Hey, thanks for taking the time to read this!
I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this, but I know that Mikasa, Armin, Connie, Erwin and Levi are all definitely going to be involved in this story, I'm just not sure how. I want Levi to have a major role though, so he might appear in the next chapter. Possibility of eventual LeviXEren, but not totally committed just yet. Please~~~ Review!?
Grunting. Sweating. Panting.
Eren had to control the wave of revulsion that ripped through him, carefully schooling his features to give the impression of neutrality. The creaky bed hit the wall repeatedly, giving enough noise to make it clear to anyone three rooms away what was occurring. But that was fine, considering the type of hotel they were in. The people in that room were probably doing something a lot worse than what Eren and his "partner" were currently engaged with.
With each wrist handcuffed to the two posts either side of the bed Eren stared up with blank, half closed eyes into the face of the man that was currently pounding into him with merciless force, his face devoid of expression. The chains on the hand cuffs rattled, and Eren knew he would have bruises later. He was already feeling the brunt of the pain caused by the last two hours of sex with the stranger currently riding him, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered, so long as he was paid. That was why he did this after all. Why he submitted his body to be repeatedly ravaged by the middle aged, balding pigs that took one look at his pretty face and decided to have some fun.
With a lewd groan, the current middle aged balding pig on top of him came, spilling his seed into Eren, letting it leak out onto the bed. Rolling over and pulling out sharply, causing another burst of pain, he collapsed beside him, breathing heavily. Probably going to have a heart attack from all the exercise, Eren thought bitterly to himself. "Oi, time's up. Get these off" he said out loud, kicking the man beside him half-heartedly, aching too much to inflict any real damage. The man obediently picked the key up from the night stand and undid a cuff, passing the key to Eren to allow him to unlock the other. Rubbing his wrists absentmindedly and sitting up, he glanced at the clock. One in the morning. Not too bad, he thought to himself. He might be able to catch another customer before two.
Grunting, the man held out a wad of notes to Eren, who snatched it before quickly counting. "Alright, we're done here. Don't hesitate to call again" The words tripped off Eren's tongue easily, despite the shiver of horror he felt at the thought of another two hours with that brute. Quickly, he pulled his clothes on, ignoring the various pains from his body, and, shoving the money into his front pocket, exited the room. Walking down the familiar hallway, he opted for the stairs, wanting to get out of the building as soon as possible. He paused only to light a cigarette just inside the doors, then pushed out into the freezing wind, taking a drag as he did so.
Goosebumps erupted all over his body, the thin, albeit long, coat not offering much protection. Dressed in black shorts that accentuated his legs, and a cropped tank top that showed off his stomach and arms, Eren changed his mind, deciding that he had suffered enough tonight and headed home, not willing to get hypothermia by standing in the street for the next hour, even for money. His rundown apartment building wasn't too far away, so he was able to get out of the wind after ten minutes of brisk walking. Climbing the stairs, his legs aching, he reached the floor of his shared apartment, hearing thumping bass from a party somewhere else in the building.
Arriving at his door, he took out his keys and unlocked it, walking into the apartment he shared with Marco, another escort, and Jean, a stripper/bartender at the club down the street. Leaving the lights off and shutting the door behind him, he walked over and lay down on the sofa, lighting up another cigarette and taking a long drag, drawing the smoke right down into his lungs before releasing it, the glow of the cherry illuminating his hand. Guessing by how quite the apartment was, it seemed like the two other occupants were both out. Even as he thought it, Eren heard the door open and the lights flickered on, the brightness causing Eren to throw an arm over his eyes.
"Anyone- oh, Eren, you're already home?" It was Marco, back from his own work. Eren grunted in reply.
"Turn the fucking lights off already, they're killing my head".
"Nope" Marco replied, the lightness in his voice, as always, irritating Eren to no end.
"Tch." Reluctantly, he took his arm away from his eyes and took another puff of his cigarette, blowing the smoke in the direction of Marco when he came around into his line of sight. He swatted at the air, used to Erens antics, and shoved his legs to the floor before collapsing onto the sofa next to him. Eren tsked again, annoyed at being disturbed, deliberately moving his legs back to rest on Marcos lap, and repeated his earlier action with the smoke.
Marco sighed, causing the smoke to swirl in the air, and looked at Eren. "What brings you here so early? I usually hear you get in around four, if not later".
Eren shrugged, not really feeling like explaining. He didn't have to in the end, as the other man's eyes widened and he swore softly under his breath. Frowning, Eren looked at himself. There didn't seem to be anything warranting the uncharacteristic foul language, until Marco pointed out the bruises that were slowly forming on his wrists. Shrugging again, Eren flicked ash onto the floor.
"I don't know why you agree to all that BDSM shit, man" Marco said, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling. "I get that it pays more, but I don't think I could ever let those pigs near me with a pair of handcuffs".
Eren closed his eyes, trying to resist the urge to kick the other man in the face. "No one asked you" he snapped instead, stubbing out his cigarette on the coffee table next to the sofa, leaving yet another burn mark that Jean was probably going to yell at him for. He didn't care. Jean always yelled at him, and Eren always tuned him out, then repeated the offending act later, in or outside of Jeans knowledge.
"I know" Marco replied, totally unruffled by Eren's grouchiness, irritating him to no end. Suddenly standing, causing Erens legs to fall to the floor yet again, Marco wandered into the kitchen. "You want a beer?" he yelled through, as Eren stretched his arms over his head, wincing at the pull of his sore muscles. "Sure" he replied, sitting up and running a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in all directions. With the thumping bass of the party still detectable, Eren resigned himself to another night of not going to sleep before five.
Marco reappeared, holding two bottles of beer and another of some cheap, store brand tequila. Setting them all down on the table, he opened his beer and took a gulp before answering Eren's questioning gaze. It was rare for Marco to ever drink anything stronger than beer. Jean and Eren were usually the ones getting shit-faced, which inevitably led to fights, and was the reason behind the various holes and stains all over the apartment.
"Lets just say you're not the only one whose had a rough night" Marco said, a vague answer if Eren had ever heard one. But whatever, it wasn't his business. Now he looked closer he could see that under the freckles, Marco was pretty pale, with black bags under his eyes. Taking the tequila, Eren wasted no time in raising the bottle to his lips and taking a swig, gagging slightly at the taste and quickly opening and chugging his beer to remove it.
They sat in silence for a long while, sharing the bottle between them, until Eren was feeling fairly fuzzy. On his sixth or seventh cigarette, he was sat with his booted feet resting on the coffee table, staring into space, one hand dangling over the arm rest, the other over the back of the sofa. Marco sat angled so he was facing Eren slightly, resting in the corner of the sofa, doing something on his phone. Leaning his head back, cigarette in hand, alcohol causing feelings to surface he usually kept repressed, Eren reflected on how shitty his life had become. Here he was, sitting in a shitty, rundown apartment at three o clock in the morning, sharing a bottle of tequila with a guy that shared his shitty profession of having sex with strangers for money, with a couple hundred bucks in his pocket, forty percent of which was going to go to his shitty boss, if he didn't want to end up stabbed in the street. The other sixty percent was going to pay for rent and other shitty responsibilities that cause too much damn money in the first place. There was a reason there was next to nothing in the fridge, save a pack of beers. Raising his head, Eren took a last drag of the cigarette, before making another burn in front of him.
"Jean's going to kill you" Marco said softly, humour in his voice, the first words either of them had spoken in hours.
Eren shrugged. "Like I care, it just gives him something to complain about. If it wasn't this, it'd be something else just as pointless."
Marco hummed a noncommittal reply, putting his phone down and standing, stretching so his top rode up over his navel, showing off his toned stomach. Dressed similarly to Eren, in slightly longer shorts and a plain black tank top that covered his stomach, Eren let his eyes wander over the others body. Not that Marco was his type, but it was always nice to admire a good body.
As if summoned at that moment, the door was opened, the loud, thumping walk of the man rivalling the party downstairs, and leaving no doubt as to the owner.
"Hey Jean, you-" Marco's voice cut off suddenly, and Eren turned to see what had caused the brunette to stop mid-sentence. He soon saw why, observing a multi-coloured bruise situated right on the man's left eye, which was swollen almost shut. "Don't say a damned thing" he growled at Eren threateningly, whose mouth had just opened, a snarky comment on the tip of his tongue. He said it anyway, standing and coming closer, sensing an ideal opportunity to push Jeans buttons, the alcohol in his system fuelling his desire to get under the other man's skin.
"Let me guess, it was your charming personality" Eren drawled, a smirk pulling up the side of his mouth. "Shut your mouth" Jean growled, bunching his fists threateningly. "I've had enough shit for one night, I am so not in the mood to take more from you, asshole." Eren grinned nastily, itching for a fight. "No?" he asked innocently, still grinning. "It must have been your shitty dancing. I bet someone just hauled your ass right out of the door, to be honest I'm surprised it hasn't happened –"
His words were cut off as Jean rushed him, grabbing a fistful of his top and pushed him against the wall with a thud. Eren's eyes lit up, adrenaline coursing through his system. Marco yelped at the sudden violence and touched Jean's shoulder, trying to get him to calm down, but Jean shrugged him off roughly. Eren could tell by the fire in Jeans eyes the other man wouldn't pass up the chance to beat Eren into a pulp, and Eren laughed raggedly, causing Jean to growl and tighten his grip. "You have no idea," Jean breathed, his face inches from Eren's "The amount of pleasure I would gain right now from smashing your head into the wall. Repeatedly."
Eren stared right back, daring Jean to try it. "Why don't you have a go then?" he suggested, wanting nothing more than to get into a full on, no holding back, fist fight with Jean. The two were always at each-other's throats, but add alcohol and a bad night at work into the mix, and things tended to explode. As they were about to right that second. "Jean!" Marco pleaded, sounding distant to Eren's ears. "Please, Jean, just ignore him! Remember what the landlord said? If we get another complaint we're going to be in serious trouble!"
Now Marco mentioned it, Eren could vaguely remember the land lord, a tall, burly man, visiting their apartment a couple of weeks back, saying something about noise complaints from the latest fight between Jean and Eren. It hadn't been the first time, and the land lord had given them a "final warning". Eren snorted. Like that meant shit. Who cared if they got chucked out? His life couldn't get much worse. Maybe he'd end up murdered in an alley. A fitting end for him, really.
He could see Jean's anger being bottled up, reason reaching his thick head. Eren tsked in annoyance, cheated out of releasing his pent up frustration, as Jean let go of his shirt, turning and stalking into his room, slamming the door with a bang. "Asshole" Eren muttered, rubbing his neck from where it had been banged against the wall. He was surprised when Marco rounded on him. Marco was usually so composed, and Eren had only ever seen him angry a few times.
"Who's the real asshole here?!" Marco hissed, eyes flashing. Eren dropped his hand, blinking. "Jesus, Eren, I'm getting sick of all your shit. I wish you'd just stop and think. Stop being such a selfish prick!"
"What the fuck?" Eren said, anger lacing his words, making him yell. "What the fuck have I done?" Marco sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking up and glaring at Eren. It was weird, to see Marco so riled up.
"It's what you don't do, Eren! You don't make any fucking effort to think about anyone else, or the impact your actions have! If we get one more complaint, we're gone! Out! On the streets. You might have some sort of backup plan for that, but I don't, and neither does Jean. We're already working these shitty jobs, managing to scrape by, just trying to live off what we earn, and you don't exactly make it fucking easy!" By this point Marco was yelling, getting in Eren's face, shoving a finger into Eren's chest, hard. Eren wasn't prepared for the stab of guilt that he felt, and covered it up by getting angry. He wasn't supposed to care. He didn't care. If he dragged everyone down around him, it made no difference. That was what happened to everyone that hung around him eventually, after all.
He knocked Marco's arm to the side, stepping out from in front of him, getting some personal space back. "What the fuck are you yelling at me for?" he shouted back, turning to face Marco, his face flushed with anger. "Like I could give a shit about what happens to that prick, thinking he's better than everyone else!"
"At least he's smart enough to think about his future! About the impacts his actions have! I swear Eren, you go around with this attitude like you don't care about anything, and it just pisses me off! If you really don't care about anything, then why are you even here?!"
Eren opened his mouth to shout something back, but couldn't find any words. Future? What future? He slept with people for money - Whatever he managed to save up was spent on cigarettes and alcohol. He hadn't given any thought to his future in a long time. He realised he had fallen into the routine of work, get drunk, argue with Jean, get into a fight, get more drunk, crash out, rinse, repeat. Why was he here? What was the point?
Marco saw the confliction in Eren's face, and sighed, letting go of his anger. Eren wished he could do it as easily as that. Marco was right. He did walk around with an attitude like he didn't care about anything. But that was just a cover used to disguise all the rage, the humiliation, the disgust he felt whenever he saw himself in the mirror. Whenever he saw the green eyes ringed with eyeliner staring back at him, the lips with the sheen of lip gloss on them, the multiple piercings all over his ears. A more gentle expression came over Marco's face, and Eren hated it. He didn't deserve Marco's kindness. He was worthless. Not worth anybody's time. His own parents were disgusted by the sight of him. Before Marco could come out with whatever crap was supposed to make him feel better, Eren turned on his heel and walked into his own bedroom, slamming the door and effectively ending the conversation.
Marco sighed in relief. It looked like maybe some part of his speech had gotten through to Eren. He hated arguing, and for a moment was genuinely scared Eren was going to lash out, but it needed to be said. He had been watching Eren slowly waste his life away for too long.
Sorry for the sucky ending, I couldn't really find a good place to stop. Please don't follow/fave without reviewing, and even if you don't fave/follow, please still review! It really helps! :-)