Destine to be His (Eren Jaeger x reader)

Trust

(Always be fire safe! Or else!) 

Eren returns to your tent the next night, and the one after that, and the one after that, and so on. 

At first it worries you, but eventually you get used to it. You're still not entirely sure why he keeps you around, or visits you so regularly. 

It wasn't love, certainly not. Perhaps a couple months ago you would have believed that the titan was capable of love, but not now. Not anymore. 

You were simply his favorite pet.

The more time the two of you spent together the more he'd talk. Some nights he'd stay into the wee hours of the morning, stroking your hair and talking about his grand vision of the world. Tonight was one of those nights. 

"Mikasa has always been compromised." The titan mutters softly, his warm breath spending hot tingles down your neck. "Everyone thinks that the Ackerman power is so incredible, but when it comes down to it it's really pathetic." His slender fingers lace through you hair in familiar patterns. Despite the familiarity, it never comforts you. 

You are currently sitting with your back resting against Eren's chest, his hands in your hair and his legs on either side of your body as the two of you sit on your cot. Your lantern flickers overhead, illuminating the tiny world Eren has chosen to believe in. 

Perhaps it is the sliver of humanity left in him that draws the titan to you. That is why he insists on keeping you around... why he likes to bring you close and hold you at night. 

At first you were uncomfortable, but now you can't bring yourself to care. You will live until Eren decides he has no more use for you, and you have bitterly come to accept that. Not like you have the option to resist. 

"... do you?" 

You  blink, suddenly realizing that Eren's hands had stopped moving through your hair. You feel his heavy gaze staring down at the back of your head. 

Expectantly.  

You swallow dryly. "I-um..." 

Eren chuckles, his low voice rumbling in his chest. His arms wrap around you, caging you in and drawing you closer to him. "Well birdie?" He smirks, leaning down to get a look at your face. 

Your eyes meet his, the humor leaving them as he watches you, his expression becoming stern. His gaze makes you hold your breath nervously, feeling a sheen of cold sweat began to lace the back of your neck and underarms. 

Shit.

After a long and painful moment Eren finally releases you. Wordlessly he slides off the bed. Fear pulses through you once more and you don't dare breathe. Is he mad? 

"You don't have to answer that birdie," Eren mutters, making his way across the tent to where he'd left his jacket. Your body feels cold in the absence of his warmth but you can't fight the relief that he's not angry. "I know you still think I'm a monster." Eren sighs, almost sounding sad as he reaches for his coat. "It's okay, you wouldn't be alone in it." He mutters remorsefully. 

You don't know what possesses you to stand up so suddenly. Eren raises a brow as you come to stand beside him. Without thinking you wrap your arms around the man's tall figure, embracing him into a hug as best you can with the chains around your wrists. 

"I'm sorry." 

The words slip past your lips so suddenly, you don't really know what you're apologizing for. For being kidnapped and held hostage? For watching your whole city be crushed to pieces? For being forced to marry a titan? None of these make sense and yet there the words are, falling flat into both your ears, and the strangest thing is that they couldn't feel more natural. 

Eren is still for a moment. His body standing motionless in your arms, and then slowly he moves. Carefully and cautiously wrapping his arms around you to hug you back. 

You hear his heart beat thumping gently in his chest. His body is warm and soft and he smells like winter and smoke. You feel yourself relax, releasing tension you didn't even know you'd been holding for the past couple weeks perhaps. Since the airship? Since the wedding? 

But it doesn't matter. The second you feel those strong arms wrap around you, protecting you, you feel safe, you feel alive. 

The the titan in him you'd always feared was now a power you shared to. As long as you were in his arms...

After a moment, Eren placed a gentle kiss on your neck, and then pulled away. His green eyes pearing down at you somehow softer than before making your heart accelerate in some weird way. 

His gaze fell on your still shackled wrists and the softness in his eyes faltered, then he looked back up to you. "Tomorrow night... why don't you come to my tent instead... A/n?" 

You feel your cheeks heat up and your heart pitter patters. 

His words didn't sound outright sexual. Gosh you hope it wasn't! Just... dearly trusting. 

After weeks of being held prisoner and chained in this tent, he would finally let you leave, to go to his tent of all places. He'd want to share that with you...

You nod bashfully, no longer able to meet the titan's gaze directly for fear that if you stare into those intense emerald eyes for any longer you might just explode. 

Eren smiles softly before returning to his normal gruff self. "Good." He mutters, and slides his coat on over his shoulders before turning back to you with a smirk. 

"I'll look forward to it." 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a quick thing I wanted to say about the line "I'm sorry." in this chapter:

-this is NOT a situation where our reader should be apologizing for ANYTHING

-that does NOT make for a healthy relationship since she is getting rewarded for putting up with Eren's (quite frankly) abuse

-this is a work of fiction, and that is part of the storyline, but I think it is important that we practice distinguishing fiction from what is real and healthy 

Thank you so much for all the reads, votes, comments, and other interactions! Y'all really make my day! I hope you are all doing well and have a good Mother's Day! :D

-author <3