I am so, so sorry for the wait! I have an exam and practical coming up in college soon, PLUS my high school coursework, and my life has been a little crazy as of late. However, I love writing for you guys and hearing from you- you distract me from the less than plesant aspects of my life, and I absolutely love your feedback!
That aside- in this chapter, Levi is still trying to adjust to his and Eren's changing relationship on the day the boy is 13, and Eren, sort of inadvertently, is a bit of a jerk.
Things were still tense between the two that evening. Eren sat with his friends at dinner, and was markedly silent, making sure to stare at the steps instead of Levi as he climbed the stairs towards Levi's quarters for the night.
Eren said nothing to Levi, simply climbing into his cot and turning to face the wall, back to Levi. Within minutes, he was asleep.
Levi looked across the room at the boy's turned back, exasperated. He was struggling- it'd only been a few days ago when he'd tucked the boy into bed, only a few days ago when he hadn't been surprised to find the small body crawling into bed beside him. He was struggling to deal with the new headstrong, defiant boy on his hands.
Eren was growing older- more independent, more reckless- and Levi was struggling to balance protecting the boy from himself. It was hard- so hard- to let go. Levi opened the drawer to his bedside table, quietly pulling out the piece of paper. The small, hand-drawn picture in sloppy crayon, made by his six-year old Eren.
Levi smiled sadly at it, a stab of nostalgia entwining with regret. Why did Eren have to grow so quickly? Levi felt like everything he'd tried to teach the boy- all the time he'd spent with him, all the fun they'd had together- was unraveling into fighting and anger. Couldn't he simply be near the boy and enjoy his company, like he had when he'd only been five? Why was everything suddenly becoming so complicated?
Levi sighed, getting to his feet wearily and crossing the room in a few strides. Eren was asleep- eyes closed, face relaxed. Levi could clearly see his features maturing, though- the sharp line of his jaw was more prominent, and he looked similar to the fifteen year old Eren he knew. Despite all the trouble and worry Eren had pt him through, Levi simply couldn't give up on the boy.
He sighed, quietly pulling the covers up and tucking them around the boy's chin, touching his shoulder gently before heading back to bed himself. He had a long two days left of raising Eren.
Levi awoke at his usual time that morning, blinking sluggishly. He scrubbed the sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand, turning his head to the left to look across the room at Eren. His eyes widened with surprise when he aw the boy's bare feet were actually sticking out from underneath the sheets. they hadn;t done that yesterday.
Levi quietly got up, freeing himself from beneath the blankets. He stood, quietly getting dressed and ready for the day, lacing his boots. He raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised, to see Eren still sleeping onward. Normally, Eren would've been awake by now. Still, Levi thought nothing of it, crossing the room briskly and shaking Eren's shoulder.
"Eren."
"Mhn." Eren grunted, half-asleep, as he rolled away from Levi's touch.
Levi frowned. "Eren. Wake up."
"Nmmm..." Eren pulled the blankets over his head, exposing his calves but shielding him from Levi's insistence.
Levi raised his eyebrows for a moment, bemused, before he yanked the blankets off the boy.
Green eyes flew open, and Eren blinked blearily, looking annoyed and sleepy.
"Get up. It's time for breakfast."
Eren shot him a particularly sharp glare, and Levi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn't have to take this from a teenager. "You know what, forget it. I'll see you downstairs."
He didn't bother looking behind him as he left the room, having dealt with all the teenage attitude he could handle at the moment.
Fifteen minutes later Eren slogged into breakfast- hair messy, dark circles beneath his eyes, clothes looking tight. Levi made no comment about it, and Eren didn't even look in his direction, instead striding over to his friend's table with ease.
Levi didn't stop eating or show any outward signs of noticing- he'd expected Eren to ignore him, to be honest, and he noted with some interest that the realization strung far less than it had yesterday.
He finished his breakfast, taking a fresh cup of tea and retiring to his office to settle into his daily routine, not taking as much notice of his solitude as he had yesterday.
They hardly exchanged two words throughout the day, and even after Eren had fallen back asleep that night in their room, Levi felt that hollow feeling in his chest return when he realized- Eren's hadn't even said goodnight.
