Eren spent his free days off with you. After a month of being together, he asked you to teach him sign language. In almost another month he learned and memorized the alphabet and learned enough words to get by. He didn't want to keep writing down what he to wanted say, he wanted to really talk to you. His determination to learn got him catching on quick. Eren wanting to put in this extra effort made you fall for him even more. Currently, it was his day off and you were chatting with Eren, enjoying each other's company.
"Tell me more about your friend's book. Armin is his name?"
"Yeah. I'll introduce you to all my friends someday."
"I can't wait." you smiled.
You were legitimately excited about meeting them.
"The book has descriptions about mountains of sand and a great stretch of salty water call the "ocean"."
"That sounds amazing. Do you really think this "ocean" is salty?"
"I asked him the same when he first told me about it. He thinks so."
The world sounded more exciting than you had ever thought. You can only imagine looking upon a great stretch of water or looking below from a mountain of sand.
"By the way..." you smiled, signing the correct way to sign Mountain, since he spelled it out.
He watched carefully, then mimicked you, giving you a bright smile when he got it right. You nearly swooned, he's too cute sometimes. You and Eren hung out until early evening, there was a curfew on the time he had to be back by. When he stood to leave, you followed him and surprised him with a kiss on the cheek. His cheeks lit up in a lovely red and you soundlessly giggled at his expression. He returned the kiss to your forehead and spoke out loud, speaking carefully so you can read his lips.
"I'll come by tomorrow."
You nodded happily and watched him go until he was no longer visible.
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Eren couldn't stop thinking about you. The way your smile always put a smile on his face, the way your blush sent warmth spreading in his chest.
He remembered when you steeled yourself to tell him about your first-hand experience of the titans in Shiganshina. It infuriated and astounded him. People with voices couldn't get help in time, yet you, without a voice to call for help, managed to escape and get to safety. He thanked the Goddesses you made it out.
Strong, yet delicate.
He found himself thinking that he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if you got hurt, especially if it was at the hands of the titans. He wanted to be there for you, to keep you near, to keep you safe—
"Eren." Mikasa's voice snapped him out of his trance. "Your food will get cold."
That's right, he was eating dinner when he slipped into his thoughts, his spoon hovering above his bowl as if to travel to his mouth, but it never completed its journey. He answered her by softly sighing and continuing to eat. He wondered if you were having dinner. Maybe you already went to bed, it is kind of late...
"Eren." Mikasa called to him again and he shook his head, trying to empty his thoughts.
He just can't focus! He needs to finish eating, so he can get ready for bed. How is he supposed to help rid the world of titans if he can't even focus on dinner?
"Is it Y/n?" Armin asked with a smile.
"I can't stop thinking about her." Eren confessed.
"Eren's got it hard." Sasha teased with a smirk, having overheard the conversation.
Eren pushed his food aside to place his forehead on the table, a hand on the back of his head. He groaned in embarrassment. He can't say anything back because it's true!
"What's the matter, Eren?" Conny joined in, matching Sasha's shit eating smirk with his own. "Can't stop picturing those lips?"
Conny made obnoxiously loud kissy noises his way, making Eren groan again, this time in irrtation. Eren lifted his hand as if admitting defeat, but he brought his hand down as if he was going to bop the back of his own head, but stopped short. Then, he took the same hand, stuck out his index finger and moved his hand in a circular motion, then brought it back down.
A one handed version for the sign 'Leave me alone'.
Eren had you teach it to him to confuse someone when he wanted to be left alone, namely Jean, since he's the one who's more likely than not bothering him. But he saw it fit to use it on Conny and smirked in victory, when he got silent. Eren forced the smirk down, and lifted his head to continue eating.
"What was that?" Conny asked after a moment of silence.
Instead of answering, Eren calmly got up from his table, took his now empty plate and bowl and walked away to take care of them. Armin and Mikasa had no clue what that sign was. Eren had taught them the few words that he knew, but this was a new one. The two childhood friends hurried to gather their dishes after glancing at each other to catch up to him.
"Eren." Armin called, catching up to him and falling into step. "What did you say to him?"
"I told him to leave me alone." he answered, repeating the sign correctly this time, with both hands.
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Eren came down to see you again the next day as he promised, holding your hand as you both walked along the marketplace. It was a little embarrassing, but you were enjoying yourself.
You were head over heels with this young man, but this is what you were afraid of. You were afraid of accepting him as your boyfriend because one day, he might not meet you by your favorite tree like he always did. You might get the dreaded news, the news that he was lost to the war for the cause of humanity.
And now, you can't see yourself without him—Suddenly, you were stopped by a small tug of your hand, then you were looking up at your boyfriend's worried face as he held you by your shoulders and you were reminded of one of the many reasons why you fell for him. Those pretty emerald, green eyes, you could lose yourself in them.
"What's wrong?" he mouthed and you read his lips.
You shook your head and looked away. You didn't mean to worry him.
"Y/n. I promised you I won't leave you behind." he signed.
He knows you so well already, he saw right through you!
Eren promised himself that he will eradicate every single Titan from this planet, not only for his mother, but also for his friends and now for you as well. He knows of your fears, especially because of what happened to your father, but he promised you and he will not break his promise.
He took your hands in his and gave you a quick peck on your forehead for reassurance, before pulling you along once more.
You honestly cannot see yourself without him.
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"Did you see Y/n again today?" Armin questioned him later on in the late evening.
"Yeah."
"How is she doing?"
"She's fine, just worried for me."
Armin nodded in understanding. Titans in and of itself is scary and then you're talking about engaging them in combat. He didn't think he could have a significant other and have them worry for him while he's out. He can't imagine how you feel.
"Will you introduce us to her?" Mikasa spoke up.
"I was thinking about it..." Eren trailed off only to sign the rest of his thought. "I don't know when."
"How about next time you visit her." Armin suggested, Mikasa nodding in agreement.
"Yeah. I guess so..."
"This is Mikasa." Eren introduced his adopted sister.
It's been three days since you've seen him and Eren had ultimately decided to bring his childhood friends with him. You spotted him walking toward you with two guests in tow and had stood, practically bouncing in excitement and happily beaming at them.
"And this is Armin."
"It's so nice to finally meet you! Oh, you didn't tell me how pretty Mikasa was!"
You watched as Eren spoke to his friends, then a soft pink creeped onto Mikasa's cheeks. She lifted her red scarf, trying to hide her embarrassment behind it and you soundlessly giggled. You were pleasantly surprised when the two friends replied to you in sign language, a "Nice to meet you, too.".
You and Eren spent the day hanging out with Mikasa and Armin, chatting about your relationship with Eren, about Armin's book, even about their experiences outside of the walls and the titans. As a Scout, there was only so much they were allowed to tell you, a civilian, but they tried to answer most of your questions with as much info they were permitted to give. You all went for a walk, had lunch together, and evening seemed to roll by quickly. When it was time for them to leave, you said your goodbyes to Eren as you usually did, both of you briefly forgetting his two friends were even there, watching you both give each other bashful affection before he turned to leave. You both blushed when he turned away and you finally remembered they were there, smirking and smiling at the lovey-dovey sight.
"Will you come by again?" you asked Mikasa and Armin. "Safe and sound?"
The two smiled at you. You had a pleasant charm to you that made you feel like you were already part of their inner circle and then you come out with that endearing question. They nodded and Eren added to it further.
"Of course they will." he said. "We'll all come back in one piece. I promise."
You smiled, pressing yourself against Eren in a hug and he hugged you back, until a word came to his mind and he wondered how to sign it.
"By the way..." he started after he pulled away and had your attention. He proceeded to sign and speak out loud so his friends could hear, smirking. "How do you sign horse face?"
Horse, face? What? You tilted your head at him in confusion. What an odd choice of words.
"Eren!" Armin chided him.
Nothing good would come out of learning that and Eren's smirk wasn't helping.
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Eren was fuming. What is it with Conny teasing him about his relationship with you?! Sure, Sasha teased him too, but she had admitted that she actually thought it was cute how infatuated he seemed for you and she knew when to stop.
But Conny! Oh, no, he was having too much fun, it seemed! Then, he had the audacity to ask him if it was okay to meet you! Why, so he can tease you, too? The answer is never! Nope!
"No!"
"Aw, come on, Eren!"
"Leave me alone!"
"I understood that from last time! I promise I'll be nice."
"I'm busy! Stop talking to me!"
"Eren!"
The green-eyed Titan shifter had too many things he had to do before the day was over, so he opted to leave Conny behind to move on to the next thing, which Eren found to be to sweep.
~*~
"Oi! Wake up, you suicidal bastard!" Jean jabbed the end of the wooden pole of his broom in Eren's side, effectively jerking him awake from staring off into space.
Eren immediately retaliated, using his broom like a sword, out of habit, using his other hand to hold his wounded side.
Jean blocked his retaliation, using the wooden pole of his broom with a smirk.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Kirstein?!" Eren angrily grounded out, dipping slightly and still gingerly cradling his side.
"I won't be slowed down by you. If you want to daydream about your girlfriend, do it on your own time!"
"Hate your horse face so much! Go die!" Eren signed, too angry to speak, then walked out of the room to return to his room, so he can check for any bruising.
"The fuck? Get back here and use your words, Yeager! Oi!" Eren heard Jean shout after him, but he couldn't find any fucks to give.
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"Kyaa~! She's so cute!" Sasha loudly exclaimed, rushing toward you.
Sasha had politely asked to see you and since she, unlike Conny, knew her manners, he agreed to take her with him along with Mikasa and Armin, since they were excited to see you again.
You, not expecting a brunette girl to rush at you, jumped high out of your skin.
"Sasha!" Eren chided her as Mikasa sat next to you and rubbed your back in an attempt to calm you.
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"
You, obviously, couldn't hear her, but her body language and apologetic expression suggested that she hadn't meant to startle you.
"Are you okay?!" Eren was quick to check on you, kneeling to properly make sure.
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." you nodded to both him and Mikasa, who nodded back and stopped rubbing your back, but didn't leave your side. "I forgive her, Eren. She didn't mean it."
"She forgives you. Be more careful next time!"
"Okay, sorry."
"This is Sasha Blouse. She's easily excitable."
You giggled at his explanation, then introduced yourself, Eren translating for you since Sasha knew little to no sign language. Since she couldn't sit still, you all decided to take a walk, Sasha happily chatting away, using Eren as translator. The four of you visited a gift shop and food stalls, buying things to eat for lunch later on. Eren recounted the story of how Sasha was known as Potato Girl in their training years and as she protested about telling you that story, you laughed. You all reached your favorite tree again after walking around and decided to sit and relax. Eren pulled out a gift he bought for you while you weren't looking: a pretty, jeweled barrette, the jewel was green and sparkled like his eyes did. You were in awe and, smiling in overjoy. You hugged him happily, but pulled back as if you were burned when he winced and stiffened.
Immediately, your mind went to if he was injured the last time he went out. And you just hurt him! What if he got stitches and you reopened his wound! until he settled you down and lifted his shirt to show you a blossomed bruise with a darker, circular center.
"What happened?!" you asked.
"Where did you get that from?" Armin also voice his concern.
"Damn horse face! He stabbed me with the end of his broom! Who does that?!" Eren irritably answered both vocally and in sign.
"You and Jean." Sasha shook her head. "Why can't you just get along?"
"He can go die." Eren muttered bitterly.
You reached out and gingerly traced the bruise, but damn if you wanted to reach out and trace those abs you saw peeking out. You didn't know exactly how fit he really was! Eren huffed trying to stifle a chuckle before you pulled away. That kind of tickled.
"I'm sorry I hurt you."
"It's OK, you didn't know."
"He kind of sounds like a jerk." you said after a moment of pause.
"Kind of?!" Eren exclaimed aloud while signing.
You started laughing at his face. He looked like he caught a whiff of the smelliest turd and regretted it with all his being.
"Oh, it's funny, is it?" he continued.
"Your face!" you barely signed as you were trying to laugh behind one of your hands.
"My face? What, you mean this face?" Eren made the same face again and you laughed even harder.
Sasha snorted trying not to spit out the lunch she was eating early. Armin also chuckled at his face and Mikasa smiled, seemingly keeping her cool. Eren, himself, started laughing when Sasha mimicked his face. When you finally calmed down, Eren gently took your new gift and clipped it onto your hair. It fit perfectly and it accented you beautifully. He gazed at you with adoration and his look made you blush bashfully.
"I love you."
"I love you."