hiatus-We'll Meet Again | Levi x Reader |

Part 6 - An Unexpected Encounter

My cries in the hall were an unfamiliar sound to Eren. He struggled to match a name to the sound until he turned the corner and saw me crouched there, the sight had him taken aback. Eren had never seen me upset in all the time he'd known me. It was such a shock for him to see me like that, he almost didn't believe what he was seeing. But it really was me; my face, my hair, my dainty little figure on the floor outside Levi's office.

"(Y/N)..."

My shaking hands attempted to cover my face, which was twisted as the hysterical cries uncontrollably flowed from me, my legs could barely hold my body up. It felt like the weight of my whole world had crumbled down upon me, crushing me under its immense weight. To Eren, I'd always seemed so strong, he often thought too strong. He wondered if this was what I'd been hiding away all this time; so much pain that it had me reduced to a sobbing ball on the floor.

Eren's legs moved on their own, my wet hands dampened his skin when he lifted my arms around his neck. When I jolted my head up to see who was lifting me, the look on my face was one Eren had never seen before. My cries stopped and to him I looked like a scared little child. He wiped the tears from my face with his thumb, his green eyes never leaving mine, as if to tell me without words that I was going to be okay. They held so much worry in them. I started to bubble again, feeling comforted by him and relieved it was Eren that found me and not someone else. I buried my damp face into his shirt and with a heavy weight in his chest, Eren carried me away.

Taking me to my own room would have meant walking past the mess hall, so Eren took me to his own room instead. Armin had a meeting with Hanji, so Eren's room would be empty. He guided me down gently onto the cold bed, all cadets had the same hard mattress, but to me anything was better than sleeping on the ground. As soon as my body lay flat on the bedding I rolled onto my side and curled into a fetal position. Eren was hesitant for a moment but then he lay behind me in a similar position, making our bodies close. His knees tucked into mine and his arm draped over my waist across my tummy, I felt the tip of his nose rest gently on the back of my exposed neck. I felt terrible for making him so sick with worry, but the warmth from Eren's body, innocently placed against mine, was comforting. The sound of his steady breaths tickled my neck and the dull feeling of heartbeat against my back lulled me to sleep.

~~~

I woke up still in Eren's arms, his face was rosy from the body heat between the two of us. He pressed for me to tell him why I was in such hysterics, what caused my breakdown. He only wanted to help me but I was still reluctant to tell him the truth. In my life the only person I'd ever confided in was Ymir, the idea of letting someone else in felt wrong to me.

"Thanks for what you did back there Eren, but you don't have to worry about me. I can handle it."

"(Y/N) I had no idea you were in pain... We've been through so much I thought you'd trust me more than this. I want to be here for you."

The hurt laced in his voice made my gut wrench. I knew he was right, but I didn't know what to say. What would he think of me after he knew the truth? I was a little older than Eren when we met in the 104th, I didn't share my past with anyone. But that didn't stop him befriending me, in our time I developed a close bond with him. It was something that fascinated me at the time, he could poke my cheek and ruffle my hair and I wouldn't be phased at all. The feeling was so new, at meal times I would sometimes 'accidentally' brush my arm against his just to make sure I hadn't dreamt it all. Each and every time I did, the refreshing feeling of being able to touch him with no consequence washed over me. He was a breath of fresh air.