Caught Between Worlds (Eren x Reader)

Chapter Two

The final leaf falls from the bare trees planted within HQ. Frost travels along their bare, brittle branches, marking the start of winter. The thick socks I wear within my boots keep my toes warm, trapping in the heat emanating from my skin. I keep my hands tucked tightly away in my coat pockets so the cold does not nip at them. The HQ remains silent in the evening hours. The only sound to be heard are the winter birds blossoming in their new environment.

"Hey." A familiar deep, husky voice pulls me out of thought. He stands several feet taller than me, peering down at me with his golden eyes. "It seems Falco has really taken a liking to you. It's good for him to have your support. The kid needs a helping hand."

A small smile tugs at my lips. "Yeah. He's a sweet kid. And he's really been improving in the past month we've been training together." My eyes fall onto the little man. He runs his final laps within a new timeframe, finishing a few seconds quicker. "Nicely done, Falco."

He bends over and places his hands on his knees. "Thanks." He replies, gasping for air.

Once he's ready, I send him back over to the dummies to work on his combat skills. I then bring my attention back to Reiner. "So, what have you been up to? I haven't seen you, Colt, or Pieck in a while. Porco is only around when I'm tutoring Falco after hours. I take it the only reason why you're here now is because Zeke is tied up with something and he wants me to be watched at all times."

He looks away uncomfortably. His height makes him hard to read, but I can tell I'm right. "We've been around." He decides to respond to my other comment about their absence. "I've just been busy with things. And Colt and Pieck are always caught up with their duties."

I bring my gaze back to Falco and let my bitterness drain over my shoulder. "I see. Well, it's nice to speak with you. It seems you're doing better than the last time I saw you." I say this to him, but I'm only making small talk. I can tell he isn't better. If anything, he's starting to look a bit worse. As tall and bulky as he is, he's lost some weight in his face and deep, dark eyebags rest under his eyes.

I hear the familiar footsteps of Zeke coming our way. I grow sour as the clock strikes 8:00pm. He continues to keep me on a tight leash even though a month has passed since the incident between Calvi and I. I part ways with Reiner and Falco, and follow him back to the barracks. Our walk is silent as usual. The typical waves of tension stir in the light wind that comes at our backs.

The moonlight grants us a path forward. Torches are lit on our sides, lighting parts of the pathways surrounding us. I catch a quick whiff of a strange, unfamiliar scent. It doesn't mix in well with Marley's smokey scent that's mixed in with the ocean. It smells of sand and gasoline.

The moonlight catches a small glint at the top of one of the rooftops. Before I can warn Zeke, he's already aware. He grabs me and shoves me to the ground. As I eat the sandy road, a gunshot echoes throughout HQ. A bullet pierces into a barrel that rests against the wall of a building, destroying it on impact.

A soft sizzling hits my ear. As I look up, I see steam emitting from Zeke's shoulder. "Are you alright!?" I exclaim.

"It just grazed me." He kneels over me, shielding me from any more incoming bullets. "It looks like they're aiming for me." He lifts me over his shoulder and carries me into cover as more bullets fly at us. We tuck away into a dark alleyway and hide in the shadows. "Chances are they plan on killing me and taking you away. Filthy bastards."

Yelling breaks through HQ. Police officers quickly swarm the area. They pinpoint our location and give us cover while the others take on the sniper. Gunshots reign throughout the night, followed by yelling and the sight of crimson streaming along the roads.