Crossing the lines between us || aot x reader

'Tis the damn season

Before you knew it, the warm autumn breeze turned to the cool chill of December. Things seemed to return to normal between yourself and Jean, well as normal as they could for now. The bruise on his chin felt like it would never disappear to you. On top of that, knowing his true feelings for you changed your dynamic entirely and made being alone uncomfortably awkward.

Your tutorial sessions with Levi went smoothly for the rest of the semester. He never said a word regarding the events of that night he walked you home. Although, sometimes you'd catch him staring at your wrist with a concerned look on his face, but he'd never bring it up.

As for Eren, the two of you entirely stopped talking, the air within the apartment felt colder then the winter wind outside. Not only were you ignoring each other's presences, he also stopped inviting over any sexual escapades of his to stay the night, but you amounted that to him buckling down on his studies being that it was finals month.

It was so silent between you two, you didn't even tell him when you were going home for the holidays and vice versa. It wasn't till you both had your suitcases stacked at the front door that you realized you were both leaving for you hometowns on the same day. Except you were taking the train and he was driving home in his beat up Honda Civic.

"I didn't know you were done your exams," Eren looked over to you, for the first time since that day.

"My last one was yesterday," you replied while zipping up your winter jacket.

"Shit," Eren ran his hand through his hair, "if I knew I would have offered to drive you back, there's still room, it's just me and Reiner."

"I already have my train ticket," you opened the door, tugging your suitcase behind you.

"Let me at least drive you to the station," he asked, holding the door for you.

You shook your head, "The stations only a block away, I'll be fine. See you in Marley."

"Yeah, sure," Eren sighed, "I'll see you around town."

The train ride felt like it took forever, and yet still you managed to make it home before Eren did, you assumed. Instead of his car parked in their driveway, a tall shaggy bearded blonde haired man leaned against the garage door smoking a cigarette. It was Zeke, Eren's half-brother.

As you were about to step out from your moms car, he called out your name. Your mom nudged you to go say hi to the neighbor and reassured you she'd bring your luggage in to the house for you.

"Hey Zeke," you crossed over the snow sprinkled lawn, "how's the masters in anthropology going?"

He took a long drag from his cigarette, "arduous," he exclaimed while adjusting his glasses, "I'd rather we talk about my failed baseball career at this point."

"You mean your failed beer league career." You laughed, leaning against the garage door beside him, "I think the last time I saw you play, you were so drunk you couldn't even direct your pitches towards the batter."

Zeke rolled this throwing arm, "and yet my team still won." He smirked. "So, what's new with you? I see Eren didn't feel like driving you home this year?"

"Miscommunication that's all," you sighed, "my exams weren't too tough this year, although stats was a killer."

"You should have called me," Zeke turned to face you, "I'm killer with math."

You shrugged, "I got set up with a pretty fantastic tutor actually, he helped carry me over the basics, although I might need more help come next semester."

"Well, I might just be heading out your way sometime in February, let me know if you need a hand then," he took another drag of the cigarette, then offered it to you.

You shook your head, "you know I don't smoke."

He nodded, "and your lungs are better off that way," he chuckled to himself, "anyways, I called you over here, not to offer you lung cancer, obviously. But, you remember Pieck, right?"

You nodded your head. She was familiar to you, you knew she ran around the same social circle as Zeke's.

Zeke took in a deep breath of the winter air, then stamped out the rest of the cigarette butt on the asphalt, "well, she's having a small get together on New Years Eve, thought I'd extend the invitation to you, it'll be fun, no pressure."

"I'll think about it," you replied, "to be honest I was thinking about heading back up to the city to celebrate the New Year."

"Eh, true," Zeke nodded in understanding, "this towns pretty stuffy, but either way, I'm sure some of the gang would like to catch up?"

"You do realize I'm not actually friends with your friends, right?" You raised an eyebrow at him.

"Technically," he said as his eyes fixed on Eren's car as it backed in to the driveway, "you're my friend and I think it would be nice to see you there."

You watched as Eren jumped out from the driver's side, the hood of his hoodie pulled over his head. He walked towards the front door as if he hadn't seen the either of you leaned against the garage door.

"Hey shithead," Zeke yelled out, "help me convince Y/N to come to Pieck's party on New Years!"

Eren turned around sharply, his teal eyes making direct contact with yours, "I can't tell her what to do."

As quickly as he had turned to face you, he turned the other way almost faster.

"Well, I don't know about you but I think that means you should come," Zeke laughed following Eren inside the house, "see you around."

Christmas passed as soon as it arrived, your original plans of leaving directly for the city after the holiday were halted when all of the trains back were booked solid for the next while. You were stuck in Marley for the New Year's party, much to Zeke's delight and Eren's disregard. You tried to get out of it as best as you could, but to no avail.

Once again you found yourself drunk at a house party moments away from locking lips with a Yeager boy.