[Hijikata somehow manages not to get flustered (which is remarkable). Perhaps he subconsciously realises that it would be hard on Eren to see him freak out after he mustered the courage for the question... but then again perhaps Eren didn't have to muster any courage. He remains hard to read for Hijikata, at times.]
I already liked you before that quest.
['Liking' someone can take many forms, though. In this case it manifested in a strong sense of sympathy for Eren and a deeply felt wish for him to live a happy life. It still surprises Hijikata, even now, how intense those feelings are, especially since he hasn't know Eren for all that long. But what he learned about him early on left some deep impressions, it seems.]
It's just that I usually avoid getting that close to others.
[Romance, even something intended as just a casual affair, is full of pitfalls! (Granted, the excuses from back home - the danger of his work, the target the association with him would paint on his partner's back - don't apply here, so he couldn't very well have rejected Eren on those grounds... all the less given that he can turn into a goddamn titan and heal from any wound.
It's a bit of a non-answer for Eren, probably, but the bigger issue for Hijikata - something he still hasn't been able to figure out - is what kind of relationship he should, can, and wants to have with Eren going forward. He's more or less been trying to simply go back to how things were before the meadow incident, but is Eren happy with that?]
Be brave, Eren!!
I already liked you before that quest.
['Liking' someone can take many forms, though. In this case it manifested in a strong sense of sympathy for Eren and a deeply felt wish for him to live a happy life. It still surprises Hijikata, even now, how intense those feelings are, especially since he hasn't know Eren for all that long. But what he learned about him early on left some deep impressions, it seems.]
It's just that I usually avoid getting that close to others.
[Romance, even something intended as just a casual affair, is full of pitfalls! (Granted, the excuses from back home - the danger of his work, the target the association with him would paint on his partner's back - don't apply here, so he couldn't very well have rejected Eren on those grounds... all the less given that he can turn into a goddamn titan and heal from any wound.
It's a bit of a non-answer for Eren, probably, but the bigger issue for Hijikata - something he still hasn't been able to figure out - is what kind of relationship he should, can, and wants to have with Eren going forward. He's more or less been trying to simply go back to how things were before the meadow incident, but is Eren happy with that?]