Chapter Seven – Sideline

Another weekend came and went. Eren walked into school feeling refreshed and relaxed. He had spent the weekend with some of the football boys along with Armin and Mikasa. It had been a fun weekend but he was looking forward to the upcoming week. Eren whistled to himself as he walked down the hallway towards his locker. When he was a good distance away his pace slowed down and the whistles died down on his lips.

Levi was standing in front of his locker, reading something on his phone. Eren froze in place and watched him for a few minutes. A few people walking by stopped to greet him and he tried to act semi-normal to return a hi back. What is Levi doing in front of my locker? Does he need something? He sucked in a breath (and hopefully some courage) and approached his locker. Upon hearing the sound of footsteps Levi looked up and smirked.

"I was wondering when you would get here. Hello."

Eren gave a nervous wave. "Hey."

He shuffled his feet and muttered, "Um. I need to open my locker."

Levi chuckled and shifted over to the adjacent locker. While Eren turned the dial he cleared his throat and asked, "Do you need something?"

"What, I need a reason to talk to you? I can't talk to you just because I feel like it?"

Eren began to stammer. "Wha-? N-no I -! I-I mean-"

"Relax kid," Levi burst out laughing. Despite his embarrassment, Eren couldn't help but revel in the sound. It was so different from his usual monotone manner and he wanted to keep hearing the noise. He made a reminder in the back of his head to look up funny jokes when he got home.

"I didn't mean that. It's just . . . You've never made an effort to talk to me before."

The Cheer Captain sucked in a breath. He hated having to admit things, especially when it related to his emotions. He studied Eren's face before he responded.

"Yeah, well, that was before our little talk on the bus."

Eren instantly cheered up upon hearing that. He closed his locker and turned to Levi expectantly.

"So you really think I'm interesting?"

The way Eren was grinning at Levi reminded him of a puppy who had just pleased its owner. He fought back a chuckle (and a smile!) and poked a finger at Eren's forehead.

"When did I say that?"

Eren's face immediately fell. "Well I assumed . . . Never mind."

Sighing, Levi pushed on his forehead, causing Eren to stumble back. He frowned and shot out a "hey!" to the offender. The Cheer Captain began walking away and glanced over his shoulder at Eren.

"Are you coming?"

Surprised, Eren scampered after him and walked alongside him obediently. Levi crossed his arms and turned to face Eren.

"I did all the talking on Friday. Now it's your turn."

"Sure, okay. What do you want to know?"

Levi tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I told you how I got into cheer. How did you get into football?"

Eren grinned. "Boy, would I love to tell you!"

The brunette began talking about how he had basically been playing football since he could hold a ball and how he had become more committed in middle school. Levi was impressed by how passionate he was about the sport. A fire seemed to ignite in his bright green eyes as he discussed coaches and leagues and summer camps and all the football things he could think of. Once he had wrapped it up Levi struggled to find the right thing to say.

"You've definitely found something you love. I can tell because you absolutely babbled on about it."

Eren blushed. "O-oh. Did I . . . Ah, did I say too much?"

"No, you said enough."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Levi picked at his nails while Eren nervously tugged at his backpack strap. With a few minutes left before the bell Levi knew he needed to ask something else.

"What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"

"Oh no! We are not going there!"

"Awww, why not?" Levi couldn't help but laugh. "I want to know."

Ugh, his laugh makes me so weak! Should I tell him? He's never going to let it down . . .

"Alright fine I'll tell you! But it stays between the two of us."

Levi mimicked a zipper closing his lips. "My lips are sealed."

Eren hesitated before sucking in a breath to steady himself. His eyes flickered down to the ground and remained there as he started talking.

"Growing up, I was a really shy kid. I had a hard time making friends and strangers frightened me."

He shook his head. "My best friend Armin was the one who had to introduce me to everyone. I never left his side when we were kids."

Levi tried to picture a mini Eren hiding behind his best friend. A frightened child with huge, green eyes immediately came to mind and a small smile tugged at his lips. Eren continued on, cheeks getting warmer with every word.

"In first grade one of our projects was a presentation about our heritage and where we came from. A part of the project included going in front of the class and presenting. I had begged my teacher to let Armin present with me, but she refused."

His eyes still refused to meet Levi's.

"Well, er . . . During the presentation I was a mess. I was terrified on just talking one on one, but now to present? I was terrified."

He cleared his throat and stopped walking. Embarrassment coursed through him as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I had barely gotten a few words out when I completely peed myself. And once I felt how wet I was I burst out crying."

Eren shook his head. "The kids never let it go. They called me crybaby and pee pee pants the rest of the year."

He hesitated and peeked at Levi.

"I ran into some of the kids from the class. They greeted me and asked if I still pissed my pants. It was totally demeaning."

He waited for Levi to respond. The senior still had his usual bored expression on his face, arms crossed over his chest. But, after a few minutes, he let out a quick snort before walking off. Eren ran after him, confused by his simple reaction. He had expected more, even some teasing at that.

"What? You're not gonna say anything?"

"Would you prefer I did?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eren flushed and quickly looked away. "No, I guess not," he muttered.

The bell rang, making the two stop abruptly. People around them began heading to their lockers or classrooms, the morning traffic already beginning. Levi turned to face him, a hint of a smirk on his face.

"You must have been adorable as a kid."

"I-I-I . . .Um, I guess?" Eren's voice got an octave higher at hearing that.

Levi chuckled. "Well, we better get going. Where's your first class?"

Eren blinked at him. "Um, what?"

"Are you stupid? Where is your damn class?"

"O-oh! Um . . . I'll lead, I guess."

Levi walked him to class, asking him questions on his teachers and if he liked his classes so far. Once they arrived at their destination they both paused at the door. Eren hesitated and then tugged at his backpack strap.

"Um, thanks for walking me to class. I appreciate it."

Levi shrugged. "It's no big deal. It's the least I can do after you talked so much about yourself."

Eren shuffled his feet nervously. "Well, bye. Don't be late to class."

"I'll see you around, Eren. Have a good day."

And with that, he walked off with a wave. Eren watched him walk off with wide eyes before he rushed into his class. The bell rang a minute after he sat down and he hoped that Levi had made it to his class on time. His teacher began reviewing their homework assignment from last night but Eren wasn't paying attention. His eyes drifted to the window and his mind wandered off.

The last thing he had expected was for Levi to actually hang out with him. He figured that he saw Eren as nothing more than a childish freshman who threw a football around for fun. But apparently he was much more. He wanted to call him a friend but he didn't want to go that far. Sighing, he rested his face on his palm and lazily watched his teacher.

He knew he wouldn't be able to focus the rest of the day.

In every single class he thought about Levi. Levi and his smile. Levi and his laugh. Levi and the way sarcasm was just second nature to him. His snarky comments. Even the way he just looked at Eren. Like he was examining him and trying to figure him out. His comment about Eren being a cute kid stuck to him. Eren wanted to wrap his arms around himself and just hug himself tightly. It was a small comment but it meant so much more to him.

By his fourth class all his thoughts were just Levi. He craved to know more about him and spend endless hours just talking to him. While his teachers droned on he wondered if Levi thought about him too. If, after they had said their goodbyes, he had thought about their morning conversation. He let out a quiet sigh and figured that he probably hadn't.

Connie, who sat next to him in Math, nudged him in the side. He turned his head towards him and raised an eyebrow.

"This is so boring. I'm so glad lunch is in ten minutes," Connie muttered.

Eren lifted his eyes and saw that Connie was right. Mr. Kenny was summing up the lesson for the day, his voice monotone and obviously bored. Once he was done he let the class pack up and get ready for lunch. Connie stretched, his shoulders popping loudly. He glanced over at Eren and studied him for a minute.

"Whatever you're thinking about must be really important."

Eren began to panic internally. Was it that obvious that his mind was distracted? He gave a nervous laugh and began putting things away quickly into his backpack.

"Y-yeah, I guess. Um, why would you say that?"

"You have this look in your eyes. Sasha has the same one whenever I mention food or cheer. It's really cute."

Eren closed his backpack and looked up at Connie. He figured if he changed the subject his teammate would stop asking questions.

"How are things with you and Sasha?"

His friend's eyes lit up and he began talking excitedly about his girlfriend. Eren gave a quiet sigh in relief and listened intently. When the bell rang they walked together to the cafeteria before saying bye and going their own way. Eren scanned the cafeteria for his two best friends and spotted his blonde friend at a table near the back.

Armin greeted him cheerily when he sat down. He had just opened his lunch bag and pulled out some leftover dinner from the night before. Eren pulled out a sandwich and the two began eating quietly. About a minute later Mikasa joined them and she sat next to Eren. Armin greeted her warmly while Eren gave her a simple nod.

Out of the three of them, Mikasa was the level headed one who often kept her cool and emotions in check. But, for some reason, she seemed a bit nervous. She kept tucking her hair behind her ears and fumbled with her lunch box repeatedly. Armin raised an eyebrow at her but she continued on with her nervous behavior. Eren was completely ignorant of it: his thoughts were still occupied with Levi.

"I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back," Armin stated, shooting one last suspicious look at Mikasa.

Once he was out of earshot Mikasa cleared her throat. She turned to Eren and gave a small smile. He was still lost in thought but once he felt her gaze he immediately snapped out of it.

"Oh, hi Mikasa. What is it?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear again. Eren waited for her to speak.

"I was wondering . . . Eren."

He gave a slow nod. ". . . Yeah?"

"If, you know . . . This weekend . . ."

"Uh huh . . . ?"

Mikasa's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. She turned her head away quickly and fought to regain her composure. Eren raised an eyebrow but figured that maybe she wasn't feeling well or something. It was rare to see her blush or express any emotion. It wasn't so much that she didn't like to express emotion, it was more that she always appeared to be calm more than any other emotion. He waited to see if she would continue.

"Are you busy?"

Eren smirked. "Oh, you want to hang out again? Sure, I don't have any plans. Maybe we can do something with Armin."

Her shoulders slumped. "No, I meant like . . . just the two of us."

His eyebrows squished together in confusion. "Like to play video games?"

She opened her mouth to reply but Armin arrived then. He sat down and exchanged a look between them. Mikasa immediately fell silent while Eren continued to stare at her confused.

"Am I missing something here?"

Eren shrugged and continued eating his lunch, thoughts still consumed over Levi. Mikasa let out a quiet sigh and leaned forward on her palms. She had been hoping to ask Eren out on a date but he hadn't quite understood her intentions. She cursed their close friendship and figured that she would have to be more direct from now on.

She was hoping it would work out.

"So, Homecoming eh?"

Football practice had ended early for once, and all the guys were hanging out on the field relishing in the extra time. Since most of their rides wouldn't be coming until later they were all hanging out on the field. The few seniors that could drive had left for the locker room while the rest were all scattered, sitting or lying down. Reiner had brought up the topic of Homecoming and everyone's interest was immediately piqued.

"Who are you all going with?"

The boys all exchanged glances. Connie and Eren looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

"Homecoming?" Eren asked.

"What do you mean 'homecoming?'" Reiner mocked, laughing.

"I mean, the dance and game are coming up, but what about them?" Connie asked.

Mike glanced over at them. "It's a tradition that everyone on the football team goes to Homecoming. It's also sort of tradition that everyone takes a date."

Bertl nodded. "We're supposed to represent the student body or something. There's some story behind it or whatever."

Reiner jumped in. "So we all go with a date. The dance is usually fun. The school actually does a good job so no complaints."

Eren and Connie exchanged another look. Homecoming? They had both heard about it but it wasn't something that they were completely interested in. Eren shrugged while Connie jumped back into the conversation.

"Do you all have dates already?"

Most of the guys nodded. A few of them waved their hands to say "sort of." Jean was the only one who didn't respond. He remained quiet and kept his gaze fixed on the grass. Mike sat up straighter and smiled.

"I'm taking my girlfriend Nanaba. We've gone every year since we were freshman."

The guys all congratulated him for staying in the relationship for three years. He grinned and turned his stare to Connie.

"I'm guessing you're going with your girlfriend?" he asked.

The freshman nodded excitedly. "I haven't asked yet but yeah. I'm sure she'll be excited!"

Mike chuckled. "Well, that's good then. Homecoming is probably the most fun freshman year. It's probably tied with senior year."

Reiner cut in. "I think I might take Krista."

Bertholt frowned at him. "Ymir is going to kill you once she finds out."

The team burst out laughing. Ymir was known to be extremely protective of Historia, despite the fact that the two weren't dating. Historia figured she was just being a good friend but everyone knew Ymir meant otherwise. Reiner had claimed he had had a crush on her since he had first laid eyes on her but, in reality, he had feelings for Bertholt.

"Well, I need a date don't I?"

Berholt tried not to let his jealousy show. He returned Reiner's feelings but the two kept their relationship quiet so they didn't attract attention. Most of the team was aware of their relationship but never said anything about it. They respected it and never said anything bad about it.

"Is it tradition to take a girl?" Eren asked.

Everyone on the field fell silent after Eren asked the question. The color immediately left his face and he realized that he had probably seriously messed up. He tried to scramble for the right words to say but the only sound that came out of his mouth was a jumble of sounds.

"I-I-I mean . . . Uhhh . . ."

It was Mike who broke the tension. He laughed lightly and leaned forward to rest a hand on Eren's shoulder.

"Jeez Eren, don't sweat it. You worry too much, you know that?"

Eren flushed and looked away, muttering, "So I've been told."

"It's not that we can't go with a guy, it's just . . . No one has taken one to Homecoming."

Mike waved his hands in front of him. "That's not to say that we're against gay relationships! It's just . . . It's a rare thing."

Jean frowned. "Well, isn't Nanaba a guy?"

Mike shot him a nasty glare. "Nanaba is a girl. Yes, she was born biologically as a guy but she identifies as a woman. So, in my eyes, she's a girl. And a beautiful one at that."

Eren didn't know that or the fact that Mike was seeing someone. Most of the football players didn't discuss their personal lives or if they were seeing anyone. He found out who was dating who by seeing the guys outside of practice hanging out with their love interests. He let out a quiet sigh and listened as the guys began discussing possible dates for Homecoming.

Right before they were all about to leave Mike squinted his eyes at Eren.

"Who are you taking to Homecoming?"

The freshman quarterback immediately clammed up. His eyes darted back and forth between everyone.

"Uhhh, I'm not sure. I didn't even realize it was coming up."

"Well, do you have any ideas?" Reiner asked.

Levi's face popped into his head but he was afraid of what Jean would say. So instead he shook his head furiously.

"No. No idea."

"Maybe you could ask Mikasa," Connie said in teasing tone, elbowing him.

The guys all laughed as they got up and began walking to the locker room. The whole walk there Eren was thinking of ways to ask Levi to Homecoming without completely embarrassing himself. He wasn't sure if Levi even wanted to go to the dance. As he closed his locker he told himself to ask him that first before anything else.


An update that didn't take longer than a month ?! I'm pretty impressed with myself , if I'm being honest haha . So things are moving along ! They're talking more & getting to know each other better . & Homecoming ?! Homecoming was never a big thing for me in high school . The only thing that was important was the game since I was a cheerleader lol . Homecoming will be the main topic for this story for a few chapters . You'll see who gets asked & who ends up going with who . Expect more Eren / Levi interactions in the upcoming chapters !

By the way if any of you want to follow me on Tumblr shoot me a PM ! I will gladly give it to anyone who asks . I mostly blog about Legend of Zelda & Attack on Titan plus other animes like Tokyo Ghoul & Free ! and things I find funny lol . Also if you have any questions about this fic or just want some background info about characters you can shoot me an ask ! So yeah just send me a message asking for it . Until next time everyone !