You can't force love

Chapter 13 - Would it really matter?

"You don't say, Gunther! And when would you mind telling me that if this didn't happen?!"

"Eld, wait-"

"Wait for what?!"

"Mr. Eld, p-please calm down. We can-"

"Don't interfere!" Eld and Gunther said in unison, making Eren flinch and took a step back with palms up in defence he ostensibly expected.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Sighing, Eld rubbed his face repeatedly, exasperated beyond boundaries.

"Listen, I know what you think, but I didn't know-"

"Oh really? And do you know now?" Eld continued his tirade.

"Will you please, let me finish?" Gunther said through gritted teeth, fighting against the urge to burst completely.

"Go ahead! I would like to know the rest! Must be a very digestible prologue."

Ignoring a blatantly thrown remark, Gunther closed his eyes and exhaled in order to calm down. There was no need to add more fuel on the fire.

"And then I pretended I 'understood' I was wrong and he didn't say anything after my words. Though I assume he was surreptitiously drilling holes in my head with his eyes."

"And?"

"And then he went off with 'some business on mind', but I'm sure he was too offended to stay."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

Closing his eyes and counting to three, Eld threw his head backwards, face turned towards the ceiling, so he wouldn't look at the smartest, wisest person in this world.

"And what conclusion did you make out? That it is a must to wait patiently and quietly, never saying anything to help?"

"Would it really matter if I said something?"

"Yes! Yes, it would! Two of us would know and would keep an eye on Auruo better. We would have done something, talking to one of them or- Oh screw it," Eld said, huffing.

"I think you don't understand the problem. It's not Auruo-"

"Then who?"

"It's Captain. And Captain alone."

Eld suddenly stopped expressing his discontent and frowned.

"... What?" he asked warily.

Eren blinked, shifting his look from Eld to Gunther, whose face remained ever so calm despite an angry outbursts aimed at him from his friend and comrade a minute ago.

They didn't tell him much, but of course, Eren was smart enough to connect two and two and create a credible equation of the state of stuff in Levi's squad.

As far as he knew, it went out like this - Petra loved Captain Levi and the said one had hurt her feelings. Auruo had jumped in and comforted Petra. But there had been many hints from Captain that he loves her too and now Eld thinks he had been pushing Petra on purpose per seeing Auruo's intentions.

Though for Eren, it didn't make sense at all. Why would Captain Levi give up for that reason alone? It certainly was not only that and Gunther knew it.

So Eren decided to keep silent and watch how things will unfold naturally, hoping that each puzzle will gain its place in the whole bewildering picture.

"I watched and observed carefully," Gunther started. "Auruo's reactions and behavior around Petra, Captain's agonized, but concealed demeanor, Petra's too. And I've heard some things too. Both Squad Leader Hanji and Commander Erwin tried to coax him. And I thought they would be successful. But they weren't."