[⏰] Epilogue || Ereri/Riren AU

01 | Epilogue

Crunching leaves.

Bird songs.

And...

Immediately, Eren aims and fires at the redwood tree above them. An arrow loosely falls to the ground just inches away from him.

Armin bites his tongue, but a quiet shriek manages to escape his parched lips. Mikasa holds her her pistol close, her eyes scanning the trees. Her raven hair flew in all directions as she searched eagerly for a target, her pistol waving in the air.

"We are not enemies!" Eren yells, his attention focused on the treetops. Eren looks at his frightened friend. "We don't want trouble!"

Golden-brown eyes peek through the treetops, eyeing the three carefully. Faint clicking was heard, like the clicking of a tongue. Eren keeps his eyes locked with the dark figure that posses the striking, golden-brown orbs.

Mikasa took notice and aimed her pistol. Armin stood terrified, his small handgun waving in all directions as Eren stood calm.

After a few moments, other figures began to leap from the trees and onto the damp earth. Twigs and dry leaves crunched below them, their faces hidden by a dark green cloaks.

The hazel-eyed figure walked with a fixed expression as he removed his hood. The figure appears to be male with medium cut, light, ash colored hair with his sides and back trimmed in a darker hue.

Eren swallows the lump that formed in his throat and balled his free hand, the other hand still gripped his pistol tightly. The golden-eyed male inched closer until he was inches away from Eren's face. Mikasa narrowed her dark eyes while Armin attempted to remain calm.

Three other figures surrounded them, all wearing similar green cloaks. The male in front of Eren parted his lips, but before he could speak another male pried off his hood to reveal his short, dark hair and freckles. He steps forward and pulled the other back.

"Jean, they are human. Lay off," he irked.

The male named Jean fell back a few steps. "I was just making sure." He admits. Sighing deeply, he replaced his fixed look with a bright smile. "The name's Jean. Freckles here is Marco," he gestured towards the male behind him who waved a friendly hand and a smile.

"I'm Sasha!" A female voice sang, removing her hood. She raised a wooden bow, her arrows rattling on her back.

"Connie," the bald headed male introduces, raising the shotgun in his right hand.

Eren felt the weight of the world roll off his shoulders. Mikasa relaxed, as well as Armin.

"I'm Eren, this is my sister Mikasa, and my friend Armin," Eren says, gesturing the two behind him. "I heard gunshots," he tells Jean.

"That was Connie, he shot a deer," Jean explains. "Let's talk over dinner."

Delighted by the sound of a meal, the three agree to eat with them.

~

The fire flickers and pops, its heat warming the small group. The cooked deer satisfied the hungry teens as they continued to devour their meal. The males made small talk, each exchanging their own set of questions.