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dreamy-jaeger · 1 year

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I Know the End | Ch. 3

Zombie Apocalypse!Au, Older!Grumpy!Eren x Sunshine!Reader

Content: Reluctant traveling companions to lovers, Slight age gap, found family, eventual smut so Minors - DO NOT INTERACT.

Warnings: Peeping tom!! ;)

Chapter Summary: The journey to Shiganshina has begun, and after a long day of traveling they find refuge for the night.

Masterlist

A/N: here we go again! I reworked this chapter so many times so hopefully the end result makes sense 😩 I hope you enjoy!!

chapter 3

Y/N’s P.O.V.

The early morning air nipped at Y/N’s cheeks as she stood in the front doorway of the cabin. Her eyes trained on the pointed tail that weaved in and out of the tree line, the dog’s snout down to the earthy floor, searching for a spot to claim as her own. The cold didn’t seem to bother Ellie who was blessed with a thick coat of fur. Unlike Y/N who had her hands stuffed in the dark brown hoodie she had struggled to tug out of her fully packed bag. She shivered under its thinning fabric.

Behind her was the sound of footsteps, moving about the living room as her two new travel companions finished preparing for their journey ahead.

If Y/N was honest with herself, she had to admit she was convinced that she would be leaving all on her own. A solitary existence (save for her dog) was all she had ever known since this thing had first started, and though she would’ve enjoyed the company she was sure Eren would never want to join her on what could be an aimless trip. It was a risk and he didn’t seem like the type to take any chances. Last night proved differently.

“What?” Y/N breathed, after Eren’s words hung in the air between them.

“We’ll go with you.” He repeated, his voice sounding more certain. “To the safe zone in Shiganshina.”

“...What changed your mind?” She asked, her eyes searching his face for any hint of deception. There was none.

“I just think, if there’s any chance to find a place where we can stay— Where she can be safe for good,” He nodded towards Gabby’s sleeping form, “Then we have to take it.”

“What if I’m wrong?” Y/N suddenly said, “What if there’s nothing there?”

“You seemed pretty confident last night.” Eren pointed out.

“Yeah… but now that you’re on board with the plan I’m second guessing myself.”

She could’ve sworn she saw the corners of his mouth lift in what seemed to be a smile. It was gone before she could verify that it wasn’t a hallucination.

“I guess I’m just going to have to try and trust you.” He finally said, regarding her nervous ‘what if’s’ from before.

Y/N narrowed her eyes at him, sizing him up in one way or another.

“But you don’t trust me.” She stated, “At least not fully.”

“That will be up for debate.” He told her, light slowly spilling over the room as the sun broke free from over the horizon. They held each other's gazes through the orange light, a small delicate truce forming in the air between them.

“Ready to go?” Gabby said moving up next to her, pulling Y/N back to the present. She looked well rested, her short brown hair now pulled back in a neat ponytail, a green army jacket Y/N hadn’t seen before was thrown over her own hoodie, zipped all the way up to protect her from the cold.

Y/N nodded, smiling softly before letting out a low whistle. Ellie appeared from the shadows, padding up to them through the grass of the meadow. Her fur was slightly damp when Y/N crouched down to pet her, surely collected from the dew drops that sat on the bushes and low hanging branches from the trees. The dog shook them off, spraying the two girls with a coat of water.

Gabby laughed, her own hands moving to scratch behind Ellie’s ears.

“You really had to wait and do that until you were right next to us?” Y/N chuckled, grinning at her dog. It almost seemed like Ellie was smiling back as her tongue lolled out of her mouth, her warm breath fanning over their faces as she zigzagged between them, tail wagging happily.

“Let’s go.” A deep voice said sternly from behind them, interrupting their small moment of contentment.

A sigh escaped the young teenager as she stood, pulling at the straps of her backpack to adjust it to a more comfortable position. Y/N soon followed, her eyes finding the source of the voice when she straightened up. He only held her gaze for a second, before brushing past her with nothing else to say. Any semblance of the camaraderie they might have formed last night was nowhere to be seen.

But Y/N would not let his prickly disposition phase her, her footsteps falling into the same rhythm as she followed after Gabby. Ellie trotted along happily beside her.

No one spoke a word as they left behind their temporary asylum, the cabin quickly disappearing from view behind the thicket of trees. Eren’s hands were wrapped around a machete as he led them down a concealed path, slicing down any obstacles that prevented them from moving forward. Maybe in the past the bramble and vines were kept nice and neat, cut away so that it was walkable. But now, nature was claiming back its territory.

That was one of the very few good things that came from this apocalypse. The earth was restoring herself. Y/N was just glad she could now see a full sky of stars when the sun dipped below the horizon. Though that appreciation was always cut short when a new form of danger always lurked around every corner.

Which was why she had to force herself to keep her wits about her, especially as she brought up the rear of this newfound group. Her gun was held aloft in her hands, her eyes scoping every inch surrounding them.

She longed for the days where she could let her brain wander into thoughtless daydreams. That reality was far behind her. There hasn’t been one minute where her mind wasn’t on high alert. As well as the new added pressure when she promised Eren during their early morning debrief that she could hold her own.

During that same debrief, Eren had made it clear that he was the one in charge. That she should keep her mouth shut and listen to what he says. This of course was met with a very sarcastic ‘sir, yes sir!’ and a salute from the woman. But the look that he gave her shut her up quickly enough. Besides, she didn’t really mind. She was never much up for the leadership role. Y/N was always glad to fade into the background and let someone else take the reigns.

“How long is it going to take to get to Shiganshina?” Gabby asked, finally breaking the silence.

“A long time.” Eren grunted, slashing down on a few branches, the aggressiveness in which made Y/N wonder if they did anything to personally offend him.

“That doesn’t exactly answer my question.” Gabby responded, Y/N could practically hear her eyes roll into her head.

“It takes about a day to get there by car.” Y/N decided to answer her. “Since we’re on foot, we’re looking at a couple of weeks.”

“Weeks?” Gabby emphasized, turning to look back at Y/N with large eyes.

“Maybe longer.” Y/N shrugged. “Depending on how often we stop.”

“So why don’t we just find a car?” Gabby asked.

Eren stopped, he glanced back at the teenager with his eyebrows raised and then his eyes found Y/N. There was a pause as the two shared a look. And before Y/N could help it, laughter bubbled out of her throat. Eren shook his head with exasperation but even still, there was amusement apparent on his face. The sight had almost caused Y/N to stop in her tracks from shock. Happiness turned out to be a good look for the man.

“Good luck with that, kid.” He smirked as he turned back to the overgrown foliage.

“What? Why are you laughing?” Gabby groused, looking between the two adults.

“A car’s not that easy to come by.” Y/N answered, her laughter dwindling into a few stray chuckles. Her stomach settling down in an unfamiliar way, most likely having to do with the shared moment between her and Eren that didn’t have any hint of animosity. She wondered if hell had frozen over.

“Eren had one,” Gabby said matter-of-factly, “When I first met him.”

“And you saw how long that lasted.” Eren replied, his irritable demeanor from before returning in full force.

“You’re acting like it's my fault it got stolen.” The young girl grumbled. Eren let out a frustrated sigh, his shoulders dropping. Suddenly Y/N began to second guess if it was a good idea letting them tag along as awkward discomfort filtered into the air.

Y/N opened her mouth, her persistent need to mediate (or meddle) hanging on the tip of her tongue. Though no words were able to escape her mouth as Ellie let out one single bark. Y/N’s eyes widened, her heartbeat quickened. No one else seemed to know what was meant by Ellie’s signal, Gabby continued on her rant, Eren kept moving forward.

“Stop!” Y/N practically shouted, but it was too late. As soon as Eren cleared away the most recent obstacle of uncultivated nature, a walker came falling through, taking Eren down onto the ground in an entanglement of undead limbs.

“Shit.” Gabby hissed, fumbling for any kind of weapon as Eren struggled, his forearm braced against the monster's chest as it tried snapping at him with rotten teeth. He was pushing with all the force he could muster but the position he was held in had him at a disadvantage. Y/N’s finger had found the trigger of her gun without a moment's hesitation.

The gunshot rang out for miles, as the bullet whizzed right into the walker’s temple. The body slumped over Eren, death finding it for a second time. It slid to the ground with a soft thump against the foliage when the man freed himself from under it. Y/N stepped forward to offer him a hand. He didn’t take it. In fact, he just glared at her as he got to his feet.

“A ‘thank you’ would be nice.” Y/N said to his back since he already started moving again. Y/N was quick to catch up with him, the woods becoming much easier to navigate now that they were finally out of the hidden pathway. Gabby and Ellie close on her heels. “What is wrong with you?”

“We have to keep moving.” Eren snapped, “Especially since you didn’t have the common sense to use a knife.”

“I just saved your life.” Y/N argued, “Are you really angry with me right now?”

Eren whirled on her, “Yes, I’m angry. Why the hell did you use a gun?”

“Woah you guys—” Gabby tried to interject, her efforts fell short.

“—Oh, I’m sorry if I didn’t utilize the proper equipment.” Y/N retorted, sarcasm dripping from her words, “But if you didn’t notice, it’s not like I had much time.”

“That’s not an excuse.” Eren fumed, “Any minute now there’ll be a horde of them because you don’t know how to stay silent. Neither does your damn dog.”

“Are you kidding me?” She scoffed, offense boiling her blood at the mention of Ellie “She was warning you.”

“I— She— What?” Eren struggled to find the words, a mix of exasperation and confusion twisting his features.

“...She barked.” Y/N said, somewhat pathetically. She gestured towards Ellie— who was sniffing innocently at the ground. Her hand flopped lamely back to her side.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” Eren reiterated, “She can’t be doing that.”

“If you’d only listened to her you’d know what was coming.” Y/N retorted, crossing her arms.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Eren questioned, he made no effort to hide his annoyance with the woman. Y/N huffed out her own irritation.

“She’s part plott hound.” Y/N said, quite resolutely.

“Don’t just say a random dog breed like we’re supposed to know what that means.” He reprimanded.

“What that means,” Y/N started, saying each word slowly, making sure that the words went through his thick skull. “Is that it's in her blood to sniff things out. Plott hounds were bred to hunt bears by their scent. I just… trained her to do it with skin-eaters.”

Eren and Gabby stared at her dumbfoundedly. Y/N ignored this.

“And I’m not stupid. Those dogs are fucking loud and they usually go off like a car alarm.” She continued. “I made sure she could do it in just one bark.”

And sure enough, just like she was trained to do, Ellie let out another short bark. A wavering moan filtered towards them through the trees, and the walker soon showed itself, stumbling around the clearing trying to get to them.

“Holy shit.” Gabby laughed, impressed by the dog’s skills and ignoring the pointed glare Eren threw her way.

Y/N made a show of procuring her knife from its holster, making sure the man got a good look at her choice of weapon, before she stabbed it through the skull of the second walker. It tumbled backwards pitifully and then fell to the ground with a dull thud.

“Was that the horde you were so worried about?” She pointed to the single dead body with her now bloodied knife, tilting her head to the side with feigned confusion. Y/N knew that teasing Eren like this was unnecessary. His concerns were well-reasoned, and he was most definitely right when he said they should keep moving. But there was something about him that made her want to keep pushing. And it was hard to keep the words from slipping off of her tongue.

His jaw was set, but he kept his mouth shut, apparently he couldn’t find any argument to her explanation or a response to her teasing. Instead he just turned on his heel and kept moving.

“Next time, just let me know what her damn signals mean.” He threw over his shoulder. “And start using your crossbow. You have it for a reason.”

Y/N looked over at Gabby, who just shrugged— the gesture telling her that this is what it was always like and that Y/N should just get used to it, and then turning to follow in the man's footsteps.

“God, help us all.” Y/N murmured to her dog, before doing the same thing.

They had been traveling for half the day now. The sun was high in the sky, beating down onto the pavement they were now walking on. The journey that the two of them had mapped out early this morning while the teenager slept, had led them to a highway. Which they had been following for the past three hours. Without the shade of the trees to protect them, the heat that enveloped them had left the cold chill of the morning long forgotten. Jackets had been shrugged off ages ago, a thin layer of sweat coating everyones skin.

Eren’s long legs had him in his usual place at the front of the pack, though Y/N was certain that man could keep moving on pure spite alone. She however, was dragging behind, her legs practically begging to stop, or perhaps even fall off from pure exhaustion. At least she was in good company as Gabby seemed to be in the same boat. Ellie was situated between the two girls.

“I like your rings.” Gabby said, probably hoping that the start of a new conversation would distract from their aching bodies.

“Thanks.” Y/N smiled, looking down at her hands, gladly jumping into the subject. Lighthearted topics such as these had been littered throughout their expedition, and Y/N had found it to be a nice change of pace having casual conversations with humans again— rather than with her dog. This of course only included Gabby. Eren had been quiet for most of the time. Only speaking when he needed to give out more directions… or orders.

“They pack quite a punch too.” She added jokingly earning a chuckle from the teenager.

“Do they mean anything?” Gabby then asked through labored breaths as the road they were walking converted into a slight upwards hill. Y/N examined the gemstones and silver that decorated her fingers. The one form of self expression she let herself indulge in.

“I know this one’s a moonstone.” Y/N said, lifting up her hand so they can both look and running a thumb over the milky white stone. “The others, I have no idea. I’m sure there’s some symbolic energizing meaning behind them. But that stuff is kind of hard to believe right now with the state of things.”

Gabby nodded thoughtfully. But it must’ve just been in courtesy, considering the next words out of her mouth.

“I meant, like, sentimentally.”

“That… makes more sense.” Y/N chuckled, dropping her head bashfully. “Um, well a couple of them are from my mom. One from a friend. And the others I thought just looked cool."

A scoff sounded out from the man in front of them. Which was a shock for Y/N since she didn’t even know he could hear them.

“The punch,” Y/N said a bit louder, for Eren’s sake. “Is courtesy of my friend, Jean. Regional boxing champion of ‘09. Hasn’t gone one day without mentioning it.”

Gabby glanced sideways at the woman, “And where is this friend of yours now?”

“What do you mean?” Y/N asked, her eyebrows knitting together.

“Is he still alive?”

The question surprised Y/N. The way she had put it definitely made it seem like he was, even if she didn’t know for sure. And he very well could be. The last she saw him had been such a horrifying blur. Who knows if he had made it out alive.

“I don’t know.” She told the girl, truthfully. “Knowing him though, he’s probably somewhere out there. He’s a survivor.”

“You haven’t tried to find him?” This time the question came from Eren. He had stopped walking and Y/N didn’t even realize that they had caught up to him until he spoke up.

“I haven’t seen him in three years.” She replied as she stood still next to him. “It’s sort of difficult to keep track of people these days. I just figured that the odds would be against me.”

“Maybe when we get to Shiganshina… there will be a way for you to try and contact him.” Gabby offered, hopefully. “Maybe they have a radio or something.”

Y/N smiled, though she could feel how it didn’t reach her eyes. She forced her tone to sound lighthearted. “Maybe.”

She was glad that Gabby didn’t seem to notice the skepticism in her demeanor as the teenager smiled back at her. But in her peripheral vision she could see how Eren’s teal gaze was locked on her, as if he could see everything she was thinking. Y/N didn’t dare make eye contact. She didn’t want to find out. Luckily, she wouldn’t have to.

“Are we finally taking a break now?” Gabby asked Eren, garnering his attention. She let the straps of her backpack slide down to the crook of her arms, ready to give her shoulders a break and drop it to the pavement.

“No.” Eren responded resolutely, hooking his fingers around the top loop of the bag and placing it back in its proper position before resuming his pace. Gabby groaned in response, stomping after him.

“Are you serious?” She practically whined. “We’ve been walking for hours. We need to at least stop to eat.”

“Don’t be a baby.” Eren retorted, “We’re almost there.”

“Almost where?” Gabby questioned. Eren stopped her, shifted her feet so she was facing forwards, and then pointed towards the horizon.

“Look.” He said.

Y/N didn’t notice it, but the small incline they were climbing happened to be a lot larger than she had thought. The conversation— and her own worried thoughts about Jean— distracted her until they had moved on from the subject. And they had done so only two feet away from the crest of the hill. Over which could be seen a great lake sprawling across the land that now sat underneath them.

The sight almost seemed fictitious. Like an oasis made up by the tired minds of the people that stood before it. White blinding light reflected up from the bobbing waves every so often, captured by the sun's rays from above.

Impressive looking cabins were lined up between the trees, each one cohesive with the next. The symmetrical nature of these buildings were a tad unusual, but that abnormalcy was answered after they had journeyed down the hill and through the woods. They now were stopped at the beginning of a paved pathway, no doubt leading towards their final destination. A wooden sign stood crooked on the soft forest floor.

“Calm Waters Resort.” Y/N read, tilting her head to do so, the words fading away under the decay that time had inflicted upon them. The name held a sense of familiarity to the woman. The memory of Eren pointing it out to her on the map surged to the front of her mind. So this was the place he was so determined to get to before the night had beaten them to it.

She looked towards Eren, eyebrows raised with what could be mistaken as amazement, which of course he took it as such. A smirk lined his lips when he met her gaze. She forced herself not to roll her eyes.

“Let's keep moving,” Eren said, seemingly deciding not to boast, “There might be walkers we have to clear out and we should do so before it gets dark.”

As if on cue, Ellie barked after he had finished speaking and then a muffled groan sounded out from the right of them. They all turned towards the noise, but the culprit of the sound was stuck under a golf cart that had crashed into a tree a few feet from where they stood now. The walker hissed at the sign of their movement, rotten hands outstretched toward them, grasping feebly at the ground beneath him.

An arrow whizzed through the air, landing in its skull with a satisfying thunk. Y/N stood at the other end of its route. The other’s eyes were drawn to her from the action.

“Better safe than sorry.” She shrugged in response to their stares, before moving to pluck the arrow back from the confines of the decaying skin.

“Right.” Eren replied simply, paired with a curt nod. If he had thought anything of Y/N’s overcautious measures it was unknown to her as she was met with the sight of his back, already headed down the pathway. The others followed.

The walk down to the lake was serene. The late afternoon sun dripped golden light over the crowns of their heads through the branches of pine that stood tall above them. No one spoke a word. As if the presence of their voices would spoil this rare peaceful moment that they had stumbled upon. Maybe in a few minutes, they would be met with more horrors that this world provided, but in the meantime Y/N closed her eyes, tilting her head towards the sun, letting it bathe her skin in its warmth.

A soft contented hum left her lips.

When she opened her eyes again, she was met by a piercing teal gaze. Apparently her sigh of tranquility had caught the attention of the man ahead of her. Her brows furrowed in the form of an unspoken question. Eren just shook his head, his own features conveniently neutral before turning his attention back to their journey.

A sharp spout of annoyance pricked behind Y/N’s sternum, though she made no move to let that fact be known. She wouldn’t let Eren have the satisfaction that he was getting to her. She supposed at this point she would just have to get used to being under the scrutiny of his pointed stare. Even if the burn of it made her feel vulnerable and unsure, convinced that behind those teal irises was judgment.

She forced away the insecurities that bloomed behind the heat of her cheeks, pushing it deep to the back of her mind. Though that feat was much easier to do once she finally caught sight of a tall cabin emerging from between the trees.

As the group reared up from behind the building, Y/N saw that up close it definitely looked the worse for wear, as a result of not having seen any maintenance in years. The wood of the walls was decaying with dry rot. The few windows that weren’t covered in a thick layer of dust were smashed in, jagged pieces of glass sticking out of the frames. It was pitch black on the inside, from what could be seen from down below.

It looked like a haunted house, waiting eagerly for the next patrons to torture with it’s cursed hallways.

Gabby didn’t seem too bothered by the outward appearance.

In her excitement, the young girl rushed ahead, laughter bubbling up from her belly. Eleanor was hot on her heels, easily influenced by the hyper energy, her tail wagging furiously. Both of them ignored the harsh reprimands that Eren called out from behind.

“She shouldn’t be running ahead like that.” He said to Y/N, who had scoffed at the tone of his admonitions.

“She’s old enough to handle herself.” Y/N retorted, knowing full-well that the words would bother him, since he had made it clear that Gabby was his responsibility and his alone when they had their discussions earlier that morning. From what she had observed, it was obvious he hadn’t yet found the trust for her that Y/N had already bestowed upon her dog. A cruel little voice in the back of her mind found that as an insult to Gabby.

She was reminded of her years as a teenage girl. Desperate for respect when there was none to be given by the adults that surrounded her. But her voice of reason would fire back that it was only proof that Eren cared for Gabby’s well being and perhaps she shouldn’t judge the panicked heart that obviously resided within his chest.

Eren opened his mouth to contradict Y/N’s words once more, but his argument was lost on his tongue when a high pitched screech sounded out amongst the resort. The sound recognizable as vibrations from Gabby’s own vocal chords.

A worried look was exchanged between the two of them before they both broke out in a run. Overactive imaginations conjured up the image of their loved ones being torn apart by rotted teeth. A timer counting down to their unlikely demise. Y/N’s trigger finger was already held aloft against her crossbow, ready to kill any monster that dared cause any harm. Surely the same could be said about Eren with the shotgun that resided in his hands.

Their panic was cut short by the sight of Gabby held captive in the rotted wood of the first step. Her ankle was a few inches deep within a hole that must’ve been created in her eagerness to get inside. A bashful expression was painted across her features as she looked up at the two adults that now stood over her.

Ellie sat at the top of the stairs, her tail thumping against the wood of the wrap around porch.

“She made it look so easy.” Gabby admitted with a self-conscious smile as she gestured towards the dog.

Y/N’s head was thrown back with easy laughter, Eren shook his own in exasperation, their troubled heartbeats began to settle. And once they had finally gained their bearings, the two of them moved forward to help the girl escape from the unexpected trap.

Eren’s P.O.V.

Eren was beginning to think that luck was on their side. Though he refused to believe that it had anything to do with the woman that had now joined them on their journey. She couldn’t have been the good luck charm that he had been hoping for.

So for now he would believe that it was because of some greater outside force influencing their luck proved by the fact that they had only run into a handful of walkers as they searched the premises of this resort. The act of getting rid of them came easier than it normally was.

Surely the lack of the undead was due to the time that has passed since the beginning of the apocalypse. Maybe they had all been drawn to the cities, in search of a population that would provide them with heavier meals. Or maybe past travelers had cleared this place of any danger that lurked within the darkest corners of this forest.

Though that brought on a whole new can of worms. Would they run into anyone now? Would they be surprisingly friendly like Y/N? Or would they kill the three— four— of them without a second thought.

Luckily that question was left unanswered, as no other living soul resided within the cabins they were willing to search.

Deciding that the first cabin seemed completely inhabitable they chose to leave it be, moving on to look for a better spot to settle for the night. As they weaved between trees, exploring a few of the better-looking buildings, they had finally concluded that their best option was the very last one at the edge of the resort.

This one sat directly in front of the beach, rather than deeper in the forest like the others, a fact that had Gabby pleased as she raved on about how only fancy people got to stay in water-front properties. Eren rolled his eyes at the young girl as she put on airs, pretending to be some rich fat cat as she traipsed through the living room— having already been announced clear of walkers by Y/N, who had taken up the honor of searching the place.

Though the man was fatigued by the teenage girl who was calling for her imaginary butler, he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his lips at the sight of her ease. She looked like a little kid in her excitement. His contentment almost came as a surprise to him, as it was something he hadn’t let himself feel for a while.

And it definitely came as a surprise to Y/N, when he turned to find her looking at him like he grew a second head. He didn’t even realize she was watching him. Her mouth opened, most likely to say something about the alien nature of his happiness. But he wasn’t going to let her get anything in.

“Let’s search for supplies.” He stated, somewhat coldly, turning away from the woman’s stare under which he felt uncomfortable. He could already hear how Gabby was rummaging through the cabinets in what he guessed was the bathroom. A few seconds later she reemerged into the living room, a small green bottle held in her hand. Seemingly the only thing she had found in her search.

“Tea tree conditioner.” She read the tiny words off of the label. Gabby clicked open the stopper, taking a whiff, her nose scrunched at what Eren knew was a harsh minty smell.

Y/N gasped, moving through the room towards her, brushing past Eren in the process, “Did you say conditioner?”

“Yeah,” Gabby replied, “You want it?”

“Really, you’ll let me have it?” Y/N questioned. Gabby looked at her quizzically.

“Sure, I don’t really see what the big deal is.” She shrugged, “What does it do?”

“It makes your hair soft.” The woman explained, taking the bottle from Gabby’s outstretched hand, bringing it up to her nose to smell it herself. She didn’t seem to mind the scent like the teenager did.

“Why would anyone need that?” Gabby asked, her eyebrows scrunching together.

“Surprisingly, there was once a time when people cared about that kind of stuff.” Eren answered, crossing his arms and leaning a shoulder against one of the oak paneled walls, “Unlike now. So you probably shouldn’t burden your load with unnecessary things.”

“Speak for yourself.” Y/N quipped, holding the bottle to her chest as if she were afraid he would snatch it from her hands. “I’ll gladly make room for it.”

“Fine.” Eren relented, deciding for his mental capacity not to argue with her, “Do what you want.”

“Why, thank you for your permission, my liege.” The woman replied sarcastically, finding a way to push his buttons anyways. A muscle in his jaw twitched as he watched the woman stuff the bottle into her backpack that she had left on the couch.

Gabby snorted softly at all of this, still obviously amused at how Eren had finally seemed to have met his match. His glare shifted over to the teenager, who dropped her smile and turned away with wide eyes. She moved towards the kitchen, mumbling a quick comment about searching for more supplies, but she was most likely trying to escape the authoritative wrath that could burst forth from the man at any moment.

It was a wise decision on her part, really. Eren was hoping that eventually the older woman would learn to do the same thing when it came to testing his patience. Though somehow he doubted that as his eyes returned to her, a hand patted her backpack in satisfaction now that the conditioner was packed snugly inside. His gaze being met a second later with a look of ostentatious triumph.

The cabin creaked and groaned under incessant pacing.

Footsteps heavy on the hardwood floor.

A whine sounded out from the couch, muffled by the soft cover of a quilted blanket. With a shift of her arms, it was folded down over her chest, and Gabby’s face was now revealed to Eren. The culprit behind the anxious movements that caused the old house to shift under his weight.

“People are trying to sleep, you know.” Gabby snapped, propping herself up so that Eren received the full force of her glare. Ellie, sat at Gabby’s feet, huffed at the movement. But the sound almost made it seem like the dog was annoyed with the man as well.

“And you could’ve slept in one of the bedrooms like I told you to.” Eren retorted, but the look that she gave him was enough to keep Eren from pushing that any farther. He knew how much the girl hated being alone. It was unfair of him to bring that up in his frustrations.

A sigh escaped his lips. He ran a hand through his hair, still slightly damp from lake water.

Earlier that evening they had all decided that they shouldn’t waste the opportunity of a fresh water source and use it to their advantage to scrub the sweat and grime they had accumulated during their journey. They had taken it in turns, none of them really comfortable enough to bathe in front of one another.

Eren had gone first. It almost felt unreal to have the cool water lap gently against his skin. All the tension seemed to melt away in the ripples that wavered out from his movements. It was a relief that Eren didn’t realize he needed until he was actually in the water.

Unfortunately all of that stress returned to his stiffened shoulders when it came to be Y/N’s turn. She had offered to go last, and Eren didn’t really bat an eye at that. Until the sun had started to dip lower and lower in the sky. A pink and orange sunset came and went in the time the woman was gone and now an eerie dusk was starting to bleed over the resort. Night time held all the possibilities of danger, and Eren wouldn’t know peace until every person (and animal) in their group was accounted for.

“Dude, will you calm down?” Gabby’s voice rang out, disrupting his thoughts. Eren didn’t realize he had started pacing again. “She’ll be on her way back soon.”

“What the hell is taking her so long.” Eren gritted, forcing himself to stop. Though he couldn’t stay still, so instead he focused on pulling his hair back into the low bun he always sported. The hair-tie he used snapping against his fingers as his annoyance made his actions harsher.

“She probably just took her time to relax.” Gabby offered, surprisingly more logical than Eren was at the moment. Usually she was the one with the overactive imagination. Eren was unhappy with this change of dynamic.

“If she gets herself killed I’m not taking care of that dog.” Eren huffed, plopping down in the armchair closest to the door.

“She’s capable of keeping herself alive.” Gabby argued, reminding Eren of earlier that day when Y/N had used pretty much the same words regarding the teenager. For some reason that sparked something in Eren. It didn’t hit him until now how outnumbered he was when it came to the state of mind. Weariness fell over him as he realized how long this trip was going to be, especially if he would find himself ganged up on by the majority. At least the dog couldn’t talk back. He ran a hand over his tired features.

“Somehow that doesn’t ease my conscience.” Eren replied to Gabby. He sat up in his chair and before he knew what he was doing his fingers were grasping for the boots he left discarded on the floor.

“You’re not going out there are you?” Gabby asked, sitting up as well. She watched as Eren laced up his boots.

“Well someone has to make sure she’s alive.”

Gabby didn’t say anything at that. Which confused Eren since she rarely ever went a minute without speaking, especially in the throes of an argument. So the silence had caused Eren’s eyes to flicker up towards the teenager. He found a knowing smirk painted across her features. Though what she was claiming to know, Eren had no clue.

“What?” He questioned, his voice gruff as he shoved his heel into the bottom of his boot.

Gabby’s smirk overturned into a face of feigned ignorance as she shrugged. “I don’t know, it seems like you’re awfully eager to catch a glimpse.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing really…” Gabby sighed, leaning back down into a more comfortable position on the couch, her head propped up on the pillow she had stolen from one of the beds. “But what if you go out there and she’s still naked.”

Gabby waggled her eyebrows at him suggestfully. Eren scoffed at her words and the sight of her goofy facial expressions.

“Don’t be an idiot.” He snapped. A slight heat surged to the tips of his ears. He was offended that Gabby would even suggest that he would be so simple-minded as to be flustered at the idea of a woman’s naked body. He doubted he would be bothered by such a thing since he was too busy focusing on surviving the literal apocalypse.

Though if that were really the case, maybe he wouldn’t have stayed glued in his seat after Gabby suggested the idea.

He stayed in place, taking on the onslaught of Gabby’s teasing, rolling his eyes whenever she thought she was being clever. Snapping back whenever she took it too far. Until eventually, the words faded off of her tongue, too tired to go on as her eyelids grew heavy. The soft sounds of her breath evened out as she drifted off into sleep.

At that point Eren was alone with his thoughts again. And he realized by then it had been even longer since Y/N had first left. Gabby had been wrong, she was nowhere near to being on her way back.

With his annoyance, Eren grabbed a flashlight from his bag and let his feet carry him out of the cabin. Modesty be damned, he truly didn’t care in what state he found her in, he was going to drag her back to the cabin so that he could finally go to bed with a peace of mind.

His heavy footfalls crunched through the pebbles that littered the edge of the shore, the bright gleam of his flashlight skipped over the scenery, catching on various trees and rocks that stood in front of his way. His jaw was clenched in determination as his eyes scanned the darkness for any sign of movement.

A determination that was lost once his eyes finally found her. He stopped in his tracks. The hand holding his flashlight dropped to his side, the beam of light focused solely on one spot near his feet. His jaw went slack.

She had his back to him. Her skin glowed under the moonlight. Ripples of water kissed at the skin of her supple hips. She tilted her chin up to the sky, proved by the way her hair brushed her lower back from the change of position. Somehow through the sound of the gentle waves crashing onto the shore, Eren heard a contented sigh escape her lips and travel through the wind. It was the same thing he caught her doing when she was basking in the sunlight. Only now it was under the light of the moon.

Eren swallowed hard against nothing, finding that his throat was dry. He opened his mouth to say something, to let her know that he was there and that she needed to get back inside before she got herself killed. But the words were lost on his tongue. He supposed they died the minute he caught sight of her.

That was when she started to turn around. And Eren just now realized how compromising it was to be in his position. Panic pierced its way through his brain. But somehow through it all, he was able to move his feet again. He scrambled up the bank, hoping with all his life that Y/N wouldn’t notice him escaping into the treeline.

Since he didn’t hear any angry shouts or disgusted accusations follow after him, he realized he must’ve been in the clear. But he didn’t stop moving until he was well into the forest. Only stopping to catch his breath, his back pressed against the rough wood of a tree.

Finally, with a moment gifted to collect himself, he noticed the harsh strain that was pushing against the zipper of his jeans. A curse tumbled out of his lips as he realized that maybe he really was that simple-minded.

~~~

A/N: oh my god Eren is such a perv 😏 let us see how this affects their relationship muahahahahaha, and as always I hope you liked this chapter, please message me if you’d like! ILY

Taglist: @large-juice @dududubebo @jaegersdiary @tojis-discord-kitten @amityblu @givemeasec @conniesbbymama @prblmtic (comment or message me if you want to be added! :))

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