Different Kind of Love

Chapter 19 - Never going back

Eren slowly stumbled down the corridor, his head refusing to accept what had just happened.

Finally reaching his room, Eren opened the door and continued his zombie-like walk until he reached his bed and collapsed heavily into it. "Rough day?" A voice came from the doorway. Reiner was stood their, his arms folded in his usual manner.

"What?" Eren replied, his emotionless voice muffled by his face buried in his pillow.

"Oh come on, don't do an Annie." That name. 'Annie' Eren had to stop himself from twitching. "We don't need two cold bastards in the house."

"Sorry, just thinking about things."

"Well you seem upset but I've got to tell you something."

"Can it wait?" Eren pulled his head out of the pillow and took a deep breath.

"It can, but I'd rather just tell you now."

"Go on then."

"What we were talking about before? About what to do after. I'm afraid there's a slight hitch in your plan. You're an escaped convict, you'll be hunted like a fucking dog if the police catch a whiff of you."

"What?"

"We can't go back, Eren. This is it. No home. No family. No life."

"What!?"

"Eren I know this is hard for you but you need to accept it, just let everything go."

"Accept it?! You expect me to accept the fact that I was broken out of a prison I didn't even want to be rescued from and forced to live without my life?"

"We all did."

"Well I'm not you!"

"Eren, we've all lost something, we didn't ask to be a part of this either, but here we are."

"Get out." 'Get out' Annie's voice rang through Eren's head.

"Ok, but you'll have to accept everything one day, Eren. You can't keep running from the truth." With that, Eren was left alone. Left alone to accept all this. The truth.

There was a gentle tap at Eren's window, it came louder after a few hits. It eventually got loud enough to break Eren out of his trance. Trying to shake off the thoughts, Eren made his way off the bed and to the window were he saw a familiar face ready to throw another stone. A smile grew on both of their faces as Eren opened the window. "YMIR! Holy shit! What are you doing here? Hang on a minute I'll come down."

"No!" Ymir cut off Eren before he could leave. "Just jump out the window, I need your help."

"But there are others who can help."

"No, no. I don't exactly trust them."

"You know them?"

"Used to. Anyway come down here, we need to be quick."

"What's up?" Eren climbed out of the window and closed it behind him.

"It's Christa."

"What about her?"

"She was taken, I was with her but I wasn't strong enough, the people that took her, they're serious."

"But why Christa?"

"Come on, I'll explain on the way." The two left into the forest behind the hotel, Eren blindly following Ymir.

Bertholdt stared through his window at the pair as they were engulfed by the overgrown plant life. He couldn't get a good look at the other's face, though it was definitely a girl. 'Shit.' He thought to himself, 'the others will want to know.