A/n: Song Recommendation - The Night We Met by Lord Huron
*Its not necessary to listen to it, but I did listen to this song while I wrote this chapter.
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Your footsteps sounding against the ground provided little distraction as you walked.
It had only been a day, almost 24 hours now as the sun was beginning to set, since he had told you off.
You couldn't get the image of his face out of your head. Those eyes. Those angry, yet so sad, green eyes.
Most of all, you wanted to know why. Why he had lied to you about his feelings. That much was clear.
Just when you had begun to chip away at his walls, Eren had thrown them back up.
You were angry with him, but you also understood the boy for reasons you couldn't explain. After all, as you had already discovered, Eren spent most of his life living a lie. He threw parties, fucked countless girls, drank until he couldn't remember his name, but what he would rather be doing is surfing, drawing tattoos, and sketching in his notebook.
Where did the boy from the bridge go?
Nevertheless, Eren had made it clear last night that he didn't wish to see you anymore.
He had hurt you. Lied to you.
If he didn't want you, then you wouldn't chase him.
If anything, your visit with Eren last night had achieved its purpose. In fact, Eren had taken care of the hardest part for you.
He had erased himself from the picture.
You took a deep breath as you continued walking down the sidewalk, kicking a small rock with your shoe. You watched it skip down the path in front of you.
Then, you shoved any feelings you had for Eren into the back of your mind.
Rounding a corner, the empty playground came into view.
Your lips turned upwards at the corners as memories played through your mind of Jean holding you on the play set, as the two of you watched the sunrise.
"You nervous or something, Kirstein?"
"Can you blame me? It's not everyday that I get to watch the sunrise with a beautiful girl in my arms."
"Oh, shut up."
"Oh admit it, you like me."
"You wish."
Your palms grew sweaty and jittery as you approached the the swing set.
Sitting down on the swing, you were able to bask in the serenity of the setting sun, golden light fluttering around your cheekbones, caressing your profile.
He would be here soon.
You'd texted the boy to meet you here, at the same park where you had watched the sunrise with him.
You'd seemingly made up your mind last night as you tossed and turned in bed, Eren's words echoing in your mind.
Exhaling a deep breath, your attention was brought to the sound of footsteps at the other end of the park.
Turning your cheek, you found a familiar head of ash blonde hair rounding the corner towards you.
Jean's eyes had widened the moment you had texted him, telling him to meet you at the park. The boy's mind had immediately jumped to the conclusion that his confession had landed him in trouble, seeing as you hadn't spoken to him in over three days. Nevertheless, he had jumped up to throw on a hoodie and a pair of shoes, and raced out the door.
On the walk there, Jean couldn't help but think about why you had asked him to meet you.
In fact, his hands were trembling, and he shoved them in his pockets at the thought of you making him nervous.
He walked quietly down the street, the impending thought of the park getting closer and closer, too much to handle.
When he finally turned the corner, and lifted his head so that his eyes met yours, he took a deep breath, shoved the memory of your rejection to the side, and continued walking towards you.
Jean was walking in your direction, hands stuffed in his pockets, and head lowered, as if he was afraid of what you might say.
You couldn't blame him.
After all, you had left him sitting at a table after he had confessed his feelings, and you hadn't spoken to him since.
You couldn't take it anymore, though. You were tired of skirting around your feelings and playing guessing games.
As Jean drew nearer, you stood up from your swing, and walked to meet him halfway.
Noticing your approach, he opened his mouth to say something.
"Y/n, about the other day. I'm sorry if I came off too stro-"
You quickly cut the boy off, grabbing the front of his sweatshirt, fisting your hands into the material, and pulling his face down to meet yours. You pressed your lips against his, practically tasting the shock that registered in his body as he froze, eyes widening.
Almost as quickly as you had shut him up, Jean melted into the kiss, brown eyes fluttering shut. The hands that he had once concealed within his pockets, he removed, and placed one on your jaw, the other on your neck, for they had stopped their trembling.
You kissed him gently, an act of emotion, to show him how you felt, rather than to say it with words.
Jean sighed into your lips, having missed your taste, and the feeling of you in his arms.
When you pulled away, resting your forehead against his, it was all too soon.
"I don't want that to be the last time we kissed either", you said breathlessly.
Jean gazed into your eyes, understanding immediately what you were referring to. What he had said just days ago.
However, a part of him thought it was too good to be true.
"What are you saying?", he asked, stroking a thumb down your jaw.
You scoffed, a small smile forming on your lips.
"Are you really gonna make me say it?"
Jean's breath was heavy, cheeks tinged pink from the chill in the air, and his flustered state.
"Yeah. I want it to be real", he said.
You took a moment, moving your hands from his sweatshirt, up his chest, and finally interlocking them behind his neck.
Jean shivered from the action.
"I like you", you whispered against his lips, reveling in the way his breath hitched, just for a moment.
"As a friend?", the boy asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"Dumbass", you smiled.
And then he kissed you, again, meeting his lips with yours.
Somehow, he managed to pull you even closer to him than you had been before.
After he pulled away, the two of you stayed like that for a while, Jean holding you as the sun set.
Eren had long faded from your mind, and Mikasa from Jean's. You assured yourself, all that remained was a twinge of unrequited love, that no longer mattered.
"You know, this is exactly like-", the boy started.
"When we watched the sunrise?"
"Yeah", he smiled.
Full circle.
After some silence, Jean spoke up again, the sun almost completely gone from the sky.
"So what does this mean for us?"
You considered this for a moment. Previous fears of being tied down resurfaced. You would never admit it, but maybe a small part of you was also hoping that this wasn't the end of your story with Eren.
"I'm not sure," you answered, thankful that you didn't have to look him in the eyes. "Can we just take things slow for now?"
"Of course", Jean said.
He coursed a hand up and down your arm. It didn't matter if you weren't ready for a relationship right now. You had already told him how you felt, and that was enough for him.
After months of pining after you, here he was, finally being truthful about his feelings. Well, most of them.
"Hey y/n."
"Hmm?", you answered, not bothering to pick your head up off of his chest.
"Next Saturday. Go on a date with me."
You tilted your head up, peering into those brown eyes.
"Okay."
A/n:
R.I.P. Eren
Sorry for the short chapter loves, but I promise I've got some longer ones coming up!
A message to all of my Eren simps out there:
Please don't stop reading, that'll hurt my feelings :/
hehe