Hello everyone :3 so i'm making the authors notes at the start of each chapter, if any ever come at the end of a chapter it's going to be little credits, translations, and/or thank you notes! Anything else will be at the start. This is going to be my first Ereri fanfiction and my first fanfiction in over three years . this is both exciting and scary at the same time, anywho before I go on, this book is rated mature for a reason, if you can't handle mature scenes/subjects such as: swearing, violence, sexual innuendos/scenes, or simple complex and/or complicated parts please don't read any further! I don't want this book getting too much hate!
He wasn't sure if his boss was insane or just thought fondly of him, whatever the case was, Eren had been dragged along to some fancy meet up with his boss at an Art Gallery. Eren - being quite the unobservant creature - failed to notice that the meet up required formal wear, by the time that his boss came to pick him up he was wearing a normal white t-shirt and some blue jeans.
"Jaeger what the hell are you wearing?" The older man hissed, more astonished than angry. Eren glanced up at the blonde, swallowing as soon as he noticed his attire; a suit, a fancy suit that people only wore for weddings or important parties and meetings.
"I...sir, you never told me that we were going to a formal party." Eren said, trying to get more words out of his mouth but only made a fool of himself, looking like a fish out of water. His boss, Andre, could only sigh loudly as he brushed a hand through his gelled hair.
"Do you even have a suit?" He asked, his tone low and a little more than disappointed, Eren could only flash a weak smile as he shook his head.
"Ah, yeah no I don't..." The brunette whispered, swallowing as he noticed anger flash over Andre's face for a moment before he glanced at his watch, shaking his head as he unlocked the car doors to let Eren in.
"Just get in, we don't have time for this." He muttered bitterly, watching as Eren got into the passengers seat before he pulled out of the driveway.
"I'm sorry Andre...I didn't-" Eren was cut off by Andre's heavy sigh, swallowing nervously as Andre glanced over at him then back to the road.
"When we get there, try to look like you fit in, don't be a nervous mess, got it?" The blonde muttered, Eren could only nod, ashamed of his actions...or lack of that is.
Eren swallowed back his nerves as they pulled up to the gallery, his eyes dancing as he glanced around at all the men and women gathered outside of the doors, every single one of them dressed in formal dresses, tuxedos, and suits. Each man and woman looked as if they were made of money, wearing expensive jewellery, watches, and small accessories that only screamed "Hello, I cost an arm and a leg!" Eren found himself out of his league, dressed in his twenty dollar outfit.
"How...how do you know these people?" Eren asked breathlessly, glancing over at Andre who was obviously much more relaxed than the brunette.
"Some are high school friends, acquaintances, old customers, if this doesn't show you how important friendships are than I don't know what is...you might look like shit but try to meet a few of these people, they can get you places, Eren." Andre said, not bothering to look Erens way as he parked, rolling up the windows before he turned off the car. "Are you ready? Or are you going to play chicken and stay in here?" Andre asked, flashing a smile Eren's way.
"Of course i'm going in! I just...I don't fit in, they're going to get one good look and turn their backs!" Eren said bitterly, unaware of his volume raising higher.
"Calm down, not everyone is like that, now come on we don't have all night." Andre said with a smile, getting out of the car first. Eren found himself alone for a few moments, glancing over at the building before he looked over at Andre who was already making his way to the front doors without him, Eren forced back his nerves for the second time that night before he got out, sighing heavily as he chased after the blonde.
"Do I stay with you?" Eren asked, almost feeling more alone than when he moved to Seattle a few months prior.
"No, of all things, don't do that, sorry Eren but i'm not getting caught with you in that." Andre said with a laugh, pulling away from Eren to get himself caught up in the crowd outside of the gallery. Eren bit back a flash of anger, glaring at the spot he last saw Andre before he glanced over at the glass doors to the gallery, inside there would be dozens of people all casually chatting away in their expensive clothing while drinking their expensive wines and champagnes, all while eating their expensive foods and viewing those expensive pieces of art. Expensive, everything that Eren couldn't afford, maybe in his dreams but never in real life, he was an eighteen year old kid who abandoned his family to try and find a better life, in doing so, he left himself virtually homeless, that is - until Andre found him. Andre gave Eren a job at the coffee shop and helped him find a cheap (but habitable) apartment, if it wasn't for Andre, Eren would still be living on the streets.
Eventually, Eren found a small burst of confidence and proudly walked into the gallery, glancing around to find no one in sight. That was normal, he thought, it was the entrance, if he wanted to find people they would be further inside, looking at the art. Eren swallowed back his nerve vomit again, walking further into the gallery where he was met with brilliant colours and sculptures, each piece of art seeming to knock the wind out of him. "Holy shit..." He said, eyes growing wide as he found a new appreciation for art - an appreciation he never knew he had.
"Holy shit is right." Eren gasped loudly as he was tugged out of his daze, glancing over at the woman who owned the voice, she was short, a red head, sharp looking glasses with a pencil skirt and frame-fitting coat. "The names Harrison." She said casually, glancing over at the large paining before both her and Eren.
"Eren...I don't mean to sound rude, but is that your last name? Harrison is quite an odd name." He said with a shy laugh, brushing a hand through his messy hair, Harrison could only smile before she sipped from her glass of wine, glancing back at Eren quietly.
"My real name is Elliot Harrison, I always thought of Elliot as a boys name so I've gone by my surname for as long as I can remember." She said with a casual shrug, obviously used to the question.
"Ah, well if it helps, I think Elliot is unique, not something you hear everyday, you just need to decide if you want to give your name a character or not." Eren said with a shrug, glancing down at the floor passively as soon as he realised that he had been treading into more personal waters. "Sorry...if I'm offending you feel free to stop me." He apologised before looking back up at her, she was smiling.
"It's fine, thank you Eren...what brings you here? You don't really...fit the code." Harrison said with a chuckle, Eren could only smile back shyly as he wrapped an arm around his waist as if it would shield his not-very-expensive outfit.
"I came here with my boss...he didn't tell me that this was all formal wear." He said with a heavy sigh, brushing a hand through his wild hair again, Harrison chuckled.
"Ah whatever, if someone gives you beef just tell them that, if they keep going than turn around and forget them." Harrsion said calmly as she sipped her wine again, glancing back up at the painting, Eren finally followed her eyes to look up at the piece before them.
"Do you know who painted this?" She asked, not looking over at Eren, but he looked back at her.
"No...should I?" He asked breathlessly, it seemed surreal, it was like he was a child, hearing the story of Santa Clause for the first time, and yet Eren was never one for art; never painted, drew, coloured or bothered to look at anyone else's work, until now.
"No, you don't need to know him, but if you happen to meet him tonight you should know him." She said with a small smile, glancing back at Eren with the same star-struck gaze.
"He's here? Why?" Eren asked, not used to the concept of art galleries and meetings at art galleries.
"Plenty of artists are here tonight, he's one of many that you might stumble across, they come here to talk about their artwork..." Harrison was cut off by the beeping of her phone, she sighed and pulled it out, answering it without looking at the screen. A short blunt conversion between her and the recipient lasted no more than thirty seconds before she sighed and turned back to Eren. "It was nice talking to you Eren, but I have to get going now, have a good time." She said with a sweet smile before she walked to the glass doors at the entrance, leaving Eren with more questions than answers.
"But...who is he?" He whispered, glancing back at the painting in search of something that had to be there, he glanced at the bottom left corner of the painting and stepped closer, squinting as he made out the signature.
"Levi Ackerman." He breathed out, again, leaving him with more questions than answers.
