Hot & Heavy (Eren x Reader)

Chapter 24 - Green Eyes

"Why do you have that?" you asked, feeling yourself fluttering ever so slightly.

Eren looked up and smiled upon gazing at the picture. "Your mom gave it to me like months ago. January maybe? She printed a bunch of wallet-sized copies and gave one to each of the book club aunties and...me." His eyes shot at you for just a moment. "Um, you might've not been to that one...you were busy...maybe."

You understood immediately what he was hinting at. There was a period where you weren't coming over to hang with Eren whilst your mothers had their book club meetings. It was when you were trapped in what felt like the longest winter.

"And you've had it there ever since?" you asked, trying to shift the uncomfortable atmosphere from your past relationship to your development with Eren. "I can't believe I never noticed it."

"Yeah, you look beautiful so why wouldn't I want to keep it there?" Eren smiled, not embarrassed to have been discovered in this way.

You blushed, not used to Eren's comments on your appearance. You knew he treasured you and loved you dearly, but for him to view you as anything other than the insecurities of your youth was something you wanted to hold on to. He was more of a man of actions than a man of words and that was perfectly fine with you.

"You should give me your portrait too!" you said, excitedly. "I'll take it everywhere with me."

"Um, I didn't get them done."

"What?! Why?"

"I didn't think that I was gonna graduate."

Backing down, you noticed the grip on his wheel whitened his knuckles. "Oh...but you are right?" You hadn't even noticed that you made it to the school parking lot. Eren swung his truck into a spot and shut the engine off, clearing your senses of the sounds and smells. There was a ringing in your ears and even the sound of the swinging air freshener felt too loud.

Eren didn't even look at you before he swung out the driver's side door. You hoped that the reason he ignored your question was that he didn't hear you. You decided that it would probably be for the best to ask him about it later. He met you on the sidewalk with an outstretched hand and you still loved the butterflies you felt. Lacing your fingers together, you walked to the front entrance of the school.

Over the last month, you had softly launched your new budding relationship through holding hands and secret kisses at lockers. Your close friends were quick to notice the development although most of them weren't surprised. When you announced the news to your friends a few weeks ago at lunch, you were not met with the shocked expressions you were expecting.

"It was bound to happen," Connie remarked. You remembered wanting to hide your face in your hands in embarrassment. Just how long had he thought that? "You guys couldn't keep your hands off each other at my birthday last weekend."

You grimaced, thinking of the house party Jean threw for Connie's eighteenth birthday. It seemed like all your friends were rapidly growing before your eyes. You remembered dancing and sitting on the deck and finding a way onto Jean's roof to gaze at the stars. Of course, Eren was by your side the whole night. You remembered the drunken way he whispered, "My love." into your ear to try and distract you from a conversation.

"Oh yeah, I saw you two making out in Eren's truck after school," Sasha casually brought up. If it wasn't for Eren's pleased belly laugh, you would have outlawed any more public displays of affection.

It was another low blow to your psyche as you slammed a palm into your forehead. It was much earlier in your budding relationship and all the hiding and sneaking you two did only built the tension higher and higher. You remembered Eren had parked his truck in a suspiciously far corner of the parking lot that morning and the minute the end of school bell rang, you were practically sitting on his lap on the truck bench. Eren's foresight failed to consider that Sasha walked home past that suspiciously far corner every day.