Tether, 𝙚.𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧

𝗖𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝗘

EXCHANGING GOODNIGHTS WITH ZEKE IS JUST as awkward as you thought it was going to be once you step back into Carla's house. Eren had already darted inside after briefly greeting both you and his brother. He flew by you before you could really process that he was here — in flesh and blood — walking around in the same house you were walking around in.

"Are you going to tell Eren what I did?" Zeke asks you just as you turn to leave and head over to check up on Eren and Kaspar.

"Do you think I should?" You can't help but add a bite to your voice. You're starting to regret letting Zeke off the hook so easily since he was acting so blasé about the whole ordeal. "I don't know, I feel like you deserve a good ass-whooping from your brother for what you did."

"I got caught up in the moment." He winces, trying to sound more apologetic this time around. You aren't buying it. "You know, he's not just gonna kick my ass if he finds out, right? He'll fucking castrate me, Y/N."

You narrow your eyes and step up closer to Zeke.

"If you knew that's how Eren would react if he found out, then why did you decide to kiss me anyways?"

"Because I know I can be good to you. I know I can give you what you deserve."

"Jesus, Zeke," You breathe in heavily through your nose, hand flying to massage your temple — both of the Yeager brothers were headache inducing it seemed. "What I deserve isn't some stolen kiss while I'm crying my heart out about my ex!"

"Keep your voice down!" Zeke quickly slaps a hand over your mouth and your eyes widen at the sudden contact. You instinctively shove him away and he stumbles in his footing as he falls back away from you.

"Lay a hand on me again, and I'll personally order Eren to castrate you."

"Y/N—"

Before you can hear him protest more, you march away, making a mad dash towards Eren's old room where Carla had put Kaspar down to sleep in. You soften your footsteps as you approach the slightly ajar door. A dim but warm light from inside the room lights your path towards it and when you're finally able to peek your head inside, you see Eren knelt by the bed while stroking back a sleeping Kaspar's hair. Your heart swells at the sight and you so badly want to get a closer look, but Eren's broad back facing you is intimidating enough.

"You can come in, you know?" He finally calls out to you, as if he read your thoughts. You only slightly jump when he speaks up all of a sudden, not even realizing he was talking to you at first since his back is still facing you.

Slowly, you push the door aside and walk in, debating with yourself how much distance you should keep between yourself and Eren. Eventually you decide that you aren't gonna let him keep intimidating you, so you join him right besides the bed. Right besides your son.

"He's gonna be really excited to see you in the morning." You let Eren know, desperate to break the silence with something. To your surprise, a smile forms on Eren's mouth before he gently ruffles Kaspar's brown hair and slowly gets back up to his feet so he's standing beside you. You force yourself to look away from Eren since it'd be obvious if you stared at him now that he's towering over you. But even as you look down at Kaspar, your mind races with images of Eren.

It had to be a crime to look that ridiculously good in just a stupid white t-shirt. It isn't even that tight-fitting to display the absolutely shredded body you know lies beneath it, but Eren still looks like he'd stepped out of a men's health catalog.

His eyes are droopy, like he needs sleep badly, but was refusing himself the rest. A few strands of his brown hair fall across his forehead and the bun that sits at the back of his head is so messy that you ache to sink your fingers into it and unravel the tie he'd carelessly looped around the mass of hair. It still looks good, though. Messy is his style.