zireael for your next lesson we have to go into the sephora. to unlock the true potential of the elder blood you have to buy me 10 (ten) black eyeliner pencils. no not that one we can't be cheap about this. i know thats all the money you have but the universe is on the line
an excerpt from my erejean wip. high school au, 1,429 words. T-rated.
It was an evening after detention when Eren first realized it.
Jean had passed by him at the bus stop and offered to drive him home– as an apology for ripping your shirt and scratching your cheek went unsaid. Jean does not apologize, but Eren knew better.
A part of him wanted to say, no, I'd rather wait for an hour to catch the last bus than sitting beside you in your old sedan, but it was getting dark and Eren could practically hear his mother yelling at him for coming home late.
Another ego crushed. As Eren climbed into the passenger seat, a faint smell of coffee entered his nostrils. His eyes wandered around the interior of the car, and a little bag filled with coffee beans at the corner near the steering wheel caught his attention. Must be the source of the smell.
Jean got into the car shortly after putting his stuff on the trunk. He started the car, wiggling on his seat. "You live in the same neighborhood as Armin, right?"
"Yeah. Just several blocks from his house."
"Cool." The blond moved to reach for the glove compartment, which should be a completely innocent gesture if it wasn't for the musky scent and the warmth radiating from his exposed skin.
Thump, thump.
After half a minute of Jean messing up the compartment in front of Eren and Eren shifting nervously in his seat due to the close proximity of their bodies, Jean found his CD and put the radio on. The first song that played had a guitar riff that sounded experimental and rough at times– and Eren thought that if Jean was a song, this would be it.
When the chorus hit, Eren decided that he liked the song.
"Do you mind if I smoke?" Jean asked, cigarette already dangling on his lips and a lighter on his hand. He lit the cigarette, not giving Eren the chance to answer.
"Why do you even bother to ask, bastard." Eren said, rhetorically.
The car finally moved.
"I know you smoke too, so automatically, you wouldn't mind."
"You know I smoke and didn't offer me, and instead asking me a stupid question that you already know the answer to?"
"Force of habit, jeez. I actually care about other people's wellbeing. I don't smoke arbitrarily, unless around people who also want to die fast." He emphasized the die fast, which pissed Eren off even more somehow.
"So, if you happen to be one of those people who also want to shorten their lifespan, feel free to open the compartment and take one out of the box."
"How generous of you." Eren said, tone dripping with sarcasm. He did exactly as Jean said, though. After a particularly rough day, it only felt natural to want to smoke.
The car ride was devoid of words. It was only music, Jean's hum, the left and right that came out of Eren's mouth every once in a while, and the sound of late summer wind passing by the open windows of the car. This was their first time sitting beside each other in silence, in peace. No words means no arguments. He took a quick glance at Jean, who was covered in the warm hue of street lights. Jean, whose perfectly gelled hair is now disheveled from their fight earlier. Jean, whose steady gaze upon the road made him look slightly older. Between the drag of Jean's cigarette and the rhythmic taps of his fingers on the steering wheel, Eren found a strange comfort. He felt like somehow he could get used to this.
"...Ger. Hey, asshole." Jean called, voice raised.
"Uh. What?"
"What the hell are you zoning out for?"
"Nothing." Eren thanked whatever God out there for the dim light surrounding them (and the bandage sticking just right under his cheekbone, too), concealing the shade of pink rising on his cheeks.
Jean let out a sigh. "Can I ask you something? This is kind of embarrassing, but…"
Eren swore, even in the dark– that Jean's cheeks had the same color as his.
Thump, thump, thump.
"...Does Mikasa hate me? I mean– you know how much of a creep I was. I always wanted to apologize to her for my behavior, but I'm not even sure how to do it."
Eren felt a sharp pang of disappointment at the question. He hadn’t the slightest idea why. Disappointment comes from expectation, and what did he particularly expect from Jean? (There was a hint of jealousy in that disappointment, but of course Eren quickly dismissed it, just like he always do to his other feelings and emotions.)
Jean does not apologize. Eren knew better.
Or he might not know anything at all.
No, Mikasa doesn't hate you.
Eren let out a forced laugh. "What do you think a girl would feel when some random boy is pestering her for a whole year?"
She was bothered, yes, but to her, hate is a strong word.
He saw that Jean was about to open his mouth, so he quickly shut him down. "I personally would hate that guy. What a pest. I don't know about her, though. Maybe I can ask later."
I would not ask her. I would not let you know, ever.
"...I see." Jean murmured. "Yeah. Please do."
It's funny how I could see right through you. How you are clearly offended yet still play it cool.
The car ride went silent again. The music was still there, but this time indistinct– overlapped by the deafening echoes of Eren's heartbeat, and a voice in his head telling him scornful things.
You're aware that he's trying to be a better man.
You could've been nicer to him.
You always ruin everything.
.
"Which one is your house?" Jean asked, after five minutes that felt agonizingly long.
"There," Eren pointed. "The one with a Jeep in front of it."
The taller boy whistled, steering to the left. "Nice Jeep. Your dad's?"
"Brother's."
"Shit, I often forget you have a brother." Jean parked the car, right behind the Jeep.
As Eren unbuckled his seatbelt, he inhaled deep. This might be his first and last ride in Jean's car, and a part of him did not want to forget both the smell of coffee and Jean's (most likely) hundred dollar perfume.
You could've been nicer to him.
"By the way, where did you get that coffee air freshener from?"
Jean raised his eyebrow at the unusual question and Eren had a momentary regret of opening his dumb mouth.
"A convenience store near my house, if I remember correctly."
"Oh. Thanks. Um, for the ride too." Eren said, words heavy on his tongue.
"Don't mention it."
And when the car door opened halfway, Eren felt a sudden grab on his wrist.
"Jaeger."
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
"Look, I'm sorry about the scar. And your shirt. I could pay… for the shirt, I mean."
Jean does not apologize. At least that's what Eren thought.
I thought I knew you.
I should be nicer to you.
"It's fine. We fight all the time, anyway. Also this is an old shirt, I don't really care about it."
The blond exhaled, loosening his grip on Eren's wrist.
I don't want you to let go.
Jean gave him a lopsided smile. "Alright. See you, Eren."
The car door slammed shut. As Eren walked through his yard, he felt giddy, floating. Two steps into the house and his mother was already bombarding him with questions– and questions quickly turned into a lecture.
It was hard to pay attention to what she was saying when the grip of Jean's hand was still lingering, warm on his skin– and there was a tempest inside him that grew louder, wilder when he thought about that parting smile.
Eren spent the rest of the night shifting around in his bed, trying to ignore the voice in his head telling him that he would like to see Jean again, too– and not just a mere passing by each other in the school hallway or some petty arguments near the parking lot. He wants to see Jean in the morning, during lunch break, after the last bell rings. In his waking hours and before he closes his eyes.
He went to sleep dismissing all his wants– burying them as deep as it could go, hoping that when he wakes up tomorrow morning they would leave him without any trace. The room felt much warmer than usual and the dream that he had that night certainly wasn’t helping, not in the least.
Note, this one is VERY approximately because I started to doubt myself haha
So based off of MLs canon heights. Jerome is roughly 174cm and the difference between him and Ava is somewhat bigger than between Jerome and Marius, which is 14cm. So, between Ava and Jerome there's around 18-22cm.
