Every Single One (Eren X Reader)

015

"And why is that?" I was almost aggressive, frustrated that he'd figured me out so quickly.

"You seem pretty awake." he pointed out. He hesitated for a moment before finally saying something, "Were you thinking?"

I started to panic a little, slightly creeped out that he was guessing so much accurately. "Why?"

He let out a quiet laugh and smiled, "Yeah, me too."

I sighed.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked, seeming slightly hopeful.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

I paused, leaning out the window and looking at him under the soft moonlight, unsure of how to reply. No, I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about it or not. I didn't know if I was in any place to burden others with my emotions and qualms, much less Eren Jaeger. On top of that, this was sort of strange for Eren. For the most part, he definitely treated me differently than the rest of our friends. He acted as though he was more interested in me specifically, including what I was thinking about most of the time. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that we had the same end goal—to eradicate all the titans—but I doubted it was anything else.

A small smile crept across my face and I shook my head, thinking about how badly I was torn between telling him everything and telling him nothing. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find a middle-ground, but I didn't have the chance to anyway.

"It's fine," Eren said, walking into the headquarters, "Sorry to bother you, Y/N. You should go to sleep."

"Goodnight, Jaeger," I said, smiling. His answer wasn't audible, but I heard a faint response from downstairs, making my smile more genuine. I closed the window quietly and lied back down in my bed. The second my head hit the pillow, I regretted everything.

Why didn't I talk to him? Was it a good decision? What could I even say? Was I being a jerk?
Thoughts filled my mind and I jumped up, shaking my head in frustration. One idea stuck out from the others, and I froze.

Eren said he'd been thinking too.

That simple notion gave me a sudden burst of confidence, and I couldn't sleep anyway, so I decided to go find Eren. Besides, I'd never sleep again if I just ignored his offer.

As quietly as I could, I changed into my clothes for the next day, noticing that the moon was sinking lower in the sky. I guessed that less than four hours remained until dawn, and I didn't plan on getting any sleep, so I'd just wear whatever clothes I could wear the next day. I chose to leave my jacket in the wardrobe but brought my dark green cloak for warmth.

Taking another deep breath, I twisted the handle that lead to the dark hallway outside my room. I clutched the clasp of my cloak, shivering at the thought of getting caught as I stepped down the stairs to the basement. I had to walk slowly to stay quiet, trailing my free hand along the wall to keep myself from tripping. When I reached the bottom step, I double checked that no one had followed me by looking behind me at the empty staircase. I let out a sigh of relief when the door opened, as I half-believed it'd be locked.

"Hello?" Eren's voice echoed around the cold basement.

"It's freezing down here," I said, turning the corner to see Eren sitting on his bed in his cell. I saw his eyes widen when he saw me sit in front of the bars before he got up and sat in front of me. I felt butterflies in my stomach, and fought back a blush, even if he could hardly see me in the dark.

"Then why'd you come?" he joked resting his head on his hand.

"Because I was thinking," I mimicked him, resting my head on my own hand, though I used my left so our faces aligned between the bars, "and I didn't want to think alone anymore," I added boldly.