Chapter Text
Eren
The last thing I heard was the Captain’s voice screaming my name; the sound so horrified and torn that I couldn’t help but look back to where he had been standing, trapped on the side of a building, just out of reach of the titans below. He had run out of blades and was low on gas so he couldn’t waste any of it trying to reach me.
I had been soaring through the air, skilfully avoiding the hands of titans that reached to grab me. It was in that exact moment when I looked back to meet his steely gaze when I saw a wave of terror flash through those beautiful eyes.
The next thing I felt was my whole body lurching to stop as I slammed into something solid and was thrown to the ground with such a force that left me lying against the concrete with a broken arm and dislocated shoulder. Searing pain was coursing through my leg and I could tell it was broken in more than one place. I could now barely wield my blades let alone stand or use my gear.
With blood dripping down my forehead, steaming as it slowly disappeared, I looked up through the strands of hair that had fallen in front of my eyes and felt my heart stop. A titan stood above me, leaning around the corner with a deformed grin on its face. My body felt like it was on fire as it tried to heal itself, but I didn’t have enough time. The titan reached down, its huge hand nearing my mangled body.
Gritting my teeth, I tried using my other arm to at least get myself out of the way with the wires but my limb was unresponsive. Fear snaked its way into my heart as the hard grasp of the titan’s hand wound around my body. I couldn’t breathe or even try to escape, my body stiff with terror.
Levi’s voice was ringing in my ears; begging me to ‘get out of there!’ To shift, to do anything really but I couldn’t. I managed to turn my head enough to look at Levi and smile softly. He was using the last of the gas in his tanks to try and reach me but it was too late, he didn’t have enough left.
As the titan brought me closer to his mouth I met Levi’s steely gaze and mouthed three words to him. I love-
“Eren!” At the sound of my name my head snapped up, pen dropping from my hand.
“Huh?” Laughter and snickering sounded around me and I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks as I realized everyone was staring at me expectantly.
Looking to the teacher I saw that look in his eyes that meant he had asked me a question and was waiting oh so very patiently for an answer.
He raised an eyebrow as our eyes met, “well Eren? Could you please tell us who it was that first invaded Poland?” He had a voice that sounded like he was trying his best to hold a command over the class but a majority of the time it broke and the class would go uncontrolled.
I chewed my lip before answering.
“Ghandi?” The class erupted in more laughter and the teacher sighed. Before he could begin lecturing me the bell rang through the room and students immediately stood up, shoving their books away into their bags, desperate to escape the class and go to lunch.
I caught my best friends Mikasa and Armin at the door and we quickly fell into step beside each other, making our way to the grounds. The sun was shining brightly, light filtering through the leaves in the trees that we had decided to sit underneath for lunch.
“The history teacher fucking sucks ass.” I huffed; slouching against the oak tree we had seated ourselves under, soft spring grass underneath us. The weather had finally come good again and we were lapping up as much of the nice weather as we could before summer rolled around to leave us sweltering.
“No, you’re just an idiot who doesn’t pay attention.” Mikasa snorted, opening her lunch to reveal a neatly packed sandwich, which she quickly started scoffing down.
I grunted in response to her, extending my leg to kick at her thigh, and pulled out my own lunch: bag of potato chips, closing my eyes as I ate them; arm moving like it was on autopilot. Armin rolled his eyes at us but didn’t cut in like he usually did.
“Hey, don’t we have a new English teacher coming in today?” He asked, slowly picking at the food he brought. I groaned. The last English teacher we had was an absolute idiot who had no idea how to teach. No wonder he was getting replaced.
“If this guy is another wanker like the last one I swear to god,” I sighed. English was enough of a hassle without idiotic teachers making it worse.
Before Mikasa or Armin had a chance to respond we all heard my name being called out over the loud speakers, asking me to go to the History office immediately. I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut. “Reckon I could pretend I died?” I laughed and the others shook their heads, amusement on their faces.
“Just go before you get into more trouble.” Mikasa laughed, shoving at my shoulder in an attempt to get me to move. I stood and slung my bag over my shoulder and began trudging my way back into the school building and up the stairs, heading for the class I had just left but instead of returning to that room I went into the one next to it and took my seat across from the teacher who instantly launched into the lecture he missed giving me earlier.
I left the office half an hour later with a frown on my face. There was nothing worse than having some adult drone on and on about the shit they went through as a teenager, saying that we all have it better than them and that we should accept everything as it’s given and make the most of every chance we get. Fuck off. Just because things were different compared to back then didn’t mean that now was any easier.
To the adults perhaps, but that’s only because they’ve already been through school and know what to expect. We students are still learning; you can’t expect us to accept everything without batting an eyelid. Especially not me; no: I was the type of person to argue and fight against anything and everything.
I marched away from the office and down the hall with a murderous scowl and didn’t notice the other person rounding the corner just as I did. We collided and they went down, ass hitting the floor and their bag landed a few feet away. I growled lowly and glared at them on the ground.
“Fucking watch it.” My voice was low and you would have to be an absolute idiot to try and reason with me. The man who had fallen was shorter then I, with a closely cropped haircut, the backside shaved closed to his neck. His eyes were a piercing grey colour and when they met mine I could see the exact same fiery anger that I was feeling.
He was too nicely dressed, sporting a white shirt tucked into black jeans with a black jacket thrown over the top. A funny looking tie that resembled a scrunched up tissue was shoved down the front of his shirt. What kind of student wears a suit to school? I wondered but the thought passed. It took me a moment to realize that I was staring at him and he was staring back, eyes swimming with sudden recognition; like he knew who I was.
I quickly stepped around him and made my way back down to where I had left Mikasa and Armin. They looked like they were having a heated discussion, leaning in close to one another and using hushed voices. It was like they were planning on robbing a bank, the way they were trying to be secretive.
I didn’t care, I simply threw my bag to the ground and followed after it, grunting as I crossed my arms and leaned against the tree once more.
“Like I said; that History teacher is a fucking asshole.” I growled as they looked at me, questioning the anger on my face. They both sighed and Armin leaned away from Mikasa. Whatever they had been discussing was no longer their point of concern, my look of ‘I am seriously ready to start killing people’ was.
“What happened?” Armin looked concerned while Mikasa was rolling her eyes. She knew I got angry over everything and obviously thought this was just another of my tantrums.
“Well apparently I need to try harder in class and not distract myself with the silly stories I write because they’re not real,” Mikasa and Armin exchanged a glance but quickly looked back to me, “but the class is and that’s where my attention needs to be… And then he proceeded to bore me with tales of his youth; how he never had the sort of chances we did and that we shouldn’t take anything for granted.” I sighed and shut my eyes, giving myself a moment.
Most of the time, if I was angry, I could just rant about it to my friends and the feeling would pass… Most of the time.
Today however, the feeling just kept bubbling, making me grit my teeth and clench my fists.
As Armin opened his mouth to speak, the bell rang, announcing the end of our limited freedom. I stood quickly and went ahead of them to class, in no mood to be reasoned with since I knew that was what Armin was going to do.
I shoved past other students making their way into the building and trudged to the English room, not wanting to be interacting with anyone. I just wanted to bury myself in my stories and let the class slip by.
Once everyone was finally seated, I in a seat near the front of the class and beside the window, the class fell into a quiet buzz.
Students pulled their chairs closer to one another and spoke in hushed voices. A lot of the talk being thrown around the room was wonder about who the new teacher would be and what they would be like. Several girls had giggled among themselves wondering if it would be another hot male teacher. I snorted and rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but wonder the same thing.
There was only one male teacher who worked here, who was actually hot. Everyone else was just decent and we needed some new eye candy.
The door to our classroom suddenly slid open and everyone was silenced as what we assumed was the new teacher walked in. Around me girls were giggling again and boys were huffing in a competitive way. And no wonder; the man had a slender build but not feminine and you could tell that he had muscle but it was hidden by the suit he wore. His black hair was a stark contrast against his creamy skin and his eyes had a grey stare that could wilt flowers.
While those around me swooned, I swore.
This was the man I had knocked over earlier and told to ‘fucking watch it’. I prayed silently, hoping he would take a seat among the students.
No such luck. He strode to the desk at the front of the room and placed his bag on it before facing the students and looking out over our faces. His eyes finally stopped on mine and I couldn’t bring myself to look away. I couldn’t.
I was caught up in that metallic gaze and I found myself holding my breath. His eyes seemed to smirk even though his mouth didn’t and once again there was that wave of recognition in his eyes that sent a shudder through my spine.
It felt like forever before he turned away and picked up a piece of chalk, beginning to write his name on the board and I could finally breathe again.
Oh shit. Looked like I was going to be the one to fucking watch it.