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Eren paced back and forth in Erwin’s office as he waited for the Commander and Captain Levi to return from the dungeons. He didn’t exactly know what he was feeling in that moment but Eren guessed it was probably shock.
You were a titan shifter. Like him. Like Reiner. Like Bertolt.
Maybe Eren should have been happy at the discovery that his girlfriend and him were the same. But he couldn’t be. You’d kept it a secret since the start of your military career, when there had been plenty of chances to come forward. And since all other known shifters were working to destroy humanity, the likelihood that you were a traitor was high.
The only reason you’d been discovered at all was when you were fatally injured on a mission, or so it was expected to be. Normally it was possible to control and dampen the healing abilities of shifters, but when seriously injured, the body took over and fixed itself. It was impossible to hide your true nature when Armin saw your leg grow back.
As much as Eren prayed you weren’t a traitor, that this was all just one big understanding, he couldn’t help the doubts forming in his mind. He thought back over your training, scrutinizing your relationship with Bertolt and Reiner. You’d always been fairly close with Annie, considering her temperament, having shared a bunk with her for the entire three years. What if you’d been working together all this time?
The door to the office opened so abruptly Eren jumped out of his skin. Erwin and Levi entered, the blonde taking a seat at his desk while Levi lent against the wall behind him.
Erwin stared at him for a long moment, saying nothing. Just as things were beginning to get awkward, he spoke.
“Did you know cadet L/N was a titan?” He asked, voice level. Was this an interrogation?
“What? No! I had no idea!”
“I believe you.” Erwin replied. There was another pause. “They insist they’re not working with Braun and Hoover. They’ve even offered to use their powers to help the scouts like you.”
“And?”
“And there needs to be a formal hearing before anything can be decided.”
“Do you think she’s telling the truth?” Eren prodded the Commander. Erwin sighed. “It’s difficult to say, but I think she’s more likely to be honest with you than anyone else. Which is why Levi is going to take you to the dungeons to see her.”
Eren didn’t know what to feel at that. On one hand, all he wanted to do was see you and make sure you were ok. But at the same time he felt hurt and betrayed. Didn’t you trust him with something like this? After all, he was more likely to understand what you were going through.
The dungeons of HQ were colder than Eren remembered, having spent some time there in the past. His footsteps echoed as he followed Levi through the narrow corridors, shadows dancing over the dim stone walls.
Your cell was the last along the corridor, the bars so rusted Eren doubted they provided much confinement at all. He felt his heart clench in his chest when he spotted you in the back of the cell, still in your scouts uniform but also wearing a straight jacket and gag.
“We aren’t taking any chances.” Levi stated. You didn’t look up at his voice. Instead you stayed curled in on yourself against the wall, legs drawn up to your chest and head resting on your knees as you cried softly to yourself. It brought tears to Eren’s eyes just to see it.
“Y/N?”
You froze at the sound of his voice for a moment before you looked up, eyes wide and startled. They were bloodshot from lack of sleep, having been interrogated since the early hours of the morning and probably not having slept since being arrested. You didn’t speak. You couldn’t with the gag.
Eren took a step towards you and curled his hands tightly around the bars of the cell.
“Please tell me…” He started. But then, realising he had no idea what he wanted to said, he trailed off.
“Go in and take the gag off her.” Levi ordered one of the guards. They scrambled to ok, fumbling with the keys noisily before opening it. They weren’t exactly gentle when they took the gag off you.
“Can I go inside?” Eren turned to Levi hopefully.
“No.”
Eren opened his mouth to argue but knew there was no point. Levi’s expression didn’t change so Eren turned his attention back to you.
Your had bags under your eyes as you stared stubbornly at the floor, eyes still watery as you sniffed every once in a while.
“Y/N…” Eren started again, voice softer this time. “What happened?” He got no reply from you but more tears as you started crying again. “Talk to me…” He pleaded.
“I’m sorry…” You gasped for air. “I wanted to tell you, I really did… I was just…”
“I don’t care why you did it.” Levi cut across you. “All I care about is this. Are you an enemy of humanity?”
“No!”
“How can we be sure?”
“Y/N…”
“Eren, please… I’d never lie to you.”
“You already have.” Levi commented helpfully on Eren’s behalf.
“I was scared.” Your voice sounded so small and Eren almost teared up hearing it. “But it seems like you’ve already made up your minds.”
“Y/N…”
“I thought I was worth more to you than that!” Now you were angry. Eren guessed you had a right to be so he stayed silent. “After everything we’ve been through together? Everything we’ve seen? It wasn’t an act! I’m not like them! I’m still the same person I’ve always been! You just… know me a little better now…”
Eren didn’t realise he was crying until the tears began to drip off his chin. It was true, you’d been through hell and back together. The idea of you lying about everything – your entire identity, seemed unfeasible.
“When and where were your powers acquired?” Levi continued to lead the interrogation, knowing you were far more likely to answer truthfully if Eren was here.
“I… I’m not sure exactly… I think around the time my mum died… I didn’t know I could turn into a titan until quite recently, after I’d joined the military. I just thought I had some crazy healing powers or something. And then I joined the scouts because I thought it would help keep me alive while also doing something good.”
You seemed entirely honest with the two of them, eyes focused more on Eren than Levi. You knew forgiveness was a lot to ask for keeping this from him. And your heart ached at the knowledge he’d at least break up with you for this, if you survived at all.
“If you’re so loyal to humanity, why did you shift today during training and almost step on several cadets?”
“I…” But the words didn’t come. To be honest, you could barely remember the incident. It was only the second time you’d shifted in your life so it was still difficult to control many aspects of the change.
“I think we’ve heard enough.”
Levi took a step back and motioned for Eren to leave with him. Eren stayed still.
“Brat. Now.”
“Wait!” Eren turned back to you. “Why didn’t you trust me?”
“I-I just… It’s not you I don’t trust. And I couldn’t ask you to keep a secret that big, it would have been too much…” You looked down and in that moment, Eren believed your story entirely, even if several important details still remained unknown.
He came forward and pressed himself against the iron bars of your cell.
“Y/N… I promise I’m going to get you out of this. I’m gonna clear your name. Everything’s gonna be ok.” Even though you were filled with so much uncertainty, you allowed yourself to believe him.