Eren's breath came fast, the cold air stinging his throat, but it wasn't the chill that made his chest ache—it was Varon's silence. His avoidance. The way he stiffened the moment the question left his lips.
"Do you have feelings for me… Varon?" he asked again, more softly this time, almost afraid of the answer.
But Varon didn't answer.
Eren's eyes narrowed. He leaned closer, watching his comrade, his… whatever Varon was to him now, intently. "Why aren't you saying anything?" he whispered, the emotion in his voice barely restrained.
Varon finally looked at him, but the expression in his eyes wasn't what Eren wanted to see. It was guilt. Not longing. Not tenderness. Guilt.
"I… I apologise for d-doing that, Eren," Varon said, voice unsteady. "I'll make sure to not make you uncomfortable anymore."
Eren let out a sharp, humorless scoff, taking a step back, clenching his fists. His whole body trembled—not from cold, but from rage and something far worse. Hurt.
