Eren had never been a good son. He wasn't hard-working, not in a way his father recognized. He wasn't good at following orders, at carrying out the duties expected from a boy of his standing. He wasn't chivalrous or polite or well versed to fit into the parts of society his parents so desperately wanted him to connect with. And most of all he had always failed at refraining from doing the things his mother told him not to do.
He was eight years old when he first snuck out at night to explore the woods behind their estate, the wish to learn more about their lands born from a heated argument with his father earlier that day. Where before he had simply accepted his mother's words to never set foot into the woods he now was old enough to question them, to question the senseless prohibition and demand to know the reason behind it. But his father would not tell him and Eren had never been good at following orders, especially ones that seemed useless.
That night, wandering through the dark with his heart in his throat but his will burning bright as ever he saw him for the very first time.
He was a tall, lean man with skin as pale as the moon shimmering through the thick canopy above, long robes flowing around his elegant form. He was simply standing there, at the foot of an ancient tree, face turned up towards the skies and eyes closed in reverence.
Then, ever so slowly, he turned his head until he was facing Eren, who was frozen with shock and a gnawing curiosity, and batted his eyes open. They seemed to glow in the darkness, a rich, golden colour that made young Eren's heart beat even faster, his hands growing clammy where they hang stiffly at his sides.
"Hello child", the man smiled, voice as soft as his expression as he regarded Eren, his head dipping to the side just slightly. "What is your name?"
As bad as Eren was at following orders, even when they were put in place to protect him, he still was no idiot. His mother had told him all kinds of tales and stories, enough to know there was power in a name and that kind of power wasn't to be handed over lightly. Especially not to beings met in a forbidden forest at night.
His eyes finally flicked away from the shimmering form of the man in front of him down to the ground at his feet. There was a circle of oddly shaped mushrooms growing around the spot he was standing. Eren bit his lip. Looked up again.
"What's yours?", he asked back, curiously taking a step closer. If the stories he heard from his mother were true this was dangerous. But Eren wouldn't have snuck out into the forest if he didn't like the idea of an adventure.
A laugh, as high and clear as the sounds of bells chiming in the wind. Eren swallowed, then took another step closer.
"You are smart, little one. Not smart enough to stay in your bed at night, though..."
Squaring his jaw Eren took one last step forward, coming to stand in the soft moss as close to the circle of mushrooms as he dared.
"Why should I stay in bed when there's nothing out here that can hurt me?", he asked, petulant, knowing or hoping that he was right. The stranger tilted his head just a little more, the smirk playing around his elegantly curved lips curiously visible even in the low light.
"You think I can't hurt you?" He sounded amused, like he was making fun of Eren and the boy decidedly did not like the sound of those words. A familiar, hot anger started flaring in his chest and he crossed his arms, widened his stance.
"Why don't you try?", he sneered, even though he could feel his entire body shaking with either rage or fear, he didn't know. There was another laugh, just as clear and pretty as the first and then the man was reaching out with one hand, slowly stretching it towards Eren, long fingers uncurling and coming to a halt so close to Eren's face.
Eren woke up the next morning, well rested but drenched in sweat and utterly terrified.
~
The next time they met Eren was fifteen and much smarter than years before. He had read endless books and listened to stories from all across the lands, slowly piercing together what had happened that night he had broken the rules. He knew who, or what, he had met, knew how close he had gotten to disappearing forever. But he never went back, even when revelations and with them more questions started pouring in. Until the day that he did.
"Hello child. What is your name?" The greeting was still the same as it had been seven years ago, the low lull of that voice etched into Eren's memory like barely another sound. Only that this time it seemed almost a bit amused to see him again, the slight curl of soft lips beckoning him closer.
"What's yours?", Eren echoed back as he made his way over to the circle on the ground where the stranger stood, tall and beautiful as he had been all those years ago. The laugh was the same as well, chiming clear and light through the still air of the night. It was eerily quiet here, no insects chirping, no critters shuffling through the underbrush like they had on the way here.
"You are brave to return. No one ever has."
"Because you never let anyone else leave after meeting them?"
His question didn't get answered by more than a deeper tug on those lips, the gentle smile turning into a wicked smirk that made Eren's stomach flip with excitement, his heart thrumming in his chest.
"You're a fairy, aren't you? These woods are yours?"
A gentle tilt of that pretty head, a slow batting of pale lashes.
"We prefer to be called fae."
He didn't answer the second question and Eren supposed it was a misleading one. The fae probably had a place in whatever domain they spent most of their time in, wherever he whisked unsuspecting wanderers to. Maybe these woods weren't his in any sense a human could comprehend. But it was here where he ended up when crossing over into their world. Here that he had established his hunting grounds long ago. Long enough for all kinds of legends and tales to form around the pale man in the moonlight.
Of course nobody ever described him as such. After all, nobody who had seen him had ever returned home to tell their story. But when Eren had asked around, bribed servants to bring him books and tell him about the rumours that were whispered around town, they had told him how everyone knew not to enter the sprawling forest that surrounded the town at night. How those who went despite the warnings simply disappeared, never to be seen again.
Some thought there were vicious animals on the prowl, eager to feed on every stray wanderer making it into their territory. Others talked about an ancient curse a witch had placed on these lands after she had been rejected by the king ruling at that time. As interesting and exciting as those stories were, Eren knew the truth. He was looking at it right now.
But not once during all his years spent studying those stories in secret had he found an explanation for the question that gnawed on him like no other.
"Why did you let me go? Why didn't you take me when we first met?"
A slow, thoughtful tilt of that head, shimmering golden eyes regarding Eren closely.
"Do you think I would have, had I been given the opportunity?", the fae murmured, inquiring yet like he expected Eren to know the answer already. He did not have Eren's name. Was that all it took to protect oneself from the likes of him? Or was there more to it that Eren couldn't understand just yet?
He let out a soft breath, then took one more step towards the circle, careful to not cross into it, to not squish any of the mushrooms under his shoes.
Reaching out with one hand he half expected his fingers to hit some kind of invisible wall but they simply dipped into the circle until he could brush his fingertips against soft, flowing robes and surprisingly warm skin.
The silence stretched between them, the fae not moving to step away from him or even brush the hand away, simply allowing Eren to feel his presence, as real as any human he had ever met. Eren wondered if he would be able to feel a heartbeat should he press his palm against the fae's chest but he didn't dare move his fingers from where they brushed against the smooth skin of a pale forearm.
"I think you'd take me right now if you could...", he mumbled, the feeling of lingering danger slowly ebbing away as the realization started to rise within him. He was safe. For now. Though he couldn't help but wonder...
"Where would you bring me?"
A smile, soft and playful, almost fond, as the fae moved to curl elegant fingers around Eren's hand, delicately holding it, not pushing or pulling.
"Home", he whispered and then, ever so slowly, raised Eren's fingers to his lips. The soft, gentle brush of lips against his knuckles left Eren breathless, his head reeling as a strange, almost primal yearning shifted in his chest. Before he could stupidly follow the impulse though the fae lowered his hand again and let go with a gentle shake of his head. He was so very beautiful.
"Patience, little one. It is not your time."
Eren frowned, about to demand an explanation when the fae reached out to tap two fingers against his forehead and the world around him went dark.
Eren had never felt so lonely and mournful, waking up in his own bed.
~
The next time he wandered into the forest Eren was twenty-one and he was ready. The moment he laid eyes on the ethereal figure of the fae he knew his plan would work. It had to.
"Hello child", came the amused greeting but Eren cut the fae off before he could finish the small ritual between them. He wasn't a child anymore and he was done with these games.
"I'll give you my name, fae", he said, voice as steady and decided as he felt. "If you give me yours."
The playful curl of elegant lips made Eren's stomach flip with an excitement he hadn't felt in too many years.
"What a bold demand." The fae tilted his head, thoughtful yet strangely delighted, fascinated by Eren's words. "What makes you think I will agree?"
With a deep sigh Eren slid the strap of his knapsack off his shoulder and let it drop to the floor, the weight making the dry leaves rustle and crunch. The moonlight falling through the bare branches illuminated the fine cut of the fae's pretty face and Eren breathed in again, savouring the cool, clear air of the night.
"My parents will make me marry a girl I have no interest in. She's some nobleman's daughter, pretty and nice but ... I don't love her. And she doesn't love me. I'd rather spend my life in your realm with you than in this one with her."
There was a beat of silence before the fae shrugged the words off, utterly unimpressed.
"I have no interest in these petty concerns of you mortals."
"But you're interested in me", Eren argued, voice firm and decided because he knew, he was so sure that this would work, it had to, it was his only way out of this situation. His only chance to flee somewhere his father would not be able to find him.
"You spared me twice already and don't tell me you couldn't have taken me if you wanted! You seduced humans walking into this forest for centuries, you could have made me join you just like you did with all the others. I was a kid! But you didn't want me like that, did you..."
The oppressive silence of the still forest fell around them after Eren finished, breathing just a little harder than before. The fae watched him intently, golden eyes gliding up and down the shape of his body, the nice but simple clothing he had chosen to wear coming out here, then lingered on his face. He never answered but he also never denied what truth Eren's words held.
"Well, I'm here now. I'm ready to go with you, I want to. I want to give you my name and all the power that comes with it but ... I need some power as well."
A slow nod, pale lashes fluttering as the fae closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again with a soft expression speaking of fondness. Of centuries of patience finally drawing to a close. It was enough to draw Eren in, to utterly captivate him as those elegant lips moved to speak.
"You have grown up marvellously", the fae whispered, nothing short of adoration in his tone as he reached out with one hand, inviting Eren to grasp it. "They call me Jean."
There was no hesitation, only absolute certainty as Eren picked up his knapsack and took the hand offered to him with a smile.
Every story he had ever heard or read warned him of what he was about to do, told him of how much power lay in a name and the dangers that came with sharing it recklessly. But Eren had never been good at following orders.
"Jean. My name is Eren Jäger."
With that he stepped into the circle, never to be seen again.
