CHAPTER 2

"Stop it, Mikasa! I don't want to!"

She kept pushing me though, until I knew that she wasn't going to stop before I was up.

"Fineeeee," I said with a grumpy voice, before sitting up. She had already thrown my sheet on the floor, and the cold air was making me shiver.

"You opened the windows?!" I whined, jumping up from the bed to grab my clothes.

"Your room smells really bad, Eren,"

I turned back for a second to send her an angry look, before pulling a t-shirt over my head.

"That's not for you to decide," I mumbled, the shirt muffling my voice.

"I didn't decide anything. It was a statement. You have been really lazy the past week. What's gotten into you?" She put her hands on her hips, shifting her weight on one leg, and looked concerned at me. I quickly waved my hand in front of her.

"Nothing! It's summer vacation, I have a right to relax!"

She wrinkled her nose, before sighing.

"Whatever you say, Eren."

My heart was beating loudly in the car on the way over there, but I kept ignoring Mikasa's looks.

"I'll call you," I mumbled, waving at her when she drove away. I just stayed in front of the door for a few minutes, trying to build up the confidence to ring the doorbell.

Me and Hanji had already arranged our appointments before meeting in person, so it had to be every monday. She had insisted on paying me in advance, and even though I had no idea why, I had just let her. I didn't see any reason not to … Well, not until now.

I had called her a few days ago to quit, but she wouldn't let me. Even when I had said that I would give her all of her money back, she had refused. So I had been forced to come here again, even though I had planned it a bit differently this time. I just wanted to get in, persuade her to get another tutor, and then get out before meeting Levi again.

I leaned my forehead on the front door, sighing. What was I going to do? The same knot that I had felt last monday, had grown back the minute I stepped out of the car, and the strange, uncomfortable feeling rushed through my body.

"Shit," I muttered, biting my bottom lip. I couldn't do this. I couldn't see him again. Feeling like this just being so near where he lived … I resented it. So much. I just wanted to forget him. Was that too much to ask?

The door opened abruptly, making me lose my balance and falling forward. We both lost our footing, and the next thing I knew, I was lying on top of the poor soul that I'd surprised.

"Ngh … " I gasped, as I tried to open my eyes. I blinked rapidly, trying to remove the blurry vision.

"I-I'm so sorry … Are you alright?" I tried pushing myself up, but it was harder than I'd expected. My arms didn't seem to want to communicate with me, and everytime I tried getting up, my chest quickly fell down on the persons chest all over again.

"Sorry!" I said again, finally getting a clearer sight. I lifted my head, looking into the eyes of the person I had fallen into.

"I'm …. Fine,"

He looked at me, surprised, and I shared the same expression.

"You," Was the only word coming out of my mouth.

"Eren," Was the only word coming out of his. In one quick motion, he sat up, pushing me up with him. This way, I ended up sitting in his lap, with both knees at the sides of his hips.

"I can't believe that it's actually you," He mumbled to himself, as if I couldn't hear him. His hands found my hips, and he tried to lean forward again.

"Don't you even dare,"

I don't even remember saying the words, they had just come out. My hand flew up, finally reacting, and covered his mouth. His eyes looking at me, as if he was waiting. He didn't try to remove my hand, he just sat there, staring.

"D-Don't you fucking dare … Kissing me again. Do you have any idea of what you did to me?"

I removed my hand when he tried to say something.

"Well, you ran out the door before I – "

"That's not it," I interrupted, looking at him with a furious look. "Back then, 5 years ago."

My voice was starting to shake, and I tried swallow to lump in my throat.

"I offered myself to you … A-and you t-turned me down … You left me!"

I threw myself off him, leaning on the doorframe to get up. He got up as well, with a neutral expression on his face. I had no idea what he was thinking, so I just looked down. My shoulders started to lightly shake, and I covered my mouth in case I would start to cry. I didn't though, thank god.

"Eren,"

His voice was indifferent and sounded dead. Still, he reached out a hand, but I slapped it away with all my strength.

"Just … Just leave me alone. Hanji will get another tutor, and you won't have to see me again,"

I bend down to grab my bag that I had dropped. "Now, excuse me!" I ran past him, and up the stairs, escaping for the second time.

Christ, how unlucky had I just become?

"Hey Eren!"

Hanji waved happily from the livingroom, sitting on the sofa with a blanket over her. She had clearly been waiting for me, because there was two mugs on the table with steam rising from them.

"Hi Hanji," I couldn't help but smile, her enthusiasm was just too contagious, and walked over to the sofa.
"I made cocoa. And I'm super ready for our session!"

I sat down, and took a deep breath.

"Hanji … " I started, but she was quick to interrupt me.

"I will NOT take no for an answer. And we've been hitting it off so well, Eren. I want you to tutor me, and only you." She looked at me with an intense expression, making me gulp.

"How can you even consider turning me down, when I told you off my plans and dreams for the future? I need you!"

I fumbled a bit with my shirt, starting to feel really bad.

"I-I'm sorry, Hanji, but I just … Can't,"

There was silence for a few seconds, before she started speaking again, thankfully in a more relaxed voice.

"If it's because of Rivaille, I just send him away. He actually just started working every monday, so you won't see him." She paused, taking a sip of her mug, seemingly relaxed. "I don't know whatever is going on between you two, but if it's because of him that you feel uncomfortable, then he won't be a problem anymore,"

With this new information, it felt as if a burden had lifted from my shoulders.

"Okay, then," I mumbled nervously, before she pulled me in for a tight hug.

"Yay!" She said happily, and I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Alright alright, let's just get started, okay?"

Hanji had invited me out to dinner the next day, and before I knew it we had become close friends. I usually kept it formal with the ones that I was tutoring, but you couldn't just say no to Hanji. It seemed as if the word didn't exist in her vocabulary, and so she just kept pressuring me until I said yes. We started hanging out a lot, but of course only when Levi was at work. I had by accident looked at their calendar while standing in the kitchen making tea, and I noticed that he worked every monday, thursday and saturday, all in the evening. Of course I disappeared before he got home, and made sure to come just after his shift started. I wasn't willing to run into him in the stairway again.

Of course I hadn't told Hanji of how uncomfortable I was with Levi, or what had happened that one time. I was kinda just hoping that she would notice it without mentioning it. I really wasn't ready to have that conversation.

One night, a few weeks after, we had been watching a cheesy lovestory on television, which was something that we both enjoyed. I had been laying in the sofa with a duvet over me, while Hanji had been lying on top of the duvet between me legs, with a pillow behind her to support her head, and a blanket on top. The candles where lit on, and it was overall a cozy athmosphere inside the apartment.

"We need ice cream for the next one," Hanji had suddenly realised after looking at her phone, and quickly stood up. Too relaxed to sit up, I just watched her take her shoes on, while hiding half of my face under the duvet.

"No, it's okay," I said with a slow, lazy tone. "I need to get home anyway … "

"Oh please, he won't be home in 3 hours, you can stay. I won't be long," She laughed when she closed the door, but I could still hear her for a few more seconds. I had been too slow to stop her, but the duvet was weighing me down, restraining me from moving around too much.

"Ngh … " I mumbled, trying to sound annoyed when I really wasn't. It was so nice and warm under it, and I wished that I would never have to leave. But of course I had to go home soon, back to Mikasa and our apartment. I took a quick look around before closing my eyes completely. God, sometimes I really felt like this was a second home ….

"Oi! Hanji! Wake the fuck up,"

Someone was shaking my shoulders, and I groaned annoyed as I tried to turn around. Apparently I was laying on my stomach, and falling asleep that way.

"Eh?" I muttered, too tired to open my eyes when I finally got my body moved around. What was it, that the person had called me … ? The fingers that had been grabbing my shoulders became stiff for a moment, as if the person above me fell into shock. When nothing else happened for the next seconds, I was close to drifting into sleep again, when I suddenly felt something against my lips.

"Mmmh," I hummed for myself. The persons lips were so soft and pleasant, that when they started pressing against mine, I didn't resist. I was so tired, and it felt so nice. The lips moved a bit when the person turned their head, and coaxed my mouth open. It went on like that for a few seconds, before I felt a tongue sneak into my mouth.

Again, I let it happen. I even welcomed it with my own. There was no battle for dominance, no roughness. It was all happening so slowly, so softly. I moaned into the persons mouth, wanting more. Needing more. That was when the lips removed themselves from mine, and I let out a disappointed sigh.

Finally awake, I opened my eyes, and gasped at the sight. It was those grey eyes again, staring into mine.

"You still love me," He whispered, making it a statement rather than a question.

"I-I do not!" I yelled out, surprised by the sudden strength of my words. Yet, I still sounded hesitating, but I forced myself to believe that it was just the result of the lack of air. I pushed myself up in sitting position, staring at angrily at Levi.

"And I told you not to touch me again!"

He was sitting beside be on the edge of the sofa, still staring. His gaze met mine, instantly making me uneasy.

"You do," He said, ignoring my last comment. "Just like back then,"

Shit, why did he have to be such a pain in my ass? It was so frustrating. I made my hands into fists, after kicking the duvet off my body.

"You seem to have forgotten the last words I ever said to you," I said, surprising myself by the calm tone I suddenly had. "Then let my refresh your memory for you. I said that I hated you. I hated you when, and that hasn't changed a bit. I still hate you,"

I wanted to hurt him so badly. Did it do the trick? I wasn't sure. His face hadn't changed its expression at all, leaving me to doubt my own words. Had it been to much? Too little? Too –

His hand grabbed my chin, yanking me forward into another kiss. This time I actually resisted, but he was still too strong to be moved.

"Ngh!" I groaned into his mouth, hitting my clenched fists on his chest. "Ngghhh!"

He finally let me go, but he had left his impact. My face was flustered, my cheeks blushing more than ever. I gasped for air, not being able to think straight.

"S-stop doing that!"

He looked at me with a very serious expression on his face, waiting for me to shut up again. This time, he spoke under his breath.

"And you seem to forget that you also said that you loved me before that. So therefore – " He reached out to press his thumb against my lips. "I will make you say it again,"

I pushed him away, and it finally seemed to have an affect on him. He stood up, looking down on me. I could see, almost feel the determination coming from his eyes, and it made my whole body shake.

"You can't just force me to love you," I mumbled, too astonished to move. It was as if his eyes had frozen my body, so that I could only look at him.
"But that isn't a problem, when we both know the real truth," He walked to his bedroom door, before looking back at me.

"See you later," He said with a smirk, before closing the door behind him.

I sat there for many minutes, clenching and unclenching my fists. I hadn't been able to calm down my erratical breath, and my heart kept on beating.

My mind was still trying to comprehend what he had been saying.

I'll make you say it again – You still love me – we both know the real truth …

"F-fuck," I muttered, trying to stand up on my legs, that didn't seem to work properly. My knees where shaking, and my whole body felt very heavy.

I was tying my shoelaces, when Hanji came back, an ice cream in both hands.

"H-Hey, where do you think you're going?" She asked surprised, looking at me with big eyes.

"Mikasa called," I said in my best lying voice, and grabbed my coat, putting it on casually. I didn't want her to force me to say, I just … couldn't. "She's not feeling very well,"

"Oh … " Hanji looked at me suspiciously. "Then how are you planning on getting home?"

Now it was my turn to just stand there.

Shit, I haven't thought of that.

I bit my bottom lip, shrugging my shoulders.
"I'll just walk to the nearest station,"

Hanji scowled at me, before shoving me into the wall.

"You are not going anywhere! Not in this weather. It's already dark outside, so you can just forget about that!"

I furrowed my brows, panicking at the sudden loss of my ability to keep up the argument.
"B-But I really don't mind … Hey, maybe she can come get me anyway? I'll just try calling her … " I tried weakly, fumbling with my phone. She grabbed it directly from my hands, and then went to the kitchen to put the ice creams down.

"How insensitive can you be, Eren?" She said, annoyed. "You will not get a sick woman to drive you home, and you will not go out into the streets all on your own,"

I looked at her in astonishment.

"Hanji, you're not my mother!" I said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. I even chuckled a bit. "And you just went out!"

She turned around, to stare me in the eyes with the most deadly look I had ever seen.
"Did you just hint that because I'm a woman, I can't take care of myself? Let's not forget that you are youngest of us two, and I am much stronger than you,"

I bit my lip, not to chuckle.

"I cannot believe you, Hanji. Why do you care so much? I'll be home in no time … "
"You'll get beaten up and raped, that's what will happen," She said loudly, finally shutting me up. I just stared at her with an open mouth, not sure what to say.

There's probably a bigger chance of that happening here if I slept over with Levi in the other room, I thought sarcastically to myself, rolling my eyes.

"Then what do you suggest that I'd do?"

She was suddenly at my side again, dragging me to the sofa.

"Sleep here!" She said, finally her happy self again.

I sighed again, but it wasn't because of her this time. I was so annoyed and angry at myself for being caught up in a stupid lie.

Shit, I thought, when it finally hit me. I was actually going to stay here for the night. With Hanji and Levi. Sleeping. Shit. I wasn't even going to protest further, was I? I was just going to let Hanji get what she wanted?

… Yeah. I usually had a lot of fight in me, but I didn't want to fight with Hanji about it, and I definitely didn't want to tell Hanji that I had just lied to her. That would just be too embarrassing. And that would propably make her furious. And I really didn't want to see her being furious.

"Fine, but give me my phone back so I can tell Mikasa," I sighed, reaching out an open hand. She handed it back to me, and I wrote a quick to Mikasa, so she wouldn't start worrying.

"Thanks," I mumbled, as we lay back into the former position.

For the next two hours we watched the next movie that Hanji had picked out, while eating our ice cream.

I just felt like I couldn't focus a hundred percent on the movie, when knowing that Levi was in the other room. It made my heart beat faster as I started dozing off, imagining the kisses that we had shared. It felt like only a moments ago, and I could almost still feel his lips against mine when I tried closing my eyes.

Why am I thinking about him? I bit my lip, suddenly angry at myself. I hate him! A stupid kiss doesn't just change that … Stop it. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. Who does he think he is? He shouldn't think that he so easily has control over me. I grabbed my arm, boring my nails into the skin. I'll never love him again. Never.

Okay, so this is the fourth time that Levi has tried to kiss Eren. It was kind of necessary though, for the story to move along, and there is a reason for it as well! So please be patient, and you'll soon find out!