The Time Before

Chapter 8: Moon

Eren's POV

As I slipped unconscious, I thought back to a conversation I had with her. 

"What's one thing you've never told anyone?" Historia asked as she sat in between my legs, her back resting on my chest. 

"Hm? Why the sudden question?" I asked her.

"Well, you leave for Marley tomorrow, and I want something to remember our last night together." she said as she turned her head to look out the bedroom window.

"It isn't." I said sternly.

"Huh?" she turned around to face me.

"It isn't our last night together. I won't let it."

Tears formed in the blonde's eyes.

"After this, after Marley and the rest of our enemies are dealt with, I'm done. I'm done fighting. I want to settle down and live in peace. I want to live with you and our child. Our gift." I told her. Tears were now forming in my eyes as well.

"Now that we've got the sappy stuff out of the way," I said chuckling to myself, "one thing I've never told anyone... hm. I talk to the moon." I told her.

"What do you mean?" she asked curious to what I meant.

"I mean I talk to the moon at night. When I can't be with you I can't sleep well. So I get up and go outside to talk to the moon. I've always considered the moon to be comforting in a way. It sort of keeps us from the darkness at night when the sun can't." I said looking out the window.

I turned to her and noticed tears flowing down her rosy cheeks. I gave her a smile and wiped them away with my finger. She slid closer to me as I wrapped my arms around her. I've never felt so warm. Felt so much love. Felt... at peace like this.

"What about you? It's only fair since you made me turn into some philosophical asshole." I said chuckling to her. She began to giggle which turned into a laugh. God, how I loved that laugh, the way she smiled so brightly and her cheeks turned a bright red.

"Well, sometimes I overthink severely. It typically leads to anxiety attacks and makes me lose sleep." she said softly.

"Overthink about what? If you're comfortable with me asking."

"Of course I'm comfortable with you asking, silly. I overthink things when I have to be queen, when I'm taking care of the children, and well... you." she said with sadness in her voice.

"What do you mean, why are you so concerned about me?"

"I never know if you're okay. You could leave for Marley and I'll never see you again. I don't know what I'd do!" she had fear in her voice, sadness too.

I held her tightly. I could feel the tears hit the skin of my chest as she let out her built up emotions. 

"Listen to me. I will be back. I will help you raise our child. We'll announce our relationship to everyone! I don't care what they have to say! I could never stop loving you, and they most certainly won't get in the way of my love. Hell, we could run away if they won't accept it!" I said in a reassuring tone.

I could tell it worked when her shaking stopped and I could feel the smile on her face as she laid on my chest. 

"Look at me, Historia." I said as I used my thumb to motion her head up to for her eyes to meet mine. 

And they did. Her beautiful blue eyes entrapped me and I leaned in and kissed her. The moment felt like it lasted a lifetime, which wasn't nearly long enough. 

"Don't worry too much about me. With you and that child on my mind, nobody can stop me. I'll just keep moving forward." I said as she smiled and leaned in to kiss me again.

We rolled over and I turned off the lamp on the nightstand next to use. We fell asleep quickly and it was the best sleep I had gotten in a long time.

*This is while he's in Marley now*

The screams, the horror and fear in those damn screams. I found myself lying in the street. People were running past me with looks of fear on their faces that I could never forget. But that wasn't the worst of it. Behind them, a cloud stretching the horizon. As I pushed against the crowd of people I finally made it to a spot where I could see what it was. It was beyond my worst nightmare.

Millions of colossal titans, marching toward this town. They marched and marched and marched. Flattening the land, the air began to heat up as they got closer and closer. That's when I saw it. A massive skeleton moving with the army of titans. As it got closer, I began to get an understanding of what it looked like. Me.

The face no doubt resembled that of my Attack Titan. I stood in shock for so long that I didn't notice that the titans were already here. I looked up to see a foot come crashing down. It would have killed me, but the second I felt it hit me, I woke up.

I was drenched in sweat, panting heavily. I looked around to see Connie and Jean in the other two beds sleeping soundly. Lucky bastards. I got up and made my way to the balcony door. Tears were flowing down my face as I stepped outside. I looked up to the moon.

"Historia, I need you."

Thanks for reading! Hope this chapter didn't feel rushed it's really late at night while I'm writing this. This is all also off the top of my head along with the rest of this story. Schools been very stressful lately. Hope you can understand. I got the moon topic while listening to "Talking to the Moon" by Bruno Mars lmao.