𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙩 || Eren Jaeger

𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆

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"ARMIN, BREATHE. JUST breathe."

The poor young man had lost his wits. He keeled over the edge of the river canal, gagging and vomiting away his horror. I stood next to him and tried to console him.

I turned his face towards me. "Armin— hey, look at me..." I pushed his hair out of the way and maintained straight eye contact, cupping his cheeks. "Breathe. Okay? Breathe with me..."

I took in a deep gulp of air, and slowly exhaled it out. He copied me. After a few more shaky inhales and exhales, he seemed more grounded. But now the tears started to flow.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." He said remorsefully. His gaze was distant, and I knew all too well he wasn't apologizing to me, but instead to the woman who's soul has now departed this world.

The woman he killed.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll stay with him." Mikasa said, "You go patch up Jean. He has a nasty cut on his face."

Jean... right.

I obliged and left her with Armin. I walked back towards the warehouse and inside found a quiet, sullen horse-faced boy waiting by a backpack full of medical supplies. He sat on a crate with his elbows on his knees, and his head bowed shamefully into his hands. He didn't look up until I was right in front of him and already unwinding the roll of white gauze.

"You're mad, aren't you?"

I didn't look at him. I couldn't. If I did, there was a high chance I would chuck this roll of gauze at him. Or kick him. Maybe even both.

"Yeah? Well, get in line." He said tonelessly, seeing as I didn't respond. "I'm mad at me, too."

I faced him to wrap the gauze around his head, but I might as well have been staring at a wall. His eyes searched for mine, and when he couldn't anchor my gaze, he gave up and huffed in defeat.

"I'm sorry. Maybe if I had taken her out..." He contemplated, "I don't know how exactly, but if I had just killed her on the spot, we might've secured the wagon. And you could be with Eren right now." He said.

I cut the gauze. "I'm not angry about that."

This surprised him. "Huh?"

I set the roll aside and picked up an ice pack, "I'm not angry about Eren getting away. I mean, I am, but its been done before..." I held the ice pack up to the bandaged cut right on his temple. Hopefully it would stop the swelling. "He survived the last kidnapping, he can survive this one." I said, sounding empty like a deflated balloon. "I have faith. Its stupid faith, but... its faith regardless."

He nodded slowly. "Soo... you're mad at...?"

"Why couldn't you kill that woman?" It came out sharper than I intended. "Why?"

He hesitated. "Are you seriously asking me—"

"You had the aim ready, you had the opportunity— so why didn't you take it, you idiot!" I hit his chest with the ice pack. "You idiot, you idiot, why do you have to be so good?"

He stopped me and grabbed my wrists, looking at me in bewilderment.

A tear... or maybe two, slipped down my cheek. I sniffled, "Why are you such a good person?"

A moment of silence. I suddenly realized how ridiculous I was acting and turned away, hoping the redness in my eyes would clear up fast like nothing ever happened. "Sorry, I just—"