Naive and Damned

Chapter 14: The Judicious Calamity

Eren

Her love was beautiful. Her love was a mystery.

Ever-present and seemingly everlasting: since the day they met, she stayed by his side. If that love was unconditional, there was no worse person than he.

When she looked at him, what did she see? What made him so special to her? Whatever she saw, whatever she hoped for, it had surely been built upon on lies. The person he truly was deserved none of it.

Perhaps, it was simply time. Years passed, and all that remained from their home was he and Armin. Was he a little brother to her – a figure she felt she must protect? A promise to his mother: an obligation. An awakening of strength: a forced loyalty.

You are family, so she said. It was all she said.

Her love was beautiful, and it was cruel.

***

Under the night sky, Eren watched the boy's expressions carefully. He'd killed that fucker – but it was far from over. He wished to check Falco's injuries – to ensure they weren't serious – but that wasn't his place. Instead, he watched, letting the boy gather his thoughts further.

"Give it a chance, please? It means you wouldn't have to attack Liberio, so..." Falco stepped towards him, and he saw the determination build in his hazel eyes as the kid grasped his sleeve, tugging it once as he stared up at him.

"Eren, please tell me I can trust you."

He felt his breath still, almost stepping back. Why would he – no, of course he'd ask that. Only, when done so bluntly, Eren had no chance to meet those naive eyes. When he was so damned to his own future, there was no world where he just – just say yes.

In a stretch of silence, he could only hear their breaths, the wind, distant footsteps. Slowly, Eren placed a hand to Falco's shoulder, knowing that was something he was okay with; he would always be careful with a few spots, such as his back.

He didn't look him in the eye, but could manage his direction. "If it means protecting my friends... I want to destroy Liberio." There was no happiness in that statement, no happiness in watching when an understanding look passed the young boy's face. "I'm sorry, Falco. I wish it were different. I'll do what I can to keep you and your family safe... and that is all."

Falco, too, took his time to reply – which turned out to be rather out of left field. "Eren... did you want to talk to Mr Braun?" he'd asked, "Or... was it only necessary for the plan?"

"It was necessary to follow the memories." Eren answered. He took a sigh, gazing off, "it seemed foreign at first. How on earth could a scene like that ever play out, when the only place I expected to see him again was the battlefield?"

"Now... there are things I want to know. Questions I need to hear him answer, in his own words, face to face. Whether that's underground or in a prison cell before he dies, I couldn't care less." Eren did not relent on the hard truths – he felt somewhat cruel, but he didn't want Falco believing in a lie, believing they would every truly be on the same side.

Seeing Reiner again... he'd indeed been curious of that lately. Now that Falco knew his identity, however, it could never happen. The boy knew far more than he ever should have.

If it were Armin, begging to know, Eren may have suspected he was being manipulated. It was almost too affective, how Falco had made that information so easily slip through the cracks of his certainty. However, what made it so affective, what the fact that it was simply not possible – Falco was innocent and trusting to a fault, forgiving when he shouldn't be. Eren was quite sure Falco could not manipulate a dog into dropping a chew toy.