𝓔𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓣𝓸𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽

2 Engagements

Levi set the vinaigrette salad on the wooden table, worry making his stomach twist but kept his usual somewhat serious look on for Eren. it seemed to calm Eren to see he was acting normal. They hadn't seen Armin since Annie cheated on him last fall. Armin was a mess until the mystery man showed up. There were many long nights with Armin on the phone complaining about having too much money or going to an amazing college in France or being incredibly intelligent when it came to tactics and mathematics. But Eren listened, even when Levi told him to hang up after four or five hours. They were the best of friends. Nothing could separate them.

Eren turned on the record player in the living room and sighed, rememberingArmin . telling him he knew him but couldn't put any of it together. Levi's arm then slithered around his slender waist and handed him a glass of wine, making sure it was not filled much at all. It was to help him feel more like an adult. The taste was bitter, dry. Like the silence in the room, as if something had commanded silence over the victims and nothing could be done. Eren put his lips to the red wine, but then set it down on the coffee table to let it breathe and mature, blossom into something much better and greater than it first was. "You okay Eren?" Levi somewhat whispered, listening to the wind from the ocean slowly come through the windows.

It almost made the younger boy jump from the disturbance of silence, but then laughed at himself, making Levi sigh on relief. The embrace seemed to bond them closer, tying their knot to each other closer but yet farther apart then ever. The door bell then rang, Eren jumping from te sudden noice but Levi not moving a muscle. Slithering out of Levi's arms, he went to the door. Very excited to meet this mystery man Armin had talked so much about. He unlocked it, then slowly peered threw the opening. Armin waved sweetly and then the open door reveled Jean with his arm wrapped around Armin's waist. Eren's heart sank.

Silence was over the house when the two men walked in, Levi suddenly remembering beating the shit out of him halfway through his senior year. That made him smirk, slowly walking over and shaking Armin's hand and then hesitantly Jeans. "How was the drive? Arizona treating you well?" Levi began conversing, Eren stepping away and excused himself. He rushed to the bathroom and found himself having a panic attack. He hadn't had one in so many years and he felt useless and weak. Trying to remember his old breathing techniques, his brain stumbled back over an old old memory that seemed to fade away with the six years time it had been. Suddenly the memory taking its toll and seeming to consume him like a dark smoke.

Keeping his head down, Eren walked silently through the abandoned halls, summer school again. He was never able to catch up and he had no one there, only a few other kids and a couple teachers swept through the halls. His hands bruised and a noticeable limp shown in his right leg, itching at a cigarette burn on his inner arm and his hair untamed and long. Only four or five other kids were there for summer school, the junior high very small already. He dragged his right leg along, pulling a paper from his pocket that said the room number to go to. That's when he heard him, stopping in his tracks in sudden fright as he thought of different ways to escape, his hands shaking, his 14 year old brain scattered as Jean's size 10 converse forrest green shoes slowly stomped his way. Jean was always looking for some sort of trouble, someone to harass, someone to scar or beat or assault. Anything. Especially Eren, something about his pacifist ways and his bursts of emotions and rage made him want to hurt him even more. Jean didn't even realize it was love in his heart for Eren and not hatred of him. Everything triggered him with Eren. His voice, his name, his face, his breath, his body. Everything. Jean was heartless yet knew how to represent emotions behind a mask of pain and suffering from his home life.

Eren turned around slowly to see Jean, stepping back until he was against the lockers, his hands sweating profusely and his eyes batting in fear. Trying to find different ways of escape. "Hey dumbass~" Jean began, his clothes somewhat reeking of pot and the outdoors. Eren gulped, setting his backpack down. "Come on, can we not do this. Please Jean." Eren tried to calm him down, about to sprint to the door, knowing he wouldn't make it because of his bad leg. "Shut the hell up, I don't want to hear your shit voice." He hissed, Eren blinking and Jean seemed to appear in front of him in a second, making him jump. "You know what's gonna happen to you Eren...?" He whispered into his ear, this had been the first time of many times to come that he would whisper in his ear and make sure the terror really sunk in. "I'll end you for this." Eren hissed, tears welling up and was ready to fight back but his bruised arms could barely keep up with him.

What Eren said made Jean smile as he put his arms on Erens shoulders and gave him a large upper cut to the gut. Jean then putting his hand over his mouth to make sure he couldn't scream. "This'll happen every time I see you, I will break you down until there is nothing left to break." He cooed, his other hand caressing his cheek. Jean then leaned in and took his hands to put them on the sides of Erens face and planted a light yet passionate kiss. Which was the most terrifying part yet. Then slowly Jean let go and drifted off as if to disappear like he was never there in the first place. Eren stood in terror, realizing this would be the beginning to a life long terror, knowing it didn't matter where he'd go, he'd never. Ever. Be safe.

Eren sat on the floor of his bathroom, crying and doing his breathing exercises until a calm wave flood over him, remembering all the cutting and abuse and awful things he endured as a child and as a teen.

Levi continued to entertain, giving them wine and sat them down to relax. Armin then showed Levi his left hand, reveling a small gold ring. "Well~ I was going to tell you both but because Eren is sick or something, I thought I'd just show you first." Armin giggled, Jean kissing his cheek, no emotion in his eyes as Levi got chills. He knew something was wrong with that man, he just couldn't place it. "We knew its only been a few months butttttt we're in love and never want to be apart again." Jean laughed, more of a breathy, unclear laugh, something that usually comes after an awkward statement. "Levi, we want you and Eren to be our best men and we'll have little bachelor parties and it'll be so amazing!" Armin was over excited, Levi wasn't as much, not smiling nor laughing.

"Want me to go check on Eren?" Jean finally brought up, Levi suddenly defensive as he got in Jeans way. "No, you love birds stay here. I'll get him." He said seriously, turning the music up and disappearing away to find Eren.

Not expecting what he was going to find next...