Hey guys. Okay, don't yell at me. Please.

This is going to be a Ereri fic.

If you aren't in the fandom/ship, sorry.

It comes from Eren and Levi from Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack On Titan.)

Yes I ship them.

Sue me.

You don't have to read it. I'll still be doing the Ghost Hunt fic, but this is just something new I wanted to try.

Let me know if it's liked?

(Warning: Language, maybe some gory/sad topics)

Uprising

Chapter 1: Jaeger's Return

Levi

"Come on..." I mumbled to the car ahead of mine. Traffic was always horrible around this time of the day. My hand slammed down on the horn in the middle of my steering wheel. The guy in front of me stuck his hand out his window, flipping me off. My face twisted in a grimace. How rude. But then again, I probably would have done the same thing. Finally, the long line of cars moved forward. Slowly, but surely. I put my car out of park to begin driving, when someone bolted out from the trees stopped by the cross walk on the pavement in front of my car.

I stopped and signaled to the citizen to cross. The person, who happened to be a boy, wore a black letterman jacket with a leather mid-section and denim sleeves. The dark blue, denim, hood covered his head from the rain droplets drizzling from the sky. His head angled down, I was unable to see his face.

His legs were clad in blue wash jeans and he wore black Chucks. He crossed quickly. When a gust of wind blew the boys hood off of his head. He was actually... kind of attractive.

Hazelnut brown hair mopped his head. It fell in delicate waves and ended at the base of his neck. His face turned slightly in my direction as he reached back to pull his hood back up. I didn't get a very good look, but I got a flash of bright and beautiful turquoise eyes. The sight of that boys eyes caused something in me to mentally collapse. They seemed horribly familiar.

The car behind me honked. It was then I realized I was staring after the stranger. Shaking my head to get rid of the cloudy feeling in my brain, I drove on. I pulled into Trost High, unwillingly of course. I picked up my black book-bag, filled to the brim with books so thick you could knock a damn elephant out with them.

School was probably my least favorite thing about life at the moment. You put twenty to thirty tired, stressed, over-worked teenagers who are constantly nagged to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives in one stuffy and overly crowded room. They all expect you to learn the same way as the kid next to you who happens to be an auditory learner while yourself are a tactile. To top it all off, we have to deal with teachers who think they're better than you because they're older. You may be older; but you're still an asshole.

With a great sigh, I heaved my thirty pound bag on my desk in first period. That's another thing. Did they really expect us to carry ten and up pounds of shit in our bags? Gee, if I pull my back out-of-place, I'd be sure to thank these fuckers. I dropped tiredly into the chair, ready, but not really, to start another day of school.

My eyes sullenly drooped closed. Sleep didn't come easy to me. Maybe it would if it weren't for the nightmares that have haunted me for almost my entire life. They started when I was young. And ever since they haven't stopped. I'd learn to deal with running very little on sleep. Probably an hour every night. If I'm lucky, two. I've been dragged and forced to multiple therapists and doctors in the study of human sleeping patterns. No one could help me besides offering sleeping medication. They were disturbing dreams to say the least. It always started off with me screaming. Like, something that would scar me for life. Then there was blood. Normally, blood wouldn't do shit to me. But it was like I knew the blood was from someone I cared about. Then... someone's blank, dead face. I could never remember who it was or what they looked like when I woke up. It sounded stupid to be so terrified for so long of such an unimportant sounding dream, but it honestly was my biggest fear in the world. There's nothing I hate more than going to sleep because I know I'd wake up in a cold sweat and almost crying every damn time.

What the hell is wrong with me?

"Oi, Levi!" I was pushed forward from a hand coming down on my back like a friendly slap. My eyes jerked open. I looked over to see Hanji grinning stupidly.

"What?" I mumbled.

"How was your weekend?" She smiled while seating herself next to me.

"Same as always, Four Eyes." I grumbled, using my nickname for Hanji. It was a wonder she still considered me her friend. How anyone considered me their friend. I treated almost everyone like shit.

"So how much did you sleep last night?" Hanji knew basically everything about me. In a way, you could consider us best friends. She certainly did. And whether I was willing to admit it or not, I did too.

"A little more than an hour." I answered simply, a yawn hitching the end of my words.

"Boo. I wish those damn nightmares would stop." She replied. I nodded immediately.

"You and me both."

"Maybe if you got more sleep, you wouldn't be such a downer all the time. I wonder what that's like. Levi; in a good mood. It's almost too crazy to even think about." I had to agree with her on that one. Maybe I would be nicer if I actually ran on eight to ten hours of sleep. It was a nice thought. "So, did you hear about the new kid?" Hanji said suddenly.

"Nope. And I couldn't care less." Just then, someone walked in. Not just someone; no. It was him. The kid who passed my car on the cross walk this morning. Why was this damn brat so important to me? I didn't even know his name.

"Okay, everyone. We have a new student today. Why don't you introduce yourself?" Mr. Smith acknowledged the class for the first time that morning with a light and playful tone. Now that I could see the mysterious boy clearer, he really was attractive. His olive skin made his hauntingly beautiful turquoise eyes stand out even more than they already did. He was tall. Taller than me, anyways. But that wasn't surprise. A lot of people were taller than me. One of the many defaults of genetics. His hair hung loosely around his V-shaped jaw line.

"Alright. Well, I'm Eren Jaeger. Some of you may remember me. I used to live here until the end of elementary school." He shrugged. I didn't know him. Certainly, I would remember him. Sadly, I moved here mid-middle school years. All of the sudden, the chair next to me clattered as it hit the floor. Hanji had practically flown from her seat.

"Eren!" She yelled excitedly, her arm waving in the air to get the kids attention. I hid my face, embarrassed for Hanji. Luckily, Eren remembered her.

"Hey, Hanji." He smiled. I swear I heard some of the girls swoon.

"Tch..." I scoffed under my breath. "Sit down. You look fucking ridiculous."

"Hm?" Hanji asked, looking down at me as her arm stood still in the air. Quietly, I groaned.

Eventually, found a reasonable seat for the brat. The only thing I was able to pay attention to was the teenage hormones disgustingly traveling through the air. The girls looked like they were about to jump Eren. I guess I looked more pissed off than usual because Hanji kept looking at me. And so would the people in front of me. Was I giving off some visible waves of negativity or some shit?

"What the hell are you staring at?" I hissed to the boy who turned to look at me. Quickly, he returned his attention to the front board. With a huff, I leaned back into my chair. The lecture was boring. As always. And I pretty much never paid attention. I just let my eyes roam around the room. They crossed over the new kid. He was already staring at me with big and confused eyes. Anyone else in this situation would immediately look away.

But I'm not just "anyone".

So, we had a staring contest. He didn't seem to be looking anywhere else anytime soon. That was fine. I could look at his beautiful eyes all damn day. Sure, he'll think I'm weird. But, hell, who doesn't in this school? Eren's eyebrow perked up as if saying "really, we're doing this?". Mine arched up too, in a challenging manor. Why were we doing this? We haven't even said a single damn word to each other. It was broken when a sharp and bony elbow jabbed my side. I flinched and held my side. Hanji was the only one who could deliver such painful elbow jabs while barely trying.

"Damn, Hanji. What?" I whispered angrily.

"Why were you and Eren staring at each other like that?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. He started it." I replied, crossing my arms like a child. She slapped my shoulder and returned her attention to the lesson.

Within the time span of about two hours, lunch rolled around. Without even glancing at the over sized cafeteria line, I went to sought out the usual table. I found it and sat in my usual stop next to Hanji with Jean on the other side.

"'Aye, Levi. How's it going?" Jean said, turning a little to look at me. Jean was one of the few people in the school who actually accepted that I was an asshole all the time. He could be an asshole at points too.

"Alright. Tired as hell." I mumbled while running my hands through my raven black hair. I heard him scoff in acknowledgement. I smirked. Once everyone was gathered at the table, Hanji opened her giant mouth.

"So, guys, guess who's back in Trost?" She yelled excitedly. Did they all know Eren from before? Armin set his milk down.

"Who?" He asked.

"Er-" She was cut off by Eren himself sauntering up to the table. Everyone seemed... In shock. Armin looked like he was going to have a fucking heart attack.

"E-Eren?" Armin gasped in wonder. Eren smiled.

"Armin." He only said.

"No way!" Sasha exclaimed.

"Well. Shit." Jean mumbled. I looked over at him. He had a ghost of a smile, but he didn't seem as happy as the others.

"Eren!" Connie screamed and jumped from his seat. He basically attacked Eren's shoulders. He only laughed, and he had an adorable laugh. Everything about him was adorable. It was disgusting.

"Connie, man. You haven't changed." Eren chuckled.

"You're back in Trost?" Armin asked when Eren sat down next to him. It happened to be right across from me.

"Yeah. Shiganshina wasn't working out for our family, ya know?" He said. A sadder meaning felt buried in his simple answer.

"Is Mikasa back then, too?" Jean asked. Eren's eyes, which were bright and happy, hardened.

"Of course." Eren answered, his voice showing discomfort. Jean nodded, smirking. "She has a boyfriend now."

Jean froze. "...Does she?"

Eren nodded.

The atmosphere was basically fogged with unspoken hatred. I had a feeling Jean and Eren didn't like each other before, and still don't.

"Or are you just saying that?" Jean mumbled.

"Sorry, what was that?" Eren said a little louder. I could jump in to stop the impending fight, but it was kind of entertaining.

"You heard me, asshole!" Jean yelled while leaning towards Eren across the table.

"I couldn't decipher it through all the neighing, horse face!" I couldn't help it. I broke out cackling while everyone was trying to calm them down. Hanji looked at me like I was insane. I didn't laugh much. But Eren's come back was too good to be true.

"The last time you called me horse face, I pushed you off the swings in fifth grade!" Jean shouted back.

"Yeah, and I'm sure no one has called you horse face in years. I'm just trying to pick up the slack, horse face!" Jean looked like he was about to throw a punch, so I stepped in.

"Oi! Jean, sit your horse ass down. And Jaeger? Shut the fuck up." I said. Jean looked at me, then back at Eren. Slowly while glaring at him, he sat back down.

"Oh, and you are?" Eren looked at me. It didn't sound like he was trying to be a smart ass. He just literally didn't know who I was.

"Levi." I answered simply. He nodded.

"You're in my first period class aren't you?" He said. I had a feeling we weren't going to talk about our stare down. That was alright with me. I nodded.

"Yep." He made a sound as if saying "okay". Everyone was looking at us like we were insane. Probably because we'd started having another staring contest. It was weird beyond comprehension. Eren Jaeger literally seemed so familiar to me.

"So, Eren..." Armin said next to him. We finally broke and I looked over at Hanji instead. She bored a confused expression. She was about to ask but I shook my head. "How is Mikasa? And your parents?" Eren's face dropped.

"Mikasa is fine. And my parents... My mom died a few years ago." He smiled sadly. I couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"What?! Really?" Armin replied. Eren nodded while scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, man. I'm sorry, Eren. Your mom was real nice."

"Yeah. But, it was years ago. I've had my time to mourn." Something told me he wasn't telling the complete truth. Lunch went fast. A few awkward moments where Eren and I would look at each other happened. I still could not put my finger on why he seemed so damn familiar. I was almost sure I had never met him before. Shrugging it off, I headed to my third period class. None of my friends were in it. It was kind of a boring class without Hanji whispering things about her wanting me to pay attention.

I sat in my seat and stared out the window. The sky was blue and clouds were scarce. The wind blew and the trees shook. A bird flew over head. It was a raven, from what I could tell. A small smile upturned my lips. When it came to birds, I loved them. And I was envious. I'd always wondered what it would be like to fly. You know, have wings. It's been an obsession of mine ever since I can remember. I'd spend hours just looking at the sky, imagining myself dip below the clouds. It would make me feel so free. With a sigh, I knew it was idiotic to think about. We're human. Obviously, we weren't meant to have wings. It was a sad thought.

It was May, so that meant the end of the school year and the beginning of summer vacation would be here soon. It was about the only thing I looked forward to every year. I mean, there wasn't much I did during the summer. But that was the point, wasn't it? I turned to see if class was starting. I almost jumped out of my damn chair when I noticed Eren in the seat next to mine. Guess who he was staring at?

"Shit, what the hell, Jaeger? Are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack?" I chastised him. He just smirked. I didn't scare him one bit. A lot of people in school are scared shitless of me because I yell a lot. And I was kind of scary at times. It wasn't my fault that my natural face always made me look like I wanted to kill someone.

"'Course not. What would I do that for?" He replied, only shaking his head and crossing his arms. I scoffed.

"You have third period here?" I mumbled.

"Yeah. This is math, right?" Eren asked. I sighed.

"No." I replied.

"What, really?" He said with alarm.

"I'm kidding. Couldn't you tell?" I said while pointing at my neutral expression. I hardly ever joked around, and when I did I always bored the same expression. None at all.

"Er, no." He mumbled.

"Good."

That class passed at snails pace. Probably because I got annoyed with Eren the whole time. He kept looking at me. He didn't know I could tell, but I could. Deciding to confront him about it after school, I waited almost impatiently. Fourth period slipped by as fast, if not slower, as third did. Probably because I had that class with Jean. He kept complaining about Eren most of the time. I found it, honestly, hilarious.

"You know, now I see why Jaeger calls you horse face. You do have the slight resemblance of one." I mumbled to him while letting my eyes skim the words of my history book. Jeans temper rose. Steam practically billowed from his nostrils and ears. "Easy, Seabiscuit." To which he groaned and rubbed his hands on his face.

Eren walked alone along the parking lot. He didn't walk fast. His feet dragged across the pavement insistently as he looked at his surroundings. Ear-buds stuck in his ears insinuated music was playing from some device in his pocket. The words of the song left his lips in periodic breaths. I had to stop and just appreciate how beautiful Eren Jaeger really was. He seemed so at peace.

"Jaeger." I whispered. I meant to yell it, to get his attention. But the sight left me almost speechless. "Jaeger!" I actually yelled this time. I tried not to sound mad, because I just wanted to talk to him.

Suddenly, he turned with a deer in the headlights look. The right ear-bud fell out and dangled lifelessly. While he stared at me incredulously, I'd been able to walk closer to him.

"What?" He asked animatedly.

"I'm going to get straight to the damn point. Why do you keep staring at me all the time? Am I just too pretty or something?" As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted them. I could have left it alone. My decisions don't really pan out the way I expect them to. It produces intensely situations and me feeling like a total dope for a while.

He seemed surprised at the question.

"I-I don't know how to answer that without getting a fist to my face." He replied honestly. I had to give him that one. He seemed to be the kind of person who thought things out before running his mouth. I shrugged.

"To think you understand me more than some people I've known for years." Which was a weird thing to say to someone who you only met during lunch, but in retrospect, I recall I punched Connie in the head for saying that my eyes were always slit because I always looked tired. Connie and I have been friends since the eighth grade.

"Um, okay." Eren replied. I probably was freaking him out a little.

"Have I met you before today?" I asked him, blunt as always. He looked at me like I just cured cancer.

"Why, do I seem familiar?" Eren asked me as if he already knew and experienced my answer.

"No, I was just curious." I remarked sarcastically.

"Because you seem familiar to me. But, since you were just curious, I guess I'd better keep it to myself." He smirked and threw his hands up. How dare he turn my sarcasm back to bite me in the ass. This kid had guts.

"Alright, enough messing around. I'll ask again; Have I met you before today?" I growled. It made no difference on Eren's expression. My efforts to frighten the new kid became futile. He just didn't care. He sighed. It made me realize that we had gotten close. So close that his breath feathered over my face. It smelled like mint gum. Our eye contact had not broken.

"No. I'm almost positive that we have not met before today. Happy?" Eren replied evenly as he took a step back like he had also just realized how close we were. It honestly made a bundle of nerves coil in my stomach. Everything about Eren Jaeger made me on edge. With that, he plugged his ear-buds back into his ears and stepped away. Eren left me standing there, wondering what the fuck was going on.

Once I walked in through the front door, I called for my parents.

"I'm home!" I yelled.

"Welcome home, Levi. How was school?" My mom poked her head out through the kitchen way, smiling as she rolled two pounds of meat in her hands. I shrugged.

"Fine." I mumbled.

"Did anything interesting happen?" After a pause. I shook my head as I entered the small but somewhat homey kitchen. My dad stood at the opposing counter, stirring a bowl of tomato sauce. It was Monday, and Monday meant meatloaf night. It was a recipe that passed through the family. Instead of a dreaded gravy sauce, it called for a sauce containing tomato, mustard, worcestershire, and brown sugar. The sour worcestershire and mustard was balanced by the sweet brown sugar. It probably sounded odd, but it tasted pretty good to be honest. The meat was rolled in breadcrumbs mixed with more tomato sauce with egg. It was, all in all, a pretty good recipe.

"Liar." My dad smirked, looking over his shoulder. I looked at him incredulously. How the fuck does he do that? "I'm a dad. I have to be able to decipher a lie from the truth."

"I just don't know how you do it." I mumbled, leaning against the counter. Mom smiled at us.

"So, what did happen?" She badgered.

"Seriously, nothing worth mentioning." I groaned.

"Is it a boy?" My mom asked. My dad instantly stopped shaking a bottle of worcestershire over the bowl and looked at me. They both looked at me, expectantly. I gulped.

"N-Not really... I mean... I don't know..." I didn't even finish my half ass sentence before my dad jumped in.

"What's his name? Tell us about him?" They seemed severely interested. I groaned, covering my burning face. I don't know shit about Eren. He could hardly be considered a "crush".

"Eren." I grumbled unhappily. "But it's nothing. Seriously. We've barely spoken. I mean, he's already friends with all of mine. He used to live in Trost until the end of elementary school when his family moved to Shiganshina." There was a pregnant silence.

"Eren Jaeger?" My dad finally spoke. It surprised me. I nodded extensively, waiting for him to explain. "His dad, Grisha Jaeger, used to be Trost's wealthiest doctor. They were a very well liked family. Eventually, Mikasa was adopted in the Jaegers. Grisha moved his family to Shiganshina and lived there until this year.

Eren's mother was brutally murdered when Eren was ten. It's was a very hush-hush type of story, but me being cop, I have access to the information.

Now, I'm not sure if this part is true, but I heard Eren's mother was killed right in front of him. In their house in Shiganshina. What happened was someone broke into the house. With Grisha being as wealthy and popular as he was, people probably targeted him all the time. Grisha wasn't home at the time, but the mother and Eren were. His mom tried to protect him with a butcher knife but they got a hold of it and stabbed his mom. I think there were around ten or so stab wounds. Eren, being only ten, didn't know what to do. But he jumped in front of his mom and tried protecting her, the poor kid. He suffered a few stab wounds himself before Grisha got home and called the police. Eren's mom was pronounced dead and Eren was in a coma for a few weeks. It was a pretty horrible time for them.

From what I heard, the Jaegers only went down from there." My mouth hung open. Was all that true?

"Shit..." I mumbled.

At least I knew the topic of family was a good topic to stay away from when talking to him.

Aye. What's up guys?

So, that was the first chapter to Uprising.

I have a habit of naming stories and stuff after songs. This one is Uprising by Muse. I read most of the lyrics and they kind of fit well with the SNK plot. So, there's that I guess.

If you don't know the song, look it up. Muse is one of my favorite bands tbh.

Alright, so I hope this is satisfactory and long enough, so I'll get to work on the next (maybe last) part of Deadly Case.

Alright! Bye my lovely Intellectual Cinnamon Rolls! :^)