"What?!" Mikasa gasped, sitting upright in her chair. Across from her Eren slumped in his chair, struggling between embarrassment and just being plain pissed off. "I should have been there, I'm sorry."
Eren sighed shaking his head feeling a tick in his temple. "It's fine Mikasa, it was just a freak accident. There's no way I'm going to see the jerk again anyway. I mean what are the chances?" He blinked as Armin leaned in sniffing. "?"
He just shook his head smiling awkwardly. "You uh, still smell like chocolate."
"Oh hey, that's great. I smell like chocolate." Eren fixed the blond with an unamused frown.
"Hey Jaeger! Look!" A very happy Jean surrounded by grinning classmates shouted on the other side of the classroom waving his phone streaming a video. 'Dude I'm sorry I didn't-SPLAT'.
"That's it Kirstein! I'm gonna kick your ass!" Eren hissed, red filling up his face as he scrambled to get out of his chair.
"Eren don't!" Armin whipped his hand out snatching a hold of his friend's shirt yanking him back down into his seat. "Fighting's not worth it and you know it."
"Does the whole damn school have it?!" He gruffed sulking down in his seat, giving the bastard on the other side of the room a sideways glaring glance when something caught his eye right behind him just outside the door. Someone in the hallway walking by with dark eyes and dark hair. His eyes widened in recognition, he knew that face! "Wait a second..!" He jumped up out of his chair rushing past Jean to get to the door.
"Where ya going Jaeger?!" Jean doubled over laughing. "Need a chocolate facial to go with the coffee shampoo?!"
"Kiss my ass!" He hissed running out into the hallway looking down the way when he saw...no one. Not the person he was expecting anyway. Eren looked both ways up and down the only people vacating the hallway were a few students walking to and from classrooms. "I could have sworn I saw…" Now he was in a worse mood than before.
"I hate study hall." Eren sighed walking down the street in the bright twilight hearing the evening birds crow overhead. Seriously even, a whole hour of no teacher and a whole hour of enduring that damn horse bray about his screw up in Maria's. Jean was the main source of his anger problems, hands down.
"Did you finish your work though?" Mikasa pulled her scarf around her neck a little tighter.
"Everything except that stupid paper I'm supposed to write. I don't even know how to start it…did you finish it?"
"Day before last." She nodded.
"Damn it!" He hissed rubbing his hand through his hair.
"If you need help-" Eren stopped her shaking his head but she pressed on. "I don't mind."
"Yeah I know, that's why I gotta do it on my own. No favors, not even from you guys. Besides what Armin said is right." He sulked shifting his slipping bag. "Just gotta dig my head outta my ass, it should be easy enough for me."
"That reminds me…" At the mentioning of the blonde's name she paused in their homeward bound trek and began ruffling through her pockets. He too paused midstep turning back around to face her. She muttered to herself before pulling out what appeared to be a set of tickets. "You wanted to go right?"
"What's this?" He plucked the offered ticket looking it over front and back, curiosity getting the better of him when he saw the stylized Japanese block print art. "Wait this is-" His face lit up.
"Tickets to this year's college music festival concert. I was given three but Armin said he couldn't make it so I thought the two of us could go instead."
"Oh man I totally forgot! It's this weekend too isn't it? I saw flyers around town the last few days, I've been dying to go!" He beamed down at the ticket missing the blush and happy smile on his friend's face. "Woah dude, these are good seats too. How'd you get 'em?"
She nodded. "They were a gift."
Eren smiled back up at her making her quickly avert her gaze. "Thanks."
Shrugging, she stuffed her hands back into her pockets walking along with him. "You're welcome."
This was just the thing he needed to forget an awful week. The college music festival was one of the few things he actually looked forward to anymore. A full week of music, food and games out on the streets and it all started this weekend! The concert was the highlight of the festival that featured collective talent both local and from afar and usually was a sell out if tickets weren't booked in advance. They were kinda pricey though so usually the three of them would sit in the nosebleeds. Not this time though! This was perfect! And it looked like there was an Asian theme this year. Grinning at the ticket once more he pocketed it carefully like a lottery cash out. Would he be forgiven if he just went skipping down the road right now?
"Oh damn." She stopped in place again with a frown. "Eren I forgot mom wanted me to pick up some things for dinner. Do you want to come with me?" As appealing as putting off his homework sounded he really needed to get home. The struggle must have been that evident on his face as well. "If you don't want to it's fine."
"No no it's not that. It's just I think I've put off the paper for too long. That and mom would kill me if I came home late, you know how she is." His smile turning defeated his shoulders slumped.
"It's okay, just be careful going home." Mikasa turned giving him a wave over her shoulder.
"Yep."
"I mean it, don't fall asleep on the train-"
"I won't! Geez!" Eren huffed after her watching her disappear around the corner. He shifted the bag on his shoulder when a familiar face flashed a few yards in front of him. "Hey that's-! Hey!" Eren called out to a man blending in damn near seamlessly with the passing crowd headed right for the train station. "You're not getting away this time!" He growled to himself, running head long into the stream bobbing and weaving trying to catch up to the dark haired man.
The brunet panted for the rush of adrenaline racing up into his brain the moment he made it onto the platform. As fast as he could he swiped his pass at the gate and jumped into the last car as the doors shut but he still couldn't rest. He walked quickly up the car, opening the door to the next one then the next then the next, anxious eyes looking to make contact with that familiar face once more. To give him a beating he has coming he reminded himself.
At the first stop the doors opened and a flood of people exited just as more filed in and from his view inside the train he saw from the window that the dark haired man had exited from the car just in front of him already getting off of the platform. The hell, did he just have all the bad luck in the whole damn world right now?!
With a growl he muscled his way through the people coming on the train ignoring the looks that were being tossed his way at last succeeding in getting off in one piece taking off the way he saw Mr. Coffee go. If he could hurry he could catch him, there were less and less people. He cursed his legs. Just run a little faster damn it!
As he made it around the corner, he could have predicted it. There was no one. No one he was interested in catching anyway. The only thing he could hear was the idle chatting of passerbys too caught up in their annoying conversation and the sounds of his own harsh breathing, his lungs fighting to get some air in there.
"How…in the hell…" He hunched over resting his hands on his knees, swallowing down another pant. "I'm not seeing things…I know I'm not seeing things!"He made it this far, he couldn't give up. Not just yet. With renewed determination he straightened up and walked along the street looking at a place, any place he could ducked into undetected. Hair salon, book store, sandwich shop, kitchenwares, Eren passed by each and gazed into the windows briefly not seeing a single familiar face. "I know I saw him!"
Why? Why was it he could remember his face so clearly? He never even met the guy before yesterday. As opposed to the faces of the people he saw on the train just now of which quite a few were, let's be honest very forgettable. So what made Mr. Coffee stand out?
The trip back to his house was a long disappointing one. He tossed his bag into a corner in his room and let his tired body fall back on the bed with a bounce and grunt. "Why?" He whispered to himself looking up at his ceiling. "Why can't I get that…that asshole out of my head?" He let his head sink into his pillow feeling the heaviness of his eyelids. When he couldn't keep them open any longer he gave in and curled up nosing his pillow. Feh…chocolate…and coffee…
"Eren!" He gasped snapping awake, jolting with a start. "Dinner's ready!" Carla called from downstairs.
"Coming!" He called back easing his body up off of his bed, rubbing his head. Damn how long was he out? Reaching for his phone at his bedside he frowned and sat it back padding down the stairs in his socks to meet his mother in the dining room. "Hey."
"Hey baby." She reached over smooching his cheek. "You came back home later than usual, you didn't get into any trouble at school did you?" She gave him a look sliding some dishes onto the table.
"No nothing like that." He sighed groggy but allowed the kiss without fuss as he slid into his seat, then furrowed his brow when he felt his mother's stare on his sulking form. "I didn't fall asleep on the train either! Geez I swear you and Mikasa both intend to crush my manhood…"
"I was just concerned!" Carla laughed. "You came home covered in frozen coffee yesterday, I have my rights as a mother." Eren twisted his lips into a frown stabbing at his food. "By the way, Mikasa's mother called this morning she said their family reunion is coming up. Did Mikasa say anything to you about it?"
Did she? Couldn't say she had. Not that he knew of anyway. Eren shook his head. "Not to me."
"By the sound of it a few family members are in town already and we were invited over as well." She smiled spooning a few helpings onto her own plate. "So I want you to look your best. And no skipping out."
"Why?" He blinked as he was about to take a bite of potato.
"Why? What do you mean why?"
"Well we're…not…really..." Eren started. "I mean-"
"What are you trying to say Eren?" She furrowed her brow at him.
Oh boy. "Don't get me wrong! I agree with you and I totally feel the same way, but think about it. I'm close with Armin but we don't crash in on the Arlerts and his grandparents when they take their summer vacation at the lake."
"That is a completely different scenario, and we were invited! I don't see what the problem is." Carla gaped.
Best just shut up while you're ahead Eren. "I still think we need to leave them alone." That's not shutting up Eren, he scolded himself shoveling food into his mouth as if that would do the job.
"Eren Jaeger," Carla huffed wagging her finger at him. And here we go. "We moved into this house the same time the Ackermans moved into theirs twenty years ago! We even became pregnant with you two around the same time! Mikasa was on time and out in three hours and someone else was late! You remember how many hours I was in labor with you?" Wasn't late, Mikasa was just early. A whole freakin' month early Eren grumbled in his mind.
"Seventy eight." He sighed.
"Seventy nine hours Eren!"
"What's that got to do with what we're talking about?"
"Because it was a difficult time and they stood by our side the entire time when they didn't have to! They are as close as family as we've ever have!" She was getting upset, he could tell. Yet he couldn't stop the words from stumbling out of his mouth.
"Mom we're not even blood related!"
She dropped her fork with a clatter leering at him. Oh man Jean really got him going today, snapping at his mother of all people. She reached over tugging at his ear making him wince then she let go with a soft sigh making him look up. Oh man he hated when she got that look, that sad look. "There are different kinds of families Eren. We aren't related by blood but we've always been there for each other. They've helped us through so much, even before your father-"
"Mom." He breathed out, almost too hastily.
"…I'm sorry." She whispered sitting back down in her seat.
This awkward silence stagnating over the table was almost suffocating. He swallowed, worrying his lip before drawing in a deep breath. "…Forget about what I said, I was being a jerk." He smiled for her. "You're right, blood doesn't matter family is family. And if it means that much I'll come with you. I won't even complain." He'd forgotten about it, almost too quickly. Not that Carla was weak per se, she was just so lonely. It was tough just trying to look out for himself, but when he also had his mother to think about it was almost overwhelming. It was what came with being the wife and son of a soldier. Or rather a field doctor who went MIA two years ago.
"Thank you sweetie." She smiled back quietly pulling her plate closer to herself. Did she really not realize how close she was to crying? Eren turned his attention back to his food mentally kicking himself, not knowing why he said all that stuff. As far as he knew he had no other relatives. None still living on his father's side anyway. His mother's family disowned her simply for marrying his father. It was no wonder why Carla needed the social interaction to keep her sane and the Ackermans really were as close as a family as they'd ever have. Hell, they were so close Mikasa's mother actually insisted that Eren call her auntie from the time he was old enough to talk. Which yes yes he admittedly called her auntie, or Oba if he wanted her to swell with pride. Even better than that, Carla sent Eren with Mikasa to her Japanese classes way back when. He wasn't completely fluent but he could certainly tell someone off convincingly if he wanted. "It's strange that Mikasa didn't tell you."
He popped his head up, catching himself from getting too lost in his thoughts. "Huh?"
"About the reunion."
"Oh…" To be honest not really. She never said much about what was going on in her life these days. Eren shrugged. "She gave me tickets though. For the music festival concert this weekend."
"That time again, hm?" She smiled.
"Looks like good seats this year too." He nodded.
"You'll have to make sure you finish up all of your homework before friday then won't you? Speaking of, did you ever finish that paper?"
"Ah crap…" He sighed rubbing his temples.
A.N: I would have pushed this out sooner but I went on vacation and had a grand time on the beach. That and I needed to think of filler stuff to work up to the good stuff. But here this is. I think more exciting stuff will happen in the next chapter.