Trauma Bond

Chapter Nineteen: Happier Than Ever

Time seemed to have sped up and, before you knew it, six months have gone by. You continued your same routine, but now that Eren was back in your life, you've been spending more time with him. He kept his promise of going with you and Hades on your morning jog every day, and it became something that you looked forward to. You would go jogging for a few miles and circle your way back to your house, where you would depart to go on about your own day. You couldn't talk a lot during that time, since you both would be breathless from the exercise, so he would offer to make up for that lost time by taking you out for breakfast after the jog every Saturday morning.

This new addition to your routine made you happy. The loneliness was subsiding and you hadn't felt the need to download any dating apps or go out of your way to meet someone. You had a healthy friendship with Eren, despite that feeling in your chest whenever you saw him. You didn't want to admit it to yourself, but you were falling in love with him all over again. You were happy being friends with him, whether something more came out of it or not, but he always showered you with compliments and gave you butterflies.

Your friendship with him was fun, unlike any friendship you ever had. You would both often text each other selfies during meetings, lightheartedly complaining about your bosses or clients, you would send each other memes when you were supposed to be working, you would send him majestic pictures of Hades playing or napping. In addition to your friendship with him, Hades relationship with Eren grew as well. It was obvious that he loved Eren as much as he loved you, which warmed your heart.

It was now Spring and the weather was getting warmer. Flowers were blooming, trees were blossoming with flower buds, and the grass became greener. It was beautiful outside, the squirrels were out to play, the birds were singing, and the bugs were chirping from a distance. Even on the stormy days, you appreciated the nature all around you. You learned to appreciate the beauty of all that the Earth had to offer, the atmosphere that surrounded you showing you that life in itself is beautiful. 

On one cloudy Saturday, you and Eren continued your daily jog, not allowing the threat of rain to dampen your determined spirit. In fact, the threat of rain brought in a cool breeze that felt nice against your rosy cheeks. You enjoyed jogs like this, it wasn't too hot or too cold, the breeze kissed the sweat on your body and allowed you to regulate your body temperature. After the run, you and Eren cooled off inside of your house for a little bit before going to your usual Saturday morning breakfast. 

He opened the door of his car for you, as usual, and you both got in and went to the restaurant. The ride was filled with background music and playful banter about the jog you had just had. Eren was competitive, he would use that trait to help both of you get better about increasing the pace and lowering the times it took to reach different milestones in the jog. 

Once you got to the restaurant, you both ordered your usual orders and talked about how the week went for the both of you. This time somehow felt different, you couldn't quite pinpoint how or why. It seemed like Eren had something he wanted to say, but would psych himself out of it. You wondered what it could be, but you didn't want to pressure him to say it if he wasn't ready. 

You both finished your meals, which you paid for this time, and made your way back to your house. Eren was quiet for the whole ride, seemingly deep in thought. It didn't bother you though, so you looked out of your window and watched the scenery around you until he pulled into your driveway. 

This time, as usual, he got out with you and walked you to your front door, but he stopped you before you could open the door to go inside. 

He put his hand on your forearm, speaking like he was nervous or shy. "Hey... Um."

You turned around and looked at him with curiosity. "What is it? Are you alright?"

He smiled, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, I just wanted to ask you if you, maybe, wanted to go to dinner with me tonight. Like... as a date?" He put a hand on the back of his neck, hesitantly looking back at you.