THIRTEEN • Eren Jaeger

CHAPTER 5: Loop Three, I

"Pretty sure you're only supposed to toast one thing," Mikasa said.

"To Krista returning safely today," Ymir declared loudly, glaring at Mikasa. "And to letting her toast to as many things as she wants."

"That's a good one!" Connie said jovially. "To not dying today."

"To [Name], our pretty bartender," said Jean, winking at you. You waved him off and ignored the glare Eren was giving him.

Armin glanced between you and Eren, then hesitantly raised his glass. "To Eren, on not being a coward."

"Ditto," Mikasa said.

"What?" Eren exclaimed. "What do you mean I'm a—"

He was cut off. Jean rolled his eyes but Sasha giggled, spilling alcohol on herself. You lifted the glass to your lips and pretended to sip.

When you were sure that most were a little tipsy, you said, "We should play a game. How about spin the bottle?"

Eren choked. He was not alone. Everyone in the circle reacted differently, but you remained calm, like you'd asked about the weather.

"What's wrong?" you asked.

"[Name]," Armin said, deeply blushing, "you don't mean — the game that involves — kissing — right?"

"I do," you said. "Why not?"

"If you wanted a kiss from me so bad, [Name]," Jean jumped in, not passing an opportunity to provoke Eren, "you could have just asked."

"Leave her alone," Eren said angrily, putting you behind his arm to shield you. "She doesn't want to kiss a mule."

"Why don't we ask [Name]?" Jean jeered. "She's the one who suggested the game, so she wants to be kissed, doesn't she?"

"Well, I don't want to see it," Eren said, the tips of his ears burning. "I don't want to waste my night watching. It's gross."

"It's just a game of chance, 'Ren" said Connie, smirking as he used your nickname for him. "Who knows? Maybe the bottle will land on someone you want to kiss."

"I'm not playing," Eren said stubbornly.

"Neither am I or Krista," added Ymir.

You slumped with disappointment. The earlier Eren made contact with Krista, without the pain of living through the Survey Corps, the better. That way you would find a solution with all the time you had to prepare, and he'd have to listen to you given his inexperience.

"Fine, what other stupid game can we play?"

"There's always Truth or Dare," Connie offered. Everyone agreed, albeit with reluctance.

"This is so dumb," Eren muttered.

Connie nudged Jean into going first. He wasn't please, but said, "Truth."

Eren was quick to sneer at him. "I thought you were a horse, but now you seem like a chicken."

Before Jean could retaliate, Sasha said, "Jean, if you could go on a date with someone in the 104th, who would it be?"

Jean scrunched his nose as though deep in thought. He glanced at you with a wicked smile and you knew that he was just trying to bait Eren again for the chicken comment. You glanced at your green-eyed friend and saw that he was, in fact, steaming.

Jean waited a few seconds, enjoying Eren's simmering anger, and then bluntly said, "Mikasa, I guess. She's cool."

You quietly laughed as Sasha and Connie began poking at their friend for fun. In your first life, you were at Jean and Mikasa's wedding, even being godmother to their firstborn. That was eons ago, and to this day it still thrilled you to watch them slowly fall over the years.