"Would you like another slice, Eren?" Petra asked nicely.
"That's his seventh slice," Erwin murmured.
Petra gave him a sharp jab in the ribs. "If it helps him get over the shock, I hardly think that's an issue. I'll pay for it if it'll make you stop whining, Mr. Professor," she hissed. She looked back at Eren and gave him a reassuring smile. "Order anything you'd like. You sure seem to be liking that pomegranate pie a lot."
"Ah, that would be great," Eren said, shoveling the last piece of pie in his mouth. Despite the startling red of the fruit pie, the flavor was a lot subtler than he thought it would be. Each little seed had a burst of flavor and the addition of lime zest on the top was divine. The curst, golden and flaky, melted right in his mouth. Each dish was like a little slice of heaven. God, why hadn't he known about this diner before? "Are you sure I'm not in heaven? It would really explain why this pie tastes so damn good."
"Very sure, but I'm glad you're liking the pie." She looked rather pleased with herself, probably for suggesting they go to the restaurant in the first place, and waved over the waiter who looked like he was going to fall asleep standing up. "Another slice of pomegranate for my friend here,' Petra said.
The waiter – his nametag said "Jean" – scrawled the name down on his notepad. If he thought Eren was strange for pretty much eating an entire pie by himself in one sitting, he didn't say anything. "Would you like anything for yourselves? Erwin? Petra?" Eren noticed that the boy, about his age but much taller, was familiar enough with Erwin and Petra to call them by their names and was comfortable enough around them to not bother hiding the fact that he was just about ready to knock the fuck out. Dark circles were under his eyes and he looked like he hadn't had a decent sleep in days and he let out a huge yawn, barely covering it up with his mouth. "Maybe something to-go? I can get a fresh apple pie for you to take back to Hanji before you leave."
"That would be lovely," Petra said, smiling graciously. "I'll definitely let you know when I'm leaving."
"Alright," Jean nodded, adding the order to his notepad. "Erwin? I notice you haven't ordered anything since you got here."
The tall blond shook his head. "No, thank you. I had a big lunch and am quite full. Give your mother my regards though."
"Pomegranate, apple, and regards," the waiter mumbled as he went over the list. "I'll be back in a bit."
As soon as he was out of earshot, Petra leaned over with her elbows on the table so she could whisper to Eren, "That's Jean. He's a sweetheart. He's helped his mom out with this restaurant ever since he was sixteen." She sat back down and smiled sweetly at Erwin. "Don't you think Jean looks incredibly exhausted lately? He told me the other day that being an architect major is more tiring than he anticipated. Wouldn't it be nice if we gave him an extra-large tip?"
Erwin raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you were paying for this. Surely you can give him the tip you think he deserves as well."
Petra rolled her eyes. "Stingy-ass professor," she huffed under her breath.
Eren twirled his fork in his hand, feeling a bit awkward. Petra and Erwin had been nothing but kind to him, but he still didn't know just how to talk to them. How exactly did one talk to, er, reapers? And if he was really dead… "Why can't people see me?" he said much louder than he intended.
Petra and Erwin looked at the boy, somewhat startled. A few beats passed before Petra answered. "People can see you," she assured him in the same gentle tone she had used to speak with him throughout their entire conversation. He normally would have found her manner of speaking, a bit maternal and reminiscent of how his mother would talk to him when he asked her questions when he was younger, a bit annoying and patronizing, but he admittedly needed some comfort in his life even if the voice was telling him he was dead. "It's just that you don't look like, well, you. So that's why no one batted an eyelash when I pulled you out of the crowd surrounding, um, you know." She made a vague gesture of her hand but he knew she was referring to his dead body lying underneath the vending machine.
"If I don't look like me…then…what do I look like?" he asked hesitantly. A vision of a zombie-esque version of himself flashed in his mind but his shook himself of it almost immediately. He was sure that people would have taken notice of him if he looked like that and the waiter – Jean, he reminded himself – had hardly batted an eyelash at Eren when he sat down.
"Look right there." Erwin pointed at the window they sat next to.
At first Eren just stared blankly through the glass pane, expecting to see something outside that would answer all of his questions. It took him a second to realize that Erwin wasn't pointing to something outside but rather at the reflections staring back at him. He nearly jumped out of his seat once he finally saw that the reflections didn't match anyone sitting at the table. Where Petra sat, a similar-looking woman was in her place but her short bobbed hair was a honey blonde and her eyes were blue instead of the warm amber they were now. Erwin Smith, at least the one that sat across from Eren, was well groomed, with his blond hair slicked back and a clean-shaven jaw. The one in the glass seemed like a poor replacement. His cheeks were sunken in like he hadn't eaten properly in weeks and his eyes were glassy instead of clear and alert. His hair was messy and a bit of a dirty-blond color that was much less brilliant than the bright counterpart of the real Erwin Smith.
However, Eren's own reflection was the one that startled him the most. His face was so long and pointy, even wolfish, and his mouth looked way too wide for his face. Instead of his blue-green eyes, frighteningly cold gray ones stared back at him. His hair, which has always been in a normally short cut that wasn't particularly distinct for any guy, was now long and shaggy, hanging in his face. He bared his teeth at the stranger in the glass and was surprised at how far the stranger was able to stretch his mouth. This only made him look all the more frightening. Perhaps he'd just refrain from smiling altogether now that this was his new look.
Someone cleared their throat, startling Eren. The waiter had come back, pie in hand. "Is everything alright?" he asked. Jean was about to peer into the window too but Eren shook his head hard.
"Sorry, just thought I saw someone I knew out there," Eren said hurriedly. "Thanks." He grabbed the plate out of Jean's hands before he could set it down and began shoving forkfuls of pie in his face, hoping this would make the boy leave faster.
Jean looked at Petra for an explanation and she shrugged. "He's having a weird day," she said as if that could explain everything.
The waiter either didn't care or was too tired to prompt further and he gave a nod, walking away after reminding Petra to let him know when she was leaving so he could give her the pie she ordered.
Erwin was clearly amused if the suppressed smile on his face was anything to go by. "So, Eren," Erwin said. "Any other questions you have? I have the rest of the day off so I can answer any questions you have, but most people like to talk to Petra. She's much more…approachable. I'm afraid she has an appointment to get to later and won't be available to you until tomorrow."
"I'm going downtown later to pick up another soul," she sighed. Eren found that she was incredibly talkative and ready to provide extra information even before he could ask for it. He wondered if he'd find this particular habit of hers annoying in the future. "Levi – he's another reaper in our division that's going to work with you so you'll meet him in a day or two after we get everything set up for you – is going to pick me up though so I think I'll be able to avoid any creeps along the way."
"Levi, Hanji, you, Erwin," Eren listed out, "and me. Are there any other reapers?"
"Nope!" Petra said cheerfully. "Just the five of us. You'll take to the work fairly quickly. You're a bright kid, Eren. We just lost a member in our division recently, so it's nice that we have a replacement."
Ah, Eren thought. Reaping wasn't a permanent thing. That was a bit of a relief. "So was it you who reaped me or was it Erwin? I didn't really notice you guys until you collected me after I got smashed by the vending machine?"
"Neither, I'm afraid," Erwin replied. He peered around them, checking to make sure that no one had heard that last bit. Eren had the tendency to speak louder than needed. When he was sure that no one except Petra and Eren were listening he proceeded to further explain. "Do you remember the fellow who was talking to you prior to the accident? He was bearded and had glasses. On the tall side. He might have patted your back or given you a quick brush on the shoulder. His name was Zeke, but he probably never mentioned that to you."
"I don't…" But then he remembered the strange guy who had talked to him before his fateful end. The man Erwin described matched the man who had come up to Eren earlier. If his memory wasn't too fuzzy, he did remember receiving a pat on the back before the man left. Remembering the touch sent shivers up Eren's spine although he hadn't thought there was anything particularly ominous about the gesture back then. "I see," he said.
"Ugh, Zeke," Petra shuddered. "He gave me the creeps sometimes." It made Eren slightly better that someone else didn't take a liking to the reaper who took his soul. He could at least use Petra's own dislike of the guy justify his hatred of the man who killed him. (Although Petra and Erwin had repeatedly told him that reapers didn't kill anyone. They merely removed the soul from the body prior to death to ensure that the deceased wouldn't have to go through anything traumatic before their soul ascended beyond something they referred to as "Walls," which was something like an afterlife. No matter how they explained it, it still sounded like murder to him.)
"Petra," Erwin scolded.
Petra ignored him. "You won't be seeing him anymore, Eren," she said, answering the question that was about to leave his lips. He wasn't sure if she was psychic or just had good foresight, but he was grateful for her ability to predict his queries. "Reapers have a quota to fulfill. Once they reap their last soul – yours just happened to be Zeke's – that last soul becomes the new reaper. It's completely random, both the number of souls a person has to reap and who becomes the next reaper." She smiled apologetically.
The next forkful of pie was difficult to swallow. So this was all just random and he happened to get the short end of the stick? As if his life wasn't shit enough, this sorry joke of an afterlife had to be shitty as well. He'd throw a fit but he hardly thought that would be helpful for anyone. After processing all of this, he asked, "So…we just take their souls and lead them to the Walls?"
"That's it in a nutshell," Petra said.
"But do you ever get used to it?" Eren asked, swallowing. "Being dead?"
Petra reached over to cover her hand with his. It was as warm and felt as real as any other living person's. "Dying is a part of life just as much as living is. Like being born, going to school, getting married…" Her voice trailed off at the last part and her eyes glazed over as if she was thinking about something important.
"Except instead of being newlywed, I guess dying would make you newly dead," Erwin interjected. His mouth twitched upward in a smirk and he was clearly pleased at his cleverness with words.
Neither Eren nor Petra laughed and the ginger pinched her companion's side. "God, Erwin, if Levi were here, he'd tell you that joke was shit." A phone buzzed and Petra dug around in her purse, pulling out her phone. She looked at the screen and frowned. "Hm, speak of the devil. Erwin, if you need anything, please call me. Actually, text me, but call me if it's a big emergency. Eren, don't be afraid to come to Erwin with any questions you have." She got up, smoothing out her skirt and slinging her purse over her shoulder. "I'll see you two tomorrow!"
"Tell Levi and Hanji we said hello," Erwin waved.
Eren also mumbled a farewell and watched as Petra walked to the counter to pay for all of Eren's servings of pie and to collect the pie she had previously ordered from Jean, slipping a crisp twenty dollar bill in the waiter's apron pocket as she hugged him goodbye. She gave Eren and Erwin a final wave before she walked out the doors, meeting a sour-looking man right outside the window. They seemed to be discussing him, Eren thought as he saw Petra make gestures towards the window where Erwin and Eren sat. The man looked to be declining an invitation to meet him, shaking his head. Petra pouted and rolled her eyes but the man didn't budge. Letting out a defeated sigh, Petra linked her arm through the man's and they walked off as if they were off to do something normal, go on a date or see a movie, but they were really just collecting souls. It was pretty spooky once Eren thought about it.
"That's Levi," Erwin said, interrupting Eren's train of thought. "I'll have him show you the ropes later."
"Eh? Is that so?" Eren stuttered. He had only had a glance or two at the other reaper but he didn't look as…friendly as Erwin or Petra. It could have been his all-black ensemble or just the sullen expression on his face, but something about his look made Eren feel slightly relieved when this Levi guy simply just walked off with Petra. "I look forward to it, sir."
Erwin chuckled at the boy. "Levi isn't as unfriendly as he looks. Although that might not be saying much," he mused. "And no need to call me 'sir,' Eren. 'Erwin' will do just fine."
"Ah, thanks, Erwin," Eren said, the name feeling strange on his tongue. Calling Petra by her name was much more natural to him. An invisible screen seemed to separate him from Erwin that wasn't there with Petra. Although Petra had never said anything, something told Eren that Erwin was the authority figure in their group of reapers.
Noting the awkward silence, Erwin cleared his throat, pulling at the collar of his button down. "Did you have any other questions for me, Eren? You don't have to force yourself to think of anything right now. I know this is a lot to take in-"
"Is there a god?" Eren blurted out.
Startled, Erwin blinked back at the curious teenager. His eyes softened and it was the first time Eren felt that Erwin could be a kind soul after all. "I don't know," he said simply.
"You don't know?" Eren repeated. His eyebrow furrowed and he could feel his temper rising. "What do you mean you don't know? You've been doing this for years and you don't know if there's a god?"
"I just get the souls and help them pass over the Walls," Erwin said. His tone was stern, warning Eren to keep his temper in check, but he still had the same sympathetic look in his eyes. "What's past those Walls and who lies beyond them, if there's a god or other higher being up there, is beyond me. I'm sorry, Eren. I don't have the answers to everything. I'm doubtful anyone does."
There was a heavy pause. "So where do I go now?" he asked finally. He couldn't see himself going back home. How would he tell his mom that he was dead but, well, kind of not really? And Mikasa was always patiently waiting to hear whatever little information he grudgingly shared with her, but he had a feeling that even she would feel like he was batshit crazy if he walked up in his new form to tell her that he was her adopted brother Eren and that he now had a new job reaping souls.
"That," Erwin said, "is a question I do have an answer to."
"This is all temporary, of course," Erwin said, stacking papers that were strewn all over his coffee table and couch. "We'll find you a more permanent living space after we get all of your papers sorted out. You'll have to excuse the mess while you're here." It was a pretty spacious apartment, especially for one person, and Eren had to wonder if Erwin really did live here by himself. Well, and his dog Wolfgang, which was currently sniffing Eren curiously but wasn't growling at him at all so he couldn't really complain about it. ("Petra named him," Erwin said sheepishly. "She loves music a lot.")
"Er, that's alright," Eren said. He would help the man with all of his papers, but it looked like a tornado had blown in through Erwin's abode and Eren didn't quite know where to start cleaning. "What do I need papers for?"
The couch was finally now clear of papers and Erwin puffed out his chest, proud of his work. (Eren didn't think it was very much to be proud of. How could one person accumulate so much paper that it would cover an entire couch?) "Yours are no good now that you're deceased, especially since we're still operating in Shiganshina. You'll need to take up a new identity for the time being. That shouldn't take that long though."
"I-I guess that makes sense…" Eren sat down on the couch. Wolfgang must have been accustomed to cuddling with people on the couch because he made a move to sit on Eren's lap before Erwin shooed him away.
"You're still a bit shaken. Take a good long rest, Eren," Erwin said, patting him on the shoulder. "Feel free to flip on the TV if that helps you take your mind off of things. I'll get you some blankets so you can sleep later."
Eren nodded wordlessly. As Erwin left to get blankets and pillows, Eren flipped on the TV like the blond had suggested. It turned out to be a terrible idea. The first channel was covering a horrific freak accident that had occurred at a temp agency – Eren's freak accident. The next few channels were covering the same story and Eren decided to give up on TV entirely, at least for the next couple of days. Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by today's events, Eren collapsed on the couch and lay there.
"Nothing to watch on TV?" Erwin inquired, placing the blankets on the arm of the couch.
He shrugged. "Nothing interesting," Eren answered. Perhaps if it were Petra, Eren might feel like attempting a conversation. Now he only just wanted to sleep.
Sensing that the newly dead boy wanted some time alone, Erwin stood up to leave. "I'll be in my room if you need me, Eren. We'll talk more over dinner if you're feeling better," He called to Wolfgang who eagerly followed the man to his room. It was only when Eren heard the door of Erwin's room shut that he felt at ease enough to completely shut his eyes.
He must have fallen asleep straight through dinnertime because when he woke up it was pitch black. Erwin must have covered him in blankets because he was pretty snuggled up and warm beneath two thick quilts. He wondered what time it was and squinted at the clock on the wall but couldn't see what time it was at all. Still tired, Eren decided to return to his sleep when he heard two quick raps at the door. He debated about whether or not to open it but before he could make up his mind he saw another figure, Erwin, walk briskly to the door, bending over to pick up something that had slipped through the crack. Once Erwin stood up, Eren could see that the man was clutching a folder in his hand. It didn't seem like it should be something forbidden to witness, but Eren still felt uneasy about seeing Erwin with the folder. He shut his eyes, hoping that Erwin wouldn't notice, but Erwin spoke.
"Eren," Erwin said softly. He wasn't speaking harshly but Eren still flinched at hearing his name spoken aloud. "Go back to sleep."
"Yes, sir," Eren said hastily. "Er, Erwin."
Erwin padded quietly back into his room and Eren thought about what a strange man he was. Perhaps he wasn't as strange as Eren's entire situation, but he was definitely a big part of this reaper thing. After the unknown visitor and the folder Erwin picked up combined with his own vending machine death, Eren wasn't sure if he would be able to fall back asleep. As it turned out, sleep found him more easily than he expected and he fell into a deep slumber.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Levi and Hanji will probably appear in the next chapter. If not, they'll definitely show up in chapter four. Expect another chapter in January :) If you have any questions about this fic, feel free to ask in a comment or just ask me at my tumblr: pickalilywrites
Happy New Year~
