Bus Stop
Eren had been minding his own business. He really had! But the urge to talk to someone was overwhelming and there was this man sitting beside him who looked interesting. His ma had always said those who look the weirdest have the weirdest ones to tell. He had to cross all his fingers and toes in his heavy steel-toed boots to keep from talking when an even more interesting person came and sat beside the short grump.
The park bench was rusted, and paint was chipped off of it. He supposes the two strangers beside him were waiting for the city bus to come. Eren wasn't. He just wanted a place to sit. The rust bit into his fingerless gloves ("What's the point of mitts that don't keep your fingers warm?" "They're in style, Eren." Is what Mikasa had said.) No matter what his sister claimed, Eren still thought the blue stripped material shielding (still freezing by the way) hands were a waste of money.
They were talking now. He wasn't really listening; Eren was trying really hard to not say anything. His ma had also said that one day his yipping would get him in trouble. Eren thought today was that day, but really, really didn't want to be grounded before Christmas (he needed to be able to go to the neighbor park to beat Jean at the sledding races. He couldn't do that from inside his room).
"What about you, kid?" The tired man asks.
"Hm? Sorry sir, I wasn't paying attention to what you both were talking 'bout." C'mon, Eren. You can do this. No random rambling, okay? Okay.
"Are you waiting for the bus, bud?" The person sitting beside the shorty asks. They give you a smile.
"Nah, actually I'm just here to sit. My ma's at work across town and my sis's at the Maria's Mall right now." Eren pauses, and then starts rambling. "I'm supposed to be with her but you know how teenagers are n' stuff, so she gave me about twenty dollars and told me to run off. I have her phone in case she needs to reach me but I think she's too busy with her friends. Not that I mind – cause there's this guy name Armin and he's pretty cool, he gives me his skittles and then there's Ymir. I like Ymir 'cause she knows the best combos for video games, she'll also show me really funny cat vids. And –" Eren takes a breath. "… What was I saying?"
"About how your sister told you to get lost and you don't mind because you actually like her friends?" The man offers.
"No, what I was saying was her friends are cool. I don't mind being told to scram 'cause it's usually the only time I get to do what I wanna do. Without anyone nagging me, or scolding me. I get to do what I want to do. And it's great." Eren gives a relieved sigh.
No one talks for a beat. Eren laughs awkwardly, "sorry, all my friends are gone for the holidays and won't be back 'til Boxing Day. I haven't really talked to anyone in a while."
The red head laughs, their voice high and full of glee. "You have nothing to worry about kid. What's your name?"
"Eren Jeager."
The man hums before speaking. "Eren Jeager, you're German?"
"Yeah, we lived there' til I was four." Eren replies.
"Hello Eren, I'm Hanji!" The glasses one pushes out her hand. Eren takes the hand, they shake them in greeting. "That old fart over there is Levi."
Levi lips dips down into a frown. "Hanji, I'm the same damn age as you."
"Na – uh, inside I am the inner child."
"Inner pain in the ass more like." Levi grumbles.
"You guys have been friends for a long time, huh?" Eren asks, his face has a light flush.
"Almost six months!" Hanji exclaims.
"Ten worst years of my god damned life," comments the man.
"You're lying! Eren don't listen to him, he looooves me." Hanji says.
"Do not." He snaps.
"Do." Hanji shoots back, their lips pulling back into a smile.
"Do not."
"You do too!"
"I don't."
"You do."
"I don't."
"I don't." Hanji disrupts the pattern, so naturally Levi says:
"I do."
"Haha! Did you hear him, Eren? He loves me!" Hanji's smug, obviously. Eren's laughing a little, maybe Hanji really is child.
"I'm not even going to try to explain." The man looks bewildered.
"But, it's true whether or not you didn't say it."
Levi didn't reply.
"Hanji," Eren whispers, poorly cuffing his hand to block his mouth. "I think Levi's pouting."
Hanji snorts, and total goes with it, also cuffing their hand to the side of their face and whispers badly, "I think your right!"
Eren lets out a fake gasp of horror, holding his face between his hands, "What are we going to do!"
They both collapse into a fit of giggles and snorts. Eren's laughing so hard, tears are sliding down his face. Hanji's cheeks are red and they're out of breath. It doesn't stop them was losing their minds again when Hanji throws their head back to let out a final laugh, but in the mist of it all, their glasses fall off.
Levi snorts a bit that time.
After both children (yes both, Hanji is official labeled a child now). Clam down from their laugh attack the group falls into a smooth, satisfied silence.
The sky seemed a little bit darker, and the air a little colder than it had been when he first got here. The sound of the bus rambling down the street was present. With all these signals Eren knew now it was time to head back.
Eren said his farewells and gave a little wave, before walking back to the mall across the street. All in all today had been a good day.
Well, not my best work, but whatever.
(1st installment to: Types of writings)