CENTERED

temptations arise

You looked up from your phone and saw him standing in a black suit, white button-up, and no tie, just the first buttons unbuttoned at the top.

"I should be back around five. Don't burn my house down," he announced just before walking out the front door.

"Hmm, I'll think about it," you joked and grabbed the remote on his way out.

He shut the door and you searched for something to watch, normally you'd be spending this time doing everything you could to regain all that time lost in two years the moment Armin decided to cheat. You just didn't feel comfortable enough to face others knowing you weren't even sure of your own identity anymore, not knowing whether you were enough or too much of something else.

There had to be a reason Armin did what he did to you, Pieck too. We're you a bad friend to her? You never thought you were, of course, you thought you were a great girlfriend too but look where that got you.

What could you have done? If you made a list, could you find something that could explain your unexplainable? That's what you did. You made a list on your phone of everything you've done for Armin over the past two years of strictly dating, every interaction, phone call, and even gift.

It took you about an hour; you were definitely the type of person who would buy your partner whatever they took the slightest interest in. It didn't matter why it was or even the price, as long as it made them happy it didn't really bother you.

You re-read the list and went back and put a checkmark next to everything that could've driven him to what he did. You left a little note of what was wrong with what you did after each check and how to "fix" it. As if you could fix those lovely habits of yours that you saw as an ugly part of yourself now.

The simple fact that you really sat there, knees up to your chest on the couch, and casually wrote down everything you thought you did wrong in your relationship and how to "improve" was absolutely insane. It was what he did to you, the effect his actions had on you.

It was painful, so painful that you went numb to the realization of what you were doing. You thought this was a normal reaction, just casually writing down everything you now grew to hate about yourself.

EREN POV:

"Is he dead?" I asked in the foldable metal chair, it was rusted but nobody really cared.

"I'm not sure-"

I put my shoe up to his badly bruised face, limp on the floor he looked like he was just passed out from the pain at this point. I'd forgotten my shoes were just shined, the black leather that was now under this man's jaw, I pulled the blunt away from my lips and tossed it aside.

"Hmmm. Think we have some time to stop and get a burger on the way home?" I hummed and rocked the man's limp head back and forth playfully.

"Of course-"

"Oops, that's gonna hurt like a bitch in the morning. Can you check his pockets for me?" I asked and removed my foot from under his jaw on accident, resulting in him face planting the floor.

"Of course," he walked over and rummaged through the pockets of the man Levi told me about earlier today.

"No money. Just some ID's"

"This part sucks, just past the debt onto his family for me. I have to be home by five," I looked down at my phone to check the time and he nodded and tossed the other man's limp body over his shoulders.

Y/N POV:

You remained in the same position on the couch, sitting there picking out every newfound flaw that you didn't even consider a flaw or imperfection until this list.