For You | Eren x Reader

Chapter 42- Key:

On the afternoon of the final day of school, I got a call from my parents. After apologizing profusely, they told me they'd be gone for my entire summer on a business trip, so I'd have to live alone for awhile.

In my case, this was nothing extraordinary. My parents had left me to fend for myself for weeks at a time before. However, this was the first time they'd be gone for such an extended period of time. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with myself.

I spent the rest of the day mulling it over— I could invite friends over, perhaps? Although, even if I did, I'd still be spending most of my days alone in an empty house. Maybe I was overthinking things. Maybe I wouldn't mind being alone for over sixty days—

Someone knocked on my door. Eren stepped in and raised an eyebrow, watching me pace around my dorm room anxiously.

"You okay?" he asked hesitantly.

I sighed, walking over to him and letting myself fall into his arms, "I'm fine... just overthinking, like always."

"About what?" he prodded concernedly, gripping the small of my waist with one hand and holding my head with the other. "Are you still having nightmares?" He sighed remorsefully, "I'm so sorry—"

"No, it's not about the nightmares," I consoled. Per Annie's instruction, I had confessed to Eren that I had still been plagued by images of his suicide attempt. Seconds after I had told him, he had broken down in tears, suffocating me in his arms with a hug and apologizing profusely. Even though the dreams mostly had faded, the guilt that Eren felt still lingered.

I felt the steady rising and falling of his muscular chest, and the heat radiating off of his skin onto my cheek as he held me tightly. Two months together, now, and I still wasn't tired of him. He still gave me butterflies.

"My parents said they'd be gone all summer," I vented, pressing my face into his sternum, "So I'll be alone most of the time."

"I'll come visit— a lot," Eren consoled.

"Not enough, though," I replied, wrapping my arms around him.

Eren paused for a moment. I reached my hand up to feel his cheek. It was surprisingly hot.

I pulled away to get a good look at his face. He was blushing. Why?

"I— well, um..." he started anxiously, "I don't mean to invite myself over, and— of course— it's completely up to you— there's no pressure at all—"

"Eren," I laughed, "just spit it out already."

He rubbed the back of his neck and stared up at the ceiling, "Well... Mikasa will be gone most of summer for cross-country training... so, I'll be alone too. And, I was thinking that maybe... you and I could..."

"You could stay over at my place?" I finished.

Eren's green eyes stared back to mine, "Yeah," he said quietly.

"Okay," I agreed casually.

"Huh? Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Eren swooped me up into a hug and sent butterfly kisses up my neck to my lips, where he kissed me deeply.

"I love you," he said.

I smiled, pressing my lips against his with more ferocity. Eren slipped one hand underneath my shirt to undo my bra, but I stopped him.

"Wait," I realized, "I need to go make a copy of the house key first. If you're going to live with me, you're gonna need a way in."

Eren dropped me to the floor, frowning. "Tease," he mumbled, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes.

I shushed him, "Microwave some water for the Cup O' Noodles while I'm gone so they'll be ready when our show comes out."

Eren rolled his eyes, but walked across my dorm to grab the glass cup anyway. "Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you," I pecked him on the cheek, then remembered, "I love you," I said seriously.

Eren grinned. I still had a hard time expressing my feelings with words, but I was working on it. Sometimes I'd forget that people need to hear an 'I love you' every once in awhile. 

Eren, being the wonderful person that he was, had been very patient with me.

I left my dorm, walking off campus to have a copy made of the key to my house.

———

When I returned, Eren had our dinner already laid out. A breakfast-in-bed tray stood idly on the center of my mattress, holding two cups of steaming hot soup with two Caprisuns each for the both of us, and an unopened box on the side, since the both of us tore through those juice pouches like mad. My laptop was at the end of the bed, one click away from playing our TV show. He turned his head to greet me, feet crossed on the sheets.

"Howdy."

"Hey," I said, slipping off my shoes. "I got the key for you."

"Thank you. I can pay you back for it later."

"Nope. It's my gift to you. Plus, it was only like fifteen bucks."

Eren looked up at me eagerly. He had taken his hair out of its usual bun and it hung loosely in his face. "Can I have it?"

"After dinner."

I took a seat beside Eren on the bed, grabbing my soup and leaning into him as he played the show for us to watch. By the end of the forty minutes, we were both under the covers and I was wrapped in his muscular arms. The box of Caprisuns was empty.

"Can I have the key now?" Eren mumbled into my chest as I stroked his dark hair, brushing it out of his eyes.

"Alright," I agreed, taking my hands off of him and pulling the silver key out of my pocket. I had attached it to a long chain that Eren could wear around his neck. "Here," I said, handing it to him. "I wanted to make sure you wouldn't be able to lose it."

Eren's face lit up. He looped the chain around his neck and tugged on the key with his fingers. "I love it." He kissed my lips. "Thank you."

"Mmhmm," I muttered back, burrowing myself back into him, pressing myself against his hot skin. Eren snaked his arms around me and we laid in silence for a moment. I breathed in deeply, enjoying the moment.

Suddenly, a jolt of electricity ran through my body as I felt two fingers jab my side. I jumped from the immediate pressure.

"Agh! What the hell?" I yelled.

Eren laughed, "I'm sorry— I just wanted to tase you. You just looked too comfortable."

I rolled my eyes. It wasn't unlike Eren to ruin a perfectly sweet moment with something childish. I looked up, watching his face— green eyes lighting up with excitement as he laughed at my reaction, flashing a perfectly white smile in my direction.

There was no doubt in my mind that I loved him— and that he loved me. How could I have ever thought otherwise?

"I love you," I whispered into his chest.

"I love you too, (Y/N)," Eren replied seriously, kissing my head. "Happy last day of school."

"Are you sad?"

"No. I'll be seeing you soon. Whether that's at school or somewhere else makes no difference to me."

I smiled to myself. "I agree."