Penumbra {EreJean} SnK

Chapter 1

'Jean Degaré Kirschtein is very sweet.'

Eren..?

Thunder. Loud, booming, frightening. Where am I? A quick flash of light shot down from the sky and disappeared within seconds. The air was muggy, and warm. It's getting dark out, but it's not quite "night". So it's late in the evening. The wind whipped my hair; lashed at my clothes, threatening to tear the material. Oddly enough, I felt my feet stand firmly on the ground.

Eren.

Who was that? The voice was unfamiliar. Everything about this was unfamiliar. I can't tell where I am.. I looked to my feet- they were small. Lifting my hands into my sight, I took note that I seemed to be a child.

The faint sound of a piano suddenly filled my ears. Through the loud, ear splitting thunder and lightning and wind, I could hear the instrument. The tune sounded lovely and cheerful. It was a nice contrast to my current surroundings. I tried to move toward the sound, but my legs wouldn't move. They weren't as if stuck, necessarily. They were just.. unwilling to move..? I cried out. The tone of my voice was high-pitched and whiny.

What is that? Over there.. It's moving towards me. I can see its eyes, they flash a bright greenish-yellowish-blue when the lightning strikes in the sky. It was tall. Very tall. And it looked human, but a giant one. It smiled.

"Eren." Jean poked his friend's cheek. "Hey. Hey, Eren." He tapped his cheek; no response. "Jaeger, I swear, if you don't wake up I'll bitch slap you." The male chuckled, and raised his arm slightly, ready to strike.

Suddenly Eren gasped, still fast asleep, and starting wailing, much like a scared toddler. Jean's eyes widened and he quickly lowered his arm to shake his friend. "Eren? Eren, it's okay. Wake up, it's happening again." He shook Eren harder until said boy blinked his eyes open.

"There you are. You okay?" Jean sat down next to Eren on his bed, and wiped the sweat from his forehead, massaging his temple.

"Jean? What are you talking about, I'm fi-" Memories of the dream the brunette had just moments before flashed through his mind and he shook violently, a few tears sliding down his cheeks.

"Eren, you're okay. Hush, you're here with me, we're in our dorm." The two-toned male stood up and walked into the kitchen area where he poured a glass of milk before returning to Eren. The brunette shakily took the glass and chugged it, and began to calm down as Jean gently stroked his hair.

After a short while Eren spoke. "I'm sorry.."

"Are you good now?" Jean asked.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good."

This was normal. Eren would more often than not have a nightmare like this, and Jean learned how to calm him down before he had a panic attack over the years. The two best friends decided to become roommates only a year before, and are both close to finishing their last semester in college.

"Good. I'm gonna go back to bed now, and you should too, loser. ...Unless you wanna play something or watch a movie." Jean added after Eren had flinched and grabbed his arm. Eren nodded.
"Maybe a movie..? You don't have to stay up through the whole thing-"
Jean shook his head. "I'll stay up until I know you're asleep again. You're the one who never finishes a movie ."

Jean fell asleep anyway.

That night Eren watched a movie and a half.