jaeqermeister - Tumblr blog

[jaeqermeister]

but loving him (was red)

a/n: title came from taylor swift's red. ironically, percy's favorite color is blue.

tw: none at all! just miscommunication <3

word count: 2.9k

Riella has been pacing around in her room for quite some time now—a concerning amount of time, really. The Aphrodite kid has a lot of questions at the top of her head, and she doesn’t really know where to start. El and Jason has been concerned for their friend since the moment Riella resorted to her room after dinner.

“It can’t be,” Riella groans, talking to herself in the room. Her mother couldn’t possibly be right. She doesn’t want her to be right.

“You know what it means when you see someone else’s face in Eros and I, my darling. You know what.”

“Fucking hell,” Riella sits down, a little busy from the pacing. Could it be—

“Riella?” A knock is heard on her door. It’s clearly Jason on the other side. “Could you please talk to us? You’ve been acting so differently after seeing Aphrodite. Did she do something?” She sighs, putting a hand on her forehead in stress.

“It’s just the usual, Jason. She’s been teasing me again, and I got too worked up about it this time. It’ll pass.”

“It won’t pass if you’re stuck in the cabin like this. You gotta let us in. El’s here, too.” He mentions the girl, hoping it would incentivize Riella into opening the door.

“Riella, it’s El. Can’t you open the door for us?”

Riella thinks back to the conversation with her mother again. Could they understand?

“I… fine. But only so you two will stop nagging.” Riella relents. Slowly, the door creaks open and the two blondes come in, concern evident on their faces.

“Riella, I’m worried. You know I’m not the biggest fan of your mom.” El grimaces. Riella doesn’t blame her. Aphrodite had cursed her. “Is she trying to make you think bad things? You know that’s probably not true.” 

“Something’s… wrong with me. I can’t see my mom’s face anymore. I only see someone else now.”

Jason stands, a perplexed expression on his face but he lets her talk. El looks worried. “I thought only the biological kids get to see her actual face. What do you mean you can’t see her?”

“That’s exactly the problem. But there’s a bigger problem to that, and it’s the fact that I can only see Percy in her all the time.”

The silence in the room feels deafening to Riella. Were they disappointed? She knows that Annabeth and Percy are— “Kid,” Jason’s face breaks into a grin. “That’s great! So you love Percy?”

“I—” Riella falters. She hates how hot her cheeks get at the thought. Percy, the man she had pushed into a river at twelve. Percy, the first person she’d allowed to touch her face. Percy, the one she had taken a sword for at sixteen. 

Percy. Percy. Percy.

“It won’t matter.” Riella says, clearing her throat. “Percy clearly likes someone else,” she adds, the words leaving a bittersweet taste in her mouth. She loves Annabeth to death, but it still hurts. “Besides I can’t get in the way between them, that goes against my principles.”

“What principles are you even talking about, kid? You saw Percy in Aphrodite’s face, that’s more than enough to tell you that you really care about him and that you love him.” Jason points out. El quietly analyzes the conversation between the two of them.

“Have you even asked Percy who he really likes?”

“No, why would I-”

“Exactly.” Jason reinstates his point.

“Jason, I don’t think you’re hearing her out right.” El spoke up after careful consideration. “Honey,” she looks at Riella, “do you… do you think that you’re scared of pursuing him?”

The silence that follows is almost deafening. Riella has never said that fear of hers out loud—that fear that things will go wrong eventually, so she shouldn’t get into things in the first place. She knows Percy’s different. Percy isn’t like the other guys she’s fallen out with before. And still—

“Oh, sweetheart, come here.” Jason raises his arms, his voice gentle as always, and Riella allows herself to fall into Jason’s arms. “That fear is normal. You shouldn’t be ashamed of it.” 

“I know.” Riella fiddles with the hems of her sweater. “And I know that Percy isn’t going to hurt me or take advantage of me. But… what if he gets tired of me? What if we’ll break up eventually?” She can see it in her head. The fights, the distance… she doesn’t want it to happen. Not with Percy. Never with Percy.

“Kid, you’re taking this the-”

Riella suddenly goes quiet and stands up, moving away from Jason’s embrace. Her eyes travel quickly left and right across the room, as if in deep thought. Jason and El look at each other and hope the other would say something. Not a single word came out of their mouths. Riella sighs.

“You know what? Never mind. It… it really doesn’t matter. Why did I even tell you two, it’s not a big deal. I can get over Percy anyway. I’ll,” Riella pauses between the fast sentence she spat out, “I’ll be fine. Anyways. I gotta go.” She quickly walks to the door and leaves the room with her head down, not even caring who she bumped into.

“Shit.” Jason exclaims. “Shit indeed.” El said.

As if on cue, Percy walks through the door. His eyebrows are scrunched with a puzzled look on his face. “Did something happen to Riella or was she being weird today? Couldn’t even look at me all day.”

Jason and El look at each other awkwardly, unsure of how to approach this. 

“Did she?” Jason tilted his head, El trying so hard not to sigh. Jason was never a good actor. 

“Yeah, I—” Percy waved his hand. “Anyways, I wanted to talk with her. I couldn’t answer her text earlier since I was with Annabeth.” 

“Oh,” El says. She feels Jason shift beside her. “What were you two doing?” she asks. 

Percy smiles in that sheepish, cheeky way of his. “Well, you wouldn’t believe it. I brought Annabeth out on her first date. She finally got convinced to get into dating! Athena came to me in a dream and gods was it disturbing, but she kind of said she was scared Annabeth was going to die alone. Pretty weird of a concern for such a powerful daughter, but—”

Jason and El couldn’t seem to process the rest of Percy’s rant. All they were fixated on is that—

“So you two are not dating?” Jason asks, his voice laced with both anticipation and excitement. 

Percy’s eyebrows furrow. “No. We never were?”

El stands up and proceeds to smack Percy by the shoulder, repeatedly. “You are an absolute idiot, Perseus! And I won’t forgive you for it!” Percy tries to block her hits but he is unsuccessful. Jason hurriedly stands up and takes his girlfriend’s hands off of him.

“El, stop it! He doesn’t know!”

“What do you mean?” Percy eyebrows crease. Jason and El look at each other before they look back at him, the latter talking first. “You should… go look for Riella. It’s not our place to tell.”

He perks up at the mention of Riella. Come to think of it, she was pretty upset about something.

“She didn’t look happy to see me, though.” Percy frowns, and the thought leaves a heavy feeling in his chest. 

“Well of course she wouldn’t,” El grumbles. “Percy, talk to her. There’s something you need to figure out.”

Percy’s frown deepens. What the hell did she mean?

“I’ll go find Riella. Don’t worry about her, I got this. She’ll talk to me for sure.”

—

Riella was in a sandstorm of emotions. She really didn’t like how everything is playing out so far. She’s scared to her wits end about herself, about Annabeth, about Per—

“Ella? P? We need to talk.”

Goddamnit. Riella thought to herself. She really can’t deal with talking to Percy right now, let alone even seeing him. “Perce? This isn’t a good time right now, I need you to leave.”

“Ella darling,” Percy says, and he says it so softly that it hurts. “Please let me in.”

“Aren’t you tired? You’ve been driving all day.” Riella tries not to sound too bitter, but some bitterness still slips in. He was with Annabeth. Of course he was. They’re so good together and—

“Ella, I will never be tired when it comes to you. Please let me in.” Percy begs, his hand in a fist as he knocks on the door again. “This is about us, Ella.”

“Fucking hell, Percy!” Riella opens the door. “What do you want?”

“Ella, please.” Percy’s expression looks unreadable. “Can we talk?”

Riella looks at him. She hates how perfect he looks—how he looks like everything she’s ever wanted in a partner.

Shut it, Riella. You’re an Aphrodite kid. You can’t fall too easily. 

“Percy, what do you want?” She feels a little guilt as she hears the coldness in her voice, but she can’t help it. She has to protect herself while she can. What would others say if they found out she likes Percy?

“You’re upset. Upset with me. Could you please tell me what’s wrong, darling?”

Riella sighs as she rubs a hand across her forehead in resigned frustration. “Come in first. I don’t want anyone to hear any of this.” She gives way for Percy to enter, and he immediately complies. She closes the door behind her and he takes a seat on one of the chairs sprawled out.

“Any time now.” Percy comments, looking up at his girl. He can’t decipher Jason and El’s words properly earlier after he dropped off Annabeth. Was Riella really keeping something from him?

Riella keeps her look away from Percy’s calculating gaze. She doesn’t want him to know just by staring at her. She needs to ease herself into telling him that she isn’t worth it. That she accepts him and Annabeth together. She takes a breath in before asking, “How are you and Annabeth these days? Heard you took her out recently.”

Percy’s face seems to morph into something similar to realization. “I—we’re good? We’ve always been.” 

Riella feels her heat fall, but she forces herself to power through it. She will not allow herself to become heartbroken again. “Oh.”

“I mean, we’ve always been good friends. That’s why I dropped her off at her date. It’s with someone she met at university.” Percy comments like it was nothing to Riella.

Wait. Good friends? Annabeth dating someone from her university? So—

Riella blinks, and she speaks before her brain can even construct the words. “You mean you?”

A smile seems to tug at Percy’s lips. “I mean I’m not dating her, Riella, because I like someone else.”

Riella thinks her heart is about to break again, but there’s something about Percy’s look—something that fills her with the slightest bit of hope. “And that person is?”

“Well, I’m standing right in front of her,” Percy’s smirking now, “and I realized I’ve been an idiot for not confessing earlier. So can I do that now?”

Disbelief and sadness is eating up Riella’s soul bit by bit. Does he think this is some joke?

“Percy, that’s not funny.” Riella blankly tells him. “Not when I’m standing here, making up my mind that I was gonna let go of my feelings for you and-”

Percy softens at this. “Hey, Riella, I’m not kidding. I—I understand why you may think otherwise, but I would never play around with your feelings like this. You’re too precious to me.”

“There it is.” Riella hates the familiar burning in the back of her head—she doesn’t want to cry. “There you fucking go again, Jackson, being your perfect ass and too far from my reach. I don’t believe it. I don’t believe you. You never gave me a sign all these years. Yes, I appreciate our friendship, but that’s all I thought it was! And that’s all I thought you believed it was.” 

“Ella, calm down-”

“You don’t get to tell me to calm down when it hurts trying to even forget everything we did together.” Riella coldly states. She doesn’t have the willpower to cry like this in front of Percy, but the tears still flow. She sniffs, and he tries to come closer to her but she takes a step back.

“Fuck.” Riella turns away from Percy, afraid that she’s shown him enough of herself—scared that she might drive him away even more

“Riella, love, breathe.” Percy sits down on one of the chairs. He’s so fucking gentle. “Please.”

Riella forces her breath to steady. Eventually, she sits back down with him. 

“Perce, you don’t understand.”

“Then I will try to.” Percy rubs her hand with his thumb. “Will you let me?” He begs, and he really wants her to let him in her heart. They both know he can take care of her better than any other guy could.

Riella gulps. This was the part where she spills herself to him. Can she handle the vulnerability? She sighs through her nose and begins to talk.

“I pride myself in not letting anyone get to me and keep me out of focus, whether for fun or for all seriousness. I had a goal to not let something like a crush put me in harm, even though I know it’s okay to have one—I mean, you’ve seen Jason and El.”

“Okay,” Percy says encouragingly, “and that’s why you were afraid?”

“Yes,” Riella all but squirms in her seat. “I didn’t—want to lose you or myself. And knowing how dangerous how lives are and how… well, you’re the demigod savior practically, I didn’t want to risk anything.”

Percy softens at this. “Riella, I’m not a savior.”

“But you are. A shit ton of people look up to you, and for good reason.”

“Baby, a savior still needs saving. You gotta know that.” Percy spoke, while Riella was wiping her tears. “Even if I am what you call a demigod savior, we can’t deny the fact that I can’t do everything. But that doesn’t mean you’re gonna lose me that easily.”

Against her will, Riella finds herself blushing. She hates how easily Percy flusters her. Nobody else had that effect on her. “Percy, you know those kinds of words won’t get to me that easily.”

“I do know that.” Percy takes her hands now. She feels the callousness of his palms, all healing scars from past battles. “And I understand your feelings completely. But Riella, P, you would never lose me. If there’s something I’ve come to realize in these past years, it’s that I haven’t felt for anyone the way I’ve felt for you. I—god, Riella, when I see you I go weak. Yes, I’ve been an idiot for being so oblivious, but when I figured it out, I just knew. I knew it was you.”

Percy risks a glance at Riella. Riella, who is still too stunned to speak, urges him to continue.

“And… besides, if there’s anything that will confirm my feelings aside from what I already know, it’s the gods’ themselves. Your mom… when I met her, I saw you. Only you.”

Fuck. So he knew even way before?

Percy’s eyes looks down on the outline of Riella’s lips, staring intently before looking back up. She really is pretty like this, no wonder she’s Aphro’s kid.

“Hold on, there’s one thing I don’t understand.” Riella says as she stands up once again from her chair. Pacing around is her usual thing, Percy supposes. He remains seated in his chair, however.

“What is it, darling?”

“What does P even mean? You’re making me sound like a frozen vegetable that you put on your face when you get beat up.” Riella crosses her arms, completely confused. Percy smiles, knowing that she hasn’t figured out this little secret of his. “Come here and I’ll tell you, you’re too far. You’re pacing again.” he asks her.

Riella rolls her eyes, but follows him anyway. How can she even say no to him at this point? “Humor me, Perseus.” She stands between his legs, looking down at him and waiting for an answer. Heat rises to her face another time when he lovingly places a hand on her waist, guiding her to sit on one of his thighs.

“I knew at one point you’d ask me that. To keep it simple,” Percy pushes some of her hair over her shoulder, his palm against her cheek and thumb drawing circles on the skin. Riella instinctively leans to the touch.

“It means pretty. The very first time I saw you enter the camp, I thought you were pretty. Since I never knew your name in time, I just kept calling you pretty in my head. Until I did get your name, and started calling you P.”

“And trust me, P,” Percy sits up, getting a better view of his Riella. “You look very—” closer.

“Very,” The two are mere breaths away from each other’s faces.

“Pretty.” Was the last thing Percy said against Riella’s lips before sealing their love with a gentle kiss.

It feels like bliss, Riella thinks. She’s liked Percy for years. She never thought she would get this chance—to get to call him hers. 

“So,” Percy hums softly as they lean back, his hand gently placed around her waist. “Let’s make it official. Would you like to be my girlfriend, my darling, pretty, Riella? There’s no one else I’d rather be with than with you.” 

“If my 12 year old self was here, she’d slap you, you know. Good thing you’re cute.” Riella scoffs. “But yes, I would love to.”

“I’m more than cute, baby. You know that. Actually we both know that.”

[jaeqermeister]

for as long as i live (and as long as i love)

a/n: title came from lauv's never not.

tw: none at all! just angst.

word count: 2.5k

The drive back home was the worse part of it all. Rose knew that she had to drive herself back to her house even though Eren insisted on taking her back. She held him back, telling him that it was fine and that she could handle herself; knowing that she probably would’ve asked him to stay if she let him.

As if fate was being merciful for once, there wasn’t that much traffic or obstacles that was stopping her from getting home safe. Rose wonders if it was the skies telling her that it was compensating for the pain that she felt within her heart. She was breathing irregularly as her grip on the wheel tightened, tears were flowing continuously down her face and dripping right down her lap. She had to clean up later before facing her family with the news.

She was a mess.

Rose’s cheeks were tainted with a flushed red, and so was the tip of her nose. Her breathing went back to a normal rhythm and she stopped shaking compared to when she first got in the car. She takes a piece of tissue from the glovebox and wipes the dried tear tracks, though it would be obvious once she steps foot inside their house with lights everywhere. She makes do of what she can before finally leaving the car and taking her things with her.

Rather than the usual announcement that she was home, Rose enters quietly and lays her keys to the table near the door. “Is that you, Rose? Welcome home!” Erwin exclaims as he was reading a certain text from a case that she knew he’s been handling for a week now. “Yeah, it’s… it’s me.” She weakly calls out, not even sure at this point if she could keep up the persona.

Helene looks out to the living room to see her youngest daughter disheveled and slumped over, quite obvious that Rose is still trying to keep it together before anyone gets suspicious. “Honey, what happened? Are you okay?” she asks and Erwin looks up to her wife.

“Rose?” Jean calls out from the stairs, looking down below to see his sister who was on the verge of a breakdown. Pieck, who was sleeping in her room, woke up to the mess that was happening downstairs. Niccolo enters the living room as well, despite still being in his internship uniform from culinary school.

Rose is unresponsive, biting her lip before looking down on her feet as she tries to keep her tears at bay. Jean immediately rushes to his younger twin down the stairs and puts a hand on her shoulder. “Elaine. What’s going on?” he asks one final time.

She knew that if she didn’t answer him, he was going to lose his temper.

“I…” she starts. “Jean.”

“What is it?”

“I… I’m not his princess anymore.”

Silence runs through as Rose mutters the only sentence that mattered in the room. Verbalizing what happened between them, she realizes how being with her family in the midst of it all was pushing her to the edge. No one dared to make a sound.

Niccolo takes off his apron and wipes his hands with a towel before approaching Rose. Pieck makes her way down the stairs to ease her sister’s pain. Soon after, Erwin and Helene put their work aside for their daughter who said a vague yet chilling sentence.

“Eren, he… he broke up with me.” She looks up to Helene with a waterfall that was threatening to collapse. She immediately embraced her youngest, her heart breaking knowing that Rose wasn't even responding to the hug.

Niccolo blinks, an unreadable yet tense look on his face. “What do you mean Eren broke up with you?” he asks incredulously.

“Nico, it’s fine-” Rose waves a hand, but she’s interrupted by a bang on the floor. Jean was seething, his chair cluttering to the floor.

“What the hell is wrong with that guy?” Jean growls, his eyes lit up with a fury Rose hardly ever saw. She would appreciate his protectiveness if she didn’t feel so empty.

“I… he found someone else.” Rose tries and fails to blink back her tears. “I mean… he preferred someone else. All this time.”

Pieck looks at her with eyebrows creased, trying to make clear of the words that came out of her mouth. “He wanted… someone else?”

Helene couldn’t believe what she had heard from Rose. There was no way that Eren would’ve found someone better than Rose considering that she knows both of them were truly happy with each other and their relationship. She was about to speak when Erwin cuts her off.

“Someone else?” His voice was sharp. Rose recognizes it as the kind of voice he uses in his court cases. Rose could only nod. Her words tumble out of her mouth before she could stop them. “Maybe… maybe she’s just better than me, dad, and-”

“Excuse me?” Erwin thunders, the voice echoing across the living room walls. The silence grows as they all stare at him. “EXCUSE ME?” He bangs his fist on the table, the glass he held shattering on the floor. 

“Dad-”

“Elaine Rose Smith, you listen to me and you listen to me well.” Erwin kneels down, his eyes bright with anger. Rose was glad that the anger wasn’t directed at her. He looked frightening.

“I don’t care what that asshole Jaeger said, but he promised. He promised to take care of you and love you. How fucking dare he disgrace you like that.” He huffs, closing his eyes for a moment to catch his bearings. Even Helene was too stunned to speak.

“When a man loves someone, he does it with all their heart. He doesn’t choose to toss them aside like garbage. Love is a commitment you should see through, and he didn’t do that. He hurt you and deceived you. He’s not worthy of remorse, Rosa.” He softens as he says his nickname for her since she was young. Slowly, he stands and brings her close to him. “If I was not bound by the law, I would kill that bastard. You are one of the most beautiful things in this life and I will not have him destroy you without facing any consequences. No one deserves to hurt my daughter.”

It was quiet for a few minutes before Rose spoke up. “I told myself that it wouldn’t hurt but why am I still affected at this point? It’s stupid.” she points out. She laughs quietly to herself, trying to make fun of her situation despite her family clearly knowing that she’s hurt.

“I hate to say it Jean, but you were right. You were right about him. It was stupid to like him and his personality. It was stupid for me to be vulnerable around him and let him in… only for him to fuck it over and like someone else. You won, Jean.”

Jean looks at his sister as she goes on about herself, which made him more pissed.

“Why the hell would I want to win?” His voice is electric, parallel to their father’s. Rose looks up in surprise, tears still threatening to fall.

“What-”

“You know that the last fucking thing I would want is to see you hurt, Rosie.” Her nickname is soft with his voice, but his eyes are bright with anger. “That asshole Jaeger doesn’t deserve you at all. If he can’t see how fucking amazing you are, then he’s blind. He can rot in hell for all I care. No one hurts my twin, especially not by an idiot like him. Do you understand?”

Rose’s tears are falling now. Jean’s words always had a way of getting to her. “Jean-”

“Rosie,” Jean takes a chair and sits in front of her. “You are not stupid, or worthless, or some other crap Eren might have tricked you into thinking. He is the problem. He made the mistake of losing you. That fucker has to pay. I won’t let him get away with hurting you.”

As if on cue, a knock can be heard on the door. Niccolo looks up from his place, “I’ll get it,” seeing as if he was the nearest to the door. Rose wipes her tears in fear of someone outside the family to see her like that. The Smiths look on as he quickly answers. The person in question was Eren, his hair tied up in an unkempt way and his panting can be heard from within the house. It was obvious that he rushed to get here.

“Nico, hi, is Ro—”

“What in the hell are you doing here?” Niccolo spares Eren the knowledge of what Rose was up to.

“Shit, he’s here.” Pieck mutters under her breath. “You wanna leave, Ellie? We can act like you haven’t come home.”

“I can’t, Pieck. He knows I drove back to the house. He saw my car out in the driveway.”

Jean, now infuriated to see his sister’s cause of heartbreak, pushes Niccolo out of the way and lands a left jab straight to Eren’s face. Said boy stumbles back from the impact of the punch and holds his now throbbing jaw. “You asshole! You really got the fucking balls to show up in my house after breaking up with my sister?”

“Jean, let me explain-”

“Like hell should I let you explain?” Jean’s eyes were livid. It was scarier than anyone had ever seen them. “You have the fucking audacity to come here after you hurt my sister? After you treat her like trash?” He huffs, hitting Eren again upside the head. Eren winces but forces himself to stand up. 

“Jean, please-”

“Eren, I suggest you leave.” Erwin comes up behind Jean. He was calmer, as he always was, but the anger was evident. 

Eren’s eyes widened. “Sir, please, you don’t understand.”

“Do I have to ask you again, Mr. Jaeger?” There’s malice in Erwin’s tone. Eren tries to look beyond the two men. He searches for Rose until-

“Princess, please.”

Every inch of Rose’s body freezes.

She wasn’t lying when she said that only one name could throw her off and make her lose all sanity, but hearing it from the boy who took her heart at the palm of his hands and crushed it was too much for her. Her head was spiralling with everything that was going on. Nothing had made sense until this point where he called her like that… as if they were still together.

How does that name slip off your tongue so easily, Eren? Even when I’m at my worst right now?

Rose looks at Eren in the eye and slowly walks up to him, her eyes only focusing on the pair of jade eyes that she used to love. Before she could get to Eren, Jean blocked her path by putting his body between them. He shook his head, his jaw tightening while his eyes glowing caution towards his sister.

“Elaine, no.”

“Jean, just… let me go.”

“I’m not allowing you to go back to him after all this shit pulled on you.”

“I’m not asking, Jean.”

The twins had a stare down right in front of Eren. Jean looks at Eren momentarily before looking back at Rose with the same glare. He exhales from his nose, “Five minutes. Then that fucker is out of here.” Rose nods, not even looking at him. “Elaine. I mean it.” Said girl finally looks at her twin and mutters a quiet yes before walking away to leave them be. It was painful, Rose realizes, to stare at the face of the man she had thought she loved. Eight years. Eight years of being together. How had he just set that aside? 

“Princess, I—”

“Please don’t say that,” Rose whispers; she had promised herself she would be strong. She wouldn’t have sent Jean and the rest of her family away if she wasn’t capable of keeping herself together. She would not break at a stupid nickname. 

Eren’s eyes darken. A part of Rose felt delighted that he was in pain… that he was hurting. It was all she’d been feeling for hours.

“Rose, please talk to me.”

“And what should I listen to you talk about?” Rose’s voice is steady; it surprises her. “What would I want to hear from you Eren? After… after what you did?”

Screw the steady voice, Rose realizes as she tries not to kick herself. Vivid images flash in her mind. Hands in his hair. Arms around her waist. Him kissing someone that wasn’t her. The images sent a thousand knives in her heart. 

“Rose, please I didn’t mean it.”

Rose scoffs and looks away for a mere second before looking back at Eren. “What does Mikasa have that I don’t, hm? Was I too worn out for you to love so you screw someone else? Tell me, Eren. What was the reason? Because I’m pretty sure I did nothing for you to treat me like this, more or less cheat on me. So unless I did something grave towards you, tell me what was the reason for you to cheat on me.” It was already too heavy for her to look at him and see flashbacks of countless memories over the years that they’ve been together.

Only for it to end with Eren kissing her.

Eren remains silent, as if trying to find the reason why he cheated on Rose in the first place. Suddenly he remembers the nonchalant yet threatening words from both Jean and their father.

That’s my twin you’re liking, Jaeger. Do it right.

I am assured you’ll treat her right, Eren?

He already failed Rose, and he knows that. But knowing that he failed Jean and Erwin too left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“There… there was nothing.” He finally says, a thousand feelings coming to him at once. His eyes— those charming eyes that had left Rose weak for ages— were clouded with guilt and sadness. Again, Rose feels satisfied to see it.

But it doesn’t make the pain any less.

“Then… why?” She asks the question she’s been asking herself ever since she saw the two of them. Why? What was wrong? Why, why, why? 

She’s been sobbing over that very question for hours now. 

“I—” Eren looks away, too ashamed. 

“What, Eren?”

“I got tired. Of us.” He looks at her with a pitiful and guilty expression on his face. Jean, who had heard what he said, was about to drag Rose away when Niccolo stopped him with a palm on his shoulder. Don’t.

Rose looks at Eren incredulously, disbelief and hurt written all over her face. She couldn’t process what he said and allowed the words to simmer in her head for a few seconds. She blinks back to reality and asks him, “So… instead of talking to me about it and properly breaking up with me you decided to screw Mikasa behind my back? Is that it?” She lets out a fake laugh. “I knew you were a playboy, Eren, but I didn’t take you for a coward who doesn’t communicate.” 

[jaeqermeister]

you wrap around me (and you give me life)

a/n: title came from jungkook's seven.

tw: none at all! it just gets... suggestive. but nothing too saucy.

word count: 8.7k

When Rose headed down to the kitchen for breakfast, she realized that she made three miscalculations.

One, she had mistaken the silence in the kitchen for a complete absence of people.

Two, she still had a bit of make-up on from last night’s party at Connie’s.

Three, she was still wearing a certain white polo.

Slowly, Rose made her way to the cabinets. She had been thinking of what exactly to make, or if she should just go for cereal, and—

“Morning, dear,” a low, too familiar voice greets her. Chills suddenly went down Rose’s spine as she spun around to see the person who decided to shock her.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Ren!” She whacks Eren on the shoulder as a result of the scare. She really can’t handle anyone creeping up to her right now… especially in the polo that she’s wearing. “God fucking damn it, I thought it was someone else!”

“Okay okay, I’m sorry.” Eren apologizes with his hands up in surrender. “You just look too focused on the cabinets that I’d think you’ll move them with your mind or something.” He wraps both of his arms around her waist.

“Now, what’s the princess thinking about this time?”

“About how I want you to go away,” Rose huffs, though the smile on her face betrays her words. “Thank you for being with me, prince. I had a fun time with our friends last night.” 

“You know I love going anywhere with you,” Eren boops the top of her nose gently. When he pulls away, there’s a mischievous look in his eyes. “But you know, I feel like I’m missing something.”

“And what’s that?”

“Some kisses from my lovely princess,” Eren inches closer, a smirk gracing his features as he snakes his hands around Rose’s neck. “I feel like I deserve some more—” 

“Yes, Helene, I’ll go get the groceries. I’m just going to make my coffee,” a voice coming from the stairs breaks Eren out of his daze. Hastily, they scramble to look decent as Rose’s father enters the kitchen. As Rose fixes her—his polo and faces the cabinets again, Eren manages to sneak in a few words before he keeps his distance. 

“Don’t tie your hair. It’s visible.”

Don’t tie my hair? Wha—

“Oh. Good morning, Elaine. You’re up earlier than Jean, that’s a surprise.” Erwin greets his youngest in the kitchen, seeing as though she was fixing herself a bowl of cereal. He kisses the top of her head before turning to see Eren opening the fridge.

“Morning, dad. You and mom are out early.” Rose points out.

“Eren,” Erwin raises an eyebrow. Eren practically spins at the sound of his name.

“Yes sir,” he blurts, leaving Rose snickering. “I mean, good morning!” 

“You were here last night, huh?” Erwin, as always, gazes at Eren hard and long. 

“I was. And I made sure we were home before midnight.” 

“I know. I heard your car, Eren. I’m not that old of a man,” Erwin softens, patting Eren on the back. “So, will you two be going anywhere today? Pieck has been begging us to go to this museum for days and—Rose, is that a new shirt? Did you buy that with your mother last week? It looks a bit too big on you.”

Before Rose and Eren get exposed to what else happened, her mom had been a saving grace to the situation.

“Erwin! Didn’t I tell you to get the groceries?” Helene enters the kitchen with a hand on her hip. All three of them faced her as her voice splits the kitchen in half. Rose and Eren look at Erwin.

The silence was intense until her husband spoke up.

“I’m just asking about Rose’s new shirt, that’s all.” Rose looks at Eren in lowkey panic. Mom definitely knows.

“Well I think it’s great on her. But you do realize that there is raw meat in those plastic bags, right?” Helene asks.

“Oh, right.” Erwin nods slowly, though he still looks at the two of them. “Well, probably a new style with the young ones, huh?”

“Yeah!” Rose says too quickly, spinning the polo around for extra flair. Helene looks like she’s trying not to laugh.

“Okay then. Well Rose, tie your hair. It’s been getting hot outside.” Erwin hums before leaving. 

Eren and Rose are silent as Erwin leaves the kitchen. For a moment, Rose thinks her mother might not know after all.

“Elaine Rose Smith, turn around. Let me see how much I’ll have to cover up before he’s back.”

Rose blinks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replies.

“Your neck, honey. Don’t think I’m stupid.”

“Aunt Helene—”

“You went too rough on her didn’t you, Eren?”

Now Eren’s perplexed, acting like he doesn’t know what she’s talking about. “Look, Auntie. I didn’t do anything.”

“So I wasn’t hearing any… noises last night I assume?”

Eren chokes on his water. The both of them are visibly red. “A-Aunt Helene, we—”

Helene raises a hand to stop him. “I’m a light sleeper, Jaeger. You thank all the deities her father sleeps like the dead. So, can we have things a little tamer next time?”

“Mom!” Rose goes even redder. Eren looks like he wants to pass out. 

“I’m not hearing an answer, you two.”

“Tamer,” Rose and Eren say in unison. 

Helene stares at them for a good ten seconds (Rose counted). Finally, she sighs. “Alright. Just be careful okay? Now Eren, get my make-up kit.”

Eren definitely looks like he wants to pass out now. “I’m sorry, what?”

Helene rolls her eyes fondly. “If Rose takes too long, Erwin might get suspicious. So let her make some breakfast while you get my make-up kit upstairs by the hallway. I’ll keep Erwin distracted while we hide those… marks. Now go.” 

When Eren and Rose still stay frozen, Helene snaps her fingers. “Go! The man won’t take ten years to get groceries. Now come on, Eren. I’m surprised nobody else was kept all night with you two.”

“Mom, please!” Rose slaps Eren on the back frantically, and they get to work. 

Eren almost successfully gets to the landing, taking two steps at a time, before bumping into someone. 

“Oi—Jaeger?”

“Jean?” Eren comments. He understands that he’s a member of the family as well but he’s had enough stress now that two of the men in the household have seen him.

“Where are you going?”

“... Down the hall?”

Jean looks at him suspiciously. Eren’s eyebrow is raised, keeping up the act that this was something normal. “You do know my sister’s room is on the other side of the hall, right?”

“I know that, but I can’t right now, alright? I got things to take care of so back off.” He says to the older twin before bolting to Erwin and Helene’s bedroom.

“Huh. Weird.” Jean can only say to himself.

Eren enters the bedroom and goes for the vanity table near the bed. He sees the pouch and goes for it. He grabs what he needs and closes the door before Erwin can get back inside with the groceries. He sees Helene waiting for him but before he’s let off and takes care of Rose’s marks, Helene tells him to come closer.

“This can be between us.” Helene said in a quiet voice. Eren nods in reply and lets her continue. “But in return I want you to be completely honest with me. Do you understand that, Eren?”

“Yes, Aunt Helene.”

“Okay.” She answers back and a few seconds of silence goes in between them. “Now… did you two actually have sex? Because I don’t want your Uncle Erwin getting a heart attack when the inevitable happens. I’m not saying sex is wrong. I’m just hoping if you two did then I’m sure it was practiced safely.”

Eren can feel his insides turning into mush. He appreciated Helene’s openness, but still, it made him nervous. “I—”

“Eren,” Helene says, “that’s still our baby girl. I just want to know if everything’s going well.”

Eren can feel his whole body turning red. The tips of his ears are definitely red, he’s sure. Rose says it’s a habit of his when he’s nervous.

“I—yes and no, Aunt Helene.”

Eren has never been grateful that his girlfriend’s mother was capable of maintaining such a stoic expression. But, at the same time, it was terrifying. “Meaning?”

“No, we weren’t doing anything last night.”

“But?” Helene, not missing a beat, crosses her arms. 

“But we did have sex once. And I swear on my life, we did it right.”

Helene sighs. She can’t really stop two people when they’re in love with each other now, can she? She reminds them of her and Erwin when they were younger. It’s like she can hear Levi’s voice in her head about practicing safe sex because it was his duty as older brother to take care of his sister like this.

“Alright. I’ll ask you about that later when I’m finished with Rose, okay? I’m gonna ask her the same questions and if neither of your answers line up I’m afraid I’m gonna have to send you off to Erwin.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Don’t ma’am me, Eren! I’m just your girlfriend’s mom.” Helene smacks Eren’s shoulder. Now he knows where Rose gets the smacking reflex from. She laughs at the kids reaction but Eren’s reply caught her in her tracks.

“You may be my girlfriend’s mom, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t respect your wishes for your daughter. I became Rose’s boyfriend to begin with because I knew that I wasn’t going to do anything stupid or irresponsible. So thank you for trusting me, Aunt Helene.”

“Well, know that I do trust you too.” Helene puts a hand on his knee. “You know Erwin’s the more overprotective one. Well, I have to balance out the overprotectiveness or Rose will explode. But I wouldn’t have let you date each other if I knew you weren’t a right fit for one another. But do take care of her, okay? Please. Like I said, she’s still my baby girl.”

Eren smiles warmly at that. “I will. I promise.”

“That’s good,” Helene stands, leading Eren towards the door. “And you better stay true to your promise. You see how crazy this family can be, and that’s not even including Levi.” 

Eren shivers. Just the thought of Rose’s uncle scares the shit out of him. 

“Princess,” Eren calls out to Rose who was frying eggs on the stove. He shows the pouch in his hand. “Go with your mom.” Rose looks back at her mom and boyfriend talking. She sees the familiar kit and turns off the stove. She looks at them back and forth before going with Helene.

“Thanks, prince. Do I give you the polo back?” 

Eren looks at her, that lazy, signature smirk of his grazing his features. “No, it looks good on you.” He leans against the counter, an amused look on his face. “Why would I want to take something that looks so pretty on you?” 

Rose feels her face flush instantly. She hates how perfectly capable Eren is of making her a mess. “Shut it, Prince. We’re at the risk of getting found out by my father. At least act more worried.”

“Your father loves me.” Eren huffs. 

“My father acknowledges you as a human being. Love is a strong word,” Rose teases, cupping his cheek. They give each other one more hug before Rose disappears to meet her mom.

“So, Jaeger.” A strong voice almost freezes Eren in place. He turns around to see a very familiar face, one with a strong but nonchalant expression on it. “Still with Elaine, huh?”

“Ah—yes! Yes, of course.” Eren spat out the words quite nervously in front of the elder. Honestly, he didn’t expect to meet the Uncle Levi for the first time like this. Heck, he didn’t even know he was coming over.

“You don’t sound confident. Cat got your tongue?”

“Oh… No, sir.”

Levi brushes the kid off with a scoff, obviously displeased with the way the boy carried himself in front of him. If Rose really liked this guy, how come he has nothing to say towards him in a domineering manner? He’d even think that this Jaeger guy’s a weak piece of shit.

“Sometimes I question these kids’ choices these days. They can get real stupid.” Levi comments. Let’s see if Eren can fire back with the condescending remarks I’m giving about Elaine.

Any sense of nervousness leaves Eren, a sense of protectiveness overcoming him. “Well, I don’t know about everyone else, but Rose is far from stupid. She’s got a wisdom that not everyone has.”

The corner of Levi’s mouth twitches, though it’s clear that he isn’t entirely impressed. “So, you stayed the night without the Smiths’ permission?” 

“With all due respect sir, I personally asked both of them if I could stay over.” Eren looks straight into Levi’s eyes, trying to prove a point. He might as well catch on with what the older one was trying to do. “And if anything, I also asked Niccolo and Jean myself if they were okay with it. I wouldn’t dare to cross a line if Rose’s family were uncomfortable with me. I can’t force that onto them.”

Now Eren thinks that he did too much, but he was more than satisfied to prove his point.

Levi narrowed his eyes. “And you haven’t ever snuck around with Rose? Taken advantage of her family’s kindness?”

“Sir, I may be many things, but I don’t stick my ass up where it doesn’t belong. I respect Rose and her family’s decisions. And if I did sneak around with Rose, I’ve never kept it to myself forever. I will always let her family know.” 

The tension is tight in the air, taut as a bow. The two of them stare at each other for several, long minutes. Eren manages to hold his ground, but the silence almost eats him alive.

Finally, a ghost of a smirk appears on Levi’s face. “Hm. Good for now,” he says, before moving around and heading to the kitchen. “Erwin invited me and our friends over, and I’m cooking. If you really wanna impress us, Jaeger, why don’t you cook?”

Oh god.

As if on cue, Rose returns to the kitchen. Surprised, she greets her uncle.

“Uncle Levi! I didn’t hear the door open, when did you get here?” She smiles at the sight of her favorite uncle, seeing as he and her boyfriend are getting along. “I assume you’ve met Eren already?”

Eren attempts to shoot her a ‘please, help me’ glance, but Rose doesn’t seem to see it.

“Oh, I’ve met him.” Levi eyes him up and down, like dissecting a frog he wasn’t particularly fond of. “Didn’t know this was your type, Rose.”

From his peripheral vision, Eren can clearly see that Rose is about to blush. “What do you mean, Uncle Levi?” she laughs, clearly nervous. 

“He means he thought you wouldn’t date a rugged, motorcycle driving, bass guitarist. In his head, you’re dating Colt.” Erwin, not unkindly, casually speaks as he walks into the room, groceries in hand.

Rose widens her eyes at the mention of her friend. She nervously looks at Eren with a worried glint in her eye, obviously overthinking the whole situation with her dad mentioning Colt. Hoping he didn’t see her facial expression, she tries to brush off the comment and backs it up with a reply. “Hey, don’t be mean to Eren. Don’t act like he’s not there, you know.”

It would be a lie if she didn’t say that she was a bit insecure. She knew that her family didn’t actually hate Eren, but it still sent a weird feeling through her gut. 

Erwin laughed, slapping Eren too hard on the back. “Hey, you know I’m kidding. Eren’s a good man, always bringing my daughter home at ten.”

The room stills for a bit, everyone unsure as to whether Erwin was serious or not. 

“Eren, how was your stay last night? Everything good?” Erwin pauses as he reaches Eren and Rose, his eyebrows raising. “Rose, honey, what’s that on your neck?”

Shit.

“Dad, there’s nothing on my neck. What are you talking about?” Rose tries to still her loud, beating heart. 

Erwin’s face remains nonchalant, but Eren and Rose are the complete opposite, looking like they’re about to pass out. “These look new. What happened?”

“More like who happened,” Levi mumbles. Rose hears Eren whisper out a string of curses under his breath. 

“Hm?” Erwin asks, an eyebrow raised. He shares a look with Levi for a long, hard moment. To Rose and Eren’s horror, something clicks in his brain. “Eren Jaeger, did you have something to do with this?”

“Dad, I—” 

“Erwin, darling!” Rose’s mother glides casually into the kitchen. “I just went past Jean and he asked for you to come help him with something. I think it’s important.” Helene guided her husband out the door, leaving her to deal with Levi herself.

“Helene.”

“Levi.”

Rose and Eren looked back and forth between the two Ackermans. It was clear that they were trying to intimidate one another into saying something, giving Rose more second thoughts than she already had. Why do things have to be so difficult?

“Don’t play with me, punk. What happened?” Levi directly asked Eren the question. It seems that he really wasn’t letting go of Erwin’s observation, and he himself wanted to know what transpired.

“Nothing happened, sir. I don’t know why Uncle Erwin pointed out Rose’s neck.” Eren was firm, believing that he was able to push through Levi’s stone wall of interrogation.

“Alright. I see that you can lie to me—”

“Quit it, Levi.”

“—so I’ll ask my niece instead.” Levi crossed his arms and looks at Helene’s daughter.

Rose tries to calm herself, but she can feel the cracks in her armor breaking. She’s sure of Eren—so sure. Things like this shouldn’t be getting in the way. “Uncle Levi, I promise, it’s nothing.” 

“I’m sure as hell that ain’t nothing, kid.” 

“Please, I—” Rose pauses to take a breath. “Uncle Levi, I appreciate your concern. I really do. But I can handle these things. Please trust me.” 

Levi’s eyes soften for just a fraction of a second. “I’m not convinced, but I’ll let it slide because there’s still things to do. Jaeger, on me.” He clicks his tongue. Eren still looks nervous, but he gives Rose’s hand a gentle squeeze. When he moves towards Levi, Rose feels a hand on her arm. It’s her mother with a grave look on his face. 

“I’m sorry, he wasn’t convinced. He wants us to talk to you.” She sighs, her eyebrows furrowed. “You know your father’s protectiveness of you. We got to work together for this, okay?” 

Rose felt bile rising up her throat, but she managed to swallow it down. She bit her lower lip in nervousness and exhaled a big breath while holding her mom’s hand. “He’s gonna kill me, mom.”

Helene closed her eyes and shook her head with confidence, completely disagreeing with Rose’s statement. “He just loves you too much, I’m afraid. This’ll all be over once we talk to him. Just… listen to him on this one, okay? He wouldn’t talk to you if he wasn’t concerned about you.”

“See, that’s the thing. He’s so concerned about me all the time. I can’t breathe when I’m with him, sometimes.” Rose quietly ranted to her mom. She’d never have the courage to face her dad every time they talk about her and Eren. God, did she really make the right choice of letting him court her?

“You know we still have to talk to him, right? This won’t go away the way you like it, sweetheart.” Helene convinces Rose to go with her to Erwin. 

Rose, unwillingly, allows herself to return to her darker thoughts. Would this be the norm? Would moments with Eren always end up like this, with her father angry and her frustrated? Would that even be conducive in the long run?

Shut it, Rose. She attempts to pep-talk herself despite the erratic beating of her heart. Don’t go down that hole just yet. 

When they reach the master’s bedroom, Rose is sure her knees are about to buckle. She doesn’t like this—doesn’t want to do this. 

“Come on, darling. I won’t leave.” Helene tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. Rose feels like she’s five years old again with the way she almost cries at the touch. 

“Okay, Mama,” Rose whispers. The air feels colder than it normally does when she enters. Erwin is sitting on one of the study desks, his eyebrows scrunched as he is clearly failing in an attempt to read a book. When he sees the two of them, he sighs so deeply that it takes all of Rose’s willpower not to sit and run. 

“Elaine, sit with me.”

Ever so quietly, Rose sits in front of her dad. She has completely gone blank at this point, and is going through this entire talk on auto-pilot. Things aren’t looking good for her as it seems. She waits for Erwin to speak.

Erwin takes off his glasses and puts the book down flat on his desk. His glasses go away in its rightful place, next to his pencil case of course. He then notices that Rose isn’t looking directly into his eyes—in fact, she looked so sullen. So defeated.

As if she was already willing to do anything for him in the drop of a hat.

“Papa.” Rose’s voice was so silent, Helene could barely hear her speak. She’s gone static… as if in control, like a robot. She really didn’t have the confidence to speak to her dad right now. She’s terrified.

“Elaine, I was not expecting this kind of—roughness so early in the relationship.” Erwin’s voice is calm but thick with emotion. “Eren told me he’d take care of you.”

“Papa, it was one time, I swear. And he does take care of me. He’s a caring man, and—”

“What else have you done?” Erwin asks, his voice as cool and clear as glass.

Rose feels like the world has tilted, her heart hammering in her throat. “I—”

“Elaine Rose Smith, what else have you done?” Erwin repeats. “What else do I not know?”

Rose’s face has turned into a ghostly white. She really had no choice but to tell him the truth, as it would eat her alive if she kept the secret any longer. She looks back at Helene, tears welling up in her eyes as she looks to her mom for support.

A heavy silence enters the room. The tension between Erwin’s hard glares and Helene’s calm but loving support is starting to swallow Rose whole. She really can’t do this right now. Not like this.

Maybe Eren was a mistake. Maybe repeatedly asking Jean for Eren’s number was a mistake. Maybe… being alone with Eren in a room on the night of her 19th will forever be a mistake. She won’t walk freely from this one.

“Done.”

Erwin seems perplexed. And so is Helene on the other side of the room. Rose isn’t stopping now.

“What? Elaine?”

“Done. I’ll call it off. We’re done. It’s done.”

“Elaine—”

Rose hears a sound in the background, but she sets it to the back of her head and moves on. “You’re clearly bothered about us, Dad. I don’t want you to be anymore. You know I’ll do anything for you.”

“Elaine—”

“Just say the word and I’ll end it. I’ll tell him it’s over. We’ll all be better off.”

“Rose, darling.” Erwin places a hand on her knee, his eyes bright. When they lock eyes, Rose almost tries then and there. “That’s not what I meant. You know that.”

“But maybe it’s what she meant.”

Rose’s heart drops to the floor, the voice all familiar. Helene is halfway to the door, urgency on her face. Rose’s voice is as dry as sandpaper as she says, without looking, “‘Ren?”

Eren is looking at her, a ladle in one hand, his eyes conveying hurt so immense that it hurt her too. “Rose?” 

“How much did you hear?” she whispers, tears streaming down her face.

“Enough.” 

“Eren—” Helene tries to stop Eren from leaving, but it’s too late. He immediately walks out of the room, obviously frustrated. She looks back at Erwin and yells. “Erwin! Do something!”

Erwin sat there, frozen in time. He doesn’t know whether to attend to Rose or listen to his wife. Not thinking about Eren, he turned to look at his daughter… who wasn’t speaking at all.

“Elaine, look—”

“I don’t understand.” Rose blurted out, still staring into the blank space of the walls. “I thought you’d be happy, Papa.”

“Sweetheart, he doesn’t mean it like that—”

“I actually lost the one person who actually understands everything. Everything that I fight for. Everything that I give up for. Gone. All to make you happy.”

Erwin and Helene are silent, unable to explain to their daughter the whole situation at hand.

“So tell me, why aren’t you happy, Papa?” Rose finally looks at her dad without hesitation. Dried tear tracks are visible around her puffy eyes, her nose is red and runny.

“Elaine?” She doesn’t even bother finding out who talked. Rose stands up and walks away from the room, and away from the mess that had happened.

Watching her as she left, Jean looked at both of his parents.

“What the fuck did you do to her, Dad?” Jean could barely contain his rage. He understands there’s a whole context to this, but he hates seeing his baby sister cry. He can’t bare it.

“There’s been a mistake,” Helene says.

“Damn right.” Jean clicks his tongue, though he softens when he looks at the hurt on Helene’s face. “Sorry, Mom. I just—why is Elaine crying? Who the fuck hurt her?”

“Unfortunately, I caused that.” Erwin stands, running a hand through his hair. He then quickly launches into an explanation for Jean, whose face launches into a thousand different expressions in minutes.

“I—that’s fucked up, Dad.” Jean rubs his head. No wonder Rose has been a mess. He needs them to reconcile and start over, because as much as he’s concerned Rose has become so happy after meeting Eren.

“I get that you wanted Colt to be with Elaine, but you do realize that she’s fully capable of making her own decisions right? Look, I know it’s not easy being a father who doesn’t want his own daughter getting hurt, but you have to give her a chance to breathe. She has to have things for herself, you know?” Jean started to berate his own father.

After hearing what was going on between the three of them, Rose slowly backed out of eavesdropping and continued to quietly make her way through the front. Pieck was at work while Niccolo was doing his shift in the restaurant, so she was more than free to just stand up and walk away.

She sighs right outside the front door. She takes out her phone and calls the only one she can trust on things like this when they happen.

The other line rang twice without any hesitation. It stops after a third ring, something Rose was grateful for.

“Connie?” She practically whispered through the phone.

“Hello? Ro? What’s going on?”

“Is—” she paused before saying his name. “—Is Eren with you?”

There's a pause, a very long one—one that makes Rose suspect she knows what the answer is. “Why’d you ask?”

“Connie.” Rose bites her lip to keep it from wobbling. She was tired of crying. “I need—I need to talk to him. Please.”

“Ro, he’s not here.”

“Connie, please tell me the truth.”

“I am,” Connie says, gentle and light. “He passed by here to drop something off for my parents then said he’ll be taking off for a drive on his motorcycle. He didn’t stay around. He looked pretty lost.”

“Oh,” Rose whispers, her heart shattering even further.

“Ro, love, what’s going on? Do you want me to come over? Did you guys get into an argument?”

“I—I don’t even know how to explain,” Rose admits, her voice cracking.

“Rose—oh god, you’re crying.”

“Don’t worry about it, just tell me where he went. I need to talk to him, Con. You don’t understand.”

“Love, you know I can’t do that. He’s gonna kill me if anything happens to you under my watch. And that includes you in tears.”

“I’m telling you, Con. It’s a really, really, long story that I can’t go into detail right now before it tears me apart. Please. Just this once, listen to me. Please.”

Connie hears the desperation and fatigue in her voice. She was breathing funnier than usual but he didn’t think of it as much. 

“Ro, please, if you need me, I’ll be there,” Connie repeats, insistent but gentle. 

A pause, sounds of movements, then Rose says, “I—okay. You could come here. But you need to help me contact Rennie. I can’t leave the house right now, and please, I need to find him.” 

Connie tries to keep calm, but worry pounds in his chest. “Alright, Rose. I’ll try calling him right now.” 

Two hours later and there’s still no sign of Eren. Rose, too exhausted to face her family, is in her room with Connie. Jean is pacing the dining room, where his parents and Niccolo are sitting.

“Where the fuck is Jaeger when you need him?! Mom, Dad, you realize we have to get them back together?”

“I never thought I’d hear you say that, Jean.” Niccolo hums, though his voice is a bit tight with worry. 

“I never thought I would either, but I will not have my sister miserable. I love her too much to bear seeing her this sad.” Jean sighs, running a hand through his hair. “What the fuck do we do?”

“Try calling Carla. She’s probably the last resort that we have knowing that Grisha’s still at work.” Erwin spoke at the table. Helene was holding his hand in worry, knowing fully well that he just wants his daughter to be happy again.

“At this point, I’m going to have to go on a search party myself.” Jean comments. “I’ll call her.”

Connie comes down the stairs with Rose’s old clothes. Niccolo stands up at the sight of her close friend. Helene lets go of Erwin’s hand momentarily before walking up to him to ask about her.

“How’s Rose holding up?”

Connie shakes his head. “Not good at all, Aunt Helene. She was practically mute. Sadly, I had to force her to take a shower to at least get the grime off after a tiring day.”

Helene widens her eyes. The make up. 

When Connie looks at her, his eyes are knowing, as if she spoke out loud. “That caused this whole issue, huh?”

Helene nods. “Yes. You know how we can be with Rose. Things just… escalated really badly.” 

Connie hums. “I can see that.” He rubs his head, turning to Jean, who gives him a half hug in greeting. “Any luck?”

“No. Carla hasn’t seen him either,” Jean groans. “I swear to all the fucking deities, Eren Jaeger, where—” 

The dining room door swings open with a loud bang. All eyes collectively widen at the sight: Levi, still in his apron, holding a rugged and distressed looking Eren by the collar. “This is who you’re looking for, right?”

“I—” Helene starts, but is interrupted by her son’s screeching. 

“EREN FUCKING JAEGER, HOW DARE YOU—” 

“No, not yet,” Levi tuts, holding Jean up with his free hand. “Erwin, you mind taking the lead over here? I did not get grime on my apron following him on my own motorcycle just for things to stay shitty.”

Erwin stands up immediately, stumbling over his own words. “Of course.”

Levi then lets go of the kid and pats Erwin on the back. “Now that my job’s all done here, I have matters to attend to.” Sighing, Levi takes his apron off and goes for the front door before shutting it.

Niccolo, Jean, and Connie watch in silence. Helene is mentally praying for actual reconciliation between the two men. Rose wonders why it was suddenly all so quiet downstairs.

“Look, Eren.” Erwin scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. “I… I think we got off on the wrong foot.”

“Okay, out, out,” Helene ushers the boys through the door before Jean could process. 

“But, Mama—”

“Jean Felix Smith, follow my fucking orders.” Helene raises an eyebrow, her lawyer-voice coming into play. Jean gulps, and Niccolo has the ghosts of a smile on his face. 

“Yes, Mom,” Jean grumbles, sounding like a child. Helene flashes Eren and Erwin what seems like an encouraging look before exiting with the boys.

After a few minutes of deafening silence, Eren decides to speak, “Mr. Smith.”

“Eren, please,” Erwin cuts him off, “you know we’re past that.” 

Eren rocks on his feet. His hair is a mess, lost in dark brown tangles. “I—Uncle Erwin, why do you hate me?”

Erwin could think of multiple answers on the spot for that question, but there was only one that managed to linger in his mind.

“Eren, look… I don’t hate you. I never did.” He said with an affirming voice, something that Eren never thought he’d hear from Rose’s dad. He looks at him in shock, eyes blown wide waiting for him to continue.

“It’s just… I love Rose. I really do. And I’d make time stop for her if I could. I guess I just couldn’t handle her facing the same person I was in my own youth.”

“W-What are you saying?”

Erwin sighs.

“I’m saying that… I used to be like you when I was younger. With your Aunt Helene.”

Eren, unable to stop himself, blurts out the first question on his mind, “You drove a motorcycle?”

Erwin laughs despite himself, a small mischievous look in his eye. “Well, not as well as Levi’s, but—” he cuts himself off with a shrug.

“Really?” Eren tilts his head, the both of them chuckling despite the still evident tension in the room.

“Well, going back.” Erwin waves a hand. “Helene’s family never liked me. I mean, Levi wanted to kill me half the time. And I’d like to think I was a good man to Helene, yet still for a good amount of time they never thought I was enough. I guess… well, I guess I see my struggles in you. You’re good to Rose, yet despite that we tend to have these… I suppose you could call the moments. I don’t hate you, Eren. It’s just—I see a lot of myself in you, so I guess I’ve been unconsciously doing what Helene’s family was doing to me. I’m not sure if that makes sense.”

“It does,” Eren says after a few moments. He awkwardly gestures to sit on the chair across Erwin, who obliges. “But I, Uncle Erwin… if you say you see yourself in me, why can’t you trust me? And Rose—she was ready to break things off so easily if it meant making you happy. Is there really a part of you that doesn’t want me in your family’s life, in Rose’s life?”

“Eren—”

Eren raises a hand. “Uncle Erwin, wait. It’s not just you who doesn’t like me, anyways. Uncle Levi clearly is also out for my throat—”

“I’d like to point out that Levi is out for everyone’s throat—”

“And while I know Jean wants his sister happy, he definitely doesn’t approve of me either.” Eren sighs. “And I can admit that… that there may be other men better out there for Rose. That’s all I’ve been thinking of when I’ve been driving around. Do you think that, Uncle Erwin? That things just won’t work out between us?”

–

While the two of them were talking it out, Jean knocks on the door to Rose’s room before entering.

“Elaine? It’s Jean. I’m coming in, okay?” He opens the door to see Rose sitting on the floor, freshly showered with her knees pressed against her chest. She was obviously spaced out.

Jean wordlessly sat next to his twin. He observes her stature before speaking, but Rose cuts him off.

“Jean,” she spoke quietly.

“I think… I think things wouldn’t end like this if I didn’t pester you for Eren’s number in the first place.”

Jean starts, obviously taken aback. He had definitely not expected this turn in the conversation. “I—Elaine, what do you mean?” he asks, even if he already has an inkling on her answer.

“You told me Eren wasn’t a good guy for me. That our family wouldn’t be the most open to him. And I pushed anyway. I fell for him anyway. And now I broke his heart, and he’s breaking mine,” she laughs bitterly, picking at her shirt. “You tried to keep me from getting hurt, and look at what happened when I disagreed with you. You’re pleased, aren’t you?”

Jean’s shock continues to raise that his mouth is half-open. “Rose—I… why the fuck would you think I’d be happy about you hurting?”

“Because you were right!” Rose yells, getting to her feet and startling Jean even more in the process. “That’s clearly what most people in this household are thinking. You guys are right and I’m wrong. I chose the bad boy, the guy who isn’t exactly husband material. But now I’m doing what you wanted me to do years ago, so why aren’t you fucking proud of me, Jean? Why aren’t you smiling?!”

Jean stills, unsure of what to say at all. He hasn’t seen Rose this frustrated, this exhausted. This broken.

“Fucking answer me, Jean!” Rose almost shrieks. “Aren’t you happy? Isn’t this what you fucking wanted? I finally did the right thing!”

“God fucking damn it, Rose! You think I wanted you to call it off? You have no idea how many times I begged Niccolo and Pieck to cover for your ass when you were out with Eren! The amount of times I tried to call Aunt Carla on where he was after everything that happened earlier!” Jean got up on his feet and argued with his sister.

Rose was speechless, but still managed to listen to her twin with the fogginess in her mind, and her scratchy throat. “It’s too fucking obvious how much he was willing to sacrifice just to make you happy and you actually have the audacity to think that I’d be happy seeing you heartbroken after you called it off with him? Get a fucking grip, Elaine!” Jean yelled back.

“After seeing you two spend time together, Eren made it absolutely fucking clear that he was serious about you and that he wanted to be better for you because he knew how much Papa didn’t like him.” Jean calmed down a bit after seeing more tears falling from Rose’s cheeks.

“For fuck’s sake, Elaine. He already got my blessing ages ago.”

Jean’s words seemingly drop like a bomb in the room. Rose, who has been running on sheer adrenaline these past few hours, stumbles and sits on her bed. “What?”

Jean sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you were doing good enough just because you’re dating Eren. But, fuck, Rose, he treats you like a princess. A queen, even. Never ever tell him I’ve said this, but I haven’t seen someone as loving and devoted as him. Fuck, he makes me feel pressured to be a good boyfriend. Sure, he can be shitty sometimes, but—but he’s perfect for you, Elaine. If anything, giving you his number is probably one of my accomplishments in your life.”

Rose shakes her head. “No, no this can’t be real. You were always so insistent on hating him.”

“Well, you are my twin. You’re my other half.” Jean’s eyes are soft. “I’m never gonna let him go easy, but I wasn’t planning on him leaving. I honestly wouldn’t trust any other man with you, Elaine. And I swear I’m not just saying these things cause you’re crying. I’ve welcomed him as a part of our life a long time ago.” 

Rose feels the tears stream down her face before she realizes it. “But… but how can I fix it now? It’s over, Jean. He saw me say I’d break up with him in a heartbeat for my family.” 

“You don’t know him like I do, Ellie. You’d think he was just gonna let you go like that after everything you’ve been through with him? No. Eren’s a pushy kind of guy. Same kind of pushy when he asked me if he could screw you on your 19th.”

Rose widens her eyes. “You… you weren’t supposed to know that, wait. What?”

“Believe it or not Rose, he actually asked permission from me that night. Why do you think I kept quiet about you struggling to walk the next day?” Jean raised an eyebrow, his arms crossed against his chest. Rose’s cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.

“Anyways, Eren’s pushy. He loves you a lot, and he’s gonna want you back for sure. You made him soft, actually. It’s disgusting. He’s not really mad, you just think so because this is the first time you’ve seen him like this.” Jean comments further.

“But—but he isn’t answering my calls. He just stormed out—”

“Uncle Levi followed him via motorcycle. He’s downstairs talking with Papa.” 

“Oh,” Rose says breathlessly, her world spinning. “I—what?”

Jean laughs, putting a hand on her shoulder. “We all tried to run after him, and well, Uncle Levi just does it best. Eren will understand, especially since he’s with Papa now. If I were you, I think you should go freshen up and talk to him.” 

Rose looks at Jean for a long, hard moment. A million unspoken emotions seem to pass between them all at once.

“You swear you mean it? That Eren’s good enough for you? That you’re okay with us?” 

Jean rolls his eyes fondly before ruffling her hair. “It’s Eren we’re talking about. I wouldn’t fucking lie for him, Rose. I mean all I said. You’re good for each other.”

Rose, about to burst into tears again, engulfs him in a hug. “Thank you. Thank you,” she whispers. 

“Anything for you, Elaine.” Jean rubs her back soothingly. “Although, I guess I did lie for him when he wrecked you like a train. I did not want to explain any part of that to our parents.” 

“JEAN!”

-

Eren feels like he’s been in the bedroom of his girlfriends’ parents for a year with Erwin’s silence. He’s about to start saying his prayers with the intensity of Erwin’s stare when, finally, the older man speaks.

“I used to think things wouldn’t work out between you, I’ll admit that.” 

Eren’s breath hitches. Here comes the inevitable.

“But—let me finish, Eren.” Erwin sensed the hesitation in Eren’s face. “There have been many incidents where you’ve proven yourself to me and her mother that you want nothing but the best for Elaine.” He spoke with understanding and relaxedness.

“I mistook you for someone in my own past, and I don’t want to add more pressure onto you. Especially on Elaine. She’s… been through a lot and I can’t emphasize that enough.”

Eren was then taken to many flashbacks of Rose crying onto him late in the night. School, family, their relationship, and how everything simultaneously gave her stress. He didn’t want to add onto that.

“There’s no doubt that I underestimated how far you were willing to sacrifice for Rose, and I want to apologize for that. I was just… terrified about Rose’s future and how things will turn out once she moves out and she’s on her own now.” Erwin states. He puts a hand on Eren’s shoulder.

“But it looks like she’s going to be in good hands given your unconditional devotion for her, Eren.”

Eren seems to process the words in slow motion. But it looks like she’s going to be in good hands.

“I—” Eren tries to find his voice, “do you mean that?”

“Eren, not all lawyers lie.” Erwin chuckles. “I’ll miss being the main man in Rose’s life, yes, but I also know that she’s old enough to make good decisions. And you are a good decision.”

Eren feels a lump behind his throat but pushes it down. “I—this really means a lot, Uncle Erwin. I-I swear.” 

“Well, just don’t mess things up.” Erwin stands. “We both just want the best for Rose. Do your part well.”

“Yes, sir.” 

“Did you really just say that?” Helene laughs. “Eren, there’s no need to be formal. We’re sorry for causing you and Rose a lot of stress lately, but we care about the both of you deeply. You’re family now.”

“Yes, and only if you promise to talk things out.” Jean is suddenly walking through the door, a familiar figure lingering behind him by the door frame. “Jaeger, do you love my sister?” 

Eren blinks in surprise. “Of course, Jean. Why the hell would I be here otherwise?”

Jean rolls his eyes. “See, you heard that, Elaine?”

Rose peeps from behind her twin. Erwin chuckles as he remembers how nothing changed, with Rose always following Jean around. She stared at her Papa before looking back at Eren momentarily, then back to Jean. She really can’t handle eye contact when it comes to the other.

Erwin stood up and walks up to the twins before dragging Jean by the nape. “Come on Jean, allow them to make up.”

“Papa—”

“Jean Felix?”

Jean sighs. “Alright.” He lets go of Rose’s hand before encouraging her to go to Eren.

“I’ll go ahead too. We’ll meet you downstairs. Take your time.” Helene hums, patting Rose on the head before going out.

The tension in the silence feels foreign to Rose. She’s always felt comfortable just existing and being around Eren, but the energy between them now is anything but that. 

It feels like an eternity before she manages to say, “Eren, I’m—” 

“Rose,” Eren cuts her off, “God, Rose, I’m so sorry for running off.”

“It’s okay.” Rose sways on her feet. She hates how they’re suddenly feeling awkward around each other. “Did it help? Letting off some steam?”

“Well, Levi dragged me back here, so I wouldn’t say it was fully therapeutic.” Eren shrugs, and they both chuckle. When the silence starts to feel heavy again, Rose clears her throat.

“Eren… about what I said earlier. About what you heard—I’m sorry.”

Eren’s eyes soften as he closes the distance between them. “Princess, what would you even have to be sorry for?”

Rose bites her lip in calculation. She really can’t form words in front of him, can she? She looks elsewhere as if the walls of her parents’ room were more interesting to look at.

“I’m sorry that you had to see me give you up. When I can’t even do it in a million years. That I did it just to keep you out of the mess my parents have with you.”

Eren looks at Rose in observation. He knows she can’t stand to look at him, especially in these kinds of conditions, so he lets her talk.

“It’s—” she cuts herself off from talking. “Never mind.”

“Hey,” Eren says, and he says it so softly that Rose is about to crumble then and there. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

“Fuck you,” Rose says, though there’s no true malice. “I’m such a mess and you’re being all calm.”

“Well, your father helped me see things better,” Eren admits. “Rose, my darling, my baby, there’s really nothing to worry about. I’m sorry I took off too soon without clarifying. If anything, I’m at fault. I should’ve waited for you.”

“And I should’ve fought for you more!” Rose loathes how her voice cracks, how her vulnerability is seeping through. But she can’t help herself—the thoughts have been bubbling in her head since she left her parents’ bedroom hours ago. “I gave up so fucking quickly on us, Rennie. Why aren’t you mad? You deserve to be. I was being an idiot and I could’ve lost you completely.”

“Rose, look at me.” Eren calmly told her.

Rose shakes her head, now looking down with sniffles coming out of her. She tries containing herself but she knows she can’t.

“Rose, come here. Please?”

As if she memorized the entire room, Rose easily walked to where Eren was and sat down next to him on the bed. He gently pried her face with his warm hands, familiar enough to her that he wanted her to let him in.

“Déjame entrar, prinsesa. Please.” He calmly asks her.

Rose feels shivers up her spine, Eren’s Spanish always managing to leave her weak in the knees. Eren leans forward, slowly, gently, and Rose feels a dam exploding inside her heart. 

“Rose, my darling,” he mumbles, pressing his lips against hers. It’s warm and lovely and everything Rose loves about him. It’s a good five minutes of sweet, unrelenting bliss, and Rose is able to lose herself in those moments. 

“Rose, please don’t ever be this hard on yourself,” Eren says when they pull apart, Rose already (and unfortunately) missing his touch. “If anything, you should be proud of yourself. I’ve never met someone like you who is so dedicated to her family, who is willing to do anything for them at the expense of her own happiness. You’re the bravest, sweetest, loveliest girl. And I’m so damn lucky to have you.”

Rose sniffles and smiles momentarily before wrapping Eren in a comforting hug. He gladly entertains it as he puts a hand on the back of her head, and his other hand on the small of her back. He presses kisses to her temple as he accepts his princess whole.

“Tu eres suficiente, Rose. More than. I can’t emphasize that enough.” Eren looks at Rose directly in her eyes as they break the hug. She nods in agreement as she kisses his cheek.

“Don’t you ever think I can replace you with any guy my parents have told me to look at,” Rose suddenly tells him in a playful yet strict way, judging by how she points a finger at Eren. “You’re all I need to get me through my life.” Eren smiles, a pink blush forming on his cheeks. Rose likes the look of it on him. “Well, I’ll be glad. I would’ve spent the next few days fighting to get you back, anyways. I’m sure I won’t lose to anyone.”

“Hey.” Rose elbows him playfully, though there’s no malice. The heaviness in her heart starts to fade; it was as if Eren alone simply knew her heart—every part of it—and knew how to handle it more than anyone else. “If I haven’t said it enough, my prince, I love you. I love you so much it hurts.”

Eren plants a kiss on top of Rose’s head. “I love you more, mi prinsesa. There’s no one I’d rather be with in this life, or in any other life.”

Rose elbows him again as she feels the streams of tears start to fall down again. “God, Eren, how do you do that?”

“How do I do what, love?”

“Understand me in all the best ways.” She rests her head on his shoulder. They fall into an easy silence then, because there’s no other way to fill the void. 

That is, until a knock frantically disturbs the silence. “Oi! Are you lovebirds done?”