How Do I Save Him? (Ereri/Riren) Fanfic

Chapter 4 - Familiar

EREN'S POV

A week later...

I'm in my car driving to my assigned dorm.

Apparently, the school decided to put the incoming freshmen, like me, into a dorm with another freshman. I just really hope I don't get placed with anyone who will actually talk to me.

It's not that I hate people. It's just that I don't want anyone getting too close to me. If someone did, I would just end up hurting them. But I don't know how I hurt them.

I still remember all those times when I fell into fear. Something would wrap around me, and after that, everything would feel blurry for a few minutes. Once everything cleared, I would always see someone in front of me crying in pain. It looked like I'd hurt them.

Just like that day with Reiner and his other friends. I felt fear, everything blurred, and I awoke seeing Bertolt screaming at me and holding Reiner who had been beaten to a bloody pulp.

Still to this day I wonder, was it really me who did that?

It's been a long while now, but I can still remember someone I used to be very close to.

Who was it? Did I hurt them in any way?

I park my car in the parking lot and step out of the driver's seat, closing the door behind me.

I grab my belongings inside the boxes, lock my car and make my way to the building.

Ding!

The elevator doors open and I start walking down the hallway.

"Hey, look! It's crybaby!" A familiar voice cackled from behind me.

My head whips around to see horse face standing there with Reiner and Bertolt.

Oh shit! They are attending this college too?

I turn around and speed walk down the hallway to my dorm. I hear them following behind me.

I swallow and pick up my pace.

Damnit. What if I hurt one of them?

I continue walking down the hall trying to ignore them, but doing so I get lost.

I am not a very good multitasker.

The hall comes to a dead end.

Damnit!

"Finally. We thought you'd never stop trying to run away." Jean chuckled, eager to do something malicious.

I jump at the sound of Jean's voice and drop all the boxes on the floor, spilling out all of its contents.

"Leave me alone! Aren't you scared of what happened last time, Reiner? What if I hurt one of you again?" I cried out, desperate to get away from them.

Reiner looked a little taken aback from my sorry excuse of a threat.

"Well, of course I'm scared. That's why I'm here. To kill you. I'm gonna make sure you can never touch anyone again." Reiner had this look of insanity in his eyes when he said those words.

He stepped forward with his fist pulled back, ready to punch me at any moment he wanted.

I sink to the cold floor below, hugging my knees to my chest and squeezing my eyes tight.

I feel that same darkness slowly creeping in, trying to strangle me.

"Hey, you freshmen! What do you think you're doing? You're not allowed to be wandering around the dorms!" A voice shouts.

Jean, Reiner and Bertolt look behind them.

I move my head to see who it is. A boy around my height with long blonde hair that fell just above his shoulders stands there slightly glaring at them.

"Uh... s-sorry." Bertolt mumbled while rubbing the back of his neck, trying to look shameful.

"Yeah. We're really sorry. We were just helping our friend Eren here. He got a little lost." Jean said, forcing a small, friendly laugh.

The boy's expression softened to a small smile.

"I can help him out. You guys are new here, so why don't you go find your dorms?" The boy spoke in a friendly tone.

Jean nodded, "S-sure. Thanks, uh..."

"Armin." The boy replied.

The three of them walked away.

Reiner looked over his shoulder and glared at me with an expression that said "I will kill you later..."

I took a breath of relief once they had gone.

"Hey. As you already know my name is Armin. I'm a sophomore here. The principal asked me to check on the freshmen dorms to make sure everyone has what they need." He smiles. "Here. Let me help you out."

Armin puts down his books beside him and helps me gather my belongings.

"Thanks." I give him a small nod.

"No problem. Do you need help finding your dorm? A lot of freshmen get lost easily during the first few weeks, but don't worry, you will get used to it soon."

A few minutes later...

I thank Armin for all his help and push open the door. The look of the dorm almost makes me drop all my boxes again.

The place is so clean. The floors sparkled and the windows were so clear that it looked like you could walk right through it.

I take a step inside and at an instant, a sweet fragrance flows into my nostrils.

The counters in the small kitchen, this college is pretty expensive, were so shiny that you could see your reflection in it.

The bathroom floor and walls were a crisp white. The shower was clean without a single stain. The bathroom sink and the toilet glistened in the light.

The tiny living room is so organized. Books lined neatly on a small shelf. A few small plants were placed around the room for decoration. Looking into the TV screen was like looking into a mirror.

I walk past a bedroom and see that it has already been claimed. The bed was made neatly. The window curtains were opened to let in some sunlight. Everything was so organized.

Damn. Could I hire this person to clean my room at home?

I walk into my bedroom and see someone mopping the floor.

"Hey. Are you my roommate?" I ask timidly.

I am very shy when it comes to meeting new people.

The boy turns around to face me.

Right away I can see that he is pretty short. Maybe around five feet two inches. His raven-black hair fell above his ears, styled in an undercut. He has smooth pale skin and a perfectly toned body. His eyes are a piercing silver and look as if he is irritated.

Usually I am terrified of people who give me these kinds of looks, but something about him made me relax.

He looked familiar...