Mizuki walked down the dark hallway as he tried to think of a way to get into Eren's room without anyone noticing. He paced back and forth and just as he was about to enter his own room because he couldn't think of anything a bone chilling scream rang out through the empty halls.
Eren.
Mizuki immediately started running towards Eren's room and when he saw the door open and one of the guards standing there with a gaping mouth he pushed past him and entered the room.
The sight that greeted his eyes was one Mizuki wished he never had to see.
Eren was sitting up, the bedsheet pooling around his waist and tears streaming down his flushed face. His hands were clawing at his own neck as weak, broken sobs left his lips and the other guard, the one who suggested sending Eren to the dungeon, had his hands wrapped around his wrists.
Mizuki didn't stop to think that the guard was probably trying to stop Eren from hurting himself. All he saw was Eren's tears and someone touching him and he lost it.
In quick strides he had reached them and he grabbed the guard and pushed him away from Eren, slamming him against the wall and pushing his arm against his neck.
"What the fuck did you do?" He hissed, his eyes glinting with the need to hurt, to kill whoever dared harm his love.
He had never felt such raw anger in his life.
The colour drained from the man's face as he struggled underneath Mizuki's hold. "I-I swear I didn't do a-anything."
Mizuki was sure that nothing could have stopped him at that moment. He was just so so angry, the only thing in his mind was the sound of Eren's scream and the sight of his tears.
But then he heard a whimper and the anger melted as worry overtook him. "M-Mizuki."
He let the man go who immediately covered his neck protectively and turned to walk towards Eren.
"Leave." His order rang throughout the room and the guard didn't take a second before hurrying out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Mizuki gently cupped Eren's face and wiped the tears away as Eren tried to stop his body from shaking in tremors.
"Baby, what's wrong?" Mizuki whispered softly and then Eren pushed Mizuki's hands away from his face and backed away.
"No no don't call me that." He frantically said. "You-you can't. I don't-I don't deserve it."
"What do you mean?" Mizuki asked as he forced himself to keep his hands to his side.
"I'm a horrible horrible person Mizuki. How-how could I believe even for one second that it was okay for me to be like this with you? To like you? To want to hug you? To want to kiss you? How could I think it was okay?"
"Eren, sweetheart, I don't understand what you're saying. Why wouldn't it be okay?"
"Because I killed someone for wanting the same exact thing!" He exclaimed as the tears came back and then his hands were back on his throat and he was scratching at his own skin.
Mizuki climbed on the bed and he grabbed Eren's hand and pushed them away from his neck before pulling him into his chest.
Eren tried to pull away but Mizuki held on, not letting go and then Eren's resolve melted away as he broke.
Mizuki just sat there, with his arms around Eren, one of his hands holding his head against his chest and the other rubbing his back as Eren cried. He didn't tell him to stop or tried to calm him down. Instead, he let him cry out the anguish that had been building up in him for who knows how long.
Mizuki felt his own heart ache and his eyes burn with moisture as he heard the painful sounds leave Eren.
After a while Eren's body stopped shaking violently and instead he just softly breathed in the comforting scent that Mizuki was emitting.
"You're okay." Mizuki whispered in his hair. "You're okay. I'm here. I'm right here."
"Y-You can't. You have to stop Mizuki. You can't hold me like this." Eren said but his hands were tightly holding onto Mizuki and it was like he was begging him to not let go.
"I'm not going to stop Eren." Mizuki said as he slowly grabbed Eren's face.
"Will you please tell me what happened?" He asked softly.
"You'll hate me." Eren whispered, his eyes red and still filled with tears waiting to be shed.
"I won't." Mizuki said.
"I-I killed someone for liking boys. I killed someone for liking boys." Eren confessed and Mizuki tried not to let the shock show on his face.
"Did you want to do it?"
"What?" Eren asked with a frown. "It doesn't matter if I wanted to do it Mizuki. I killed someone for liking boys! I killed a fifteen year old boy. How-how can you still look at me like this?"
"Did you want to do it, Eren?" Mizuki repeated his question, his thumb slowly rubbing over Eren's wet freckles.
"No." Eren admitted. "I didn't. I didn't want to do it. I told him-I told him not to make me do it."
"Your dad?" Mizuki asked and Eren nodded looking down at the reminder.
Mizuki could feel the anger filling his body. His hands itching to wrap around Eren's dad's throat and watching the life leave his body as he struggles to breath.
"How old were you, sweetheart?" Mizuki asked.
"F-fourteen." Eren choked out and Mizuki dropped his hand's from Eren's face to fist the bed sheet instead as his knuckles turned white by how tightly he was holding them.
"You were just a kid, Eren." Mizuki said, his voice hoarse as his throat clogged up.
"You were fourteen for god's sake! How can they do this to you?" He exclaimed and Eren stared at him in confusion.
"You're angry."
"Of fucking course I'm angry!" Mizuki yelled and Eren flinched and he took a deep breath to calm down.
"How can I not be angry? They hurt you, baby. They made you think it was your fault. They're monsters for doing this to you-and for doing that to that boy." Mizuki said much more softly and Eren's lip wobbled.
"Elias." He whispered. "His name-it was Elias."
"Did you know him?" Mizuki asked softly as he grabbed Eren's shaking hands.
"I did." Eren breathed out. "I met him once and ruined his life."
"What do you mean?" Mizuki asked.
"If I hadn't met him he wouldn't have been exposed to his family. It was really all my fault Mizuki. The reason his family found out was because he wrote about me. He got caught because of me and then he got killed because of me as well. He even told me that I-I wasn't worth it and that he should have never met me and I agree with him. He should have lived. He shouldn't be dead."
Mizuki stared at him with wide eyes as he tried to understand what he just heard.
"Eren-it wasn't your fault." Mizuki said and when Eren tried to protest he cut him off.
"No, listen to me." He said sternly. "It wasn't your fault that he wrote about you. It wasn't your fault that his family found out. It wasn't your fault that they exposed him. It wasn't your fault that your dad is a fucking piece of shit. It's not your fault."
"But it's my-"
"It's not your fault Eren! Say it." Mizuki said and Eren looked at him with wide eyes.
"W-what?"
"Say it Eren. Say it's not my fault." Mizuki coaxed.
"I-it's not my fault." Eren whispered.
"Again."
"Mi-"
"Again."
"It's not my fault."
"Again."
"It's not my fault."
"Again."
"It's not my fault! It's not my fucking fault!"
Mizuki smiled as Eren took a deep breath and repeated the words under his breath again.
"Not my fault." He breathed out as he closed his eyes and Mizuki hugged him. "Not your fault."
"I'm sorry for being such a mess." Eren whimpered as he squeezed Mizuki tightly.
"You're my mess." Mizuki murmured as he kissed his head.
"You should apologize to the guard Mizuki." Eren said as he pulled away. "He really didn't do anything. I just woke up from the nightmare and he was asking me what was wrong."
"I will." Mizuki promised as he started feeling guilty at the rash way he had reacted.
He had never ever tried to hurt someone from his own country or ever lost his cool like that. He didn't even know it was possible for him to act like that.
"But first, let's get you back to bed." Mizuki said but Eren shook his head, his curls shaking on top of his head making Mizuki crack a small smile.
"Don't want to sleep." Eren murmured and Mizuki's face softened.
"I promise not to leave you, sweetheart. I'll be here the whole time, okay?" Mizuki softly said and Eren looked unsure but a yawn left his mouth and his eyes were drooping.
Mizuki pushed him back to lay down and he covered his body with the blanket as he laid next to him on his side, his head propped up on his hand.
He softly stroked Eren's hair with his other hand and Eren sighed in comfort. Mizuki continued to stroke his hair until he was sure he fell asleep and then he lent down and softly kissed his forehead before getting up and walking out the door.
As soon as he did the guards stood straighter and stared at him with fear and he could see the suspicion hidden in their gaze.
"I-I um apologize for my behaviour." He said awkwardly towards the guard he had lashed out on and his eyes widened.
"There's no need to apologize, Your Highness!" He blurted out.
"No there is. It doesn't mean that I'm the prince that I have the right to hurt you. You didn't do anything and I had no right lashing out in such a rough way so I apologize." Mizuki said.
"It's okay." The guard said and Mizuki gave them both a small, awkward smile.
"You two can go." He added and they stared at him.
"But then who's going to watch him?" The other one said.
"I'll do it and I'll get the guards replaced tomorrow. I've given you both enough trouble. Also please remember this is a private matter so word better not go out about what's been happening. " He said and he gave them a look to not argue and they both bowed their heads before disappearing down the hallway.
He knew that they probably suspected that something was going on but he hoped they would keep their mouth shut as he warned.
He sighed and went back inside the room. He slid under the covers and as soon as he did Eren shifted and buried himself in Mizuki. Mizuki smiled as he wrapped his arms around him and after kissing his temple he let his eyes flutter shut as sleepover took him.
Hello!
Thoughts?
My favourite scene of this chapter was when they did the "it's not my fault. "Again." It was just heinfeidneifnei
-till next time <3