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veryrealimagination · 2 years

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No Way Out

Day No: 16

Prompt: No Way Out

Fandom: Murdoch Mysteries

Medium: fic

Trigger warnings: James Gillies

SFW

It was said that Llewellyn Watts had a better than average ability to learn languages.

German, Greek, Russian, Chinese (Toisanese and the newer Cantonese), a small bit of Korean, French (although he did not let Detective Murdoch know, it was quite embarrassing to hear him whispering to his wife in the language of love), English, of course. There may have been a few others that he was forgetting.

Which he used to look into the language that Ralph Fellows used to bind him and the man known as James Gillies. Some, most, of his memory was corrupted by the night, fear and pain stained them to the point where he had relived them instead of simply remembered them. It led to many of a wasted night when he tried to translate and transcribe the man’s ritual and all he did was suffer in panic before collapsing on his bed.

He also noticed that Murdoch tended to be ‘softer’ after one of those nights, as if he knew that Llewellyn had been going through the memories again. A shared tea while discussing the latest murder or something that the older man was working on which he could partially comment on, if mainly just to pull at a string of unanswered what ifs. There was often a theory floating about in his mind that William himself was also part of the connection between himself and Gillies. The reason and result for the forcibly given blood. Not as strong, not as loud as the one between him and the criminal, but another that bound each to the other.

He also realized that they had begun to use their first names with much more frequency, and wasn’t sure on what to make of it. It felt nice, as the people in his life dwindled down to nothing but the Station House and the local carts. Again.

Being done for the day, with a promise that he would freshen up and join the Murdoch-Ogden household alongside George and Effie, Henry and Ruth for a dinner while the Brackenreids got to enjoy the young ones for a night, he wandered back to his new room. There wasn’t another soul and that didn’t bother him much as they tended to frown at his attempts of conversation. They kept to themselves, and perhaps he should do the same in the meantime.

Llewellyn entered his room and spotted the man sitting in the comfortable chair that George had given him after moving in with Effie, reading one of his research books. He was possibly getting closer with Sumerian and-

He swung back around as he fully realized that it was James Gillies sitting in his chair. The man had gone into the old reports and managed to coax some knowledge out of the constables before William finally set him down and gave him the complete history of who he was. The threat he posed to the Station, what he tried to get away with in burying Doctor Ogden and then the trial-

“Calm down, Llewellyn,” he directed, putting the book down, “You knock yourself unconscious and you won’t make the dinner. I heard Julia had been getting better at the kitchen.” Llewellyn had backed into the cabinet that kept a single serving set for himself and one extra cup for company. There wasn’t anything that he could hold onto to keep his hands from shaking violently enough that it went through a clenched fist as well. Get out. Getout. Getout!

He sighed, “This could have gone a little quieter and cleaner.” He was up and across the room before Llewellyn could react and grasped the back of his neck. Something paralyzed him with that hold before he was shuffled to his small table and sat down with his help. Even with the grip gone after he sat in the second chair, he didn’t move. It almost felt like he couldn’t.

“Now, you’ve been looking into that ritual that Ralph Fellows used,” James said, staring straight into his eyes. He didn’t like it, feeling like he was pinned down like his former Inspector at One or the other constables when he brought up evidence that they tried to cover up. “And I don’t blame you after that wound. Being magickally connected to me isn’t any sort of picnic for two detectives, one who I had a rather annoying infatuation with and another that can’t seem to stop thinking about the past. Especially when it causes them to panic a great deal.

And you’ve been getting close. Sumerian isn’t that much of a great deal from the language Fellows had been using. Maybe a little later than the one he was using. It’s old, older than the earth itself, so it has been said. But I’ve been dealing with your relivings and your nightmares after your attempts at getting the information and working through it. So I’m here to tell you to knock it off.

Because there’s nothing you can do.

There’s no breaking this bond. Those scars were permanently scarred to ensure my future existence, a full bond between our health, the intertwining of our lives, for better or worse, much, much worse. I’ve been looking into it as well, and there’s nothing that can separate us, even if one of us could stay alive through the process. We are connected for life, Llewellyn Watts. Possibly even beyond that. And I am getting rather tired by your thoughts. Perhaps, if you need something to be terrified about, at least more than what your mind has already given you, I could always start another game with William and Julia. I heard they had a little girl.”

Llewellyn felt his heart freeze at the threat, and the wave of fear that he developed stopped him from moving when James walked out of his room. He wasn’t sure if James somehow still had control over his body, because that was the only thing he could think of as to why he hadn’t moved, hadn’t panicked, hadn’t shaken, hadn’t-

Someone wrapped something pre-warmed by a previous body around his shoulders and William was kneeling in front of him, carefully looking him over when his hands started shaking again. He grabbed at one of William’s when it wandered close by, clinging to him in place of the actual response he wanted. “George, there should be a bag underneath his bed, fully prepared for an overnight stay,” he muttered, “Leave all the books here. I’ll have to gather them tomorrow.” He was then guiding Llewellyn up and the hold that James caused whittled completely away to let him walk and grab his own jacket to add on before shuffling between the two men.

#whumptober2022 #no way out #no.16 #fic #murdoch mysteries #llewellyn watts #james gillies #break the cutie #i can call Watts a cutie #i was about to put mind control but it's more body control

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seeingivy · 11 months

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befriend your landlord

roommate eren x f!reader

you and eren reconcile after meeting your eccentric landlord

**find the series masterlist here

content: drinking, certified nut job landlord kenny ackerman, mentions of thanksgiving and fascism, mentions of a little meow meow

an: I do not subscribe to canon lonely levi he actually just has a very alive mother and a weirdo freak uncle bc I said so. buckle in girlfriends!!! (and boyfriends and all the friends) also this chapter is based on a very real thing that happened to one of my friends in college I just think its funny...also ive evolved from calling this a mini-series cuz I plotted way too much and now cuz we gotta build the trust yk they are VERY MUCH IDIOTS IN LOVE

previous part linked here

“So we can’t drive because…”

“He likes to drink. Like, an insane amount.”

“What does that have to do with us?”

You and Eren were currently swinging your feet on the green bench, the train station bustling in front of you. The two of you were riding into the city to meet with your landlord today. Kenny Ackerman. You were officially being added to the lease. But apparently, it was a bigger ordeal than just signing the papers.

You’d thought against it originally. Signing a very legal, very binding agreement to live with Eren, to stay with him for the foreseeable future. It didn’t seem like the best idea, given how the two of you were as of late. Awkward, distant, aimless.

If you had things your way, you would have been moving out, you would have never even been his roommate in the first place. You had even tried apartment hunting again, just to get away from Eren. For good.

The second you tried, you immediately remembered the reason you had to live with Eren in the first place. The options were hardly to die over. Hole in the wall, bathtub for a bed, your old physics professor.

You were stuck with Eren, whether you liked it or not. And that meant you had to go, convince Kenny Ackerman you were ‘worthy of living in the apartment’ (Eren’s words, not yours), and then sign the lease.

Eren had been coaching you for a better part of the morning, this conversation being the longest the two of you had talked in the past few weeks.

Some part of talking to him was becoming easier. The two of you weren’t exactly having the conversations you had before, but it was civil. Nice even. It was the only reason you were able to stomach this entire thing.

“I would never drive you home drunk, Y/N.”

“I could have driven us home.”

“Trust me. He can be very convincing.”

Eren had been coaching you on everything you needed to know about Kenny. Don’t call him Mr. Ackerman, he will hate you. If Kuchel, his sister, is there then make sure that you call her Mrs. Ackerman. Don’t call her Kuchel until she tells you to call her Kuchel. The sooner she says that, the better. Make sure to drink anything he offers you, the pink lemonade smells bad but it’s not too horrible. If his nephew is there, don’t make eye contact unless he makes it with you first.

He was somehow more nervous introducing you to his landlord (and his landlord’s family??) than introducing you to his own parents. Granted, they kind of put a pin in that entire thing, but he seemed way more at ease then than he did right now.

You can see the timer on the screen, signaling that the next train would be here in less than a minute. You nudge his shoulder and the two of you jump off the bench, hesitantly linking arms as you push through the crowd in front of you.

The second the doors slide open, everyone pushes forward, very quickly sliding into every available seat on the train. This left you and Eren to share a single pole to hold onto as the train started moving. You secure your knuckles right under his, the two of you standing in silence, less than a foot away from each other. He leans down, his face even closer than it was before and he whispers into your ear.

“Brace your feet.”

“I know how to stand on a train, Eren.”

He doesn’t respond right away and you turn to find him looking down at the ground, avoiding meeting your gaze. You were just kidding. But then again, you did yell at him last week, so how is he supposed to know the difference?

“Six stops. Then we’ll get off.”

You nod, bracing your feet against the ground as the train starts moving. The train is stuffy, warm, and way over capacity. You can smell the girl standing directly next to you’s perfume, the prune smell so strong it was making your head spin. But worse than the smell was the heat, the congregation of people making the air congested, your hair sticking to the back of your neck from the sweat.

The two of you are pressed against each other, standing awkwardly. In silence. You did that a lot lately. This thing between the two of you was…delicate. You’re not sure what it is but the usual comfort, ease that you and Eren had was all but eliminated, left with this quietness. If you made a joke, it was lost to him entirely. If he said something that caught you off guard, you usually avoided responding by leaving the room. You had shouted at him and he made fun of you, so that didn’t leave much room for comfort.

The train quickly lurches, slowing down all of a sudden. You quickly lose your footing, stumbling in the air as the train stops completely. Before you can fall, Eren secures his hand against your waist, stabilizing you in the air as the train comes to a full stop. You watch a few people get off the train and switch with those getting on, your breath still shaky from losing your balance.

You feel him lean down, his head directly next to yours as he whispers in your ear, again. His hand is still secured around your waist, holding you steady. Even though the train wasn’t moving.

“So when I said brace your feet, I basically meant-”

“Shut up, Eren.”

“We should get a leash for the ride back. Lock you up real nice so you won’t move.”

“Perfect! We can use after too, when I have to drag your drunk ass home.”

The two of you are laughing, readjusting yourself against the pole as the train starts again. His hands are still holding you steady and you can feel your cheeks flushing pink. From the heat. Obviously.

There’s always moments like this - ones where it feels like nothing’s changed at all. You try not to think too hard about them. They’ve always gotten you in trouble.

He tightens his grip on your waist every time the train lurches and stops, for all five of the stops. You avoid the pounding in your chest, which only stops when you both hop off the train at the end of the line.

As you wait for Eren to pay for the return tickets, you spot a tiny black kitten, just at the end of the sidewalk. You immediately run down, nuzzling the tiny little cat as you pet it. As you breathe in the air, you immediately sneeze twice, your eyes watery from the sensation. You immediately hear the sound of a camera clicking, to find Eren standing over you, his phone in hand.

“What was that for?”

“Two kitties!”

“Ew.”

He holds his hand out, pulling you up as the two of you walk down the block to Kenny’s apartment. Your hands are at your side, lightly brushing against Eren’s every time he leans over, making room for the other people on the sidewalk. The sun is setting on top of the buildings, the air slightly chilled. The two of you stop, standing directly on Kenny’s porch. He glances over, giving you one last look.

“Why are you so nervous, Eren?”

“He can be really weird. And he’s going to grill you. Just- we have to bear with him to keep the rent the way it is and live together so, just don’t blow it, okay?”

“I really appreciate your vote of confidence, Eren. Your faith in me is rejuvenating”

“That’s- shut up, you know that’s not what I meant.”

The two of you give each other a smile, as Eren turns to the side and knocks on the door.

“Why didn’t you ring the doorbell?” you whisper.

“His doorbell is La Cucaracha.” he responds.

The door swings open and you’re greeted with three faces staring down at you - identical sets of jet black hair and gray eyes glistening in the lamplight of the street. At the sight of you, their faces all visibly droop, as they all welcome you in.

“He looks too young for you, Levi. And he brought a pretty girl.”

“Those are the tenants, Mom. Not Erwin.”

The two of them shuffle down the hall, pushing past into the room.

“Kenny Ackerman. You must be Eren’s new roommate.”

“Yes, that’s me. It’s so nice to meet you.”

You hold your hand out, him nearly jostling your entire body as he shakes your hand. He idles down the hallway to where the other two had gone, leaving you and Eren in the walkway. You whisper to Eren as the two of you hang your coats on the rack.

“They hate me already.”

“That’s not true. Kuchel called you pretty.”

You roll your eyes, the two of you awkwardly shuffling into the living room, where the three of them were sitting across from you. It’s only then that you can get a better look at them and realize that you know one of them. Levi. Your old physics professor. The one who you cried to about not having a roommate that took pity on you and let you sleep in his house.

“Hi Professor Levi. It’s been a while.”

“I see you’ve found a roommate. I can’t believe you found a place to live in one week.”

“I thought you said the two of you had been living together for a few months, Eren.”

“We have, Kenny.”

“Ah, right. I was just looking around at other apartments for the past week just to see if anything popped up on the market. And they didn’t. So I’m here.”

Eren ducks his head down, the expression on his face dark. He whispers into your ear as the three of them start chattering, still discussing Erwin.

“What? You want to move out?”

“No, no. I was just looking. It must be awkward for you to live with a girl who isn’t your girlfriend, you know?”

He leans over, his eyes teetering between annoyed and irritated.

“She’s not my girlfriend. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that.”

The doorbell rings, throwing you and Eren out of the conversation you were having. You watch the three of them jump up and rush to the door, fixing their hair and their clothes as they make it to the door. You and Eren stand up, peeking your heads down the hallway as you watch the three of them greet Erwin. Your old political science professor.

First Levi now Erwin too? You can feel your cheeks burning from embarrassment, remembering that you had actually cried to the two of them twice - the first time to Levi when you were jumping houses and he agreed to let you stay with them and a second time when Erwin offered you an extra pillow before you went to sleep.

“Hello. I’m Erwin Smith.”

“Eren Yeager. This is my roommate, Y/N.”

“Ah, Y/N. How are you? You figured out your living situation fast!”

You don’t miss Eren glaring daggers at you out of the corner of your eye as you give Levi and Erwin an awkward smile, shaking your sweaty palms against their hands.

“Okay kid. You and Kuchel should go fix the dinner with Erwin in the kitchen. I have to talk to these two here.”

Why are you and Eren here the first time Levi’s family is meeting his long term boyfriend?

You look over to Eren whose irritation has very quickly been replaced with nervousness. Kenny is staring the two of you down, the two of you squished together on his very tiny couch.

“So. You go to Shiganshina?”

You feel your voice tangle in your throat, suddenly intimidated by Kenny staring you down. You can hear Eren’s voice echoing in your head, his angry look seared in your mind, your voice not coming out. He’s going to grill you. Don’t blow it.

“Yes. She’s an Applied Kinesiology major. She’s very smart.”

You look over, silently thanking the gods that Eren answered for you.

“Can you pay rent?”

“She has been, for the past two months.”

He nods, leaning over the table as he stares you down.

“I’ll give you a situation. Respond accordingly.”

You nod, clenching your hands into little fists against the couch.

“You just got off of work. You’re really tired but you have to stop by the store to get groceries. You’ve purchased them all. What do you do after?”

You look over at Eren, giving him a weary stare. What the fuck kind of question is that? Is there even a right answer to this?

“Well, I would leave the store. And take my cart, if I had one, to my car. I’d probably put my stuff away, return the cart, and then just drive home, put everything in the fridge and the cabinets.”

He nods, taking in your answer as he leans back in his chair. “Do you like Eren?”

“What?”

“As a roommate.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah, he’s great.”

“Why did you start rooming with him?”

You can’t lie. It seems wrong to tell him that your old roommates chose not to room with you for the next year - he was sure to not think you were a good fit if you said that. But if he found out you were lying, it would be even worse.

“Well you see, she-”

“I asked her, Eren.”

You feel him move his knee, pressing his against yours as his fingers curl around your hand. You feel him squeeze your hand twice, his green eyes warm as he looks at you. Right. You can do this.

“I used to live with a few of my friends last year. I didn’t really know, but they had picked other arrangements without telling me, so I was left without a roommate for around a week. Eren was nice enough to offer me the empty spot in his room so I didn’t have to jump around from my friends' places every night.”

He stares the two of you down. You’re rubbing circles into the back of Eren’s hand, the two of you holding your breaths as you wait for his response.

“Sucks. Kids are bitches.”

You both squeeze, trying your best not to smile.

“Yeah.”

“If you kids start dating, you can't be loud at night. You’ll piss off the neighbors. You can sign the lease after dinner. You passed.”

He gets up off the couch, his distinct smoke smell leaving the room with him. You turn to Eren, the two of you smiling at each other as you lift your hands to high five. Eren holds your hand in the air, shaking your hand excitedly.

“You passed, kitty.”

“Where are we right now? Do you smell that? How does it smell like smoke and laundry at the same time? And what the fuck kind of question was that? I thought I was going to vomit. ”

“Weird guy. Nice rent rates, though.”

“And Levi. He’s my physics professor. I literally had a crush on him. And his boyfriend, he was my political science professor too. I even stayed over at their house once. This is about to be super weird.”

“Why did you stay at their house?”

“I didn’t have a place to stay! This was before you offered, when I was jumping houses.”

“Were they loud at night?”

“Ew. Don’t put that thought in my head. I’m going to vomit.”

“Save it for later.”

“As if. I can hold my drink. Trust me.”

You and Eren are seated directly across from Levi and Erwin at the dinner table, Kuchel and Kenny taking the heads of the tables at the ends. A large part of this feels like you and Eren are intruding on a very special moment, but you ignore that and dig into the food.

Right. For some reason, Kenny picked Thanksgiving food for the menu. In the middle of September. Like full on turkey dinner, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce.

“So, do you like Thanksgiving, Kenny?”

“I hate fascism, Y/N. No, I do not like Thanksgiving.”

You look over at Eren, trying your best to contain your laughter, as Kenny goes on, rambling about something you’re not quite sure about. Everything Eren said was slowly starting to fall into place - you really can’t turn down drinks from the guy. He’d already made you try three different drinks he made and you had only been here for an hour. And the pink lemonade was actually disgusting, Eren’s just a liar.

Kuchel turns to the two of you, flashing you both a big smile.

“Say Eren. You never told us you got a pretty girlfriend.”

You and Eren both choke on your food, clearing your throats.

“Ah. I’m not Eren’s girlfriend. We just live together. Friends.”

“Uh huh. Right. What a shame. You two are so sweet together. Sharing your sweet little smiles, playing footsie under the table.”

You immediately drag your foot off of Eren’s under the table, embarrassed that she had caught that. Every time Levi rolled his eyes, Eren tapped your foot to get your attention, the two of you trying not to laugh. It’s not your fault that rolling his eyes is basically like blinking to Levi.

“Ma. Leave them alone, yeah? They’re just kids, they don’t know what they feel.”

“I have to agree with Lee’ here, Mrs. Ackerman. Surely, they just haven’t reached that stage yet.”

“You call Levi Lee’, Erwin? That’s so sweet. Oh you two are just perfect and I-”

The four of you five of you watch Kuchel burst into tears, taking turns pressing kisses to everyone's cheeks at the table. You and Eren included. When she sits down, Eren leans over, whispering in your ear.

“She’s like Annie on hour five of being drunk.”

“More like hour one.”

You both laugh, silently eating your food as you watch them interact with each other again. Some parts of it feel like a reality tv show. Kenny’s is downright ridiculous - he’s been hurling out whatever comes to his mind. He told Eren that he seemed like the type to commit genocide in another life and then told Erwin that he would be a corrupt military man.

Kuchel is sweet. Almost two sweet. She spent a large majority of the night crying, telling baby stories about Levi when he was a kid. You don’t miss the way Levi’s ears turn red when she confesses that Levi used to be scared of the toilet when he was younger.

Best of all are Levi and Erwin. You don’t miss the glances between them - the silent communication they had going on at the table. It’s like the rest of you weren’t even here. That’s where you think Eren got the idea, the tapping on the feet. A signal that you were going to talk laugh about it later.

Eight drinks in and Kenny is blasting music, doing a solo interpretive dance to Etta James. You and Levi are in one corner with Kuchel, Erwin, and Eren in the other.

“I can’t believe this guy is your uncle. Did you ever do a DNA test?”

“Hundreds.”

You turn your neck to find Levi, staring across Erwin on the other side of the room. You follow his gaze, watching Kuchel pinch Eren’s cheeks and Erwin laugh at the two of them.

“What’s your deal?”

“What do you mean?”

“With Eren. You like him right?”

You look down into your cup, the opaque liquid staring back at you. Erwin had made you a fruity drink, to which Kenny responded “everything about this guy is fruity!”

“Yeah.”

“He doesn’t like you back?”

“No.”

“I didn’t like Erwin at first. He was too much - pretentious, arrogant, irrational at times.”

“But?”

“But, he was my best friend. At some point, all the love and admiration I had for him just became something more. Like, yeah, he was my favorite person to be around but then I wanted to be around him all the time. Tell him the good things, the bad things. Share something with him, anything, everything. I…I didn’t hate myself when I was with him.”

You smile, squeezing Levi’s shoulder in your hands.

“That’s sweet, Levi. I’m happy for you.”

He gives you a small smile, turning his neck back to look at them across the hall.

“Be his friend. Maybe he’ll come around.”

Six drinks in and Eren is feeling buzzed. He was trying his best to pace himself, make sure he was sane enough to take you home at the end of the night. He could tell by the glazed look in your eyes that you were getting there, close to being fully plastered.

He turns his neck, scanning for you around the room. You kept disappearing. But there you were, directly across from him, leaning against the wall from Levi. He meets your eyes and you give him a soft smile, accompanied with a tiny wave. His heart’s pounding.

“Do you like her, Eren? Oh please say that you do.”

Kuchel is squeezing his shoulders, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

“Yeah. Maybe a little bit.”

“Oh, oh, oh. You have to tell her. Don’t let her get away now!”

“Ah, I tried. She doesn’t like me.”

He watches her face droop, Erwin shaking his head in the air. Both of their cheeks are flushed pink, the cups they were holding shaking in their hands. Surely the only people who were at least somewhat sober were you and Eren, which was saying a lot.

“You know, Eren. I knew Levi was the one the moment I saw him.”

“Really?”

“I liked him so much, I wanted him around. In whatever sense that means. Even if he only wanted to be my friend.”

“He didn’t want to be with you?”

“Oh no, he loathed me. Like full of hatred.”

“And that didn’t…bother you?”

“Maybe a little bit, but we became friends after that. And I just wanted him around. Whatever way he would have me. Even just being his friend, getting to see him everyday, that was enough for me.”

Eren cranes his neck back over, where Kenny has his arms slung around you and Levi. He’s forcing the two of you to sign with him - Levi looking downright murderous while you flash Kenny a polite smile.

“Just be her friend, Eren. Maybe she’ll come around like Levi did.”

You can’t hold your drink. Obviously. But Eren knew that already. He had been watching you for a better part of the last hour, your inhibitions absent. Erwin had made you yet another fruit themed drink, which you were all too happy to down. The second he saw the glass hit your hand, he’d focused all of his best efforts in trying to sober up, calm the thrill running through his blood.

You had made your way back over to him after some time, the two of you on the couch. You were leaning your head against his shoulder, your breaths heavy and uneven. At the sight of Kenny - who was now singing with Kuchel on the table - you suddenly perk up, your hands pressed against his shoulders as you lean over him.

“Eren.”

“Hm, peaches?”

“I have a plan.” you whisper, your eyes somewhere between delirious and devious.

“Uh huh. What’s that?”

“You and I should sign the lease now. Then mail the letters. That way, we can leave and Kenny can’t get mad because we basically did him a favor. We’ll just tell Levi in case he asks.” you whisper, a smile spreading across your face.

You’re drunk out of your mind. Not that Eren himself isn’t drunk either, he can certainly feel the buzz he was trying to will away living, but he’s not as gone as you.

“Genius idea.”

“I know right!”

He was being sarcastic, but you had already jumped off the couch, to where Levi and Erwin were standing in the corner. He quickly follows, catching up to balance you as you stumble over to where the two of them were standing.

“So. Levi. Right, hi Levi.”

He’s mentally debating if he should stop you. You are very plastered and could potentially say something embarrassing. But there’s something so funny, so endearing about the determined little look on your face that he decides against it, letting you go on.

“You’re a man.”

He watches the confusion spread across Levi’s already strained face, his eyes flitting between you and Eren.

“And you, Erwin, are a man too. You two are men.”

“That’s correct, Y/N. You’re very perceptive.”

Eren tries his best to conceal his laughter, as you go on, talking to the two of them. You’re definitely worse than Annie.

“Marriage. It’s a thing, you know? And a man can do it. And a woman can too. And you are a man and he is a man and you can both do that. And we want to come to that. Like go to there.”

How did you get from talking about the lease to marriage?

“Eren. What is she going on about?”

“We’re going to sign the lease papers and mail them on our way out so we can leave. We have to be up early tomorrow and she literally cannot drink more. We were going to ask if you could let Kenny know tomorrow and tell him to be easy on us.”

“You drive here?”

“No. Train. We’ll be fine to get back, Levi. I got her.”

He nods. Eren doesn’t miss the look Erwin and Levi give each other as the two of you lock hands, tip-toeing into Kenny’s office. Of course Erwin told him.

The two of you quickly rush out, laughing as you run down the block before any of them notice. You slow down as you pass the corner, the two of you strolling the rest of the way down the block back to the train station. He can tell you’re winding down by the way you’re leaning against him, skipping steps.

The train car is empty, this being the last train leaving the station. He settles the two of you into the seats at the front, getting in first.

“Ren. Can I have the window?”

He nods, wordlessly changing seats with you. This seat’s better anyways. You look out the window. And he can look at you.

You lean over, your eyes drooping as you lean over. He’s not sure what it is, maybe Kenny’s rancid tequila is still running through his bloodstream, but he locks his hand with yours, pressing his fingers against the scar in between your knuckles.

“I…miss you, Y/N. Being your friend.”

He watches your expression drop, your eyes fluttering fully open.

“You don’t think we’re friends?”

“No! I mean, yes. I just didn’t realize you thought we were still friends. After everything that happened, the fight we had I just kind of- I don’t know.”

You’re quiet for some time and he can see the gears moving in your head. Your eyes are now pinched shut, your forehead scrunched in concentration. Maybe this was the right time to say this. Hopefully, you don’t even remember tomorrow.

“Are we in second grade, Ren? Do you really not think we’re friends?”

Of course. The words he said to you, the day you were sick.

“We are still friends. I just meant, it was different for the past few days. But today, this was…nice. I enjoyed it.”

You smile in response, the two of you leaning your heads against the back of the seats, the only sound being the whirring of the train behind you.

“Y/N. You wouldn’t really move out, would you?”

“I was hoping you forgot about that. It’s my fault. I kind of…get in my head sometimes, I don’t know.”

“About?”

“I thought you didn’t want me around. So I didn’t want to be around you. I thought you hated me or something.”

“Y/N. Look at me.”

His eyes are dark, the same way as when Levi mentioned you were looking for another roommate.

“I could never hate you.”

“I know, I just meant-”

“No. You clearly don’t know.”

You turn over to find an irritated look plastered on his face, his jaw clenched shut. You press your fingers against his shoulder, squeezing twice to get his attention. He flutters his eyes open, leaning down to look at you.

“You’re special to me. I don’t understand what I did that made you think I would ever make fun of you or hate you. You...piss me off when you say stuff like-”

He’s cut off by you placing your hand on his cheek, your eyes peering into his.

“Sorry, Ren.’

“S’okay. I know why you do it. But just remember, I’m not your stupid old roommates or your lame ex-boyfriend or anyone who ever made you feel that way. You and I are-”

“Friends.”

Not what he quite had in mind, but he’ll take it.

“Yeah. You can tell me anything.”

“Okay. You too.”

He sees you smile, your eyes wafting shut against his shoulders. He can feel the pit in his stomach burning, the exact same way it did every time you did something. When you smiled at him, fixed his hair, got him coffee. God, he still loves you.

“So Ren. Do you want to hang out after recess?”

“Shut up. You’re so corny, kitty.”

“Ew.”

The next morning, Eren makes you breakfast and you sing in the shower. Progress.

next part linked here

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