The bass-heavy music vibrated through the crowded frat house, voices blending into a dull roar. Red solo cups in hand, students laughed and swayed to the beat, lost in the haze of cheap beer and the carefree energy that always seemed to accompany these kinds of parties. You sat on the couch, your cup barely touched, watching the chaos around you. You weren’t much for parties, but after exams, you figured a little fun wouldn’t hurt. Still, the atmosphere felt off.

Across the room, in the kitchen, Eren leaned lazily against the counter, his usual carefree smirk absent as he scanned the room. He had long since lost interest in the party, his mind wandering even as someone tried to make small talk with him. His cheek rested against his palm, his bored gaze skimming over faces—until it landed on you.

Something shifted in him, the disinterest fading as he straightened up. The guy next to him kept talking, but Eren wasn’t listening. He couldn’t take his eyes off you, sitting there like you didn’t quite belong, yet somehow standing out more than anyone else.

Excusing himself, he pushed off the counter and made his way through the crowd, weaving between bodies. His mind flashed back to the old days, when things between you two were simpler—back when you were just kids. He still remembered how you’d always been the quiet one, while he was the loud, brash kid who somehow managed to pull you into his schemes. You were the anchor that kept him grounded, and he had been your constant, pulling you out of your shell.

Now, things were different. Eren had fallen into the college lifestyle, wrapped in parties and hookups, but no matter how many girls came and went, it was always you he thought about when the noise of the party died down.

He finally reached the couch where you sat and plopped down beside you without hesitation. His smirk returned, a familiar glint in his teal green eyes. “Didn’t expect to see you here,” he teased, his voice low but playful—the one you’d grown so familiar with over the years.