Shattered (Ereri/Riren fic)

Chapter 3: Shattering Annoucment

A/N: if anyone comes across this, please give me feedback! Even if it's to tell me how bad this is 😅.

Armin's P.O.V.

I know Eren's hiding something, I know it! He's never usually so closed up and it hurts to know that there are things he can't even talk to me about. I can't help but feel guilty that I tried to force him to talk when he seemed so shaken up; maybe I should have just left him alone and let him come around when he felt ready. With each day that passes I feel like he's drifting further away, and further to a place I'll never reach.

Through the corner of my downturned eyes I saw my grandfather's homely bungalow come into view, the driveway looking extra long from the angle. I really feel safe when I'm at home with him. Nothing can get to me while I'm there, not even Jean Kirstein's gang and definitely not Jean himself. Jean used to be an alright guy, actually we got along quite well, but it felt like the moment Eren moved over from London, he changed. There was no longer a kind, friendly, light-hearted boy, but a cold jerk had taken his place.

Every so often he'd get his moments of normality, usually when he was with Marco, but that was because Marco was such a saint. His nickname was freckled Jesus for God's sake. I couldn't imagine anyone being out of line when he was around.

I had an hunch that it may have been Jean's gang who attacked Eren. I mean, who else would've been bothered to chase him unless he'd done something to get on their bad side.

I took note to ask him about his attackers the next time I saw him.

Eren's P.O.V.

Never in a million years did I think I'd be dwelling over the thought of Levi Ackerman. That man had been an acquaintance one moment, and a huge part of my life the next.

I thought back to his agreement, I still couldn't quite get my head around why he did that. I flushed at the thought of the kiss. Usually someone's first kiss didn't involve the leaving of miniature love bites, or the nibbling of their ear, or even the depth and passion that filled mine. I peered down at my hickey-covered chest with a sigh of disbelief. How was I going to cover this up without borrowing a stick of concealer from my sister? Not that it'd be dark enough anyway, since she's so pale.

Mikasa was adopted when I was about nine, and she was 12, and became part of the family. Sometimes I felt like our father loved her more than me and it wasn't even as if she was a "daddy's girl".

My eyes glanced over towards the clock; half-past two.

'I should probably get up now...'

As I slipped into smarter clothes than the ones I had worn for Armin's visit, I absentmindedly brushed my hand against my injured ear, making me wince slightly from the sharp pain that struck me. The top of my ear had taken on a pinkish hue and had begun to swell a bit, although at this point I couldn't tell whether that was from the jerk or Levi.

Levi... Once again my thoughts betrayed me by trailing back to the older man. Why would he help me when there was nothing in it for him? According to my father, his father always described him as useless and selfish, not exactly qualities in a saviour. If his old man was to be believed then his involvement made no sense.

Trying to forget him for one moment, I made my way down to the kitchen (two floors below me).

As I entered the room I found Mikasa reading at the table; she looked up at me in shock, "Eren! Why are you up? I thought father asked you to stay in bed!" Her eyes darted around me as if to check for any reason to send me back upstairs. I rolled my eyes at her reaction.