Even though you loved reading, English definitely wasn't your favorite subject. You didn't understand how Mr. Smith could be so entertaining in Poetry Class, but in English it was completely the opposite.
As usual, you were sitting between Ymir and Hitch in the front row. Mr. Smith had let your class half of the hour to discuss about a book you were currently reading, but neither you nor your friends were really a fan of it.
"So, you're going tomorrow with Marlowe to the beach?" you asked Hitch.
She nodded, "Yeah! It's been 3 months since I don't go there, and tomorrow the weather would be nice. The only bad thing is that we had a reservation for this really fancy restaurant and we can't go".
"Ow, that sucks" you said, "But the beach is cooler than that, in my opinion".
"Wait" Hitch looked at Eren, who was at the other end of the class, "Why don't you go with Eren instead of us?".
You frowned, "Wait, what do you know?". You thought only your closest friends knew about Eren and you, but you weren't surprised that Hitch knew something. She literally knew all the gossip.
"I think pretty much everyone in our grade knows" Ymir answered. You looked at her, confused, "But it's only been 4 days since you guys know it".
"So?" Hitch asked, "It's inevitable that someone tells their friend. You need less than 5 minutes to know something".
You sighed, "I guess that's true, but what do you exactly know?".
"That you guys are dating" Hitch replied, "But nothing too serious. Or that's what I heard. No one really knows what's happening".
"I don't even know what's happening between you two" Ymir said, "Not even Historia or Armin".
You laughed, "Not even me. I don't know what we are yet. We didn't really talk about it, and I think it's because if one of us asks the other, they wouldn't know what to answer".
Ymir nodded, "That sucks. I think you really should listen to Hitch. Going to a place with Eren and no one else can make a huge impact in your relationship. You know, having a real movie-like date and seeing how he and you act when you're alone".
"That's true, you're not going to be surrounded by people all the time" Hitch continued, "You don't need advice from anyone. What's important is that you see how both of you react when you're together".
She was actually true. Every time you tried to be alone with Eren, someone was with you. Not that you didn't like being with your friends. It was the opposite, you loved them. But it was true that you still didn't have the opportunity to do "couple" things with him since he kissed you for the first time.
"I know, I know" you said, "I really want to do those kinds of things. But I thought it was enough with literally living with him".
"You need to change the routine with him" Hitch explained, "You've been living with him for a month as friends, you have to change a bit what you do with him because your relationship also changed".
You smiled, "How are you two so good at giving advice?".
"I've been dating someone for years" Ymir answered, "Even though I hate Eren with passion, my heart still hopes that you guys last".
"Aw, you two are so cute together!" Hitch exclaimed, "I'll tell Marlowe after class that he doesn't need to cancel the reservation".
Later that day, you were sitting on the couch watching a movie that wasn't really interesting, or maybe you just weren't paying attention because you could only think about tomorrow.
You still didn't tell Eren about it, but he wasn't at home. He was with Jean and Armin at Jean's house.
After your friend group found out about you two, nothing really changed. They were just waiting for something to happen, but there was not really a lot of time for that. It had only been six days since Eren and you kissed for the first time.
When an hour had passed since nightfall, Eren opened the door. You quickly got up from the couch, "Hey".
The boy saw you standing there, a little confused, "What are you doing there?".
You felt your cheeks getting red. You didn't know why you just did that, "Um, I don't know".
You tried to calm yourself. You didn't know why you were so nervous, it was just a normal date, "I have plans for tomorrow".
Eren smiled, "Really? What is it?".
Seeing his smile made you happier and less nervous, "We're going to a fancy restaurant. Hitch made a reservation for Marlowe and her a while ago, but they can't go, and she told me to go us instead".
"A fancy restaurant?" Eren raised his eyebrows, surprised, "Damn, that's not what I expected. Where is it?".
"It's next to Trost Lake" you answered, "We need to be kind of well dressed".
The boy nodded, "Sure. Do you have those kinds of clothes?".
You didn't.
"Yeah" you replied, "You?".
"Yes".
You smiled, "Then it's decided, we're going. Don't make plans tomorrow!".
You went to your room and immediately called Historia.
She picked up the phone after a few seconds, "Hi! What's up?".
"Hey, I need your help" you said, "Do you remember when you told me a few days ago we could go to that store? The one that sells the dresses you were looking at".
"Mhm" she answered, "Why? Do you need one of them?".
You nodded, "Yep. Long story short, me and Eren are going to one of those fancy restaurants, and we need to dress somehow formal".
Historia gasped. You could feel her excitement from the other side of the screen, "That's so cool! I'd love to help you".
"I knew you would" you smiled, "Let's go tomorrow in the morning. We can have lunch later".
"Perfect, I'll be there at 11 am" she said, "This is going to be so fun!".
❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。
Next day, you woke up an hour before Historia came to the apartment.
You didn't want Eren to know that you actually didn't have anything to wear this night. You kind of wanted to make it a surprise.
Because of doing the laundry, Eren probably knew some of your clothes, so you wanted to wear something completely new. And the best one out there to help you was Historia.
You ate something quick for breakfast and put on some comfy clothes. Just before you left the house, you heard Eren's bedroom door opening.
Shit.
Eren had puffy eyes because of the sleep, and his hair was all messy. "Hey, why are you leaving?".
You tried to think of the better excuse, "Um, I'm going to... Historia's house?".
The boy raised one of his eyebrows, "Okay? Why are you asking me?".
"And why did you wake up so early?" you tried changing of conversation.
Eren put on his usual manbun and went to the kitchen for his coffee, "It's already 11am, and Armin's coming soon. We're going to study together".
You opened the door, "Cool! I'll be here probably after lunch, so I can get ready for tonight. See you later".
"Can't wait" Eren smiled, "See you later".
You went downstairs and found Historia outside of the building. She waved her hand, "Hey! I was going to call you right now. Weren't we supposed to meet inside?".
"Hey, and yeah" you answered, "But Eren just woke up, and I told him I was going to your house".
"And why would you say that?" Historia asked. She made an 'o' with her mouth, "Ohhh, you haven't told him about the date yet?".
You shook your head, "It's not like that. He knows about today, but I want to make a surprise with what I'm going to wear".
She smirked, "I didn't know you were that kind of girl, but that's cute. Anyways, let's go to the store".
Both of got into Historia's car. "When are you going to fix your car? This town is big, you'll need it sooner or later".
"I don't know" you said, "Since it broke down this summer, I really didn't need to use it. Plus, now I have Eren's car".
"But imagine you go somewhere and Eren's not there with you" she argued, "What are you going to do?".
"For example?" you asked, "Me and Eren go literally to the same places".
Historia thought about it for a second, "Mmmm, Christmas? We're all going to a house in the mountains, you don't really know if you're going to spend time with your parents and you'll go later with us".
That was actually true, but you really didn't think your parents would visit you, "You got a point, but I don't think that will actually happen".
She smiled, "Well, then the good thing is that you'll be with us all the time! And with Eren, of course".
You let out a laugh, "Yeah, can't wait for Christmas. Something tells me this year's is going to be amazing".
Historia parked her car near to the store. From the shop window, you could already see how beautiful all their clothes were.
"This looks expensive" you whispered. Historia opened the door, "You're paying all expenses of the apartment. Buying one dress won't hurt you".
Your friend pulled your arm and you two entered in the store. It was even more amazing than outside. The dresses looked like they belonged to a princess, and the atmosphere reminded you of those 2000s movies when all the girls were buying their prom dresses.
"Let's start" Historia announced, "You look on the right side, I look on the left".
You nodded, "Good idea".
After 15 minutes, you had some dresses with you, but they didn't really convince you.
Historia approached you, "Ok, I have these three, but I don't know if you'll like it".
You looked at them. They were better than what you had found, so you left those on a chair, "I like yours more. Let's go to the fitting room".
The first dress you tried on was a shimmery pale pink dress that was mesh layered. You really liked it, but it was more Historia's style.
"I love it, but I think it's more my style" Historia agreed with you, "It suits you really good, though!".
The next one was a more vintage long dress, red and black beaded gown.
"I love this one" you told Historia, "But it looks more like a prom dress. Today's supposed to be formal, but not too much".
She nodded, "Yep, I completely agree with you. Take a picture of it, though, you may want it for prom this year".
The last one was a silk purple long dress. You didn't even try it on, because it wasn't your size.
You dressed and left the fitting room, "Ugh, what am I going to do now?".
Historia put a hand on your shoulder, "Try to relax. I'm sure we will find one sooner or later".
"Hey!" someone said. You turned around, facing a girl smiling, "Um, I tried on this dress, but it wasn't my size. I noticed you before and I think this will fit you better than me".
She handed you a 90s vintage pastel blue glittery dress. It was perfect, you had never seen a more beautiful dress. It was ideal for this occasion.
(link to see how I imagined it!!: https://www.depop.com/products/theretromuse-90s-vintage-pastel-light-blue-e09f/)
"Wow, thank you so much!" you told the girl, "You saved my life, really".
You went back to the fitting room and tried it on. As the girl predicted, it was your size, and it looked fabulous on you. You were the happiest.
With a proud face, you showed it to Historia. When she saw you, her eyes changed brightness, "I have no words. It looks per-fect".
You smiled even more and looked in the mirror one more time, "Right? It's decided, I'm buying this one".
After you paid for the dress, you went to another store and bought a pair of cute white heels. You didn't need to buy a bag because you already had a white one at home that fit everything really well.
Historia and you went to a cute café to eat something for lunch. You chose a poke bowl, while she ordered some ramen.
"So, anything new between you and Eren?" Historia questioned, "It's been a while since I ask you that".
"You literally asked me yesterday at school" you said laughing, "But no, nothing new. Things went pretty fast the first two or three days, but now everything is way calmer".
Historia formed a disappointed face, "Oh, I understand. Well, I'm sure he'll ask you to be his girlfriend this night".
You almost spit out your drink, "What?".
She laughed, "Did that make you nervous? Relax! That's just what I think. I mean, this would be the perfect occasion to do it, right?".
You smiled, but you didn't want to get your hopes up, "But we've only been like this for a week. It's too soon... Right?".
"Uhm, no?" Historia asked, "You guys have been really liking each other for like a month and a half, you confessed your feelings for each other last week. What I don't really get is why he didn't ask you to be his girlfriend sooner".
You nodded, "We'll see, but I don't think that's going to happen".
"But if he asks you, what will be your answer?".
Heat rushed to your cheeks. You looked down to your plate so Historia couldn't see your face, "Uhm... Yes, I think".
She rolled her eyes, "I think?! You have to be kidding me. You're obviously going to say yes! That's the only correct answer!".
You giggled, "Yeah, I'm going to say yes. Wasn't that obvious?".
❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。
Eren's pov:
Eren opened the door to Armin, "Hey".
"Good morning" his friend said. He looked around, looking for someone he couldn't find. "Where's y/n?".
"At Historia's house" Eren answered, "She'll be here after lunch".
The two friends sat on the kitchen's table and begun to do their homework. Armin noticed that Eren was a bit nervous, but he couldn't figure out why.
He knew it was about you two, but he also knew that it wasn't anything bad. If that would had been the case, Eren would have already told him.
But what was it then?
"Eren" he called his friend.
The brunette looked at him, and with no hesitation, he asked, "What did you say to Annie when you asked if she could be your girlfriend?".
Armin's face changed completely, but quickly turned into a happy one, "Oh, she was the one who asked me".
Eren was impressed, "Dude, really? I've been thinking the opposite all this time".
"Why, are you going to ask y/n?" Armin questioned, "Today?".
"We're going to this fancy restaurant" Eren explained, "It was her idea, but I want to make it more special. I think asking her that will do the job".
"Of course, it'll do" Armin nodded, excited, "Just ask her. It's easy, really".
"Says the one who was asked" Eren reproached him. "But I don't know when I should. Before dinner, after...?".
The blonde interrupted him, "You'll know when it's the right time".
Eren smiled, "Ok, then it's decided; I'll do it".
Armin noticed his friend's nerves. He understood it completely; Eren had never been in a situation like that one, and he liked you so much. He didn't want to screw up. He didn't want to be rejected.
"Don't worry, I'm sure y/n will say yes" Armin assured, "It's obvious".
"How are you so sure about it?" Eren questioned, "I'm sure she thinks it's too soon for this".
Armin sighed, "Eren, you like her a lot, right?".
He nodded intensively.
"She likes you a lot, right?".
He nodded, but not as intense as before.
Armin detected the doubts right there, "Let me change what I just said. It wasn't a question, but a fact. She likes you a lot. You shouldn't have doubts about her answer".
Eren seemed to be more relaxed, "Ok. I'll try to believe that".
"Aw, I can't believe it" Armin smiled, "You, having a girlfriend. Isn't that so cute?".
The brunette rolled his eyes, "Shut up. What I can't believe is what has happened in the last two months".
"I know" Armin agreed, "Your life has changed a lot. But for good, right?".
Eren nodded, "Yeah, but I meant how things changed with her".
"Yeah, no one expected that this will happen" his friend said, "Who would have thought that the girl you despised was going to be your girlfriend".
"She's not my girlfriend" he corrected him, "Yet".
"You know what I mean" Armin said, "Even though no one thought that would be possible, I think that this is the best thing that could happen to you. It's getting the best of you".
Eren wasn't really listening at that point. His eyes were looking at nothing. Not even Armin could figure out what he was thinking.
He could only think of what could happen from today.
He was thinking about what would happen to you before Christmas. That possibility still existed.
He couldn't help but see himself as a child at that moment.
❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。
Your pov:
You opened the door to the apartment. It was 5pm, meaning that you had 3 hours to get ready.
Yeah, it was a lot, but you wanted to take your time this occasion.
Eren was sleeping on the couch, and Armin had already left. You sat next to him and caressed his hair. It was one of your favorite things to do.
You kissed his forehead and got up to get ready. Firstly, you took a really long and relaxing shower.
You were nervous for today. Yesterday, you didn't think about it, but now that Historia had said it, you couldn't stop thinking about what could happen today.
Was Eren really going to ask you that?
You put those thoughts away. If something was going to happen, you wanted it to be natural and at its own pace.
You went to your room and did your makeup and hair. You put on some silver jewelry and waited till 7:50 pm to put on your dress.
When you went to the living room, Eren still wasn't there, surprisingly. That seemed weird to you, he was always the one that was waiting for you.
You sat on the couch and looked in the direction of his room. The door was closed but, after a few minutes he opened it.
Your jaw dropped when you saw him. He was wearing a black turtleneck with black trousers and a vintage black leather jacket. His hair was perfectly pinned up in a manbun and his fingers were decorated with rings.
He looked majestic. You never thought he could look better than he normally did.
Meanwhile, Eren's breath hitched as he looked you up and down.
Perhaps he would have seen you dressed up more times, but the fact that you were like this for this occasion, for you two, made it more special.
"Woah" both of you said at the same time.
You let out a laugh. It looked like both of you had been nervous about each other's opinion.
"Should we go now?" you asked. Eren nodded, "Sure. In these kinds of places, you must arrive before time. It gives them a good impression".
"You say that like we're going to go there every day" you giggled, "This is a special occasion".
Eren and you left the building and went to his car. The drive was peaceful, and you could already feel how the town was transforming into a Christmas atmosphere.
You smiled. You truly loved Christmas.
Even though most of the years you didn't spend time with your parents, the last ones were the best. Spending time with your friends was the best gift you could receive.
Last year, you went to Historia's house the 25th of December, and between the 26th and New Year's Eve, you went with the rest of your friends to a lake house.
Connie and Sasha almost died, but that's another story.
You hoped this year will be as cool as the others, and now that you had Eren, you were sure it would be even better.
You wished that would be true.
"We're already here" Eren announced. You looked up and your eyes lit up.
The place looked beautiful from outside. It was really similar to what imagined a little palace.
It had huge windows and a marble door. Despite its grandeur, it looked very cozy.
Next to the door, there was a man asking for names so you could enter.
"Good night" he smiled, "How could I help you?".
"We have a reservation in the name of Hitch Dreyse" you said. "For today".
The man looked at his notebook, searching for the name until he found it, "Ok, follow me, please. I guess you're Miss Dreyse, right?".
You could hear Eren's laugh. You shook your head, "Not really. She's my friend, but she couldn't go today so she let us go here instead".
"Oh, I see" the man smiled and looked at Eren and you, as a duo, "Your friend is doing God's work".
You instantly blushed because of that comment. You didn't look at Eren, but he had the same face as you.
The same man escorted you to the central hall. You were stunned, it was even better than outside.
The ceiling was painted in a Renaissance style, and from it hung the most beautiful chandeliers you had ever seen. The floor was made of marble, and the windows showed you beautiful views.
"Here is your table" the man said, "Sit down, someone will come right now to take care of you. Have a good night".
"Thank you" you smiled.
Eren and you sat down. "This place is beautiful" he said, looking around.
"Right?" you agreed, "I didn't know we had this in this town".
A server offered you two the menus. You didn't really understand what was written, there were a lot of complex names you had no idea what they were.
"Do you understand any of this?" you asked Eren.
He nodded, "This is a thing they usually do in these kinds of restaurants. They name the plates in a complex way, so you think it's something innovative and never seen before, but it's probably normal food".
"Ohhh" you whispered, "That's intelligent".
You heard footsteps next to you. A girl and a boy who were about 11 years old sat at the next table, each accompanied by their mother.
The women went back to their table, next to two men, who you guessed were their husbands. That meant that the two kids were family friends, and that their family reserved another table just for them.
The boy looked a bit shy, and you thought he didn't really like the girl. However, she was talking all the time to him, her face was full of happiness.
You smiled. Somehow, it reminded you of Eren and you the last years.
You looked at him. He was observing the little couple too. Like a tennis match, his eyes looked at the boy and then at the girl.
He thought the same as you, but he was much serious.
"They're so cute, right?" you questioned.
Eren went back to reality and smiled, "Yeah, but that boy doesn't look happy".
You laughed, "I think he's getting annoyed by the girl".
You looked at the menu again, trying to understand once again what it was saying, "I think I'm going to order the 'Italian delicacies accompanied by secrets from the garden'? What does even mean?".
Eren let out a laugh, "Meat and vegetables. Wait, why were you going to order that if you didn't know what it was?".
You shrugged "It sounded good, plus, if it has Italian in it, it means it's going to be delicious. What are you going to order?".
"Probably the fish soup" he said, "It's been a long time since I don't have it. My mom loved to make it for me".
You froze for a second. Eren usually wasn't the type to talk about their parents, for obvious reasons. That reminded you that you didn't know how to act when this happened. You weren't sure if it was a good idea to keep talking about it or change of subject.
Eren saw your reaction. He reached over the table to grab your hand and smiled to you softly, "What happened?".
You stared at him, "Sometimes I don't know what to say when you talk about them. I completely freeze".
Eren was surprised, he didn't expect you to be so honest. You instantly felt bad, "I'm sorry".
The waiter came back to ask for your order. Eren answered for you as well.
He rus his thumb over your hand, "Don't be sorry. It's normal that you don't know what to do. No one knows, actually".
"Then... What should I do when this happens?".
Eren was thinking for a few seconds. He didn't know what to answer you because no one ever asked him that, "I think that, if it's you, I'd like to talk about it".
You let out a sigh of relief, "Do you miss them?".
"Every single day" Eren answered, "They were the best. They incredibly helped me when I needed it the most. They understood me better than anyone. To be honest, these last three years felt a bit blue, even the beginning of this one even if a lot of time had passed; until a couple months ago".
There it was. Talking about you, even though he really didn't mention your name, but you understood it. Those 'couple of months' ago was when you gave him your apartment and when your story begun.
Eren always talked about how his life became better after that, after you appeared in his life. But now he was talking about his parents.
This made you happy, of course, but a part of you was sad because it was like Eren was only happy because you were there and, even though that was good, you wanted him to be happy for no reason. What would happen if you couldn't be with him anymore?
You put those thoughts away. You weren't a couple yet; it didn't make sense that you were already thinking about not being together anymore.
"I'm happy you had such good parents" you said, "I'm sure they would be proud of who you are right now".
Eren's smile grew. He then looked at those kids that were next to you.
"Do you miss them?" he asked.
"Who?".
"Your parents".
An old wound in your heart opened a little. "I don't" you answered, "When I was alone at my old house, I thought that I missed them. But it was just that I didn't like to be alone all the time. Sometimes, when I think about it, I reach to the conclusion that, the times they spent at our house with me, I felt even more alone".
You continued thinking about that question. Do I really not miss them?
Even though Eren didn't ask you, you continued talking about them, "They didn't help me when I needed it the most, not to say they don't understand me in any aspect. When I finally convinced them to change of school, I had never felt so free".
"When I told them about what happened at Marley, they thought I was the problem" you sighed, "To be honest, I don't even know how I ended up here. Surely they were tired of me complaining".
Eren squeezed your hand, "How could they not notice what was happening? Didn't they ever go to school to see what was going on? The teachers didn't notice anything?".
You tried to remember anything in particular but, again, your brain didn't help you.
"I remember nothing about it" you explained, "The memories are confused. Some are still there, but I can hardly describe what really happened. I only remember the bad moments: how my friends forced me to do things to other people that I didn't want to".
You sighed, "And if I didn't do it, those things were done to me. So, eventually, I did them".
"The way you explain it and act proves that you can't remember at all what happened" Eren said, "Living that hell, I wouldn't be the same. But you're the same. I don't know if that's a curse or a bless".
You looked at him, "Me neither. If it's for the bad moments, it's a bless. I don't want to remember anything of what I did. But for the few good moments, it's a curse. For example, those letters someone sent me. Someone understood me. And I can't even remember their name".
The waiter came back with your food. It looked so delicious that it almost made you forget about what you were just talking about.
You smiled, "Look how good this looks!".
"Oh, I now know that food it what makes your mood change" Eren laughed, "I'll keep that in mind".
You giggled, "You're right, but it's not food in particular. I just try to see the little good things in my life and be grateful. Like this, my friends..." your eyes fell on him again, "Or you".
Eren felt like he was short of breath right there, but he hid it pretty well. He smirked, "Oh, so you consider me just a 'little thing'?".
You rolled your eyes sarcastically, "You want me to complement you so bad, don't you?".
"Coming from you, always" Eren said. Now you were the one who was short of breath.
"Well, I'll think about it" you laughed. You put a piece of the Italian meat on your mouth, "Mmm, this tastes so good".
A little scream made you look up. The boy from the table next to you had one of his hand on his cheek.
"You hurt me" he said to the girl. She had a fork on her hand, and she looked really sad, "I'm so sorry, it wasn't my intention!".
"Did she really stab his cheek with his fork?" Eren asked, "How's that possible?".
"I don't know" you laughed, "Aw, but she looks so sad. She just probably wanted his attention".
Eren and you ate your food and talked about everything and anything at the same time. Nothing too important, as the previous conversation had been pretty serious.
"I'll be right back" he got up, "I need to use the bathroom".
While you were alone, you couldn't help but look at the kids again. They reminded you so much of Eren and you, but you couldn't really know why. You concluded that the vibe was pretty similar.
A young blonde man passed next to you. Because of his clothes, you guessed he was one of the chefs, and his facial features made you think that he was your age.
He noticed you and stood still for a few seconds with his eyes half closed. You stared at him, not sure about what he wanted.
He looked at your plate and smiled. "Was the food good?" he asked.
You smiled, "Yeah! We loved it. The Italian meat was delicious and my...".
My boyfriend? My friend? "... my date loved his fish soup too. You and your team made a fantastic job".
"I'm glad to hear that" he said, "By the way, not to be nosy, but do I know you? Your face reminds me of someone, but I can't really remember who".
You stared at him. Now that you thought about it, his face sounded similar to you, but you weren't sure, "Mmmm, we met in the past? I don't know". You smiled, "Maybe you know me because of my friend, Sasha. She loves food and knows all the chefs in the area".
The blonde laughed, "Well, I'm not from Paradise, so I don't think that's the reason".
He looked stressed, "I have to go now. It was nice to know you and your date enjoyed our restaurant. Have a good night!".
"You too" you said while watching him walk away to the kitchen.
Eren came back from the bathroom, "Was that the chef?".
You nodded, "I told him the food was delicious. He looks young; it's incredible that people of our age are already working in such fancy places as this, right?".
"Yeah" the brunette answered, "Him and Sasha would make a good couple".
"That's what I was thinking" you laughed, "What should we order for dessert?".
Eren ordered a white chocolate mousse with forest fruits. It was really good, but your stomach was full of the other food.
After you paid, you left the restaurant. You even said bye to the boy and the girl that were sitting next to you. You couldn't help but imagine their relationship in the future.
When you went outside, a wave of cold hit you and made you shiver. Eren noticed this, "Do you want my jacket?".
"It's not necessary" you answered, but he was not convinced. He took it off and put it on your shoulders. That actually made a change.
In front of the restaurant was the city lake. There was a stone bridge that allowed to cross it and that led to the oldest part of the town.
You leaned on the stone fence that separated the lake from the sidewalk. In Paradise, there was a tradition in which, in the weeks before Christmas, people could put little floating lights on the lake. Inside them, a wish was written on a piece of paper. Tradition said that they became reality with the passage of time.
There were some of those floating lights sailing across the lake. You looked around and saw a homeless man that sold those lights. He was collecting everything to be able to go to another place to rest.
"I want one of those" you hold Eren's hand and walked with him to the man.
"Do you really believe in those things?" Eren asked.
You nodded, "Yes! Besides, isn't the idea so cute? Imagine that our floating lights end up in another city and someone reads our wishes. That sounds super cool, doesn't it?".
You heard his laugh, but you didn't care if he didn't believe in wishes. You were going to do it anyways. Who knows if your wish would actually come true or not?
"Good night" you said to the man, "Can I have one of those floating lights?".
The man smiled. He looked like he was in his 70s, and he had a happy and nostalgic vibe at the same time. "Good night. Yes, here it is. The piece of paper for you to write your wish is inside of the box".
"Can you give me another one?" Eren asked. You turned around, surprised, "Really? Are you going to do it?".
"You convinced me" he said. The man gave another floating light to him.
"Thank you so much" you said to him, handing him 10 dollars. "By the way, is it true that the wishes come true eventually?".
"If you only think about your wish when you write it on the paper, yes" the man explained, "But it's important that nothing else is on your mind, or you can impregnate your wish with another energy and something that you don't want might come true".
Eren didn't actually believe in those stuff, but seeing you so excited made him want to do it too. You two went back to where you were before, next to the stone bridge.
You took from your bag a pen and to write your wish. You thought about what you could put, and then you remembered about what you at dinner.
You wanted Eren to be happy, no matter if you were there with him or not. You wanted him to feel good with himself for once.
You wrote on your piece of paper.
May Eren (and everyone I love) be happy.
You gave the pen to him. Eren had no clue of what he could write. But that's when he remembered of what you talked about at dinner. How much you had suffered. Just by thinking that this could happen again to you made him the saddest person ever.
He wrote on his piece of paper.
May y/n be surrounded by love.
Both of you put your papers inside of the floating light. Carefully, you let them fall into water. They moved slowly to the right, towards the river into which the lake emptied.
Eren and you were very close to each other. You could even feel his breath.
You looked at him. He was looking at you with those eyes that you thought were the most beautiful in the world. His gaze conveyed confidence and love. You never thought that some could look at you like that, that you could feel so adored.
Eren opened his mouth. He tried to say something, but the worlds couldn't come out. He stared at you, looking at those eyes that he thought were the most beautiful in the world.
The moon illuminated only you two. It was the perfect frame for a painting.
Eren grabbed your face with that delicacy with which he used to do it and closed his eyes before his lips touched yours. Your hands went to the back of his neck.
The way both of you were reacting to that kiss only showed one thing: love. Not just a physical attraction. It was way more than that.
Your feelings for Eren were stronger than ever now. They had evolved compared to a few weeks ago, but the feeling in your chest was the same. You kept feeling the same tingling in your heart, but now you really knew why.
You pulled away from each other just a few centimeters, your foreheads touching. Eren smiled, and you did the same thing.
He thought this moment was perfect. Asking questions whose answers were not sure didn't seem to him the best option to do now.
"I like you a lot, y/n" Eren said, his cheeks red.
You could feel your face getting hotter, but you hide it with the biggest smile you could make, "I already knew that".
He rolled his eyes, "Oh, don't act like you don't love when I say it".
"I can't love one thing that you only said it two times, so I'm not really used to it" you smirked, "Can you say it one more time?".
"Not until you say it too" he told you. You laughed, "I like you a lot too".
At that moment, a few snowflakes began to fall. You looked at the sky, seeing how it was snowing, "I can't believe it".
You let some snowflakes fall into your hand, "Look, Eren".
Eren was marveling at the snow, looking at the sky all the time. You thought he looked super cute, so you took a picture of you, "Aw, look at you".
"Hey, now it's my turn to make some pictures of you" he said, "Lean on the fence, so the lake appears as well".
You did what he told you and smiled while the camera flash illuminated your eyes.
Eren stared at his phone for a few seconds, "Perfect. Now a photo of us together".
He positioned himself in front of you and hugged you with one of his arms. You smiled, but not for the photo, but because you really felt the happiest person ever.
Eren took a few selfies and made you choose your favorite so he could post it later. You chose two, one of both of you smiling and one in where he was looking at you.
"What are you two doing here?" someone asked. You look in front of you, seeing Mr. Ackerman walking with a little white dog.
"Mr. Ackerman, always a pleasure to see you" Eren said. The teacher rolled his eyes, "Please, it's Saturday night. Don't talk to me like that".
You laughed, "Your dog is really cute, by the way".
He smiled, "Right? His name is Benji. He loves to walk at night, but I don't think he loves the snow". He looked at Eren's phone, which still showed the selfies, "Do you want me to take a picture of you two?".
You nodded, "That would be perfect! Thank you".
Eren wrapped his arm around your waist. Levi took a few pictures, "Here it is".
The boy grabbed the phone, "Thank you so much, Mr. Ackerman. Have a good night".
"You two too" he said while beginning to walk again, "My theories with Erwin were right, then...".
Eren and you laughed hard. Did even your teachers really talk about you two?
Eren took your hand as he invited you with this gesture to return to the car, since it was quite late. "I'll post the pictures when we're at home" he told you.
Home.
This was the first time that you thought about that word as a dual thing, a thing of the two of you and not of you and him separately.
You smiled and looked at the window while the car was moving.
What you were living right now was a dream. You didn't even remember the possibility that today Eren asked you to be his girlfriend. You really didn't care about it either, because things, at least for you, weren't going to change if that happened.
All you wanted is for nothing to change. Your happiness was now incapable of description.
Eren thought the same that night. A few weeks ago, he thought that feeling in his chest could be explained once your relationship progressed. But that had already happened, and he still didn't know what name to put to what he felt for you.
.•° ✿ °•.
(A/N): Hey everyone! I hope y'all like this new chapter and that the next one can be published as soon as possible, but I have been in senior year for a month and I'm already stressed by the amount of work that I need to do. Hopefully, I'll have more free time to write as much as I want to!!!