[🌸] i lived | riren/ereri au

i lived | part one

————— I   L I V E D —————
— part one: dead man's bridge —
— possible triggers: suicide attempt & depression —

written by: iAmAnimeFreek
written for: BrightEyesEren

‹ unedited ›

——— ‹ ∞ › ———

Who's to say for sure what happens after we die?

Who's to say if we die at all?

No matter what happens during our lifetime, no matter what choices we make—good or bad—and no matter how we live up to our final moments, we will never truly die. We continue to live, even after our hearts seize to beat at that same steady pace.

You see– the reason why we don't truly die is because of our unfinished business. We are kept on earth until we complete the things we couldn't do when we were alive.

We stay on earth until we finish what we never had the chance to do. When we do, and there is nothing left for us to do, we can finally rest and say that we have lived.

——— ‹ ∞ › ———

There are times when Levi wondered if life was truly worth living. There are times where he would sit around and just imagine how the world would be without someone like him around; and it was times like these that he sat at the edge of dead man's bridge off the coast of route nine.

No one drove past this bridge, or even cared that the wood had begun to chip from the years that passed. It was isolated, abandoned, and broken—much like Levi himself.

Putting his life on retrospect, there wasn't much wrong with it. So what his parents constantly bickered over nonsense, so what that he wasn't the best to socialize, so what he didn't feel the need to continue living. Levi knew there were cases much worse than his, and that is why he didn't complain—at least—not out loud.

Levi didn't speak of his feelings to anyone, he wouldn't allow himself to be so weak. What he didn't know was that he was making himself weak. As each day passed, he became weaker and weaker to the point of complete and utter destruction. The monsters he created were now recreating him, and they were in control now.

So this is where he stands—at the edge of dead man's bridge off the coast of route nine—lost and broken. He had run off, away from his family who didn't seem to notice him slip away. You would think that a boy of sixteen would know better than to run away into the depths of darkness, what a fool he is. What a fool to believe that a bridge would be his salvation, the solution to all his problems.

Do it... jump.

He could. Oh, how easy it was to stand at the edge. Oh, how easy it would be to simply jump. He was ready, he had been ready for weeks now; but gazing over the calm waters that reflected such a beautiful speckled sky, Levi couldn't pull through with—as he once said— his destiny.

What was holding him back? What could possibly be standing in his way?

No, it wasn't something in his way, it was someone beside him.

"It's a long way down, isn't it?"

"Excuse me?" retorts Levi.

"The river, it's a long way down," the boy repeats.

"It's long enough, what are you even doing here? Who are you? It's past midnight, what kind of person would be lurking around at these hours?"

"That's funny, I was going to ask you the same questions," says the boy with a quirky smile. "I'm Eren, and I just happen to be passing by when I saw you here."

"Passing by? Who the hell passes by at one in the morning?" Levi wasn't buying the boy's explanation. This boy, Eren, must be in some sort of gang or something to be wandering around such a secluded place. There was no possible way someone could just 'pass by' dead man's bridge.

"Yeah, just passing by. Mind if I join you?" he asks with a tilt of his head.

Levi steps down from the fence and stares directly into Eren's eyes with a deadly glare. This had to be some sort of joke, the odds of this situation actually happening was little to nothing; but, yet, here they are.

"Who are you?" Levi inquires once more, his silver orbs refusing to part from Eren's teal one's.

"I already told you, I'm Eren," the boy repeats, this time his voice hinted annoyance. "And stop staring at me like that, it's creepy."

Levi narrows his eyes, the corners of his lips tugging into a frown before he stepped away from the other. Levi wasn't at all pleased with Eren's presence, or the attitude he showed either; but he did have nice eyes, that much he could admit.

"Can I ask you a question now?" Eren raises a brow. "What are you doing leaning over the bridge, it isn't some sort of jungle gym," he inquires nonchalantly before leaning against the post to peer down to the calm waters, the reflection if the moon strongly visible.

Levi glowers at Eren as he follows their steps. He leans against the fence post, staring down below. He contemplated whether or not to actually tell him why he was there, it wasn't like he could stop him from jumping. He didn't know Eren, and he didn't plan on getting to know him. There's no point to get to know Levi, he was going to be a dead man anyways.

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" Asks Levi.

"Maybe," Eren replies with a shrug.

"I'm going to jump."

"Going to? That means you're still planning on doing it?" Eren inquires with a frown. Levi refuses to respond. Eren's frown softens, then his lips curl into a grin. "Well, jumping off a bridge is on my bucket list. I planned on doing it later, but I guess now is s good time," says Eren as he steps on the fence that separated him from plummeting to the river. "Though, I imagined doing this with a bungee cord."

Levi's eyes widen. What was this kid doing?! He can't be serious!

Levi grasps the other's clothing, pulling him off of the edge. "What the hell?! Are you stupid or something?"

"Says the one that thought of jumping first."

Touché.

Levi took a step back, sighing deeply. "Yeah, so?" Levi pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Why do you even have bungee jumping off a bridge on yourreadin bucket list?"

"Because," Eren breathes, "I've never gone bungee jumping before. I want to try it once before I go."

"Are you moving or something?"

"Not exactly," he replies. "Why would you care if I did? I'm a stranger."

Why Levi was so curious of Eren was unknown. It was a feeling that he hadn't felt before, as if something, by a strange force of nature, were pushing him to speak to Eren. Levi wasn't interested, but at the same time he was. He was confused by these feelings and wanted them to go away.

"Yeah, you're right. You are a stranger," Levi restates. He heaves a sigh, shaking his head once more and walks away from Eren, leaving him and the bridge behind.

——— ‹ ∞ › ———
to be continued...
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[ Author's Note: I kept it short and sweet. There's more, I planned on having a few chapters for the reason because I suck at making one-shots. Oh, and Eren, if you're reading this, I hope you liked it so far. If you don't wanna stick around for the rest, then that's okay with me ^-^ I'm glad you gave it a shot! ]

— freek