Freefall | Eren x OC

*Chapter 60: Love Drove Us Together, Fate Drives Us Apart

Do you cry in your sleep,

All my failings exposed?

Get a taste in my mouth

As desperation takes hold

Is it something so good just can't function no more?

'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division

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The night of the Player Beat Label gala arrives, much to both of your apprehension. Leading up to it, you and Eren spent the day relaxing, and watching anime as you cuddled on the sofa together. As the last episode of Black Butler finishes playing on Netflix, Eren turns to you, his arm around your shoulder tightening.

"How are you feeling babe? You wanna watch some Chainsaw Man next?" he asks gently.

He's made a real effort to be extra gentle with you today, knowing how anxious you are to see Tengen again.

"I'm feeling very, very tired," you mutter as you feel your body sagging into the couch. "And my headache's coming back I think..."

"Mmm, it's probably because of all the stress you've been under," Eren says as he lies down on the couch and pulls you to lie on top of him. You do just that and nestle into his chest and he wraps his arms around you as he idly plays with your curls. "We don't have to go to this... what's the worst that can happen if we don't go?"

"I don't want to know Eren," you say as a small tremble rushes down your spine.

Eren hugs you tight to him, "Sorry... I wasn't thinking when I said that..."

"You're a Jaeger, it's in your nature to push a bully to their limits, remember?" you say as you bite your nail in anxiety.

"Not if it gets you hurt..." Eren says softly. "I'm trying, I really am trying to restrain myself Rose, but it's taking so much out of me. If I see him tonight... I'll need you by my side at all times or I'll tackle him."

"I'll expect the same with you Eren, I don't know if he has something under his sleeve or not but I really don't want to find out."

A flash of Tengen throwing you against the window as you screamed in terror flashes before your eyes, and you tremble and bite down into your nail. You yelp in pain and realize you bit too far up and hold your finger up to see a dark thin line of blood pooling under your nail.

Eren watches it and brings your finger to his lips and kisses it softly. "Don't worry Rose, I'm not going anywhere without you tonight. If I need to go anywhere, I'm taking you with me."

Eren holds your hand securely in his arm while you stare up at him lovingly before nestling back into his chest. You hear his heart beating in rhythm with yours.

"I love hearing the sound of your heartbeat," you murmur softly.

Eren caresses your hand in his as it lays next to you. "Really babe?"

"Yeah... it just always feels good to be shown that you're alive, and safe, and in my arms," you trail off as you close your eyes.

Eren kisses the top of your head tenderly and nestles into the couch before he dozes off too. You nestle even more into his chest and soon fall into a deep sleep.

You wake up a few hours and notice Eren's moved off the couch to swim some laps, a ritual he's been doing since he's moved in. A ritual to signify his extreme emotions of happiness, lust, worry, and anger. He's aggressively swimming his laps, clearly he's just as anxious about tonight as you are. He comes inside, toweling himself off as you stir and raise yourself from the sofa tiredly. He walks over to you and offers you his hand.