. . . Alright, but— [ eren stops, presses his lips together. ] They’re hardly flaws to me. [ before he gets to any sort of explanation to the real deal. his eyes and throat are still burning with tears and redness, and while he’s cautious about it (because as always, he doesn’t want easy forgiveness for any wrong he does), the back of his hand touches elliot’s fingers. ]

Look at you. When would you have ever said those things, in that way, to someone?

[ he’s fixed and grown with them so fast that eren’s own flaws seem to have grown larger in comparison, or that he was going forwards in some places and backwards in others. being a human being is hard. ]

And how many times have you said that to me?

[ in varying levels of frustration, but until now they’ve just grown. that’s not something to be proud of, on eren’s side of things, but . . . he’s certainly proud of elliot.

he’s grown, but definitely little in comparison. he’s disappointed and upset, more than ever, to have at him down, again. and for something so stupid. it won’t . . . even feel the same. he put in too much expectation for himself since the start of this plan and forgot everything else.

he takes elliot’s hand this time now, firmer because he didn’t want to let him feel alone or stupid or anything that was supposed to make elliot feel the opposite of what he should be feeling with eren. he sighs, and when he looks straight into elliot’s eyes they’re just as damp. ]

I have a lot of work to do.