Unpredictable Predicament:

(ie; I Have Faith in You)

You let out a sigh, your (h/c) hair sweeping across your face as a gust of wind blew. The trees above you shook, green leaves scraping together, and you tried not to shiver.

"I'll get us out of this, [First]."

You regarded him impassively, clicking your tongue as you did so. "Uh huh. Sure." Your hair was hanging freely, and while you should be glad you were sideways rather than upside down, Eren's frame was practically smothering you.

Grunting in frustration, Eren tried again to lift himself off of you. His hands awkwardly placed against your shoulders, and you grunted in disapproval. The sun was setting in the sky, sending orange and pink streaks across the horizon. You would've appreciated it if not for the fleeting and rough touches across your body, only adding to your scathing irritation.

3DMG accident, the others called it. Eren had slammed into you, on accident, and your wire cords had gotten so tangled – apparently a common mishap, judging by the way everyone laughed it off and the recognition in Shadis' eyes.

"Fucking Shadis," Eren cursed. You wished your superior would've saved you from this, but you didn't blame him. After all -

"It's your fault in the first place, Jaeger."

You expected him to get angry, but all he did was look down at you solemnly. You would've both cringed and rejoiced underneath those intense eyes, if not for your awkward and painful predicament. It distracted you from the green irises that clashed against yours. You couldn't stand him, but you could get lost in those eyes. They said so much with one stare, and you didn't have to deem it romantic. Even his worst enemy could've drowned in a singular gaze, and Jaeger himself wouldn't know why.

"Dammit," he seethed, drawing his eyes away from your momentarily. "You're right. I'm sorry, [First]."

Inexplicably, his eyes began to well up with tears. "Shit. How am I supposed to kill all the Titans if I can't even fix this?"

Feeling strangled – you hadn't expected him to cry, nor did you expect him to apologize above all. You hated each other. You rarely got along. You insulted each other incessantly. There was something about this brunette that stuck a cord within you, and every time you saw him, you couldn't help but feel annoyed and angry.

You stirred from his reaction, and both of you swung.

You were surely going to be sore the next day, with the way you were uncomfortably tangled against him.

"I, uh," you stammered. You hadn't meant for him to cry. A tear slid down his cheek and hit you on the face. "Please don't cry, Jaeger," you attempted lamely.

His eyes were burning, and he blinked back the tears.

"Hey, it's no big deal," you continued. "We can get down before dark."

He swallowed. His face was so close to yours, you could feel his heavy breath. It was difficult not to… no matter how much he irritated you… he was pressed so tightly against you, and every movement practically ground into you.

Physical contact was a rarity, especially for soldiers. Men and women were banned from relationships, especially being trainees, and the only touches you received from the opposite sex was painful punches and kicks in sparring. Obviously, human contact was something everyone craved. You had to rationalize it, because otherwise, you would be lulled by the smell of dewy grass in his hair, and the bodily heat he admitted. The way his muscles strained against yours, and the way he had to hold himself up in order to stop his hips from touching yours.

You noted how sore his arm must be. This wasn't a comfortable position to be in. Your back was aching from the strain, and you couldn't manage how he was faring, attempting to give you as much personal space as possible.

"Jaeger?" you murmured.

Thankfully, he had stopped crying, and was instead keeping his eyes permanently locked in the distance. He was clearly embarrassed from his small break down, with the way he was refusing to look at you. "I'm fine. I didn't mean to cry on you. You must think me even more pathetic than you already do." He attempted a weak chuckle, although you found nothing humorous about his statement. You despised how he constantly put himself down every time he made a single mistake. As far as you were concerned, Eren was as human as you. And humans make mistakes. He had to stop seeing himself as invincible, and start behaving invulnerable.

It scared you, with the way he was so willing to throw away his life.

"Idiot," you hissed, causing his eyes to snap to you in surprise. "I don't think you're pathetic. Don't you dare say that."

"But you hate me!" he hissed right back, clearly puzzled. "I'm the only cadet you still refer to by last name! You tell me daily how much my existence pisses you off." His gaze wouldn't leave yours, and you bit down on your cheek so hard you tasted metallic blood.

"You do piss me off," you whispered, finally relenting. "But that's only because I'm jealous of you."

Silence. Only a small cawing in the distance was heard, and you could feel him burning holes into you, (those damned green eyes) but you refused to look back.

"Jealous? You're kidding, right?"

You didn't reply, and he nudged you with his hand. It brushed against your shoulder, and you nearly leaned into his touch. His hands were calloused, and boyish.

"Hey, [First]. Stop screwing with me. What do I have that you're jealous of?"

Trembling slightly, although you were unsure if it had to do with the cold or with him, you managed to muster the courage to look into his eyes. "You are the bravest person I know. You are the strongest person I know. You never give up, even when the odds aren't in your favor. You're passionate about the silliest things, and you refuse to relent on what you believe in. You're headstrong, determined, and you… and you scare me." You admitted all that in a tiny voice, although you said it all while looking at him. By the time you were finished, you were shaking like the leaves around you. "You scare me because I've never seen anyone like you before. You scare me because I don't want you to end up dying some shit death."

His eyes were wide. His mouth was half ajar. For once, his eyes had dimmed. He seemed… almost disappointed. "I scare you?" he almost mouthed, in the faintest whisper. "You really think all that of me?"

You nodded, desperate for him to believe you. You wanted to nail all this into his head, so he would never doubt himself again. And then you could be quiet. You could go on ignoring him, just as you always did. "You're going to be the best solider out there someday. That's why I am jealous. I wish I could be like you. I wish I could join the Scouting Regiment and fight for what I believe in, but I'm a coward. I'm the pathetic one."

You turned your head, but his free hand grabbed your chin, forcing you to look at him. His grip on your chin relaxed slightly, but you didn't pull away.

"Listen here, [First]. You drive me crazy. You are so stubborn, you know that? You are the kindest person I know, even though you don't act like it. You are so, so strong." He fidgeted suddenly, uncomfortably. You knew sincere apologies weren't something that came easy to them. He looked ashamed of himself, like a child getting caught with his hand in a cookie jar. "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way, with all my comments on the Military Police."

His hand fell away from your chin, and you found yourself missing his touch.

"If anything, I should be like you. Independent. Strong. Kind. You piss me off so much, but that's only because you distract me. I have to focus on humanity, and here you are, with your big eyes and your [h/c] hair." He sent you a sheepish smile, his cheeks burning red. "You walk around like you have no idea what a fucking distraction you are, like you have no idea how… pretty… you are."

You blinked. Once. Twice. There was some disconnect to your brain and your hearing. That couldn't be right. You were nothing special. Just another washed up cadet with little dignity and entitled opinions. You were just another solider, just another pawn in this messed up world. As far as you were concerned, you were plain. Your physical appearance was plain. You didn't have big eyes like Eren Jaeger just described, and you didn't see how your [h/c], [h/l] was such a distraction.

Pretty. It wasn't very eloquent. Eren Jaeger was no prince charming. He was a teenager, same as you, and that seemed as far as his vocabulary stretched in terms of describing beauty. He didn't sweep you off your feet.

He merely called you pretty.

And somehow, that was enough.

He shook his head at your shocked expression, looking equally nervous as he did determined. "You don't have to say anything, [First]. I know –"

"Eren?"

He instantly brightened from the mention of his first name, and not his last, and you could practically feel his heart pounding, in spite of the efforts Eren took to keep his chest away from your breasts.

"Can we not talk anymore? I'm not very good at… this. I'm afraid I'll just end up offending you."

To your surprise, Eren let out a laugh. "Because you've never offended me before."

You scowled, only causing him to laugh harder. The lines around his eyes crinkled, and he suddenly stared at you in pure adoration, making your face erupt in appreciated heat. You moved your legs, and you could feel Eren's against yours, tangled and together.

"How's your arm holding up?" you finally asked, because venturing into a boy's uncharted territory (aka, his goddamn feelings for you) was something you were not prepared for.

He shifted his wrist, grimacing slightly. "I'll manage."

You had to look away as you said this, especially since the turn your previous conversation had taken. "You can stop lifting yourself up. My back is supported enough. You can relax."

At Eren's raised eyebrows, and mischievous smile, your scowl deepened. "What?" you demanded.

He moved his shoulders, almost in a shrugging motion. "I don't know, [First]. I tell you you're pretty, and now you say this. I'm just feeling a little scandalized."

You were about to kick him the shin, or the groin, when you got a better idea. Instead, you bit down on both of your cheeks in order to hide your grin, attempting to shield your expression. Your trapped hand moved, grazing his hip. You slowly moved it to his inner thigh, and –

"[First]?" Eren questioned, his voice squeaking as he spoke your name. "What are you – oh."

He nearly let out a moan before you squeezed.

"Tell anyone about this, and I'll castrate you."

a/n: I know, I'm a total nerdy obsessive loser for writing a x reader (about an anime character) when I'm going to be a junior in high school. I was procrastinating writing my other two ongoing fanfictions when this just... happened? Eren Jaeger is a babe honestly. This is my first x reader ever, and I hope Eren's in character, but let's face it, he's soooo bipolar.

Thoughts?

(I also couldn't decide on two titles so there's that)