Rating: M

This contains malexmale action, you've been warned!

ErenxRivialle

Filler Couples

/Edited Chapter/

Chapter 20:

Always a Loser

12 Hours Before

There was this annoying ringing noise in his ear, and he couldn't quite place its origin. Maybe, he was hearing it, because he's tired. Or, maybe, it's because he's hungry. Either way, it was giving him such a migraine.

He yawned, flipping through the closet in front of him. His fingers slipped across the many outfits that were hanging up. The closet space was big, taking up a good part of the south wall of the dressing room. There was quite a variety of clothing, shirts, shorts, skirts, and dark fishnets. And, none of the employee's even needed to pay for it.

"Found it…" Eren mumbled grabbing the blue shorts that he had been searching for. Holding it out in front of his face, he scrunched his face, trying to figure out if he'd be able to fit his ass into the fabric. It would most likely be a tight fit.

Closing the closet behind him, he turned towards the couch where he had the rest of his outfit for tonight laid out. It hadn't taken him long to pick out today's ensemble, the theme was country bumpkin, which was one of their easier themes to match.

Turning around, Eren let his body fall onto the couch, feeling the soft cushions engulf him. Settling in, he pressed his head against the back of the couch, closing his eyes as his breathing smoothed and quieted. He felt like he just needed to close his eyes for a second, but he wouldn't allow himself to fall asleep.

This week had been shitty. Actually, the last couple of weeks have been completely draining.

For one, he had exams at school. The overly long tests were terrible, able to tear their takers layer by layer. It disturbed Eren how everything he had learned over a course of four months could be crammed into a two hour, and sometimes longer, test that would grade how well he knew the material. The worst part was the fact he had no connection to the classes he was taking. As a student without an idea in the world what he wants to do in the future, his classes were mostly mandatory classes that disinterested him.

This made studying for these exams that much more difficult, as a part of him would rather not care about the class. But, the other part of him worried about his education. He wasn't sure how well he did, but it probably just enough for him to pass.

He tried studying with Armin, but that was a disaster. Armin stayed on task, trying to read over notes and explain to Eren the concepts he didn't understand, but Eren grew impatient in less than an hour. He started to grow fidgety, messing around a bit. Armin grew quite annoyed. Eren felt bad after he left, but Eren was then bored and ended up blowing off the free time he had set aside for studying.

For two, he was stressed out. The worst part was that he was stressed out about his physical image. With the lack of sleep he had been missing, his body was losing the definition, the health it had had before. He wasn't in the top of shape and people have started to take notice.

There were little comments, like, "wow, I don't think I've ever seen your muscles so loose before", or "do you think you can still fit into that shirt?" In the work place of entertaining, those words were blatant messages that he wasn't looking as fit as before.

It scared him, almost. He had seen people fired for the same thing before, gaining too much weight, losing so much muscle mass, they couldn't keep up with the program. It happened too often to be ignored.

The whole thing was disgusting, the ideals of people mattered on one's weight and physical health as the public could tear someone down with just a couple of thoughtless words. Factually, it shouldn't matter if he lost some of the mass in his body, or if he gained it. He looked just as fit, his body still young, but to many, that didn't matter. It was this endless tearing at one's mental health over something as silly as physical health that really effected Eren.

He tried so hard to ignore all of it, but it was becoming increasingly hard. Not too mention, he had no outlet. No one he could speak with, ask for advice, or to help him. Sure, he had Mikasa and Armin, but he was worried about giving Mikasa more to worry about. And, Armin wouldn't be able to identify.

The other employees felt the same pressure as he, so he truly wasn't alone, but this whole thing with Levi wasn't helping.

Wait, that was the third thing that was a problem. Levi. Eren would rather forget about the whole ordeal, but every time he looked at Levi's face, he just wanted to yell, to tell him how angry he was.

It was almost like Levi didn't realize just how hurt he really was, how frustrated he was. There was more to the fact of what Levi said, although, that was rude in itself.

What really mattered to Eren was the fact that, for Levi to say what he did; only proved he didn't really know Eren. Levi never truly understood Eren's struggle, the increasing stress put onto him from his job, his anxiety, or even his past. He just didn't know, didn't care to realize. And, that's what killed Eren the most.

It was infuriating. Not too mention, the whole ordeal had been left and continued on for longer than a couple weeks now. Eren had tried to keep his cool, separate his professional and personal life, but the way Levi acted as though nothing had happened, only furthered his emotions. So, he let it be awkward and uncomfortable between them. He wanted Levi to know how he felt, how angry and hurt he was. With this in mind, Eren would continue to push until he felt necessary.

However, people were starting to notice that there was something off about Eren. Miksasa had commented, asking him if he's eating as healthy as before, or wondering if school has been especially hard on him. She cared, but he only explained he was stressing out about exams. He hated lying to her, but he'd rather she didn't know about Levi yet. If she did, he may hurt her much more than he would ever intend.

"Eren! Are you dressed?" A voice ripped Eren from his thoughts. He realized that he had lost concentration and he was going to end up being late because of it. He turned towards the door as it opened.

"No, no, almost…" Eren responded to Connie, who was now closing the door behind him.

The older boy stood confident, showing off these awkward jean pleated shorts that were more than tight on his legs. It was paired with a silky shirt that made him look more like he was trying to dress up as a businessman. He pretty much looked like a child in clothes that didn't fit him.

Not saying, he didn't look good. But, there had to be something better he could have worn.

"Lookin' good." Eren whistled to Connie's horror. Connie rolled his eyes at him, coming forward on these tan hide cowboy boots, going towards the mirror. When he saw his outfit in the reflection, and let out a long sigh.

"Fuck, I do look bad, don't I?" His eyes fell a bit, taking it all in.

"Yes, you do." The two's attention was caught by the arrival of Sasha who entered the room, a bit wobbly. As a person, she was a bit too clumsy to pull off high heels.

Connie stuck his tongue out at her, putting a hand on his hip.

"And, you look any better?" He replied, raising an eyebrow at her outfit.

To be honest, Eren wasn't sure what exactly Connie was talking about, because she looked pretty good in her own cowboy outfit. She wore pretty much the same outfit as Connie except; instead of pleated shorts they were jeans that were skin tight to her legs. The skinny jeans wrapped around each leg, until the middle of half her calf where the cuffs were rolled up. Her silky white shirt was less open in the front, but rather covered her bust, but showed off her lean stomach, while wrapping around her back, and tying around her front.

Her hair was out of its signature ponytail, as she opted to make two ponytails, which stayed tied behind her head, in order for it to stay out of people's food while she served. She looked like a natural country girl, and Eren was impressed.

"I look good!" Sasha wined, walking to the couch where Eren sat. She feigned hurt, sticking her nose up, away from Connie. Connie only laughed, enjoying poking fun at his best friend.

Sasha tried to stop the smile that was spreading across her face, before bending over in front of Eren.

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?" Eren yelped, picking up his legs as Sasha reached towards the under of the couch.

Without an answer, Sasha went to feeling around the ground, before pulling out something from underneath the couch. She straightened her back, holding it out in front of her. In her hand was a bag of barbeque chips. Connie's eyes widened and Eren looked confused.

"Have those always been down there?" Eren asked, incredulous, looking around his area to see if there was anymore.

"Why would you put those under there?" Connie inquired, trying to wrap his head around what he just saw.

"It's my secret stash." Sasha replied, opening up the bag with a pop. When the smell wavered out of it's hold, she smiled as the waves of spice that hit her nasal passage.

"That's weird." Connie mumbled, but he was grinning. He smacked her softly on the shoulder, wrapping an arm around her, trying to grab at the chips in her hand.

Sasha tried to pull away, but Connie held close.

"Let go!" Sasha giggled, trying to stretch the chips out of Connie's reach.

"Give me some!" He struggled, trying to nab at them with his fingers, but failing.

Eren laughed at their antics, feeling his body loosen a bit. This is what he needed, really. He needed something to distract him from everything going on. So he could laugh instead. But, the situation went serious in only a moment.

Sasha let out a little scream, when Connie's arm hit her right shoulder in just the right spot. Connie let go right away, knowing full well that she wasn't playing anymore. The scream that erupted from her was too real.

"Sasha?" Eren was worried, standing now, wondering if he should come closer to her or give her space. Connie frowned right away, folding his arms.

"Did he hit you again?" He spat, his eyes suddenly serious. Sasha looked at Connie quickly, before turning away. She shuffled her feet, suddenly feeling uncomfortable where this conversation was going.

"Sasha, please." Connie repeated, begging her to respond.

"It's fine. I came home late, he was angry." She folded her arms, rubbing her arms as if she was cold. The silence was unbearable, and Eren knew it was his time to leave. He might have been their friend, but he knew Sasha was closer with Connie than anyone else. Therefore, Eren gave them their space, grabbing his clothes and leaving the room quickly.

"You work here, your nights are always late. Doesn't he know that?" He began, his voice dangerous. This happened all too often.

"He forgets sometimes." She mumbled. Connie knew that Sasha was growing uncomfortable and to quiet. He knew that she hated talking about this, so he changed his demeanor immediately. Connie moved slowly towards Sasha, composing himself, and giving a small smile.

"I told you, you should stay with me from now on." He mentioned, remembering when he had offered before.

"I can't leave mom." She told him, grabbing into the bag of chips, and throwing some in her mouth as comfort.

"Plus, your aunt creeps me out." She shivered. Connie let out a quiet laugh, knowing full well she had a point. He lived with this aunt in this old apartment on the other side of the city. His aunt was a bit of a different person. She had always bothered Sasha, in some weird way.

"I guess you have a point." He smiled at her, trying to cheer her up again.

"Uh huh." She downed another chip, her eyes downcast.

"Hey."

"What, Connie?"

"I still want a chip!" With that, Connie sprang on her, watching out for the spot he had hit before. Sasha let out a bubbly laugh and tried to get away.

[]

Eren was finally off stage and dressed in normal clothing. He had sweat all down the length of his head and neck. Shaking his hair, he could feel droplets of sweat fall to the ground below him. He didn't know why he felt so hot in the Club today, with the temperatures outside just above freezing.

His shift had just ended after such a long night. There was quite a crowd today, rowdy as always. It was the same old, usual workday.

But, finally out of that hellhole, Eren can finally go home, sleep some, maybe study some, but probably not. It all depends how fast his body will slow down tonight. Usually, he can stay up for a couple hours, into the early morning, but on especially draining nights he could hardly stay awake for more than a couple minutes, climbing into bed with most of his clothes on.

Tonight will probably be one of those nights. His body ached, muscles twitching from being overused. If he weren't sore tomorrow, that would be surprising to him. Not too mention, he had another performance tomorrow night.

His coat hung from his arm as he walked the length of the building. He had exchanged his shorts for some sweatpants and his show shirt for a regular hoodie. He felt much more comfortable, ready to face the cool air once he opened the door to leave.

There weren't many people still at the Club; it had closed an hour ago. Usually, everyone piled out right away, wanting to get home before it became to early in the morning.

Getting to the end of the hall, Eren opened the door, feeling the chilly air hit his face as he engulfed himself in it outside. He breathed in deeply. Glad to finally smell something fresh instead of alcohol. It gave him a migraine.

Letting out a small breath, watching how it created a puff of air, Eren walked to his car. As he walked, he slipped on his jacket to protect him from the cold, too much on his mind to concentrate on one thing.

But, Eren heard a noise that had pulled him out of his hard concentration. There was some kind of grunting and shuffling, coming to his right. He looked over quickly, trying to find the source of the noise.

Unsure, he looked carefully, his mind reeling. It continued, and Eren followed it. He knew better to follow weird noises, especially at night, but he was drawn to the sound. He needed to know what it was from. He needed to be sure everything was all right.

He went around all the cars in the parking lot, following this line of footprints in the snow, noticing how the tracks went deep into the snow. But, next to the footprints was a something darker. Bending over, Eren got closer to it, before noticing that the substance was red and thick, splattered almost.

He began to run now, his mind in frenzy. He probably should have run away from it, but he ran towards it. It was stupid of him, so fucking stupid of him. It was childish of him to think that he might have this fake sense of safety on his back. But, no one was that privileged.

A part of him thought that it was maybe a wounded animal. Or, maybe he was just overreacting. But, he was freaking out.

Maybe, it was the fact that he knew what types of people entered the Club. Or, it might be the idea that it might be one of his co-workers, one of his friends. It could be nothing, however, the possibility that it was something was what pushed Eren to keep moving. His heart was pounding in his chest. The cold that was beginning to bother him was lost to him now.

When, he made it around the corner, he stopped short, his eyes widening, his breathing stopped. There were two people in the middle of an empty parking lot. A big fence was in front of him, but nothing but trees around them. The people were were covered by the shadows, but their silhouettes allowed them to be seen. Fear entered Eren's mind, his body rigid. He was stupid, so fucking stupid.

He probably should have run then, and made his way quickly back to his car. But, it was then, when he noticed the silhouette of the body at their feet. The fear that was growing inside Eren was overcome with a sense of anger.

"Who's there?" He let his voice ring strong, letting his shaky tone fall short. The people standing turned towards him, now first noticing him. They said nothing, simply standing there.

"Get going! I have the police on the way." Eren fumbled for his phone in his pocket, but he couldn't grab it. He tried to play it off, but he knew that they knew he was lying. With his fingers shaking, he stuffed his hands in his pockets, so they wouldn't notice how scared he was. He held his ground, not going to let them know he was actually panicking. Eren wasn't going to leave until he was sure the person on the ground was going to be okay. If he left, not knowing who was on the ground, he would never forgive himself. He would be disgusted in himself. He wasn't a coward.

"He's seen us." One of them said to the other, whispering.

"Then, take care of him." The other replied. The one from before gave the taller one a look, before moving forward. It was too dark for Eren to see the person.

Everything inside him told him to run, be a prey animal, and get away from the predator coming towards him. But, he stood his ground, putting up his fists. He didn't have much fighting experience; however, he had learned to stand his ground since he's been on the streets. He wouldn't back down so easily.

Pulling his hands out of his pockets, he brought his fists up and moved towards the figure. Eren watched as the guy went to grab his arm. Taking back his fist, Eren bent his right knee, trying to dodge out of the way.

The person was small in height, but agile and strong in build. They were skilled as they blocked Eren's punch with just their arm. Just because Eren couldn't see them, he could tell there was a slight chance that he would win this. They were too experienced.

With a quick movement, they grabbed Eren's arm, pulling it behind his back, causing him to yelp, as the muscles stretched and screamed underneath his skin. He struggled, but the pain grew worse as he moved. His breathing was ragged, adrenaline running through every nerve in his body. He felt his body arch, pressing onto his attackers stomach and chest. He screamed, knowing full well that no one was around at this time at night, but hoping.

But, then the person on the ground stirred, a groan leaving their mouth.

"Eren…" It was a simple word, but Eren could recognize the voice immediately. And, it caused him to only struggle more, trying to ignore the searing pain that was traveling up his arm. The assaulter pulled him tighter to their body, but Eren moved too quickly to the side.

He cried out, his face scrunching as his humerus was pulled away from his scapula. In only a couple of seconds the bone popped out of it's joint caused him to whimper, his body going limp for a moment. The noise was loud, it echoed in Eren's mind, making him cringe. His body responded, sending adrenaline coursing through his body. It was barely enough that he was now flexible to turn his body enough that he sent a swift punch through the air.

He connected quickly, feeling the face below his knuckles. He heard the crunch of bones. He knew his own knuckles cried out at the impact, his blood becoming messy across the spit skin. The pain was almost overwhelming. But, he knew he hit his target as the attacker howled.

The person dropped him and he fell to the ground, feeling the cold cement underneath his fingertips as he tried to control his breathing. It felt as if he couldn't get a deep enough breath. He shook his head, spit once towards the ground, before he started to get back on his feet. He knew he was hardly out of danger and he needed to react fast.

He whipped around, holding up the arm that was still connected, trying to make a fist even though his fingers wouldn't close. But, he had stepped just enough over that he could finally make out who exactly was assaulting him.

Eren's eyes grew wide as recognition became blatant across his face. His lips closed, his body twitching with anger.

"You." He spat the word, letting it address them.

"How could you do this?" Eren started to move forward but then he wasn't moving anymore. He was falling. There was this weird pain was spreading across his head. And, in a few moments he couldn't feel much of anything anymore. Only darkness.

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