Work Text:
Erwin spotted the boy while his dad looked through the old books in the bookseller’s stall. The two of them were in the bad part of town, close to the entrance to the underground. Aaron Smith knew the best spots to find questionable books and
Erwin, at age nine, was almost a big kid so his dad let him explore. The boy that Erwin spied was small, painfully thin, black-haired, and ragged.
Erwin approached him purposefully.
“I’m Erwin. What’s your name?”
The boy jumped, then shrank in on himself, making himself seem smaller.
“What do you want?”
“Would you like some orange slices?” Erwin extended a small bag.
The boy studied the contents gravely. "That's not fruit."
Erwin laughed. "No, it's candy. They're just called orange slices."
"Candy?"
"Sure! You want some?"
The boy's pale slender hand reached out then withdrew. "Why would you give it to me?"
“Because you’re so skinny, and I want to be your friend,” Erwin said. He might almost be a big kid but it didn’t mean he’d yet learned tact.
The boy reached into the bag greedily.
“Erwin! Let’s go,” his dad called.
“Sorry, I gotta go! You never told me your name!”
“Levi.”