Off Record [Ereri/Riren] ✓

48 ⚕︎Reminiscence ✍︎

Off Record
Chapter 48
⚕︎Reminiscence ✍︎
Eren

rem·i·nis·cence

/ˌreməˈnisəns/

noun

a story told about a past event remembered by the narrator

I walk in the store precisely three minutes after Mikasa. I'm wearing a black hoodie with the hood up, my raggy jeans, and some old tennis shoes I'd found in a dumpster. I have a backpack slung over my shoulder and I nod a greeting to the teenager standing behind the counter in the small gas station shop. Mikasa is currently chatting him up, distracting him while I make my way to the back of the store, avoiding the gaze of the cameras. I drop my bag to the floor in the snacks and candy aisle and start loading it up with food. I can hear Mikasa idley flirting with the other teen, the boy seeming nervous.

"Take some beer."

"Watch your back."

"He sees you, it's over."

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing, kid?!" I hear the cashire yell.

"Run!"

I look around and take a deep breath. The cashire is still chatting with Mikasa at the counter. The voice I hear isn't real, he doesn't see me. I'm fine. It doesn't even matter if he does, Mikasa will have him knocked out over the counter the second his eyes even shift towards my direction.

I reach over to the drinks and pull out a six pack, digging through the snacks so I can place it at the bottom of the backpack. Once I've filled the bag I zip it up and stand, throwing it over my shoulder once again. I grab a candy bar and make my way towards the counter.

"Excuse me." I smile at Mikasa and she waves a sweet goodbye to the cashier before heading into the girls bathroom.

"Good afternoon, sir." The kid smiles and I hand over the single candy bar. I need to buy something to avoid suspicion. I pull a handful of coins from my pocket while he rings it up. We exchange money for chocolate and I leave the store with a smirk, shoving the candy bar into my pocket.

A few minutes later Mikasa joins me. "Did you get enough?"

I chuckle and show her the goods. "Oh, I got more than enough."

"Good." She pats my shoulder and I zip the bag back up. "We'll hit a grocery store next week to look for some healthier shit. We need to keep in shape."

I roll my eyes. "I am in perfect shape, thank you very much." I bump her shoulder and we both take off, rounding the building and running towards the forest where we've converted an abandoned treehouse into a temporary home.

-

I step off the ladder and dump my hoard onto the floorboards of the treehouse while Mikasa climbs up the ladder to join me. "We're getting too good at this." She comments, settling on a stolen couch cushion. "It's lost the..."

"The initial rush." I supply, sorting out bags of chips and candy. I toss Mikasa a box of crackers and she rips it open and starts stuffing her face.

"We don do ith for the rusth." she says with food still in her mouth.

My shoulders sag. "Don't we?"

Mikasa swallows. "We do it because we need too." she asserts. "But... that doesn't mean you're a bad person for enjoying it, Eren."

I fold my legs up against my chest. "I don't enjoy it, Titan does."