THE BASTARD, eren yeager

𝐱𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢, repetance brings salvation

THE BASTARD
chapter twenty-seven

WHEN EREN WOKE UP the next morning, he was shocked to not find [Name] sleeping next to him. He blinked and sat up on the bed, looking around the small room for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

His fingers instinctively went up to check his shoulder, and he winced as he ran his fingers over the bandages she had wrapped around his arm the night before. He frowned and mulled over the previous night, a thousand thoughts flooding his mind as he got dressed.

Had she already regretted being with them? Had she run away?

He grabbed the remaining coins he had and the only sword and dagger he'd managed to escape with before running out the door, and down the stairs.

The smell of bread and cooked hen invaded his nose as he stepped into the inn's makeshift dining room, where breakfast and wine were already being served and it took him a moment, but he managed to find [Name].

She was sitting down by herself, with her deep blue cape over her face and her head resting on top of her arms as she held an empty stare at the ground.

Eren's stomach sank as he made his way through the people until he found his way to her sullen face.

"[Name]?" He asked carefully, and she snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him with glassy eyes.

"E–Eren... you're awake." She faked a small smile and Eren gestured for her to make space on the bench. She reluctantly did so, and an uncomfortable silence settled in the air, the realization of what they had done rested heavily on their shoulders.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked in vain, for he already knew.

She reached for the hood around his cape and lifted it over his head, before she spoke.

"Nothing important..." she mumbled, hugging herself a little tighter.

"You don't have to lie to me."

"I know." she murmured, mostly to herself. "I'm just mulling over what happened... what we did last night."

He closed his eyes and nodded, the truth making his stomach sink.

"You regret it then?" He asked, and instead of answering she simply reached for his hand, and locked her soft hands around his own calloused ones.

"It was bound to happen." She murmured looking at the table. "You and I were destined to fail."

"You didn't answer my question." He said.

"You don't need me to. You already know the answer."

The words were cruel, and they replayed in his mind throughout the entire day; and they weighed heavily on his shoulders as they made their way through the small village.