Overprotective: AOT/KNB Crossover [Reader x Eren]

Chapter 10: Attempt at Confrontation

~from Hanji's POV~
I'm tired of feeling so out of the loop. I need to know what's going on with (y/n), why she was at the clinic, who she was with...
I approached her during school the next day.
"Hey, (y/n)," I said cheerfully, beaming at her through my specs. "Can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?"
Eren, a few desks away, was listening in, and he shook his head vehemently. "Don't do it, (y/n). You'll end up just like all of the other..." He trailed off, eyes wide in horror.
"What do you mean, the others?" (y/n) asked, turning to him in fear as she instantly paled.
"The other human experiments," Eren whispered, and (y/n) stumbled, falling out of her chair in an effort to put some space between herself and me, but I was having none of it.
Sending Eren an evil grin that promised punishment on a later date, I grabbed (y/n)'s arm and dragged her out of the room, marveling to myself how cold and clammy her skin had become.
When I finally let her go, we were in an empty classroom. I locked the door behind us and turned to see (y/n) sitting on the floor, her legs splayed out to either side.
"Why're you sitting?" I asked curiously, observing her.
She shook in what my analytical brain processed to be fear. "My legs are shaky so badly that I don't think I can stand."
I sighed and let out a small laugh simultaneously. "Ignore Eren, okay? He was kidding."
(Y/n) exhaled deeply. "Good! But why would he scare me on purpose? That hurts," she moped.
"You know what else hurts?" I asked quietly.
"What?" she asked, her eyes wide.
"A knife as it impales your abdominal region!" I yelled, lunging at her, and she shrieked and scooted away.
When she realized I was laughing, she glared at me. "Not funny, Hanji!"
"Just kidding! No, but seriously," I said, completely deadpan now. "You know what hurts?"
"What?" she asked again, more cautiously this time.
"Lies hurt, (y/n). Where were you yesterday?"
She swallowed, tears at the edges of her eyes (probably my fault for scaring her). "Home sick."
"Lie," I immediately dismissed. "You want to try again?"
She looked panicked. "I don't know what you want from me, Hanji! I said I was home!"
I sighed and turned so I wasn't looking directly at her. It hurt too much when my friend was lying to my face. "Where were you yesterday? No, don't say anything, (y/n). I'll tell you." I looked her in the eyes. "You were at an STD Clinic. Want to tell me what you were doing there?"
If I had thought that she was pale before, it was nothing compared to now. She was practically porcelain, and I could see her shaking from here. "H-how did you kn-know that?" she asked, looking like a small animal that had been backed into a corner.
"I followed you," I said easily, shrugging. "See? At least one of us can be honest." She flinched, but the words didn't make me feel any better, either. "Listen, (y/n). I really like you, and I value you as a friend, but I can't deal with all the lies. So, either you tell me the truth..."
The tears that she had been holding back finally broke through. "Hanji! You had no right to...to spy on me like that! The only reason I lied to you was because it's something really personal, and it wasn't something I wanted to talk about!"
"Well, what about now, (y/n)?" I asked, not backing down. "Yeah, maybe before wasn't a great time. But how can I be friends with you, no matter how much I like you, when I can't trust you?"
I felt awful; (y/n) looked absolutely devastated. There was nothing I wanted more in the world than to hug her and stop her crying.
Oh, wait. There was one thing.
The truth.

~from (y/n)'s POV~
Your old high school was a lot like your current one, save one minor difference: you.
Unlike how you are now, you weren't scared of everything. That came later.
And that's where your story begins, if you have to tell it to Hanji.
"I wasn't always this scared, you know..."

~flashback~

You laughed with your friends, both of whom were a good half-head taller than you. That was okay, though; being friends for 5 years had kind of caused an acceptance to bloom inside of you. While your friends were tall with above-average but not eye-catching looks, you were short and stereotypically cute. Over the years, more guys had noticed, but you ignored them. To be honest, you'd rather watch a movie with your friends than with a guy. In fact, anything you could do with a potential boyfriend, you could do with friends and have more fun.
So you ignored the guys. You thought that if you didn't pay attention to them, they wouldn't pay attention to you.
But the formula was wrong, because you weren't quite right.

His little whispers,
"Love me, love me
That's all I ask for
Love me, love me."
He battered his tiny fists to feel something
Wondered what it's like to touch and feel something

Monster,
How should I feel?
Creatures lie here
Looking through the window

That night he caged her
Bruised and broke her
He struggled closer
Then he stole her
Violet wrists and then her ankles
Silent pain
Then he slowly saw their nightmares were his dreams

Monster,
How should I feel?
Creatures lie here
Looking through the windows
Time will
Hear their voices
I'm a glass child,
I am Hannah's regrets

Monster,
How should I feel?
Turn the sheets down
Murder ears with pillow lace
There's bath tubs
Full of glow flies
Bathe in kerosene
Their words tattooed in his veins.

You tried to commit suicide - a half-heartened attempt for someone missing half their soul - but your only real friend stopped you. He got you help, took you to doctor's appointments, and when you were diagnosed with HIV, he was the one who got you help. He helped you transfer schools so you could get away from the monster who haunted your sleep every night and who caused you to jump at every sound.

~end flashback~

"I wasn't always this scared, you know..."