Attack on One-Shots

Breathe - Eren x Reader

Hey there! I hope everyone had a decent holiday season!

As you can obviously tell, I have returned and am ready to type a few one-shots. Over the break I was struck with many different ideas. How many I'll actually complete is a mystery though.

Updates might be slow for the next few weeks due to midterm exams and I kind of really need to focus on those. I'll try my best to get something up here and there, but don't count on it. 

Also, I'm not sure if there should be a trigger warning or not, but just in case I'm going to put one!
It's a trigger warning for anxiety, so if you may be triggered in any way, please do not continue reading!

~~~

 One of the physical symptoms of an anxiety attack was shortness of breath. That was the first to happen to Eren when he had an attack. Then came the sweating and soon after the trembling and twitching.

Being around him a lot during training made it easy for (F/N) to figure out that he was about to collapse into an attack. Sometimes he had easy to get through attacks, and sometimes more difficult, bad ones. Most of the time the attacks would be over within ten minutes. It was rare when one extended for even longer. The longest attack Eren suffered lasted for twenty minutes. 

That's why when Eren stumbled into (F/N)'s room in the early hours of the morning hyperventilating and shaking like a leaf in the wind, (F/N) was immediately wide awake and ready for it. 

"(F/N)..." Eren called out, tears streaming down his face as he clutched his chest. Heart palpitation. She gave no spoken response. She only stood up and guided him to her bed, sitting down and pulling him with her.

His tremors and gasps for air continued as she sat back against the wall with his head cradled to her chest, a hand running through his hair soothingly.

"You can get through this, Eren. Concentrate on your breathing. Tell me what you need," she whispered, her own demeanor calm and controlled, her breathing level and slow. "Breathe with me. Count to ten and follow my breathing pattern with your own."

Eren tried his best to get his short breaths under control and in tune with (F/N)'s. He squeezed his eyes shut and clutched her shirt tighter as he tried to escape this hell.

The hand in his hair didn't stop as she bent down and pressed a light, gentle kiss to the top of his head. "I am proud of you. So fucking proud, Eren. Good job. Do you need anything? Water? Medicine?"

Eren barely managed to shake his head as he buried his face in her stomach. "Just don't leave," he forced out. 

"Don't worry. I won't ever leave you," she replied just as quietly. 

She continued to speak to him in the best comforting tone she could, one hand never pausing in his hair while the other wrapped around him and rubbed soothing circles in his back.

Slowly but surely, Eren's breathing returned to normal and the his shivering stopped. It had been a long one; almost nearing seventeen minutes. 

Eren didn't release his grip or lift his head up though until nearly thirty minutes later when he was positive the attack was over. 

When he finally sat up straight and stared blankly down at the bed, (F/N) reached over and linked her fingers through his and gave his hand a squeeze.

"What caused this one?" She asked. Eren only shrugged and slumped his head down onto her shoulder.

"A dream," he responded. (F/N) knew that if she tried to press him for more information he would only slip back into another attack. So she left the matter alone and changed the subject.

"Is Captain Levi making you clean tomorrow?"

"Don't you mean today? The sun may not be up, but it is definitely past midnight," Eren corrected. His sass was a good sign. 

(F/N) couldn't help but smile at his response. "You know what I meant. Is he?"

"If he isn't then Hanji will no doubt drag me off somewhere."

She frowned. "When will you have some free time then?"

Eren scratched the back of his head as he tried to think. "I don't actually know. Probably after dinner tomorrow night. We'll have time together then."

"If Hanji is running experiments do you think I'll be allowed to watch?"

"If you can slip away from training. She won't care if you're there as long as you don't interfere. Who knows, maybe I can tell her that your presence makes me feel safer and you'll get out of training everyday," Eren yawned after he finished speaking, the noise only echoing a little before fading into nothing. The way his words were beginning to soften and his hand loosen meant that he was ready and well enough to try to sleep once again.

"I can't always skip out on training. That stuff is important," (F/N) told him. "Get in bed, Eren. We can talk in the morning at breakfast."

Eren emitted a sound of agreement as he detached himself from her sluggishly. He crawled slowly towards her pillows and buried himself under the sheets until the area above his nose was the only visible area.

(F/N) slowly followed his lead, her eyelids now growing heavy after Eren's attack. She slipped under the sheets beside him and snuggled up against his chest. It didn't take long for her to fall back asleep with him there.

After she had drifted off, Eren opened his eyes and peeked down at her as a sleepy smile spread across his face. He didn't know what he would do without her. 

As carefully as he could without jostling her awake, Eren pressed a kiss to her forehead before snuggling right back up against her. 

He was so fucking grateful.

~~~

This was a pretty short one. 

Also please correct me if I'm wrong about any of what is said about anxiety attacks in this one-shot. I don't know a lot about it when it comes to being the comfort person and only what it's like to experience one. 

That being said, I want you all to know that if you ever need to talk to someone or ever feel lonely, I am here for you. 

Seriously, just send me a message and I'll try my best to respond immediately. I will always be here if you need to talk or just need somebody in general. Be careful and remember that you matter and that I am so fucking proud of each and every one of you. Keep doing what you're doing.