Eren woke up to daylight that bypassed the curtains. The clock marked 7:40 am, it shouldn't go off for another 50 minutes, but he was restless in bed, he thought it ought to be the anxiety of the first day. He got up on his elbows, unsure of what to do. In the other bed Armin was still fast asleep, his hands like a mantis on the pillow. The brunette put on some clothes not giving it too much thought, grabbed his backpack and left. To his surprise, gray clouds covered the sky and let the cold rain fall, unlike the sunny scenario he had pictured. Not wanting to go back in and wake his roommate up, he tied his bedhead hair in a bun and pulled the hood of his gray sweatshirt over it. Campus was deserted, puddles formed on the brick ground as raindrops distorted the reflection of mid-September trees. Eren scanned the buildings around him for options; he'd go back to the common room to buy a snack on the vending machine as a last recourse. The main building was the closest, but the least appealing since the first class of the day started at a quarter past nine. He headed the opposite way, for the library where he'd notice the café the day before. His empty stomach rumbled at the view.
Soaking wet, he pulled the hood back and ordered a doughnut and a coffee. He turned around to find every table occupied, a heavy sigh left his mouth, shoulders slumped. He examined each table hoping he would find someone finishing or willing to give up their seat, with no luck; he was invisible. In a desperate twirl he cursed under his breath at the people, at the rain, at the damned overpriced doughnut. "Oi" someone called. Through the corner of his eye, Eren tried to identify where the voice was coming from, no one seemed to mind his presence, maybe it wasn't directed at him "you in the wet clothes." It was for him after all. The green-eyed boy followed the voice, looking over his shoulder. There he was, on a table by the window, one elbow resting on the back of his chair and the other hand over a teacup, staring at him with expressionless gray eyes "sit" he demanded looking over at the empty seat across from his and back at the boy. Eren wanted to say 'it's okay, thank you', but his mouth remained shut; he wanted to walk away, but his legs didn't comply, they chose to obey a complete stranger's order. He made his way to the table where the man was. He didn't look like a student, he seemed older, a PhD student maybe. In spite of his small frame, he was intimidating, intense. Dark gray eyes followed as the boy placed his backpack on the floor next to the chair and sat down "thanks" said Eren.
"No problem," he sipped his tea "wouldn't let you eat your breakfast standing" he grabbed the book on the table and opened it on the marked page leaning back on his chair "as entertaining as it would be" traces of a smirk crossed his thin lips as if amused by his own words. Eren furrowed his eyebrows unsure of how to react to the provocation. He found it was better to remain cool and ignore the man sitting opposite him. He sipped his coffee followed by a bite of his doughnut. He shifted in his sit, uncomfortable, feeling observed from behind that book, behind those locks of black hair. He reminded Eren of Mikasa, with raven hair and pale complexion… even the intensity. "That's too much sugar in the morning, kid" he heard. Hairs prickled at the back of his head; he felt his testosterone levels rise. Who was this jerk to tell him what he can and cannot do? "Noted, dad." he retorted and bit off a too-big chunk of his breakfast sweet. The man closed his book and replaced it with the cup. A piercing stare focused on Eren. "You're a freshman" the raven male's smoky voice filled his ears. "How can you tell?" He lifted the cup to his lips and smiled. No answer. "Well?" Eren asked impatiently after a few long seconds. "I recognize every face here, but yours" he replied. It certainly wasn't the response the brunette had in mind. He couldn't understand why this person was taking time of their life to annoy him "that book isn't less entertaining than me, I'm sure" the comment slipped his mouth.
"Tch" the man scoffed "you're wrong" Eren could feel his face flushing, once again the comeback surprised him "the characters are shallow, and the plot is not engaging" he confessed without breaking eye contact. Curiosity stroke and the boy asked what book he was reading "not engaging?" Eren said, bugged, when he read the title of the book "it won the Nobel Prize for Literature!" A thin eyebrow rose in response which made a chuckle roar in Eren's throat, he seemed either disappointed or impressed, it became hard to tell. The boy brought his thumb to his lips, intrigued by the person in front of him; emerald eyes glared intently at the older's freshly shaved face as if reading a book, trying to get inside his mind. Lips that used to be pressed in lifeless line were now curved upward in a faint smile. Eren smiled, too. A shiver crawled through the younger's body, he felt his heartbeat against his chest and his stomach tighten.
"Eren!" Mikasa. He was jolted awake from his trance. "Why do you want your phone if you don't answer it?" She paced near him and Armin followed "why didn't you tell me – us – you were going to come here?" The girl seemed exasperate, sparkling gray orbs fixed on the boy "I was worried" her voice became smaller, hiding her mouth in her scarf. The man made a ridiculing sound as he ran his hand through his undercut hair. Mikasa turned to him, shooting him a deadly glare.
"Let's go meet with Sasha and the others before class" Armin said "I heard the professor is always early" the girl nodded tugging the sleeves of her pink cardigan over her hands. The man got up on his feet, grabbing the book off the table. His head low, hair hiding his eyes. He was no taller than the girl who tried to disregard him "Eren, you shouldn't eat this much sugar in the morning" Mikasa commented. The brunette quickly looked over at the man who was now smiling. He placed his hand on the pocket of his pants and walked away without speaking a word. Eren's green orbs couldn't help but follow.
Armin noticed that both his friends were attentive watching that weird man disappear through the door "who was that?" he had to ask. The response was a silent shrug of lean shoulders.