Artist's Hands [Ereri/Riren Fanfic] [COMPLETE]

Chapter Twenty-One

Eren's POV

The drive to Mom's and Zeke's house was a quick one, as I went past the speed limit on the back roads to hurry over there. Once I was parked in the driveway I immediately bolted out of the car, leaving it on with the keys in my hand, and rushed for the front door. I knocked and pounded on the door for my brother to open it for me and soon enough I was greeted to him opening it and stepping to the side for me to come inside. He shut the door and rushed me to Diana where she lay on the couch in the living room. I crouched down next to her and grabbed her hand in mine.

" Diana? Hey, can you hear me? It's me, Eren, I'm going to help you."

" Don't sugar coat it Eren, she knows. She over heard us on the phone."

" Then she must know why, if not then, well..."

" It's as bad as murder."

" This is murder, Zeke! Trust me, I don't want to do this as much as you don't but damn it it's the only way to guarantee that no one dies to her! I lost my family and I don't want to lose the last one I have, don't you get it Zeke?" I looked back over to Diana and spoke softly, trying to withhold emotions I thought I had lost, " Diana, please talk to me. I don't want to do this without hearing you one last time, so please... just say something..."

" .... Er....en...."

" ! Diana!"

" ... Eren, is that you sweetie?"

" Yes, yes it's me, I'm right here."

" It'll be alright, but I just want you to know that I've always loved you... and I always will... So please, just do it... I don't want to hurt either of you or anyone I won't be able to recognize..."

I grasped my knife with my free hand and slowly drew it out from it's sheath on my belt. I looked at it and saw my reflection, well my past self looked back at me from it, but I knew this was reality and I had to do this in order to protect those I care about and love. Zeke was as close of a family I'll have and I don't want to lose him, I've been reunited with Levi and we're steadily coming close, and I've had a better life with my friends than before. I wasn't about to lose all of that because of people regaining their memories as Titans and going around killing people.

My grasp around my knife became tighter and I lifted it up a bit higher, but I stopped as I remembered that Zeke was still in the room. I looked back at him and wore an expressionless face.

" I don't want you to see this, please Zeke. Could you go to your room for a while? I'll come up when I'm done..."

He didn't hesitate and he slowly made his way upstairs, leaving me with Diana. I looked back over to her, seeing that she was waiting for the moment my knife would pierce through her heart. I bit my lip and shut my eyes tightly, hovering my knife above her chest before raising it high in the air. I opened my mouth to tell her my last words for her to hear.

" I loved you so much, and I've always wanted to thank you for putting up with me and letting me live with you. I love you, Mom..."

She smiled and that's what made me lose it. I plunged my knife into her chest, hearing flesh being cut apart and her gasping from the attack, and I watched blood splay about the couch, her dying body, and myself. She was still hanging onto her life so I retracted the knife and cut through her flesh again, and again, and again. The whole time my eyes were stinging and for the first time in my life I felt what many called grief.

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I sat leaning against the wall facing the couch, receiving a full view of what I had done five minutes ago. I just stared at her corpse feeling nothing after I calmed down from the event. I then recalled that I would go upstairs to see Zeke, but I still had Diana's blood on me and it would be difficult to clean now that it's dried onto my clothes and hair but I could still clean it off my skin. With the thought in my head I went into the bathroom to clean up as much as I could so I won't cause Zeke any problems with confrontation.

After I finished cleaning up I went upstairs and went straight to my brother's door. I knocked and waited, and eventually he opened the door for me but I saw his eyes fly wide open. I just looked at the floor and walked into his room and sat on the edge of his desk chair.

" It's done with, but I think we should bury her together."

" Bury her?! Where?!"

" In the back yard I suppose, we don't want to draw too much attention. Not when it's about to begin."

" ... Right." Zeke pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose and sighed, " Okay, but I don't want to see the mess you made."

" Alright alright, I'll put her in a black bag if we've got one. After we move her I'll clean up and burn the couch in the woods."

I stood up and headed back down the stairs, Zeke following behind. He gave me a black trash bag and I started from Diana's feet and continued until I came up to her face. I gently closed her eyes with my hand and Zeke came over to say his goodbyes. After which he carried her outside, set her down, and got out two shovels from the garden shed and began to dig.

The whole time I dug the hole I felt guilty and something else, but I had to do it, I kept reminding myself. We finished digging and went back over to her, carried her, and set her down into the hole and then began to cover her with the soil. After the hole was refilled I went over to her flower beds and picked out her favorite flowers, Zeke helped me as he lived with her more than I did.

We went back inside after we placed the flowers down atop her grave and I was busy cleaning up while Zeke sat on the steps watching me. The whole time I could only think about what was to come within the next couple of weeks.

AN: Two chapters in one day?! Woah! Anyway, I wanted to write this chapter cuz I wanted to have Eren start to feel the emotions he lost, but they only start to come back to him starting here. And ignore the piercings, he doesn't have them XD. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!!!

To Be Continued...