* THIS IS A COPYRIGHTED STORY OF MINE, MIDNIGHT_LILAC, PUBLISHED ON WATTPAD. IF YOU FIND IT ON ANY OTHER WEBSITE, IT HAS BEEN COPIED/REPUBLISHED WITHOUT MY CONSENT AND YOU ARE LIKELY AT A RISK OF A MALWARE ATTACK. IF YOU WISH TO READ THIS STORY IN I...
It was a half day march from Trost to the Old Survey Corps Headquarters outside Wall Maria. It was an abandoned castle that we were going to stay in while training Eren to gain full control over his Titan transformation. As decided much earlier, I had officially been made into a scout – I wore my uniform with the green, hip length hooded cloak with the Survey Corps insignia on the back with my ODM gear strapped to my waist and thighs – and I was a part of the elite squad gathered by Captain Levi for this mission.
The captain was as stoic as he had been since I first saw him. He had been watchful of Eren, far more than I thought he would. It was obvious that he was being immensely guarded and ready to take action the moment he found something out of place. Out of sheer concern and protectiveness, I couldn't help but stick close to Eren because of that, all while hoping that Eren did not end up stirring any sort of unnecessary trouble.
Eren was anxious too, which was not surprising in the least. All the people of this squad, excluding me, were under the orders to restrain him when he used his Titan powers and kill him if he lost control. His eyes were fixed on them while he caressed his horse in its stable after we had reached the entrance courtyard of the castle.
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I placed a hand on his shoulder to get this attention. He was quick to pretend to be alright.
"You'll be fine, don't worry. And I'm here with you," I said.
His expression fell slightly at that. Gazing to the ground, he gave a sad smile. "I guess you could see though my act, huh?"
"You're always so tough, so strong, showing such bravery and determination in everything you do. It's admirable. It's something I've seen in you and really admired in you since I met you. But you don't always have to be that way in front of me. It's okay to be afraid sometimes. It's okay to be sad. It's okay to lean on others. You don't have to shoulder everything by yourself," I said gently.
"Yeah," he mumbled. "Thank you, Elle, for saying that and for coming all this way for me. I'm embarrassed though, that you always see past what everyone else sees."
"You don't need to thank me for anything, Eren. I should be the one thanking you for letting me be a part of your family. To be honest, I never had a real family, and what I did have was stripped from me before I could truly cherish them. But I found a sense of solace in you, and it stirred the deep desire in me to stay by your side as your friend, you sister, your guardian, your protector, your confidant, and anything else that I can be. It's weird how some people just end up taking the biggest place in your heart so easily, but it's a gift that we humans have. It is something to cherish, to protect, and to keep."
