped yard - complete with a stone walkway, tall bushes, and a fountain.

"Sure you still wanna do this?" asked the brunet, noting the mild nervousness in Levi's features. He merely nodded before stepping out of the vehicle and meeting Eren on the other side, automatically taking his hand. He could already smell the smoky scent of burning wood. They were at Eren's friend Christa's for a Saturday night bonfire. The younger had said they wanted to meet Levi, and from the sound of it this entire thing was orchestrated for just that. That wasn't something he could really say no to no matter how uneasy social situations, particularly with people he'd yet to meet, made him. That, and it seemed to make Eren happy; he was doing everything he could to keep that smile on his face, to not hurt him anymore.

"Let's go," he responded.

They were halfway up the stone pathway when the front door practically burst open to reveal a very excited looking brunette with big, happy eyes and a ponytail, followed by a much smaller blonde with innocent blue orbs.

"Eren!" exclaimed the taller female, trotting down to meet them with the blonde in tow.

"Hey, Sasha," Eren greeted with a friendly smile. He gestured to the man on his right. "This is Levi."

Levi didn't smile, but he didn't scowl either as he shook the girl's hand. She gave him a big, dopey smile and said, "I'm Sasha." She, too, gestured in the blonde's direction. "This is Christa."

Christa cast him a sweet, girlish smile but refrained from shaking his hand. She could tell he was mildly uncomfortable. "Everyone else is already out back," she articulated in a soprano that sounded more like it should've come from a little kid. "Shall we?"

Eren and Levi followed the girls into the house. It smelled of cinnamon apple, like a candle, mixed with another type of homey scent. The interior was even more impressive than the exterior with sleek wood floors, softly painted green walls, and high ceilings. From the ceilings hung chandeliers or soft gaslights, illuminating the place and making it feel more like a model home rather than an actual home. The furniture was clearly designer and the place was impeccably clean, much to Levi's pleasure and approval. The only thing that really made the place seem like an actual family lived there were the family pictures on the walls. It was so big it seemed to take a good two minutes for them to walk through just to the backyard, and Levi was sure this was only a fraction of the house.

The backyard itself, of course, was huge as well. There were decorations everywhere, landscaped neatly with rocks and a few fountains, a stone path that went around in a circle and a gazebo right in the middle. Several trees sprouted out of the ground and there was a small pond in the corner adjacent to a thriving garden. Light poles lined the walk and softly illuminated the yard. It looked more like a small park than a backyard.

Off to the left sat a chattering circle of people, comfortable in cushioned lawn chairs encircling a wood-burning fire pit that crackled and gave off the smoke he'd been smelling since stepping out of the car. Across the fire, two guys shared a chair - one with silvery hair and a long face, the other (in his lap, arm slung casually around his neck) had freckles and baby-ish features. Next to them was another masculine-looking female, her cheeks also dusted with freckles and eyes that appeared black in the firelight. On the opposite side of her was a short kid (though not as short as Levi himself) with a buzz cut, and next to him was Armin. Sasha skipped over to the empty chair between them and scooted it closer to the buzz cut, who made googly eyes at her. Levi took this all in in a split second.