The year hasn't even begun and work's been piling up on me, so updates will take longer than usual. Really sorry for the wait, guys. Hopefully next chapter will be up earlier than this.
Excuse me while I throw some plot in this one. Have I ever mentioned how much I love a crazy Hanji?
Chapter 9.
Summer was always cruel when it came to heat. Eren knows this all too well. It's not like he didn't like the season, it was the exact opposite in fact, but sometimes the sun showed no mercy to a point where Eren was brought down to his knees, reaching his physical limits.
It was a normal Wednesday, normal aside from the merciless heat that sipped through from the wide open doors of the Café, and Eren couldn't help but feel disgusted by the way he sweat like a pig while taking orders in from anonymous customers. He didn't know how the rest of the people take the heat, especially since the lounge only had one a/c running for the whole establishment, despite it being a small, cozy place. Even Jean was more lax, he didn't seem to be suffering that much from the hot summer weather, but Eren thought he was just too distracted from work to care about how hot his body felt at the moment.
Eren could've done the same, get distracted with waiting tables, scribbling orders down on his little notepad, keeping up a healthy smile and greeting everyone with a charming Hello. But it was more than a challenge. All he could do now was bear with it and wait till the afternoon came, when the sun would hung low on the horizon and his shift would finally be over for the day.
For now, Eren walked back to the bar, handed the orders to Jean and took a seat on one of the empty stools, waiting for Jean to make the drinks for their customers.
"You look like shit," Jean commented, though he wasn't looking back at the waiter, his eyes were low on his hands as he professionally made the drinks without errors.
"Thanks." Eren nodded lazily, tugging at the collar of his shirt as if that would relieve him a little from the heat. But that did not work, of course, and his skin felt itchy as the fabric of his shirt stuck against it from sweat.
"Maybe you need a day off, or a week." Jean flashed him a toothy grin, already done with a couple of the drinks and placing them on the awaiting tray.
"Maybe I do." Eren smiled, glancing around the lounge to make sure the customers looked satisfied. So far, so good.
He was back on his feet in no time, tray sitting on his hand as he maneuvered his way through the tables and delivered the orders correctly. He received happy smiles and compliments by some of the customers, and Eren thanked them even though he wasn't in a mood to feel thankful. But a job is a job, he had to be happy-happy at all times.
Hours came and went, but torturously slowly, and by the time the clock ticked 6:30pm, Eren really did feel like utter shit. Why was summer so cruel?
"Are you sure you can get these drinks to the table without passing out?" Jean teased, but the worry in his voice didn't go unnoticed. They were only two coffee mugs, nothing a waiter couldn't handle.
Eren simply shook his head, "I'm aware of how to walk a straight line, Jean. It's okay."
"Okay?" Jean snapped, "You look like a total wreck. Perhaps you actually do need a day off, just to get that stubborn stick out of your ass."
"Shut it, Horse shit."
It was a bit of a trouble to guide himself to the table, even more so to deliver the order with a smile, but at least everything went smoothly. He didn't trip and fall, didn't pass out or spilt the beverages and Eren, surprisingly, found his way back to the bar with no heavy casualties. Score on, big boy.
Customers decreased in number by now, and not only today but in general as well. Summer always kept most of the people out, usually at the beach, not to mention their fancy beach bars, so Maria's Café lacked the usual loud chatter from customers and heavy duties for the employers, especially right after the month of June.
Eren wasn't exactly complaining about it, he wouldn't like dealing with a big crowd when he was in no mood to work.
It was almost 7 now, and Eren forced a small smile, happy to know that the end of his shift is just around the corner. One more hour, just one and he's out.
oOo
Everything would've been great, everything would have gone so smoothly and Eren would have left the lounge with a smile, but life decided that no, he has to eat more shit than he already had because throwing lemons at him just wasn't enough.
It was only thirty minutes before his shift was over, and Eren could bear those thirty minutes just fine, but the sight of another customer stepping in just made Eren groan in realization, and probably in fear as well. It was Hanji. Yes, that weird energetic woman with the knowing smile and odd looking glasses. That weird woman who creeped the Hell out of him over three weeks ago when he met her and the other guy—Erwin? What is she doing here anyway, out of all places?
Eren shivered, but he couldn't fret now as he watched the woman take her seat on table 6, the one a few meters away from the entrance of the Café. He clutched tightly on his notepad nervously.
There was a tight knot in his throat when Eren hesitantly approached her, and he felt rather uncomfortable when she lifted her gaze and looked at him, recognizing him almost immediately.
"Eren!" she beamed, almost standing from her seat but she seemed to think twice and instead squirmed in her chair.
"Hi." Eren greeted awkwardly, and he was about to say something else when Hanji cut him off.
"Woah! You work here?! That's fantastic—I've always wanted to stop by, this place looked amazing from the outside, I always wanted to know what the inside looked like. If I knew you worked here sooner, I'd visit more frequently!"
No, please don't do that— "Ah, you're welcomed anytime." Eren smiled, still keeping a distance from the loud ball of energy before him.
"So, Welcome to Maria's Café," Eren greeted, still keeping up his professional act, even though the discomfort was still obvious in his green eyes. "The menu's on the table, I can come back once you've decided o—"
"Tea." Hanji interrupted, "I don't care what kind of tea as long as it's hot, surprise me." She giggled. Hot tea, huh?
Eren gulped, but nodded anyway, "Of course, is there anything else?" and he was thankful she shook her head rather than speak. He scrambled over to the bar, avoiding Hanji's gaze.
Jean, who noticed the little scene, lifted a brow at the waiter, still unconsciously drying a glass he washed earlier.
"I take it you know that woman?"
"Not quite," Eren shook his head, "We met a few weeks ago. She's the true definition of weird."
"She ordered anything fancy?"
"No, just tea." Eren sighed, "Uhm, make her some, uh, Green Tea."
"She didn't tell you what tea she wanted?" Jean asked, a little confused.
"Told me to surprise her."
"You want to surprise her with Green Tea? Gee, Eren, you're creative."
"Just make the damn tea!" Eren groaned, rolling his eyes, but Jean just brushes it off with a chuckle.
"Yes, Sir."
oOo
"So how are you holding up, kiddo?" Hanji grinned, toying with the cup of tea in her hands that Eren brought her. She didn't seem to be drinking it at all, but Eren couldn't care less.
"Fine, I guess. Too hot to work properly today, though." Eren nodded, glancing down at his wrist watch and thanking the Heavens his shift would be over in less than five minutes. All he had to do was wait for Krista to take his place.
What was he doing standing right beside the table where Hanji sat, however, he had no idea. It's not like Hanji wanted anything else, despite the chit chat, nor do any other customers need his services for him to tend to them instead. Maybe it was the way Hanji kept him close by never keeping her mouth shut, but who's to know these days?
"Hey, Eren!" Hanji disrupted his thoughts, "Did I really scare you back then, when we met?"
Eren blinked, "Uh, not really." He lied.
"Are you sure? Maybe Erwin's the one who scared you then? He does look scary, 'cause he's all tall and muscles, but I assure you he's a good man!" she laughed, finally taking a sip of her tea, sighing happily as she did.
"Erwin did seem like a nice guy." Eren nodded, but avoided adding the phrase 'but you're fucking weird though'.
"He is, he is. At least he's not much of an insufferable asshole like Levi—that guy is a four feet tall grump full of temper! He—"
"Excuse me?" Eren interrupted with a voice too loud, obviously not hearing right.
There was a pause in which Eren realized he stopped breathing, and his pure green eyes stared blankly down at an oblivious Hanji. Did she just—?
"Who?" Eren strained with a gulp, the knot in his throat was back and tighter than ever.
Hanji blinked, "Levi?" she was ready to speak again, but then her eyes widened in realization and she clasped a hand over her mouth.
"You know him?" Hanji questioned, a sudden seriousness enveloping her usually bright eyes and they darkened in color as she leant forward from her seat as if to take a better look at Eren's shocked expression, studying his reactions.
"You do—Eren, you know him? Tell me." She wasn't asking, it was more of a demand. Unconsciously, Eren shook his head, suddenly feeling a little too self-conscious over the presence of another person that knew about Levi.
His lips parted and he took a breath in, trying to form words, but a sweet voice from behind him disrupted his stuttering speech.
"Eren!" Krista called and approached the waiter, waking him up with a poke on his shoulder.
"Huh? Oh, Kris." He nodded, "Your shift's starting now?" he sounded off, a little too tired, not convincing at all.
"Duh! Mine's starting and yours finished long ago. What're you still doing here?" she giggled. She appeared to be oblivious to the way Eren's eyes remained blank and unsteady.
"Oh, nothing. I'll leave right now, thanks. Work hard." Eren muttered hastily, quickly turning to walk away and ignoring Hanji's worried calls, almost missing Krista's last words of 'Good work today, too!'. He just wanted to get the Hell out of there, away from her. And that's exactly what he did.
oOo
He was practically jogging his way back home, like literally trying to run away from something bad that was about to happen. His sixth sense was tingling vigorously, it was too strong to ignore. Eren didn't had the guts to look back either, it was unnerving to think that Hanji might be following from behind. He hoped to Gods that she wasn't, or Eren might lose it.
As hot air filled his lungs, Eren gasped as he dared not to slow his pace down, still obviously freaked out by the fact that Hanji knows Levi, that she knows now that Eren's well aware of Levi, too. For all he knew, Hanji could be a blood sucking creature as well. It was an uncomfortable piece of information to grab a hold of, about the fact that there are others(who knows how many!)that lurk around and are the same as Levi and Hanji—whatever their species is called. Being aware of that caused Eren to shiver, despite the summer heat.
With a light shake of his head, Eren turned around a corner and kept jogging, his legs were numb by now but he couldn't bring himself to stop. His thoughts strayed somewhere else.
It had been over two weeks since he last saw Levi, over two weeks since they.. Well, did things. And now he's gone again with nothing left behind but another silly note folded neatly under a small plate with sliced fruits.
'I'll be back, I promise.' Is what the note said, followed by the signature of his name. It disappointed Eren, honestly. It was too soon for Levi to leave when Eren was left behind with a hundred and one questions hanging from his lips. He should have been used to it by now, but every time it happened, Eren couldn't simply control the tightness in his chest caused by the absence of a certain someone.
And now, Hanji. He has only seen her three times and it didn't take two minutes to know that this woman was crazy. Or at least, she had the talent of making people feel really uncomfortable by the way she invades their personal space, not only physically but verbally as well, with such an eccentric voice combined with the choice of her words. Whoever she was and whatever she wanted, Eren didn't want to find out.
Of course he didn't.
But by the time his eyes caught the building complex where the safety of his apartment was, right across the street, Eren was suddenly, and quite violently, pulled to the side. His arm was caught by an iron grip, and his heart skipped in fear when he was pulled away from the side walk so quickly, everything was a blur for a second. His arm hurt from the violent tug, and he didn't even know he was lifted in the air and shoved against a concrete wall until he was forced to open his eyes, unaware of when he'd closed them painfully tight. He didn't know where he was dragged away, but it was obviously out of sight from the public eye.
There were a pair of hands, manhandling the front of his shirt to keep his feet a few inches off the ground, and Eren's arms flew up on instinct, trying to set himself free from the choking grip. He was met by a pair of black glasses and observant eyes. Red fucking eyes.
"Eren." Hanji smiled, "Why would you run away from me?"
Eren could do nothing but choke and grit his teeth, uselessly swinging his legs in the air. But Hanji seemed patient enough from the lack of his response, tightening her grip around the fabric of his shirt, listening as the clothing begun to rip, ever so lightly, and it was a ringing pain in Eren's ears.
What is it with these blood sucking beings and ripping clothes, anyway?! Eren will definitely run out of things to wear if this went on.
"I just wanted to ask a few questions, no need to be shy!" Hanji said, and she sounded rather reassuring, despite her deadly grip. Her eyes sparkled intensely red, and she leant closer when she cracked another smile.
"Now, will you tell me? You know Levi, right? You know where he is, yes?" she asked enthusiastically. She seemed to ignore how Eren couldn't even answer to her questions, seeing as his air pipe was almost crushed by the pressure of her white knuckles digging into his throat.
What does she want from Levi?
Feeling suffocated and heavily restraint, Eren squinted his eyes at Hanji, trying to glare at her with whatever might was left in him to struggle out of her grip. His own hands covered hers, and his nails dug painfully into her skin, and although she didn't seem to falter, she laughed at his attempts of resisting.
"If you must know, I hate to torture your kind," Hanji mumbled, "But you give me no choice if you aren't going to tell me what I want."
Eren's mouth open and closed, choked gasps escaping his lips as he tried to speak, baring his teeth at her when he tried threatening her with an intimidating gaze—or at least, as intimidating as he could manage in his situation.
"Ah! Are you ready to speak?" Hanji beamed, "Okay, okay! I will slowly release you, and you can finally answer my—Guh!"
Everything happened so fast and whatever it was that happened, Eren was quite fucking thankful for it. He was suddenly released by the animalistic grip, sliding down the wall and falling onto his knees weakly. From above, he heard a disgusting thud and a painful howl that came from Hanji. She sounded hurt.
But Eren couldn't look up, not with the way he coughed and spluttered, gulping air in his lungs. The oxygen burned in his chest, and it felt good to breathe properly again.
"Stupid, useless shitty glasses!" Eren heard someone spat, voice dipped in anger. Even if he was sprawled down against the wall, the brunette didn't have to look up to recognize that voice, to know to whom it belonged to.
"The fuck do you think you were doing?!" another pained cry, mixed with a growl. What the Hell was going on?
"L.." Eren tried in a whisper, throat still hurting, "L-..vi…" he couldn't see anything, and frankly, Eren didn't want to. His eyelids grew heavy and his head was so light, it was difficult to even want to know what was happening.
There were voices at the back of his head, some struggled, others raised but Eren didn't know just how many they were. The noises were drowned out by the sound of footsteps, perhaps, or something tapping against concrete.
He passed out, maybe. He didn't know. It felt as though he kept drifting in and out of consciousness, unmindful if what he saw when he opened his eyes was a dream or reality. He didn't know which one was better, which was worse. He didn't care.
oOo
When he woke up, he found himself in his room, curled up on his bed.
Whether everything he experienced was a dream or not, Eren couldn't fathom. He coughed into his hands, felt his throat still quite sore as he sat up from his bed and searched through his dim lit room with squinted, tired eyes. He was alone.
The door leading to the living room was left ajar, Eren noted, and the angry numbers of the clock on his nightstand read 1:48am. He realized then, he was out for a long while.
Beside the clock was a glass of water which Eren gulped down in one go. Upon setting the empty glass back down, he heard noise coming from the living room next door. Voices. They've been there since the time he awoke, but he didn't give it much attention until now. Hushed whispers and low mumbles rang throughout the little hallway and into Eren's bedroom, it was hard not to concentrate on them.
The decision to get up from his bed and exit his room to investigate was quick.
His bare feet tapped lightly against the wooden floorboards, and it took him a few steps before reaching the living room, catching three figures sitting on his couch facing away from him, all gathered in the dark room. There was a small candle on the coffee table, producing little bit of light that casted shadows across the walls, and Eren couldn't help but glance at them, if only for a second.
He blinked, recognizing all three people just by staring at the back of their heads. Erwin, Hanji(Eren shivered when he saw her ponytail), and.. Levi. They didn't seem to have noticed the brunette standing in the corner of the room, and as they chattered away, Eren glanced down at the jackets they all wore. Even Levi wore one.
Those wings.. He wore them, too.
He wanted to reach out, feel the fabric of the jacket on his fingers, touch those wings that seem to quiver with every movement. The thought almost made his breath hitch, and he didn't realize he was taking a step further into the room wh—
"Eren!" suddenly, Levi's eyes are on him, an expression twisted in concern as he abruptly sat up.
The other two turned their attention to him, Hanji daring to smile up at him as though she had no bad intentions of choking him to death a few hours ago.
Eren frowned, "Levi..?" he tested, his voice cracked.
"You see? He's fine, I told you." Hanji said with a cheeky grin. Levi glared at her.
"Can it, four eyes. I've had enough of your bullshit today."
Levi's statement seemed to have a negative effect on Hanji, and she visibly pouted, hanging her head low. Levi approached him, placing his hands on Eren's shoulders in a solid grip, but not tightly.
"Are you okay?" Levi whispered, and Eren could only nod, pushing away the urge to bring his arms up and take the other man into a squeezing hug.
He couldn't do that, not in front of the strangers, not with his lack of energy. Besides, there were other things he'd rather do. Like, ask questions.
"What is going on here?" Eren asked, sending a worried glance at the other two still sitting on his couch.
From behind them, Erwin stood up, clearing his throat to grab everyone's attention, especially Levi's.
"I cannot believe we'd ever meet again, Eren. At least, not this way." Erwin said honestly, "I thought nothing of you when we bumped into each other, however I did notice your strange scent. It awfully reminded me of something."
"Wait, you two already know each other?" Levi's eyebrow was raised.
Eren shook his head, "Uhm, it was kind of an accident." Erwin agreed with a nod.
"Scratch that!" Hanji beamed from where she sat, causing Eren to flinch. "How are you able to still live after feeding Levi so many times?! It's impressive—This is good information for my research!"
She ignored Levi's click of his tongue when she continued, "By the way, I am so sorry for almost killing you back there," a giggling pause, "But you must realized I had to do it! Levi's been missing for over a year, we had to find him!"
Missing? For over a year? Levi belonged somewhere? Eren's frowned never softened. He shrugged Levi's hands off of his shoulders, taking a determined step forward. He's given himself as meat for too long, he's permitted to know what the Hell was going on at least, right?
"What do you mean? I need to know."
"Eren, wait." Levi said, stepping beside him, "We can't just tell you—"
"If you won't tell him," Erwin cut him off, "Then we will. You already dragged him down this far, he might as well know the rest."
"Tch, it's too fucking risky, Eyebrows." Levi spat.
"The boy seems determined enough," Erwin nodded at Eren, "I believe he'll take his chances."
Hanji grinned, standing up to approach Eren, who took an awkward step back.
"Yes, yes, let's tell him already." She agreed, "You can ask us anything you want and in return, I get to ask you questions, too, okay?"
Eren blinked rapidly, chancing a small glance at Levi, who appeared indifferent by the woman's energetic antics, but still cautious enough if she did anything stupid. "U-uhm, okay?"
Sensing Eren's discomfort for being too close, Hanji stepped back with a chuckle. "Ah, sorry! Some of us Irregulars tend to be very curious when it comes to humans."
Irregulars, huh?
"Is that, uh, how you call yourselves?" Eren blinked, and to his surprise, all three of them nodded. Well at least he knows now, and he saved himself the embarrassment of calling them something silly, like vampires.
Levi pushed Hanji out of view, casually holding Eren's hand, squeezing cautiously. "Eren."
"H-huh?" Eren's heart skipped, "Yes?"
"Are you sure you want to know?" there was something strange with the way he said it, with so much concern even though he tried to hide it with a stern voice. "You might not like it." He added.
Everyone gathered around him, and Eren felt so vulnerable under their anticipating gazes. He was nothing but a sheep surrounded by wolves, how could he not gulp by the thought?
But he couldn't back down now, it was too late for that. "I don't have to like it, Levi." Eren started. He was oddly confident for someone who had no idea what he was getting into. Such a quality was both a blessing and a curse.
"I want to know." He says firmly, "I need to know."
For a second, the Irregulars(Eren should really get used to that word) glanced at one another in thought. It was as if they were communicating telepathically when they nodded at each other, all appearing so sure of something. And suddenly, all pairs of eyes were on Jaeger.
"Eren," Erwin called, "We'll be frank with you. We'll tell you enough, but not everything. I hope you understand. We're willing to share information, but we're still wary of you."
The brunette frowns at this, but remains silent. What did Erwin mean? Clearly Eren was no threat in the whole group. If anything, he was the exact opposite.
"Please, take a seat. It's going to be a long night."
Hanji sits back to where she previously was on the couch, followed by Erwin and Levi. Cautiously, Eren does the same, taking a sit right beside Levi and awkwardly avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"Is anyone hungry?" Hanji grinned, and she amusingly watched as Eren visibly squirmed at the uncomfortable question.
"Hanji, please, not now." Erwin warned.
"Fuck off, four eyes."
"But his reactions interests me! I was never able to study the human body in such a away." Hanji complained.
Eren speechlessly watched as Hanji and Levi bickered.
Everything should've been great, Eren should have left the Café today with a smile and all would have been good. But instead, none of that happened; he was nearly choked to death, passed out and woke up here to three Irregulars. He knew how dangerous Levi can be, there was no doubt the other two were the same.
That knot in his throat was, once again, back.
"You're in danger, Eren." Erwin disrupted Hanji's and Levi's argument, and his voice cut through the air, sharp and dripping with warning. Eren's reaction was immediate, his eyes widened in both shock and fear as he gasped, and his body acted on its own when he scooted on the couch, further away from all three of them. Danger? Why was he in danger?
Levi growled, and there was a hint of worry in his voice, "Erwin. Don't you dare go the—"
"Someone wants you dead."
The room fell silent, and the candlelight flickered, causing the image of their shadows to waver on the walls behind them.
Eren froze, blood running cold at Erwin's words. When Levi snapped and yelled curses, Eren didn't hear him—couldn't hear their argument. Their voices were drowned out at the back of Eren's ears, left unheard like an incoherent language. He couldn't hear anything else when his thoughts were louder.
This can't be happening, right? It must be a joke, a bad nightmare. Eren was nothing of importance, he was just a young man waiting tables in exchange for a good meal. Compared to other people that actually mattered, Eren was nothing special, with no skill that promised a bright future, or talent that made him great at anything that would reward him with a good reputation. He had nothing to offer. So, why was he in danger? Why was he wanted?
No, Eren was nothing, nothing at all. He was nothing special, not of any importance, nothing, nothing but still—
Someone wants him dead.
I tried to write something long, and I came up with this. I read it, like, a hundred times and I still feel like something's missing. Man, I don't know—I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter. *cries*
However, I hope it was still enjoyable to read without it being too tiring. Hopefully I do better next time.
Reviews are welcomed.