When Eren first laid eyes on me, I knew he had a million questions. Why was I here? Why did I look like my heart had been shattered into pieces? But much to my relief, he didn't ask any of them right away. He just pulled me into his arms and let me melt there. I grasped the soft fabric of his t-shirt, burying my face in his chest and trying not to break down again. I breathed in his scent, trying to steady my heartbeat by listening to his. He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead and held me close, firm but gentle. I swallowed and pulled away enough that my voice wouldn't be muffled. "Eren, can I sleep here tonight?" I asked, trying to stay calm. "Of course. Why don't you take a seat on the couch and I'll grab some sheets for you, okay?"
I nodded and pulled out of his grasp. He gave my shoulders a light squeeze before making his way down the hall. I sat down at the corner of the couch, folding in on myself, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Eren returned with sheets and a pillow and placed them down. "Is Mikasa here?" I asked, trying to make conversation and stall for as long as possible. "No. She's still out, she said she wouldn't be back until late." Eren replied, sitting beside me. I nodded, though I wasn't really hearing him. A silence fell over us and I bit my lip, taking deep breaths to try and keep calm. I felt his fingers take mine gently. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
I thought it over a minute before shaking my head. "Not yet."
He nodded and pulled me over to him, taking me in his arms again. He laid back on the cushions, taking me with him and settling us into a comfortable position. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in the crook of his neck as he ran a hand along my back. His other hand played softly with my hair and it was doing a good job of calming me down. Our legs intertwined comfortably and I let out a shaky breath. He nuzzled the top of my head and in that moment I felt like I was worth something again. That even though Jean didn't love me, I would be okay. Because Eren did. And that was all I needed.
We lay there for perhaps half an hour before I thought I was calm enough to speak. "Eren, I . . . something happened." I began and he didn't say anything. He just listened. "I . . . I went to get some aspirin from the store. And then I w-went home. And Jean t-told me not to come home until six, but . . . I figured it would be fine if I just dropped it off. But then . . . I-I went upstairs and . . ."
I sobbed and Eren pulled me closer, kissing my forehead and whispering, "It's okay, Min. It's okay."
I bit my lip and tried to swallow the lump in my throat to no avail. I sighed. "And . . . he w-was in bed with another man . . ."
I felt the tears begin to form again and felt Eren's grip on me tighten. I gripped the front of his shirt, closing my eyes tightly and trying to control my breathing. He rubbed my back comfortingly. "Don't hold it in. Let go."
I lost it. I sobbed and gasped uncontrollably, unable to calm the frantic spasms of my lungs. Gasp for air, sob, gasp for air, sob. It was a continuous cycle that I couldn't force back into a steady rhythm. Tears spilled from my eyes and soaked the front of Eren's shirt and a part of me was humiliated that he was seeing me like this. But at the same time, I felt better having an outlet for everything and I realized it had always been this way. Eren was where I went when I was upset. If I was frustrated or just feeling down, I would go to him and he'd always be there. He'd hold me, he'd listen to me, and he'd let me let my feelings out. He always made me feel better about things, no matter how bad they got. And this time was no exception.
I cried until there were no tears left and I was gasping uncontrollably at various intervals even though my breathing had steadied. I had fallen apart and now Eren was helping me get together again. He whispered soothing words to me and drew patterns on my back absentmindedly. But then he spoke up, his voice gentle and wary. "He told you not to come back until six?" he asked as if he was afraid I would go into another break down. I nodded. "H-He had been g-giving me curfews."
I laughed pitifully. "Now I k-know why."
Eren pulled away enough to look me in the eyes. He took my face in his hands and gave me a soft smile. "This is gonna sound cliché, but he doesn't deserve you. You are way out of his league."
I chuckled and he grinned. "But seriously. Armin, look at me."
I did, seeing a familiar shimmer in emerald eyes. "You are the most incredible person in the entire world. And if that asshole thinks he can mess with you, he's got another thing coming. I will personally go over there and help you kick his ass. He doesn't have the right to treat you like this. Like you're an item he can throw away when he wants to. You are so much more than that, you hear me?"
I smiled softly before furrowing my brow. "You're just saying that because you hate his guts."
"Oh I most definitely hate his guts," Eren said, causing me to laugh before he shifted to look at me. "Armin, I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly special you are."
I gave him a look. "You are. I know that's overused and underrated, and I wish I was as good with words as you are. I wish you believed everything I'm telling you, but I don't know how to make that happen. But whether you believe me or not, just listen to me,"
He tucked a piece of blond hair behind my ear and gave me a serious look. "Remember all those constellations you showed me when we kids? And you told me those stories about greeks gods and war heroes?"
I nodded. "And then one night you told me you wished you could bring stars down from the sky so you could see one. You wanted to see Antares because it was the brightest in your zodiac and it was always there when we went camping."
I blushed slightly in embarrassment at the memory. He smiled and let out a breathy laugh. "I never told you this, but for the next three months or so, I was determined to get you that star. I stayed up late at night, researching, making blueprints for machines, mapping the constellations so I could plan the perfect time to pull it from the sky."
I stared at him in shock, observing the sudden glimmer in his eyes and feeling something flutter in my chest. "And then everything was ready and I went out and climbed the tallest tree I could find, ready to test out my invention and get Antares to give to you. Of course, it failed and I ended up falling. That's how I broke my arm."
He had told me he broke it during a game of soccer. I felt my heart warm. "The point is I spent all that time and put all that work into it because it was for you. And whether or not you believe me when I say you are the best thing that's ever happened to me and deserve the world, just know that no matter what happens, I will be here to move heaven and earth for you if you need it."
I felt my eyes water and smiled genuinely before tackling him in a hug. He returned the gesture and ran a hand through my hair. "Thank you," I whispered, squeezing him tighter. He returned the pressure.
~~~
It took me awhile to calm down completely, but once I did, Eren offered me some of his clothes to wear to bed. He tossed me an old t-shirt and some basketball shorts and after thanking him, I hurried to the bathroom to change. His clothes were a bit baggy on me and despite the uncomfortable twist of my stomach from the events at the house, I smiled to myself. I turned on the faucet and splashed cool water on my face, rubbing over my eyes and wiping away the dried tears. I shut it off and looked up at myself in the mirror. My eyes were swollen and red, but I felt more or less refreshed. Everything seemed much better after talking to Eren. As always.
When I dried off, I walked back into the living room to see Eren standing there, staring at the sheets thrown haphazardly over the couch. "What is it?" I asked and he turned to me, pointing at the makeshift bed. "I'm not sure you should sleep there." he said and I smiled. "Eren, I told you, it's fine."
"But I feel awful. I don't want you to sleep on this crappy couch after what happened."
"Technically, I showed up here uninvited, so I should get the couch."
"Technically, I'm the one who lives here and I say you shouldn't get the couch."
I chuckled despite myself. "Seriously, Min. I'll sleep here, you can sleep in my room."
"Eren, no, I can't do that."
"You want me to go with you?"
I didn't respond and he smiled. "Come on, I'll cuddle with you."
I giggled and followed him up the stairs and to his room. I sank into the mattress and let out a sigh as he turned off the lights and climbed under the covers next to me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him, fitting us together like a jigsaw puzzle. After laying there a moment, I spoke up, my voice strange in the silence. "You offered to take the couch just so you could cuddle, didn't you?" I asked with a smirk that was hidden in the dark. He hesitated and I felt his lips curve into a smile against the back of my neck. "Maybe."
I chuckled, readjusting and scooting closer to him. "You know, you could've asked."
He hummed distantly. I yawned and my eyelids felt suddenly heavy. I shut my eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep to the sound of my own steady heartbeat.