Dandelion Wine

One.

(Content warning: car accident, drunk driver, graphic description of serious injury, anxiety attack, major character death.)

Eren heard it as it happened.

It was much too loud and far too close not to.

He hadn't even gotten all of the way back into the house yet. The sound of the collision grabbed his attention and pulled him back to his driveway, where Erwin had just pulled out with Armin to take him home after their study session. He'd still been holding his textbook, having walked out with it in his hand as he was saying goodbye to his boyfriend. And as the panic took over, he dropped it there on the cement, sprinting as quickly as his legs would carry him.

His mother called after him. It made no difference. He didn't turn back or even acknowledge her yelling. He couldn't. Not when he knew Armin was in that car. Of course, Mikasa was close behind him. Armin was, after all, her best friend, second to none but himself. And even that was questionable sometimes. Within a moment, she had caught up to him, running in unison to the now totaled car.

While Mikasa continued on, moving to the passenger side door and quickly yanking it open in attempt to help however she could, Eren froze a few feet short. He stared, wide eyed, at the scene before him. The front of the car was absolutely demolished. Windshield broken, headlights smashed. He could see Armin and Erwin inside. Neither of them were moving. But both were hurt, that was obvious, even through the decimated window. The other car did not look much better. But the driver had already emerged from inside of it. He was stumbling. Slurring his words. Seemingly only wearing a few cuts and scrapes from the impact.

Looking at him made Eren's blood boil. He was waisted. Totally drunk at six in the afternoon. And all but uninjured at that. The teen's hands began to shake. His jaw clenched and his breathing quickened. Within a moment, he'd shoved the man back toward his car, all but pinning him to the door. "You fucking idiot! What the hell are you doing?! Who do you think you are?! Don't move!" He shouted, forcing the stranger to sit on the asphalt beside his car. Nothing more was said though. His anger turned to panic the moment he heard Mikasa speaking. "Get Grisha!" She yelled, turning back to Carla, who had finally caught up with the two and had already called emergency services. She didn't need to turn back to get her husband though, he was already approaching, equipment in hand.

Eren's eyes darted from his parents back to Mikasa. She had blood on her hands. Armin was bleeding? How badly? She looked terrified, Mikasa never got scared. Not visibly. Not like that. "Mika," he called. And as there eyes met, he felt a dull aching in his chest. He couldn't stop the thought from entering his head. Armin was dead, wasn't he? That stupid little study date was the last thing they'd ever done together. It hadn't even been special. Just a few hours of Armin studying and eren watching him, claiming to be studying too, though he knew Armin hadn't bought it for a second. "Armin-" he muttered, moving away from the drunk stranger sat in front of him.

He wasn't able to get very close. Grisha and Mikasa both kept close to the blonde, blocking his way. But he could see him. Eren could see how badly he'd been hurt. He could see the blood on his face. He must've hit his head. Or maybe it was glass, like the sizable shards in his arm and shoulder. And his legs. They'd been pinned under the crushed in dashboard. They had to be broken. Both legs. That panic he'd felt only grew worse as he stumbled back, tripping over his own feet and falling back. If Carla hadnt been there to catch him, he most certainly would've crack his own head on the pavement. But she was there. And she caught him, immediately turning him toward her and kneeling. She reached up, taking his face in her hands. "Look at me. It's alright." She softly said, gently smooth back his hair. "Eren, you're holding your breath. You've got to breathe, okay?"