"When I was little, the sky was closer

so much closer

That's why I liked the rain, as with it comes the smell of the sky,"


"It's raining," Eren heard footsteps getting closer to the kitchen, bare feet sticking to the hardwood while he chopped up some vegetables. It was morning, and it was indeed raining.

The water was gathering on the outside of the kitchen's windowsill, rolling down the glass and serving as something the stare at while he wasn't chopping up vegetables into long strips. He was going to make some sushi rolls, a regular he made on early, tiring mornings.

"So it is," He replied to Mikasa with a soft smile, rainy mornings were absolutely his favourite thing. The girl, however, did not smile fondly at the idea. "You're going to that place again, I assume?" The boy chuckled at his sister's accusation, was he really that obvious?

"Yeah, I am. Are you going to cover for me again?" The girl sighed a bit and leaned against the other side of the counter, watching as Eren made their lunch. Her brows were furrowed, making her forehead crease unappealingly.

"I don't know if I should anymore, Mr. Pixis will start hinting in to what you're doing, maybe you should just go to school," Eren let his green eyes flick over to the side in a dramatic eye roll. The situation called for it, anyways.

"I do go, just after first period. Plus, it's only on rainy days Mika, that isn't often enough," He dumped some rice into a pot of boiling water, letting it cook whilst he glance at the other. She didn't look too pleased. "Shinganshina's rainy season is starting in a few weeks, you know. So it will be often," That was shocking news to Eren, he hadn't known about that.

So the rainy season really is that close, he thought to himself as a smile tugged at his lips. The idea really didn't disgruntle him, he rather enjoyed his mornings under the gazebo. Even if it did come with a strange man with weird eating and drinking habits. "As long as I hand in my assignments, Mr. Pixis really doesn't seem to mind,"

"You could get into trouble," Mikasa had her arms crossed over her chest in what could be compared to a scolding mothers' stance. "Mikasa, honestly, what's the worse that could happen? The school will call dad? Really, he has enough on his hands to even think twice about it. It's fine," His dad, actually, had barely nothing on his hands. He only busied himself with unconventional things, didn't work anymore, and left it all to the kids. They both understood, though.

There was a sigh, several seconds passed, and Eren knew he had won "Alright,"

"Good,"

"Don't get sick,"

"Yeah, yeah,"


Instead of taking the subway to school Eren, as usual during those wet days, left the station gate with his umbrella at the ready. It was all becoming a routine, a very comfortable routine he was getting used to well.

He was not expecting any calls, but he had his phone in the pocket of his gray uniform pants, listening to music that fit the weather: Calm, soothing. It wasn't what he regularly listened to, but it felt right.

The umbrella twirled over his head as he spun it between both hands, receiving a glare from some unfortunate person who happened to walk by him and got wet with the water that had collected at the top of Eren's umbrella. He blamed his fidgety hands that always had to be doing something.

He found himself wondering if that man would be there once again, drinking wine and chewing on dark chocolate. Maybe the stranger would bring an actual suitable lunch, forget the chocolate, and maybe just have one wine. Because honestly, Eren knew it wasn't his business, but that man could meet an early grave with the diet he was clinging to.

As the trees started to surround him, blocking off some rain, Eren thought that maybe he could share the box lunch he prepared. It wouldn't hurt to hand over his lunch for one day, and substitute it for cafeteria food once he got to school. But… the man wouldn't accept it, would he? He'd have to see.

The man wasn't there when Eren got to the wooden coverage. Maybe he went to work..

Which would have been a good thing, since skipping work could get him fired. Eren was thinking too deeply about the situation, so he decided to let it all go.

He let any thoughts of the stranger slip away from his mind as he sat down and took out his sketch book. His main focus had to be on the shoe designing, and it was a success for a bit, he covered the page with different designs. Though, they all had the sleekness of the dark leather in common. It was strange, Eren never really designed any shoes of the sort.

It might have been ten minutes, or maybe five even, but the sounds of footsteps squelching on the wet ground filled Eren's ears. The sound got closer and closer, until the boy decided to glance up.

It was him, it was the stranger.

He was wearing his hair in the same way he usually did, a cleanly shaved under cut, the black strands parted neatly in the center of his head. A long, dark jacket hung around his shoulders, making the ironed white dress shirt the man was wearing almost invisible from sight. Regular black slacks were accompanied by those black dress shoes, that were starting to look scoffed. Which was strange, because everything else about the man seemed so clean and put together. But his shoes.. were ruining.

They didn't meet eyes, they never once made eye contact but Eren knew the stranger understood he was looking at him.

"I see you're still skipping school," The man said, his tone sounded unimpressed. "I see you're still skipping work," Eren replied then glanced back down at his drawings of the sleek dress shoes he was planning out.

There was no reply, as the stranger sat down where he usually did and popped open a bottle of wine, lifting it to his lips and took a long swig.

The boy tapped his pencil on his sketch book for a few seconds before he set it to his side and grabbed his backpack. The man didn't bring any healthy food yet again, and Eren didn't know why he bothered to notice, but he did. "Here,"

He took out the boxed lunch he made that morning, while his sister was speaking with him, and held it out to the stranger. The man glanced over, his eyes glaring sharply at what was in Eren's hands before he snapped his gaze away once more. "What's that for, brat?"

"My name's Eren," The boy insisted and kept holding out the lunch. "And I want you to take my lunch, it's unhealthy to eat like that,"

"You're still a brat," He paused, took a sip of wine then scoffed a bit. "Keep your damned lunch, kid. Worry about yourself," The man was sharp, to the point, and left no room for arguments. Eren's shoulders slumped forwards slightly as he sighed, placing the lunch back into his bag. That's what he got for trying to be nice to a stranger.

"Can you at least tell me your name? I told you mine,"

"No," Chocolate broke between those pearly white teeth after he spoke. Wine soon followed the chocolate.

Silence rose between them. They exchanged no words, only allowing the falling rain to sooth the quiet. But it was alright. Eren was busy with his shoe designs. And the man was just drinking and contemplating. Or, that's what Eren assumed.

The man left a while later, and Eren went back to school earlier than usual.

It rained again the next day, the boy prepared an extra lunch, much to the confusion of his sister. "Why are you making three lunches? Are you bringing Armin one?"

"No. He doesn't like fish, remember?" Mikasa hummed in response and grabbed herself a glass of water. "Then why did you make a third lunch?

"I'm feeling extra hungry..," His right ear was pinched between two fingers a second later, they were red with dishonestly.

"You're ears are red Eren that-,"

"-That means I'm lying, Yeah, I know Mika..," The girl let go of Eren's ear and took her lunch with another responsive hum.

"I'm assuming you are giving it to someone... But we're going to miss the train if we don't hurry up, so we'll talk at lunch, alright?" The boy agreed and packed away both his lunches.

He almost missed the subway, but thankfully caught it last minute.

"It's salmon and tuna rolls," Eren explained with a friendly smile. He was standing in front of that strange man, who was turned away from him like he didn't care. Maybe he didn't, but Eren didn't mind. "What's your point, kid?" He tilted his head back, black strands of hair falling away from his face as he took a sip of wine. It was a French brand, from what Eren could tell from the label.

"My point is, take the lunch," It took an extra half hour to prepare a second lunch, as well as a bunch of nagging from Mikasa. If the man didn't take the lunch, all his troubles would be for nothing.

"No,"

"Take it,"

"No,"

"What the hell, just take the damn lunch,"

"Watch your tongue, brat," Eren huffed a bit as he trudged over to his spot on the bench, making sure not to sit down on his book and pencils. What was that man's problem.. he was trying to be nice and give him a proper lunch, since it was better than that life shortening diet he had.

A few drops of water hit Eren's face as he sat there, sulking. The wind was picking slightly, but it didn't bother him much, just cooled down his angered cheeks. Though, when a clash of thunder rang through the sky, it certainly brought him out of his childish fit. His arms uncrossed as he glanced towards the pond which was being shielded from view by bushes and tree leaves. The rain began to pour down in larger drops, splashing the roof of the gazebo loudly.

"Your bad mood brought the storm," Eren mumbled, his gaze dragging back to the man. "Tch, the storm only started to stop your stupid pouting," The stranger retorted.

The student rolled his eyes as thunder clashed in the air, making a crackling boom. "It did not,"

Five days passed, and it did not rain once. It saddened Eren, to a great extent.

School was boring, his focus was everywhere but his work. He thought about those shoes he was designing. And, you see, that was the problem. He was only designing them. Eren really strived to create them into an actual pair of functional shoes, but he needed someone to make them for. Armin just didn't seem to fit the style of sleek black leather shoes. They just were not designed for a study busy high school student.

"-Eren?"

His eyes widened for a split second and he glanced to the student taking up the desk next to his own; a blond kid with a bowl haircut and a slightly worried look upon his face. His name was Armin. "I've been trying to get your attention for over a minute now. Are you okay?"

Eren sighed silently to himself and nodded a bit. "Yeah, I'm fine. Is our teacher here?"

Armin shook his head with a slight frown. Ever since the beginning of the semester, their real teacher never showed up, so a supply teacher was always teaching them. "No, I can't believe he hasn't been fired yet. But, I suppose he and the principal might be in contact,"

"Mr. Erwin should just fire our actual teacher. This is shit, and I don't even care about literature and English,"

"Eren, you skip school as well, so you shouldn't talk," The brunette's eyebrows raised and he tapped his pencil on the oak wood desk with another sigh. "You know too?"

"Mikasa told me,"

"Of course,"

"Where do you even go anyways?"

Eren didn't get to reply, because the principal himself walked into the room, apparently to serve as their supply. They were all out of available supplies, Eren assumed.


The first day of Shinganshina's rainy season arrived five days earlier than predicted, and it came to Eren's joy. He woke up to the alarm on his phone one morning, glanced out his bedroom window and perked up at the sight of rain.

Finally.

It was an early Wednesday, the downpour wasn't light, though it wasn't too bad. Eren made lunch for Mikasa and himself with an happy hum. He chopped up some vegetables, to make some simple sushi rolls since the day was still young and Eren was a bit tired.

He made a third lunch, just in case.

The lunches were made, his packed into his bag along with his books and designing supplies.

He got off of the train and did as usually did whilst it rained, and headed to the park.

The tree leaves and bushes looked a healthy, deep green as he walked the pathway and over the wooden bridge. He wasn't in too much of a rush, so his eyes did wander a bit more than usual.

Many lilypads decorated the pond, the pink flowers adorn the camel foot shaped leaves were being soaked with droplets of water, but it somehow made it more beautiful.

Flower bulbs were attached to more flower stems, the whole park should be covered in flowers by the time the rainy season ended. The park would look gorgeous, more so than it already was.

Eren continued to walk the pathway to the gazebo after he admired the work of mother nature, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. People who called rain gloomy, were wrong. Rain brought beauty, that was how Eren saw it.

When Eren finally stepped under the familiar wooden structure, his umbrella was soaked, as well as the ends of his gray uniform pants. They would dry though, so it was okay. He shut his umbrella, and placed it as well as his bag, on the bench.

"Hello," Eren greeted the man who was sitting, facing away from the boy's side of the bench. He only got a grunt in response, but it was good enough for him. "Are you hungry?" The student cocked his head to the side as he sat down and took out his sketch pad.

"You're trying to feed me again, brat?

"I told you my name is Eren, and yeah, I am," The man shook his head and scoffed. "I told you no the other two times, what makes you think I'll change my mind?"

"Third time's the charm?

"You're ridiculous,"

They both didn't say anything else, leaving each other to their own devices. Eren was looking over his sketches, occasionally glancing at the strangers foot for reference. While the man did as he usually did, sat there drinking some wine and eating dark chocolate.

"Oi, Brat," It was ten minutes before Eren was going to leave, and the sound of the mans low voice filled the air.

"It's Eren," The boy insisted as he glanced up. "What do you want?"

The man paused for a few moments, setting down his bottle of wine next to his thigh. He then turned, his sharp gaze meeting Eren's.

Eren didn't think much about them at first, but the more he looked into those steel gray eyes, the more he wondered who exactly that man was. "Give me your stupid lunch," The grin that spread across Eren's face could have blinded someone, and he nodded quickly.

He looked through his bag, but only found one lunch, which was strange because he specifically remembered making two.

Oh, Shit.

He accidentally put the second lunch in Mikasa's bag, most likely. He sighed and glanced back up to the stranger, meeting his sharp gaze. "Alright, sir. But we're gonna share, because I'm hungry too,"

"Tch" The man's facial expression went unchanged, but Eren knew he was alright with it. So he took out his lunch and scooted closer to the man, who was sitting on the opposite side of the bench.

They shared Eren's box lunch which was full of vegetable sushi, laid upon a bed of lettuce and rice. It was good, Eren was proud of his cooking, though the man never really commented on it.

The rain let up, Eren ate the last sushi then packed away his things. "We always seem to be here on the same days,"

"It seems so, doesn't it?,"

"I only come when it rains," Eren grabbed his umbrella and was about to stand, to leave. But, before he had the chance to go, the man stood up and glanced to Eren, his steel eyes cutting off the boys train of thought.

The grays were swirling, like the storm clouds that would blotch the sky on rainy days. No wonder the man never wanted to make eye contact with Eren, all of his emotion pooled in those stormy orbs. It was vulnerability.

"Maybe it's fitting,"

"Huh?" The student cocked his head to the side, brown hair sweeping to one side of his forehead in confusion.

"A faint clap of thunder, clouded skies; Perhaps rain comes – if so, will you stay here with me?"

The man recited the words from memory, each syllable rolling off his tongue as if they were the only words he knew. It had Eren speechless, he couldn't even stop this mysterious man from popping open his gray umbrella, and walking away from the gazebo.

What did that all even mean? Was it just some spiel he thought of while tipsy off of wine? He didn't seem to stutter though… The words seemed too perfected to be made up on the spot. Eren would have to ask Mikasa, maybe she would know what the Tanka meant.

Will you stay here with me?...