Erwin x OC | The Girl From Outside

Chapter 24 - Reunion

A/N: Prepare for a cheesy chapter! I was listening to Ed Sheeran whilst I wrote this so it's probably gonna make you throw up. I'll insert the song up above though in case you wanna listen whilst you read, it's pretty atmospheric.

We arrived back at the Survey Corps camp. The familiar smell of the cookhouse filled my nostrils and tears clouded my vision as soon as I set eyes on my beloved home. All of a sudden I felt weak at the knees, like I couldn't stand up for much longer. Only 24 hours ago, I never thought I'd see this place again.

Instinctively, I gazed up to Erwin's office window, and to my surprise there he was, staring back down at me, wide eyed. He didn't stay there for long however, as soon as he realized it was me, he vanished from my view.

"Are you hungry?" Hanji asked me, her voice soft.

I just nodded my head, too scared to say anything in case I sounded like a completely different person. Truth be told, I didn't really know who Charlotte was anymore.

We started walking over to the cookhouse together, soldiers staring at me as we passed them. It almost reminded me of when I first arrived at the camp, and everyone was looking at me as if I was some sort of alien.

On our way over, Hanji and I passed Eren Jeager, who was training in the courtyard. He looked at me and I stared right back at him. There were so many questions I had that only he could answer, so many things I needed to know, but I couldn't ask him. If anyone found out about what happened to me inside Wall Sina, they'd probably throw me in jail themselves.

We didn't get to the mess hall before Erwin appeared. I watched him as he walked towards me, his eyes wide. As he closed the distance between us, the seconds felt like years.

I couldn't help it as tears ran down the sides of my face. It was only just hitting me that before now, I thought I'd never see him again. I'd had to learn to accept the fact that I'd never come home again, but here I was.

Erwin grabbed me and pulled me into him, I tensed up at first, unsure how to react to such sudden contact after I had been mutilated for weeks, but eventually I managed to relax, my head resting on his chest, his heartbeat music to my ears. I burst out crying, gripping onto his shirt, wishing that he'd never let go of me in case it was all a dream.

"Charlotte...I.." Erwin whispered. His voice sounded weak, like he was on the verge of tears.

I didn't speak, I just carried on crying, letting all the feelings I had been suppressing over the past week or so out. The relief I felt was beyond compare, but the pain still remained. The pain of having an untellable secret. I used to trust Erwin with my life, but I wasn't me anymore.

I wasn't sure what I was.

My hands were clutching the back of Erwin's shirt, my arms wrapped around him. Erwin put a hand in my hair and another hand around my waist.

Hanji looked around. A crowd of soldiers had already started gathering to see what all of the commotion was about, and although most were aware of mine and the Commanders relationship, they were all obviously shocked to see him acting in such a sensitive, and potentially weak manner.

"Erwin..." Hanji stared.

"I know" Erwin replied.

Erwin's hand moved to the small of my back. "Charlotte, come with me" he mumbled.

He lead me away from the courtyard and into the nearest building, up the familiar stairs to his office. The tears kept coming as I laid eyes on all the things I loved once more. The long winding corridors that I always used to get lost in, the way that the smell of food from the dining hall lingered in the air, letting you know whether it was time to eat or not. All the little things that I used to take for granted.

Once we were in Erwin's office, I reached up, placing my hands on either side of the commander's face. My vision was blurry because of the tears that refused to keep spilling over my eyes, but there was nothing I wanted more in that moment than to look at Erwin, to stare into those beautiful eyes that told a thousand stories, to watch the way his expression warmed up when he smiled, to see the way he looked down at the ground whenever he was embarrassed.

"I thought I'd never see you again" I cried.

Erwin just stared at me, tears pricking the corners of his icy blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry Charlotte" he replied, his voice was weak. "If I hadn't-"

I shook my head. "It wasn't...It wasn't your fault"

Erwin~

Charlotte shook her head. "It wasn't...It wasn't your fault"

My heart was pounding, beating so fast inside my chest. But it wasn't a nice feeling. I was in pain. The girl I loved was right in front of me, talking to me, but something wasn't right. She didn't seem herself.

Her face was still the same, there were no injuries on her, and yet...something was different.

The sparkle in her eye was gone, the compassion and happiness that she used to radiate was nothing more than a memory, she looked almost...broken.

Charlotte~

Erwin stared at me, his eyes scanning my features, looking me up and down. He looked concerned, as if he was trying to figure something out. Maybe he knew me better than I thought he did.

"What..." Erwin started, he looked utterly torn apart. "What did they do to you?"

That was enough to set me off again, the tears spilled over my cheeks and I fell into the commander's embrace. I cried into his chest until his shirt was wet and the back of my throat was hurting from the continuous sobbing.

"I can't tell you" I sobbed. "I'm so sorry"

Erwin placed his hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes.

"You're keeping secrets from me now?"

"Please..." I cried. "Can you trust me, Erwin?"

His face fell and he let out a quiet sigh. "What a stupid question" he muttered before pulling me into his chest once more.

"I'm sorry" I whispered. "I must be so impossible to deal with"

"Mmm" Erwin mused. "It's true"

I pulled away from the hug and stared at him, unable to tell whether he was being serious or not. My worries vanished when the commander leaned in and pressed his lips against mine, capturing me in a long, soft kiss that tasted like tears and ecstasy.

"It's true" he whispered to me between kisses. "We don't have it as easy as ordinary people. But this is no ordinary love"

When the kiss ended, I managed to let out a soft smile. The first time I had smiled for weeks, and i'd be lying if I said it didn't feel good. The agony of having a terrible secret still remained, but when I was with Erwin, it was numbed down to something like a dull aching sensation. When I was with him, I felt a little less sick, a little less scared, and things were a little more bearable.

"Thank you" I said, trying not to cry anymore than I already had.

Erwin~

"Thank you" she whispered, attempting to hold back tears.

I just looked on at her, memorizing every detail of her face all over again because I hadn't seen it for weeks.

I always told myself I'd never fall in love, because in a world like this, you never know when you're going to die, but I can't keep myself away from her.

Charlotte~

We stood in silence for a while, no doubt thinking about everything that had happened and everything that had been said.

I'm never going to tell anyone about what happened to me. I thought to myself. I'll live here with Erwin and I'll take the fight to the titans. I'll make my mom proud. This secret will stay with me till the day I die.