Blinded

1. Blind

It had been about a month since he went blind. Eren was still having trouble accepting it and Armin had to help out a lot, but they were getting through it together. Fingers intertwined, they walked around outside for the first time since the accident.
"The sun feels nice today, doesn't it Eren?" Armin said happily, hoping to take his boyfriend's mind off of his disability.
"Yes, I suppose it does. We shouldn't stay out too long though, you'll get burnt." Eren had taken it hard, slipping into depression after the accident. Armin smiled sadly at Eren's protectiveness.
"Oh, I'm fine. You really shouldn't worry about me." He said, gripping tighter onto the other's arm. They walked in silence for a while.
"The flowers smell lovely, don't you think? I love the spring." Armin was forever trying to cheer his partner up, knowing how deeply rooted his depression was and wishing only for him to smile. Eren had always had a beautiful smile.
"Let's go home." Eren replied shortly, causing the other to smile sadly again.
"Okay Eren, we'll go home if that's what you really want." He lay his head down on the taller boy's shoulder, feeling as if he'd failed Eren again. Armin had lost almost all of the people he'd ever cared about, and so was no stranger to loss but the loss of his best friend, his lover, was too much for him to handle. He felt Eren slip further and further away with every passing day, his hand getting colder and his grip getting looser, his laugh becoming a rare sound and his smiles few and far between.
"Would you like to visit Mikasa before we go home?" Armin asked, knowing deep down that this wouldn't cheer Eren up but still clinging on to the hope that it might.
"Sure, it's on the way anyway." He replied coldly, letting silence fall again and continuing to walk.

When they arrived, they walked up to the stone that now represented all that was left of their friend.
"Hey Mikasa, it's me, Armin. Say hi Eren." Armin said cheerfully, nudging the boy beside him gently.
"I'm not going to talk to her Armin, she's dead."
"Alright. You don't have to if you don't want to, but it might make you feel better." He said patiently, knowing that Eren was still having trouble accepting the death of his sister. Mikasa had lost her life in the same expedition that had blinded the boy a month ago. The expedition had been a success but at a rather high cost, causing both the deaths of more than half of the Scouting Legion and humanity's victory over the Titans. Those who were able were currently outside the walls, helping eradicate the Titans and those who weren't were inside the walls recovering. It would only take an estimated five months to completely eradicate the Titans, after which humanity would reclaim the world and start rebuilding all that had been lost.
"No, it won't make me feel better! All of our friends are dead Armin, how can you be so Goddamned happy all the time?" Eren snapped at the blonde boy, causing him to take a step back.
"I don't see a point in being sad, or angry to be honest. They all died so that we could be happy and live freely and so I fully intend on doing so. You might want to try it Eren, there's always something to be happy about, you just have to look hard enough. You know what I'm happy about Eren?"
"What?"
"I'm happy that I have you. I'm happy that I still have my life. I'm happy that one day you and I can go to the sea and that we can live wherever we want to now. You see Eren? I have plenty to be happy about, and so do you." Armin squeezed the other boy's hand and smiled, feeling Eren relax.
"You're right, I still have you." Eren replied softly, squeezing his partner's hand in return.

They lay beside each other on the hospital bed, Armin's head on Eren's shoulder.
"I'm scared Armin."
"It's okay, we'll get through this together, okay?" The blonde boy comforted his partner, playing with his fingers.
"Okay. I love you Armin." Eren whispered into his partner's long blonde hair.
"I love you too."
The previous day had seen a lot of loss and, upon their return to wall Rose, both boys had been taken to a hospital to treat their wounds. Unfortunately, it seemed some wounds wouldn't heal.
"What do you see?"
"Nothing. It's probably hard to understand but it's genuine nothingness."
"I'm sorry. I should've been there, I could've prevented this."
"Don't blame yourself, there was nothing you could've done. It's fine Eren, I don't mind. It's nothing I can't handle."
"We won't be able to see the sea together, or the deserts or the mountains or the lands of ice and... And it's all my fault. I'm so sorry Armin." He hid his face in Armin's hair, tears streaming down his face.
"D-don't cry Eren, you'll just tell me what it looks like. I'll still be able to feel the water and smell the salty air and feel the sand and I'll be there with you. That's all that matters. Don't you worry about me Eren, I'm going to be just fine." His voice shakes as the tears stream down his own face too. Since they were little it had been their dream to see the world together and now that it was finally within reach, it was once again made impossible.
"It's not fair. I'm sorry." His voice is muffled as he choked the words out.
"We're both alive and well and that is all I could ask for. There's really nothing to be sorry for Eren. Stop apologizing to me and look on the bright side." Armin lifted his head and placed a hand on Eren's face. Eren looked up at his partner, seeing that Armin's gaze was aimed too far left and that his once sky-blue eyes were faded and cloudy. More tears streamed down the brunette's face as he pulled his partner into an embrace, wanting to avoid those beautiful eyes that would never see anything ever again.