The Misanthrope

Chapter 2

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Returning to the "scene of crime" was probably a mistake, Eren thought while approaching Levi's house the next day. But, first, after he'd told his parents what happened, his mom insisted on baking her famous cookies, even though it wasn't Eren's or Armin's fault. And second, Eren truly wanted to do something nice, at least for bugging the man by trespassing into his yard.

So there he was, holding a plate of freshly baked cookies, fearing for his life again.

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"Eren, you have to go back there with my cookies! If that man is THE Levi-heichou, the hero everyone's talking about, you can't just forget about what happened! We owe him everything! Our lives, our freedom... You being nice to him is the least you can do!"

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Knowing that made Eren even more nervous. But how many people could have the same name? And be a part of the Military? He was scared enough as it was, he really didn't need to know more intimidating facts about that guy. Yes, that's right. He surely wasn't that Levi. The hero. Right? Heroes don't have such sour looks on their faces, Eren was certain.

He eyed the fence and the gate, hoping it was unlocked, so he wouldn't have to climb over again and piss Levi off more. If that was even possible, judging the man's scowl the day before. Fortunately for Eren, the gate opened easily, but he began sweating just from thinking of knocking on the front door.

His head full of what-ifs, Eren walked up to the house entrance on auto-pilot and knocked three times.

He waited a bit and getting no reply, he knocked again, feeling a bit braver. Maybe Levi wasn't home.

But alas, he heard the footsteps on the wooden floor inside. The door opened, revealing the owner of the house.

Eren mustered up his best smile. "Hi! Sorry for bothering you..."

"Then why?" Levi asked, looking like he might just die of boredom.

"Why what?"

"Then why are you bothering me?"

"Because, er..." Eren was rapidly losing his cool. "I thought I bring you some cookies... Not my cookies because I don't know how to make cookies... They're my mom's cookies. Well, not hers, they're yours now, but she made them..."

That went well, no?

Levi's eyebrow twitched. "You brought me cookies."

"Yeah! For, you know, the trouble... The window and all. They're like, apology cookies."

"Didn't I tell you something about not apologizing if it's not your fault?"

Eren sighed. "Yes, yes you did. But also, as a thank you for..." he chuckled softly. "My mom believes that you're the Levi-heichou, so these are also 'thank-you' cookies... A-are you that Levi? The hero?"

Levi's face darkened suddenly. "I am Levi-heichou, but I'm no goddamn hero. I don't need your cookies," he growled and slammed the door shut.

If he were a few years younger, Eren would have probably started crying right then and there. He truly couldn't understand the bitterness that oozed from Levi's words. Why would he feel like that? Heroes were role models, right? Heroes smiled, glad that they've helped someone... Right?

Eren blinked at the closed door. He decided to leave the plate there on the porch. Maybe Levi would change his mind. Sighing, he gently put the plate down and left, silently closing the fence gate behind him.

Thinking of Levi made him sad. Was he always that sour, and towards everyone? If that was the case, he was probably alone. And being lonely could make a person even bitterer and unhappy and just like that, formed a closed circle of misery.

'Being nice to him is the least you can do,' Eren remembered his mom's words. He'd try. It was true, Levi was a hero, 'humanity's strongest' and if Eren could do anything, it was to try and be nice, even though he'd get hurt in return. Having learned that 'leave me alone' sometimes meant the complete opposite (thanks to Mikasa and her 'female moods' as he liked to call them teasingly), Eren decided that he'd give Levi one more shot. Not that Levi's a girl, but it might just work. Third time's the charm.

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Eren had been gathering his courage for three whole days. This time, he wouldn't let Levi's words get to him. And he'd offer something else completely – no more cookies. Cookies were for grannies.

He'd decided to offer help with Levi's window. Hopefully, he left it broken for these past four days. If not that, then any kind of manual labor. Even watering plants – Levi had a bunch of them in his yard.

xXx

As Eren turned around the corner of the dead-end street, he was surprised to see Levi outside. The man was raking leaves, gathering them in small, neat piles. Without the scowl on his face, he seemed kind of bored, but oddly peaceful. This, of course, changed the moment Eren said 'hi'.

"You."

Eren gave a weak smile. "Yeah, me."

Levi studied him for a while and then let his rake drop into the grass. "Wait here," he said and walked inside his house, slamming the door behind him.

Wait here? He could do that – 'here' obviously meaning where Levi had been standing, right? Right.

Shrugging, Eren let himself into the yard and then waited as instructed, looking around. Levi had a garden big enough for five apple trees, a pear and two cherry trees, plus plants and flowers, planted or in pots alongside the fence. It felt like Eren saw it for the first time, guessing that was because he was too petrified to notice anything on the first two occasions.

After a few minutes that Eren had spent on gazing around, Levi came back out, a plate in his hand.

"Why are you in my garden?"

Eren blinked. "You told me to..."

"Wait there."

"Oh. Sorry," the teen said sheepishly.

Levi just rolled his eyes, obviously thinking that Eren was a complete idiot. "You forgot your cookies the other day."

"Yeah," Eren scratched the back of his neck, smiling a bit at the sight of an empty plate. "I forgot them on purpose. Did you like them at least?"

"They were fine," Levi muttered, as if not wanting to admit.

"I, um... That's good, right? And... and maybe I could help you with the window? Or in the garden?"

"What? Why?" Instead of the usual sourness, Levi seemed puzzled by that.

"I know you said not to apologize, but I feel really bad about your window..."

"I've already repaired it."

"Maybe I could help in the garden? Something?" Eren grew more desperate with every passing moment spent under the scrutinizing gaze of his hero. "Anything? I-I just wanna be nice... I have no idea what you've gone through, but I know I'm alive because of you. And my family... and my friends..." Eren babbled on until Levi raised his hand in a gesture to shut him up.

"What's your name brat?"

"E-Eren. Eren Jaeger."

"Eren. Fine then," Levi sighed. "Just stop yapping already."

"Okay," the teen shut his mouth with a click.

The man eyed him suspiciously. "I'll be done with these leaves today. If you want, you can drop by tomorrow afternoon. The apples are ready for picking."

"Apple picking? Sure, sounds fun!"

"Oh my god," Levi rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Now, take your plate and go home. Shoo."

Eren grinned and took it, waving happily in Levi's direction as he sauntered towards the gate. He could hear him muttering that Eren only gave him a headache and something about being an insufferable brat. Grinning even harder, Eren ran down the street, almost tripping over and crashing his mom's plate. He'd get to spend time with a hero, and even do something nice for him – it was any kid's dream, really, and his was actually coming true.

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To be continued...