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English
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Published:
2023-01-11
Updated:
2023-01-11
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12,349
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6/?
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3
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Let me be with you one day more

Summary:

If you are looking for a light, fluffy love story between two actual boys Eren and Levi (Rivai), this one is NOT of that kind. Please check out my other fanfictions (if there are currently any; if not, I am sorry, perhaps they will appear in the future).

In short, this is a study of a relationship between young adult Eren and elderly man Rivai, which in lack of other English terms I'd call love, but by ancient Greeks it would probably be called pragma or even agape.

The full summary is posted as notes to the chapter, because apparently it's way too long for summary characters' limit.

Notes:

The trope I came up with, around which whole this story was created, is not easy and I can imagine not everyone will understand it and not everyone will like it. I've been a fan of AoT for four years now and Ereri/Riren is my OTP - and of course I saw a lot of hatred towards it, mainly focusing on the age gap between Eren and Levi (Rivai), which many see as basically pedophilia. I don't agree with this, especially when canon Eren is already 15 during his first meeting with captain, but I can understand the concern. I also don't accept every trope and idea people create, definitely not when they include rape, toxic relationship or hierarchy, or shota - it's disgusting and should be illegal imo. But there is nothing wrong with 15 or even 20 years of age difference when both sides are mentally and legally adults and base the relationship on mutual trust and consent, isn't it? I would even say it's pretty real-life (look around, you'll see it).

All that said, let's return to this story, as I'm about to seriously strain the things I've just written. The age gap between the characters here is 58 years. Yes, that's a lot. This is why it's hard to consider as an actual love story; this is also why I am pointing out once again: there is not a one scene of them kissing, sleeping together, even the words 'I love you' will not once appear between them. If this really is love though, and what kind of it from the vast spectrum of options - you'll have to judge for yourself.

The story is written fully from the perspective of the old man Rivai. I did my best trying to portray the life and the way of thinking an elder like him could have, although personally I am slightly younger than Eren in the beginning of the story - please take it under consideration. The story contains a theme I place in-between Reincarnation AU and Soulmates AU. It doesn't matter how or why it works, or if anyone else experiences that, but both Eren and Rivai from the earliest years possess a single memory of each other's face, with a strong belief it's someone very important to them. Of course none of them knows what it means, so they don't look for each other. Rivai, a young soldier without a family and secretely gay, marries his best friend Hanji in their early 20s for mutual profits and lives his life like a normal human, not necessarily held back by some longings or griefs. The same goes for Eren: each of them experiences ups and downs of life in their own time.

As Rivai says himself, his romantic life ended years before the story starts. He generally behaves as if he didn't have much time left and doesn't really care about it. When he meets Eren, he acts a bit out of sentiment, a bit out of curiosity, but he certainly doesn't have any ulterior motives at any point of their relationship. He likes the boy and genuinely cares for him, and as he grows fond of Eren, there's only one secret wish in his head: that they could keep this familiarity going for one day more.

Even though there's really not much happening in this story, I hope you will find it at least a little bit interesting. Have fun reading!

PS: I am the world's most unreliable writer, basically going with the flow, writing when I feel like it and then editing again and again, forgetting about my stories for a year and then coming back to edit again and maybe at last post something. These few chapters I'm leaving here now have been waiting on my phone for two years and today, when I have a big deadline and finals approaching, I decided to dig out this thing, review and edit it, add some parts and post. And it had to be today, idk. Therefore, I honestly don't know when there will be an update, and for that I am very sorry in advance.
See ya!

Chapter 1: First glance

Chapter Text

The day was quite windy. The wind was hurling poor trees and making their leaves dancing in the air. The day in late October, cold and grey, didn't have anything special to offer. The only thing I could expect from it was frosty rain pouring from the heavy clouds, and it could start any moment now.
"Your favourite weather, shitty glasses" I mumbled under my breath and took off my gloves to remove the last week flowers from her grave.
I guessed it was better to shorten the visit today. It was really cold when you sat and didn't move. After I changed the bouquet, I put the gloves back on, tucked myself in the coat and hid my nose in the scarf. The wind was whistling in my ears.
It carried the characteristic sound of the bell from a different part of the cemetery. There was a funeral coming to its end somewhere. I sighed and looked at Hanji's photo at her grave. Involuntarily I said a short prayer in my thoughts. I hoped it was someone really old, older than she was. Sixty-five years is not an age to die, shitty glasses, I repeated for a thousandth time.
The wind changed its direction and I trembled. That's it, time to go. Sitting in the cold is not good for health. I will talk to you longer when the spring comes again, Hans. It probably doesn't make any difference for you anyway.
I got up heavily from the little bench I asked to place here after her funeral, looked at the fresh flowers one last time and took a step at the main alley. The flowers may not survive this wind, if it keeps blowing... But I will bring new ones next Thursday, nevermind that...
Ah, right. I put the old bouquet on the bench. I turned away to take it, but the wind blew it on the ground.
Shit, it's not for my old back to squat like this, I thought with a grimace and bowed slowly to take the flowers. I wouldn't leave them here.
I was going to use the bench to straighten up with flowers in my hand, but before I could do this someone suddenly pushed me from behind. I hit my head in the bench's leg.
"Ugh..." I groaned and looked at the side. Someone was fastly walking to the exit. "Oi, you fucking brat!" I straightened up and shouted behind them, irritated. Seriously, young people these days... "Didn't your parents teach you to at least say sorry after pushing someone?!"
I thought this young man wouldn't hear me or would ignore me, but he stopped suddenly and after another second he turned back to face me. I didn't really see his face from the distance. He was wearing black pants and black coat, he had also dark hair put in a bun, following this latest trend. I assumed he was attending the funeral I heard earlier, but probably wasn't from family and took a French leave once it has finished. Youngsters were like this now. He took three long steps (he was quite tall) and approached me again.
"I'm sorry, sir" he said quietly, taking out his hands from the coat's pockets and bowing his head. "I didn't notice. Are you alright?"
Maybe I would be still mad at him, but firstly, I heard tears in his voice, barely held back, and secondly, the moment he looked up at me and I saw his face properly, I realized I knew him. Or rather, this was the face that kept haunting me for years, for decades.
For fuck's sake, Hanji. I found him.
My mind blanked for a moment, leaving no trace of anger. I blinked and rubbed my aching forehead.
"A-ah. I'm alright, yes. Thank you..." I nodded and looked at him more attentively. I've never liked people who were sticking their noses in others' business, but because I didn't want him to leave and disappear right after he showed up, I decided to add "I'm sorry, but are you alright? You're going back from that funeral, are you not?"
He blinked, looked at me sceptically, glanced around rapidly and blinked few more times, sighing suddenly.
"Ah-ha..." He hid one eye in his hand, but I saw the other one was teary. "Nevermind, it's okay. I should go, I'm... in hurry..." He looked nervously above me. What a strange guy.
But I am more strange, because before I could stop myself I asked "Who was it for you?"
"Wh..." He stared at me, surprised. "My apologies, sir, but... Why should I tell you? I don't... even know you."
That's right. Whoever it was for him, it's his mourning. Why don't you understand it, Ackerman?
"Ha. You're right." What on earth am I doing. "I just thought you'd need a word of support."
He visibly grimaced and looked away, suddenly exasperated. I had a feeling he'd just turn his back on me and leave.
"I'm currently running away from things like this" he said blankly and pierced me with completely different sight. He still had tears in his eyes, but some kind of fire was burning there now, deeply inside. "So I have to go now, sir. I'm glad you are okay. Goodbye."
Then he in fact turned away, glancing one last time at the alley to check where the people he was running away from were, probably.
I should have let him go. I have been missing his presence my whole life and I was old now. I couldn't offer him anything and I didn't have any idea how to stop him. I had to let him go and with a heavy sigh I did.
"Yes... Goodbye."
I squeezed the flowers in my hand and followed him with my sight, deeply in my thoughts. I moved only when he was already a small dot far away. I felt first drops of the rain on my head.