Summary: Eren is unclean and Rivaille makes challenges
After a tiresome day of cleaning the castle and helping Hanji with her experiments, Eren finally has time to just lay on the grass and soak on the sun. He wasn't sure if it was because of his titan side or if it was something else but lying underneath the sun's beautiful rays made him feel recharged. He was slowly drifting off to sleep when someone kicked his side. Hard.
He yelped in pain, curling up into a ball and gently caressing his hurt side and flinching once his hand contacted his rib. It was bruised, probably broken.
"Oi, Eren! What're you doing lazing around there? You done cleaning your assigned area?"
The Corporal kicked him again, this time bruising his shin.
"O-Ouch! Can you please stop kicking me? I've done my work already so leave me alone." The boy frowned.
The corporal smirked and lowered himself to Eren's level.
"Done working, huh? You sure? Last time I checked, the dungeon's still frickin' gross and dusty. That's the place where you sleep, right? Are you sure you're human? Only pigs could live in a sty like that." The Corporal spat at him, face distorted due to disgust.
"Now that I took a closer look at you, you're really dirty. That confirms it. You are a pig."
"Shut up! It's not my fault, okay?! I had to clean the dungeon and do the weeding and, and I'm just tired and I like lying on the grass okay?! And besides, it's not like I can just take a shower when I want to! I can't do much without your approval after all!" Eren yelled, eyes teary from both frustration and hurt.
The Corporal sighed. Eren was still a child, Titan powers and all. And children, especially painfully honest children such as Eren, probably mull over dumb words than they should.
Standing up, Rivaille reached his hand out to the still sulking Eren.
"Oi, brat. You can't just sit out here all day and besides, you're filthy. You need to take a bath and pronto."
Eren blinked away the dews forming in his eyes as he takes the Corporal's outreached hand.
"I feel like not taking a bath all of a sudden. It must be because of all the pain and trauma I've just been through." Says Eren wistfully, hand still not letting go off the Corporal's.
"Shut it, brat. You either take your bath or I make you." An unspoken challenge lies beneath his words and Eren smiles at that. He doesn't back down on challenges and with a cheeky "Make me," he lets go off the Corporal's hand and runs off.
Rivaille smirks and counts to fifteen before running after Eren. After all, what's a challenge without a little handicap.