COMRADES • Eren Jaeger

CHAPTER 15: Tension ⁿˢᶠʷ

(warning: nsfw, smut)

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"THESE THUNDERSPEARS are meant for close combat, so you need to be quick when launching them," you explained to the soldiers in front of you, pointing at Hange's blueprints of the invention. "They weigh a ton too, so we'll have one last run-through with them before we leave tomorrow."

"Roger, Lieutenant!" everyone answered, saluting at you before filing to the training area outside, where there was a clump of trees. You were inside Wall Rose, near the gate of Trost.

When the commander promoted you, you knew it was going to be a tough job. You had envisioned yourself leading a squad through the unknown, directing orders and formulating plans to bring down hordes of abnormal Titans. Sure, you didn't feel completely ready, and you hated being around Daphne, but your pride refused to back down.

You didn't expect that the hardest part of this job would be telling people what to do. You had been taught to follow orders, not give them.

In front of the new recruits was Squad Levi, trying not to smile at the sight of you fulfilling your lieutenant duties. It was funny watching you bark orders at the new recruits.

You did not like that they were smiling. Knowing Commander Erwin, he didn't make you a lieutenant because you were a good soldier. He made you the face of a squad because you were good bait. Something was dehumanizing about being made dispensable by someone you admired so much.

You wanted to puke.

"Throw it harder!" you shouted, pointing a finger at two recruits who had lodged the spears into the base of a tree. "Your angles are off! We can't waste a single spear!"

"God, she sounds just like my mother," Jean muttered as he picked up one of the practice spears. "Always nagging."

"I heard that, Kirstein!"

"Sorry, Lieutenant!" he apologized quickly, making everyone around him snicker as they continued throwing the spears. "Just joking!"

"Don't play around!" you said, annoyed as you walked around the clumps of soldiers trying to get perfect aims at their respective trees. "Our supplies are limited!"

"I wonder why Y/N's so jumpy all of a sudden," said Marlo. "The commander says we're prepared."

"Well, it's our last day before the mission," Armin answered. "The recruits have to take it seriously."

"She's been a little off since yesterday," Connie said. "Uh—there was an incident between her and Daphne in Beaurlin, but it's all good now."

Mikasa picked up four spears with ease and flawlessly chucked them at one of the trees, the metal hitting the trunk in a clean cut row right through the bark.

You nodded in approval as you walked past. "Nice work, Mikasa."

She gave a single grateful nod back as she gazed at the spiked tree. "Thanks."

"Looking over these idiots from the Garrisons and the MP is hard work," said Sasha. "Hard to think that Levi saw you as a bit of a troublemaker when you joined the Scouts."

Jean snorted. "Because she was always attached at the hip with her suicidal maniac."

Eren glared at him, but didn't say much. Neither of you had explicitly said that you were together, as you hadn't even put a proper label on what you even were yet, but everyone could feel a change in your dynamic. In a way, it felt as though you were keeping a precious secret that only you and Eren knew. If you went around telling people and putting your relationship into words, the magic would shatter.