Disclaimer: I forgot to tell that "Eye Water" is from SnK OST (but I'm sure as hell you know) but… Me no own.
Four: Omne Ignotum Pro Magnifico
every unknown thing [is taken] for great
Eren woke up at the sound of his alarm. His eyes fluttered open, aware of the blurry vision of his dark room. He sat up being thankful for having no dream at all. Then he started on his permanent morning routine.
He prepares the things before he sets to sleep, that's how he's got used to the life of being blind. Everything he uses are scattered at different places so he knew what will he be using. Then when he goes down, Mikasa and their godfather Hannes are waiting for breakfast. Armin mostly comes along if he's not busy with law school.
Eren only accepts clients during Mondays to Thursdays. But speaking about SC Records, he was also entered the world of songwriting. He admits, besides playing the piano he loves making songs. He makes other people sing them though, like Mikasa or Armin.
The thought of hearing his songs from Rivaille makes his heart pound. This is so much from what he wished for.
But this thought also fills him with dread. What if he doesn't like it? What if he just accepts it because I am blind? What if—
"Eren." Armin called with a slight tap on the brunet's shoulder, worried about his friend. "You're overthinking about nothing again. Tell you what? He actually likes them."
"That's impo— wait." Eren remembered yesterday. "Is that why you made me bring my songs?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"Ugh." Eren wanted to hide himself now. "You didn't."
"Aren't you gonna be late?" Mikasa asked them both. Armin looked at the clock and suddenly stood up, pulling Eren with him.
"Oi, Armin!" Eren exclaimed. He called his dog.
"Call you when we're there!" Armin bade his goodbye, with Eren in tow.
"So… Armin, your late here." Eren pointed to the floor, with disbelief in his tone
. He usually came here because of him, but it was his first time coming with him at the same time "Means thirty minutes early. To everyone."
"E-reeen! Ar-miiin!" Hange welcomed them with a bone-crushing hug. "Good to see you both rays of sunshine!"
The brunet was definitely glad that he was welcome here. Then he lead himself to the path to the studio. Every step he made was like his first time. He opens the door and music came booming over his ears.
The song was the same song he's been listening to everyday, only that the voice quality of the singer is that of richer than before. He can sing this in his dream without messing the lyrics up. The song that stopped him from thinking about hopelesness.
Levi, who is on the other side of the room, has not seen the two newcomers. He didn't even noticed that he had his eyes closed. He was once again in his battle, but unlike before, he was feeling empty.
"Eren." Armin called him quietly. Eren didn't even notice that the voice has been calling him like a siren's song. " You're crying."
Now he just noticed the cold salt trail on his cheeks. He wept it off his face "U- no. It's nothing."
"Good job, guys!" The song ended and Levi is back on the studio once again. He internally sighed. He took his headphones off and met with everyone else outside. He noticed Eren talking with the others.
He can't believe that this is the boy he met that day. He has changed a lot, from that screaming brat to guy with a license in psychology. Judging by the way he talks, he is definitely ten years older than his physical age. That reminded Levi, what happened during the last ten years?
"Okay, people!" Erwin called out. "So we'll begin with brainstorming first."
"Which we definitely didn't dowith Ueno." Petra muttered.
"Let's stop with that Ueno incident and may I ask." Erwin sat on his seat, with the others around him. "What would you want the albaum to be?"
Everyone started giving out their concepts, which were contradicting another one's opinions. After a short while, some of them began shouting. Who said which, the others were rumbling out to the listeners ears.
"We should stick with the old things we began to!"
"No! It doesn't show variety, let's give a change of scenery."
Eren told something to Armin, then stood up quietly and walked outside.
"Come on, everybody loves this side of Rivaille! We should not replace that."
"But if we did, our demands will rise up."
As this goes on and on, everyone got caught up on the fight about the concept of the album. Levi got tired of it, somehow he forgot that this was a part of being a singer and all. The first time they started, they were being misled that they get to choose for themselves. He found a way out without the others noticing.
As he went out of the corridor, he went straight to the building's storage room, a strange place for silence and comfort. And he likes the smell of cleaning supplies on the other portion of the room. That's also where he hides whenever reporters and paparazzis decided to have an interview with the band. They somehow gotten used to not seeing the vocalist up front, which is why some of his fans would not really recognize him.
He twisted the knob open and took in the darkness of the room. Now he's alone—
"Who's there?" A voice called out to him. Levi followed the origin of the sound, passing by rows of tall drawers and cabinets.
—Maybe not.
He saw a dimly-lit part of the room, which is at the he found out that it was only Eren, who was slumped down on the floor with a braille and an small electric keyboard at hand.
"What are you doing here?" Levi asked the brunet on the floor. He switched the light nearest to them open, which made the latter squint at the brighter source.
"It's too loud out there, I can't concentrate." Eren answered. Being blind, he became relatively dependent and sensitive on his sense of hearing and touch. "Aren't you supposed to decide on the album concept?"
Levi scoffed, "Believe it or not, they were usually the ones eho do that and I have no say in it."
"Eh?" Eren mused. "My life's been a lie, thank you very much."
"If I did though, I would be singing about respect for cleaning."
Eren laughed a genuine laugh. Levi thought it's not funny at all, but seeing Eren do it makes his heart hammer, but don't mention it. "Then, I'm making this song for nothing."
"I want to hear it." Levi told him.
"It's not finished yet." Eren excused as he places down notes.
"I wanted to hear it." Levi repeated.
"Well it's not that much." Eren said.
"I wanted to…" Levi sat down beside him "Hear it."
Eren audibly gulped at how close Levi was, his voice was inches away from his ear and his shoulder brushes his. He cleared his throat "I don't sing."
"Fine, I'll sing it." Levi took the paper from him. He saw the title, "Dark Side of the Moon?"
"Uh-haha." Eren suddenly snatched the paper back and erased the writing on the top. He gave it back to Levi."I'm still thinking about it."
Levi scanned the paper, and deadpanned "You didn't even erase a single letter."
"Just ignore it!" Eren exclaimed. "By the way, it just sounded like your first track on Wings of Freedom album."
"The Reluctant Heroes." Levi stated "Why that song?"
"For nostalgic feels, I think? Trust me, I'm a fanboy myself." Eren asked with a shrug. "Tell me when you're ready."
"I am." Eren took a deep breath and started playing the keys. His fingers were dancing over keys in a fast tune, and Levi was mesmerized.
He imagines himself on an unknown. A world of bloodshed. But as he started singing, he sensed a strong power in his hands. It's been a long time since he felt it.
"On the other side of the wall's a hell It's a life, a life of deceptiveness…" At the time Eren was writing this, he thought that this will be bland and colorless. But no, it gave him a sight, a kaleidoscopic vision.
As they went on to the next verse, Eren went in an abrupt stop in playing the keyboard, like he suddenly zoned out.
"Hey, Eren." Levi called out silently but the boy did not respond. He flicked his forehead. "Oi."
"U-oh! Sorry. It ended there." Eren mumbled as he stuffed his braille in his coat. "Is it just me or it is that you don't call me Eren before?"
That's why the name sounded so foreign to him. He might've heard Jaeger before, but he never thought of hearing his first name.
"Oh, yeah." Eren pondered to himself. He added with a huffed noise. "You're calling me brat."
"You still remember that?" Levi gave up on the urge to smirk, Eren won't see anyway. "Do you like those times?"
"Hmph, don't get full of yourself." Eren told as he stood up. "It still sounded annoying."
"Brat." Levi continued, but Eren didn't answer. "Oi, brat."
"I'll leave you on your own, old man." Eren opened the door. "Start thinking of your own song."
"So, it's decided now." Erwin really wanted to stop it for the past hour. It's like he was taken away from Atlas' curse. "So Levi…"
They saw the seat Levi occupied not too long ago (or has it been a long while?) emptied out. Even specks of dust were out of sight, as expected of the said guy. "Has anyone seen where he has gone?"
"Nope." Knowing Rivaille, he'll never come back.
"Well, let's call it a day, people." Erwin said, why did he even started doing this, he's handling a bunch of pre-schoolers. "Tomorrow."
Everyone scattered out chattering. Armin cleared his throat, "Do you need anything, Erwin?"
"I need to relax, Armin." The manager answered with exasperation.
"I'll settle an appointment, sir." He took is phone and smiled.
"Thanks, you can go home with Eren after." Erwin sighed when his assistant finally said his thanks and went off.
Levi decided to set off when he noticed an envelope where Eren sat earlier. He scanned through pages of music and lyrics.
The door opened and Levi thought it would be the brunet once again, but it revealed the blonde bobbed that is Erwin's assistant
"Eren!" Armin's eyes squinted to adjust in the dark. He saw that only the raven-haired lead singer. "Where's Eren?"
Levi automatically hid the envelope behind him. "He went a while ago."
"Oh. Uhm, thanks." The blonde shuts the door quietly.
He looked back at the envelope that encased Eren's lyrics. They told that what a person wrote would reflect their own experiences. Eren was a puzzle piece to him.
And as he started on reading through the pages, he didn't know that he will be taking Eren completely in his life.
Omake#1: Dust and Levi Just Don't Fit (Canonverse)
Levi just got back from a troublesome trip to Wall Sina. And to be honest, the inside walls can be as filthy, he needed to use all his cravat for it.
Luck was not in his side today, the castle was not cleaned up to his standards. His eyes were starting to itch now and he needed to go back to his room.
"Heichou's back!" Eren told the others in the room.
"This early?" Petra exclaimed.
"But the castle..." Eld started and the rest tensed up. "We're doomed."
"Eren." The said boy muttered a stuttering yes. "Can you talk to the corporal?"
"H-hai... sir."
Eren felt like his footsteps have gone heavier as he reached Levi's room. He listened through the door for anything. What is shocking is that he was hearing some curses and wood banging the floor.
"Damn, I need those!" Levi exclaimed in an un-Levi manner. What did he need? Eren asked himself in a thought.
Then he heard the cutest thing in the whole wide wall.
"Aa-chh!" Levi sneezed. The Humanity's Strongest, for God's sake! After thirty seconds, he decided to knock, and for a moment later, Levi opened, uncovering a red-nosed and teary-eyed Levi came to him. Damn, Eren didn't know Levi can be cute.
"What dou you wantmm.. Brat." He was sniffing from the allergies he acquired earlier.
"Uhmm sir... Are you." Eren gulped. "Allergic to dust?"
Levi shut the door in front of his face.
A knock came to his door. "SHUT UP!"
"Hey, I have pills." Eren called out from the outside. Levi groaned and he opened the door just to get the pill, but Eren entered himself him. "But please let me take care of you! My moher does it to me everytime."
He took on a spoon of porridge and leveled in near Levi's mouth. "It's not poisoned."
He took the spoon and started eating. then he drank the pill and pushed it with water.
After that, Eren kissed the corporal's forehead, and blushed. :That's w-what my mother does to me after. So uhmm.."
Levi grabbed the brunet by the hand and kissed him back. Eren's blush has reached up to his ears "This is what I pay back."
"Oh, uhmm..." Eren mumbled. Then before closing the door, he stated. "Okay..."
Levi and dust won't really match.
But being with Eren, he doesn't really care.
-Chapter 3 Review–
Quirk2: I know, I know. But thanks for the effort really. You're the first to do so.
Ern Erstine 13624: Wow, thanks!
–Author's Notes–
What happened the last two weeks:
-Exams and project. A lot of time
-Family crisis coming back again
-I'm suddenly the EIC of our English Journalism
-School in general -A real-life shipping with my bestfriend and I. Well, he did became my crush but oh well.
And expect that it will tumble my life upside-down but I'll write occasionally. If I did become late, I'll write omakes to… What PH say, "make bawi".
I'm tied like a pretzel knot,
~-Kazzui-Addiction