Sweet Serial Killer [ Riren ]

SEVENTY NINE

SEVENTY NINE
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Once everyone had finally reached the cemetery, Eren helped a group of people, many of who he did not know, carry his father's casket out and to his grave. Carla stood to the side, a handkerchief pressed tightly against her mouth.

While Eren walked, he could feel people staring at him. It was uncomfortable, but what could he possibly do to stop it? He was the son of the dead person, after all. Of course some would have their eyes greedily trained on him.

Quit it, he wanted to snap at all his spectators. It had been this way at the Arlerts' funerals, too, though definitely not this bad. Here, Eren barely knew anyone. But attending the Arlerts' funerals, Eren had his friends and family surrounding him. Their presences were not nearly as stifling.

Yet now, he wanted nothing more than to shrink down into a hole.

Though he supposed he shouldn't wish for that; that was Grisha's job.

Just as his arms began to grow extremely tired, Eren was allowed to set his father's casket down onto a platform that would lower him into his grave. Letting his fingers drift lightly over the surface of the casket, Eren released it.

Exhaling heavily, Eren paused, catching his breath.

Suddenly, a hand slammed onto his shoulder, making him jump.

Startled, he turned to see an unfamiliar face staring back at him. He supposed his erratic breathing gave off the impression that he was trying not to cry, when that was not true. But why would he need comfort from a stranger, anyway?

"Hello, Eren," the man said, offering him a bland smile. It unsettled Eren how the man knew his name, though he supposed it was only natural for him to. Swallowing, Eren forced himself to be civil as he replied blandly, "Hello, sir."

"I just wanted to say: I am terribly sorry for your loss," the man went on, and Eren nodded absently, shifting around uneasily. The man's hand was still rested firmly on his shoulder, and he wanted nothing more than to pry it off.

"This must be hard on you," the man went on, and Eren wondered desperately where his mother was. What had happened to their promise? He was supposed to be at her side through this. He scanned the crowd for her frantically.

Luckily, he spotted her with a group of who he assumed to be friends, and he twitched instinctively, wanting strongly to wrench free of the man's grasp to flee to his mother. He was about to do just that when the man let him go.

"Anyway, I should be going. My sister needs me," the man finished, and Eren realized he had been speaking the entire time. A twinge of guilt shot through Eren, but it gradually dissolved. Why should he feel bad for ignoring this man?

Biting down on his lip, Eren muttered a hasty farewell as the man shot him one last smile before going off to his sister. Following his movements, Eren's eyes widened by a fragment when he saw who exactly the man was heading towards.

The blonde woman from all that time ago, at the dinner party Grisha held.

Bitch.

Gaze narrowing to slits, Eren felt suspicion swell through him. He could not stop it; it rose up on its own, and he made no move to quench its surges. Hissing out through gritted teeth, he involuntarily dug his nails into his palms.

Relax, Eren. Relax.

Studying the blonde woman, his stare trailed to a person at her side.

It was a boy, with blonde hair like the woman's and blue eyes just like hers. Yet his facial structure . . . A pang riveted through Eren. He felt dizziness wash over him as he gulped, surveying the rounded glasses perched on the boy's nose.

Just a coincidence, Eren.

A . . . Coincidence . . .

Heart thumping painfully fast in his chest, Eren spun around on his heel, feeling faint. Could he have been imagining things? No, he was fairly certain . . . Certain of what? The theory he had conjured up in his mind now seemed silly.

Impossible, ridiculous, scandalous — just purely insane.

Staggering forward, Eren began to aimlessly wander around. Truthfully, he did not know where he was going. He had lost sight of his mother; she had probably accidentally moved away from him without knowing where he was.

Right when Eren was about to sit down from the weight pressing down invisibly on his shoulders, he felt a hand grasp his. Shock jolted through him and he glanced to the side, relief pouring through him when he saw his boyfriend.

"Levi," he breathed, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Eren," Levi responded, tugging him closer and wrapping his arms firmly around Eren, who melted into the embrace. He clung onto Levi tightly, like he was a lifeline. And, as he was many times before, he proved to be just that.

For a while, the two just stood there, caught up in each other.

Until, hesitantly, Levi drew away, examining him intensely. "How are you doing?" He asked softly. It was not just a polite conversation-starter; he truly wanted to know how Eren was coping. Hopefully well. Perhaps he was unfazed.

"I'm fine," Eren eventually told Levi after a brief pause. He remembered his words to himself from earlier, when he had repeated the phrase over and over.

"I'm fine," he murmured once more, and a sliver of himself started to believe it.

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(A/N: hehehe but gUESS WHOSE WATCHING JURASSIC WORLD FOR THE SECOND NIGHT IN A ROW WOOO THAT'S ME :)) I LOVE THE JURASSIC PARK FRANCHISE O K I HAVE THE FIRST BOOK AND ALL THE MOVIES ON TAPE AND DVD (jw only on dvd tho) AND TODAY I WENT TO MY SCHOOL'S LIBRARY AND GOT JURASSIC PARK: THE LOST WORLD (I already read it but im re-reading it) aND AHHHH

expect a Jurassic Park-based book coming out soon)