death do us part

devil's advocate

Knock, knock.

It's silent for a bit. You hear some clanking, things being moved and then the door creaks open.

His eyes narrow, trying to uncover you.

Then they widen in shock and he opens the door wide bringing you into a tight hug, his arms around your neck.

His voice cracks as he whispers your name and you can feel your tears falling on his shoulder.

"Hi, Elias."

The house is different, it's not as crowded as it was. It's cleaner, the only decoration in the kitchen are the nasturtium flowers in the vases.

"You're probably wondering why it's so clean." He chuckles pouring tea on a teacup. "Since mom and dad died I decided to take everything out, now I don't feel as trapped as I used to."

You nod watching him, "This place always felt so trapped."

"That's why you left isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you join the Cadet Corps?" You say watching as he accidentally spills some of the tea onto the counter.

"Not everyone looks for the easy way out."

"Yeah, but you need to do something, how are you even earning money? Are you even making it by?"

He sits back down beside you, the chair creaking as he puts his weight on it. "I'm sort of a doctors assistant. This woman, Ruth has been taking me in, she wants me to take over her patients when she passes."

He hands you the teacup, "So, the pay is good?" You ask taking a sip.

He nods.

You spent the morning talking with your younger brother. Whether it's about work, or about your parents. Where they're buried, if you've visited them at all.

"The world is a mess isn't it?"

Looking up at Elias, you frown.

"I would've never thought Eren would do something like this...from your letters you sent back from the cadet corps, he didn't seem like the type to start a genocide."

"No one ever seems like the type to start one."

"I used to think you had a crush on him."

You scoff, "No, Eren and I are just so...alike."

"Yeah. You and Jean seemed more fit."

Elias watches as you still. Cup held up on the air by your fingertips.

He smiles.

"You always spoke about how annoying he was. How you disliked him...but you mostly spoke about how you wanted to be his friend."

His smile fades and he looks away.

"What have you become?"

You slowly place the cup back down onto the table, thinking about his words.

"Mother would have-"

"I don't care what mother would have thought."

He gets up from the chair, "Of course you don't. You never did. You left your family."

You stand up as well causing the cup to spill, "You don't get to judge me."

His eyes narrow and he looks at you as if you're a stranger, a random person he let into his place. "You truly are selfish. It's fine to live a life for yourself. But to leave your family behind isn't. Father didn't care so what? But mother did. I did."