𝐅𝐀𝐖𝐍 • ᵉ ʲᵃᵉᵍᵉʳ

the suspense

𝚜𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚊𝚢, 𝚏𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟷𝟺𝚝𝚑

𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐄'𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆, and I'm starting to feel restless. It's not like I'm the most patient person on the planet, but this feels like we've been driving for forever.

"You're not kidnapping me, right?" I joke, leaning my head against the window and watching the barren trees blur by as we zip down the road.

Eren glances at me with that damn smirk. "If I was, would you really fight me on it?"

"Depends," I shoot back. "What's the ransom? I need to know how much I'm worth."

He laughs, a low, rich sound that fills the car. "Priceless," he says, and I can't tell if he's teasing or not.

"Damn right," I mutter, but my cheeks flush despite myself.

We've been like this the whole drive—flirty remarks laced with insults that don't actually sting. It's easy with Eren. Maybe a little too easy.

"What if I wanted to kidnap you, though?" I say, propping my chin on my hand and giving him a sly grin. "Tie you up, toss you in my trunk, keep you all to myself?"

His eyebrow arches, and he spares me a glance before returning his eyes to the road. "Kinky," he drawls. "I knew you were a little freak, but damn."

"Shut up," I laugh, rolling my eyes. "You're the freak."

"Yeah?" He grins, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "Maybe I like being yours."

The words hit me harder than they should, and I'm caught between rolling my eyes again or pretending I didn't hear him. Instead, I clear my throat and try to steer the conversation back into safer waters.

"You're lucky I didn't ask you to pull over for snacks. You know how long road trips drain my soul."

"You ate before we left," Eren says, exasperated.

"And? You think I run on air?"

"Should've packed you some carrots like a rabbit," he mutters under his breath, earning him a slap on the arm.

"Don't test me, Jaeger," I warn, but my lips twitch, betraying my amusement.

"Noted," he says with a wink.

The tension in the car is light, playful, but there's something simmering beneath it. There always is with us, isn't there?

I glance over at him, taking in the way his messy hair falls over his face, the way the overhead lights from passing cars cast shadows across his sharp jawline. There's a slight smile tugging at his lips, and it's enough to make my stomach flutter. Damn him. Damn his stupid face.

"Alright, seriously, where are we going?" I finally ask, unable to hold back any longer.

"You'll see," he says, voice annoyingly calm, like he's enjoying keeping me in the dark.

"Cryptic answers are not cute."

"They are when I'm the one giving them," he says, shooting me another smirk that's equal parts infuriating and devastating.