Of tea, apples and embarrassing dates // Ereri //

9- Levi would explain everything logically in a haunted house

Levi wouldn't get what people find fun about haunted houses. It's not like they're just not scary at all, but they're not even remotely fun. However, Eren insisted on going in, pulling at his sleeve like a baby, and Levi eventually agreed -only because he found the other one annoying, of course.

They've been inside for about ten minutes now, and predictably nothing surprising's happened yet.

Eren jumps when a door slams loudly behind them, but, "It's the wind," Levi tells him coldly.

He also startles when a hushed voice begins crying their names, but now too, "They checked our IDs for age confirmation, at the entrance. They took our names.."

Still, when the light bulb hanging from the roof flickers a bit before shutting off completely, he stiffens a little before explaining that it surely is a commanded mechanism, and talks about air drafts when a cold breeze lightly caresses their napes.

They're crossing a dark corridor, the only light being the one coming from a broken window in the middle of the path. Is this supposed to be intimidating? Because, come on, Levi finds it more peaceful than anything.

Eren, anyway, may not be thinking the same, since he's gotten a little closer to him and now their arms are brushing against each other anytime they take a step forward.

Their names echo again in the building, just a single time, similar to a whisper in their ears. The sound lingers briefly in the air before completely disappearing, the corridor dead silent now. They take another step. The floorboards look old and deformed, but whenever they place their foot on them, not a sound is made. The silence starts feeling pressuring, a certain anxiety starting to crawl under his skin.

Then, when they're right in front of the window and the light hits their eyes just enough to allow them to see the end of the corridor, a scrawny figure takes shape against the wall. It must be a mechanical doll , Levi thinks, but he doesn't say it out loud. Because, the doll isn't a doll at all, but a real and concrete old woman, her skin yellow and stained and her eyes white. She starts laughing, a burst of creepy loud laughter that echoes between the tight walls of the corridor and hits their ears violently against the silence they'd gotten used to.

Then, she starts running. Like, fast. Eren grabs him by the closest arm and makes a run for the exit, stumbling down the stairs and then across the dirty rooms as if their life depends on it.

He frantically pushes the door open and they come out of the house in such a hurry they both crumble down on the ground, Eren lying down on his back and Levi face-down on him.

It's such a cliché Levi winces.

So, he'll never ever admit it, but his heart is beating super fast because of what they just went through, but it also won't calm down because he's lying extra close to Eren and he can perfectly hear his heart is beating astonishingly fast, too.

Maybe, just maybe, he's starting to get why people like haunted houses, and it certainly isn't because they're looking for a thrill.

***

"I had a lot of fun tonight. Thank you, Levi." Eren's cheeks are flushed and his plump lips are a little chapped, just the right amount to make Levi think about kissing them better.

He nods and decides that even though he hasn't got the guts to actually kiss his red lips, he can at least behave like the grown man he is and master up the tiniest bit of courage. He ruffles the younger's hair with a hand, then pulls a little to make him bend down how much he needs him to in order to lift himself on his tiptoes and kiss him lightly on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, Eren."