Lost at Last (Eren Jaeger)

Eren.

Looking back at himself, Eren could see he was a difficult, moody and enigmatic child. It was a form of self-protection against the tyrannies that sought to imprison him, that offered neither compassion nor courtesy. And— perhaps—that child developed into a difficult, moody and enigmatic man. Eren doesn't like to think he is... but he recognizes, glancing into mirrors that offer themselves, that he may be.

The night of the graduation ceremony displayed that, and Eren had caught himself in a tantrum of his own childishness. Of course the altercation included Thea, because somehow she just managed to get under his skin, no matter what it was she was doing. Before the trainees were meant to go into the field to choose their regimens, Erens group of friends (and ex-friends) had a small gathering.

This was never good news.

The group of friends had decided to play truth or dare, and Thea couldn't help but to feel ostracized since no one ever called on her. Not that she would admit this but, she was too scared of any ramification for her actions. As Thea boredly glanced around the room, her glacier eyes locked with emerald ones that seemed to have been sensitized by her sudden stare. Through their staring match, Eren couldn't help but recall how he used to believe her eyes were icy cold after the fall of Shinganshina, that they knew no warmth and were haphazard. It took him three years to realize once again--but he did-- that the hottest fires always burn blue.

Eren's and Thea's staring competition was ephemeral after being cut off by Sasha calling out Thea's name, "Thea! Truth or Dare?" the blonde girl in question was dismayed as she stuttered out an answer-- which never came out in the first place, "Dare? Okay!'

Thea hadn't chosen that. She hadn't chosen anything as a matter of fact.

"I dare you to go in that closet with Eren until you guys are friends again!"

Thea was seriously questioning Sashas vices. At her demand Thea seemed uncomfortable and balked, but Eren only displayed equanimity, as if her request didn't seem to bother him at all. Thea tried to fight back but everyone else seemed to agree with potato girls dare, their minds seemed to be impenetrable to any new coming ideas. Thea was forced up to her feet by Connie and shoved into a closet alongside Eren, who seemed awfully passive with the situation.

The closet was big in length, so Thea sat at the deepest end of the closet while Eren sat by the door. Thea attempted to analyze Eren but his calm expression made it difficult for her.

"I recognize.." Eren finally started, breaking the awkward silence that had started to loom over them, "I recognize, that what happened to-" the hot-headed boy started to get choked up on his words and began to stutter, which he mentally cursed himself for, "to my mom, wasn't your fault."

Thea's heart-thumped. Euphoria and excitement almost over-whelmed her, but she quickly diminished it. "I'm sorry I didn't help in any way I could."

"I get it. I would've done the same..." He replied in a soft manner that was foreign for a man like Eren. Thea was beyond ecstatic that Eren had resigned from the position of hating Thea, their friend group was beyond overjoyed also at their new friendship. Eren imagined that his act of humility would cause the two to become friends as they were when little.

But later that night it was quickly shown to Eren that friendship with Thea would be simply impossible.

Anything she did he longed to do too, just better. Her goals, her passions, her dialect; Eren wanted her to share them with him as they used to. Glancing at mirrors that presented themselves Eren realized he had an obsession with the past, and it hurt him more than any wound that cut deep that he would never receive his childhood back. And although Thea tried to explain this to him as dolce as she possibly could, Eren still diminished everything she had to say and once again she was the bad guy.