Chapter Text
“Hey, Armin.”
“What’s up?”
Eren took a shaky breath as he pressed the phone harder against his ear. “You know how you told me that she-… that she’s not from before?”
“...yeah?” Armin slowly answered.
“Well um-… Well, I think we were wrong…”
A Quaint Apartment
Everything felt like a dream…
Which you found odd considering how when you normally woke up everything was a nightmare.
But not this time… this time it was a dream. A wonderful, peaceful, happy dream; and because of that, you felt inclined to enjoy every moment of it.
“What’s that?” You excitedly asked Mr. Kruger as you pointed to the strange object at the further end of the room. It looked like a picture frame but it was glowing like a light!
“It’s the TV.” Mr. Kruger said.
“Tee… vee…” You repeated slowly before you gasped. “It’s amazing…”
“Um... yeah it’s- it’s pretty cool.” He stuttered in reply.
“And what’s that!” You excitedly asked again.
“A microwave.” Mr. Kruger told you.
“That!?”
“The-- The fridge.”
You continued to dart around the apartment pointing at all the new sights around you and asking for explanations of what they were. It was amazing! Everything was amazing!! It was all so shiny and clean, the complete opposite of the grimy life that you were used to!
As you buzzed around the apartment, Eren’s eyes followed you.
He knew how you felt right now. Exactly how you felt, actually; because he’d experienced the same thing just that morning. He'd also woken up with no memories of the modern world, completely swept up in his first lifetime and amazed by the lack of war, death, and even the absence of titans . He knew how it felt to leave the last world and wake up in this one but… it wasn't supposed to be the same for you.
Armin said that you weren't like them. That you hadn't been from before and you only existed here, in the better world. But Armin had been wrong because just over an hour ago, as Eren had finished retaining his own memories from his modern life, you lost yours.
Which explained why you, his girlfriend of six years, kept calling him Mr. K-
“Mr. Kruger what is this place?” You asked, finally coming to a stop in front of him, wearing a smile so wide that his stomach flipped as the sparkle of excitement in your eyes made his heart race.
“Well uh- it’s-... it’s where you live.” He awkwardly answered.
“I live here!!”
“Uh- yeah…” Eren cleared his throat. “And… I- I do too.”
Your eyes somehow grew even wider. “You do too?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“W-Well uh-” Eren looked away from you and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure how much was safe to say. He knew how confusing it would be if he threw too much information at you all at once and he had a feeling that confusion would do more harm than good. His friends had taken things slowly with him, so he figured he should do the same with you. Besides, it had only taken him about half a day for his memories to come back; so all he had to do was wait a bit for the same to happen with you. Right?
“Is it the same here?” You suddenly asked him.
“Is… Is what the same?”
“Do I take care of you here too?” You asked, causing a rush of heat to run up Eren’s spine.
“Y-Yeah… sort of…” He stuttered before he could think of anything else to say.
To be fair, it wasn’t a complete lie. You were his girlfriend so you did take care of him sometimes. You made dinner when he worked late. Cleaned the apartment on your days off. Got on his ass about not matching his socks on laundry day.
But he took care of you too. He mopped after you swept. Made sure the dishwasher ran when it was full. Watered the (overpriced and half-dead) plants you kept insisting on buying from the supermarket anytime you got groceries.
It was a partnership. And it had been for the last six years.
“Hm…” You hummed softly in reply as you continued to smile with that same glimmer of something- something familiar - flickering in your eyes. “It feels the same.” You told him.
Eren wasn’t sure what you meant by that, but he was too intimidated to ask.
Especially when your eyes flicked left, then right, then left again as you looked between his own. You were smiling, still smiling so widely as the expression on your face became so familiar but still so new.
He’d seen the look before.
Not here, but before.
In another time. In another life. Under different circumstances that made being close to you in any way impossible.
“It’s probably time for bed, isn’t it?” You asked him as you pulled away. “Do you need me to help you change?”
Eren’s heart leapt into his throat again. “N-No!” His cheeks flushed crimson. “I can um- I can do that myself.”
You laughed and it made his heart flutter.
Just like it always did and just like it always had- even in that brightly lit hospital room in Liberio.
A Cozy Bedroom
There was a weight against your chest when you woke up the next morning.
A solid weight.
It was warm. Soft. And it lifted, just slightly, before something tickled your nose.
“Mrr…”
Your eyes fluttered open and met two wide yellow eyes with pupils in straight slits staring back at you.
The cat, with striped brown fur and a single canine sticking out from between its lips, immediately nuzzled its face against your cheek.
When you didn’t react it pulled back, yawned, stretched, and then crawled off your chest before hobbling on three legs to the end of the bed. It sat down, looked back at you, and then jumped to the floor with another “ mrr” as if to say: “It’s time to get up.”
You blinked once. Twice. Three times. And then fully sat up to glance around the room.
When you’d fallen asleep last night the room had been unfamiliar; and now, as you were waking up, it was the exact same.
It was unfamiliar.
But there were photographs of you and Mr. Kruger on the walls. A shelf full of books that look very well-read. A pile of laundry and a warmth that surrounded you, immediately making you feel calm.
This place was home.
Even if Mr. Kruger hadn’t told you that last night, you felt like you’d still know without needing to be told. Something in you would just know.
A small home.
No war, pain, or death.
A warm bed.
A cat and the smell of good food wafting from down the hall.
You knew it wouldn't last long- this beautiful dream, because the beautiful dreams never lasted long. So you made up your mind that you were going to cherish it. Cherish every moment of this wonderful dream.
The cat stuck its head back into the room:
“Meeeooowwwwwwww…”
You smiled.
“You're right, it’s time to get up.” You told the cat.
This dream was too nice to let it go to waste.
A Warm Living Room
As you left the bedroom you immediately took in your surroundings. You'd been in here the night before, but this looked different during the day.
The same itchy couch sat in the middle of the living room. There was a pillow on it and a blanket messily thrown over the back. A coffee table with scattered pieces of paper and a chipped tea cup. One side of the wall had a large window and a balcony, which was the source of most of the light.
From another room, just across from the living room, you could hear shuffling.
Sizzling.
Feet against tile and music playing.
There was a voice, just barely audible as he hummed along to the melody on the radio.
(at least you assumed it was a radio)
You couldn’t help slowly creeping towards the kitchen to seek out the sound.
That's how you found Mr. Kruger, standing in front of the stove and holding a spatula in one hand with a small black cat in the other. He flipped a pancake, bouncing to the beat of the music as he rocked the cat back and forth in his arms.
A smile spread across your face as he started to mumble the words to the unfamiliar song:
I know I have good judgment, I know I have good taste.
It's funny and it's ironic that only I feel that way,
I promise 'em that you're different and everyone makes mistakes
But just don't-
The kitten reached up to swat Mr. Kruger’s nose, which made Mr. Kruger look down at it.
I heard that you're an actor, so act like a stand-up guy
Whatever devil's inside you, don't let him out tonight
I tell them it's just your culture and everyone rolls their eyes
Yeah, I know
All I'm asking, baby~
Suddenly, he held the spatula like a microphone:
Please
Please
Please
Don't prove I'm right!
You noticed the cat he was holding had a missing eye.
And please, please, please
Don't bring me to tears
when I just did my makeup so nice!
He kissed the kitten’s forehead.
Heartbreak is one thing, my ego's another.
I beg you, don't embarrass me, motherfucker
oh~
Mr. Kruger placed the cat on the counter and tapped its nose along to the beat:
Please
Please
Please!
On the counter next to the kitten was a big fat orange and white cat. It easily tripled the kitten in size. Mr. Kruger scratched it under its chin before he continued to sing, this time slightly louder and with more confidence, completely oblivious to the fact that he was being watched.
And we could live so happily if no one knows that you're with me
I'm just kidding, but really, really, really-
The spatula became his microphone again.
Please,
Please,
Please
Don't prove I'm right~
The brown cat that had woken you up stumbled into the kitchen and rubbed against Mr. Kruger’s leg.
And please,
Please,
Please,
Don't bring me to tears when I just did my makeup so nice!
He crouched down to pet its head.
Heartbreak is one thing,
my ego's another,
I beg you, don't embarrass me
motherfucker,
oh~
The cat let out a happy ‘mrr’ as Mr. Kruger scooped it up into his arms and dramatically held it up in the air. Its three limbs dangling uselessly at its side.
If you wanna go and be stupid
don't do it in front of me~
He lowered the cat to cuddle it to his chest.
If you don't wanna cry to my music
don't make me hate you prolifically~
“Mrr.” The cat said again before it looked across the kitchen at you.
Please, please, please,
Mr. Kruger sang.
Please, please, please,
He curiously tilted his head to the side.
Please,
He followed the cat’s line of sight
Please,
He saw you.
please, pl- “AH!”
Mr. Kruger jumped, dropping his spatula to the floor as his face burned bright red. The cat leapt from his arms (stumbling to land on account of its missing back leg). It wobbled as it ran past you out of the kitchen while the last few notes of the song rang out.
Mr. Kruger was left completely frozen.
You pressed your hand to your mouth and held back a laugh.
That’s when the fire alarm went off and the kitchen filled with smoke.
A Warm Living Room
“So it’s… a radio then?” You asked as you flipped the strange device around in your hand. It was the thing that Mr. Kruger had been using to play music earlier but you weren’t sure how that was possible given the smooth texture that felt like glass. He had called it a ‘phone’ but you thought that was an odd thing to call it, considering it looked nothing like a phone.
“That’s one thing you can use it for, yeah.” Mr. Kruger explained as he held out his hand and you gave it back to him. “It’s also a camera.” He explained as he clicked one of the buttons on the side and suddenly you were looking right through the device to the floor.
“Woah!” You exclaimed, excitedly grabbing it back from him as you flipped it around in your hands again.
You were about to comment on how strange this place was. How strange and wonderful, but you worried that mentioning it might put an end to the fantasy. As if acknowledging that this wasn’t real, it would make it all be over.
You quickly shoved all thoughts of what was a fantasy and what was reality into the back of your mind as you handed Mr. Kruger the device back, sure that he would have even more fascinating things to show you as the day went on.
On the coffee table in front of you were two empty plates from the breakfast he had made. It was delicious, sweet pancakes with more syrup than you’d ever been allowed. You’d gotten so used to bland rations with no flavour whatsoever. Even your tea always had to be taken black because anything else would be a waste of the limited resources you had.
Sitting on the couch next to you was the brown cat that woke you up. He was purring loudly with his three legs tucked under him. He occasionally nuzzled against your thigh to beg for attention so you patted his head and gave it to him. The black kitten was completely asleep on Mr. Kruger’s lap as her tail twitched occasionally despite it. Between the two of you was the big fat orange and white cat. He was grooming himself after spending your whole meal begging for food (which Mr. Kruger said you weren’t allowed to give him because he was on a strict diet).
You’d met a few cats before, street cats that is. Cats that were much too wary of humans and wouldn’t let you near them without darting off. Those cats were the exact opposite of these ones. You couldn’t help but feel a twinge of affection as you watched Mr. Kruger idly scratch the kitten behind the ear as he tapped away at the glass phone in his hands.
“There are some people coming over later.” Mr. Kruger told you as he put the phone down on the table.
“Some people?” You asked.
“Yeah. Our friends, they um- they wanna talk to you.”
“Which friends?”
Mr. Kruger sounded hesitant to answer. “You probably don’t remember them.”
You curiously tilted your head to the side. “Why not?”
“I uh- it’s- they’ll explain it.”
“Why can’t you explain it?”
“I don’t wanna confuse you.”
“Why would you confuse me?”
“Just-” Suddenly he seemed irritated and more reminiscent of the Mr. Kruger that you knew. Of the real Mr. Kruger. The one that exists outside of this place. “I’m sorry.” He said with a sigh as his shoulders relaxed and the tension washed out of his body. It wasn’t something the real Mr. Kruger often said. “I don’t want to make this harder for you.”
You studied his face.
His beautiful face.
You studied the way his eyebrows tensed and scrunched together before they flattened again and he looked over at you with so much care in his eyes that it made your heart feel like it might beat right out of your chest.
“Mr. Kruger?” You asked, just above a whisper.
“Yeah?” He answered, just as softly.
But you didn’t have anything to ask him. Not really. You had things you wanted to ask him, of course. You wanted to ask him where exactly you were, but you couldn’t risk that.
Because if you asked him then-... then it might all be over.
His hand moved to the couch between you and you felt his fingers gently brush against it. It sent an electric rush of heat up your arm that radiated through your entire body.
If this was real life he wouldn’t have touched you.
Couldn't have touched you, because it wasn't allowed.
So you were glad this wasn't real life.
You were glad this wasn't real life, because it meant you could curl your fingers around his and hold his hand.
It was warm.
“It’ll make more sense eventually.” Mr. Kruger told you.
“...okay.” You replied.
But you didn’t want it to make sense.
It was so much more wonderful when it didn’t.