Attack on Titan Fanfiction Book 2

Attack on Titan: If only

Author's Note: Ruby is a new OC I am currently creating in my Attack on Titan stories who is a close friend of Eren's during both Traniee and Scouting years. I usually don't write much x readers or reader inserts. Most of the time I prefer stories with OC's, but if anyone ever wants anymore Eren reader inserts or x readers, just let me know. Enjoy! :)

It was another day, another expedition beyond the walls. Ruby was currently in the same squad with Eren. Eren and Ruby got separated from Squad Levi, consisting of the members of Armin, Mikasa, Sasha, Jean, and Connie. Out of nowhere, the whole squad was ambushed by Titans. The horses were trained for this kind of action.

The horses are supposed to be fearless in the face of Titans. Yet, Eren's horse went crazy and got him separated from the others. Ruby panicked and chased after Eren. Eren is humanity's final hope. He can't afford to die. Plus, he is her friend. She could never bring it in herself to let Eren race off to his death. So Ruby began to pursue after Eren.

"Eren! Eren!!" Ruby called anxiously. Eventually she catches up to Eren and his steed, that was now slowing down. She was so relieved to have caught up to him. "I thought these horses were trained to never fear Titans!" Eren fussed.

"Actually, Eren, they aren't trained to not fear Titans. It's in their natural instinct and nature. Titan's don't pose a threat to other life forms besides humans. So since the Titans don't prey upon horse-kind, it's only natural for them to not be afraid. But perhaps yours was afraid because you, it's rider, was put into peril and it didn't want to risk you getting killed?" Assumes Ruby as she pondered and shared her thoughts aloud.

"Well....you have a point." Shrugs Eren, believing in Ruby's words to truly be the truth."But the others...we have to go back!" Eren starts. But before he could geer his steed towards the direction the ambush came from...

"Eren, are you out of your mind?!!" Ruby grabs the top of Eren's shoulder while big eyed. She couldn't believe the words that just left Eren's mouth. They miraculously escaped death, and now he wants to charge right back to death's door to only knock? He's absolutely crazy! He's losing his marbles!

"Armin and Mikasa is back there! Including all of our friends whom we graduated with! There's no way I'm going to turn a blind eye and turn my back on them!!" Eren shouts while Ruby's ears bleed. Literally, Eren shouts so loud...he literally damages everyone's ears. No joke.

"Eren, I don't care-- listen, yes I care about our friends. But we don't have a choice. Charging back in that forest would only be giving ourselves a free ticket to death. And I can't let you do that. You're humanity's last hope! There's no way I'm just going to allow our final hope to be distinguished in the hell that awaits back there. Not happening. You can fight me, hurt me, break me...but you're not going back. The signal for retreat into the walls have been fired. Weir going back whether you like it or not, so deal with it!!"

Ruby grabs Eren with all the strength she possesses and Eren is stuck on horseback with her, as she orders her horse Peanuts to dash ahead, back to the wall. "Wait...what are you doing?! NO!!" Eren screams angrily as he kicks and punches Ruby who he was glued to. But no matter how many times she was kicked and punched, she refused to let him has his way. More than him being humanity's final hope for a future, she couldn't risk it. She wouldn't risk losing Eren as well. If she lost him, she doesn't know what she'd do.

Her parents died when Shiganshina was attacked by the Titans. She refuses to let him go. If she does, she won't have anyone else meaningful in her life. After all, friends are like balloons. Once you let them go, you can never get them back. So Ruby will do whatever she can in her power to make sure she never lets Eren go.

"NO!! Stop it!!" Eren shouts and screams while not backing down on beating Ruby. But Ruby never let him go. She got bruises, cuts, bloody oozing from her lips, but she never let him go. She refused to. It was the one thing she could never allow herself to do.

The two made it back to the walls, against Eren's will. They waited and waited, and Levi's squad never came back...only their commander, Levi that is. He disappeared before the attack. He said something about needing to check back with Erwin and his squad.

When Eren met with Levi he shouted at him, called him a bunch of cursed words, and kicked and punched him. Levi usually never lets anyone hit him. Always he's the first to react. Not even a butterfly could wish to actually lay a finger on the man.

But this time, Eren's punch did not miss its mark. His fist collided, smack into Levi's face. Blood dripped out from Levi's lips. Eren paused his actions confused. He instantly knew the fact that Levi didn't stop him from from attacking him, was a good sign.

"You can beat me if it will ease the burning anger inside you. Afterall...if only I didn't leave our squad behind...they would still be alive. It's my fault they're dead. So go ahead. Give me the punishment I deserve for sending them to their deaths."

This was both shocking but more confusing to hear Levi say. This didn't seem like him at all. He never lets anyone beat him, for one. Usually he never blames the deaths of his comrades on himself. And also, he never EVER lets anyone beat on him. This was completely shocking to everyone who witnessed this.

Always, Levi is calm and refuses to show much of his emotions. But this time, Eren could see it. There were no tears, but the look in the Captain's eyes was enough for Eren to know how the man truly felt. Eren refused to beat Levi any further. He allowed his arms to fall by his side and he turned around to walk away. He muttered, "Forget it".

Ruby hated how Levi thought of her and Eren's friends deaths as his fault. She felt he shouldn't be one to carry the burden alone. It wasn't right. But...what if instead, it was her fault? She did after all, escape with Eren, abandoning her comrades. If only she listened to Eren, turned back, perhaps they all could have survived?

Ruby wanted to believe this. But she knew, even then, that couldn't be. They were outnumbered. Even if they returned, they all would have been as good as dead. And if Ruby didn't stop Eren from going, he too, would had likely died.

Ruby was sitting ontop a rooftop to a random building inside Trost district within Wall Rose. She was mostly quiet. All was silent in the City. Until she heard a loud clanking sound. She recognized that noise. It was the noise caused by boots and roof colliding. Somebody hopped up here using their maneuvering equipment just like she did.

"Hey...Ruby? Are you alright?"

That voice...it belonged to Eren. He came up to check on her. Ruby decided to not turn around to face him. She couldn't. Or she fears she may break down into tears. Eren seems to sense this, and he decides to sit besides her. There was mostly just silence at first. But eventually, Eren speaks up.

"Um...Ruby? I...I want to thank you."

"H-Huh?!" Ruby lifts up her head and jerks it towards Eren, disbelief splattered across her face. "I want to thank you...for saving me. If you hadn't dragged me away from charging back into the woods...I probably would have winded up dead. I'm sorry for beating on you. I know it wasn't easy. And...I'm sorry for hurting you and also for treating you like a heartless monster."

Eren says before leaning in and giving Ruby a hug, which she returned without any regrets. Finally, she allowed her tears to escape from her eyes. She cried and wailed, and Eren let her. He let her, and he continued to hold her without ever letting go. If this was to be a burden to bear...they might as well share the pain together.

The End