ʜɪᴍ. - Ereri/Riren

pαrt: 9

One month ago

"Eren, you need to eat something," Mikasa groaned, being sick of seeing Eren on the sofa all day and cuddling Furlan.
  "I have," said Eren, his eyes not moving from the television.
  Mikasa searched his eyes, then his cheeks for a blush, then at his hands to see if they're fiddling but were preoccupied with Furlan. Letting out a sign on frustration, she let down the hands on her hips and walked to the coat rack. "I'm going to meet Annie, maybe go shopping afterwards, do you need anything while I'm out?"
  "No," Eren deadpanned, staring at the wall above the television.
  As soon as Mikasa left, Eren remembered Levi's smile, his laugh, his bluntness, his warmth, his cool façade outside of home. Even the way Levi looked at him, Eren's eyes watered, lip quivering. He remembered the cuddles, the soft spot he had that was only for him and no one else, it made Eren feel special. He just wanted Levi here to kiss him, to tell him to shut up and that it was ok, to tell him that he won't let anyone hurt him. Why did he have to leave? Why couldn't Levi look for him and find him? Turn up by the apartment door, drenched in rain, and see Eren and Eren would jump on him, kiss him as Levi swung him around.
  His head snapped down to Furlan when there was a small hand on his jaw just below his ear. "W-what is it, Furlan-n?" Eren asked, wiping the tears off his face.
  Furlan looked into his eyes, reminding Eren so much of Levi. "Happy," Furlan frowned, shaking his head and moving his hand to Eren's upper cheek. "Want you happy."
  It was then Eren realised the smallest things had meant so much to him, he couldn't help but cry as he laughed, holding Furlan closer. "I know, Furlan, I know," replied Eren, smiling. "I'll try and be happy like you want me to."
  Furlan was about to go to sleep, but then Eren saw Furlan pause.
  "What's wrong, Furlan?"
  Furlan looked Eren in the eye with a glare, his pointy finger poked at Eren's stomach.
  Eren laughed. "Ok, ok, I'll eat something."
  Furlan's expression relaxed and he closed his eyes.

  Mikasa entered through the cafe doors, trying to see the blob of blonde somewhere in the cafe, she quickly saw Armins head poke up from the back – in a booth.
  She wasn't even sat down when Armin spoke. "How's Eren?" he asked. "He's doing ok, right?"
  Mikasa sighed, setting her red scarf beside her on the seat as she sat down, her elbows and forearms resting on the table. "He isn't eating, he doesn't talk much, he doesn't smile, doesn't sing or read, doesn't do anything like he used to," Mikasa put a hand over her eyes as she looked down, not wanting to cry. "I can't do anything about his depression can I? The closest I got to helping him was when we got into an argument about eating and he screamed at me something along the lines of 'how can I be hungry when I feel empty'."
  Armin placed his hand on Mikasa's free hand, squeezing lightly. "It's not your fault," Armin smiled warmly. "At least you managed to find out a symptom of depression."
  Mikasa lowered her hand, looking to the ceiling. "How can I help him, though? Why did he fall into depression, was it me? Am I not exciting enough-" Mikasa cut herself short, a little hope in her eyes as they dropped onto gazing into Armins. "It's the baby right? Parental stress?"
  Armin closed his eyes, shaking his head softly. "I'm just assuming it's just everything he's been through," Armin admitted, feeling sadness burden his sympathetic heart.
  "What do you mean?"
  Armin took a breath. "He dated Levi for a year," Armin said carefully as he saw Mikasa glare at nothing specific, "then the car crash happened, he witnessed Carla die, that can be very traumatic."
  Mikasa took a breath, not wanting to remember the call she received that night.
  "Then Grisha had made Eren abandon Sina, abandon Levi – who I could tell he loved very much – and live with him," Armin couldn't find the anger in his grief to grit his teeth to say Eren's father's name. "Then his dad kicked him out, blaming Eren for Carla's death, leaving him with no money too, and he had a baby to feed."
  Mikasa had calmed her emotions down, looking into the table. "Where did the baby come from?"
  Armin ignored Mikasa's question. "But guess what? He couldn't go anywhere, would've been homeless if it wasn't for you living nearby. You offered to pick him up, you fed him, took care of him; it's all you could do," Armin bent over the table to lift Mikasa's hand to put it on her chest above her heart. "You natured him with love, there's nothing more you can do but that."
  Mikasa looked at Armin and gave a weak smile. "You live in Sina... right?"
  Armin nodded, letting go of her hand and sitting back.
  "That's where Eren also used to live – with Levi?"
  Armin nodded again.
  "Maybe, maybe you should take him in. I don't mind how long – as long as it helps him mentally."
  Armin pursed his lips to try and refuse to comfort her but found that it wouldn't make anything different. "How about he stays for a month or two? Sees how things go, if he got better and such. I'll take care of him."
  "I know you will," Mikasa said, standing up and grabbing her scarf to wrap around her neck. "I need to get shopping; you should call Eren and ask him, won't want to force him to move. Besides it'd be better if you did it anyway."
  "Ok," Armin agreed, taking out his phone. "I'll see you soon."