𝙿𝚞𝚣𝚣𝚕𝚎𝚜

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟹

You found yourself snuggly settled into the back seat of Eren's car the following afternoon. You rested your shoulder against the door with your cheek squished against the hard plastic. Though it wasn't comfortable in the slightest, you still couldn't resist shutting your painfully drowsy eyes.

Just as you said you would, you spent your entire morning with Sasha, and she wasn't willing to let you oversleep for even five minutes.

Mikasa sat beside you, facing the opposite direction. She was just as lost in her own world, watching the large droplets of rain that pelted into the window. The pattering sound was rhythmic, carrying you off into a distant, dreamlike state.

"You better not be falling asleep back there."

Your eyes strained open, and your wandering mind was jerked back into reality. You used the arm that wasn't against the door to bolster yourself into an upright position. You found Eren's eyes reflecting back at you in the rearview mirror. While you could only see from the bridge of his nose upward, you could imagine the smirk he wore.

"I'm not," you said. Your voice wasn't far from a yawn.

"We're still fifteen minutes away," Armin said from the passenger's seat. He shifted his gaze to you, a pitiful expression filling his eyes. He looked back to Eren and suggested, "Maybe a quick nap would do her well."

"I'm fine." You stretched your neck to the right and then to the left, shaking the sleep from your body.

"Sasha wear you out or something?" Eren jokingly asked.

"Something like that," you said.

Your statement was only half true. It wasn't a lie that spending time with Sasha wore you out – mainly because she woke you up at the crack of dawn – but there was more to it than just that.

Eren stayed over at your apartment later than he typically did. The two of you finished more than half the brownies you made, sporadic crunches of eggshell and all, while you watched some silly movie that you could barely remember now.

You couldn't recall when it was that you fell asleep. All you knew was that when you woke up, Eren was gone, and the blanket you shared was neatly tucked around you.

And even that wasn't the whole truth. When you first realized Eren had left, you reached for your phone to check the time. Your searingly-bright phone screen blinded you before you noticed it was a little after 4 o'clock in the morning. You ambled to your bedroom and tossed yourself into the comfort of your bed. But just as you started to doze off, your eyes quickly snapped open with the thought of none other than Eren.

Was it not obvious enough?

The explosion of emotions that erupted from Eren consumed your thoughts. As you thought over the memory, you could still hear the panicked, almost pained tone in his voice. He practically fell apart in front of you.

That moment was on repeat in your mind all morning, and every time it played, it hit you with different emotions. You were only yanked from your spiraling mind when Sasha called to see if you were awake. You must have slept for only an hour, if that.

Now, you were quietly seated in the back of his car, the soggy sound of rain thrumming in your ears. Eren finally followed through on his promise to bring you, Armin, and Mikasa to his parents' house for dinner.

Eren picked you up from your apartment about ten minutes ago. When his car pulled up, he briefly rolled down the window to tell you to hurry before you were soaked in the downpour. There was a longing in his eyes. It was the same expression that you surely mirrored back to him. As Armin and Mikasa excitedly waved at you, you were once again reminded of the night before.

With your feelings completely laid out like an open hand of cards, all that was left to do was to make another play. But it seemed like neither of you knew the winning move in this unfortunate game the two of you had created.

You sighed. "I guess I should have ordered an extra shot of expresso in my coffee this morning."

"Yeah. You're going to need to be at the top of your game since Zeke's gonna be there," Eren said. His eyes found yours again in the rearview mirror. "Do you remember what I said about him?"

"Just that he's an ass," you said. Mikasa stifled a laugh.

"And that's all you need to know," Eren said.

"Okay, he's not an ass," Armin said. He looked back at you. "Don't worry. He's–"

"Nice to girls," Eren interrupted with a chuckle.

Mikasa slinked her arm around your shoulders, pulling you close with reassurance. Your face pressed into her hair, and the scent of violets filled your nose. "Then she has nothing to worry about. Right, Eren?"

Eren let out another half laugh in response. You didn't care for his sudden vagueness, but you were far too tired to put up a fight. You rested your head on Mikasa's shoulder, leaning across the middle seat in a way that made your seat belt tug tightly across your chest.

You were starting to see a newly-found warmth in Mikasa. She had always treated you with nothing but kindness since you first met, but there had been an observable difference in her lately. Her distinctly reserved attitude had melted away. It was replaced by a fondness that she now openly displayed toward you. You would have never imagined in a million years that she would wrap you in her arms, let alone allow you to curl up against her.

"Time to get up."

You heard Mikasa's soft voice as she tapped the top of your head. Your eyes fluttered open, and you steadily lifted your stiff neck from her shoulder. You sleepily looked around and watched your friends exit the car. The rain had finally slowed to a tolerable mist.

You stretched your back, unclasping your seatbelt as you did so. Eren opened the door for you. You shimmied around in your spot, pushing your feet into the floor of the car and lifting your hips so you could pull down your sundress. It was a fumbling, awkward sight.

"What a woman," Eren snickered.

You rolled your eyes and crawled out of the car and past him. He leaned into you, close enough that his voice would only be heard by you. "In all seriousness, don't worry too much. My mom already loves you."

You looked up at him, your head still feeling fuzzy from your so-called nap. "Does that mean you've been talking to her about me?"

"Something like that," he evasively said, mimicking your words from earlier.

He held onto your waist and maneuvered you around to face him directly. His hand came up to tuck a stray piece of hair behind your ear. His movement was slow, letting his fingers graze over your cheek and temple.

"There," he said. "Wouldn't want you looking like you just woke up or something."

"Ha-ha."

Armin and Mikasa were already making their way toward the house before you and Eren could catch up. You watched as they walked through the front door without hesitation. It was safe to assume they were very familiar with Eren's house, especially considering their baby faces were plastered across the walls.

You stepped through the front door, and your senses were flooded by the scent of dinner on the stove. It smelt hearty and rich, like a curry or soup. It made the already cozy house feel that much warmer, which was desperately needed on such a gloomy day. Your stomach was already growling as you were unbearingly reminded that all you had eaten was a blueberry muffin.

Carla swiftly turned around. A kind smile painted her cheeks that flushed pink from standing over the steaming pot. She crumpled her apron in her hands, wiping them off before extending her arms out for a hug.

"Mikasa, Armin," Carla said. "It's been too long."

They both hugged Carla at the same time, each of them fully enveloped by her arms. Her hands rested on each of their heads, ruffling their hair in a motherly manner. As their faces smushed against her, you could see the smiles that adorned their lips.

"Happier to see them than your own son, huh?" Eren sarcastically said. He leaned against the kitchen wall like he was waiting his turn to be acknowledged.

Carla released his friends from her embrace and walked over to him. She made a face before pinching his ear. "I see you all the time."

"You're the one who begged me to come in the first place."

She lightly smacked his arm. "Don't be such a brat, or you're not getting a single bite. Just like when you were a kid, and I'd send you to bed without supper for making Armin cry."

Armin frowned, his face now sporting a cherried hue. He shuffled in place and quietly asked, "Do we really have to bring that up right now?"

Carla turned her attention to you. She pulled you in for a hug, just the same as she did with Mikasa and Armin. You could smell the spices from dinner that clung to her hair. "It's good to see you again."

"You, too," you said as she dropped you from her arms.

She already seemed so familiar to you, but you supposed that was simply her nature – always so sincere and gracious. The thought crossed your mind that it was possible Eren's words made her feel like she knew you more than she actually did. Cute.

Carla returned to the stove and picked up a wooden spoon. She placed it back into the pot and twirled it around. "I made your favorite stew, Eren. There's more than enough for you to take home some leftovers. Just be sure to share with Armin."

Eren smirked. "Or he might cry."

"Stop," Armin exasperatedly said under his breath.

Eren laughed without regard until Mikasa shoved his arm in the same spot his mother did. He clutched his upper arm and barked, "Jeez, I'm gonna get a bruise there."

"Maybe then you'd learn to keep your mouth shut," Mikasa said.

You watched the three of them shoot daggers at each other from across the kitchen, Armin's expression filled with more anguish than the other two. It was like they had all reverted back to children from the moment they stepped foot in the house.

As if mind reading was possible, you heard a deep, chortling voice behind you that spoke your thoughts out loud. "Children, please. To think the three of you are in your twenties."

You turned around to be greeted by an unfamiliar face. Well, not that unfamiliar – you recognized the man as the blonde boy in the Jaeger family portrait: Zeke. This time, he was all grown up. His height was well above your own, and he stood broadly in the doorway to the kitchen. And just like the photo, he still didn't look like Eren. His tufts of pale hair cast over his silver glasses, and he wore a coarse, blonde beard to match.

Armin and Mikasa remained quiet while Eren let out a characteristically dramatic scoff. Zeke strolled over to Eren, resting his arm across Eren's shoulders that only grew tenser by the second.

"Don't let my little brother's crunchy exterior fool you," Zeke said. His gentle eyes fixed themselves onto you. "We actually get along quite well. Wouldn't you say, Eren?"

Eren stepped aside, inching away from Zeke like he were the plague. He thumped Zeke in the center of his forehead with his pointer finger. "Yeah, maybe in that crazy head of yours."

"Now, now. It's not entirely fair to say that I've made it up. Not when you've recently been talking my ear off about..." His voice thoughtfully trailed off. He brought his attention back to you and gave you a once-over scan with his eyes. Feigning an innocent smile, he said, "Well, this must be her. Guess I've said too much already."

It sounded like Carla wasn't the only one getting an earful from Eren.

You harshly bit the inside of your lip to prevent a smile from growing when you saw Eren's ears flush their signature shade of red. Mikasa and Armin looked dumbfounded as they anticipated Eren's next move. All the while, Carla continued to hum as she fixed dinner, increasing her volume even louder to tune out the nonsense behind her.

Surprisingly, Eren only slumped in his stance. His eyes still glowed with anger, but his body signaled defeat. He merely grumbled, "This is why I was hoping you wouldn't be here."

Zeke ignored the comment and left his brother's side. He approached you, wearing a pleasant expression as he extended his hand to you. "Rude of me to not introduce myself. I'm Zeke. And as you've most likely gathered by now, I've heard a lot about you."

You placed your hand into his. His skin felt rough as he gripped your hand. "Good things, I hope."

"Nothing but," he said. "I was beginning to think you sounded too good to exist. Eren may think I'm the one with the crazy mind, but I'm starting to think he's just as mad."

You looked past Zeke to see Eren lurch forward. Always one for the dramatics, wasn't he? Mikasa grabbed onto his arm before he could take another step. She only shook her head, patting him a couple of times before releasing her hold. You could barely read her lips when she mouthed, 'Let it go.'

"Carla, would you like some help with dinner?" Zeke asked.

"That would be lovely. Thank you," Carla said. She tossed a glance over her shoulder. "Eren, would you mind setting the table for six?"

You watched Eren survey the room like he was counting in his head. "Six?" he asked.

"Your father can't make it tonight. He called just before you got here," Carla said. You had trouble reading her tone. There was a mellowness in her voice. It was almost as if she was preemptively trying to comfort Eren while she spoke. But you couldn't shake the bitterness that was present, too. It would only make sense that she would be just as disappointed.

"Six it is, then." Eren tried his best to appear unshakable, even as you watched the light in his eyes go dim.

You wondered if you were trying to find trouble when there wasn't any, but it looked like Armin and Mikasa must have sensed it, too. They looked over at you, melancholy consuming each of their faces. There was a knowingness in their eyes, like this was all going just as expected.

The sound of ceramic hitting the wooden table and the steady chopping of Zeke dicing herbs filled the room. You listened as he and Carla continued to shoot the breeze, chuckling lightly back and forth as they spoke.

You couldn't help but fixate on the sadness clouding over Eren's face. Once you saw him set down the last piece of silverware, you mustered up as much of a cheery tone as you possibly could. "Eren, would you mind showing me where the bathroom is?"

He nodded once, and you followed him out of the kitchen and down the corridor. He stopped once you reached the edge of the hallway. He pointed and said, "Second door to the left."

You took a few steps further down the hall. You turned around just before he started to walk away. "Come here," you urged, making sure to keep your voice low.

He choked out a half-assed laugh. "What? Did you forget how to pee?"

You muttered under your breath and grabbed onto his wrist to tug him over to you. As you stood in front of the bathroom door, you took each of his hands into your own.

Though it wasn't intentional, the look on your face made him feel pitied. He disdained the feeling and started to pull away from you. It only made you hold onto him tighter.

"Are you good?" you asked.

"Just dandy." His eyes skirted around until they finally focused on the floor.

You exhaled sharply and bent slightly to try to look into his eyes. You eased your tone and said, "Listen, we don't have to talk about it. I just wanted you to know I'm here if you need it."

His face softened. He appeared pensive, chewing on his bottom lip in thought. He released a huff of air, and you watched the loose hairs on his forehead flutter before falling back into place.

You weren't sure if he was going to say anything. There was no use in trying to pry anything out of him, so you brought your finger up and playfully poked the tip of his nose. "I can treat you to some bubble tea after this if you'd like."

That got him. A smile finally pulled at the corners of his mouth, and the tense crease that held firm between his brows was finally relieved. "I'll hold you to that."

You matched his expression before turning to bring your hand to the doorknob. You started to open the door only to realize that Eren was still standing there. You teased, "Are you going to head back, or did you actually want to help me pee?"

Eren shook his head with a chuckle, and you welcomed the heartening sound. "Always a handful, aren't you?"

"Says the guy who's literally the walking definition of a handful," you said just before closing the bathroom door behind you.

When you returned to the kitchen, the aroma of fresh herbs smacked you in the face. It must have been the ones that Zeke was preparing. You joined your friends at the table, sitting yourself between Armin and Eren. The two boys looked just as hungry as you felt, their eyes traveling from the empty bowls in front of them to the stewpot.

"Coming through," Carla announced, carrying the pot between two oven mitts. She set it down on the trivet in the center of the table. She pulled the mitts from her hands and set them aside before bringing over a large ladle. "Dig in."

Zeke walked up from behind Carla and sat on the other side of Eren. Eren didn't have a visceral reaction this time. Instead, he seemed unphased by his brother's presence, maybe even relaxed. You wondered if the whole show they put on earlier was just an act to disguise the fact that they did care for one another.

Zeke reached for the ladle with one hand and took Eren's bowl into his other. "Let me get that for you."

Eren snatched the dish from his brother's hand. When he set it back on the table, it made a clattering sound that made you and Mikasa wince. "I can get it myself. Thanks."

"Eren, you're going to break something," Carla scolded. "Also, the nice table cloth you ruined last time says otherwise."

Nope, you were wrong. This dynamic was certainly not an act – who were you kidding? They were brothers, after all. Even half brothers must bicker and bite each other's heads off from time to time. Well, maybe not Zeke. He appeared to be much more level-headed than Eren. Though he still shared the same quickness that Eren possessed, and it made them an equal match for one another.

Other than that, dinner went off without a hitch. It was nice to get a taste of home, something other than your own miserable attempts at cooking dinner. And while it was nice to finally get to know Carla and Zeke, you found it just as refreshing to see Mikasa and Armin outside their usual habitats. As everyone joked around, you could practically see the weight of reality slipping off their shoulders. They looked so easygoing, like they were finally able to return to a time that was much simpler.

Once everyone had finished eating, you and Armin helped to collect all the dishes to bring to the sink. Barely a second had passed before Carla interrupted the both of you. She took the bowls from your hands and said, "You guys don't have to worry about this. I can take care of it."

"I'm more than happy to help," Armin assured. As if he didn't hear a word Carla had said, he started to pick up the silverware from the table.

"You're such a sweet boy," Carla said with a candied tone.

Taking a peek out the window, Eren said, "I'm going to heat the car up. The rain is fuc–" He abruptly cut himself off. He shot a fearful look in his mother's direction before continuing. "Uh, really cold today."

Carla rolled her eyes at her son's weak attempt at covering his tracks. He dashed out the door and headed to his car. Almost immediately after the door shut behind him, you felt your phone vibrate in your back pocket. You looked down at it in confusion when you saw Eren's name on the screen.

You brought the phone to your ear, and Eren spoke before you had the chance to say anything. "I left my keys on the table."

You sighed. "How did you manage to forget your keys?"

"Dunno. Can you bring them to me?"

"Fine." You hung up the phone.

You swiftly found the set of keys on the corner of the table. You picked them up and hurried toward the door. You stood on the porch, hesitant to take a step from beneath the awning. The light mist had picked up again, an unrelenting downpour now crashing down. You looked further out to see Eren standing by his car. He was completely drenched by the rain.

He extended his arms out on either side of him. "Are you going to bring them to me, or what?"

You drew in a deep breath before running down the front steps. You held your hand above your head like it would make any difference. Eren was right: the rain was fucking cold today.

You stopped yourself just before you could bump into him and handed him the keys. "Wouldn't it have been quicker – and drier – for you to get them yourself?"

"Maybe," he said. A certain playfulness danced through his voice. "But then I wouldn't get you to myself for a second."

He threw his arms around your body and brought you against his chest. The smell of rain was heavy as your face pressed into the soaking fabric of his shirt. You could feel your own clothes dampen from his embrace. It sent a cold chill down your spine.

Eren placed his chin on the top of your head. You felt his fingers trace up and down the length of your back while he held you in place.

All he said was, "Thank you."

"For what?" you asked. You didn't bother to look up at him. You couldn't really, not with how securely he was squeezing you.

"Being you."

There it was again. That tingly, hot feeling gnawed at your stomach. You know, the feeling that sounded way more painful than it actually was. The feeling that you continuously chased after. All at once, the sickeningly sweet sensation melted away the chill of the rain.

You smiled with your cheek still pushed into his chest. "You're welcome."

His tone was still dulcet even as he teased, "But don't think I forgot about the bubble tea."

You finally pushed away from him with a small laugh. As you left the heat of his arms, you were quickly made aware of the sopping hair that clung to your neck. "Come on. We need to get back inside before we catch a cold."

Back inside, you all said your goodbyes before heading out. Just like any good, old-fashioned family farewell, it took at least fifteen minutes to leave. Each of you received at least three hugs from Carla and more leftovers than you could even eat before you finally made it through the front door.

Eren dropped Mikasa and Armin off at his apartment. Based on the conversation in the car, it sounded like the three of them had made plans to hang out. Eren told them it was going to have to wait. They lovingly pestered Eren about ditching them just long enough for Eren to get snippy. While they knew all about his feelings for you, they were still his best friends. And what best friends could possibly resist such a perfect opportunity?

You and Eren go to the same bubble tea spot as before, just a few minutes away from his apartment. It was already late, and you two were the only customers in the shop. You left with your orders just as quickly as you arrived and drove back to your apartment.

This drive for bubble tea was much better than the last. It was filled with easy conversation, and you didn't even choke on your bubble tea once (Eren applauded you for it, of course). You thought he might ask you about dinner and his family, but you figured he didn't want to hear your teasings about what Zeke let 'slip.' You fought the urge to crack at least one small joke, and boy, was that a challenge.

Eren's car pulled up to your building, and you asked, "Do you want to stay over tonight?"

You weren't sure what possessed you to ask. You had never asked that before. It felt strange to hear the words leave your mouth, like it was off-limits. Frankly, it was even stranger that you felt so weird about asking the question, considering just how close you and Eren had become. And while both his and your feeling were finally out in the open, there was so much left unsaid. What would you do with these feelings? What would come next?

And, to be blunt, it simply sucked to wake up alone this morning after everything that happened.

But it wasn't strange to Eren. Not at all. When he heard your request, god, it sounded like music to him. He wanted nothing more than to be with you right now, maybe even more than you wanted to be with him. You always thought of yourself as putty in his hands, but in Eren's eyes, the roles had really switched.

Eren felt like he had torn his heart from his chest and placed it right into your grasp last night. He gave you permission to do what you wanted with it, mold it and shape it around to make it your own. And that was saying something because he didn't even think feelings could live that deeply in his chest. It felt like a part of him had been cracked open for the first time last night.

Was this what being vulnerable felt like? It was awful and stomach-churning and just flat-out bizarre. And somehow, it was wonderful.

Eren wanted to say yes. Really, it would be stupid for him to not. But he imagined the fit his friends would throw if he blew them off again (a new habit of his since he met you). More than that, he imagined how they would tease him for becoming such a big softie.

"Mikasa and Armin are waiting on me," Eren said, quite literally hurt by his own words. "But I can come up for a bit to finish my drink."

You smiled, and he followed you up the building's stairs and into your apartment. You each set down your cups and started to slide off your shoes. You took a few steps past your entryway and reached for your drink.

"Hold on."

Just as quickly as Eren said it, you turned to face him. It wasn't a second later that his hands took hold of the sides of your face. With absolutely no hesitation, he fervently pressed his lips into yours. Your heart fluttered in your chest, and the feeling stifled the gasp you would have otherwise let out. You kissed him back, letting your hands rest gently around his forearms. Despite all the need behind the kiss, it was soft, and he tasted sweetened from the milk tea.

He leaned back, and your faces were just centimeters away. He kept your cheeks in his hands when he said, "I've been wanting to do that all day."

"Why didn't you?" you asked, a bit breathlessly.

"It's not like we've been with Mikasa and Armin – and oh yeah, not to mention – my mom."

You started to laugh, but he just kissed you again to shush the sound. It didn't work. You giggled against his mouth, and you felt him smile into the kiss just the same.