Grieve for a Loved One

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Suicide = $
Suicide attempts = #
Smut = *
Self-Harm = £

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Word Count – 1677

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Eld has not lost a family (at least in the way I mean). I just came up with it for the sake of this one shot.

Petra watched as Eren zoned out for the third time during practice. What was up with him? she wondered, quickly zipping over to him, and taking him to one of the platforms before he smacked into a tree. As Petra checked the boy over, she realised that he wasn't exactly coherent. "What's wrong with him?" Eld asked as he landed on the platform having noticed how out of it the boy was.

Petra shrugged. "I'm not sure," she replied honestly. "He's not coherent right now so I can't exactly ask him." Eld hummed in acknowledgement, kneeling down in front of the boy in attempts to try and refocus his attention. "Anything yet?" the brunette asked after a couple of minutes. Eld just shook his head.

"It's like he's stuck in his head, or in his memories," Eld explained, hoisting Eren up and getting help from Petra to secure him on his back. "Dangerous, but I wouldn't blame him. We don't know what he went through when the Shiganshina District was kicked in. A scout joked about something that's traumatic for him, hence why he's like this. For now it's best to get him on the ground and inside." Petra nodded, following Eld as the two zipped down to where Section Commander Hange and Captain Levi were conversing.

"Why aren't you three practicing?" Levi demanded. Petra helped Eren down from Eld's back as he blinked rapidly, confused as to where he was. "Well?"

"Eren's been... he's been zoning in and out the whole time," Petra explained as Hange was quick to guide the disorientated boy to a seat so he could calm down and take in his surrounding properly. "We're not sure what caused it, but Eld has a theory." Levi looked towards the blonde.

"Well, I was speculating that he was in his memories and since we don't know what happened to him when the Shiganshina District was kicked in, it would be best to keep an eye on him. but it may have been brought on by a scout joking about something that's probably traumatic for him, hence why he's like this."

Levi nodded, glancing towards the brunette boy who was trying to fight off the memories with great difficulty. What have you been through, brat? He thought before telling the two members of his squad to go back to practicing as he made his way to Eren. Sitting down beside him, it was clear something wasn't right. The Eren Levi knew was usually much more alert than this. "Eren, are you alright?" His question fell on deaf ears as the boy's posture went slack, eyes unfocusing and glazing over. "This isn't good."

"It's not," Hange agreed, rubbing Eren's arms as a way to try and ground him but it was to no avail, Eren remained rooted in his memories. Just when they thought they should give up, Eren suddenly snapped out of it in a panic. "Eren. Hey, hey, Eren." Hange gripped Eren's arms gently, trying to get the boy to look at him. Levi noticed the woman's struggle and remembered something the boy had mentioned to him once.

Levi was walking with Eren through the forest near their base. Early that morning, Eren woke up from yet another nightmare and asked if he could take a walk to clear his head. Levi had agreed on the condition that he went with him. "Is there a way to snap you out of a panic like that? Without having to slap you?" Levi asked as fireflies danced around them, looking like stardust decorating the forest.

Eren thought for a moment before remembering something Armin had taught him back in Trost when he always used to struggle with the memories of his mother's death. "There is one way that I know works pretty well." He said, fiddling with his fingers. "It's an anchoring phase. Armin taught it to me after... after Shiganshina was destroyed. Basically, I say my name, my age, where I live, what the date is, the time, where I am, and who's with me. I can add things until I feel completely calm, but after that bit I'm usually pretty calm." Levi nodded, making a note of it as they continued on their early morning stroll.

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