Chapter Text
He never knew why he waited. Why he kept coming here.
He was better off just staying in his run down apartment, cleaning his shelves or just taking on another job for money. Maybe even kicking a random guy's ass. But no...
Instead he kept coming back to this park, this very sidewalk and this dirt patch next to the kids playground. He never knew why he always felt like he was waiting for someone here. For something to happen...
And then whenever he was in his own thoughts this...this...
This kid.
His eye twitched as the same kid from yesterday stood before him. Big green eyes glancing at him while his hands held that ridiculous pink plush animal. He even had given the shit a name. What was it? Heichu? Heico? He didn't remember. What he did remember is that some guys tried using the kid to get to him yesterday after he left the park. This kid was getting too close to his business and it was bad, very bad indeed. The guy's almost thought the boy was family of his and tried getting their hands on the kid after he had left the park. He spotted them however and gave them a good knock against the face and rectum. Getting his own set of bruises in return.
His name was Levi. Or "The Corporal" as nicknamed on the streets, he was a downright punk, and he knew it. Scum of society if you may.
He lived of other peoples pain and regret and created more in his wake. And even though he knew this wasn't his path, he still walked it like a pro. No one was near as good as him when it came into laying a smack-down or a good gunfight. And that's why he was payed so well.
His long leather jacket billowed in the wind while this small twerp just blocked his path. He had the ability to kick him against the dirt and go further on the dirt path yet he never did. Something always stopped him. Was it because his mother and sister where close by? He had told him about that the first time they had met. And even that was a weird meeting to begin with. The boy just started talking to him and Levi just couldn't fathom why out of all people, the kid talked to HIM. Why not a fellow brat? why not just his sister. No.
It had to be the toughest looking guy coming around the park.
The boy pointed at Levi's face, rather his cheek where a nasty blue and purple hue was formed. His tiny voice calling out. And Levi never really understood why but the voice always sounded calming to him. Yet with a hint of adventure.
"what happened to your face sir?" Hnn he couldn't tell him exactly why. That would be idiotic action to undertake. he would have to come up with something more child friendly for the tiny twerp. "I fell and I got hit in the face..." His voice as unfeeling and tired as always. Maybe he should get more sleep. Yeah that sounded good if his boss didn't keep ringing him up in the middle of night with jobs for him to partake in.
The boy just looked genuinely concerned. The older man already cringing on the inside. When was the last time someone was genuinely concerned about him? When was the last time someone actually was interested in his life?
Too long... too fucking long.
"that isn't good mister! you should be more careful!" His face looked so funny. Like he was determined to protect him next time this would happen. That amused Levi greatly.
Maybe that's why he at least granted the kid an answer to his questions.
"oii brat.... why do you keep talking to me?... can't you just hang around fellow kids and play? I am not a person you want to be acquainted with..." The boy just shrugged and a smile came on his face. Fuck that smile. It warmed him to the core and he could swear he felt his own facial expression grow less strained and his frown lessen. "because I always play here and I see you here every day. And mister is always alone so i want to be misters friend! and when I grow up I can be your best friend and hang out!"
Don't smile Levi, smiling is for dopes don't do it shit. But this kid did manage to pull up one of his mouth corners by his fucking answer. Those words where so childishly dense and innocent. It should have made Levi sick in his stomach yet it made him feel almost, how do you say? cared about. Fucking kids.
"I come here often because I am waiting for someone.....you don't want to be my friend, brat... now go to your mom before you get into trouble by hanging around me too much..." The kid just tugged at Levi's coat and motioned him to squat down. Why Levi did just that he didn't know, he should have just kept walking he told himself. Just ignore the kid, it's not that hard. Yet when the kid grabbed his hand and placed something cold in it he blinked his eyes and looked down.
In his nimble hand was a key. a golden key as the light of the sun got reflected on it.
"what's this?" The boy smiled and spoke with so much enthusiasm it almost affected Levi in the process. "this key is my good luck charm. It keeps you safe and protects you." How idiotic, a charm that protects you. This was even more hilarious than those ghost hunter series you see on the TV.
"I see... why are you giving me this?" Levi's eyebrow rose as he glanced at the boy's face. The leaves blew from the trees and for a moment he felt something extremely weird, yet so familiar as the boy grinned. "that way when i grow up i'll be here for mister and we can be friends!"
Damn that kid.
"fine... when you are older... let's be friends" He held out his hand for the boy to shake, yet the kid laced his pinkie finger with his instead, the grin still on his face. "yes!! a promise!"
That did make Levi smile.
Damn that kid.
He stood up and started walking again, not to ensue more attention from everyone there. It's weird for a kid to talk to a shabby teenager right? The smaller one called out to him again.
"see you tomorrow!!!" The man smiled softly yet didn't turn around. "yeah.. tomorrow"
This went on for a while, They met, they talked and He even got to play with the small boy. Pushing him on a swingset and playing hide and seek. He called himself a fool for doing this. To play with a child as a teen was just downright creepy. He wasn't even related to the kid.
but...
It made him laugh on more than one occasion. This kid was showing him a light in his life he didn't know before and... he didn't hate it.
One day however...
One cold... cold winter day.
The kid was not there...
Levi actually stopped at the playground, his own self actually shaken by this. The kid was not there. No one stopped his walk, no one called out to him with a cheerful "mister!" ...
It was almost... creepy.
He waited for once, sitting at the bench. yet when it took too long and the sun was setting he went back home. This day was strange, it was out of order.
Maybe the kid was sick and his mother refused to let him go out. Yeah that could be it.
The next day was the same...
and the day after.
The whole week went by like this. And at the end... Levi knew that they weren't coming back.
What did he expect? It was a kid. kids change.
He probably got bored and went on to another pastime. He shouldn't be this affected because a kid decided to get out of his life while he could, he even warned the kid to do just that because he was as bad as an influence as an old man drinking alcohol and smoking pot. He told himself that.. yet, his fingers grasped the golden key in his jacket's pocket painfully, his knuckles white.
Damn that kid...
That night Levi had gotten in the biggest fight of his life. Lying on the concrete with numerous members of his alliance and the opposing ones. Most not dead but groaning in pain and the blood, fuck, the blood was everywhere. He tried getting up, balling his fists and then it dawned on him, as his fingers gripped something warm and solid. His grey blue eyes shifted and fell upon the golden key in his hands, it smudged with blood.
For the first time in years he felt tears started to fall from his face as he kept his eyes on the key.
"damn you brat.... I promised... and I will keep it"
Levi got admitted to the hospital. There he had a choice. Reform and take up an honorable job to help society. Or end up in jail.
The choice was quickly made.
Thanks to a former friend, he had gotten a scholarship for psychiatry,to help delinquents like himself later on. That way he could use his former knowledge of being like them and reform them in more handleable members of society. This was still something he needed to grow accustomed to. yet it worked well enough and the court was pleased by his turn around. So after a few years they got off his back and he was granted his own establishment, as long as he kept his business open for other cases that came his way. Mainly schools and detention centers.
He was fine with this.
It was a decent life....
but then...
this KID.....
His gray eyes scanned the boy in front of him. Needless to say he expected nothing less and definitely nothing more as the kid started fidgeting his hands and look to the floor, desk, books. Anything really as long as it wasn't him.
What a kid.
Then again most that get sent his way where kids, juveniles and frankly downright brats of the society. It's like they branded him as some sort of babysitter.
Oh he hated that with a passion, but right now this kid needed some talking too and he was very sure that seeming he was in this particular chair, this room... that he, as his psychiatrist was needed to do it instead of his parents and relatives. Most likely cause they did a shitty job in listening in the first place. Well that isn't something new.
Well let's get this show on the road then.
"can't you just write that there's nothing wrong with me and let me go home?...would save us a lot of trouble."
Oh. So the boy had a set of vocals in him. Nice touch indeed. Yet the way he started was not the deal, it was not how things went and surely he would have the smarts to know that at least.
"you got sent here because of, let me quote what they stated. Anger issues, violent behavior, getting into fights regularly...And you say nothings wrong with you? Kid don't try to fool me, I have had dogs that are more believable than you are."
The boy's eyes shot up to his and, the older man had to admit. Those where some stunning green eyes. Yet they showed too much of what the kid was feeling to know he was definitely thinking of more shit than he let on.
The boy's name was Eren Jaeger. And according to his files he has been more of a fighter than a school brat. Every day he had some sort of fight, whether it would be verbal or physical. This would be considered dangerous to society and the school, along with the boy's parents agreed to send him in therapy. Which would have been great but weren't parents supposed to talk to the kid firstly? hear his side of the story before they send him to the last fucking help button? He could complain more about that yet he chose not too. For right now the kid stared at him like he was a final boss in a video game, and he was ready to pounce him with all of his button bashing anger glory.
"I am fine. nothing is wrong with me..."
yeah that's what they all say. This was going to be a long session.