Covered Eyes (No Name Levi X Eren)

Chapter 12 - The Pasts Walls

Leaving the room quickly, Eren and I get to the meeting place a moment after the others left the store. Hanji waves to us as everyone else carry the bags.

“Levi!” They squeal. “We got everything!”

The group gets to us and continues to our bus to put the stuff away.

“Wow Eren!” Hanji exclaims, “You look so cute like that.”

Eren blushes and chuckles, adorably scratching the back of his brown locks.

“Thanks Hanji,” he responds.

“So how much did you spend on our newbie?” Hanji asks, I scowl at them.

“Tch, let me see your bill, then we'll talk.” I hold out my hand for the receipt, Hanji slapping it into my hand. The other's bill for shopping was almost as much as ours. “Over this,” is all I say.

“Spoiling him already?” Hanji teases, “Levi, why don't you do that for the rest of us?”

“Don't start with me four eyes,” I growl, “you and I both know it's not about special treatment.”

Eren gives a discouraged smile, chuckling at our banter. It hurts to see him like that, but I didn't mean anything by it. I just didn't want that idiot getting a shitty idea that wasn't true, even if it had the possibility of becoming true.

“Sure,” Hanji replies as sarcastically as possible. It seems to brighten Eren's mood a little, so I let it be.

We all get everything put away in the bus and sit for a little while on the roof of the bus. It's not hot and everyone sits relatively close, except Eren and me. We sit a little ways away and stay silent. His calmness is a nice change from the anxiety and worried headspace he's been in. A couple birds fly across the vibrant blue skies.

“For the longest time,” Eren quietly starts, “I always felt trapped in that place. It wasn't because of my parents, I felt that it was more everything else.” He sighs and lays back on the roof. “Like it was just natural for no one to leave.” He chuckles. “Maybe it was because they couldn't, like a metaphorical wall, put up by Lovof.”

I lay back as well and stay silent.

“Even now, my mind is still there, even if I'm physically not. I know that there's nothing back there for me, with my parents dead, my head on the suspect list, and a lack of close friends.”

The others leave the roof, unknowing of the conversation happening between us.

“But I still feel like I have to go back and I don't want to.” Eren sighs.

“I get it,” I sigh, feeling the need to let him know that someone else went through the same thing. “When I was younger, I lost my mother, she was the only family I had that I knew. My uncle moved us out of there, miles and miles from where I had been raised.” I brush my fingers through my hair. “I couldn't keep my mind from wandering back though. After awhile, it became easier to keep my thoughts in the present, especially with new people to call family.” I roll my head to where the rest had just been.

Eren follows my gaze before looking back up.

“It will ease up Eren, I promise you that.” I look to him.

He smiles at me and grabs my hand. It just happens that it's the same hands we have our new bracelets on. I wish to ask him again what they mean to him, and for a slight moment I consider doing it, but his content-filled eyes persuade me not to.

“Levi?” Eren asks after a moment of silence.

“Yeah Eren?”

“What made you save me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean why would you go through the troubles of saving me before you knew who I was?”

“Because that's a humane thing to do.”

“Surely I looked dead when you saw me.”

“Actually I heard you before I saw you.” Eren looks to me, awaiting an explanation. I sigh. “We had just gotten out of the venue and were walking down the alleyway. I saw something move and then I heard you cough.”

“And you didn't just assume I was a homeless person?”

“Not even once. Eren, the sound I heard that night was the same sound I heard long ago, when my mother died.”

I look to Eren, whose eyes are clouded with sadness and confusion. His lips move to unheard questions and apologies.

“My mother was shot, back then I couldn't do anything but watch the dark figure that had pulled the trigger run away. When I heard you, I immediately knew you were hurt, and though I still couldn't do much more back then, I had a friend who could fill in.”

“So you saw me as some sort of redemption or something like that to be your burden?” Eren asks, hurt and regret laced in his trembling voice as he looks back up to the sky.

“I never said that,” I sternly say, sitting up and looking to him. “Eren, I don't see you as a redemption for not saving my mother, and you're not a burden in any way Brat.”

His tear filled eyes look to me. “Then what do you see me as?”

Yet again I find myself lacking the words to answer his question. I don't want to hurt him or scare him but I don't want to confuse him either.

“Eren,” Mike’s voice quickly fills the silence. He climbs to the roof of the bus again. “Levi doesn't do anything without putting his entire being behind it. He wouldn't actually do something haphazardly just to ease his burden. He may act like that, but it's not the truth.”

“Then why?” Eren asks again.

“Why does it matter now?” Mike responds. “He'll tell you when he's figured that out.”

Mike gives a small smile and nod to me. Eren sits up and gives a smile as well before latching onto me again.

“I'm sorry, Levi,” he whispers. “I'm just scared and sensitive right now, I was only hearing what I didn't want to.”

“You're a Brat,” I say, smirking a little.

He quickly releases me, allowing me to ruffle his hair harshly.

“Lunch is ready,” Mike mentions casually before holding his hand out for Eren take. Eren nods and smiles as he's helped down.

“Why does he call me brat?” he whispers to Mike, trying to not alert me of his curiosity.

“He really means no insult by it.” Mike responds as I start to get down as well. That's all he says though.

In all honesty, it just feels natural for me to call him brat. If it bothers him though I'll stop.

For lunch we have a little sandwich setup so everyone can get what they want. Everything is set out so that it's a quick process with no pesky wrappers or uncut bread. Eren and I still sit together as we all eat our sandwiches. I guess he's still afraid that he won't survive without me. It's kinda cute, not that I'd patronize him like that. He's just a guy that has lost literally everything except his life and doesn't need someone-

“I think it's adorable how close you stick to Levi, Eren,” Hanji randomly says, as if the shitty glasses was reading my mind, “like a kid following his crush.”

Eren blushes and chuckles as I, once again, choke on what's in my mouth, or rather was since it is currently taking a bumpy tour of my windpipe. I finally remember how to breathe without inhaling food and take a sip of my iced tea.

“My father did always tell me to chase my dreams,” Eren laughs, adding to Hanji’s shitty comment.

I'm going to kill him if I don't die from choking, for the second time today. The iced tea I was using to stop my first coughing fit is now the cause of my second coughing fit. I'm done eating and drinking around this brat.

“Levi?” Hanji says through their laughs, “You okay there?”

“I...hate...you.” I cough out, to which they give a cheeky smile.

Sorry this came out so late in the day, but I know you won't be too mad at me with a..... Double update, eh? Eh?