Freefall | Eren x OC

Chapter 30: Under the Tree Pt. I

Don't make a mess of memories,

Just let me heal your scars

'Under the Tree' - SiM

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On Tuesday, you slept in until 9, relishing the comforts of your soft bed and pillows. The day before, you woke up at 7 on pure habit before groaning and realizing you were about to get up and get ready to go to work and there was just no way you would show your face around the office. You had called the HR department right at 8:30 to say you were calling in your vacation time to take the week off and the woman you spoke with said the system already had signed you out for the week. You remembered Tengen telling you to take a week off and you hung up the phone without saying goodbye before going straight back to sleep for most of the day.

Now it's Tuesday, and you don't feel like spending another full day in bed. You peel off the pajamas and stiffly walk over to one of the mirror panels on your bedroom wall. You sigh in frustration that the bruises you're mentally willing to disappear aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Your cheek still holds the bruise, though it's less angry, you can use concealer on it now. The marks on your chest and neck look dark purple, almost black. The bruises on your arms are purple, and the blisters and marks on your ass are still banged up. At least the swelling had gone down. The aloe vera had thankfully sped up the healing with that at least. You run your fingers over the forming scars on you, saddened by them. They'll be with you forever now; you'll always be reminded of that night, and you'll always have to explain them away to anyone who sees them when they undress you.

You put on a black skirt and stockings and a maroon turtleneck, wondering how much longer you'll have to cover up your entire upper body. You walk downstairs, feeling the familiar soreness in your body though it has subsided considerably in the last day. You walk into the kitchen and expect to see Eren sitting at the table but he's not there. You remember Zeke pulling you aside to tell you he would be in a serious funk today and to really try your hardest to keep an eye on him. You turn and walk down the hall to his bedroom door to find it ajar and empty. Your brows furrow, you think you remember him saying he'd be home all day.

You check the gym, empty as ever. In the living room, you find him laying down on the sofa, the throw blanket covering him, and his face plastered in misery.

"Eren," you say softly as you approach him. He doesn't look up or even acknowledge you. He just stares at the tv playing cartoons passively.

"Eren," you say again as you go and sit on the couch, sitting right against Eren's midsection, slightly wincing as the hard-edge of the frame rubs against your ass. "Is everything okay?"

"No, or I wouldn't be laying here," Eren says miserably.

You twist your body to look down at him fully and you reach for his shoulder and rub it. "I'm sorry, Zeke warned me you'd be taking things pretty hard today."

"Zeke should've minded his own business for once," Eren mumbles, his loose hair covering his face. You tuck some of the strands behind his ears and caress his cheek. 

"You are his business Eren. He cares about your wellbeing; he wouldn't have asked me to help if he didn't."

Eren doesn't respond to that. You try to rack your brain for what to do. You've seen Eren angry plenty of times before but never despondent. You don't know what tactics you can even use on him. All you know is your heart breaks seeing him lying here looking so lost. Not when he should be spending his day happy, playing his guitar, and enjoying the comfortable autumn heat.

"I have an appointment," Eren mumbles quietly to himself.

"Hmm?" you say. "What was that?"

"Before you ask if I plan to spend all day on the couch, I have an appointment this afternoon."