A/N: I have created dozens of alternate realities inside my mind but I forget to do my goddamn homework all the time. The life of a teenage author.
Kigen Dawn - Do you really want to know?
Maru de Kasanagi - Levi decided early on that the police would ignore his report or not take it seriously. It totally isn't true, but I like to tear people's souls apart.
MrsHeichouToYou - Thank you very much! You don't sound creepy at all. Quite the contrary. Reviews like that make me happy like you wouldn't believe.
MssCassandra - Yes, yes I do.
Hikiri - I've been calling it basically the same thing. Actually, before I started writing a few chapters ago, I was going to have Mike keep Eren there, and have Eren escape right before Christmas, but that's not how my mind wanted it, apparently. So now dumb stupid Eren is in the streets.
Eren flopped onto a bench and sighed. It was a bus stop. Maybe he could get on the bus, if he had any money on him, or if he knew where he was. He would be able to ride back home and sleep on the way there. As it was, Eren was pretty tired. He had been wandering around aimlessly all night and was now in the middle of nowhere. At least he knew he was few miles from Mike, but damn was he tired.
He just had to close his eyes and sleep. His head was pounding from sleep deprivation. But he was vulnerable when he was asleep. He almost wished a police car would drive by so he could ask for a ride back home. Sure, there would be questioning, but it would be worth it.
Eren was laid down on the bench with his eyes half-lidded, almost asleep and with no way home. It was fucking cold. So fucking cold. And he was so tired...
"Eren!" called his mother.
"Mom?" asked Eren, looking around wildly. Everything was dark. He couldn't see a thing. Where was he? Where was Carla? The darkness was so... empty.
"Mom!" Eren shouted, louder this time. He tried to run, but the darkness reached for him and held him still. It was sticky on Eren's skin. He desperately tried to get out of it. Then, voices started calling him, mocking him. Eren's eyes started to prickle with tears. The voices were jeering and cruel, seeming to go on for endless hours.
Suddenly, the darkness fled. There was Mikasa, Armin, and Levi, surrounded by a pale light. They were beckoning to him, motioning for him to come closer. Eren was free, but still frozen to the spot. Could it be?
"Come here, Eren." said Mikasa, but her voice didn't sound demanding. It sounded like it did when she comforted him after he was bullied. Like when she comforted Armin when he was bullied.
"Eren." said Armin, smiling. His cheeks were flushed with happiness, his smile dazzling. His golden hair was being whipped around by wind Eren could not feel, but he knew it was there, with his friends. Over there where Eren couldn't quite seem to reach.
"Get your ass over here." said Levi. Eren almost laughed. It was so Levi that Eren could hardly remember that this was a dream. He ran over and barreled into the three most important people in his life, laughing. The ones who saved him.
The ones he loved.
Armin was starting to warm up to Legout. At first, it had been weird. Legout was clingy and Jean kept sending him dirty looks. Mikasa looked like she was about to strangle him. But now they were all getting used to him, with his tendency to cling to Armin's arm (ha ha) and not let go and all that. Jean still looked pretty pissed off.
"How did you do on the test?" asked Mikasa. She, Jean, Armin, and Legout were standing in class. School had just ended, and Eren had been missing for a total of four days. (Assume that Eren has slept the day away, please. Ignore any time differences, this is what I have decided on.)
Armin still wasn't worried. Eren might take his sweet time, but he would be back.
"I got a B minus." said Armin sadly. "The rivers always mess me up."
Legout nodded sagely. He barely ever spoke, but when he did it was always some smart-ass comment.
"I got an A." boasted Jean. "Loser."
Armin smiled. "And who got a D last time?" he asked sweetly.
"Not Jean." said Legout, grinning. Even Mikasa giggled at that. Jean looked furious, red in the face.
"Don't pay any attention to him." said Armin, waving one hand at Jean and covering his mouth with the other. He was still trying to stop laughing. Yep, definitely warming up to Legout.
After everyone started to go home, Jean stopped Armin.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked. He glared at Legout. "Alone."
"Sorry." Armin said to Legout, giving him an apologetic smile as he was dragged off by Jean. He could see Legout raise an eyebrow and walk away before Jean rounded the corner and shoved Armin against the wall.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Jean almost growled. Armin stifled a yelp.
"What do you mean?" asked Armin, trying to hide his quivering tone. Now Jean really did growl, looking away for a second before returning his eyes back to Armin's confused and scared gaze. He couldn't bring himself to care whether or not he was hurting Armin. All he wanted was answers.
"That fucking prick." said Jean through gritted teeth. His hold on Armin tightened, and the golden haired boy could feel fingernails dig into his skin.
"Legout?" asked Armin in surprise. He didn't think it would actually work. "We're just friends."
"And when did that happen?" asked Jean tiredly. He was starting to become more self aware, his grip on Armin loosening and his face relaxing into an expression on exhaustion.
"We just ran into each other a lot." Armin lied. "We have a lot in common. Our faces, for example."
"Not your personalities." said Jean before letting go of Armin. Armin didn't move, choosing to lean against the wall. Jean was silent for a while before finally giving Armin one small kiss on the lips.
"Sorry." he breathed before walking away, quickly. Armin stared at him in disbelief. Jean had apologized! He had never done that before. And Legout's plan was working! Things looked a bit brighter for little baby Armin, but he would have to do something about Jean's anger problem. That shit needed to be fixed.
A/N: Review and I will stop hurting Armin and Eren.