The Phoenix - AoT

Sometimes the Heart Needs More Time to Accept What the Mind Already Knows

Eren lies on the bed, his chest still under the sheet. The surrounding others are in shock, not believing their dear friend could be truly dead.

A moment of tense silence settles around the 104th and the rest of the present Scouts as they all come to terms with Eren's death.

After a long moment, Reiner breaks the silence. "But... but he was... he was...fine." He shuddered out, his grip on Armin and Jean's shoulders tightening to an unbearable hold.

Reiner couldn't speak, the tears were coming too quickly now. Sasha comforted him as best she could while battling her own tears.

Jean looks on in dismay as Reiner breaks down. He puts a reassuring hand on Reiner's hand that's on his shoulder, but he can't summon the words to say anything comforting.

Sasha does her best to comfort Reiner despite her own tears. She's not sure what to say, but she knows that Reiner needs help, and she will do whatever she can to help him through this difficult time.

In a daze, Jean looks over at Mikasa, hoping for some kind of guidance. Mikasa is just staring ahead, her eyes fixed on Eren's lifeless body. She looks... empty.

With mounting desperation, Jean's eyes dart around the group as he searches for any sign of help from anyone else. But everyone seems equally at a loss about what to do now.

The air is heavy with tension and anguish, and it hangs in the air like a shroud.

Jean's eyes dart to Armin, who's at his side. A disbelieving, shocked look is stuck on Armin's face, almost like a mask. Jean slowly recalls that he's still... He's still holding Armin and Eren's hands in his own. Sasha and Connie had released their hold, but Jean and Armin still held Eren's hand in their grip.

The longer they all stand there in shock, the more desperate the situation grows. Jean knows that he has to act. He has to do something. Anything.

Without even thinking it through, Jean quickly stands up and leans forward over Eren's lifeless body. He checks his pulse, but there's nothing. He listens for breathing, but there's nothing.

Then he remembered his training. As he half-mumbles and half-yells, he begins a frantic effort to resuscitate Eren.

"Come on, Eren! Are you going to just die after all that talk? You'll die, you're just going to die?!" He pumped the other male's chest desperately and continued performing CPR, despite the medics' attempts.

Sasha watches this with mounting horror - she didn't think Eren's death could have been any worse, but now the scene is downright devastating.

Mikasa stands by, rooted to the spot in shock. Reiner breaks down again and clings to Sasha desperately, as if she could provide some sort of magical solution. But there's nothing she can do.

Jean continues his desperate attempt to resuscitate Eren, hoping against hope that, somehow, he might still be alive.

Jean's face fills with frustration and desperation as his attempts fail. He tries a hundred different things they were taught in training, but no matter what he tries, Eren still remains lifeless.

"Come on... Come on... You're everyone's last hope, remember?! You're our... last stand against the Titans! You gotta... you gotta wipe them all out!" He yelled, frantically trying to resuscitate the smaller teen.

Erwin finally snaps out of his daze and walks forward toward Jean. Approaching Jean, he placed a hand on the tall teen's shoulder.

"Cadet Kirschtein... stop. There's nothing more you can do. He's gone." Erwin spoke, his voice level and calm.

After a long moment, Jean stops his frantic attempts and steps back a few feet from Eren's body. He leans against a wall, his whole body trembling.

Erwin watched Jean's trembling body for a moment before glancing back down at Eren's still body. He picked up the sheet and placed it over the boy once again.

Sasha holds Reiner in a tight embrace as he weeps, and Mikasa stares ahead with unseeing eyes.

There's a silence that hangs in the air, a silence more palpable than anything else around them.

A few of the other soldiers start to murmur quietly to one another. Jean hears them mentioning Eren in hushed tones, still not really believing that what has happened is true.

Jean closes his eyes tightly, trying desperately to force away the pain and disbelief.

He bit back his tears, but some managed to escape and slide down his face.

There really was nothing anyone could do...

A/N

The actual, longer chapter is coming I swear- But I was feeling guilty about not updating in a while and I saw that panel in the manga where Jean remembered he and Eren's conversation and so this was born.

I'm worried that it may have been too out of character for Jean. I mean, he still cares about Eren(in his own way at least), but would he have reacted that way in this situation? I'm unsure, but it's where my mind ended up going, so meh.

I'll have the next chapter out tomorrow!

(Also that meme is exactly what it looks like)