Chapter Text
The first time it happened, sun was beaming down over us. The clouds is dancing in the sky, the trees is swaying with the wind. The heat is overwhelming and maybe that’s why Eren’s face is red. His skin is glistening against the light, his hair is tousled—I guess because he run all over the way here from the castle, sweat trickle down his face and as I meet his eyes, he stiffened.
“Corporal Levi!”
“Oi, what’s with you?” I raked my eyes over his body again until he’s becoming uncomfortable. What a mess. Serves him right.
“Uhh… Corporal.” Eren said as he slowly brought his gaze towards the ground.
“Why are you shouting my name from over the castle and run towards here like someone’s chasing you?” Seriously, what is this brat thinking?
“Corporal, I have something to tell you—and no! please hear me out first, okay?” I harden my stare on him and nod.
“Corporal…Levi..” I stiffened as he utter my name.
“Since I was a kid, I’ve been watching you from a far and you became the hero, the hero that I idolized and yeah—maybe I also did some worshiping.” He smiles as he met my eyes and continued on.
“And after I met you for the first time, I was really shocked. You’re totally not the hero that I’ve been expecting, you’re short—“I glare at him and he let out a squeak “But you’re really strong! You’re humanities strongest after all, you’re adamant about cleanliness and Corporal, as I said you’re not the hero that I’ve been expecting in my childhood ‘cause if you happen to be that kind of a hero who’s perfect in every way then I would lose some interest and I would not fall in love with you as I am now today.”
I stood there, frozen in the spot. I received a lot of confessions back then and I don’t know why I’m feeling strange over this. It’s not like Eren is different from the others—well yes he is. He’s humanities hope, Levi. A very important asset of the humanity.
“C-Corporal?” I regained my focus as I stare at Eren and I realized that I still haven’t given him an answer.
“Eren.” He stood straight and he looks at me with determination in his eyes
“As what you said, You, see me as a hero and me, being not the hero that you expected clouded your mind and confuse that as love but Eren, no, you’re not in love with me.”
His gaze falters and he frowned. “No, Corporal. I am sure that I’m in love with you—“
“And if so, I still can’t. I don’t see you in that way Eren and never will.” I regret as I said those words. Never have I saw Eren’s eyes look so dead.
He shuffled his feet and smiles at me “Oh—oh. Yeah. Corporal, t-thank you f-for listening.”
I nod at him and turn my back—and maybe I should have turned my back faster so that I would not have seen Eren cry silently.
~~~
The first time I broke Eren Jaeger’s heart, the sun was no longer beaming as I walked away, The sky is getting dark as a tear slipped in Eren’s eyes, and as I looked back, droplets of rain fall from the sky and I thought to myself—
Indeed. He’s not like the others. Eren is different.
I shook my head and ignored the dull ache in my chest.