Chapter 4 – Welcome to the Adam's family
(hello beautiful reader! another chapter! i hope you guys like the idea so far and you will see more of this idea develop in this chapter! feel free to comment as I'm open to constructive criticism. follow me on tumblr - fearthepowerofwords. enjoy)
As his feet slide across the wooden floor, Eren strains to hear if they make a noise. After witnessing many people pass through the house, he knows every moan and creak of the floorboards. Eren continues to apply more pressure into the weak spots of the wood but only hears silence. Frustration begins to builds in the young teen as he tries desperately to create sound, to hear it echo and resonate throughout the house.
Eren has seen many young teenagers in the past sneak out of the house, some succeeded and some failed. Those that failed didn't know where all the weak spots were in particular floorboards. Eren always envied these kids, wished that he could experience the thrill of sneaking around and being caught. It was all too easy for him.
It's been a few hours now since Levi collapsed into a heap on the bed. Eren just chuckled before walking over to the older man, lifting the sheets and draping them over his very sexy and gorgeous form. Stop it! No. Eren thinks, shaking his head to rid the inappropriate images surfacing in his mind. He can't think that way. He can't let himself believe that he can fall for a human but only pain follows.
With a depressed mood, Eren continues to wander the quiet house. Waiting for when he will be alerted when Levi is awake. It's almost magical when it happens. He doesn't know how it works but when a human is awake in the house Eren experiences clarity. His actions become more defined and he's able to touch and move objects more easily, he almost becomes solid. Eren has no clue why this occurs but he still feels the frustration of being invisible, having Levi in the house helps him feel normal and human-like. But when he leaves the house, the minute he steps outside the door, he becomes a ghost, forgotten by the world. Contact with humans has been a challenge for his kind for decades yet humans are the only way in which they can reproduce.
What kind of fucked up system was designed so that his people have to rely on humans to reproduce when they can't even fucking look at them in the first place.
To be honest, Eren doesn't care. All he wants to do is to walk through a busy street where people can glance up at him, notice his presence then ignore him. He wants people to have the choice in ignoring him.
Maybe this Levi person can help him. Even if its just for a little fun.
Sunlight streams heavily through the blinds in Levi's room, shining directly into Levi's face. The man grumbles and curses before turning over and burying his face into his pillow again. Levi has no idea what time it is, nor does he really care because the first time in a week he feels well rested. Due to being so tired, he wasn't haunted by nightmares and a good nights sleep was well deserved. A smile begins to pull at his lips as he begins to slip into slumber again, loving the feeling of being lethargic.
Just as Levi is about to slip back into unconsciousness a voice directly next to his ear startles him. The whisper of "Wake up Levi" causes Levi to jolt up in bed and look around the room in a panic. His instincts screaming at him to defend himself against an intruder. He continues to stare around the room, trying to find the source of the voice. The memories of the previous night flood back to Levi and he groans loudly while falling back on the bed. He really hoped it was all a terrible dream and he wasn't actually going insane.
Levi re-opens his eyes and stares at the ceiling, taking a few deep breaths before he speaks.
"Okay brat, you have two seconds to appear before I'm checking myself into a nut house" the room is silent and still, yet Levi could feel the tension building the longer he doesn't see or hear anything.
"Well you are one grumpy man in the morning" the familiar voice sings as the boy's figure appears in Levi's right side peripheral vision.
"Well it doesn't help when a fucking ghost wakes you up before your morning shit" Levi grouches, keeping his eyes fixed on the ceiling. "So you're real then? It wasn't all a terrible dream?"
"Sorry to disappoint. If you don't believe me then just look out your window where your alarm clock still sits. " Levi chuckles at the recollection of throwing the machine out the window.
Levi then heaves a heavy sigh as he realises that he's in deep shit now. What the hell is he supposed to do now that he has a ghost brat following him and scaring the shit out of him all the time? He has to come up with a system in order to hear the brat before he appears. But the first thing Levi needed to understand was who this kid was or What he was because he is still 90 percent sure he is crazy and hallucinating.
"What exactly are you?" Levi questions, crossing his fingers and hoping the boy doesn't say 'his conscience'.
"We're called 'Peripheries'" Eren answers, sounding bored as if he says the same thing everyday.
"Great!" Levi says sarcastically. "What the fuck is that?"
Levi hears the boy chuckle and sigh at the same time. "We are a race of people who are born practically invisible. I have no clue how it works but all I know is that we live amongst humans and we can touch everything you can, you just can't see us. It has something to do with human eyes and how your retinas can't process our existence and send the image to the brain. Yet your peripheral vision doesn't have as many receptors so it's easier for your eyes to process our form through that way. I don't really understand it, you should ask my Dad, he can explain it all to you." Levi sits quietly, absorbing every word the boy says, surprisingly he believes him, it kind of makes sense.
"And where is your Dad?" Levi quips. "Because you seem too fucking young to live by yourself"
"Hey! I'm not as young as I may seem. We age different to humans! And I do live with my Dad"
Levi squints his eyes at the ceiling, processing what the boy just said and then it finally clicks.
"Motherfucker! Your dad fucking lives here too?"
Eren just laughs at the shocked face Levi wears. It's the one thing Eren likes about being a Periphery. He can look at people's expressions without being caught. And Levi's expressions are hilarious.
"How come I've never met your father?" Levi states, sounding a bit pissed off.
"He doesn't like to reveal himself to many people, he prefers to live in a room under the house." Levi has the urge to ask why but he has a feeling it's a long story and he doesn't want to pry. Then a thought occurs to Levi.
"Wait where do you sleep? If you don't stay with your dad?"
"I sleep in one of the spare rooms in the other hall way"
"Well this all makes perfect sense as to why the house is always clean and fully furnished, people fucking live here" Levi suddenly feels guilty, like he's trespassed on the wrong land and he should move. The longer he thinks about it, the more he really doesn't want to move out the house, he doesn't have the money.
Levi decides he has spent too much time in bed and his stomach growls at the thought of breakfast. He's starving. He sits up again in bed and swings his legs out of bed, he looks around to see Eren has vanished but this time he isn't surprised. He makes his way to the kitchen but he knows Eren is following, almost like a feeling on the back of his neck.
Once Levi makes some toast and a fresh cup of coffee, he settles at the island bench and begins eating. A minute passes before Eren re-appears in his peripheral vision, sitting next to him munching on an apple. So they do eat normal food Levi thinks.
After stuffing half a slice of toast in his mouth, Levi gets up and begins looking through the draws in the kitchen until he finds what he's looking for. He then sits again and continues eating. When the brunette appears again, he can sense he has a confused look on his face.
"What were you looking for?" Eren asks curiously.
"This." Levi states holding up a cat collar and some string.
"Please tell me you're not into some weird pet play stuff?" Eren half jokes. Levi chuckles as he begins to work on the objects, still able to keep Eren in his sights.
"No. I'm making an anklet for you." The older man explains as he removes the bell from the collar and threads it onto a piece of string. He gives the string a shake and a clear ringing sound bounces off the walls. Levi smirks at his brilliance.
"Oh no." Eren mutters.
"Oh yes! I'm not going to wander around my house and have a heart attack every time your present yourself. This will alert me of your presence, whether I can see you or not." Levi extends his hand. "Am I able to touch you?" Levi waits patiently for an answer, continuing to stare at his empty plate.
Eren doesn't speak, only slowly begins to lift his foot until it is planted on Levi's thigh. Levi is mildly surprised that he is able to touch the boy, that he is solid and warm. He then proceeds to attach the anklet without looking which is a lot harder than expected. Finally he finishes the knot and releases the boy's ankle. Flicking the bell before letting go, making the younger boy shiver.
"Well? Go for a test drive" Levi says while sipping his warm coffee. The boy abruptly disappears from his vision and Levi closes his eyes, waiting to hear the sound of the bell. A second passes before he hears the ringing and become rhythmic as Eren walks around. Not only does the bell alert Levi of his presence but also lets him know where the boy is, so Levi knows that Eren is currently walking around the kitchen, then walks past him before sitting back in his original spot.
"Cool" it's only a faint whisper but Levi hears it and he smiles softly before downing the rest of his coffee.
The rest of the afternoon is spent in relative silence. Eren complained of being tired a few hours previous and went to take a nap. Levi heard the bell ringing as he made his way upstairs. Once Levi knew he was alone he made a dash up to his room, kneeling down, he drags his backpack from it's hiding spot and proceeds to empty the contents on the floor. A dozen or so wads of cash fall to the floor as well as a passport and combat knife. After counting the money Levi realises he will run out soon and finding a job becomes a priority. He reminds himself to look in the local paper for any jobs ads next time he gets one.
Levi runs a rough hand through his undercut, he's been lucky enough to not be caught by his regiment yet but he knows they are out looking for him. Thinking about his regiment causes Levi's heart to hurt, thinking of Izzy and Farlan causes a grim expression to appear on his face. He should never have left them with Kenny.
Levi's train of thought is suddenly cut short when the doorbell chimes throughout the house. He quickly packs his things back into the backpack and hides it under the bed again. Checking that his boot knife is in place, he slowly walks downstairs and toward the front door. Just before he turns the nob he hears the bell attached to Eren's ankle that indicates he's awake. Levi just prays he won't show himself.
Opening the door Levi is met with the same police officer as a few days prior. Sergeant Ackerman as he recalls, is not facing his direction, instead she is turned to the side and starring at the house next door. This odd behaviour sets off warning bells in Levi's head and he takes a step back. He looks over at the police car parked in his driveway and sees another officer leaning against the car, looking bored.
"How can I help you officer?"
"You can't" The woman simply states, continuing to stare to the right of her. "Only Eren can help"
Levi's eyes widen at the comment, flicking behind him to see if Eren is with them. "I don't know what you are talking about" Levi defends. Surely this is all some sick joke.
"Yes you do. Don't lie to me Mr Church, I saw the alarm clock on the front lawn. That can only mean that Eren finally revealed himself to you." Her words are accurate and precise. She knew everything.
"And how do you know all this?" Levi weakly tries to divert conversation away from his imaginary friend.
"Because I know Eren. I know that Eren will only waste his time on two alarm clocks. If the person sticks around long enough he will decide to reveal himself. You seemed to have passed his test. Isn't that right Eren?" Levi freezes as Eren walks into Levi's field of vision, seeming smug. Sergeant Ackerman still has her head turned and it dawns on Levi that she is doing that in order to see Eren.
"Sure is" Eren answers.
"Don't tell me your one of them as well?" Levi questions the officer.
"What do you think dambass? You can clearly look at me directly and I don't vanish" Levi scratches his head sheepishly and feels a little stupid for asking the question.
"Mikasa! Stop being so mean" Eren demands.
"I'm looking out for you Eren! Do you know what's going to happen in a couple of days?" Mikasa hisses through her teeth.
"Yes I'm aware of it. But please leave him alone" Eren begs. The Sergeant simply pouts before signalling to her partner at the car. The man looks fresh out of training. He has a bored expression and two-toned hair that makes him look a lot less intimidating. He walks up to the front door, looking a little confused at the stance his partner is taking but he doesn't comment.
"Sergeant Kerstein do you know why we have visited Mr Church today?" The young officer begins to pick his nails.
"Nope"
"Jean!" Ackerman snaps "Pay attention and tell me why we are here". The male officer thinks hard for a few minutes, then it dawns on him.
"We got a call about a noise disturbance last night" The female officer nods her head in approval, satisfied with the answer.
"That's a load of bullshit!" Levi yells. His patience is wearing thin. How dare they accuse him of doing nothing?
"Is it?" Mikasa asks, "At around midnight last night we got a complaint of a machine smashing outside your home. And would you look at that, you have a mechanical device on your lawn" The sarcasm is dripping from her voice. Her head is now looking straight ahead at Levi, looking smug. With both officers now looking in Levi's direction, they can no longer see Eren. Levi however can still see him, sensing that Eren is a little pissed off at the intrusion of his so-called 'friend'.
Sargent Ackerman then pulls a pad and pen from her pocket and starts writing in it. She begins talking.
"This is the second noise complaint this week Mr Church. If you get another one we will be issuing a fine. Please be mindful of your neighbours." Levi feels there is a double meaning in her words but he is too pissed off to think about it. Levi can see Eren visibly shake with aggression. Levi begins to wander what his history is with the woman.
The two police officers retreat back to their car before any more words are exchanged. Levi slams the front door closed and starts pacing, trying to figure out what just happened and why the officer hates him so much.
However outside the house, as the two sergeants walk back to their car, the younger male is questioning why his superior is so focused on this particular house. As he circles around the car he catches a glimpse of the next-door neighbour. At first all he sees is a young man near the fence, inspecting the flowers growing there. As the male officer lifts a hand to wave at the neighbour he find himself starring at an empty garden, not a person in sight. He jumps in fright as he frantically searches for the person who was right in front of him.
Mikasa taps impatiently on the hood of the car and Jean has no choice but to get in the car. He is visibly shaken by the sudden disappearing act and only caught a glimpse of the man, remembering only a dusting of freckles. He doesn't know if he is hallucinating or going crazy but for some odd reason, he really wants to see those freckles again.
Nightfall slowly descends on the town of Sina and Levi is still pacing the kitchen, he has so many things to worry about yet he can't stop thinking about the creepy policewoman. Levi wants to ask Eren a thousand questions about the woman because it was clear that they knew each other well, yet there was tension in their interactions.
Eren disappears and re-appears in Levi's vision frequently on account of his constant moving. Eren is slowly going mad as he continues to watch Levi pace back and forth. The young boy is tempted to tell Levi about his relationship with Mikasa but he doesn't know if Levi can handle any more knowledge for the day. Eren is just about to tell Levi off for pacing when the doorbell interrupts him. If it's Mikasa, he's going to kill her.
Levi looks sharply at the front door. He has a strong sense to ignore whoever is on the other side. Yet if it's the policewoman, he's going to kill her. He slowly makes his way toward the front door and opens it slowly. However he finds that his front porch is empty. Levi is just about to close the door when he hears the tell-tale sign of Eren's anklet jingling. He hears the noise pass him and stop in front of him. Levi catches on and turns his head to the side. When he finally has Eren in his field of vision he realises that he isn't alone. From what he can make out he is with a younger boy who is a lot shorter than Eren, has long blonde hair and is speaking very fast. Levi is instantly confused until their hushed whispers and talking suddenly stops and both boys turn their gaze to Levi.
"What the fuck is going on?" Levi demands, making both boys jump.
"Levi, this is my friend Armin. He's one of us"