I decided to write a oneshot as an aftermath of Smoke and Ashes. I think how it happened confused some people, gomenasai! Chapter 15 was in Eren's point of view though, so of course it meant he had no idea behind what went on before his precious returned to him! Anywhoodles, oneshot is in Damara's point of view.

Oh, and if you happened to find this before reading Smoke and Ashes, I suggest you read it before this oneshot, lest you get confused!

"Damara."

Eren's voice was soft after the swarm of Titans I had tried to annihilate for the Survey Corp and humanity. We were inside the headquaarters within the walls and Eren insisted on staying in my room with me in spite of Levi's obvious objections. Hanji, with help from Sasha, Mikasa, and Historia, banadaged all of my open wounds while muttering to herself, "All these wounds. How is it that you survived?"

Eren had that same question in his turquoise irises, wondering how I survived the onslaught of my body being ripped to pieces. His fingers laced with mine, gentle, trying not to reopen any injuries. "How...one minute you had no pulse and the next minute you were coughing up blood. How did you..." he trailed off, his eyes cast away from me. I blinked before I tapped my index finger against his hand.

"To be perfectly honest," I whispered, "I have no idea myself. I was...ready to die, Eren."

When his eyes flew back to me, angry and hurt, and his mouth opened, I cut in, "I'm not finished."

His mouth shut.

I sighed. "I looked down at that swarm and thought that jumping into the jaws of death was my purpose as the clawed Titan. I finally remembered that I should have joined my mother and sister in the grave a long time ago. I wasn't supposed to survive this long, Eren. I wasn't even supposed to meet you. The Titan invasion in Trost, where my body was destroyed and I had fallen from the nape of my Titan body's neck changed all that. I thought, before I jumped, that I was supposed to live long enough to know you.

"I knew you wouldn't have let me go if I had told you the truth. Either that or you would kill me. Jumping from the wall and out of your reach was the only way you would be able to let me go and for I to let go of you. I never wanted to see you in pain like that, but as it turns out, it seems to be all that I was good for."

It was silent between us before Eren but out, "You fucking idiot."

My eyes widened, taken aback by his tone until I saw the tears leaking from his eyes. He grabbed my shoulders to keep me steady and I ignored the pain as my body protested against his actions.

"You don't get to make that choice all by yourself," he growled at me. "I told you my dreams, right? That I wanted to take you with Mikasa, Armin, and I to see the outside world and that I wanted to marry you? I still stand by that. Watching someone I love throw herself over the wall and into a swarm of Titans would have killed me, Damara!"

"Eren, I'm one of those Titans, remember?" I told him softly. With another growl, Eren jerked me to him, his lips against mine in a bruising kiss. His lips moved urgently against mine, knocking the air right out of my body. When he finally pulled away, he spoke in a low voice that sent shivers down my spine. "I told you already. You're Damara. One day, I'll make you Damara Jaeger. You are by far the most stupid person if you think I'm just going to let you walk away from me. What happened, when you came back, was a fucking miracle. I am sure as hell not letting you go after some God up there gave you back to me."

He embraced me then and his warmth was solid and real. A feeling like no other overtook me. It was warm, like fire, yet it stirred within me and I hugged him back.

"I do remember one thing, Eren," I whispered finally, feeling that this was the truth behind my miraculous revival.

"What's that?" he whispered back. I smiled faintly before I spoke.

"When I was in the clutch in death, I heard you call my name. You were calling for me to come back home."

"That's impossible."

"Is it really, after everything?"

He ran his fingers through my hair. "I wasn't going to let you leave me."

I smiled. "I know."