Chapter 3
In Between The Lines
Disclaimer: I don't own attack on titan, all copyrights go to the creator, whoever that genius may be. So yeah... I don't own it, I wouldn't be writing this story otherwise.
XLine BreakX
It would be an understatement to say Levi Ackerman was having a shitty week.
It had all started with Hanji's death a week ago. That one stung deep down really. Hanji was his only real friend-not that he'd ever tell her, especially now-and losing her was like losing a hand. Everything just didn't feel the same as it used to.
It didn't help that Erwin-the shitty asshole he was-had dropped all of her responsibilities on him until they found someone capable enough to fill in the void of command. Dealing with his own division was hard enough without the traumatized remnants of a broken division piled on top. He even had to deal with her paperwork!
He shuddered at the thought.
He absolutely loathed paperwork.
"Captain Levi, look!"
Cold eyes sharpened on the purple line of smoke in the sky before the sentence was even finished. Purple was followed shortly by a trail of industrious black. He recognized what they meant-it was impossible not to.
Purple Flare; Emergency.
Black Flare; Deviant spotted.
Following the twin trails, his jaw clenched when he saw where it had originated from.
The Western Wing; Fourth Division.
"Tell everyone to hold their position now. The Third Division is with me." He didn't wait for a reply, they were smart enough to do as their told by now, and set off towards the flares origin with extreme haste.
He couldn't let this happen again. He already lost his only real friend, he was to willing to lose the Fourth Division; the epitome of her work.
A familiar surge of hatred burned within him as he felt the ground shake with rhythmic force. Levi clenched his fists as waves of shock ran through his body, and only one word came to mind, laden with impartial disgust.
"Titans."
XLine BreakX
There were bodies, warm and heated bodies undulating together like a mass of heated limbs. There were moans and groans echoing the air, not of pain but of desire. There is heat and sweat and steam and pleasure. There is passion.
Then he recalled Hanji's words.
"Shut up. You caused this. Now... Fix it..."
Blinded by loathing, his Inner Flame reached entirely new feats as it spread through his body and into the massive exoskeleton. Steam vented out of every pore in Eren's body, completely hiding him from sight in a visage of blistering steam. Nearby the cloud of heat, Survey Corps members scattered, running from the steam, and even riding ontheir horses they could feel the searing heat burning their back. They were panicked and terrified, nearing a hysterical level of fear as the Deviant they could only describe as unholy roared with unrelenting rage. Some glanced back at the terrifying beast, but the cloud of steam was still snaking into the sky with a deafening hiss, hiding him from view.
Suddenly, the earth beneath there feet shuddered and all eyes widened in horror as they saw a silhouettes emerge from the pillar of steam.
He had no skin on his body, every step he took, his firm muscles rippled with strength, emitting an aura of raw might. Large elf-like ears of bone were as pointed as his skin missing in a maw of fangs, serpentine tongue obscured by a continuous haze of steam. It was as awe-inspiring as it was terrifying-they had never imagined anything like this could exist, even amongst Titans.
"EVERYONE RUN!" One shouted, though they were unprepared when the Titan kicked off the ground and started running at them, its footfalls sending large chunks of soil flying everywhere and leaving large craters in the ground. The sheer force of each step shook the very earth beneath their feet, and horses stumbled as they lost their balance on uneven ground.
They watched as he let out a bloodcurdling roar and soldiers clamped shut their eyes in fear as the Titan approached.
Behind their eyelids they felt a wave of intense heat and the shaking earth reach a crescendo before it began fading.
Everyone gawked in shock as the steaming beast ran past them, bashing through trees unlucky enough to be in its path. Their eyes got wider when they saw something-someone-wizz by its ear, followed by a trail of blood.
"I-it ignored us?!"
"Graaaaaaah!"
XLine BreakX
Eren's sharp ears picked up the sound of wizzing by his ear, the unnatural whining of mechanics, but it went ignored in his enraged state.
He felt disgusting. He loathed his father with every fiber of his being, and often wondered why he had never gone back and taken revenge, and had come short. At the time he had been curious of her-he'd never been close to another girl (Developed, at any rate) and that curiosity peaked when he had her in his grip. The kiss was to sate his curiosity, instead it had been so much more.
Looking at his current situation, he had come to the horrifying revelation that he had used Hanji like his father used him. As something to experiment on.
Abruptly, burning pain blossomed in his neck. Searing vapor sprayed violently as twin wounds healed over.
"Graaaaaaah!"
Suddenly, his anger reached its tip and he lost all control as his Inner Flame exploded swelled with the power of a supernova.
XLine BreakX
Five Minutes Ago...
Hanji yawned lightly, stretching as she wiggled her toes on the bed in which she'd lost her virginity. She supposed losing ones virginity at nineteen wasn't such a bad thing, not when so many more lost it much earlier.
She'd awoken from her very short nap, much to her annoyance, and had realized she had nothing to where. After a little wandering in the "storage room" as Eren had called it, she found what was apparently an oversized black shirt for men. She had also recovered her glasses, which she found on the bed in Eren's room.
It was a lot cozier then it sounded. Especially now that she wasn't wearing the absurdly tight clothing she did in the Survey Corps. It was the one thing she ever really disliked about them.
Hanji sighed with an odd mix of contentment and boredom as she pondered the "Mystery Titan" that had saved her not too long ago. Honestly, when she thought about it, Eren looked an awful lot li-
Suddenly, everything clicked into place.
Eren taking care of her when she had been saved by a Titan.
Pointed ears? Check.
Fangs? Check.
Green Eyes? Double Check.
She actually felt kind of stupid for not realizing it earlier.
Eren was the Mystery Titan she had been pondering. Honestly, it shouldn't have been that surprising. He was a Half Titan after all, Olympian as he preferred to be called. It wasn't an unreasonable idea that he could tap into the abilities of Titans if his bouts of steam were anything to go by.
"Graaaaaaah!" She jumped as a bloodcurdling roar of rage echoed through the cavern and her heart froze at its familiarity.
Eren.
Without so much of a second thought, she was already running out of the cavern tunnels, clad in nothing but an oversized shirt to protect her.
XLine BreakX
"Graaaaaaah!"
Looking back on it, attacking a literally steaming hot Titan hadn't been the best idea.
He'd seen a lot of things in his life, he'd grown up in the shittiest side of life. He had watched his friends die, whether they were choking on their own blood or eaten my smiling freaks made little difference. As he looked at the being before him, he could honestly say he was dumbfounded at the sight. He definitely wasn't shocked.
He didn't do shocked.
But when he saw the wound at its nape heal seconds after delivering the blow, he felt something an awful lot like it.
Steam came off of its skin even though it was not injured, but instead of slowly billowing off of it like usual, the hot vapor shot out in all directions fast and hard, as if it were escaping from the spout of a kettle. But this was not as surprising as what happened next. As quickly as they came, the jets of steam dissipated, instead being replaced by raw heat emanating from his skin. Angry red fissures formed along its flesh, viscous flames jutting from the volcanic cracks. The heat was so intense that Levi could see the heat waves distorting the light far beyond its own personal space. He started sweating profusely, and his eyes began to water. He had to struggle to keep his gaze on it because he could practically feel the skin on her face starting to burn.
"What the fu-" His breath caught in his threat when blazing blue eyes locked into to him with unparalleled rage.
"GRAAAAAAAAH!"
... It was just not his day.
XLine BreakX
Finding Eren was a lot less difficult then she thought it would be.
It was pretty easy to follow a trail of shattered trees.
Yet, even as her muscles screamed in protest, she powered on as fast as she could.
"GRAAAAAAAAH!"
Her head snapped up and what she saw stunned her speechless.
"Leave...me...ALONE!" Eren, clad in a flaming skinless Titan, suddenly bellowed, his eyes flaring an infernal white as he expelled an unbelievably intense blaze of fire than before, causing Levi-he was impossible for her to miss-to fall to the ground as it burned through his lines like they were wax. She was thankful that they had been trained ahead of time for falls such as his, and sighed in relief when he received no visible injuries or else things might have taken a turn for the worst, the gout of flames quickly incinerated numerous trees that were caught in its path.
That relief vanished, however, as Eren inhaled deeply, the intense glow of inferno emanating from his maw, as he glared viscously at Levi's fallen form. Just as he was about to release the stream of flame she reacted.
"EREN, STOP!"
The reaction was immediate.
Both human and Olympian paused, simultaneously, turning to look at her from the corner of their eyes.
For a moment, Hanji was caught up in the all-consuming terror of Eren's predatory blue gaze, her body locked up and her breathing all but stopped. But then relief poured through her system as his eyes flickered with recognition, white eyes fading to the softer green she was familiar with. The shroud of heat and fire receding as she approached him, leaving only a warm, skinless Titan.
As she locked gazes with Eren, Hanji heard a loud, familiar groan from him, before she found herself scooped up by two large hands. In any other situation, Hanji would've thought a Titan was about to eat her, but the deep, affectionate purr she felt and the gentle movements only made her smile.
Eren stared down at her in his Titan form, emerald eyes watching Hanji closely, and he released a small, concerned moan.
Laughing, Hanji gave his palm an assuring pat. "It's fine—I'm okay."
"Hanji?! What the fuck is going on?!"
Leaning to peer over Eren's thumb, Hanji saw the furious visage of Corporal Levi standing below with the others, most of them already equipped with their 3D maneuver gear. His composure completely lost as he glared up at the two of them.
"Sorry, Corporal!" Hanji shouted, waving her arm sheepishly. "My boyfriend is a...a little angry that you attacked him!" Both Eren and Levi stared at her with wide eyes and open mouths.
Levi's eyes suddenly narrowed, lips twisting into a scowl. "That's it, I'm done. You've lost your freaking marbles." Seeing the Titan glare fiercely at him along with Hanji's pleading pout, he bit back the shudder that almost went up his spine. Finally, he threw his hands up in exasperation. "Fine! Keep the crazy monster! Just keep that flaming pile of shit away from me." Their was no use fighting her and he knew it, if the crazy woman died it was her fault. Or maybe was also a little happy his friend wasn't dead?
... Nah.
Levi cursed his luck. He was going to report to Erwin and he'd be the insane one. "Just stay here, alright? I have to get Erwin for this."
Then he turned around to storm back to camp, his cape flowing behind him, and Hanji sighed in relief as she and Eren watched the short man leave.
Eren made another whine-like noise, turning his head to look down at her with worried eyes, and she shook her head. "He wouldn't hurt you... I think?" He just stared at her, and she chuckled nervously. "Anyway, you should probably..." The hands holding Hanji moved suddenly, causing her to trail off as she was lifted to Eren's face. To be honest, she were a bit anxious being this close.
From here, she could see nothing but him.
But she weren't scared...and judging by the way he was watching her, that was what Eren wanted to see for himself.
Smiling, Hanji stood up and reached out a hand to rest her palm against the Titan's nose, ignoring the heat of his steaming breath that swept over her. He tensed a bit, caught unaware, and Hanji's smile broadened.
"Don't worry, alright?" She told him, eyes softening as she lifted her other hand to brush over his cheek, "You're not a monster, Eren."
He growled affectionately, the vibration rumbling, and her heart swelled when she saw him close his eyes, nudging his face into her hands even more, almost knocking Hanji off her feet in the process.
"By the way," Hanji drawled, watching as he lazily opened one eye to look at her. She grinned back at him. "We're gonna need to have a talk about what we've got between us."
Out of the corner of your eye, she saw one of his pointy ears twitch, and her answer was a small growl while he gently nuzzled her.
Hanji just chuckled, stretching her arms out as far as they could go to embrace the Titan's face in a hug.
"I'll take that as a yes."
They stayed for almost half an hour; Hanji asking questions and even describing some of her experiments while Eren growled out his answers. He was unwilling to change back when so many humans were nearby. He was getting kind of nervous
"Oh, over there! There's some of my squad mates!" she said to Eren as she pointed to a small group of humans approaching from the east. "HEY EVERYBODY! I FINALLY GOT A BOYFRIEND!"
As they openly gaped at the fact their squad leader was riding in the hands of a fucking Titan, Eren approached them and offered a hand Hanji to get down.
When she touched the ground, her comrades were in her in an instant, pulling her away from the skinless Titan. "Captain! Are you okay? What's going on? Why were you in the hands of that Titan?!" her squad demanded.
Hanji just laughed them off. "I told you! He's my boyfriend, he saved me a while ago and we've been hanging out together since!" She exclaimed as she pushed them away and approached Eren.
Eren watched in some amusement as she crawled up his arm, settling on his shoulders where she gripped his hair for support. From there she simply rambled on about random subjects; typically about Titans and their behavior. It surprised him how inaccurate a lot of their information was. Didn't they know that Titans migrated in patterns? Apparently not.
"So how exactly do you get out of that?" Eren chuckled with mirth as her eyes glinted with curiosity. He gently picked her up by her shirt and set her down with equal care.
"Get...back."
As she backed away, Hanji eyes widened with awe as Eren dropped to his knees and bowed forward until his forehead was tapping the ground. His nape suddenly tore open with a mass release of steam and her jaw dropped when Eren stood our of the opening, pulling strings of flesh from his face as he did.
Eren ran a hand through his soaked, steaming hair in annoyance. "I hate it when this happens." Was all he managed to get out before he was tackled to the ground by a black and brown blur.
His eyes widened when he was pulled into a rough kiss and he reacted with equal vigor. It was nearly two minutes later when they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.
They parted with large blushes on their cheeks, or a glare in Eren's case. He recognized this human, Erwin was his name. He remembered the same impassive expression just like he remembered how he hadn't stopped his men from throwing rocks at him.
"What the hell do you want?" Hanji looked at Eren in surprise.
Erwin, to his credit, didn't seemed fazed by the hostile glare. "Do I know you?"
Eren's glare hardened, "I don't know. Does 'Freak' ring any bells? Or maybe 'Abomination'? No? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You didn't seem to care in Shiganshina." His words were laden with venom.
Erwin's eyes widened in shock. Memories of the pale boy his men took their frustration out on. "... E-Eren? How are you here? What happened?" His mind raced as he eyed the significantly taller being in front if him.
This only seemed to infuriate him. "Don't act like you suddenly care! You just stood by when they abused me! And for what?! Because my eyes were different?!" Eren clamped his mouth shut. He was certain he would attack him if he said anymore.
It was Hanji who spoke up. "A-ano... What is Eren talking about?" She shrunk under Erwin's dark gaze.
His eyes hardened as he looked at her. "Where were you?"
Hanji flinched, "I-I was..." But Eren cut in as he stepped infringing of her.
"She was injured and I saved her. You can't blame her for anything that happened. This is between you and me, Erwin. You want to talk? Let's talk..."
Erwin stared at Eren fit a long moment before speaking, "... Eren. I am not gonna beat around the bush, so I will get to the point. Are you a threat to humanity?" Erwin said seriously.
Eren growled in annoyance, his good mood soured. "I don't give two shits about humanity. For all I care, they can stay in the walls and live like livestock." He glared at Erwin, "Yet, somehow... I don't think I will be able to go home..."
"We don't have your power, we are nearly powerless before their strength and brute force. However we do have our ingenuity and intelligence beyond basic instinct. We developed devices called 3D Maneuver Gear-" Eren mentally snorted at that. He lived in the wild, he wasn't stupid. "-to use our smaller size to our advantage so we can better attack the one vital spot on a Titan. The nape of their necks. We use swords to cut into them, ending their existence." Levi demonstrated the device's capabilities swinging and grappling gracefully through the trees, as well as slicing off some branches.
"I would like your help, Eren." Eren frowned at Erwin in confusion.
"Why would I possibly help you?"
"Humanity has been wallowing in despair, powerless to its tormentors for too long. I want to give them hope, I want to defeat the Titans and show humanity the outside world. My job as the commander of the Scouting Legion, is to pave the way for Humanity's expansion, life outside the walls. Every step a Titan takes is a step we as humans lose. I am tired of losing, I want to win. So I ask of you, can you help all of us win? Can you help humanity advance?" The glance Erwin spared Hanji was not lost on Eren.
Eren was conflicted. Humans, by their very nature, were fickle and frail as they were cruel and judge mental. The fact that they were basically slaves to a gigantic wall wasn't helping their case. Why would he help them? On the other hand was Hanji; a human who he not only liked, but one he wanted to seek a relationship with. He knew that she would have to return eventually with or without him. Even I'd he were to leave, he was more than aware that they would not simply let him go. His life would be that of a hunted animal.
He would also be lonely...
What should I do?
Eren looked down, Erwin was still waiting on an answer, still staring directly at him with his hands behind his back. Levi was on a branch leaning against the trunk interested in his answer.
Eren looked up with an irritated glare and hissed out his answer.
"We both know I don't have a choice."
XLine BreakX
Later that evening, Eren could be found sitting in the forest around the cavern he called home.
The home he now had to leave. He didn't want to leave, but he had to. At this point it was inevitable.
Glaring at the tree, Eren glanced at his twitching hand. He now had four other humans aside from Hanji in his home. Both he and Erwin agreed that he had no intention of leaving him alone, especially after seeing what he was capable of. So they came to a simple compromise. He would take Hanji back to his home while they returned to the walls. The following day, they would follow them to said walls and he hadn't really said anything further.
Making a fist he closed it before shaking his head, it was time to move on to something else. He glanced at the moon, taking in it's position. He had about half an hour left before it was time to sleep. He already told Hanji where to find the food, namely the large store if fruits.
So for the rest of that time, he worked on his fire control. This meant practicing with his Inner Flame to help him with resistance. He was afraid of losing control like he had earlier today again. Once the time had passed, he immediately felt one more presence.
Yet, every time he concentrated on himself he trailed back to his situation, though, his transformation wasn't on his mind, either...
It was the person that had caused it, who he had used...
She probably doesn't want anything to do with me. Not that I blame her... Eren thought to himself before sighing heavily and getting up, giving up completely on the idea of meditation, his head bowed slightly and gaze lowered...
"Eren?" The voice made Eren freeze and as he slowly raised his head and looked up at the person, he had to force himself not to act any differently than he normally would. "Are you busy? I...I want to talk about what happened..."
"Not really, no. I was meditating, but I can't really focus. How was dinner?" Eren asked, as he sat on the ground. Hanji gave a sigh as she sat beside him, giving him a kiss on the cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.
"Alright, speak. What's on your mind?" Eren spoke up after internally biting back the urge to run away.
"Well, I...I guess I should start off by apologizing about my behaviour that day. I guess I was a bit forceful at times and I didn't exactly give you the chance to calm me down, so...I'm sorry." Hanji finally explained as she rubbed her cheek up against his own. She squeaked in surprise when she found herself being lifted in a Eren's strong arms as he began to walk home.
Snorting out a puff of steam, Eren smirked again and shook his head, his reaction confusing Hanji and irritating her a little. "And just what's so funny? I'm trying to apologize-"
"-for nothing. Remember what I said when we first met?" Eren finished and then questioned, confusing Hanji a little more. Rolling his eyes, Eren slumped down before turning back towards the woman, who was looking up at him with wide eyes behind her glasses. "I like it when people stand up to me, so there's nothing for you to apologize for. Besides, I should have been more forceful with myself and made you calm down. Either that or I shouldn't have kept up the teasing like I did..." He muttered bitterly as they passed through the tunnel and came upon the path of river rocks that led from the shore down to Eren's island.
"..." Hanji blushed heavily while plopping down into Eren's lap, mumbling something incoherent under and burying her head in the crook of his neck when they passed the best skin cover leading to his bedroom.
"I said 'I didn't mind; You were my first and I loved it'! OKAY?!" Hanji yelled before her entire face turned a dark red, Eren's eyes going wide in surprise by what she had just said. Even more embarrassed by what she said, Hanji quickly looked away before she continued. "I don't know what it was that made me do it, but when you kissed me, I felt...I don't know how to describe it. It was like...a jolt of electricity that shot through me and suddenly, everything was so much clearer. Yes, you drove me to the brink with your teasing, but when you kissed me that first time..." Hanji continued to explain her feelings while Eren simply stayed silent and listened, eyes glinting with curiosity. She suddenly scoffed and rolled her eyes at a thought. "This is going to sound really cliché and cheesy, but I can't think of any other way to explain it. When you kissed me that first time, I felt like my life went from being stuck in a chaotic shit-storm of insanity to being in a peaceful paradise..."
"That doesn't sound very cliché to me. I mean, look at where we are right now..." Eren remarked, gesturing to his little hide-away, his home. Burying his nose in Hanji's hair, Eren tilted his eyes up and stared up at the screen of vines covering the hole in the ceiling, noticing how the moon was full in the dark night sky. "I never imagined that I'd ever find a place like this. But I did. And to be honest...I never thought I'd find someone that actually liked me for me...but I did...or at least, I thought I did..."
"Eren..." Hanji whispered with a look of shock and a bit of hope, wondering if he was talking about her or not. Snorting out a decent sized cloud of steam, Eren inhaled her scent, the mixture of honey and roses. It was then he decided to take a chance.
"Hanji?"
Her eyes met his with a light blush on her cheeks. "Y-yes?"
"Well... I've been curious about something for a while now." He moved his hand off her cheek and brushed it over the edge of her lips.
"C-curious about what?" She was shaking a little as he took his hand away and rubbed his back softly, but if it was from fear or excitement she didn't know.
"Just something about flavor." He wrapped her in a gentle hug as he leaned in.
His lips met hers gently, as though trying to show his feelings in a way words couldn't, and when she responded he guessed it had worked.
All Hanji could think about was how warm and firm Eren felt against her at this one moment, and how gentle and careful he was being as he deepened the kiss ever so slowly. Hanji's thoughts went totally blank when she felt something brush up against her bottom lip and she couldn't stop herself from parting them. The moment after doing so she felt something slip into her mouth and hesitantly brush up against her tongue and the only thing that went through her utterly blank mind was the sweet taste in her mouth and the feeling of Eren pulling her near limp body closer as her eyes slipped shut, enhancing this moment of sweetness she was experiencing.
They remained like this for about two minutes, two minutes of Hanji experiencing pure bliss while Eren's mouth flooded with the taste of sharp strawberries, no doubt from the fruits she had eaten earlier. And while he took his time, not pushing too much or forcing her to keep going he flicked his tongue around in her mouth until he hit one spot and noticed a sort of natural sweetness behind the strawberries, one that made his skin prickle with giddy Goosebumps. And once he pressed up against that spot again, only deeper this time, the flavor shot up making him smile into the kiss as he laid back, letting Hanji hang limp on top of him as they kissed.
Soon though they both had to breathe and Eren pulled back, finally letting Hanji's brain turn back on as they both breathed heavily "You…that was…" She couldn't even finish the thought let alone the sentence with what little brain power she had at the moment.
"Hmm, guess I was right..." Eren mumbled with a humorless smirk and a slight shake of his head as he wrapped his arms around her. "Deep and emotional thinking just doesn't suit me very well."
"Well...I think it does..." Hanji mumbled out into his chest, her words going unheard as she, once again, averted her gaze to somewhere other than Eren. That was when Hanji thought of something, wanting to redirect the conversation from melodramatic emotions to something more lively and entertaining. Like a game.
"Hey, Eren. Do you know how to play Twenty Questions?" Hanji inquired while seemingly pulling out a couple dice from thin air. Cocking an eye brow, Eren slowly shook his head negatively, uncertain as to what Hanji was planning. Said woman only started grinning impishly. "Don't worry; I'll teach you."
XLine BreakX
Eren woke with a great feeling of warmth in his chest. Seeing the chestnut mop of hair buried in his chest only intensified the feeling.
It was the most peaceful sleep Eren had ever had before. He quite enjoyed the comfortable sleep. Hanji was a quite sleeper. She never danced around the bed while she was sleeping. She only slept quietly. She was also peaceful and ''cute'' when she was asleep. You could not say that a sleeping Hanji is the same as the one who is always hyperactive and curious of the world around her.
He was happy that he had gone through with this. It was most surprising that she had even wanted to sleep with him again, but after their talk he guessed he understood. He did not think that a human would be anywhere near, let alone with him. But then again, Hanji was different. The fact that she hadn't been fazed by his appearance should've made that point obvious. Her curiosity towards his condition did not make him like her any more less. In fact, he longed for her even more. Now he had her, she was his girl now.
He remembered everything he had learned about her. She loved fruit, strawberry in particular. She had a peculiar infatuation with Titans. She loved learning things that no one else understood. She loved the moon and the stars. She secretly adored flowers and so much more that made her special to him , not only as a human, but as a person.
He remembered the hilarious look on her face when he told her he was fifteen and the equally surprised look on his face when he learned she was nineteen.
He also recalled her last question.
Will you be my boyfriend?
He also recalled she had already called him that, but his answer had been immediate.
Yes.
The sex that came afterwards was, to out it simply, amazing.
Sweat. Passion. Moaning. Pleasure. Climax. Love.
Love.
That's what had been born that night amongst a mass of tangled limbs and passionate cries of ecstasy. Perhaps not a stable love, but it was new and still needed time to cement its roots.
The thought sent pleasant shivers down his spine, and as he wrapped his arms around her waist, he simply watched her with a gentle gaze.
XLine BreakX
"Hmm~" Hanji moaned as she awoke with an odd mix of contentment and excitement, currently finding herself held to Eren's warm body by strong arms, who looked to be asleep still. While they could have gone much longer, Hanji hadn't thought it a good idea to return home with useless legs, Eren had conceded to the point. Like the last time she woke up in his bed, she was stark naked while Eren's body more than warmed them up so they hadn't needed a bed sheet if any sort.
Looking around Eren's bedroom and actually paying attention this time, Hanji saw things she hadn't seen last time. One wall was completely hidden behind a couple bookshelves of similar design as his dresser, each one completely filled with old books, while on the wall beside the bed, there were a handful of shelves that held a number of objects. That was when her eyes caught sight of a plaque next to the shelves.
Gently slipping out from under Eren's arm and getting out of bed, she slipped a pair of bra and panties one of the corps had been keeping on hand (She didn't bother asking why. Everyone had their quirks) and walked over to it and found it to be a beautiful pair of black swords, both easily longer then she was tall. The only time she had ever seen anything like this was in children's storybooks. She saw words
"'Like stars in the sky, these blades will cleave a path of fire.'. Wow... Impressive." Hanji muttered before she noticed identical words carved into the center of each blade and proceeded to read it out loud to herself, but quietly so as not to disturb Eren. "'Sternbrand'? What does that mean...?" Gently lifting the one of the blades, both were named Sternbrand, from its cradle, Hanji tenderly held it in her hands, only to gasp quietly when she realized just how well-made it was along with the design on the blade, which had a long blue bar in its center. Most swing was the fact that it weighed little less then a feather. From the bed, Eren couldn't help smiling slightly, glad to know that she liked them; they were his greatest creations. He had woken up almost as soon as she slipped out from under his arm and, after seeing what time it was, had simply watched Hanji as she was distracted.
"Do you like them?" He asked suddenly, making Hanji squeak and jump slightly out of surprise. Blushing furiously, Hanji set the blade back on the stand before turning back around to Eren, nodding slightly.
"Yes, they're beautiful." She answered before suddenly shivering a little bit, finally noticing that it was a bit chilly in the room. Crawling back into bed, Hanji quickly snuggled up against Eren, who was always unnaturally warm and made her think of him as a human space heater. Looking up at him as she started to warm back up, Hanji rested her chin on his chest. "Where did you find them? They must have cost a fortune."
"I didn't find them and I didn't buy them. I made them." Eren's answer shocked Eren to her core, prompting him to give her a fanged smirk at the look on her face. "What? You think I have that anvil and metal out there for decoration? I've been forging weapons for almost six years, Hanji. I originally took it up in order to better train my Inner Flame, but it eventually just became a hobby. Besides, I live way outside of the Walls, where would I possibly get these?"
"You're really amazing, you know that?" Hanji mumbled with a huff before resting her head on Eren's chest, pressing her body flush against Eren's with her hand resting on his chest, a small sigh of contentment escaping her as she smiled softly, "How did you even make them? They felt lighter than the blades I use in the corps?"
Eren chuckled, "That's a rather interesting story..."
XLine BreakX
Flashback Begin...
It was night and a meteor shower was happening. Eren, along with Fenrir and Freya were watching the shower as streaks of blue and white zoomed across the sky. "Wow, this is amazing to watch." Eren muttered softly with a look of awe. "Kind of makes you realize how insignificant we are." He mused.
Fenrir and Freya huffed in agreement as they gazed at the stars. It was a truly humbling thing to see.
There was a brief flash of light and Eren saw one of the meteors come flying down from the sky. "Oh man, something tells me this is gonna be interesting." Eren told his companions as he stood up. The meteor flew over their heads and crashed somewhere behind a hill. They quickly hurled themselves into a run towards the smoke.
As he reached the smokes source his mouth dropped open in awe.
"This... I've never seen anything like it." Eren muttered, mesmerized by the crater before him. The meteor had crashed into a field next to a large creek. The crash site had been set ablaze with radiant blue fire. The meteor itself was nearly half his overall height which, to say, was a lot and twice as wide. It held a dark blue hue that he'd only ever seen in the night sky.
He sat down and stared at the meteor thoughtfully, his furry companions sitting on their haunches right behind him. It was impossible to take the meteor right now. He was highly resistant to fire, that did not make him immune to it, especially not against the fire of a star. He could feel the heat twenty feet away. If he couldn't take it now, their was only one option.
He would wait.
It was a surprisingly short time later that the flames finally died, a few hours at most, and the sun had already begun to dawn. He approached the rock at the center of the crater, the burned earth was warm between his toes.
The meteor was warm to the touch, he had no doubt that it would sear human fingers, but he was not human. In a show of inconceivable strength Eren wrapped his arms around the fallen star and hefted it off the ground, up onto his shoulders.
He looked towards the east, the stars were a useful map, and sighed.
"This is gonna be a long walk.
XLine BreakX
As he planted the meteorite on the ground next to his forge, he knew what he would use it for.
He'd make a sword.
Blacksmithing was a common craft in the Walls, but sword-making? It was forbidden and with good reason. What King would want the rats at his doorsteps to wield swords?
He'd tried several dozen times to recreate the swords from the fairy tails in his books before something even remotely similar to a sword came out and several more to make a sword that could be used. Their were small tips in the art, each with its own importance. How the hammer struck the metal, how much heat a blade could handle before it bended. He refined his skills until making finely tuned blades was merely a pastime. Of course, finding the ore for such pastimes was easier than expected. The caverns he lived in spanned several miles deeper then his own home and probably deeper, he'd never actually gotten to the end yet. Their was only one problem.
He couldn't use any weapon he made. His hands were too strong and the iron was too weak, simply gripping the hilt would warp it with finger marks, slashing tore it completely off.
Fenrir was terrified of swords to this day.
He needed something stronger, more durable than any metal he had ever touched. Eren slammed his fist into the meteor as hard as he could, and his fingers burst in a haze of steam.
Despite the pain of crushed knuckles, Eren's grin couldn't have been wider.
He would make the strongest blades on earth; Swords born from a star.
He set to work. He started up the forge and kept it going by shoveling coal into it until it was hot enough to stand on its own for a while. He brought the meteorite next to the forge and had Freya fetch the hammer and chisel.
He brought the chisel forward and held the chisel over the meteorite while he drove it in with his hammer. The simple task took nearly an hour, even with his herculean strength. After that was done, he grabbed a smaller hammer and chiseled away smaller fragments of the meteorite. It was hard work, even more so with the forge going behind him and making him steam.
He found the blue hue of the meteor was merely a shell not even an inch deep, probably caused by that star fire, that gave way to onyx black ore.
He placed the shell aside for later and continued pounding away.
He finally broken the meteor down to a pile of chunks, placed half of them into the forge and he took to working the billows.
The smelting process took all night, but he never left the forge. When he awoke from sleep, he would get back to work by putting more coal into the fire. By the time morning came, the ore of the meteorite had melted down into liquid. He pulled out the crucible with a pair of tongs and poured it into a mold of a greatsword, a large weapon he'd seen knights in the pictures of fairy tails wielding. He hammered the metal into shape, including a groove in its center, and once he felt it done, plunged it into a barrel of water, cooling it.
He then took the meteors shell and melted it down until it to was a molten liquid. The process took nearly two full days.
Taking the melted material, he carefully filled the greatswords groove with it. As he cooled the metal, he took his chisel and paused.
Now he needed a name.
It was a habit of his. One of the older books of his collection was on a different language called 'German'. He liked the way the words rolled of his tongue and he needed a trademark for his art pieces, even if no one would likely ever see them. So along the blade of every sword, he chiseled a name into them; a mark that would give it life.
This one, however, needed a unique name, something special enough to match it. He briefly remembered what he thought when he observed the meteor.
'He was highly resistant to fire, that did not make him immune to it, especially not against the fire of a star.'
'The fire of a star.'
'Sternbrand.'
Star Fire.
Once the actual blade was done, Eren took out a piece of white cloth and wrapped it around the hilt. He repeated the strenuous process with all of the remaining ore.
By the time he was finished, he realized he spent just short of week in his forge with the occasional meal bought in by Freya. As he gazed at the pair of swords, only three words came to mind.
Totally worth it.
The sheaths were dark blue, but otherwise plain. He took the hilts into his hand and gently nudged them out their sheaths.
Even though he'd seen it a dozen times, he was still awed by it every time.
Each blade was five and a half feet in length and surprisingly light in his hands. The distinctive dark hue glimmered against the light of the forge, the dark blue groove with the indentation "Sternbrand" spelled out in fanciful letters. He gripped the white, cloth-wrapped hilt a little tighter as he took a few experimental swings.
With a small blush, he struck a grandiose pose shamelessly and proclaimed, "I am the knight Artorius! Face me, Fiend, and be vanquished by my hand!" He slashed the greatswords in wide arcs, marveling how they seemingly cut the air.
The sound of crashing metal caught his attention and he realized only too late his anvil was in three different pieces.
"SHIT!"
Flashback end...
XLine BreakX
"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Hanji's brown eyes closing contently. "Mmm...You're really comfy, you know that?"
"I'm what?" Eren muttered quietly with surprise, actually blushing a little. Being called 'comfy' wasn't something he was used to hearing. In fact, it was the first time anyone had called him that or anything close to it. However, instead of answering him, Hanji yawned tiredly as the warmth coming off of him was starting to lull her back to sleep. Turning over on her side with her back to him and curling up slightly with her head resting on his shoulder, Hanji started dozing off. Smiling slightly, Eren hesitantly rolled onto his side as well and wrapped an arm around the small female, holding her flush against him. It was still kind of early in the morning and they hadn't gone to bed until late last night, so he guessed that a few more hours of rest wouldn't hurt. Holding her a bit tighter to him and making sure she was comfortable, Eren lightly kissed the side of Hanji's neck just below her jaw, making her smile sleepily and quietly mewl with approval. "Sweet dreams, Hanji..."
"Mmm...My Eren-kun..." Hanji mumbled softly before going silent once more, drifting off into a peaceful slumber while Eren blushed at the simple, but affectionate pet name. His blush slowly got worse, however, when he realized Hanji had called him 'her Eren-kun'. Deciding to just ignore it, Eren figured she had only said it because she was half-way between consciousness and sleep, thus, she just slurred whatever it was she was actually trying to say...That had to be it. Sighing heavily, Eren shoved those thoughts aside and buried his nose in her hair, closing his eyes as he relaxed and soon started to fall asleep as well.
XLine BreakX
Around two hours later, just as dawn was reaching the sky, Eren slowly woke up just as Hanji was getting out of bed, her movement being the cause that had disturbed his slumber. Silently watching as she headed towards the bathroom while taking her shirt off, Eren couldn't stop himself from staring at her nearly bare rear, but then again, he wouldn't stop himself even if he wanted to; her ass was simply too perfect to ignore and he was simply too shameless to not blatantly stare. He was caught, however, when Hanji paused in the doorway to the bathroom for a moment to toss her bra behind her, only to find him staring at her. Although she blushed and looked a bit embarrassed about it for a moment, Hanji quickly gained a seductive smile as she took pride in the fact she had his interest while locking eyes with Eren. Not saying a word, Hanji kept her back to him as she pulled her hair tie out and let her hair fall freely to reach down just past her shoulder blades before slowly taking her panties off, bending over at the waist in an over-exaggerated way to ensure his attention was focused entirely on her butt, only to disappear behind the bear skin that hung down in front of the bedroom entrance, just as they did for almost every other doorway in his home.
"Damn tease..." Eren grumbled quietly with a mock pout before hearing the sway of water. Getting an idea and smirking mischievously, Eren got out of bed and started getting undressed as well. Sure, he was taking a big risk of getting his ass kicked, but he didn't much care about that; it's not like he wouldn't heal. Besides, he wouldn't have to take a bath later and it would give them more time to do something else. So, silently slipping into the water, Eren snuck in behind Hanji before suddenly wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up off our of the water.
"AAHHH! EREN! YOU JACKASS!" Hanji screamed, only to start laughing, which kind of surprised the Olympian a bit. He had expected her to freak out and either kick him out of the water or try to beat the shit out of him, if not attempt both at the same time, but not for her to laugh. Not about to his chance for granted, he set her back down in the water, onto his lap gently as Hanji to looked up at him with a look of contentment.
They silently sat like that for awhile until Hanji spoke up. "You... Do you remember our conversation last night?"
Eren snorted as he nuzzled her head. "How could I possibly forget?"
She chuckled, "We were talking about what was going to happen to...You know, us. Did you know that you like to express yourself and your emotions a whole lot more when we have sex?" Hanji inquired while looking back up into Eren's eyes, smiling a bit teasingly. Grumbling under his breath with a fierce blush of embarrassment, Eren looked away. He did not know that little fact about himself. Now that he did, he could honestly say he had every intention of "expressing himself" more often. Focusing back on her self-appointed task of washing her lover's body, Hanji continued with what she was saying. "You said that you felt like a bastard because you think you used me. How you felt that you were like your father. That you expected to wake up one day with me in your arms, only to be disappointed when you realized that I left. You even admitted that I was your first lover as well...I still don't see how that's possible with how good you are."
"..." Eren said nothing as his blush only worsened while still glaring at the wall, something that made Hanji snicker, glad to know she was still able to tease him about something. While a bit difficult, she now knew that it wasn't impossible to embarrass the giant and she was going to enjoy herself while doing so on occasion. While she finished with him, Eren ducked back under the water to rinse off his hair before pressing his hands against her shoulders and giving her a brief kiss before she could attempt any sort of protest or objection. A moment later and it was now Hanji's turn to blush once more as Eren returned the favor by washing her body for her, pressing behind her as he did. She was silent for a couple minutes until after Eren was finished and she rinsed off, setting the bar of soap back in its proper spot on the wall. Eren stayed behind her with his arms gently wrapped around her, letting her lean back against his chest as they simply relaxed with the warmed water for the moment.
"I practically confessed my own feelings for you, too. I told you that the reason I didn't say anything at first was because I was afraid. I didn't know what I was feeling and it scared me. Plus, I didn't know how you felt about everything. I was afraid that what we shared that night meant nothing to you." Hanji paused slightly at that moment with a frown as she looked down, only to suddenly feel Eren's strong fingers cup her chin and tilt her head back before he captured her lips once again. Moaning softly into the tender and loving lip-lock, Hanji was left breathless and stunned when they broke apart after only a few seconds, her eyes glazed over as she stared into Eren's.
"What we shared, while unintended, is something that I'll cherish for the rest of my life, Hanji. For the first time, I was able to feel Love outside my pets and everything that came with it and not in a familial way, either. It was a love between mates. Whether we stay together or never see each other like this again after this, just remember that every time I look back on what we shared, I'll think of you and I'll smile. I know what I meant when I said yes last night, we can go at whatever pace you want, so long as you're happy. I know I am just by having you near me." Eren, who hadn't broken eye contact the entire time he spoke, finished by kissing Hanji again with more passion and emotion than before. Moaning softly, Hanji slowly turned around and pressed herself against him, neither one wanting the moment to end. As they slowly separated, Hanji couldn't stop the tears from welling up in her brown eyes as she smiled up at him. Seeing the tears, however, Eren started to worry that he might have said something wrong, but before he could try to apologize, Hanji pulled him down once more and gave him a soft kiss on the lips that lasted for only a moment.
"You said those same exact words last night, all the way down to the kiss. At first, I had thought it was just the guilt, so I didn't think much of it. Now, though...I know that it was your heart." Hanji trailed off for a moment to wipe her eyes and take a calming breath, unable to believe what she was about to say, letting her right hand rest on the left side of Eren's chest, directly over his heart, while she took his right hand in her left. Eren was surprised when she took his hand and placed it over her left breast so that it rested over her own heart, but not exactly in a sexual manner. "I'm not very good with words, so I'm just going to come out and say it, okay? I didn't know what it was that I was feeling, but after talking with you, I now know that what I was feeling...was Love."
"Hanji...What-" Eren cut himself short while Hanji smiled at him, taking another deep breath to settle her nerves as she gathered the courage to finally say it.
"I love you, Eren-kun..." She admitted softly. Eren's eyes went wide and he didn't say anything for several long moments, staring off into the distance blankly. Growing worried and a bit fearful because of her still lingering insecurities, Hanji tried to get a response out of him. "E-Ere-"
She was interrupted, however, when she felt Eren smash his lips against hers. Feeling his tongue press against her lips, she opened her mouth and allowed him access, moaning heartily as their tongues rubbed against one another. Slowly looping her arms around his neck and shoulders, Hanji felt that all-too familiar fire ignite within her core as she hooked one leg around Eren's hip and waist, pressing closer to him. Feeling one of his hands squeezing her butt cheek as he started groping her left breast with his other hand, Hanji grinned into his mouth while blindly reaching over and running her fingers on his hair, only to be pushed up against the wall a moment later, drawing out another deep moan from her. Eren then put his hands on Hanji s chest and pushed her back a bit while regaining his footing, catching her off guard and confusing her slightly.
"Dry off. We have to leave soon or Erwin will come for us...okay?" Eren ask softly, getting a look of supreme annoyance at the mention. Eren kissed her on the forehead, something that made her blush slightly. "We can finish our activities inside the walks, alright? Erwin can go fuck himself."
He felt "Little Eren" jump to attention when she got out of the water, smiling deviously as she left with an sway to her hips.
"I hate you so much, Erwin..."
XLine BreakX
"Neh, Eren-kun?"
"... Yes, Han-chan?"
"Would you transform for me?"
Eren sighed in exasperation as he continued running alongside Hanji's horse, clad in familiar black pants an cloak, a large pair of leather straps forming an 'X' on his bare chest. If anyone were to look under the cloak, they would be shocked by the five foot blades strapped to his back.
He was forced to leave Fenrir and Freya when he realized how people would react to them. Though it was a tearful separation, he had promised to return for them once things were settled. He also found it comical how Hanji reacted, practically leaping on his arms in less than a second.
"Not now, Han-chan. We both know that they wouldn't react well to a Titan of all things approaching their gates."
"C'mon, don't be like that..." Hanji whined with a childish expression.
Eren resisted the urge to face fault at her comment, as he had no intention of stumbling at such high speeds. Eren opened his mouth to reply when a sudden feeling of electricity jolted up his spine, causing him to nearly fall over. Hanji wore only a pair of tight brown pants and a white button up shirt, which he personally believed made her boobs look bigger.
Hanji noticed this and looked at him worriedly. "Are you alright?"
Eren's body shuddered, "I don't know. It felt like electricity rocketing up my spine or something."
"Hanji? What's the matter..." The words died in his throat at the sight before him.
An absolutely Colossal Titan standing sixty meters, well above the wall it leaned on, raising its foot in preparation for a kick.
When its foot met the wall, they felt the shockwave from over two miles away.
XLine BreakX
YAY! We're finally getting to the main storyline! I feel so proud of myself for writing so much, my hands hurt a from typing so much in a single go! For those of you asking about the holes in my story, don't worry! I'll be addressing Cain and Mikasa next chapter, so no worrying about that! I've already decided on the direction of this story so now I'm just writing most of it out.
I'd also like to tell you how much I appreciate the reviews. Don't really care of their flames, as long as there constructive. So thanks!
THANKS FOR READING GUYS!
AtlanticFire Signing Off!
