Renovating the Heart (FFXV)

XLIV) Thief

Rue hardly slept that night, tossing and turning until Eren weighed her down with his arms. Even then, she was restless, unable to keep her eyes closed. Would they survive the battle? It was hard to imagine that a group of kids wielding guns would be able to overtake a bunch of trained soldiers, but then again, the psychology behind murdering a group of kids might be the soldiers' downfall. Could I kill a kid? She sighed, screwing her eyes shut. Yeah. I could. And there she was hating the people who thought the very same about her daughter. Her heart stung. This is different.

Finally, the sun rose over the horizon and Rue turned over, brushing Eren's hair out of his face. She could hardly wait until nighttime so that she could get a full night's rest, curled up against his side. He stirred awake slowly, stretching his arms overhead as he yawned. He blinked his eyes open and raised an eyebrow, finding her watching him.

"Yes?"

"Good morning," she murmured, tapping the tip of his nose with her finger. He scoffed, sitting up and pulling away the blankets to stand. "Dude, what did I tell you about sleeping naked in my bed?"

"Sorry," he blurted, pulling on his clothes. "I just forget, and then before I know it, I've passed out."

"Uh huh," Rue scoffed, standing and dragging her Glaive uniform from the closet. This is it. "Stop watching me change."

"I'm not," he lied, turning away to check his phone. "Ready for today?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," she huffed, buttoning up the front of her coat. She stepped in front of the mirror, smoothing out the material. Eren whistled.

"#$%^, that looks good on you."

"Yeah?" she frowned, pulling at the jacket. It made her look bulky. Eren pressed a kiss to her cheek when he passed by, heading for the kitchen.

"Yeah."

The morning was slow, but Rue liked it that way, drinking her coffee while she watched the sunrise. Eren cooed at Honey beside her, having earned the cat's favor the very day he met her. Rue finished her coffee with a sigh and watching them for a bit before standing.

"We should probably get going."

"Yeah." Eren kissed Honey's head and tapped her fuzzy pink nose. "See you later, missy."

Honey meowed loudly in protest when he left his seat on the couch. He shot Rue one last smile before pulling his boots on and leading the way to his car. She climbed in without a word, nervous. Eren seemed to sense her anxiety, reaching over and resting his hand on her knee.

"It'll be alright."

"You don't think anyone will die?"

"I didn't say that, but I think we'll be alright."

She nodded, staring out the window the whole way to the Citadel. The silence was comfortable. When the car stopped in the garage, Eren turned to face her again, pressing a finger to his glasses.

"You ready?"

"I don't know," she sighed, picking at her fingers. He nodded, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I think you are."

"At least someone does," she teased, getting to her feet. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah," he nodded, heading in the opposite direction.

Rue entered the Citadel from the heavy steel door that led to the floor below the Crownsguard's floor, hurrying up the stairs. Rayne's office door was open and so she walked right in, holding out her arms.