Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Chapter 2: Never Alone

It had been a year since Eren and Isabel's parents had died. The funeral had been and gone. There had been lots of people that had attended the funeral. Colleagues of his mum, passed students and friends. A couple of his dads friends from college came as well as a few of his regular customers from the café.

The only family member that turned up to the funeral was Eren's uncle on his mother's side. Other than that…there was no one.

Their uncle had offered them a place to stay but Isabel told him that it wouldn't be necessary. Isabel was 18 and would soon be going to university. Eren had just turned 17 but he knew how to look after himself. Their parents had left them with a good amount of money. They'd be able to live off it for a few years before they found their feet.

Originally Isabel had decided to go a university on the other side of the country but had changed her plans to look after Eren.

They lived in the apartment above the café, which Isabel and Eren worked at in their spare time.

They moved out of the house that they had grown up in and rented it out to a small family. Eren had lost his home once again. He'd didn't even have anyone to blame. The truck driver wasn't really at fault. He'd had a heart attack at the wheel and lost control of the vehicle. Dying at the wheel.

"Eren. Get out of bed. You need to open up the café." Isabel's voice came through Eren's bedroom door.

"Yeah." He replied. He slowly got out of bed and walked out of his room in just his boxers.

"Let me brush my teeth before you go for a shower" Isabel said. Her hair was a mess, tied back in two bunches.

"And brush your hair?" Eren joked. "It's a bit of a mess."

"Shut up you little brat, have you seen yours?" Isabel stuck out her tongue and ran to the bathroom locking the door.

Eren signed and waited on the other side. They'd gotten closer since the accident. Isabel made breakfast and Eren made Dinner. They watched films together quietly and they hardly ever argued.

All they had was each other, they had to rely on each other.

Isabel came out the bathroom. Her hair was tidier but still unruly. "Better?"

"Sure," Eren smiled "What's for breakfast?"

"Eggs and bacon. I've got some black tea too. I went to a little shop just outside of town and found one that we haven't tried yet." Isabel grinned.

For a reason unbeknownst to him, Isabel was obsessed with tea. She bought a different blend every time she was out but however nice it was, Isabel was never happy with it.

"Cool."

Eren went for his shower. He was convinced that showering was the best thing in the world, that and meat.

Eren missed his friends from the survey corps, he missed Mikasa and Armin. God, he even missed Jean's stupid horse face.

Eren lathered his hair with shampoo and scrubbed at his head, the hot water hitting his back and trickling down the rest of his body. He turned around and quickly washed the rest of his body before he let the water pour over his head.

While Eren was showering Isabel laid the table. The plated up the eggs and bacon and set them down. The tea was brewing in a little teapot on their small circular table that could fit four at a push.

"Eren. Its ready!" she called just as Eren walked around the corner. Hair still wet but dressed in a pair of black jeans and a brown long sleeved top. " I swear you have some sort of food radar!" She remarked as she sat down at the table.

Eren joined her, "It looks great!" He said, picking up his fork and stabbing a piece of bacon.

Isabel picked up the pot of tea and started to pour it into two little tea cups that she'd bought at a charity shop. They were both plain white and quite dainty.

Eren picked up his cup. The tea inside was black as night and smelled musky and sort of familiar. Eren raised the cup to his lips and took a sip. The hot liquid hit his tongue. It was musky and strong and….

Isabel gasped, "This is it. This is the one." She took another sip.

Eren recognised the taste immediately. This was the same tea that he drank in the survey corps. The one that Levi, that the Corporal let him have on special occasions. Eren stared at his sister with wide eyes. She had a distant look on her face, the cup just under her nose. She looked like she was trapped in a memory.

"What do you mean?" Eren asked. His voice hopeful.

Isabel looked up, her eyes wide. She'd forgotten where she was. For a moment she was back in underground city, drinking tea with her friends. "it's just really good, right?" She smiled.

Eren frowned, He bit his lip and looked down at his cup. For a moment he had thought..no…he was being stupid. By now he would have noticed something. Right?

In that moment Eren decided to do something. He raised his hand to his chest and made a fist over his heart. To anyone else this would just look like Eren was thumping his chest, but to someone from the past…

Isabel watched Eren, for a couple of seconds the table was completely silent.

"Eren…?" Isabel said slowly. Her eyes a little teary. She took a deep breath. "Ever seen a titan?"

Eren's breath left him in a huff as he lowered his hand. He put his face in his hands and started to laugh. He really didn't mean to. He shouldn't have started laughing but he just couldn't help himself. For years they had been living under the same roof. He thought he knew his sister but apparently they'd both been hiding something.

"Yeah. I suppose you could say that." Eren bit into one of his eggs. " I was part of the 104th training corps."

Isabel leaned forwards. " You were in the army!? Where did you live? How many titans did you kill? How did the die?"

"Calm down Isabel."

"I just, I can't believe it! I thought that maybe I was crazy and none of it had happened." She reached across the table and grabbed Erens hands. "I'm so happy in not alone."

Eren smiled. "we've got each other. You'll never be alone."