Erwin X Levi X Eren One Shots ※ Eruriren

Only Those Who Had A Reason To Remember

He whined enough that when he got inside, he was gifted a small bowl. Even when reheated, the gooey dish was delicious. His mother, in the end- and after a few persuasive words from his father- gave him a more friendly welcome and they caught up on his college years. He managed to talk for hours without mentioning his pranks once nor about the nagging from his grumpy lecturers.

His mother sounded delighted and at the end of it he had gotten a major in Engineering so, so was he. His father was especially proud. Even with little time, he had taught Eren to be the best. He may have pushed too hard at times but Eren was nevertheless grateful. It had gotten him to where he was.

Armin, his grandfather, and Mikasa arrived when he was about halfway through the meal and gave him a warm welcome before letting him continue with his college stories, Mikasa and Armin holding in laughs when they realised he was missing out big chunks.

They both knew about his shenanigans. He had to brag to someone.

The evening was nice and Eren walked out of the dining room with a beaming smile on his face. There was still a few days until Christmas and Eren was leaving on boxing day but he couldn't wait to spend the upcoming days with his family- Armin and his grandfather included in that mix.

Armin and his grandfather had come not only because of their invitation. When Armin's parents had died and he had been put in his grandfather's care, his grandfather was already a little too old for caring for such a small child. But, over the years, my parents were happy to help and they had spent every Christmas from over a decade ago in the Jaeger family house. They were apart of the family now and that meant helping each other out.

Eren bounded up the stairs at around eleven o'clock, Mikasa in tow. They were sharing his old room, Armin and his grandfather in Mikasa's old bedroom and his parents in their own. The arrangement had always worked and they had never bothered to change it. Even in the small house, there was plenty of room to spare. Although there were no more beds, there were still two seats left at the table and a few armchairs left in the living room. Carla loved all sorts of furniture and had maybe packed the house with a little too much. It only made it cosier.

Eren had nightmares that night. He didn't care anymore. He shouldn't have expected his parents' house to save everything. Despite all the warm feelings, nothing could force the scolding oil to run away. It poisoned him, his mind, with images he didn't want to see.

These weren't normal nightmares. He wasn't normal.

That's what so many people said. That he wasn't a normal kid. Not in a bad way. In a good way. They always thought he was far more well-rounded than any other kid with a determination that was unmatchable by anyone else.

It wasn't because of him, though. It wasn't this world that had made him this way. Those nightmares, those dreams- they were memories. Memories of a life once lived. They showed him images, images of him, somewhere else. Sometime else. It was him but not quite.

He had grown up differently there.

He was determined but undoubtedly slower than the rest of his classmates, he had made up for it in this life by learning all he could. He read and he studied and he did his best. He didn't have the time nor the will in his old life to do that.

All he wanted to do was 'kill all the Titans'.

Now, he laughed at his words. What an impossible dream. He had almost accomplished it. Not quite. The Titans weren't demolished but they were controlled. They were out of the humans' way and by the time he had died, the thirteen-year timer up, his powers had been passed to the next. And like that, the Titans had stayed away.