Behind The Curtain (EREN X LEVI FANFICTION)

21: Waiting Game

Eren had originally believed he was strong enough to withhold until show night to project his feelings into Levi's being. He had claimed the task was easy. What's a little bit of waiting? He could do it. All he had to do was lean against a wall, hands in his pockets and continue about his day like nothing major was going to happen in the next 24 hours. It would be the easiest win Eren could ever hope to achieve.

Eren was wrong. Being the most impatient human in the world, as dubbed by Armin who is always a reliable source of intel, has only made this wait all the more excruciating. It has barely reached lunch time the following day and Eren is on the floor of his drama class living out his woes in real time while allowing the other students to watch his inevitable demise. He cries in a melodramatic fashion, cursing the world for being cruel and laying his hand down to strike the earth beneath his feet. His audience in the classroom stares in amazement as Eren conveys incredibly real emotions, agonising over and over again how the test of time is enough to drive a good man insane, and that he is no different. With one final wail of sorrow, Eren inhales deeply with a slow shut of his eyes.

Then he quickly snaps them back open and stares ahead towards the end of the classroom. He looks past the group of students and his expression softens as he remembers the gentle gaze he used to receive from Levi. Although normally seen with a grim scowl, it would always be the opposite with Eren. He misses seeing his face. He misses the look of comfort Levi always had when around him, and he only wishes to make that memory a scene of the present. Eren concludes his acting with a declaration of the world's cruelty but surmises that beauty can still be found hidden in the darkness.

Petra Ral, the drama class's teacher, stands with heavy applause at Eren's performance. Others join in, left in awe by the spectacle.

"Wow, Eren! That was... something else!" Petra beams proudly at her student. "You've certainly come a long way in your acting."

"Thanks, Petra! This just gives everyone a taste of what's to come tomorrow night!" He grins widely at her. He aced this. Tomorrow is going to be nothing if he excels so well on a tiny little monologue. Petra nods her head, reaffirming that tomorrow is sure to be a performance to remember. Then she clears her throat, looking back through her notes with careful eyes before holding out her hand.

"All I need is your written script for the monologue and then I can mark your assessment as completed."

"Uh..." Eren stares blankly at her. "Did you say... Written script?"

"Yes, of course!" Petra smiles. "That was the assignment. You had to choose a style of theatre and then compose a monologue in the style you've chosen. You would have to write, annotate and present your script. I assume you went for Greek tragedy? I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed how you incorporated aspects of melodrama, although at times it did feel like I was watching a play written by Shakespeare. You certainly have a way with your words!"

"Y-Yeah..." Eren is sweating, and he isn't sure if that's because the classroom is boiling in this heat or if his body is going into meltdown knowing he failed a crucial part of his assignment.

He forgot to write the damn script!

His looks of pure horror must have drawn attention as murmurs and giggles from his other classmates softly fill the background, and it's clear to everyone, besides Petra, that Eren has missed the bare minimum task to secure his passing grade.

"Well... You see, Petra..." Eren chuckles nervously. "I decided to portray my script directly from the heart. Each word was completely spoken in the moment! I can't be contained by words on a page, I have to feel the words to act the words."

"You forgot, didn't you."

"Yes Ma'am... I'm sorry..."

The class laughs at Eren's attempt to pull a fast one on the teacher. Petra is all about theatre and can see the effort Eren put in for his acting, but she follows the rules and isn't about to let Eren sneak off without handing in the required work, no matter how much of a star he is. She sighs heavily before shaking her head in amusement.