I do. [That's the most miserable sob yet. His body lurches with it, and his fingers dig into Maruki's back, more than hard enough to hurt.
[He repeats it, barely loud enough to hear: "I do. I do. I love her. I swear I do."
[He whispers other things too - tells Maruki about his longstanding fear that she'll arrive in the garden, how he can't imagine a worse Hell than always wondering, knowing that he couldn't face her either way, always turning over his shoulder to look for her anyway.
[He cries until he has to stop to keep from throwing up. He's reminded to breathe, but he isn't sure if Maruki's just said it, or if it's just that voice he always hears in his head.
[Everything seems to shut down all at once after that. Eren goes deathly silent, were it not for still heavy breathing. At some point, he gains hold of Maruki's hand and toys with it, head resting heavy on the man's shoulder. He feels dazed.
I emerge from a night of labyrinthum threading covered in blood
[He repeats it, barely loud enough to hear: "I do. I do. I love her. I swear I do."
[He whispers other things too - tells Maruki about his longstanding fear that she'll arrive in the garden, how he can't imagine a worse Hell than always wondering, knowing that he couldn't face her either way, always turning over his shoulder to look for her anyway.
[He cries until he has to stop to keep from throwing up. He's reminded to breathe, but he isn't sure if Maruki's just said it, or if it's just that voice he always hears in his head.
[Everything seems to shut down all at once after that. Eren goes deathly silent, were it not for still heavy breathing. At some point, he gains hold of Maruki's hand and toys with it, head resting heavy on the man's shoulder. He feels dazed.
[Murmurs:]
You're the only one I can't destroy. Maruki...