Broken

Constellations

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."