See, the remark about Chloe? He's willing to believe that. Chloe is relatively chill, and she seems very okay with Hickey - and if there's anyone who's a social outcast in this place, it's Billy's husband. So clearly she'll probably be fine with Eren too, despite Eren being a little..

.. you know. Eren-y. You get it.

It's the latter point he doubts. Not even because of any personal evidence against Eren, but mostly because Eren is unfortunately repeating words that Billy has often heard from someone else, and those sure turned out to be a lie before.

At least he knows better than to fully accuse Eren's confidence of being overconfidence, especially when Eren can get so weirdly intense over things Billy doesn't fully understand, but he at least has to question a statement like this out of nowhere some. Even if the other is carrying a skull.

"Why do you think that?" Billy simply asks. It feels like the safest question right now..

The overconfidence seems absolutely crazy to Billy. Especially when Eren is - as far as Billy can see - just a person. A person who's more prepared for violence than he himself is, sure, but a person all the same. Where does he get off thinking so confidently that he will be able to handle things like that? That he won't die here?

(That could never be Billy, with his constant worrying. Let's be real.)

And it's not like he couldn't just leave Eren with that idea. It's not like Eren is his responsibility, but--

But Eren is treating him relatively decently. And that makes Billy at least feel obliged to let Eren know what he's dealing with here.

"Even if you would have to fight everyone here? What would you do if the entire town were to turn itself against you?" There's a pause, then he adds: "It has happened before."

That's why Billy is going on about this. Because he knows it could happen, and he doesn't want Eren to be its next victim.

It's a good question, honestly.

It manages to make Billy shut up. Which, granted, isn't too difficult a thing to do most of the time, but this time it happens very suddenly. It even shuts down all of Billy's thoughts about how stupid it is to say something like I'll figure it out about something that is quite literally a life or death situation.

Instead he pauses. Then he blinks. His thoughts are actually moving quite quickly, but he doesn't seem entirely sure of what to say, until he slowly starts on:

"I don't want something to happen to you."

The words feel strange to him too, especially when Billy isn't too used to caring about other people. But when he tries to look for a reason in his mind, this is all he can find. Why else would he insist on telling Eren this, if it wasn't for the fact that he wants the other to be okay?

But to cover up the way he himself feels so awkward about it, Billy adds: "Is that so strange?"

There's at least something comforting about the way Eren says that people end up caring about each other even when they don't want to - because that is at least a sentiment Billy knows very well.

He's always had a hard time with it. Caring for others feels too vulnerable, especially when he already has a hard enough time taking care of himself most of the time. And yet it's a trap he has found himself falling into - not even just with his now-husband, but even with people in this place, as he has just confessed to Eren.

It still feels a little bad to have said it, but Eren's reaction to it makes it relatively easier to deal with than it would have been otherwise.

He sucks in a breath.

"If you're so certain," he says, still not sounding entirely convinced. But he also feels at this point that Eren is too stubborn to listen to anything other than what he has made up his own mind about, and this seems to be one of those things. As Billy releases the breath, he tries to think of something a little lighter to talk about. Like asking-- "Did you come to the party together with someone else?"

Eren did just look around like he was looking for someone, after all..

The loner vibes definitely did come across, so the answer isn't all that surprising. Billy asked since he figures sometimes people radiate that vibe and it doesn't exactly end up being true - the way he seems so private and turned inward at all times might make other people assume it about him as well, after all - but it seems like Eren's vibe is very genuine then.

So rather than remarking anything with surprise about that, Billy nods in response to Eren's question.

"Quite a lot. Cornelius and I already knew each other back home." Because Billy certainly would never want to shotgun marry with someone he only just met in this place. That's so cringe to him on a personal level. Way too cringe!! "But there are many men here who were on the same expedition as the two of us."

Billy pauses, then he shakes his head. "They don't particularly care for me though, so it hardly even matters that we come from the same place."

What do they have against him, huh.

There are a whole lot of answers to that questions, and all of them feel kind of awkward to give Eren. Not because Billy has absolutely no trust in the other, but more because they all just are objectively awkward without context, and even the context itself is.. a lot. Sticking it to the homosexuality feels the safest, considering it doesn't seem to bother Eren, but that applies more to one of the others from his world rather than the group as a whole. And misrepresenting the situation could be bad, in case Eren ever gets in touch with said others.

So he slowly exhales, deciding to go for the less safe answer - hoping that it won't screw up the slight bond they have gained so far.

"We were all on an expedition back home. One to the far north-- a very inhospitable place." It's not something he would usually have to explain, but Eren does seem to come from a very different world than his own.. Who knows if they even have a North Pole! "But the people in charge, the commanders and lieutenants, many of whom are in this place.. They were terribly incompetent. They were getting more and more people killed with their decisions, and I-- I too was dying because of it."

He talks a little slower as he says that. There's something about him that seems.. timid, or sad. Maybe it's just difficult to recall all of this, even though it's such a long time ago now.

"So I suggested to Cornelius that we should start a mutiny, so we could save ourselves and the men who wanted to join us. Obviously those in charge are not very fond of the fact we did that."

.. Billy slowly shakes his head, not directly looking at Eren when he speaks.

"It was too late. Most of us were either too sick or too starved to have the strength to still make the trek." Sometimes that's what he regrets - that he didn't have the idea earlier. But sneaking off the ships would have been much more difficult than sneaking away once they actually were on land, as they had.. Still, maybe it would have given him more of a chance.

He exhales a breath that's almost deep enough to be a sigh.

"I was one of the people who was too sick. My body stopped working. No matter how badly I wanted to walk on, I just couldn't anymore." It's a little bit of a personal confession, but.. well, even if Eren is a little weird, Billy does trust him with this much. Especially when the other doesn't seem to be judging him for the mutiny of it all either.