Eren held Lissana until he felt her body stop trembling. Her breathing gradually became slower, more regular. He said nothing; it wasn't needed. Sometimes, silence was the only language that sufficed.
When she loosened her grip and raised her face to look at him, her eyes still shone with a hint of fear.
“Why…?” she asked softly. “Why didn't you tell me you were like this?”
Eren held her gaze. For a moment, he seemed torn between the truth and the unspoken promise he had made to himself. Finally, he gently slid his thumb across her cheek.
“Because I didn't want you to look at me with fear,” he replied. “And much less to think it was your fault.”
Lissana shook her head slowly, moving closer again.
“You don't have the right to decide that for me,” she whispered. “If it hurts you, if it
