Disclaimer: I don't lwn Attack on Titan or any of its characters…
Eren walked through the halls of the palace, being careful enough not to raise any alarms from the guards and find himself in prison yet again. Although he was now considered as a hero by many soldiers across the three regiments, it didn't change the fact that he was still a titan, and that he could very well be suspicious at the very least.
He had enough jailtime for the day.
Especially now when he was trying to find the Queen herself, it wasn't really surprising for him to be sneaking around. He managed to slip away from the little party that was hosted earlier without being noticed by Armin, Mikasa, his other friends from the 104th, or even Captain Levi.
The news of the Survey Corps finally reclaiming Wall Maria spread like wildfire throughout Rose and Sina, and as a result of humanity's greatest triumph so far, a small celebration in Mitras was held to celebrate the long-awaited victory as well as to honor the sacrifices made while the operation was still underway.
But this didn't matter at all to Eren.
Well, not completely at least.
Yes, there was some part of him that wanted to laugh along and bask in their victory along with Sasha, Jean and Connie. Hell, he would like to spend time with Armin and Mikasa like the good old days, and they would talk about how they'll get the explore the outside world beyond the walls, which was one of Eren's dreams ever since he was a kid. There was also a part of him that wanted to pay respect for many of the Survey Corps' soldiers who have given their lives for the operation, which included Erwin Smith.
But he could do all of those at another time.
Spending time with the two people he had known for the longest time could happen whenever he wanted to, and now that they had reclaimed the land that they had lost, talking about what could be outside the walls can take place anytime as well. Honoring the sacrifices made by his fellow soldiers was an easy thing to do, and it was to make sure that their deaths would not be in vain. To make sure that they had served their purpose well in the cruel world that they lived in.
What he had in mind right now was something he needed to attend to as soon as he possibly could, hence leading to him straying away from the celebration and eventually wander inside the palace located at the center of Mitras.
"Still not her room…" Eren thought, closing another doorway as he continued to search for Historia's chamber. His 'Wings of Freedom' hood turned inside out so that his identity would be protected, and he kept his eyes peeled for any possible guards roaming around. "Damn it… how big is this place?" he cursed inside his mind, disliking the fact that he had to stay here longer than he expected.
The worst case scenario would be Mikasa eventually finding out about his disappearance and jump quickly to conclusions, thinking he was kidnapped once again before she would spring into action.
"Give me a break… not that…" he groaned inwardly, not liking the outcome if that ever happened. While he was displeased at the thought of Mikasa acting reckless for his safety, he unconsciously strode over to the next room and went inside, not caring whether it was dangerous to do so or not.
"I swear, if Mikasa ends up doing something like that, I'll —" he got cut off from his words when he noticed a golden crown on top of the dresser to the left side of the room. Having a good feeling in his gut, he quickly rushed over towards there and gazed at the royal artifact before him.
With very careful hands, he picked the crown up and inspected it from every side, while also remembering the original appearance of Historia's crown during her coronation some weeks ago before they set out for Wall Maria. "No doubt about it. This is Historia's crown… this is her room!" he exclaimed all of a sudden with a small grin on his face, which caused him to nearly let go of the crown due to getting distracted.
"Woah!" As quick as a soldier would, he tightened his grip on Historia's crown to prevent it from slipping from his grasp. "That was a close one… I thought for a second…" he trailed off in his words when he looked down, just on the top of the dresser, was a folded piece of paper which had writing on it.
Curiosity taking over him, he set the crown back down and was about to read what was on that paper, but he stopped himself in his own tracks as he began to sweat. "What are you thinking?! This is her stuff! She could have you killed if you take even a peek at what belongs to her!" He took a quick glance at his surroundings afterwards before turning back towards the piece of parchment with narrowed eyes, picking it up and unfolding it so he could read it clearly. "There's no one around, not even Historia. I'll read this quick then… this could help me release some stress from overthinking too much. Might be something about those fatass merchants who want more land from their Queen…"
Boy, was he wrong.
Not more than a minute later, his eyes were already wide open as he finished reading the letter, with his hands also shaking in possible anger when he saw who had sent this to Historia.
"It's them… really? How the hell did they send this here, then?" he asked himself in a sarcastic manner, unknowingly crumpling the letter inside his grasp as he glared at the floor. Even though the Survey Corps had won the Battle of Shiganshina, just seeing a letter from the people who betrayed them along with the woman who tagged along, and then sending it to one of his friends was starting to drive Eren mad. He realized that that letter was probably the reason why Historia had tears in her eyes when Squad Levi arrived in the palace earlier.
"Who does she think she is? Leaving Historia when she needed you the most… that's not what a friend should do, Ymir! You should've stayed here with us, with Historia. You had a choice and you blew it! You were supposed to be her friend, Ymir… you could've seen how Historia became the strongest of us all, except for Captain Levi. You would've been proud of her… and you should feel lucky that you weren't at Shiganshina, or you would've been killed as well…"
He stopped right there, noticing what was going on.
Eren was bent over the dresser, leaning towards the window as he glared at his own reflection; his hands were gripping the sides tightly as if he was about to transform into his Titan form, and the letter stayed crumpled inside his right hand. He start to breathe heavily when he noticed the furious expression on his face.
What was he angry about?
"Ahem."
That would be answered some other time, though.
"Fuck."
He slowly turned his head to the side, and was immediately met with her intimidating but deadly look; even though she wasn't like this back then, a lot of things happened and it was no mistake for her to be this way, even towards him.
"Mr. Yeager. You do know that I can have you arrested right now for sneaking into others' rooms, much less the Queen, right?" Historia Reiss asked, sending him a neutral look as she crossed her arms above her chest.
"Y-Yes…" he said, turning around slowly so that he was facing the Queen, yet his gaze was darted to the side as if he was trying to avoid her. He didn't want to panic and sputter out his reason for intruding immediately, but he didn't want to admit that he was doing so out of his own satisfaction. He had a reason for wandering off, after all.
Historia eyed him carefully, before walking towards him so that she was now in front of the Titan-shifter, but he refused to look at her directly and kept his attention to the side. However, a small part of him had betrayed his intentions when he took a small glance at the young Queen as he noticed that she had her hand out, which meant that she was asking him for something.
Eren now had his full attention on her, wondering what could it be that she wanted since she wasn't saying anything. But it only took him a few seconds to notice the crumpled letter that was still in his grasp, causing him to widen his eyes before he quickly gave it back towards Historia, this time keeping his look to the floor as he still refused to face her out of shame.
"I should've never read that letter! Stupid!" he chastised himself, trying his best not to punch himself in the face.
Historia carefully uncrumpled the letter and flattened it out smoothly, before folding it in half and then turning back to Eren once again. "Mr. Yeager, look at me." she said with the same neutral tone she used on him earlier.
"I'm dead." he said, looking up slowly so that he was staring at her face. He doubted that Historia would have him killed, but she wasn't a saint like Krista, and she could still do something else to punish him for his actions.
"You are aware that what you are doing right now is an invasion of privacy, because this letter I believe, was addressed to me and not you, which makes me the sole owner… am I right?"
Eren nodded, having the urge to turn his attention back to the floor but he resisted it, keeping his look directly towards Historia. Taking a deep breath, he then slammed his right fist to his chest and saluted, acknowledging his fate from now on.
He was a soldier.
And soldiers face their challenges head-on.
If he was going to be punished for his actions, then he might as well face it like a real one.
But…
He came here for a purpose, right?
"As long as I can tell Historia about what I saw, I don't care anymore." he told himself over and over, slowly killing his own nervousness around the Queen that he was feeling earlier when she had caught him reading her letter.
The atmosphere between the two grew tense.
"Yes, and I'm prepared to atone for what I did, your Majesty. It was highly inappropriate of me to touch what belongs to you." he said in a stern voice, with no sign of his nervousness or perhaps unwillingness in his tone as he stared back at the blonde girl before him.
Both Eren and Historia stared at each other dead in the eye for the next few moments, with nobody daring to make a move. Eren, because he didn't want to make any more ruckus while for Historia, she was keen on observing his whole form for her to do anything.
After what seemed like an eternity, Historia finally sighed in defeat and closed her eyes, with Eren blinking in confusion at why it looked like she was tired already.
"Why are you here, Eren?" she dropped the act, looking back up at him with a curious look, accompanied with a slight groan that she hid perfectly.
"Huh?" was all that he could say as a response. His hand was still on his chest for the salute, but his attention looked like it could change at any moment.
"It's not everyday that you decide to run away from your squad and wander inside the palace, so…" she placed her letter back on top of her dresser before going back to her place in front of him. "Whatever your intention is, it must be important."
Realizing that Historia was now talking to him like an equal, he dropped the soldier act as well, letting his arms fall to his side before he answered her.
"Yeah, it is." he nodded, sighing in relief that he was safe from whatever punishment he could've received from the Queen. "I wanted to come see you."
Historia's eyes widened slightly at hearing his words. "You wanted to see me?" she repeated, looking a bit… red in the face?
"Yeah, I didn't get the chance to talk to you earlier when we arrived here and… it was hard for me to find you in the smalm feast earlier… wait, were you even there? I heard from Sasha that it was you who hosted that little party to celebrate our victory."
"Yes, I was indeed the one who proposed the celebrations." Historia nodded in agreement. "However, I wasn't really there because I left the Military Police in charge of things."
Eren shrugged his shoulders.
"I guess that makes this easier then, even if I had to sneak around here just to find you."
Historia scowled at him. "If you wanted to see me that badly, I could've arranged an appointment for you. What you did can be seen as a crime, and if someone other than me had seen you earlier, you'd be put in jail right now just when people are thinking of you as a hero. But what can I say? I never pegged you for the type to follow orders." she finished in a slightly sarcastic tone.
All of a sudden, Eren's face grew serious.
Historia had seen this only a few times, one of which was the time when Eren and her were hiding inside a carriage that resulted in them getting kidnapped. Needless to say, she knew that he was not kidding around right now, and it was always typical of him to get all serious and emotional.
"No, you don't understand. I needed to see you as soon as I had time. Right now, Captain Levi and the others must have noticed that I'm not at the celebration anymore and they may be searching for me, but I didn't care. I just needed to talk to you because this is important, and I didn't want to tell anyone about it, except for you."
Okay, that made her confused.
What exactly did she have that the Survey Corps didn't?
She knew that he trusted his friends more than anyone else in the world, and him denying to tell them about whatever this was about deemed a bit suspicious in the least.
"Why, of all people, me? Don't you trust Captain Levi or even the Commander? Why not even Armin, since your trust for him would go to such a length that you are willing to risk even your life for it. Is it because I'm the Queen?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
He sighed and his attention darted towards the door. "Look, I don't have much time but I guess… it's because I'm too weak to keep a secret… from you." His attention went back to her as he finished his statement.
Historia's eyes widened.
"I didn't really want to tell you about it, and I was planning to fix it myself but… I thought I could reveal it to you and we can deal with it together. I told you before, I liked Historia because she was an absurdly honest girl…"
Her heart skipped a beat after that.
"But what good are those words if I can't even be honest with you in the first place?"
She took a deep breath afterwards.
Now he had her full attention.
"What did you want to talk to me about? I can tell that this is really serious because you went out your way to hide this from everyone except for me, the Queen of all people." she asked, curious to know what important matter he wished to discuss with her.
"You remember what we found out inside my house's basement, right? About life outside the walls and how humanity has been our enemy all along." he asked, staring directly into her blue eyes once again.
"Yes, I do. Does it have something to do with that?"
"It's way more than that, Historia. And yes, it involves you being Queen, but it also involves the Reiss bloodline… not to mention, this could very well determine your own future in a few years. A future I want to avoid at all costs."
Historia's heart skipped a beat again, as she didn't miss a word that Eren just said.
Her future was mentioned, and the young Titan-shifter wanted to prevent it from happening. What exactly did he mean by that? She certainly knew that he didn't mean she was dying, but it also didn't mean that this was something small. Eren wouldn't dare to lie to her, not at a time like this, which meant that his words were true.
This was way more than just the journals that Grisha had left for his son.
"Very well… let's take this to the bed, and then you can explain everything to me." she said, walking over towards the king-sized bed that was on the other side of the room.
Now Eren would have followed like an obedient subject, had it not been for Historia unclipping her hair and letting it loose, before taking off her other royal accessories one-by-one.
"...bed?" he asked, frozen in place as his cheeks started to redden while his eyes started to widen.
He may have interpreted her words in, a rather 'dirty' way, or something like that.
"Yes, or would you prefer standing up the whole time as you explain things to me?" Historia asked rhetorically, before trying to reach for the zipper behind her which held her royal gown altogether. "Eren, do you mind helping me with this? I can't reach it." she turned her head back to face him, giving him a troubled look.
Although he still had those dirty thoughts in mind, he manage to shake his head and comply, walking over towards Historia while internally cursing himself for thinking of such things.
Unknown to him, Historia's heart had begun to thud heavily in her chest as she could his feet shuffling over. It was just now that she realized what exactly she had asked him to do. A few seconds ago, she didn't really mind it because she just wanted to get out of her dress and put on some simple clothes, but now she understood the outcome of her request.
"Why am I suddenly feeling this way? It's just the zipper, nothing more!" she thought, before feeling a blazing warmth from behind. A gentle hand took hold of her blonde hair and placed it over her shoulder, eliciting a chill in Historia's body.
"It's just Eren, calm down!" she tried to say to herself, as she felt the teen's hand slowly pull down the zipper to her dress until it reached her waist. Her face had reddened all the way and it got her to shut her eyes in the process, but once she felt his touch was gone, she opened her blue orbs slowly before hearing his soft voice.
"I-It's done. W-What should I do now?" he muttered quickly, obviously embarrassed by what he just did. Eren used every bit of his willpower to avoid staring at Historia's exposed back, and it was getting hard by the moment.
If it was Mikasa or maybe even Sasha, he wouldn't really be feeling this way. However, that could probably be caused by him being totally in Mikasa's presence and it would be too rowdy to even be considered awkward if it was Sasha.
So why was he feeling uncomfortable around Historia?
Was it because they were alone?
Or perhaps, she was the Queen and he was just a regular soldier?
Maybe… Historia was just too beautiful for him to pry his eyes away from her?
Perhaps all of those at once, then?
"Stop thinking about it, damn you!" he shouted to himself, shaking his head furiously once more to get his mind off the same dirty thoughts he had been thinking of since earlier.
"Just w-wait for me by this bed… and… let me change into some more comfortable clothing…" she mumbled quick and loud enough for only him to hear, before making her way to her wardrobe. She could hear Eren literally throwing himself to the mattress behind her, but she kept her attention to changing her clothes as she opened her wardrobe to look for something else to wear.
"Why was my heart beating so fast earlier?" she asked herself, her face still as red as earlier. As the Queen, she was taught on how to act prim and proper around other people, which involved high-ranking officials, merchants, as well as soldiers. It should be no problem to her if she had to act like real royalty to other people.
So why was she feeling uncomfortable around Eren?
Was it because they were alone?
Or perhaps, she was the Queen and he was just a regular soldier?
Maybe… Eren was just too handsome for her to pry his eyes away from him?
Perhaps all of those at once, then?
"Nooooo! Eren is my friend!" she shrieked internally, shaking her head furiously to get her mind back on track. She then found a simple white dress and quickly dressed herself up so she could get back to Eren and discuss whatever he came here for.
"I came here to talk with Historia, I came here to talk with Historia…" Eren repeated inside his mind for what seemed like the hundredth time as he lay on his stomach on top of the bed. He was like this ever since earlier, exactly when Historia told him that she needed to go find more comfortable clothes to wear.
Desperate to keep his serious mind in check as we as to prevent himself from committing another serious offense, he quickly buried himself on the bed to keep his eyes off the Queen.
"I came here to talk with her, so stop thinking —"
"Eren."
He stopped himself in his thoughts, hearing a foreign voice just nearby. Eren gulped as he quickly deduced who it was, before slowly turning his head to the side.
"H-Historia? You're done?"
"Yes, now…" Eren noticed that her royal gown was gone, and her current attire was just a long white dress and a pair of white slippers, which was presumably her sleepwear.
Eren let out a deep sigh of relief.
"If you're done moaning to yourself there, can we proceed to talk about… whatever you were trying to say earlier?" she said, grasping her arm with her free one, while a small blush on her cheeks could still be seen if looked upon closely.
The brown-haired teen turned over and sat with his legs crossed, while Historia made herself comfortable by the edge of the bed as Eren went on to explain some topics that could very well leave her awake for the rest of the night.
"Well… this is, certainly a lot to take in…" Historia muttered after Eren had finished explaining about the strange power he had, how he activated it when the Survey Corps rescued him from Reiner and Bertholdt, as well as the possibility that Historia herself would be turned into a titan to activate the power of the Founding Titan.
Of course, it naturally came as a shock to her, but it seemed to her that it wasn't really that much of a surprise. Historia knew that they lived in a cruel world and it was taught to them, even back to when they were just cadets, to always expect the worst and not to hope for miracles to come. Plus, it was not long ago that she found out Ymir was a titan-shifter as well, before escaping with Reiner and Bertholdt after they defected from the Survey Corps.
The pain of Ymir leaving was still there, and the letter she had sent only cemented it.
"Is it too much to handle? I'm sorry if I was too straightforward." he apologized by bowing his head, as soon as he noticed the blank look on Historia's face.
"No I can take it, it's just… I wasn't expecting such a thing." she replied, taking a deep breath afterwards.
Eren resisted the urge to punch himself in the face for making Historia feel this way. She was the Queen, for god's sake. "Did I do the right thing? I just didn't want to hide any secrets from her! If Historia's willing to be honest with me, then I'll do the same for her." he thought, staying determined that this talk between them can work out well.
"So let me get this straight…" Historia began, looking directly into Eren's eyes as she recalled everything he told her. "You were able to access the power of the Founding titan because you touched Dina Fritz, your father's wife of royal blood, while she was a titan… and now, there is a chance that the Military would want to turn me into a titan, so you can use thst power in order to take command of all titans… am I right?"
Although he wasn't sure if he could command every titan there is, Eren nodded stiffly in sorrow, sending a glance at his green cloak that hung nearby.
"I see… that seems likely for the military to do…"
However, he wasn't going to let Historia suffer such a fate.
"Don't worry, though!" he suddenly exclaimed, catching her off guard as her full attention was drawn towards him. "I promise you, Historia. I will not let anybody, not even our own comrades, turn you into a mindless titan. I don't want you to suffer the same fate like what Dina Fritz had… she may have eaten my mother, but… I'm starting to think that it wasn't really her fault, not that I'm forgiving anybody."
He looked totally serious now, and Historia could only listen on to his words, as her heart pounded madly in her chest.
"No matter what happens, I won't let you turn into a titan. I promise you that I'll stay quiet about the coordinate to protect you, because you're the only one who knows about this so far, except for me. I only need you to know, so you'll be aware of what could be in store for us in the future, especially for you, Historia. I swear, on my life, I will not let any more of my friends suffer the fate of being a titan."
"I… I…" she was literally speechless right now. Eren Yeager had just promised her that he would not tell anybody about the Founding titan, which meant that he was protecting her from a doomed fate. Knowing the Military, they would do whatever it takes for humanity to survive and if it means sacrificing the Queen, they'd do it.
But Eren promised her that he won't let that happen.
"W-W-Wh-Why would he go this far for me? I-If humanity is to survive and me becoming a titan is essential for it to happen, I'll… I'll…" she stopped in her thoughts, re-thinking her words. She wanted to help save humanity in any way possible, even if she had to turn into a titan to do it.
But she couldn't bring herself to say it.
Deep down inside, she wanted to live.
Screw being a titan.
Even if it were just for a mere second, let humanity suffer. After all, they lived in a cruel world wherein humans were united against monstrous beings. Take away those monstrous beings, humans would have no reason to unite then.
They'll be fighting against each other.
Yes, she was being selfish now. Just like how Ymir was.
"W-Wh-What should I do? I-I'm so confused…"
Perhaps, the person who was staring at her just in front of her could be of some help? Eren looked unfazed as ever, wanting to stay true to his promise by even doing a salute for her.
"Ere — Aghh…" she stopped midway to put her hand on her forehead, feeling a terrible headache set in.
"What's wrong?" he asked, looking worried immediately as he leaned closer towards her.
Yes, the stress she received today had gotten to her at an emotional level. Reading Ymir's letter, forcing herself to remain as regal as ever during the ceremony of awarding the Survey Corps, and now Eren's explanation of the Coordinate.
"Aghh…" she hissed, feeling her headache becoming stronger as Eren grabbed her shoulder lightly.
"Hey, what's wrong? Historia? Were you bothered by what I said?" he asked, looking more worried by the moment.
"E-Eren…" she muttered, looking up at him for a moment. As she stared into his eyes that showed worry, she couldn't help but feel at ease with Eren by her side.
Was he always this… warm?
Sure, his Titan form was hot as hell, but… even through her dress, she could feel his hand's warmth on her skin. His touch alone on her shoulder sent a somewhat relieving feeling throughout her body, and it made it seem like she had forgotten about her stress.
However, Historia started to breathe heavily due to the headache she was feeling, showing that it wasn't gone before a quick thought came to her mind.
If she was feeling stress, why not de-stress?
"Historia?"
She steeled herself and stood up, before walking over towards her wardrobe and opening it. Eren was left in his place on the bed, slightly confused with her actions before his eyes widened upon seeing Historia pull out two shot glasses and what seemed to be like a bottle of wine from her own wardrobe.
"W-What are you doing?!" he couldn't stop himself from exclaiming as the blonde Queen walked back to the bed. Eren has never gone drunk before, but he knew alcohol when he saw one. And, he also knew that when alcohol is brought out, one is bound to get drunk.
Blame Hannes and his friends for that, then.
"Why do you have that in your own closet?!" he continued, his eyes wide open as Historia set down the wine bottle and the two glasses at a small table next to the bed.
"What do you think I do when I get stressed these days?" she asked simply, removing the cork from the bottle before pouring some of its contents into the glasses she brought out.
"Wait, don't tell me…" he asked, his mouth dropping in shock.
Seeing Historia's sweet smile only confirmed it.
He shook his head repeatedly before flashing the blonde girl a dumbfounded look. "You… You gotta be kidding me… I… I never saw you as someone who likes alcohol, Historia! You weren't like this, even before you were crowned Queen. I bet Krista would say the same, or perhaps she'll stop you from being drunk. You're the Queen, of all people!"
"Well too bad, because Krista is gone… the Goddess that you came to know is dead… and here I thought you liked Historia better." she smirked at him, sitting back on the edge of the bed.
"You know what I mean…" he groaned in annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest.
She giggled slightly, waving him off after closing her eyes. By now, she was starting to forget all about the headache that she suffered earlier. "Relax, Eren. I don't drink often, so you don't have to worry about me." She heard him scoff afterwards, causing her to sigh.
"I only drink when I am full of stress and if I feel that a good night's sleep won't be enough to handle it, okay?" she explained, opening her eyes and looking down at the wine-filled glasses. "It's only happened once in the past, and that was two days after my coronation."
"All right, all right, I get it… you don't need to explain —" he was cut off when Historia was holding one of the two glasses in her hand, and it looked like she was offering it to him with a smile on her face.
"You can't be serious."
"But what if I am? Take it and drink with me."
Eren's face grew serious again, doing a complete 180 of how he was acting earlier. "Historia, do you really think I have time for this? Even if you say it's just for tonight, I refuse. Did you even hear what I explained to you earlier? Or were you just pretending all along?"
"I heard you. Everything you told me, I understood it all." she nodded, keeping the smile she had on her face intact.
"Then you know just why I don't want this. It's your life and you're the Queen, so I don't have any power to make you stop drinking anyway… so I'll just let you do as you please, then. I've already got my hands full right now with how to keep what we discussed a secret between us, and I also need to figure out more about what my father left in the basement… specifically his journals." he was about to get off the bed and stand up to get ready to leave, when Historia began to speak again.
"Eren, what are we celebrating today?"
He resisted the urge to groan, simply because the woman with him right now was the Queen herself.
"Really, now? Do I look like some kind of joke to you, Historia?" he asked sarcastically, sending a quick glance back at the blonde girl.
"Just answer me, Eren."
Not wanting to create an argument between them, Eren simply chose to answer her, even though he knew that she was trying to play games with him. He wasn't sure if she was drunk already, because she seemed to be acting like one.
"Humanity taking back Wall Maria," he said quickly and firmly like any other answer he would give to a high-ranking official.
"And what are you supposed to feel like during a celebration?" she pressed on.
Okay, this was going too far.
He turned back towards her and grabbed a fistful of his own hair out of frustration. "Historia, it's not gonna work okay? I just have too much on my mind right now for me to even have fun or let loose… the Coordinate, my father's journals, Shiganshina itself, and now you as well, because of what I found out about Dina Fritz." he sighed heavily afterwards, looking like he was regretting what he was doing to Historia right now.
"I know that I should really be celebrating like what you said, but I can't ignore all of these thoughts inside my mind… not when we're closer than ever to finding out the truth about the Titans." Eren thought sadly, feeling bad for rejecting Historia like this.
"I know it's unfortunate, but I can't do this. Can't you understand that?"
He then felt something cold on his palm, and upon instinct, he turned his head to see what it was. Eren's eyes widened yet again when he saw Historia placing a shot glass on top of his palm, despite what he had been blabbering all this time.
"His —" before he could even mumble out a word, Historia cut him off and began to talk.
"I know how it feels, and you just gave more reasons for you to have a drink." the blonde Queen remarked, getting her own glass at the table before turning back towards Eren. "It's just for this night, Eren. Forget about your problems for once, and let yourself go."
"But…" he tried to reason out again, before realizing that she was right. Historia had twisted his own words against him, but then again, it was him who was speaking out his feelings ever since she asked him to share a drink with her.
"As the Queen, I want this night to end with everyone happy. It's been six years, but we finally managed to take back what was ours. This is a huge victory for humanity, Eren… a huge victory for you as well."
The next few seconds were spent with the two of them sitting in complete silence, before Eren set his eyes on his wine-filled glass.
"I-I don't know…" he muttered, still having doubts about this. "Some part of me is agreeing with you, and another part of me is saying otherwise… I don't know what to pick, really…"
His eyes widened to the size of saucers when Historia scooted closer to him, so much that their shoulders were nearly touching. Eren's face reddened just like how it did earlier, before Historia looked up at him with a small smile then.
"Then let's share this drink. You won't suffer by yourself if that ever happens, because I'm here for you too, Eren. If I suffer, I know you'll be there for me. Like I said, we're both enemies of humanity, but we're also friends… let's take a shot on that, then?" she smiled, raising her glass up.
Finally, after a long struggle with his own internal feelings, Eren decided to give in and follow Historia's words. Sighing in defeat, he raised his glass up and tapped it against Historia's, and the blonde Queen could only giggle at his earlier reluctance crumbling and leading to this.
"Fine… but it doesn't mean I'll like it, though." he said, playfully rolling his eyes.
"You don't need to. But I have to warn you that it's quite strong on your first taste, since that's what happened to me on my first time trying it." she laughed heartily, leaning on his shoulder.
"Whatever." he rolled his eyes again and turned his head away, but a small smile could be seen lingering on his lips in slight amusement, already finding himself to be having fun, completely in contrast to his words earlier.
And from there, they took the first sip of the evening together.
The moon was high in the sky, with almost no clouds attempting to cover it and ruin the magnificent display. Its light was the only thing that kept Historia's chamber illuminated, except for a small lamp next to the Queen's bed.
"...and Armin was like 'You didn't have to do that, but thank you for saving me!' to me and Mikasa." he said, crying fake anime tears before laughing like he was back to his old self, before this whole titan fiasco even existed, back to when he was still a happy-go-lucky kid.
"Oh my, Armin used to be like that?" Historia asked, while doing her best to stifle her giggles. "I understand why he is always so teary when it comes to being a soldier, but I never thought this goes back to when he was a child!"
"Yeah, he was such a wimp even before the titans dropped shit on our lives… don't tell him I said it, though." he whispered the last part, albeit with a few chuckles, by leaning close to the blonde woman, just by her ear.
"You're on, Mr. Yeager…" she smirked at him, before poking his chest a few times. "But in any case that Armin finds out about it, the deal is off!"
"Oi, that's not fair!" he grinned, returning the favor by poking Historia's forehead. "I promised you that I won't tell Mikasa about us having a few drinks! You know, if she was here, she'd kill you for this!"
"What do you mean, 'not fair'?!" she cried, hitting him with one of the pillows on their bed. "Armin is as smart as a dozen commanders, so I won't be surprised if he sees through me and figures out what you said about him… I wonder how he'd take it though…"
"Oh really, your Majesty? I never thought you were such a tyrant ruler!" he exclaimed, before using his hands to start tickling Historia on her sides, which caused the young Queen to laugh uncontrollably as she fell on top of the mattress.
"GAHA! Hahahahaha! Ahhahaha! HAHAHA! S-Stop it, hahaha! Eren! Gahahaha!" she laughed, using every bit of her strength to try and possibly kick or push Eren away from her.
A full hour and a half had passed ever since the two teenagers had agreed to have a drink and to temporarily forget about everything they were thinking about that built up to that moment, and things between Eren and Historia was simply full of joy and giggles as they went through a couple of more shots each.
Apparently, Historia had a low alcohol tolerance, which would explain why she had only gotten drunk once other than this time. She was both energetic and acting bubbly while the alcohol was taking its effect on her. Meanwhile, it took Eren two shots for him to get drunk and it was when he started to act like the total opposite of his own personality, fun-loving and cheerful.
Needless to say, both were contented with each other's company even though it was starting to get late. Eren found himself enjoying this particular time he was spending with Historia, despite all the reasoning he dropped earlier on why he shouldn't waste time being happy and all joyful when he had problems to deal with.
The same went for Historia, because if she had to compare getting drunk while alone to this, she was happy that she had someone beside her. Someone she liked, felt comfortable around with, and understood as time went on. That would've been Ymir, but she was gone now. Eren was the only one left whom she had a close bond with, just like the relationship she had with Ymir.
Many laughs and giggles later, they both found themselves sitting beside each other at the edge of the bed once again, with Historia leaning her head on his shoulder again. If this had taken place earlier, he would've been all embarrassed again, but now it looked like he didn't seem to mind it at all.
"Say, Eren?" she asked slowly, looking down on the floor as the atmosphere around them started to become all quiet for what seemed like the first time.
"What is it, Historia?" he answered, darting his gaze down on the girl's golden blonde hair, before taking in how good it smelled to his nose. Of course, he kept quiet about it since Historia wanted to tell him something.
"Why did you choose to tell me?"
"About what?"
He then felt something on top of his hand, only to notice that it was Historia's own as she turned her head upwards to look at him with half-lidded eyes.
"About the power of the Founding Titan. You said I was the only one whom you told it all about… why tell me?"
"Wait, I already told you…" he tried to answer back, but Historia shifted her head so that she was now leaning against his chest instead of his shoulder. Historia could feel herself getting warmer just by being closer to him, even though the window was wide open tonight to let in the cool breeze.
"I know why you chose me, Eren. But… why did you choose to tell me? What made you… come to this decision?"
"It… It wasn't easy. I actually went back and forth in trying to figure out what I should do. But then I realized… if I didn't tell you about it sooner, you would've known the truth some other way from the Military. That's why I came to this decision."
"I… I guess… y-you're right about that…" she muttered. "I have no idea how I would react if… if it was the Military who told me all about it… but… I felt calm when you were the one to explain… and then I felt…" she then stopped in her own words, before speaking yet again as she blushed deeply, trying to bury her face into his chest out of embarrassment. "No, never mind… it doesn't concern you."
"There was also another reason, Historia."
Historia looked up at him once again. "Huh?"
"Remember what I said about you not too long ago? I liked you because you were an absurdly honest girl, unlike Krista who was just plain out creepy. Since you became honest with me, I decided to do the same for you, Historia. I didn't want to hide anything from you."
She then looked to the side to see his left hand giving hers a light squeeze, before curling it into a fist and putting it against her chest in the Military salute.
"Even if you're the Queen… I still think of you as the same honest girl, and I don't care what you think of me. Like what you said… we should stick together… because we're both enemies of humanity, Historia."
"Eren…" was all that she could breathe out at the moment, feeling as if Eren him was talking about her like she was the most important thing to him, and it made her heart beat faster when their heads started to unconsciously move closer to each other.
The next few seconds were spent in silence, with Historia and Eren staring into each other's eyes, and the tension between them could be cut with a knife.
Without any warning or hesitation, they pressed their lips together and cherished the moment of intimacy between them. Whether this kiss was out of pure desire or affection between them or even to just release their stress, they didn't care as they were stuck in their own personal world. The scent of alcohol filled the room and even they could get a faint taste of what they had been drinking tonight. They were still teenagers, and hormonal urges was quite common at their age, especially when it involved anything sexual.
Historia immediately melted into the kiss, grasping onto his shirt for support as her body felt weak.
It was the first kiss for them both, yet it already felt like they had been doing this way before this moment, because of how they were handling it. Plus, with Historia now being the Queen, there is no possible way for Eren to be with, or at least visit her. That is unless, he sneaks off again, but that would be risky considering what he did today.
"I'm sorry, Historia… but I have to leave again…"
"W-Where are you going?"
"Just… I have something to take care of, it's nothing to worry about really!"
"But what about the thing about the King and Queen? I want to know more!"
"Historia, why is it that you want to know more? Could it be that you wish to be the Queen someday?"
"N-No, but… the King and Queen look definitely happy together… but you never told me the ending. I want to know what happens in the end."
"Historia, if I could, I'll tell you about it as many times as you want. But sadly, I just don't have the answer to that question."
"But—"
"I think you can answer that question by yourself, though."
"What? How can I do that?"
"Pretend you're the Queen, and you have the man you'll fall in love with as the King by your side. It's up to you to write your own ending for your story, then."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because the only thing that can change your fate is the choices you make… and when that time comes, I won't be there anymore, Historia…"
"What?"
"It'll be all up to you when that happens…"
Eren's eyes opened slowly as he suddenly stopped kissing Historia, seeing that particular memory inside his mind as if he was the one who experienced it. However, in the state that he was in right now, it was impossible for him to even realize what he just saw.
Historia noticed this and pulled away for a moment, looking at him with a curious look. "What's wrong, Eren? Why did you stop?" she asked with half-lidded eyes.
"I think I… I just saw something, it's… you know what, never mind." he shook his head slightly and turned his attention back to his blonde companion. "So… what do you want to do now, Historia?"
With a deep blush on her face, Historia smiled sheepishly and turned her look to the side. "Well, if it's alright with you… can you… kiss me again?"
"If the Queen wants it… then I'll be obliged." he simply replied, pulling Historia towards him for a second kiss that she returned immediately.
Just like a steamed potato, the kiss grew hotter and needier as the seconds ticked by. Historia's hands ran over his brown hair wildly, feeling that she needed more. Eren had wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, now letting her sit on his lap comfortably. With their bodies twined together, they separated from each other momentarily for some air. Since they were both inexperienced in such an act, they didn't know what to do exactly.
"Eren… I can't stop." Historia whispered out, looking into his eyes dreamily.
"I don't know if I want to get back to the barracks now, Historia." he replied, before immediately going back at it as he leaned forward to capture her lips in another kiss.
Unlike their first two that they had earlier, this kiss was even hotter than before because their hands were wandering around everywhere, but it looked like they didn't even care what the other was touching. It's as if they were completely fine with each other. Their tongues had come into play now, weakly battling each other with no one coming out on top due to their current state, but that didn't mean they were not enjoying it.
His hand grasped her boob, eliciting a mewl of delight, causing Historia to instinctively rock against Eren's hips. He let out a noise of surprise as he broke off their lip contact, carefully moving towards the center of the bed and making sure to bring Historia along with him.
Stopping at his destination, he turned his attention back towards his blonde companion, who begun to lick his neck while waiting for him to return to her. Eren hissed in pleasure as Historia leaned up to let her swollen, lush lips be captured by his, resuming their makeout fest.
Her hands raked through his brown locks once more, gripping them tightly as she continued to rock against him, triggering a series of moans between them. Getting caught up in the heat of the moment, they separated from each other again so that Eren could toss away his long-sleeved shirt, leaving him topless. Meanwhile, Historia had slid her dress off her shoulders and let it fall down to her stomach, revealing her white bra.
Not even a second passed before their lips met again, unable to get enough of each other before Eren gently pushed down Historia to the bed, weakly pinning her arms above her head as he stopped for a moment to look at the blonde girl below him.
"Historia… thank you for inviting to a drink… it really helped…" he muttered out, leaning his forehead against hers as their breathing became erratic. The kisses that they shared took the air out of them, but they did got something far more pleasurable in return.
"Eren…" she reached up to cup her face and he was in shock upon seeing the tears building up in her eyes.
Sure, he saw Krista crying a few times in the past years. But he never saw Historia giving in to her emotions, much because he saw Historia as a strong-willed individual and because she was the Queen. Although, he did see just a few tears when they were underneath the Reiss chapel, during the time when the revelation between Frieda and his father was revealed.
Yes, she was stronger than Mikasa and even Annie.
Did the alcohol cause her to cry then?
"Historia?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.
She quickly buried her face to his neck, and he could feel her hot tears on his skin. All Eren could do right now was lower himself slightly for her to be more comfortable.
"Don't ever leave me. I can't bear it." she whispered out, and his eyes widened after hearing her words.
While he was left in shock after that, Historia took advantage and pulled his head down for another kiss, this time making it slow and gentle, very different from the wild and passionate kisses that they shared earlier. Eren did not hesitate to return it, cupping Historia's cheek as he kissed her back. They were unknowingly showing their real feelings now, but they were both drunk and too caught up in the moment to even notice.
It lasted for more than ten seconds before Eren broke it off willingly, flashing her a wide smile that he would show on rare occasions. Seeing him like this made Historia's heart pound madly that she wanted to rip it out of her own chest.
"I won't," Eren said calmly.
Historia flashed a bright smile of her own, the brightest she ever had in a long time, before Eren leaned down and closed the distance between their lips once more…
"I'm so dead." Eren said with wide eyes as he looked at the person beside him. He had just woke up from a deep slumber, and the first thing he saw was Historia Reiss, dressed in only her underwear, wrapping an arm securely across his abdomen.
The moment he saw her, he was about to scream in shock, but he managed to keep himself quiet at the last second. He quickly removed her arm from his body and sat up, before noticing that he was topless, and it caused him to blush in embarrassment. On the bright side, it meant that they didn't do anything that they'd regret since they were not naked.
Thank God for that.
"Just what the hell happened? Why am I even here and why am I sleeping with Historia?!" he asked himself, wondering why he was sleeping with the Queen herself, before the scent of alcohol was picked up by his nose.
He turned his gaze to the side, and his eyes widened even more when he saw the empty bottle of wine, along with the two shot glasses beside it.
"Holy shit… I… remember…"
One by one, the memories of what happened last night came crashing back into his mind, flooding him with images of what exactly happened between him and Historia. He even remembered the memory he received when he first kissed her, but that wasn't the important thing to think about right now.
His mind was focused on how to deal with this situation without causing any further conflict.
"I'll just talk to her later and apologize… I should get back to Captain Levi and the others since they must be totally pissed off right now…" Eren said to himself, before he leaned over and planted a quick kiss to Historia's forehead. "I'm sorry for violating you last night… but I'll make it up to you, I promise. I didn't mean to do all of those… things to you, Historia."
The young Titan-shifter got off the bed and immediately started searching for his shirt, which he found at the other end of the room. He rushed over to it and picked it up, about to put it on when he heard a familiar voice.
"I thought you said you wouldn't leave me."
Eren froze in his place, with sweat dripping down his forehead.
Shit.
This was it.
He turned around slowly, only to see Historia sitting on the bed with her arms crossed, not even caring that she was just dressed in her underwear. Eren blushed heavily just at the mere sight of her lingerie, and he looked to the side to avert his gaze momentarily.
"Has she been awake all this time?" he thought, scratching his head. "And does she even care that she's just in her underwear right now?"
"Well? You remember what you said last night, right?" she pressed on with a demanding tone in her voice.
Eren sighed deeply and walked back towards the bed, his shirt thrown over his shoulder as he sat across Historia with a sad look on his face.
"Historia, believe me I remember. Even if it just came to mind now, I remember everything that happened last night. And I'm… I'm sorry for what I did last night. It was inappropriate of me to take advantage of you like that. Forgive me." he said, bowing his head in respect to the Queen of the Walls.
Historia raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What are you sorry for? If I recall, I was the one who invited you to a drink. If anything, it was my fault to begin with."
"Historia, I took advantage of you while you were drunk. That's saying something! It's a good thing that we didn't…" he paused for a moment to think of what to say next, because he didn't want to say something inappropriate. "You know, went further!"
"Eren, we were drunk. We had no control of our actions last night… and…" she stopped in her words in order to recompose herself, the blush on her cheeks still evident. "You didn't really take advantage of me, Eren. It seems to me that… we both wanted what happened between us last night."
"You know what, whatever." Eren rolled his eyes and stood up from the bed, looking very conflicted. It's like he didn't even know what to do anymore. "Whatever you want to say about it, it's your call. If you want to punish me, it's up to you. But right now, I need to get back to the barracks because for sure, I'm in deep trouble."
"So that's it? You're going to break the promise you made to me last night because of that? Surely Captain Levi and the others would understand that you were gone because of the Queen." Historia added on with the same demanding tone she had used earlier.
Eren stopped just when he was standing by the edge of the bed, taking her words to heart. The moment that she was trying to prevent him from returning with his comrades at the Survey Corps, he knew what the Queen was trying to do. "Historia… I think I get what you're trying to say right now… I'm not that dense as you think I am."
Historia's eyes grew wider slightly in surprise.
"And let me be the first one to tell you, that there's no point in doing this, Historia. I'm not the guy you want… I can't give you what you want." Eren stated with sorrow in his voice, that it caused the woman sitting on the bed to gasp softly.
Although her hopes seemed to be crushed, Historia didn't waver. "How do you know that? Do you… have feelings for someone else? Do you… love Mikasa that you're pushing me away? Have you finally responded to her feelings for you?"
Eren instantly turned around and sent a dumbfounded look at Historia. "What?! What makes you think that?!" he exclaimed with a shocked expression, although a slight blush could be seen on his cheeks.
Historia didn't say anything at all, and she simply stared at him like she was the one who wanted an answer.
Eren sighed deeply, before sinking to his knees by the bed, resting his chin on top of the mattress. "No, I don't have feelings like that for Mikasa. I see her as my sister or like my own mother somewhat… I don't love her like the way you think."
"Then tell me… what exactly is the reason why? Why can't you accept me, Eren?" she asked, nearing tears now.
Eren gritted his teeth and looked to the side. "It's not like that… if the world that we live in was not cruel as we thought it would be, I can protect and keep you happy with my eyes closed. But… I've lost too many people important to me, and I don't want that to happen again. I wasn't able to protect my mother, my own squad, not even Hannes when they needed my help… what's the difference now?"
"There's a bunch of reasons why, Historia…" Eren explained, narrowing his eyes before looking to the side, standing up with a heavy heart. "You're the Queen, and I'm just a soldier of the Survey Corps… that means that I'm not fit to be your suitor. Plus, I'm still a monster in the eyes of some people. If word comes out that Queen is sleeping with a Titan-shifter, shit would happen and I don't want that. And… I'm not even sure if I —"
He was then cut off when he felt two arms wrapping around him tightly, and as soon as he looked down, he saw Historia burying her face into his chest while hugging him close to her.
"Historia?" he whispered out, already starting to feel guilt eating him from the inside when the blonde girl looked up at him with a teary face.
Historia being all emotional and crying while being drunk something he could understand, but now that she was sober and nearly crying at the same time, it made him like shit for making her feel like this.
"What the hell should I do?! Think! I don't want her to be like this because of me! Don't tell me she's really hoping for it!" he told himself, unable to accept the fact that one of the people he truly respected was becoming all emotional because of his own actions.
"I don't… care about any of that…" she mumbled.
"W-What?" he raised an eyebrow at her.
"Remember what I said? That time when you called me normal… it made me… really happy…" she smiled weakly, and Eren could only watch her with his mouth slowly dropping open. "I don't care if I'm Queen… who cares, anyway? It's just a stupid title given to me but the truth is… I'm just Historia Reiss… a normal and honest girl… you know that, Eren… right?"
"I…" he tried to respond, but no other words came out. "She's right, but… it's not enough! I
"Who cares… what other people think? We're both enemies of humanity anyway… we shouldn't care about them." Historia grinned through her tears and buried her face into his chest again. "When Ymir left, I thought that… I was all alone in this world… with nobody left… but then…"
"Wait a minute… she's right. That time in the cave… when I begged her to just eat me…" he said, his mind drifting back to the time when he was captured by Rod Reiss. "She declared herself as an… enemy to humanity… and saved me…"
He sent her one final look before he clenched his fist tightly.
"I called you normal, and I said… I liked Historia more than Krista…" he finished for her, before finally smiled alongside the Queen, forgetting all of the things he said earlier and finally accepting the girl wholeheartedly.
As she smiled happily, Historia began to explain things a bit further. "Eren… I know that it would be somewhat difficult for us, but… I think we can still work something out." The young teen's eyebrow raised at her words, curious to know more. "For now, our relationship can be hidden from the public… and the only ones who have complete knowledge of it would be us. We would still keep to our own business, but in any time I am free, I want to spend it with you. I would rather be with you than any other noble out there, Eren."
As he saw Historia's smile, Eren could feel his heart melt in happiness before he took the nearby blanket on the bed, and wrapping it around her half-naked body, which made the girl flustered for a moment.
He leaned down to her level and placed his hands on Historia's shoulders, his expression full of guilt. "I'm sorry for how I acted earlier… I guess I was just… pressured by everything that was going on in my mind. With how close we are to gaining the truth about the titans, I have no time for something like romance and love… but now I see that I was wrong. Look at you… I almost made you cry, and… that's something I don't want."
"I forgive you, Eren… and I understand your thoughts completely… but I guess I got a selfish as well back there…" Historia said in an embarrassed voice, keeping the blanket wrapped around her as if she was treasuring what Eren gave her, similar to how Mikasa treats her scarf.
"And that just proves why I like you better, Historia. Being selfish is completely normal to everyone's eyes, you know." he admitted with a smile, with no sign that he was lying underneath his voice.
"Then that means…" she muttered, before reaching out her right hand for him to take. "If you would have me?" she asked shyly, her blush growing deeper as he clasped his hand together with hers.
"You don't need to ask me that." he said, before he closed the distance between their lips in a passionate kiss, signalling the beginning of a relationship that could well determine the very fate of humanity in the end.
WTF, 2 FANFICS IN A DAY?! And more than 11k words?! HAHAHAHAHAHA, I guess that proves I love EreHisu so much! Watch out, I have two more fics left to publish so stay with me guys! Let's love EreHisu until the end! We will keep on moving forward until our enemies are destroyed, got it?!
Happy EreHisu day!... again.
Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture*
-Lance