YOU COULD FEEL the heat of the sun beating down on your back. The leather reins rubbed soon-to-be blisters between your fingers — you knew you should have worn a pair of gloves. At the very least, the wind was pleasantly cool as it whipped through your hair, preventing any sweat that threatened to drip from your temples from appearing.
The chestnut mare underneath you on was still active, whinnying and exhaling as if eager to continue riding. You weren't surprised. The horses of the Survey Corps were specially bred for top speed in order to go in and out the Walls.
You shifted your weight to your outside hip and dug your heel into the mare's right side, and she picked up the lead in perfect rhythm, tucking her head in and bounding along the land with the rest of the Scouting formation as you sped in the direction towards the Walls.
Fastened around your shoulders was a green cloak, the blue-and-white wings of freedom proudly flapping behind your back. Had you accepted to don their special vertical maneuvering gear, you would have looked exactly like the rest of those around you — proud soldiers of Paradis, ready to devote your hearts on everything you could.
Only, the cloak you wore was not the one you brought from Marley.
Riding beside you was Eren. On your left, Mikasa and Armin. In front of you, Commander Hange and Captain Levi. A few yards behind were Sasha, Jean, and Connie. Around the squad, a few other soldiers were shouting orders at one another. All of whom were riding back to the Walls with resolution painted on their faces, either eager to go home or cautious to leave the rest of the world behind. And there you were, in the middle of it all.
You turned your head to look at Eren, who had kicked his horse into a steady gallop so that you and him were riding together at the same speed. It was a small act, but you were grateful. You were certain that if by some unfortunate event you were caught slipping off your horse, Eren's strong arms would catch you in an instant.
These people aren't that bad, you guessed.
You thought back to what happened before you left the camp.
You had been double-checking your belongings before leaving the tent. It was time for a few members of the Survey Corps — Squad Levi, most especially — to return to the Walls and report their recent findings to the government and to the people. You were a little bit nervous. It would be your first reappearance back in the Walls in over a year, and you didn't know what to do expect.
While a few of the others were standing outside your tent, waiting for the final preparations to be made, you briefly heard them chit-chatting as you packed your belongings. There wasn't much you owned. A few clothes, a pair of worn-out flats, a medical kit you snagged from the hospital. On accident, you turned the suitcase upside down and the sketchbook Zeke had given you fell out.
The book fell open to a page with the face of a girl with hooded eyes and a hooked nose and you shut it immediately because the guilt of bringing Annie Leonhart's face to life in a page a few flips away from that of Petra Rall's was gnawing at you. You didn't know why you still bothered thinking about Annie when she was obviously affiliated with the Warrior Unit.
"The wagons are full of supplies, Captain," you heard one cadet say to another soldier, most probably to Levi.
If he was waiting outside your tent, the rest of his squad were surely going to follow. It made sense, because Hange had ordered for them specifically to be responsible for you the same way you had been responsible for them the past few weeks.
"Yes, sir, they're all full of the technology we took from the Survey ship," a second cadet added. "I'm afraid there's no space left for anyone to ride it unless they want to sit on top of the machines."
"Understood," said Captain Levi. "Thank you. Get to your squads now."
You heard the whip of a cape, and the sound of two hands hitting chests. The two cadets must have saluted at the corporal.
"Roger, Captain Levi!"
When the two cadets left, the rest of Squad Levi turned to their captain.
"No space on the wagons?" you heard Armin ask. "Where will Y/N sit?"
"She's an amnesiac, not a newborn infant," Levi replied. "I highly doubt she's forgotten how to ride a horse."
"Still, she's out of practice," said Jean. "The journey back to the Walls is a little farther than what she was used to before. Don't you think it would be better if we made space on one of those wagons instead?"
"That's true," Connie added. "The terrain from here to the Walls is a little tougher than the ones within Wall Maria. She hasn't ridden through it yet and it's a pretty long way. Her clothes might not even be suited for the trip."
You inwardly sighed as you rummaged through your suitcase. You hated being babied.
"Well, what can we do?" Levi asked impatiently. "If it gets bad, Y/N can borrow clothes from somebody else. She can ride behind Eren or Mikasa or Sasha for all I care, as long as we get her back inside Trost District."
"You won't need to worry, Captain."
Everybody turned around to see you emerging from the tent wearing the Survey Corps uniform. The cropped brown jacket fit you still, and the green of the battered old cloak complimented your complexion like an old friend. In perfect timing, a small breeze blew past, causing the cloak to billow out a little.
Eyes widened, and a few gasps escaped their mouths. They had eventually grown accustomed to the fact that you were back with them, but seeing you look so ready for battle shot them a static shock. The torn cape didn't help very much. It was as though you had risen from the dead, which in a way, you had.
You saluted at them, their blatant wonder apparently going over your head. "I can ride a horse, Captain. Don't worry."
Levi nodded at you. "Good. We were waiting to escort you to your horse. Hange's orders."
You looked around at those who had been waiting outside for you. Connie, Jean, Armin, and the captain himself had been waiting for you outside your tent. Eren, Mikasa, and Sasha on the other hand were nowhere to be found. They had probably been called to do a check-up on the horses before the Scouts left the camp site.
A few members of the Survey Corps had been left behind at the camp alongside the Anti-Marley Volunteers, but Squad Levi had been among the many soldiers that were given permission to return to the headquarters.
The captain's special squad was clearly the highest and most well-respected within the ranks. You noticed that when the boys surrounded you and had you march through the camp to get to the formation where the horses were waiting, all the other members quickly moved out of the way to form a path for you to walk through. Levi led the group with the rest of you behind his back.
Upon seeing the look on your face, Connie smirked. "Impressed, are you? Squad Levi is known to be the top squad within the Survey Corps. We're the best of the best."
"It's because we've got the most combat experience," Armin explained. "Before all the events that happened last year, the Survey Corps started out with around three hundred soldiers. In the Battle of Shiganshina alone, our numbers dwindled down from two hundred soldiers to ten."
"Ten?" you whisper-shouted with wide eyes. "You were all among those ten?"
"Yep! Us and Hange and Captain Levi," Jean said proudly. "The other two survivors are currently situated in our headquarters back in Trost. They weren't originally from the Survey Corps though, one was from the Garrison Regiment and the other was from the Military Police."
"Both red-haired idiots," Connie muttered. "Well, I think all that tension from last year has died down a bit."
"Does that include Petra Rall?" you asked eagerly.
"No," Levi answered from in front of you. He didn't even bother to look back. "Petra Rall was a veteran member of Squad Levi, included in the losses. She died on an expedition a few months before the Battle of Shiganshina."
"How?"
"Killed by the Female Titan."
You stopped walking. Everyone else stopped with you, but Levi continued on walking ahead with nothing more than a glance at his back. Either he didn't care, or he was skillful at hiding the fact that the sudden action had caught his interest.
"Are you okay, Y/N?" Armin asked, a little too hopefully. "What's wrong?"
You could almost see it now, like a foggy vision. Annie had killed Petra by kicking her into the base of a large tree, and betrayed you right after that. Your hand unconsciously flew to your ribcage, an action that didn't escape Jean's watchful eye.
"Nothing," you replied to Armin. "Let's keep walking."
"We aren't part of the original members of the Special Operations Squad," said Connie as the four of you hurried to catch up with Levi. "But Eren and yo—well, Eren was one of the original members. The rest of us didn't know Petra very well, and we weren't recruited because we were still fresh graduates at the time."
The gears in your head began turning. If you had been among these people, and they didn't know Petra, how had you known her? Eren had said yes when you asked him if they had been your friends back then. At the time, you weren't so sure if you could trust him, but the new information seemed to be proving otherwise.
"So your Squad Levi batch has never experienced any losses?" you asked. Armin shook his head.
"Well, technically... no. There were two girls—one retired to start working in the government while the other got busy with her own squad. One queen and one lieutenant."
"A queen and a lieutenant? Our age?" you asked in disbelief. "Aren't they too young to be taking those kinds of positions? What a responsibility."
"Yeah, neither of them were very thrilled about their promotions," said Connie. "But they took up the responsibilities anyway to give the Survey Corps some leverage."
"Right. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have been able to fight at the Battle of Shiganshina," said Jean. His eyes went to you for a second. "Well, the queen was behind all the influence of the people. The lieutenant was the one who charged into real battle."
"How?"
"During the Battle of Shiganshina, the district was surrounded by these Abnormal Titans that were intelligent enough to climb walls. Her squad's main focus was support duty, so she led them into killing those weird Titans. But right after she killed the last one, another wave of Titans appeared and so on."
"Nearly the entire squad died, which was a shame because they were a little more talented than the rest of the fresh recruits," Connie added, his face grim. "I knew them. I went on a small Scouting mission with that squad in Wall Rose back then. They were pretty nice people, too."
Armin sighed. "It really was a shame. Hange's predecessor handpicked them for the support squad, you know."
You frowned a little. "What... happened to the lieutenant?"
The three of them froze and looked at each other in panic. Before any of them could open their mouths, Levi suddenly appeared with a scowl on his face.
"Enough with the chit-chat," he interrupted, folding his arms at you. "We're going to be late."
"Yes, sir," you murmured in unison.
"Y/N, go ahead," he ordered, pointing a thumb behind him. "I need to have a short word with the men of my squad."
You obeyed and walked ahead while the rest remained behind. Out of curiosity, you looked over your shoulder to see the three boys standing awkwardly as the captain reprimanded them. For what reason, you didn't know.
"Stop interfering and let her remember on her own," Levi was hissing, "Important life events should be recalled on her own realization. The death of Petra Rall and the betrayal of Annie Leonhart was decent progress, so don't ruin it by blabbing about. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
You turned your head again and continued walking, like you hadn't been listening in.
You got a good look at the edge of the camp. It was so early in the morning that the sun was hardly peeking over the western horizon, though the sky was turning a cool shade of indigo. A chill sea breeze was blowing through the land and the grass was mildly wet with morning dew that gathered under your boots.
You made course for the busy yard where the formation of soldiers had been on standby with their horses. You looked around for the remaining members of Squad Levi, who had been placed in the front and center to lead the trip back. Once you found them, you took a deep breath and made your way in their direction.
"Good morning," you started with a small smile.
Eren perked up at the sound of your voice and turned around to place his full attention to you. Upon seeing you stride towards him wearing the Scouting uniform, Eren's eyes widened a little and he went momentarily tongue tied.
"Hey, Y/N!" Sasha greeted cheerfully. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
"Yeah," you replied. "I ate earlier."
Mikasa pointed at a brown horse that was saddled beside Eren's steed. "That mare is assigned to you. You do still know how to ride a horse, right?"
"I think I do."
"If not, you can ride with me," she said, ignoring the indignant glance Eren gave her. "I won't mind if it's uncomfortable for the journey."
You shook your head. "You're too kind, Mikasa. But no thanks—I'd hate to be a burden to you. I'll be fine."
Mikasa nodded in understanding. She and Sasha eventually left to tend to their own horses, leaving you standing with Eren, who had finally recovered from his surprise.
"The uniform suits you," he complimented. "Where'd you get it?"
"This one came to Marley with me," you replied sheepishly. "I believe that this is what I had been wearing on the day that Zeke took me away."
Eren's mouth opened a little. You were going to be returning to the Walls wearing the same clothes you had left them in. Full circle. He hummed as his eyes went up and down your body. The brown jacket still fit the same, and it didn't look very battered, but the cloak was another story.
The cape portion that seemed to have taken the most hits. Despite the firm stitching of the wings on the back, small holes and tears wore down the a few cloth's strings into a loose thread. Singed burn marks and scorch patches were littered all over. They must have been made on the day of the Battle of Shiganshina one year ago.
"Your cloak is torn," he noted, eyes going over the fabric. "Why didn't they give you a new one?"
"Oh, wearing this was a last minute decision," you replied, bashfully picking at the hem. "I heard Connie say that the terrain going to the Walls was going to be rougher than what I was used to, so I figured that I have to wear the appropriate clothing for the trip."
"That's probably a good decision," said Eren, tearing his eyes off you to rummage for something inside his knapsack. "But I don't think that torn cloak of yours will do."
"Oh? Well, I didn't want a repetition of what happened on my first day here," you said. "The one when I woke up late for dinner."
Eren's eyes snapped in your direction for a second. "What do you mean?"
"I think I looked a little bit ridiculous wearing those clothes on my first day here," you admitted, cringing at the memory. "If Sasha hadn't approached me for my food, I would have regretted leaving my tent that day."
Eren looked confused. "What? You didn't look out of place at all. Your clothes were perfectly normal."
"Everyone was staring at me," you explained. "I assumed it was because they weren't used to the kind of clothes I was wearing."
"Maybe you were just being a little bit awkward," he offered, laughing a little at the way your face fell. "It's alright. They're just starved for something interesting to happen, and you're very interesting."
You raised your eyebrows. "Am I?"
"Yeah. You are," he replied nonchalantly. "It's not every day a Scout rises from the dead."
You were silent for a few moments before speaking. "I wish I knew how I was connected to everyone here."
I wish you knew, too, Eren wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut.
"I don't want to worry you, but you're probably going to get talked about once we return," he said. "But you shouldn't worry. It'll be just the same as to when they first found out I could turn into a Titan."
"Will it be bad?"
"Maybe," he replied honestly. "But they'll quickly get used to it, and hopefully you'll get used to them in the same way."
You slowly nodded. That statement was a lot more comforting than Eren knew.
"I don't like it when people about me, though," you confessed. "I get anxious thinking about what they must be saying about me when I can't hear them."
Eren gave you a sympathetic look. You didn't know whether you liked that because it meant he cared or didn't because it meant that he pitied you. You felt weak for admitting that, because you thought you were above such petty things like idle gossip.
"You know what?" asked Eren, looking determined. "Just let them speak. They can choke on their spit."
You smiled a little. That was something you picked up about Eren — he always seemed to be doing his best in making you feel better. He was way too altruistic to you for someone who had met the hard bottoms of your boots in the worst way.
"What else are they running their mouths for, anyway?" you asked. "I thought everyone's gotten used to me by now. Are you trying to be nice to me or are my clothes really just that weird?"
Eren shrugged, turning back to his bag. "Well, I don't know much about clothes, but... I guess your clothes are a little different from the kind girls in the Walls usually wear. But they weren't definitely weren't weird."
"So, why do you think they were gawking at me like that?" you asked.
"They probably just had a lot of questions. After all, you disappeared last year."
"So everybody is getting a kick out of freaking out because I somehow managed to resurrect from the dead. I suppose I should be getting used to all the attention now."
Eren's eyes flickered at you with amusement. "Really?"
"Yes," you sighed. "I'm learning to accept that everybody arounds me thinks that my presence is a bit bizarre. Even the clothes I wear make me look bad."
Eren didn't reply to that as he continued looking through his bag, which stung a little. If you were being honest with yourself, the idea of Eren seeing you as someone who could potentially be his friend instead of a strange girl from foreign lands was desirable. He had told you at the beach a few weeks ago that you had indeed been friends, so you tentatively clung onto that rope.
The members of Squad Levi hated seeing you sit alone and had been gracious enough to make attempts at getting to know you. You found it a little uncomfortable, but you still tried to meet them halfway and at least ate together. During meals, you imitated Mikasa by listening to the conversation rather than participating. Occasionally, you would catch Eren stealing looks at you in your peripheral vision. Sometimes, you would steal looks back.
It was a mystery as to why you were so drawn to each other.
"Found it," Eren said at last, and before you could ask what it was he found, he pulled out a spare green cape from his large knapsack and unfolded it for you. "Take off your cloak."
Your eyes widened. "Oh, Eren, is that for me?"
"'Course it's for you," he said, holding the fabric in his hands by the corners. "I—We don't want you feeling uncomfortable during the journey back, do we?"
"Are you sure?" you asked doubtfully. Eren nodded.
"Yes. If this is okay with you, of course," he said, sounding a little hesitant at the end. "Well, are you okay with this?"
You were honestly just curious to see what he was going to do.
"I am," you answered. "I'm okay with this."
"Do you mind if I—" he motioned from the cloak in his grip to your body. "You know?"
"Not at all," you breathed out, giving Eren the answer he wanted to hear.
As Eren moved forward to bring his hands up and unfastened the button of your torn cloak, your face slowly began to heat up. His face was close enough that you could feel his warm breath drift across, enough for you to catch a peek of his teeth behind slightly parted lips. Those teal eyes were locked on the steel clasp like it was a magnet before he took it off.
Prickling goosebumps rose all over your body the moment cold air hit your skin. You wondered if Eren noticed, but if he did, he made no effort to show it. He lifted his irises to yours, and you steadily gazed right into each other's eyes as Eren wrapped his extra cloak around your body.
The light touches of his fingertips lingered on your shoulders for a few seconds before he slowly dragged them over your collarbones, towards the button in front. With it, he fastened the cloak with a satisfying click.
His cloak was a little bigger than your old one, but it served the same purpose—to keep you warm. When you breathed in, you recognized the scent of ginger and musk lingering on the soft fabric. Like you had smelled it before.
You were wearing his cloak. Y/N is wearing my cloak.
A rosy shade of pink slowly dusted across Eren's cheeks as he lost himself in your eyes. He seemed to have forgotten that his hands were still gently situated above the spot between your collarbones, his fingers still pressing against the button of his cloak that was a size or two too big for you.
Cute, you thought mindlessly.
"Ever the gentleman," you drawled with a hint of teasingness in your tone.
Eren quipped right back, "Anything for my lady."
You raised your eyebrows at him. Eren quickly covered up his flirt by saying, "What, can I interest you in a cup of hot tea next?"
What a dork.
"Nice save," you commented, suppressing a giggle.
Eren playfully rolled his eyes before tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. "Right."
You could feel the brush of his fingertips behind your ears, by your neck, on your hair. It might have been the closest Eren has ever gotten to you in a physical sense so far. There was no mistaking the way your heart began pumping even faster than before, the flush that was making its way to your face.
Eren almost lowered his hands and returned them to his pockets, but he suddenly reached out to untuck your hair from the inside of the cape. The thoughtfulness of the action and the way his hands were behind your neck made the flush on your face worsen.
"Keep that cloak wrapped around your shoulders," he said softly, like he only wished for you to hear. "It belongs to you now."
Your cheeks heated up as you stared down at your feet. If he was trying to fluster you, he was doing an excellent job. "Thank you, Eren."
"Anything for you."
By then the rest of the squad had shown up and were walking to their horses. When they saw how close Eren was standing in front of you and how his hands were briefly locked around your neck, there were a few raised eyebrows directed at him. Despite the thin curiousity, nobody bothered saying anything. Eren took his hands off you and went to go hop onto his horse.
Once you were saddled on your mare, you kicked her into a trot so that she was standing beside Eren's stallion. He seemed pleased that you wanted to ride alongside him.
"And for the record, Y/N," he suddenly added, his back to you, "I think you look good in anything you wear."
You were taken aback, but glad. "Thanks."
The rising sun was beginning to illuminate the rest of the world, and Eren's face looked a lot brighter underneath the blue skies of Paradis Island. He sent you a smile before making his horse trot towards the front, where Squad Levi was to be stationed behind the commander. It was the invitation to a new day, the sunrise and the smile that were so ordinarily extraordinary.
You had to admit — Eren was quite good-looking.
"Aren't you coming?" he asked, looking over his shoulder when he realized that you hadn't moved yet.
"I'll be there!" you replied quickly.
Eren seemed satisfied with that, and he turned to face the north again. You observed the silhouette of his body against the sky, the flow of the green cape behind his back as he continued on. You blinked a few times before digging your heel into the mare's side, causing her to break into a trot so you could catch up with Eren.
The cloak really made you feel warm.
"We're almost there!" someone shouted from ahead of you, and you were broken out of your thoughts and brought back to reality.
Eren was still riding beside you, sweat pouring down his face as the horses sped through the grasslands that were leading towards Wall Maria.
It was well into late afternoon. If Pure Titans still ruled the land and there were more soldiers around, the trip would have taken much longer. Luckily Hange and Levi hadn't been lying when they claimed that all the remaining Titans had been slain.
After about half an hour of riding, straining your eyesight to the distant horizon for what seemed like an eternity, you finally saw it.
A wall in the north.
Your eyes widened as you looked at the shape sticking out in the distance. It must have been a few miles away, but you could already tell that it was massive. Sticking out by the gate was a crystallized Titan that looked exactly like that of Eren's. There was an open hole through it that must have been the entrance into Shiganshina District.
"During the Battle of Shiganshina last year, I used my Titan's hardening skills to plug the hole in the wall," Eren explained once he saw you staring at it. "We don't really have a reason to get rid of it, so it kind of just sits there all the time."
"Very fancy," you joked. "It's the perfect decoration to greet foreign visitors with."
"You're not a foreign visitor, though."
The formation slowed when you neared the outside of the district's wall. You noticed that the ground around it was uneven, like someone had tried to build some sort of moat but failed spectacularly. There was grass growing in the potholes, meaning it must have been there for some time already.
You pulled on the reins, bringing your horse to a sudden halt. This place was filled with bad memories. Something terrible had occurred to you within the outskirts of Shiganshina District.
"Y/N, are you alright?" Mikasa asked. You looked up ahead to see that she, Eren, and Armin had also halted in front of you. They were looking at you with concern.
"Yes," you replied, shaking the bad feeling away. "I am."
The soldiers moved through the hole of Eren's hardened Titan, through the gates of Shiganshina District, and once you were inside the town you were immediately greeted with a bustling town and a large crowd of onlookers who were standing on the sidelines of the main street.
A large path was formed in the middle so that the Survey Corps could pass through, and the townspeople excitedly whispered about the return of their heroes from their adventure beyond the Walls. You covered yourself with the hood immediately. There was no telling if anyone could recognize you or not.
"Look, Mama! The heroes are back! I want to see the face of Commander Hange and Captain Levi!"
"Dad, I want to join the Survey Corps when I'm older, too."
"Squad Levi is leading at the very front. They're known to be the best soldiers of humanity, the cream of the crop!"
"You guys are pretty famous around here," you observed, looking around at all the lively people. "Is that your reward for being the saviors of Shiganshina District?"
"Of course it is," Jean answered snootily. "If they didn't like us, we'd start a riot."
Sasha snickered. "You're too full of yourself, Jean. Don't let the captain here you say that or you're gonna get another lecture about staying humble."
"I was just kidding," he grumbled, but the moment a few peppy girls began waving at him he lightened up and enthusiastically waved back.
"How's the rebuilding of your house going?" Armin asked Eren. The other boy shrugged.
"Beats me. I doubt Mikasa and I are ever going to live in it anymore," he replied. "Unless all of you guys need a vacation house in Shiganshina District."
"Sweet, we've got glory and a vacation house here in Shiganshina too," Connie said with a grin. "You won't mind if we crash in your place, do you?"
"They'll have to rebuild it again after you're done with it," Mikasa said dryly.
"You guys don't live in Shiganshina?" you asked, confused. "I thought we came here for the Survey Corps."
Armin shook his head. "No, the headquarters are located in Trost District. That's further up north, in the southern portion of Wall Rose."
"That's where Mina Carolina died," you realized. Everyone glanced at you.
"Yeah," said Eren, adjusting the reins of his horse. "It is."
"Was I there to see it?" you asked. "Her death, I mean."
Eren thought over his reply before responding. "You were there on that day, but you didn't see her die."
You were silent for a few minutes as the Scouts moved through Shiganshina, through the gates that led into Wall Maria.
"My dreams are unreliable," you told Eren. "I can't rely on them for my memories."
"And you can't exactly rely on us either," he replied. You shrunk on your saddle a bit. Eren shrugged indifferently. "It's okay, you don't have to trust us if you don't want to."
If you had a mind to be suspicious, you would have found Eren's excessive hospitality towards you a little strange. But a feeling in your gut urged you to at least place a bit of faith in him. You could tell that he was being sincere. Slowly but surely, you were learning to trust the Survey Corps.
"I do, though," you suddenly said.
Eren swiveled his head around to look at you with a "hm?"
"I do. I want to try trusting you."
The corners of his lips rose.
"We won't disappoint."
-
WHEN THE SURVEY CORPS ENTERED TROST DISTRICT, there was another flurry by the townspeople of Wall Rose. More cheers for the return of Squad Levi, more chants and shouts of admiration directed at the legion for another successful survey in the world beyond. You kept your hood on. If they were correct and you really had lived in Trost District before, there was a better chance of somebody recognizing you in the crowd and causing word to spread.
It would have to happen eventually, you knew that. Just not today.
By the time you reached the Survey Corps headquarters, it was well late into the evening. A random cadet had been sent to take care of your horse and she was off to the stables along with the other Scouts. You were left exhausted after the tiring journey and was ordered to go and get some rest before dinner.
You took off your hood and stared up at the building. For sure, it must have been important to you, because the place seemed like a familiar structure where you had lived in once before.
You understood now. This place was your home. Your real home.
A hand suddenly clapped itself on your shoulder, startling you. It was Captain Levi.
"Welcome home, Y/N," he said plainly before pushing the door open and holding it for you.
"Thank you, sir," you said quietly before stepping inside after him. The two of you waited for the rest of his squad to show up.
You expected to feel awkward around his presence, especially since he was such a high-ranking figure in their military, but there was nothing strange stirring up at all. If anything, that calm, sharp gaze of his that should have scared you, only made you feel as though you could trust him as well.
"Can I trust you?" you blurted out.
Levi regarded you for a few seconds before answering. "Only you have the answer to that question, kid."
"Thank you for tolerating my presence, sir."
He dismissed you with a wave of a hand and folded his arms as he leaned against the wall, staring at the door and waiting for his subordinates to return from the stables. When they came inside, Connie and Sasha were moaning about finally getting a good night's sleep in a proper bed. Levi shut them up before turning to give his instructions for the night.
"Show Y/N to her room. Dinner comes later," he said. "We'll make the announcement about Y/N tomorrow morning at breakfast. Get a good night's sleep, all of you — we're meeting with Queen Historia and Premier Zackly in a few days."
"The queen?" you whispered, wide-eyed. "We have an audience with the queen?"
"Oh, she'll be so happy to see you, Y/N!" Sasha chirped, clasping her hands together. "The queen was once a member of the Survey Corps, didn't you know?"
"So I must have known her," you said. Sasha nodded, but that didn't make you any less nervous. The idea of standing before royal blood made you a bit jumpy, but you were prepared to carry yourself properly in front of their monarchy.
The captain dismissed you and headed in another direction. The squad chatted as they bounded through the hallways of the barracks. You observed that most of the rooms seemed to be full. When you climbed a few staircases, you noticed that it got quieter the further up the top floors you got.
"Veteran members get special privileges," Armin explained. "The longer your service in the Survey Corps has lasted, the nicer of a bedroom you get to have. Privacy and comfort."
"And my room is all the way up there?" you asked dubiously. "Why? Did I live in these headquarters for a long time?"
"You did," said Eren, who was walking behind you. "Your bedroom has been there for a decent while."
Jean sniggered. "Better thank Eren over there for keeping it well-maintained these past few months. The bed probably isn't cold since he's slept in it a lot."
You tilted your head to the side, confused. Why would Eren maintain your bedroom if everyone thought you had died?
You turned to look at Eren, who was mumbling incoherent words as a faint redness spreading from his neck. You didn't know why he had taken the time to care of your room, but you were grateful that he had done so.
"Mikasa and Sasha share a room, though," Connie said, nodding at the two girls. "They've been doing that ever since our Cadet Corps days."
"Just like me and Annie Leonhart," you said casually. Everybody tensed up for a few seconds but quickly recovered. "What? I know that Annie works for the enemy."
"Well, you two were close friends, so..." Armin trailed off. "If you're wondering about her, she encased herself in a crystal last year. Ever since then, she's just been sleeping underground in a headquarters within Stohess District, which is within Wall Sina."
"Armin visits her all the time," Jean teased, making the latter boy sputter as the rest began making fun of him. It confused you a little as to why they were implying that Armin liked her when she was an enemy, but you didn't question it.
"Hey, Armin, take me with you to Stohess the next time you go, will you?" you asked. "I want to have a chat with Annie as well."
Armin's cheeks turned pink. "Oh, she doesn't respond. She's always sleeping in her crystal. I'm not even sure if she'd be able to hear you, but if you want to go, we can do it sometime."
"Yeah, when Titan powers touch each other, it can unlock memories from the other person," Eren hummed. "You might see memories of yourself from Annie's point of view since you came from noble blood."
"I'll be sure to remember that," you said. "Even if I don't, I think that—"
One of the doors to the hallway suddenly swung open, and a girl with long red hair and white night clothes stormed out, looking thoroughly pissed off as she glared at the squad.
"You know," she began angrily, "I only have one working ear, but even that isn't sufficient enough to block out all the noise you lot make. It's late in the evening, you guys just got back here and you're already causing a ruckus!"
"Nice to see you too, Daphne," Connie greeted. "Did we interrupt your beauty sleep?"
The girl named Daphne folded her arms. "As a matter of fact, you did."
"Have some mercy," said Sasha, pouting. "Like you said, we just got back here!"
"Yeah," added Jean. "You won't believe the stuff we've gone through back at camp. If you had been there, you would have shit yourself!"
Daphne rolled her eyes. "Right, what on earth could possibly—?"
Then her eyes slid to you.
She shut up immediately, blinking a few times. She brought her left arm up and pinched it hard with her right hand. When she didn't wake up from a dream, her brown eyes widened and she completely froze up like she had just seen a ghost.
"Oh, Y/N, have you met Daphne yet?" Connie asked braggingly, a shit-eating grin making its way to his face. "She's a bit of a bitch, yes, but she's one of our bravest officers. Out of all of us, you should know that the best!"
"Am I dreaming?" she whispered hoarsely.
"You are, Daphne," Connie reassured her. "Go back to sleep."
"You are evil," Sasha whispered to him. "Absolutely evil."
Daphne blinked a few times, gawking at you like you had grown two heads.
"Hey, Daphne...?" you greeted timidly, waving a hand, and that was all it took for her to snap out and stumble back, looking horror-struck.
"How are you—why are you—what—?!"
"Connie, you bastard," Jean sighed. "She's gonna turn into a madwoman because of you."
"I let you have your fun, now let me have mine," said Connie. "Daphne, shut up. Y/N's alive."
"Dude, just go back to sleep," Sasha told her, shaking her head. "We're gonna handle this in the morning."
Armin and Mikasa moved forward to help Daphne, who was in hysterics, while Jean and Sasha began reprimanding Connie for taking pleasure in tormenting her. Eren placed his hand on your arm.
"Let's get out of here, the rest of them are gonna deal with her," he whispered to you. "I'll show you to your room."
He pulled you further down the dark hallway, away from the group. Eren led you to one familiar-looking bedroom door, and he pushed it open and held the door for you as you stepped inside. Your eyes widened.
"This was my room?"
"Yeah," Eren replied, looking around with you. "Neat place, isn't it?"
"Yeah," you whispered, tentatively sitting at the edge of the bed as he wandered around inspecting the furniture. "It's pretty nice."
"You know, it should be you showing me around this place," he said. "Not the other way around."
"Jean said that you maintained this place," you said slowly. "Was it for me?"
Eren turned around to look at you, gazing at him while you sat at the edge of your bed and wore his cape around your shoulders. It was too big for you, and he thought you looked adorable. One thought led to another, but he quickly shook it from his mind. Now was not the time to think about past memories.
"Yeah," he confessed. "I maintained it for you."
Your brows furrowed with confusion. "But... why?"
Eren leaned against the windowsill. "I guess... I just really believed that you were going to come home."
You nodded, setting your things down and kicking off your boots. The bed was pretty soft, like a cloud. Eren bade you goodnight and went to retreat to his own quarters down the hall, but before he could close the door behind him, you quietly called out for him. He turned around attentively, hand resting on the doorknob.
"Thank you," you told him. "For everything. And for believing that I'd come back."
"I have to thank you too," he replied, and hesitantly added, "For coming back."
"Of course I did," you said, which Eren sent you a small smile for.
"Goodnight, Y/N."
-
A FEW UNEVENTFUL DAYS PASSED BY, and the next thing you knew you were preparing yourself to meet Queen Historia.
The announcement of your return had been made at breakfast on your first morning, in front of all the members of the Survey Corps. Since nearly the entire population of the regiment consisted of fresh recruits that had no partaking in the Battle of Shiganshina last year, they didn't react as much as Squad Levi had, which was a good thing. However, you caught the Daphne girl whispering to a boy, also a redhead, about the new information. They were both definitely shaken.
"That's Floch Forster and Daphne Eichwald," Jean explained to you over the meal. "They were the other two survivors from last year. They really believed that you died."
People stared and gossiped during breakfast, but like Eren had suggested, you simply let them choke on their own spit. A funeral had been held in your honor, and the corpse that was meant to be buried six feet under was alive and breathing right before them. Of course they would stare. But they would eventually have to get used to you.
At the very least, you were no longer alone. Neither did you feel uncomfortable in the Survey Corps headquarters so far. It was definitely not Liberio, but you felt more at home here than you ever did in Marley. You were slowly easing yourself back into normalcy, into what was comforting and familiar. If only you had some memories to make it make sense.
Before the Scouts could leave the quarters to get to the regiment building for the meeting, Hange called you to their office.
"Without a doubt, they're going to want to interrogate you," they informed you. "Levi and I compiled the reports you gave us these past few days which we'll give to the queen and to the officials there. The Military Police will be probably be wary of you. However, I'll represent the regiment's behalf to personally vouch for you. I believe that Commander Pyxis of the Garrison Regiment will find reason to trust you as well."
"Hange," you whispered. "Thank you so much."
They waved you off dismissively. "It's nothing. We want to keep you around, and the Military Police has no use for you anyway. Even if they try, I'm sure that the queen will favor you personally."
That brought you to the waiting area outside the courtroom where the meeting was to be held. Apparently Levi had kept your military coat for safekeeping, and he returned it for you to wear over your uniform. Surrounding you were the members of the Survey Corps that had been present in the Battle of Shiganshina last year — Hange, Levi, Squad Levi, Daphne, and Floch.
"The queen was told about your presence," Levi infotmed you. "She said she wants to see you before the meeting starts. The rest of you should go greet Historia too."
"The queen wants to see me?" you exclaimed, taken aback. It was as though a celebrity acknowledged you. "Why?"
Levi clicked his tongue. "Because you were friends in the military. Now go, the rest of you should try to see her. Forster and Eichwald remain here."
You and the others were led into a sitting room where a girl wearing a pale-colored coat as well as a green jacket was gazing outside the window. Upon hearing the door open, she turned around, and you were greeted with the face of one the prettiest women you had ever seen.
Petite, with blonde hair in a tidy pleat updo, large blue eyes, and a heart-shaped face, she had the face of a true royal. The queen of Paradis Island. When she saw you, her eyes widened.
"Y/N!" she gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. "So it is true, you are alive!"
She rushed forward with a smile to embrace you, which took you by surprise. However, you quickly reciprocated it; after all, Queen Historia looked ecstatic to see you. Who were you to deny the queen a hug?
"Your Majesty," you greeted a little awkwardly. You contemplated bowing or curtseying or some other respectful protocol for her, but Mikasa seemed to know what you were thinking and gave you a light kick to the shins to stop you and save you from the embarrassment.
"There's no need for those kinds of formalities!" said Historia brightly. "You can call me Historia anytime. We're friends, do you remember that? Oh, the report says that you've gotten amnesia. Is it true?"
You nodded. "I'm afraid so."
"But we're making progress," Eren quickly added. "We hope that her memories will come back eventually. For now, we'll try to remain positive."
"Well, that's great news," she said, clasping her hands together. "If not, I'll try to arrange our best doctors to find a solution for her."
"Oh, you won't have to do that!" you said quickly, cheeks heating up. Historia was flustering you with her kindness. "They've already tried that in Marley, and so far, there's nothing. They do seem to be slowly coming back, though."
"Did they treat you well in Marley?" she asked, concern washing over her eyes.
You thought about your answer. "It... was so and so."
Eren's eyes darted to you with the same look of worry. You hadn't opened up as to what they had done to you in Marley just yet.
"Zeke Jaeger has some plans for us, did you know that?" you asked Historia. "I haven't gotten ahold of the full details yet, but he says it's to help us out here in Paradis, which is why he sent me back here."
"We're here to discuss exactly that," Historia replied warmly.
The next thing you knew, you were seated between Levi and Hange at the very front row of the courtroom, all eyes focused on your direction as Hange stood to read the reports containing the requests Zeke had delivered to Paradis via Yelena. You wanted to shift uncomfortably under all the wary attention the middle-aged men of the other military regiments were giving you.
As expected, those in the Military Police were apprehensive of you, which you respected since that was how you felt about them. But Historia was sitting at the throne in the front desk beside Premier Zackly, and you reminded yourself that she was on your side.
You were given your own copy of the plan, and you scanned the outline as Hange read aloud.
"Zeke Jaeger's requests are as follows: we must accept him onto the Island of Paradis for the remainder of the time he has left. From there, we will introduce him to the soldier who possesses the Founding Titan — his half-brother, Eren Jaeger — and allow them to work alongside Y/N L/N, who possesses noble blood. In return, he will guarantee Paradis's safety.
"He will provide us with the latest technology, including modern warfare weapons. He will act as a mediator between us and other friendly nations, which he claims exist. And finally, he will provide support for the intelligence activities targeting Marley. All this is going to be done in order to rescue the Eldian race, whose existence is now threatened, and—"
"Absolutely not!" one officer from the Military Police exclaimed. "Who would ever agree to such a ridiculous offer?!"
"We're dealing with the Beast Titan here!" another shouted. "He turned the people of Ragako into Titans! He spread terror inside the Walls and incited a full-blown panic!"
"This is the same person who's responsible for hunting the Survey Corps into near extinction!" added a man at the back. "And now he's trying to make requests?! How shameless can he be?"
Your eyes widened and you turned to Levi. "Zeke never told me he did all of that when he was on Paradis."
Levi gave you a sharp look. "Is that so? Well, now you know why I'd like to have his head served on a silver platter so badly."
You were horrified, disgusted, and hurt that Zeke had kept the crimes he had committed on Paradis from you. But why? To make you trust him? To make you believe in his words about saving Eldia? You knew that he had to get his hands dirty in order to be of use to the Eldian cause, but you didn't think that he had been lying to you again when he claimed to be honest with you.
Not to mention that Pieck, whom you thought was a gentle woman, was surely his accomplice in causing havoc to Paradis. They had inflicted unfixable damage onto innocent people. Your people.
You liked them a lot less now. Your mouth pressed into a thin line and you were suddenly grateful that you were so far away from Marley.
"And if this report is true, then he caused havoc to the Scouts for no good reason," snarled the same man from earlier. "What's the point in kidnapping the young lieutenant all he was going to do was to send her right back to Paradis?"
"He must be the one responsible for this memory loss mumbo-jumbo. He tore apart her memories so he could have a blank canvas to brainwash her with! In fact, the idea that she so casually spent a year in Marley and returned without a scratch is too strange..."
"My apologies, miss, but we cannot trust having you around within the Walls," said a man from the MP, looking directly at you. "Your presence is too risky. The fact that Zeke Jaeger took you away just to bring you back here is too big a suspicion we cannot ignore. She might have to be detained—"
"That's not going to happen," said Levi smoothly. "The lieutenant made sacrifices for the victory of Eldia in the Battle of Shiganshina District last year, she should be allowed to reap the rewards no matter if she can remember her deeds or not."
"I agree," said Historia. "Y/N L/N should be left at the hands of the Survey Corps. She is a hero of the Walls, and should be honored as such."
You whipped your head around to look at Levi and the rest of his squad with wide eyes. Your voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm the dead lieutenant...?"
"Well shit, we were supposed to make you remember that on your own," muttered Levi. "But I guess some occasions call for a reconsideration. Don't be too surprised. How else do you think you disappeared last year? Zeke crawled into your bedroom while you were sleeping and put a sack over your head?"
There were a lot of questions you wanted to ask, but you had to put them on hold when Premier Zackly began to speak.
"Zeke Jaeger's one and only goal must be to retake the Founding Titan," he said. "Since he can't do it by force, he will just attempt to take it diplomatically."
"He should know that we'd be expecting that," said Commander Pyxis of the Garrison Regiment. He looked around the room. "Why don't we hear what else he has to say?"
Hange turned back to their papers.
"To continue—according to Zeke, he has a secret plan that can be carried out in order to solve all of the Eldian people's problems at once. But in order to carry it out the secret plan, he requires a girl of L/N blood, the Founding Titan, and a Titan with royal blood."
You noticed that Eren's eyes widened behind you.
"With those three, the world can be saved. However, he will only reveal his secret plan after these conditions are met."
"I've heard enough of this crap!" the MP officer from earlier scoffed. "He must truly think that we're all idiots!"
Eren abruptly stood up and put his hands on the table, drawing everyone's attention. He was staring directly at the reports spread across his table.
"It's true. I remember... the one time I was able to activate the powers of the Founding Titan was in the moment when I touched a Titan with royal blood. That Titan had the same face as someone in a photo my father left me with. I'm certain that it was my father's other wife, Dina Fritz. Zeke is her son. He must have figured a way to elude the vow renouncing all war."
"And the supposed need for a girl of the L/N bloodline?"
Eren's eyes flickered to you.
"Y/N and I were holding hands before I touched Dina," he recalled slowly. "And at the time... it felt like there was electricity flowing through our joined hands. I'm certain that must have been the power of the Founding Titan and her blood."
You were so overwhelmed that you didn't know which question to ask first.
Eren continued on. "The one single hope remaining for us Eldians would be to wake the millions of Titans sleeping inside the Walls and activate the rumbling... and to threaten to crush the world into dust."
"You—" Levi pushed his seat back and gave Eren an irritated look. "Why did you keep quiet about this for such a long time?"
"I was concerned for Historia's safety," he explained. "I couldn't allow her to get turned into a Titan based on my own uncertain information. I didn't want that to happen."
You glanced back at the queen, who was open-mouthed as she stared at Eren.
"I will admit that it was a thoughtless decision," he said, looking directly at Levi.
"We'll talk about that later," he replied, and you knew that Eren was going to get a scolding later on.
"But if that's really true," said Hange, "then so does Zeke's secret plan. It makes sense!"
"Are you nuts?" Nile Dok, the commander of the Military Police, asked in disbelief. "Are you really going to trust them?"
"That's right! Who knows what's going to happen if we let all those enemy soldiers onto the island?!"
"We ought to string them up and behead them all!"
"No, we can't do that," Hange said, sending them a wary glare. "If we want to protect this island from Marley's survey ships, we need the volunteers to cooperate with us. Without their wireless radio, it's going to be difficult."
"I would like to hear what Miss L/N has to say about all this," Premier Zackly said, gazing at you. "According to these reports, you were accepted into membership of Marley's prestigious Warrior Unit and have been under the care of Zeke Jaeger and his family for the past year. Surely you must have formed an opinion of your own."
Levi nudged you to stand up, which you did. The entire courtroom had their eyes on you, and you realized how crucial it was to articulate your thoughts straight.
"I... am suffering from memory loss," you began. "Whatever affiliations I used to endeavor in before I made my way into Marley society have been completely wiped from my mind. However, one thing remains the same, and it's that my loyalty is true to the Eldians and their cause.
"Zeke's plan isn't wrong at all. There are people across the sea who are interested in helping us. But there are even more people who think we should go extinct as well. We're in a dire situation."
You looked around at everyone. They were all carefully listening to your words.
"It is true that Marley had me brainwashed," you admitted. "At one point, they successfully convinced me that everyone from this island was my enemy. But I had misjudged you because I didn't know any better. Zeke has kept many secrets from me, and it would be a lie if I told you that I completely trusted him. But..."
You turned back to Historia and Premier Zackly and looked them directly in the eye. "I trust that he wants to help the Eldians."
"You are in no position to dictate decisions as to whom we can and cannot trust," someone said in anger. Your eyes flashed at them dangerously.
"On the contrary, I am," you said fiercely. "I have been betrayed to and lied to again and again. You weren't there to see what kind of standards of living they have across the sea. None of you have any idea what Marley is capable of doing to this island, to our people. I've seen their technology firsthand.
"If they wanted to, they could easily send in a few hundred airplanes and drop nuclear bombs on us all like we never existed. Paradis will be helpless against that once the war against the Mid-East Allies ends. We can't do this alone."
The air in the courtroom had turned tense and uncomfortable, which was expected, because you were telling the truth.
"We must swallow our pride and learn to accept the help of those willing to extend their arms to us if we want to survive," you concluded. "I might not be in a position to do so, but I urge that you listen to my judgement."
You nodded at Historia and Zackly before sitting back down. You glanced over your shoulder to see Eren staring at you with a thoughtful look. He wasn't the only one looking at you either. You wondered if you had crossed a line with your bold opinions.
The members of the Military Police looked enraged but didn't say anything. The Garrisons were quietly murmuring amongst each other and glancing at you. The Survey Corps on the other hand looked impressed. That made you feel better.
"Miss L/N has a point there," Commander Pyxis mused. "If she claims that Marley is a serious threat, then I see no reason not to believe her. After all, she has seen and learned things most of our people have probably never encountered in their lifetime."
"We don't know if we can trust her," a man from the Military Police said.
"You never dealt with the Titans. You were never sent on an expedition nor assigned to defend Trost District," Levi shot back. "Like the queen said, Y/N is a hero of the Walls. Her sacrifice landed her in Marley and now she's returned to us with valuable information. Should we not be glad that we've got a double spy among our ranks?"
"Who's to say she's not a double spy for them?"
"Why would she be loyal to Marley?" Levi demanded. "She was born and raised here. She didn't spend a lifetime there, she only spent twelve months. In her younger years, she was with me. Are you suggesting that I might be a traitor as well?"
"I'm not saying that! I just—"
"Then that settles it," Levi finished. "Y/N L/N is none of your business."
You decided right then and there that you trusted Levi Ackerman.
The queen and Premier Zackly quietly spoke to each other before the latter turned back to acknowledge the tense room.
"Well, I suppose this alliance could be advantageous," he finally said. "I have no doubt that Miss L/N is telling the truth when she says that our island is far behind in terms of technology. We can accept their help."
"And if they turn out to be against us?"
"Then they will be duly punished as such."
The meeting ended. After saying their good-byes to Historia, the Scouts returned to headquarters. You had been quiet the entire time going back. Eren fell into step beside you as you walked through the hallways of the building to get to your corridor of rooms.
You wanted to ask him questions. Somehow the idea of you and Eren holding hands took more space on your train of thought than the part where he had touched Zeke's mother and activated the Founding Titan's power.
Eren looked around before leaning towards you and lowering his voice. "You were right, you know."
Your eyes snapped to him. "About what?"
"When you said that none of those people had a clue as to what Marley was capable of," he said matter-of-factly. "That the island is in a tough spot. I'm worried about it too."
"The others aren't, though," you said, which Eren shrugged at.
"They haven't seen Marley's technology or military," he said, quoting you. "They don't exactly know how bad things are going to get soon."
"I'm glad you understand," you said sincerely.
"I'm glad we have the same sentiments, too," Eren replied. He looked relieved, even pleased.
"Oi, brats," a voice called. You turned around to see Levi pass by you to get to his office. "Put your flirting session on hold for a second and listen to me."
"Is there anything you need, sir?" Eren asked. He didn't even deny the other thing Levi had said.
"Just wanted a chat," he replied dryly. "Y/N starts her training tomorrow morning. Your weekly chore schedule will be filled out by the time dinner rolls around. Don't get into any trouble in the meantime."
"Of course not, sir," answered Eren.
Levi tutted. "I wasn't talking to you. But the same idea still applies to your sorry ass. We still haven't talked about the part where you hid information from the rest of us earlier."
"Sorry, sir," Eren quickly apologized, but you could sense that he wasn't that upset. You smile a little with amusement.
"Now that's out of the way—" Levi said, pointing behind his back, "Scram, both of you."
You and Eren tried to stifle your laughs as quietly as possible before you turned your backs to Levi and briskly walked past him. He was strict, but you knew that he cared. His sudden call of your name caused you to abruptly spin around with a "yes, sir?"
He paused for a second before speaking. "You did good at the meeting today. That's all."
You thanked him profusely and watched as Levi walked off to his office. Once he was out of sight, you turned to Eren as a smile broke out on your face. A real, genuine smile. Eren loved the way your face seemed to have lit up, the way the stiffness from earlier melted into an expression of pure joy.
That smile was the prettiest thing he had seen in a while, because it extended to your eyes and dove deep into your soul. You smiled with a gentle touch, with honesty that was a purity, your true personality so vibrant and free. Smiling because you were with him.
"You'll do well at training tomorrow," he reassured you. "It'll be fine."
"Thanks," you responded lightly.
You and Eren reached the door to your room. He had been kind enough to walk you there. When you entered, you poked your head out of the door to offer him one last look before you could close it.
"See you later, Eren," you said almost shyly, as though afraid someone would hear you speaking to him outside your room.
Those irresistibly green eyes twinkled at you with a look you couldn't quite make out.
"See you later," he whispered back, a teasing smile playing at the corners of his lips.
When you shut the door, you had to take a few deep breaths as you recovered from your high. You felt like a young girl, giggling with exhilaration from the mere presence of a handsome boy around you. You didn't know what exactly to call it just yet, but you knew that you were steadily growing attached to Eren.
You plopped right onto your bed and reached out for his cloak. You had carefully folded it like it was a precious treasure, although you had been supplied with many other cloaks that were your own size. Without thinking, you brought the cloak up to your nose and took a nice long whiff of the fabric. Eren's scent was invigoratingly revitalizing.
He smelled like citrus and ginger and nutmeg and all sorts of wonderful things. There was also a light woody musk to him, giving you the impression that he had gone on a lot of adventures and had been the hero of them all. He was handsome. Strong and protective. Not to mention caring. What a guy...
You pulled the cape above your head, shielding your private thoughts from the world and biting down your bottom lip to hide your lovestruck smile as you continued to indulge yourself by letting Eren's ridiculously turquoise eyes wander around your mind.
Something bewitching was making you feel warm and tingly inside, and it wasn't the cloak.