"Why is it Always Me?" - SerphenySlayer - Shingeki no Kyojin (2024)

Chapter 1: A Meeting with the Ice Queen

Chapter Text

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Armin was startled awake with a loud blare of his alarm clock playing Guren No Yumiya and hastened to sit up.

5:55am

Ugh, should have set it later he thought regrettably.Ah well, it’s always good to be up. Got to hurry and make breakfast before meeting them. Swinging his legs over the bed and stretching, he felt the sore joints in his legs give a very faint pop likely attributed from going jogging in the park with Eren and Mikasa the previous day. Despite the fact that he was less physically fit than the average person, the three of them made it a point to get together and run for the sake of exercise. He always found it well worth since it seemed to prepare him for P.E- the only subject he had difficulty in . But there were moments when he would still have trouble in doing things that required a lot of endurance.

"Good morning to me!" he told his reflection with a huff of amusem*nt. Then he gathered his towel at the foot of his bed and decided on a shower before joining his friends.

* * *

Like always, the three of them could be found walking down the block heading towards their high school, Saint Maria High and partaking in some morning banter.

"I can’t believe Professor Ackerman would make us read the whole chapter over the weekend,” exclaimed Eren “Honestly, it’s like the guy takes pleasure in torturing us!”

“Eren, you do realize he told us to read the chapter a week ago,” said Armin, chuckling a little as he sidestepped a puddle lying on the middle of the sidewalk. “But yeah, aside from that fact, I think he does secretly like giving us a lot of work.”

“Well, it’s not surprising you're complaining, seeing as how he always puts work at the last minute” noted Mikasa before turning to Armin to chuckle. "Eren practically did the whole work this morning!"

“Mikasaaaa!”

With little to no time to spare, the trio finally arrived at the school entrance, going through the door into the school to find it sparsely packed with students. Armin could see a stressed Jean and worried Marco comparing class notes. Thomas Wagner and Mylius Zeramuski were seen playing on their game consoles but far to the left, he found Hannah and Franz making out in the corner (so I guess they finally got together). Sasha and Connie were each sharing some bagels.

“Damn locker! I can never open them correctly!” Armin turned to see Eren struggling to open said locker, resulting in him pounding his fists against it in anger. “I swear, these things just never open when I try!”

“You only need to spin it counter-clockwise to get the second number” sighed Mikasa. She took the lock herself and spun it to its correct combination before a resounding click was heard. Eren muttered a sullen “thanks”, reaching for his world history book buried inside.

Due to the shortage of lockers, some of the students were forced to share with others. Originally, all three of them had aimed to share one locker, but backed down at the idea that there just wouldn’t be enough room for all their stuff. In the end, it was decided that Eren and Mikasa would share. Armin had been lucky; he was one of the few able to have a locker all for their own. Aside from Eren and Mikasa, he knew Sasha and Connie shared one, making it a perfect combination as they were partners in crime and said storage was usually well stocked with food. Personally, Armin was thankful he had one to himself, because Eren could be quite messy at times. Even Mikasa was prone to be careless with her things once in a while.

“Hey Armin, can I see your notes for Levi’s class again?” asked Eren hurriedly. “I just need them to understand what Tayo says in the chapter where they’re at the Indian Reservation.”

“You can look at my notes,” quipped Mikasa instead.

“Yeah, but Armin puts a lot of detail and other annotations!”

Armin sighed, but he had a smile on his face, “Yea, sure thing. Just remember not to get caught doing other class work in Dok’s class. I hear he puts people in detention when they’re caught!”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll just pretend to be taking notes!”

Armin smiled and reached to retrieve his book with annotated sticky notes before fishing out his calculus book from his locker. Due to his outstanding grades, he was mostly taking advanced classes, those which happened to be AP Cal, which was expected to be taken in senior year. Being the only junior accepted for Cal, it had been a bit awkward in the beginning of the year explaining to seniors like Erd and Auruo that no he was not a senior and yes, he fulfilled all the prerequisite maths prior to joining.

“See you later in English class!” called Eren, thumping his shoulder affectionately before joining Mikasa on their way to Math Analysis. Armin gave a lingering wave watching them leave before turning to his open locker to fish out a folder in the back. The homework folder. Straightening out, he tucked it between the pages of his book, reached for his lock, securing it within the locker, turned- and jumped out of his skin.

Annie Leonhardt stood, leaning to the side of the locker next to him, arms folded, and an expression in her cool blue-gray eyes that suggested she was continually bored with the world. How long had she been standing there?

“Oh, ah...err…” began Armin, but couldn’t form a sentence. He flinched as she moved her hand, but regretting it almost instantly as she wordlessly left it outstretched. Without a word, he dug into his satchel to hastily fish out Friday's biology assignment, and deliver it straight into the hand that was notorious throughout the school as delivering the best (and worst) right hooks for victims.

“Thought you had forgotten, nerd” remarked Annie, looking at him in a smirk. Armin didn’t trust himself to say anything. He forced himself to look straight into her cold, calculating eyes, wondering for the umpteenth time why she had first begun to bully him. Eventually he walked back the way he came, forcing himself not to look back or speed his walk going to math.

Annie for him, was a bit of a mystery. In middle school, nothing had really happened- Eren and Mikasa, who had known of his history with bullies, were almost always around him. Indeed, they did nearly everything together; they had the same classes, were in the same P.E period, and were in the same study session. But then again, so was nearly everyone else. He had known Reiner, Annie, Bertoldt, and some other guy named Marcel just by face, but had never once talked to them. Everything seemed to change once high school begun. For reasons unknown, Annie and the others had taken a liking to bullying him whenever possible. Naturally, Eren and Mikasa had found out, and were quick to put a stop to it when they were around (mostly Mikasa). However, the bullies never gave up on trying to catch him on his own, which was seeming to occur more and more. Now that he was a junior, he was taking more advanced classes to the point where he was in some senior’s classes as well. He was also going to different clubs than Eren’s and Mikasa’s. The Science Foundation Club, and the Debate Club, both had schedules that coincided with their basketball practice, which prompted him to be alone at times, and a prime target in the hallway.

Thankfully this year, it was just Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie. Marcel had been expelled last year trying to set a fire in one of the school buildings without getting caught. The parents of a fellow student caught in the building had threatened to press charges against him, so expulsion was decided. Though he never saw Bertolt do any actual fighting, he never did anything to stop it either. He would often sweat in the sidelines watching the whole procession while nervously keeping a look out for any teachers. Armin often thought that should Bertoldt be alone without the others, he would be just another quiet meek student. Reiner on the other hand, wasn't quiet. He was often loud, boisterous, and didn’t even put his full strength behind his punches. He didn’t have to anyway as it wouldn’t take much for a small weakling like him to get hurt.

Annie was different. She didn't play by anybody's rules. It was her that always finished him off, sending him to the ground gasping for air. She never relented her kicks or punches on others that would piss her off and to make matters worse, she had now upped the ante by mandating him to complete some of her homework when she felt it Only her. Not even Reiner knew she was using him to complete her homework. While he still had other bullies, none of them ever came close to her. There was a certain aura around her that made people uneasy and think twice about approaching her. The only person who would ever stand up to her and look her dead in the face without any fear, was Mikasa.

No. A person like Annie was different. She was cold, she was crafty, he knew she was intelligent. Perhaps that was why she beat him up. Maybe she could tell that he saw right through her- saw that there was someone else hidden inside those cold eyes.

He managed to make it to Calculus with minutes to spare, hurriedly taking a seat in the back of the room with Petra and Auruo. He hoped it wouldn’t be too bad a day.

Chapter 2: English, Dissecting, and Losing a Valuable

Chapter Text

Armin always looked forward to professor Levi’s English class. One of the reasons was because he would sit together with Eren and Mikasa to complete their work as a team ahead of time. During transition phase when everyone was set into groups to write their analyses on the newest assigned chapter or book, it gave them an opportunity to talk about other things (if Levi wasn’t hovering over them). Another reason that was perhaps personal to him, was that it kept Reiner and Annie from harassing him. They shared the same class and were conveniently set in the back, away from them. Mikasa would throw them glares every time they would pass by them, whether it be to throw their gum away, or being summoned to the board. He knew they would never dare start anything once Levi was around. The guy might be shorter than the average man, but he had an attitude not to be trifled with and knew how to deal with fights. Jokingly, he and his friends had dubbed him “The Corporal”.

“Alright br-students, I know for a fact that some of you had failed to read the chapter and were most likely seen studying it in other classes, so it won’t be surprising to see about half of you flunking this pop quiz...” The class gave a loud groan, but Levi continued. “…however, seeing how it would be a pity to see all of you fail-save for Arlert and Ackerman,” (here, Armin could feel himself turning pink), “and have your parents confront me, I’ve decided to postpone it instead.” Levi paused, his eyes showing their usual irritation.

A whoop in triumph could be heard from Jean. “Thank you, professor!”

“I wouldn’t celebrate just yet if I were you, Kirstein. Those of you who have taken the initiative to actually read the chapter, congratulations-you have one less chapter to read and take notes on. All others, I expect the next one to be read in two days before I start the quiz on both of them. Now carry on to your groups and continue performing your theses!”

This time, a larger groan was heard. Jean was fuming, Connie was muttering about small people to Sasha, and Annie and Reiner, whom Armin could see, looked sour. Everybody else seemed to be in a state of conflict.

- “This isn’t fair! How are we supposed to finish the chapter in TWO days?!”

- “Why can’t we just use the book on the test?”

-“Two days, I have a soccer game!”

Levi looked up from the book he was currently marking. “Oi, you brats want me to add a third chapter in the mix?!”

The room was suddenly silent and resumed their normal routine.

“ God, now we have to study for another chapter!” hissed Eren under his breath, but casting a worried eye at Levi circling a student’s group.

“Well, it’s like the shorty said- he did give us enough time,” said Mikasa under her breath. Armin knew that although Mikasa agreed with Levi and had some respect for him, she was still distrustful.

“Don’t worry Eren, we can go over it today at your house. Besides, I took the initiative to complete that chapter as well, and um… I read the whole book actually.” he added in as if in embarrassment.

“What- Seriously?”

“I mean…there were the Native American poems alongside the text, but most of it contained allegorical features within the-“

“Armin, you’re a lifesaver!” gasped Eren dramatically. He could see Mikasa roll her eyes, but there was a thin smile underneath her red scarf. “Eren, you can’t be relying on Armin to save you every time you fail to prepare,” she said.

Eren was too happy to feel embarrassed and Armin was just about to reply when a voice over their heads caused them to whip up in alarm. “Ah, I see you’re the only group that managed to get ahead” said Levi in a bored voice as he looked down at their progress. “Even you, Eren. How surprising-it seems you read the chapter after all.”

Eren looked a bit nervous but replied “Y…yes I actually did.”

“And with no help from Arlert whatsoever, am I right?” Eren’s face widened for a moment before smiling sheepishly.

“Uhh..n..no sir!”

“Of course Eren didn’t copy off of me, sir” said Armin swiftly, looking straight into Levi’s face hoping to appear confident. “We all read the chapter and took notes on it.”

“Oh is that so? So how come I’m looking at Jaeger’s notes and they seem to mimic yours?” he said, holding both their papers up to scrutinize them side by side. Mikasa was scowling through her scarf at the Corporal and Eren turned red, smile faltering.

"Like I said…we…took notes…” Armin trailed off weakly, attempting to look him in the face. Levi looked to Eren who gulped, his expression not impressed. “I see, but just remember Arlert, you can’t be doing his work for him. He needs to do it himself.” He shifted away to Connie and Sasha’s group, leaving them. They didn’t dare say anything else until Levi was on the other side of the room talking to Mylius.

“Thanks Arm’, and…I’m sorry for copying off you.” He added in, embarrassed green eyes slightly downcast. “It seems you and Mikasa always cover my back when it comes to studying for tests.”

“That’s what you said last week,” said Mikasa tonelessly.

“Mikasa, I’m serious! Anyway…” he turned back to Armin. “What’re you doing in bio today?”

“Well, Hange set us a homework assignment about the body structure of avians" said Armin thoughtfully, "so I’m guessing we’ll have to dissect some birds today. I bet she’s going to go crazy about it.”

Eren made a disgusted face, “I don’t know why opening up and seeing the inside of birds will help us understand anything.” He shook his head. “But then again, it’s Hange.”

* * *

When they finally exited the class in high hearts, Armin separated himself from his friends to make his way to his next class. Dr. Hange Zöe’s AP biology in room 2B. Dr. Zöe, or 'Hange', as she preferred to be called, was an eccentric woman, albeit a little crazy when it concerned science experiments. Her room wasn’t always the cleanest either- some unused tanks were stacked in the corners, the walls were rifled with past assignments of students who had gotten high marks, and he was willing to bet the top cabinets hadn’t been swept in years. She had three different reptiles; a leopard gecko, ball python, and chameleon, including two tarantulas in one of the tanks by the window. Most of the smell, if not all, came from the back room behind her which joined hers and Mr. Moblit’s class (he taught regular science). It was the middle room which contained all the experimental things like refrigerated animals saved for dissections, or the fruit fly lab.

In short, it smelled like science.

He as well as others had learned to deal with the inevitable smell wafting from the back room. But once you got over the scent and the weird quirks of being in the class, it was quite pleasant. Hange always made the atmosphere warmer by endowing others of her wisdom of how a lizard could grow back its tail, or how clownfish changed their genders from environmental factors. Armin was proud to say that he was her favorite student since he was naturally good in the class and would often help her out. He was the only one she could trust with when it came to caring for her class pets. Her pride and joy were the two twin tarantulas, Sawney and Bean, whom she had rescued when they were found roaming wild in the class prior to her teaching career. He had no fear with tarantulas and shared his adoration for them alongside her by letting them crawl up his body, much to the distaste of the others. He'd only agree with Hange and his friends in secret that there was something cute about the furriness of tarantulas.

The only thing about the class that made him nervous, was the fact that Annie was in the same class as him. Armin sat in the middle, on the far side where students didn’t normally spare a glance at. Since the beginning, Annie had taken it upon herself to sit directly behind his seat where he couldn’t keep an eye on her. She was the only familiar person in the class he knew-everybody else was a stranger, so it didn’t help matters that he would occasionally feel a chill down his neck as she whispered threats to him. For once, Annie didn’t have to worry about being on Mikasa’s bad side in this class.

When he arrived at the class, there were already some students sitting and talking loudly. Hange was nowhere in sight, probably from being in the back room. But he did find Annie sitting behind his seat. Her eyes were not on him, but off to the side, staring off into space. He hesitantly approached the seat situated in front of her, wondering if it wouldn't be a bad idea to sit elsewhere without her or anyone else noticing too much.

Come on Armin, you should never run away like a coward! You can do this, Hange is here! He approached his desk very quickly and sat down without a moment to spare, not daring to look to see if Annie had noticed.

Of course, she had noticed him. Her intelligent gray eyes made contact with his for a second he hurried to sit down. Getting ready for class, he took out his pencil box containing all his writing materials and hastened back in his backpack for his homework assignment to drop at Hange's desk to turn in. He had just sat down on his desk when he noticed something amiss- his pencil box was gone. Whipping his head back, he was shocked to see it in the hands of the Ice Queen herself.

“You carry a lot of pencils for a class,” whistled Annie as she began rifling through his contents. Pencils, erasures, highlighters, lead packets...then:

“What’s this?”

To Armin’s shock, she fished out his most prized treasure-his world globe pencil sharpener. She frowned and looked at it closely.

Armin’s parents who constantly traveled the world, sometimes brought him back souvenirs. One of them happened to be the unique little pencil-sharpener trinket from Germany which had four different slots for sharpening according to the size of the pencil. Not only that, but the sharpener also held a digital clock to tell time. It was one of the few souvenirs he brought with him and had kept ever since he was ten years old. He was never able to see his parents as often as he liked since they were busy scientists constantly moving to and from places (usually Africa and India), so it was a treat when they could make contact.

And now it was in the hands of his worst tormentor and he felt his heart racing as he tried to think of a way to downplay it so she can return it. “Oh…um…that’s just a pencil sharpener” he stuttered nervously. “Nothing special, just…”

"Who gavethisto you?"

"oh um...my parents, it's uh-a little fragile so can I have it back-?"

Annie ignored him, continuing to examine the unique features at eye level before turning her cold eyes to him and raise an eyebrow. “I like it,” she interrupted pocketing it instead. “Finders keepers.”

Armin’s heart sunk to the floor. His most prized treasure was as good as gone. It wasn’t the fact that it could tell time or it was one of a kind, it was more for the fact that his parents rarely contacted him, much less brought him back anything from their trips. The pencil sharpener was the last thing they gave to him before they stopped sending anything.

“But…but you can’t-my parents-,” he began.

Wrong move, Annie's eyes narrowed and she leaned forward intimidatingly, taking him by the shirt. "oh, are you rebelling now?" which immediately made hi shut up. Annie never yelled. She didn't need to. Her smooth deadly voice was enough to rattle others into doing what she wanted. Therefore, he hung his head and was silent, turning around to face the front again once her grip on his shirt loosened. But he could still feel the loss of his trinket weigh on him heavily.

Doctor Hange appeared enthusiastically a minute later, with her arms laden with the dissecting kits and a pleased look on her expression. Her white lab coat which always sported some kind of dirt, now had a suspicious crimson spot. Armin almost forgot about the earlier events to wince slightly at Hange's excitement.

“Guess what we’re all doing today?” she boomed out to the class, “We’re dissecting pigeons-PIGEONS!” she cackled. (So, he was right after all). The eyes behind her rectangular glasses shown mad with some crazed enthusiasm.

Everybody in the class who had grown to accept her antics, all gave each other sickened looks about the prospect. Hange appeared to be unfazed by their expressions, passing a wad of dissecting kits to the first person each row to pass back to others. Armin took his, tentatively leaving one in the corner of Annie's desk as if worried she might poke him with the tip of her pencil.

“Due to the shortage of pigeons, you will be working in pairs today!” said Hange smiling widely at the whole class. “I hope you all finished turning your homework because it would greatly help you for today! Now I want you to partner up with the person sitting behind you!”

At these instructions, Armin felt as if cold ice was seeping into the back of his neck. In partners? How was he supposed to work with Annie?

“Remember- all you need to do, is give me the vital organs that make up a bird-show me the gizzard, crop, and esophagus first, then you can continue with having fun taking the organs. The first person to give me all eight organs gets extra credit!” Taking their cue, the people in the class all started to form their pairs and find a table.

“Oi, Aryan coconut, are you going to get up or what?” came Annie’s voice from directly behind, startling him. He had been so preoccupied wondering what to do and made his way to the nearest table, almost spilling his pencil box and gathering his materials. At this point Hange had started the usual music on her laptop to play, and everybody was soon talking and laughing loudly while setting up.

He chanced a look at Annie's face, hoping she didn't interpret it as a threat. She was looking at him carefully. Now with her face across from him, he found it difficult for some reason to act as normal one could be when faced with a hungry lion. Armin internally gulped and started working on performing the incision from the top of the beak to the cloaca.

It was no guess who would end up doing the dissecting today.

She didn’t say a word to him as he dissected. Far from feeling happy, he felt tense. Her eyes seemed to stare at him constantly while he worked-almost as if she was trying to read him. He felt so tense that he almost sliced the trachea.

Hange walked around once in a while to see other’s progress, and when she got to him, her smile split into a beamed. “This is great, I’d say the best one in this class Armin!”

“Really?” he asked, both surprised and grateful, “I got the esophagus, crop, and gizzard and pretty much everything out, so I guess it turned out okay.”

“Since you guys finished first, you’ll have the opportunity to leave early- but if you really want to, you can actually start separating the proventriculus to get extra-extra credit!” She bustled off to the front of the desk, leaving the pair of them.

* * * *

Annie didn’t know why, but it was just something about the Arlert kid that made her interested. She knew she wasn’t by all means a model student nor was she the most liked, but there was just something about him that made it fun to harass. She used to remember him in middle school, always flanked by those two friends of his- one, a crazy reckless psycho, the other, a clingy sociopath. She hadn’t known him at all that well in middle school. Sometimes she heard from a mutual friend about either of them. She knew for a fact that Mikasa was as skilled in martial arts as she, though she studied jiu-jitsu and was the most physically fit perhaps in the entire school. Eren, he was known to violent outbursts-particularly when some idiot like Jean would insult him. Honestly, the kid was crazy at times when he was triggered.

Then there was the blond kid-Armin Arlert, as she had been told by Hitch. He always held the highest grades, read a lot of books, and was the voice of reason during times his friends would be angered. She also knew for a fact he was on the Debate team, Science Foundation Club, and the Astronomy club. A total nerd. His hair was always in that same bowl-cut style, and though he was boyish, he still had that bright blue-eyed look about him that suggested he was still new to the wonders of the world. In addition, he was always nice and polite to all his peers, and he was known to help out his other friends with class work. A total goody-two shoes by nature.

When high school came around, Reiner had begun looking for other people to bully, and for reasons unknown, his attention happened to land on Arlert when he wasn’t around his friends. It was understandable, he was not the most physically fit- and the least likely to complain. At first, she did nothing; she watched as he would drag the little kid out by the cuff into the old abandoned gym and push him around while she waited in the corner watching the whole thing. She got a first look at how weak he was in terms of physical strength. She knew he was physically weak, but Jesus…she never knew he was this weak.

He never seemed to fight back which struck her odd. She supposed it was because he knew he could never stand up to a jock like Reiner and just took it, but she started to have second thoughts the second time around where he caught sight of Reiner and didn’t do anything to retreat. Any other guy would make a hasty retreat or run away whenever they saw Reiner was in his bad moods, but Armin wouldn’t backtrack. He wouldn’t hide no matter how frightened he looked, and it really pissed her off. This kid was definitely not normal, and he was out to get into her mind.

In bio class, she took his pencil box because well…it was right there. She fished inside it and was surprised to discover its contents. A globe pencil sharpener. The object was no bigger than her fist, but she could tell it wasn’t part of your ordinary Office Depot merchandise. It looked...foreign. As strange as the kid sitting in front of her regarding her with horror at her interest in it.

So, she decided to take it. The look of shock and loss on his face was a bit uncomfortable, but hey-she would eventually give it back. Maybe after school. Maybe she’d push him around a bit first, but with without Reiner's stupid face. Yeah, she was going to catch him after school alright.

Chapter 3: A Fight in the Darkness

Chapter Text

“Armin, what'd you get on the chemistry test?” asked Eren during lunch. He had always asked Armin the same question after any particularly difficult test to see if he would truly score perfect every time. So far, he had yet to surprise Eren.

“One-hundred percent” he replied nonchalantly, staring off to where Mikasa was currently at the snack machine.

“Wow, geez, that was a hard test. I got an 81%, but I think the reason was because you helped me.” Said Eren, taking a bite out of his apple.

“That’s not true” he said, looking at him in surprise. “Mikasa and I just studied a little extra. You put a lot of effort as well. You should be proud because you persevered.”

“Yea, but we can’t all be perfect nerds like you! I mean, I can understand Mikasa’s 92, but yours?”

Armin smiled at that, and absentmindedly shifted his gaze around the rest of the cafeteria. He was looking across where Jean and Marco were talking animatedly to Mina, deep in conversation. He smiled, looking at them for a few moments until he felt a sudden chill. Perturbed, his wandering eyes found themselves shifting, as if magnetized, to a pair of cold, gray eyes that were all too familiar from before.

Annie was as usual, with her two burly friends currently engaged in conversation with a tall tan girl with freckles (Ymir, was it?), flanked by the popular but sweet Historia. He often wondered how someone as sweet as her was with someone as...well...intimidating as Ymir, who was at least a head taller than the blonde. To any outside, it even looked like the classical good girl with bad guy trope. But then again, he wasn't one to judge. Annie hadn't been talking to them (she was rarely the chatty type anyway), instead leaning back in her chair, fixed expression, currently staring directly across at him.

Armin gulped, quickly diverting his gaze from her. She was doing it again-looking at him in a way that made him feel uneasy. He still hadn’t gotten over the fact that she took his prized sharpener.

“Hey Armin, you feeling okay?”

“Yea…yea I’m fine…”

But to Armin’s annoyance and trepidation, Eren turned in his seat to look at where his gaze was and spotted Annie, now directing a glare to him instead. Eren seemed to visibly gulp before turning back in his seat. “Does she always glare at you like that?” asked Eren leaning over in a hushed tone .

Armin felt himself turn red, “yea…err…no, not really but-

“Has Annie or any of the others been harassing you?” asked Eren seriously, “Cause if they’re still bothering you, I’ll-

“No no-I’m fine!” lied Armin hurriedly. “I mean…there’s no problem!” He inwardly cringed at the thought of lying to him. How could he tell his that when he and Mikasa have always stood up for such a weak kid like him? Nobody had known at the time, but Eren had once gone psycho defending him one time by nearly breaking Jean’s arm. The reason being that Jean had picked on him back in middle school. They hadn’t known Jean that well, and when he was shoved into the lockers from an “accidental” bump, Eren went into a rage on Armin’s behalf that sent him to the principal’s office. He never wanted Eren or anyone else to get into trouble for his sake. It always reminded him of how physically weak he was. How weak he couldn’t defend himself against bullies, how weak he felt after running a mile in P.E just to pass, and especially how weak he was up against a small girl like Annie.

“Armin, listen, if there’s anything you need to tell me I can-” Eren’s words ceased upon Mikasa’s arrival by plopping herself down next to Armin, a bag of Chex mix already opened. Since Mikasa had forgotten lunch money, he had let her borrow his. He couldn’t help but feel grateful for her appearance. He knew Eren wouldn’t dare talk about fighting or starting anything when she was around. Eren had always been bugged by the fact that she was so much more adept than him when dealing with bullies, often ending up coming to their rescue.

Armin finally bit into his sandwich to have something to do, and listened to a conversation from Mikasa about Sasha’s ability to catch carrots in her mouth. While he could feel Annie's gaze turn elsewhere, he could still feel her occasional stare in his direction.

The bell rang minutes after much to the annoyance to Eren, but Armin was grateful. He didn’t think he could stand the tension as she stared him down. The three of them started to walk out the lunch room amid all the other students and were just reaching the exit when Armin felt a piece of paper thrust into his hand. He tensed up and only saw a flash of blonde hair before disappearing in the crowd of people. Though he didn’t catch her face that well, he still knew who had delivered it. Eren and Mikasa on his other side were too deep in conversation to notice this event, especially among the chaos of fellow students around them. Hesitantly, he unfolded the small piece of paper:

After school Room 24

His heart sank. Room 24 was a storage closet he knew all too well of. It was formerly used by Reiner and Marcel for shoving the nerds like him in. Annie almost never used it on anybody. But here she was, telling him to meet him there and whatever it was, it couldn't be good. What had caused her to go out of her way to request him here? She must be really pissed to request him there. It most likely had something to do with Eren turning around in his seat and challenging her by a staring contest. He couldn’t help but be irritated by his friend's foolishness. Now because of you, I have to take whatever punishment she has to give me!

“Armin, are you feeling alright?” came Mikasa’s voice next to him.

Armin jerked away from his thoughts to look up at her. Eren was also looking at him in concern and Armin hastily drew his face in to what he hoped was a carefree expression. “Yeah, I’m fine. What’s up?”

Mikasa looked at him for a moment puzzled, but resumed. “I was just saying that me and Eren will probably take longer in basketball practice, so you might be waiting a while out in bleachers.”

“Oh, okay. Hey, how about…” here Armin paused before continuing. “You know, I kind of have to use the library after school” lied Armin, “so how about I wait for you there when you’ll come?”

“Sounds good but…are you sure you’ll be okay alone in the library?” asked Eren. “I mean…it’s just that the library is usually empty and well…” Armin knew that Eren was thinking along the lines of Reiner and the other bullies hang out after school in the hallway, so I feel uneasy about you being alone.

Armin changed his face to look unconcerned. “Oh it’s no big worry, I know some people at the library. Also, Petra is taking care of the library this afternoon.”

It was a half-lie. Petra volunteered at the library, yes, and she would be there today-except today she had a day off and was planning on spending it with Auruo instead, leaving the librarian, Mrs. Adams alone. She wasn’t really around much anyway. He went to the library plenty of times to know she was usually in the back room fixing books or browsing the internet when she knew there weren’t that many people. Eren seemed to buy it though.

“Oh ok, that’s fine then.” He said, face relaxing at that statement. Mikasa gave him a thoughtful stare before nodding, eyes still suspicious. Armin couldn’t help but feel guilty about his lie. But he was only doing it to protect Eren, he told himself. There would be no point in having Eren find out and get into even more trouble for fighting. Not to mention the fact that he would get more repercussions. But how will I be able to deal with Annie? He wondered hopelessly.

Study session was usually a quiet ordeal. Nanaba, their instructor overseer, had her desk at the front, and from where it was, she couldn’t exactly see them since the computer screen was in the way. As long as it was quiet, there was no reason for her to peer out and glance at the class. He, Eren, and Mikasa would often use the opportunity of the study session to complete any homework they had so far from their classes. Doing so would usually give them golden opportunities to study at home together and hang out afterwards.

After exiting study session, they each went their separate ways in the locker room for P.E. Mikasa went into the girl’s with Sasha and Historia while Armin and Eren went into the boy's locker room with Connie and Jean who were arguing.

“I’m seriously going to kick your ass for that Connie!” came Jean’s angry yell.

“Ha, you don’t have a chance! We’re picking teams today and I’m gonna choose all your favorite players when I'm captain!”

“Listen up you bald Airbender-!”

“Oh yea, you might have Marco, but my team is gonna have Sasha- and she can out run you any day!”

Armin groaned, putting on his gym shorts. He should have known that they were doing relay races today. He had forgotten Coach Shadis had told them yesterday anyway. This was not going to be a good class session.

“Well, Mikasa is in my team and will outrun both of you” boasted Eren.

“Oh f*ck off Jaeger, nobody cares about your team-you’re gonna end up slowing the whole team down anyway!” came Jean’s angry reply.

“Wanna say that to my face again, Horseface?”

They reached outside to wait on their assigned spots and were roll called. Armin noticed Annie from a way off looking out in the distance, but he stuck close to Mikasa. Presently after, Shadis did assign captains. To Armin’s complete surprise, he was chosen instead of Eren. Since he had the luxury of calling dibs on the first one, he chose Mikasa not because she was the fastest, but because he knew Jean or the others would choose them and they’d be separated and it would piss off Eren. Connie of course, chose Sasha and Jean grudgingly chose Marco. When it was his turn to choose again after several teams, he chose a pleased Eren at having them all assigned on the same team. Soon, he had Mikasa, Eren, Samuel-Linke, and Historia, now he only needed one more…

“Pick Annie” said Mikasa in his ear.

Armin was startled. He looked at Annie who was as usual looking bored with the whole procedure, not looking at either of them, but on the ground. He knew she was as fast as Mikasa, but If he picked her, would she cooperate? Actually scratch that. How would she react? She seemed to have had a bad temper because of him, so it felt like he was digging a grave with this. Despite this, he felt the tug of reason leave him, replacing it with something like a dare. Shadis had said that the winner of the relays wouldn’t have to run the mile when he would assign it the next time, and he really didn’t want to have to…

“Annie!”

Annie looked up, but if she showed any surprise in her face that he called her, she didn’t show it. He could tell by her eyes that she was puzzled and a bit suspicious of his choice of her. Shadis gave them all a baton and gave everyone instructions that they were to run two laps before handing off. Armin groaned internally. He was definitely not a fast runner. He had told the others on his team that to place him second to last would be the better strategy and let Mikasa start it off. Eren would go next, followed by Samuel...Historia, him...and finally, Annie. Mikasa and the other contestants went to the starting meter, waiting for the signal. Armin could see Mikasa flexing her muscles and stretching her toe out, eagerly waiting for Shadis to start the mark.

"Alright maggots, behind the line-Jean, that's too far, On your marks...go!"

The moment Shadis started the mark, Mikasa tore off like a bullet through the track leaving Jean behind. Sasha was first starting off strong, but Mikasa wasn't far behind, passing the baton to Eren who tore off enthusiastically, beating Marco around the half way mark. The class was filled with cheers and screams. “Come on Eren! Just one more to go!” he yelled, cupping his hands to his mouth. All save for Annie yelled out their enthusiasm. Others were yelling as well, some of their voices lost with others. -

-“Come on Mina!”

- “WHY DID YOU DROP IT?!”

- “It’s just a little more farther!”

They were in the lead-they were doing well so far.When it washis turn, he was filled with so much determination and hope that the moment he took the baton, he tore out, his hair flying back with the wind. He could hear the yells and screams of the people getting more frenzied. He knew Jean’s team was behind him.

Finishing the first lap, he tried to ignore the stitch in his chest growing. One more lap to go… He felt someone in his peripheral racing past him. No! The finish line is right there! I just have to give it to Annie…but will she beat Daz? He’s already half-way through the lap…

He reached the finish line with lungs wheezing and vaguely remembered thrusting the baton towards Annie. Struggling to breath and clutching his side, he was congratulated by Eren and Mikasa who helped support him. He didn’t even bother to look up at the race until he heard the cheers suddenly pick up in a frenzied state.

“Holy hell, she’s going to get him!” yelled Eren. Armin jolted his head up to see Annie already making progress by completing half the track. Daz still had a good lead on her, but she appeared to be going at full speed. Armin’s eyes widened at her progress. As much as he was intimidated, he could admire that she had unbelievable speed. He knew she was fast, but he didn’t know she was that fast.

“D’you think she’ll be able to beat him?” came Connie’s voice next to him watching anxiously. He had already decided his team wasn’t on the running like his and Jean’s.

“Hella fast, of course she will” he found himself saying without taking his eyes off her form. She had just passed them, and Armin got a glimpse of her face; her gray-blue eyes looked focused as one in concentration, and huffing slightly.

“I hope she does, just so she can beat Jean’s team.” Said Connie. There were numerous people cheering on both sides, some screaming Annie’s name. Just four-hundred meters to go- she was right at Daz’s tail…

And then, to the shock of everyone’s, the moment she reached the midway point, she suddenly seemed to increase her speed! If she was going fast before, she was going like a cheetah now. Her light blonde bangs which usually hid her face were flown back given the speed she was going at. The crowd was going wild now, Armin with his heart racing saw her pass Daz at the homestretch now only a few meters away…

She finished first. Daz coming in a few seconds too late. He could hear Jean’s frustrated yell, of Connie’s whooping laughter, and Eren’s cheers. Everybody cheered for their team, but nobody stopped to say anything to Annie. Given the kind of person she was, they were hesitant to congratulate her head on and only expressed it towards the others on their team.

“Arlert’s team are expressly excused from taking the mile during testing!” came Shadis’s raspy booming voice. “If you don’t want to be late for your next class, then I advise you to go report back to your locker rooms!"

As people still talked animatedly and were spilling out to near their locker rooms, Armin was busy looking over at Annie. She appeared to have not cared that she led their team to victory. As much as Annie was intimidating, there were times where he could see slivers of her true nature that made him stop from disliking her. It was absurd; she bullied him on a regular basis and he knew she was someone not to cross with, but there was just something about her that still made him drawn to her. Maybe that’s why I’m still beat up by her he thought wryly. He couldn’t help it though, she had just helped him avoid a torturous event in the future from this class, and for all her hard running, she barely got any recognition, so for whatever reason that made him do it, he found himself walking past her.

"T-that was amazing.” he felt the words spilling out of his mouth before he could stop them.

As soon as they were out of his mouth, he regretted it, leaving in a hurry before she could react.I must have a death wish, he thought tonelessly, imagining already the few extra wallops he would receive on account of that remark. What was not imaginary at all was the sudden surprised look on her face as he retreated hastily to the rooms.

After a class of chemistry with Professor Zacharius, Armin and his friends were seen exiting the building and making their way to the gym on the other side of the school. “Did you see Horseface after we won?” asked Eren happily, “I mean, he was really pissed. I’m glad you decided to use Annie as our anchor.”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly intuition knowing that I suck at anything related to exercise.” Replied Armin humorously.

“Armin, I think you give yourself less credit than you deserve.” Said Mikasa “in all honesty, I think you would have been way faster than Daz and would have beaten her if you were against her instead.”

Armin smiled “haha, yeah right-she’s almost as fast as you-she would’ve flattened me in an instant!”

“Yeah, Annie’s no joke- she’d even beat me any day. Did you know she used to help teach Judo?” said Eren.

Yes, Armin did know she was very adept at it- he knew that much from being on the receiving end of it sometimes. And speaking of Annie…

He saw a flash of familiar light blonde hair set in a bun in the far distance, heading in a similar direction. Eren didn’t appear to have noticed, still talking about the race while Mikasa was arguing about the little differences between taijutsu and judo. The library was in the same general direction as the gym. If she was heading over there, he didn’t want to be around when they left him. Today he wanted a nice calm time in the library without any worries.

“Ah sh*t, where’d I put my water bottle?” said Eren hurriedly as he rifled through his bag. “I could have sworn I brought it with me today. I don’t want to have to drink from the smelly-ass drinking fountain!”

“Didn’t you bring it with you?” said Mikasa exasperated. “I told you this morning to fill it up.”

“You did bring it with you alright- I remember walking to school and seeing it on the side of your bag. If it isn’t, then it could very well be here.” Armin motioned to a small cart labeled “Lost and Found” with numerous forgotten sweaters, jackets, and the like. There were so many there, that there was a large pile of them

“Ew, that’s so unsanitary Eren. I’d rather you borrowed mine or used the fountain instead of looking in there.” Said Mikasa.

“Oh, never mind, Armin, you were right-it was here all along!” said Eren relieved as he fished out his bottle.

They walked on, but as Armin saw the pile of sweaters, an idea suddenly formulated in his mind. There were plenty of unwanted sweaters there, and he was sure nobody would mind if one disappeared… “Err guys, I’ll see you after the game-Got to go to the restroom right now” he said, excusing himself. He just might have found a way to avoid Annie.

* * *

Armin put a hoodie on, drawing it over his head. It was the only way to hide. The moment he saw one of the sweaters from the "Lost and Found" sign, he had an inspiration. Keeping a look out for Annie, he extracted one of the less obvious hoodies, his expression in distaste at the thought that it was probably left there for a while gathering dirt, and quickly put it on, hoping against hope that the real owner was nowhere around the school at the time. He was relieved to note that the smell wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought, but he still winced as he put it over his head. It fit perfectly and he drew the hood over himself He never wore these types of jackets, so they would never assume he’d be underneath one. He headed out to the library to read, careful to avoid any unwanted attention.

On the last corner, he felt a shock as he found Reiner and Bertholdt there leaning against the railing.

There was no Annie in sight, and most fortunately, Reiner was having what looked to be a deep conversation with Bertoldt. They were so deep in conversation that they didn’t notice their surroundings. Please don’t look this way! chanted Armin in his head. Their backs were to him as he passed them and he forced himself to continue on, his gut twisting itself into knots as hewas half-expecting them tosee through his disguise.

They didn’t.

Armin was thrilled! He could have celebrated there, except he instead opted to continue straight to the library. Keeping his hoodie drawn, he managed to reach the library with no trouble, noticing that once he stepped inside, it appeared to be empty. After all, nobody really bothered to go to inside after school ended, making it the perfect opportunity to read to his heart’s content without any interruption. He would stay there until he would get a text from Eren or Mikasa telling him to meet up with them. He ultimately decided to settle in the furthest part in the library or the “shady part” where it was hard for anybody to be seen upon entering. He chose the couch at the very corner, book in hand and his back to the direction of the entrance blocked by the tall book shelves.

So far, he was taking pride in himself for coming up with his clever disguise. Bertoldt and Reiner hadn’t even noticed anyone walk past them. Imagine how many times he could avoid them by pulling the same act! He wouldn’t know about Annie though, would she notice? He didn’t think he would be able to pull it off, since she shared classes with him and would immediately take notice of his strange new clothes. He settled into his book, stilloccasionallysmiling to himself.

He was so engrossed in the story after just ten minutes, he failed to hear the familiar sound of the library door opening far up front and the sound of gentle agile footsteps approaching from behind before pausing. It was only until he felt in silent alarm, his hood being slowly pulled back, prompting him to look up through his fringe in shock at the face of the girl whom he had hoped to fool. His felt his heart pounding in the intense silence as he realized that his hopeful evening reading at the library was quickly over.

“So you wear a hoodie now, Arlert."

Armin could only stare blankly in horror, but somehow managed to muster up the courage. “H…how did you know I was here?” he stammered shakily.

“Ha, who else would be here in the library after school? Only a nerd like you, would. You obviously didn’t follow the note I gave you at lunch” She replied, staring at him intently through her cold gaze.

Armin gulped, casting his eyes around the library hoping to find the familiar librarian around as well as a possible exit. Annie seemed to have guessed what he was doing for she replied back, “nope, nobody else around except for the two of us to have fun.”

“W…what do you want, Annie?” he asked, his voice shaking and refusing to make eye contact with her. He realized her grip was still on his hoodie, as though considering the fact that he might try to run away.

“Well, for starters, I want you to give me some of your money from lunch. Didn’t you remember?” His gut gave a painful jolt of panic. He had forgotten to bring extra money! If I hadn’t decided to lend Mikasa money for Chex, I could have given it to Annie and she would have left me alone afterwards!

“Forgotten something, have you? That's a first for you.” she whispered, seeming to tighten her grip around his nape.

“y…yes-no…I mean…I can pay you back later and- “

“Too late."

And to his horror, he felt a yank at the back of his hoodie, forcing him upwards off the couch and found himself led out the door of the library. He wanted to shake free, go back to his spot on the couch that made him feel at home, run into the bathroom and hide-anything if it meant getting away from her. She had never done something like this before on her own. Reiner and Marcel would usually be the one to hold him on either side and shove him into the nearest janitor closet before pushing him around. Annie would usually be standing in the side with sweaty Bertoldt, simply…watching. At the present, it seemed like she was going to shove him into one and do the actual bruising. He had been so shocked at her forwardness in dragging him away that he even forgot to struggle.

“Where are-“

Instead of a closet, she had within the span of a second, shoved him into a large room which he immediately recognized as Maria High school's old, abandoned gym. Within the span of a second, she swiped his legs causing him to buckle and fall into the darkness around him. A few ribbons of light particles shone from the window above the bleachers in the middle of the basketball court giving some light to the already depressed gym. He had barely picked himself up and turned around when he found himself pinned against the wall by the blonde. Her arm roughly held him in place like a mugger, and his hands feebly clutched her arm lock in retaliation. Given that she was a few inches shorter than him, it seemed almost laughable that she was the one threatening him, but her grip was like trying to break away hard crystal. For the moment, he could only have his heart in his throat as he shuddered to think what she had in store for him.

“I saw you giving money to Ackerman earlier. What do you think it should have been used for, hm?” she hissed, pressing her arm further against his collar, making him gasp and feebly clutch her arm again.

“N…noI-

“Not to mention,” she went on “that your psycho boyfriend turned in his seat to look at me. Do I need to beat him up as well as a reminder not to piss me off? Maybe...” (and her hold tightened dangerously. "...you've already told him how I deal with you."

“N...no I-” gasped out Armin “I swear-nobody knows, it’s just that, he is always over-protective and and…and...he’s not my boyfriend!”

Annie scoffed. He stole a look at her and found her face looking slightly up at his. Even through the dark he could see the grey reflected in her orbs from the small light filtered through the window above. “You may fool Reiner and Bert with that disguise get-up of yours, but not me. You only stand out more, idiot.” She pulled back her fist and landed a punch to the side of his stomach. He slumped to the floor groaning in pain, and felt another kick on the side of his torso.

He knew she wasn’t even putting that much power into her kicks and punches. The thing with Annie though, was that she never aimed at his face, no matter the situation. He only supposed she avoided it because any noticeable bruises would arise questions from Mikasa and other teachers. Every hit she delivered sent a groan and a spasm of pain throughout his body as he tried to cover any sensible area she would hit next. For reasons unknown, his eyes just so happened to be drawn at something sticking a little bit out of her pocket and his heart gave another shock of recognition.

His pencil sharpener!

She was too busy delivering a series of well-aimed kicks to his torso for her to notice his gaze, and Armin didn’t know how, but he was suddenly overcome with a wild, no-crazy desire to get back what she stole from him. That was the last thing he had acquired from his parents, and he didn’t want it to end up broken beyond repair in the hands of Annie. He took every occasional beating, yelping at the pain while slowly slinking towards her in the process. If he could get close enough to grab it from her pocket, he might catch her by surprise giving him a chance to escape. Just a little more closer…I just need to get it and then get out of here!

As Annie came closer, Armin suddenly seemed to acquire new courage and shot right out straight into Annie, ignoring his bruised body protesting. This had the desired effect. She gasped in surprise, eyes narrowing at his unexpected burst. However, if he thought he could just reach in her pocket to get it in one go before sprinting out, he was sadly mistaken. Her eyes narrowed in surprise and she brought her arm out a little too late in defense, but she had no way to defend against his clumsiness as he stumbled into her, knocking them both backwards unto the ground with him falling on top of her in the process. His other hand trying desperately to retrieve the sharpener.

Annie’s eyes widened in complete shock and disbelief as she felt him feel around in her pocket. The kid was searching in her pocket! His hand was actually trying to reach in her pocket! They were close-too close for comfort, their noses almost touching. He could feel his cheeks turning pink as they both struggled to gain the upper hand. He stunned himself beyond belief wondering when he had gotten this new strength and courage to do this. He must have been mental to try it. If anybody would happen to enter upon the scene by accident, it would have looked as though they were doing something naughty.

His face seemed to turn an even deeper shade of red at the thought. This was not how he wanted to get his prized possession back!

“What’re you…stop…get OFF me Arlert! I’m going tokill you for this you little sh*t!” gasped out Annie, face red not necessarily from struggling. His fingers finally closedunto the sharpener and he hurled away from her without a second glance,pushing againstthe gym door with all his might for it to open and run for his life.

Like lightning, she whipped her head back, picking herself off the ground in time to see a flash of blonde and a slender figure disappearing outside before the gym door closed, leaving her in near darkness. She knew she could have gone after him, but honestly, the whole ordeal of him charging at her and practically physically assaulting her gave her a strange assortment of emotions that she wasn't able to move. She vaguely recognized a loss of feeling in her left pocket. Oh yeah...what he was trying to get. His sharpener. With another sudden jolt, she noticed no-felt, her heart pounding through her chest weirdly. This definitely wasn’t the kind of pounding that came after exercising strenuously.

You’re dead meat Arlert, she thought to herself. She could still feel his fingers crawling where he had groped.

Chapter 4: Study Time

Chapter Text

Armin could feel his heart hammering in his chest as he dashed for his life out of the gym. He didn’t stop running- adrenaline kicking in as he mad dashed through the hallways, past classrooms, out into the other outdoor buildings until he was sure he was on the complete opposite side of the school. It was only when he scurried behind a bunch of Oleander shrubs out of sight and leaning against the band and choir building did he finally slump to the grass and regain his breath, panting as he clutched the stitches at his sides.

He was in trouble. Big trouble. How had it come down to this? It was the first time he'd ever went against his bully in the worst possible way. He'd wrestled her to the ground, thrust his hands in her jacket pocket, invading her private space...just for a small possession. His hand slowly reached inside the bulky jacket and brought out the cursed trinket he went through all the trouble of getting. In retrospect it seemed ludicrous that he had risked his life and sanity for such an old thing.

But it’s not just any old thing he reminded himself. He couldn't help the fact that what he'd done-what he'd dared to do, was extremely stupid. What if she tells Reiner and they decide to get revenge? Mikasa and Eren should NOT know about this- Eren would lose his sh*t! He racked his brains, trying to think of a ready excuse in case things turned ugly. In truth, he didn’t think Annie was the type of person who would tell someone to do the job for her in beating up people, but he wasn’t so sure about that. All he could do right now was hide behind the bushes and wait, while listening to the faint sound of trumpets and occasional cymbal echoing off the building next to him.

It seemed about a full hour of sitting out of sight when he finally heard silence from the band room. No more were the sounds of flutes being played on command or the harmonious thrumming of a guitar signaling five o'clock. The same time when basketball ended. He took that as a cue that Eren and Mikasa were leaving practice in a few minutes. He would be safe then.

His phone vibrating nearly made him jump. He'd totally forgotten he had his phone with him. At that moment, he was so glad to have brought his phone with him instead of leaving it in his backpack so that-

His backpack!- he'd left it at the library!

He could feel renewed panic welling up, and even more so at the thought that perhaps Annie would make her way back to the library and take it. Oh god please don’t, please don’t let it have happened! He pleaded. Would she take it and hide it, or toss it up a tree? What if she decided to snoop in his things? That seemed like just the kind of thing she’d do. He opened up his message box and found a text from Eren

Eren: Hey just finished. U at library?

With slightly shaking hands, he hastily replied back.

Armin: cool. Not at library actually. could you get my stuff plz? Went for walk and left it at library near the back. Is it still there?

Armin winced at the sentence. Yet he sat still, waiting with baited breath and hoping against hope his things would be in the exact place he'd left them in. Undisturbed. He could feel a lecture coming from Mikasa about leaving possessions around.

Eren: yea they’re still there. Mikasa says u should be more careful with ur things. Where do u wanna meet?Helet out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.

Armin: How about outdoor cafeteria?

Eren: kk

Armin slowly got up, dusting off the thistles and dead leaves from his body and was just about to get up and walk when he realized one other thing. He pocketed his phone and shucked out of the nasty hoodie, turning it inside out in the process. He left it on the grass, for once not caring anymore where he put it. If they hadn’t bothered checking the lost and found, he doubted they would care about it being left on the floor.

After meeting the pair and sure enough a brief lecture from Mikasa about leaving possessions unattended, they exited the school, walking and talking about the soccer game. Armin couldn’t help but look around every once in a while nervously for any sign of Annie. So far, he hadn’t seen her and although that was a relief, he couldn’t help but feel nervous in a way that he knew he would have to face her tomorrow.

When they finally reached the Jaeger residence, Mrs. Jaeger was in the kitchen which looked slightly cluttered, probably from all the preparation she had been doing. The moment she saw three of walk through the door, relief seemed to wash over her. “oh, you’re just in time- listen, I need to go up to the store and get some more parmesan cheese, do you think you can watch the stove for me when I’m gone?”

“What’s in the oven?” asked Eren trying to peer into the condensed window.

“Lasagna. And while I’m gone, do you think you, Mikasa-or Armin, could remember to take it out after thirty minutes?”

“Yeah, sure we’ll take it out” said Eren as he opened the fridge to look for something to eat. Mikasa handed a Go-Gurt from the freezer to Armin before opening one herself.

“I’m serious Eren! The last time I asked you to do something like that, the food was half burnt before I reminded you!”

“Mooom, it was only one time that happened, It won’t happen again!”

“Actually, it’s happened twice mom.” Said Mikasa stoically.

“Mikasaaaa, why?”

“Don’t worry Mrs. Jaeger, we’ll make sure to take it out.” Said Armin politely cutting through Eren’s whining.

Mrs. Jaeger swept him up in a hug. “Oh you’re a lifesaver you are! How about you stay over for dinner actually?” she said sweetly. Armin could feel himself redden and from the corner of his eye could see Eren rolling his eyes.

“I-I would like that actually. My grandfather isn’t here and he won’t be back until much later. Are you sure I can?”

Mrs. Jaeger scoffed, “Armin, we’ve known you since forever, you’re welcome at dinner any day!” Despite the fact that Eren was looking at his mom exasperatedly and Mikasa was giving Eren a noogie behind her back, Armin felt a warm, almost lonely feeling about him. Mrs. Jaeger was like a mother to him- always asking him how his day was and cared for him almost the same way as she did her children.

“Geez Armin, you should start living with us already!” joked Eren after Mrs. Jaeger had left. “You could be like, my long-lost adopted brother or something.” Armin chuckled, pocking him in the stomach teasingly.

They had minded the lasagna after all. They had decided that the best course of action was to stay downstairs to watch some TV- but which evolved into a fight for who could have power over the controller. Naturally, Mikasa won and was watching through One Thousand Ways to Die when Armin reminded a sullen Eren that his mom asked him to take out tonight’s dinner.

“Why do I keep color-coding the wrong thing?” exclaimed Armin in annoyance, “I keep forgetting blue means a metaphor and green means a reference to a past event for the character!”

The three of them had been at it for several hours, studying and completing homework in Mikasa’s pink room after dinner. While her room was littered with enough pink to make Kirby blush, they were only studying in it as Mikasa was kind enough to remind them it would be cleaner than Eren’s room, who sometimes forgot to vacuum up the crumbs from all the smuggled Hot Pockets and Chips Ahoy. They didn’t want to sit on Eren’s floor knowing all the kinds of dirt that could have manifested from his procrastination. Plus, with Mikasa’s room they had more space and better speakers for playing music. She also did have a better bed so they could fit comfortably on it (no not in that way ew).

For one hour they had done homework from AP Gov and were on their way with finishing Levi’s assignment. Mikasa was currently sitting up reading the chapter, occasionally making comments or small jokes about the assignment. Armin lay on his stomach on the end of her bed enlightening Eren about parts of the chapter which Eren took notes on. “…so we know that Tayo reached the farm and discovered the cattle, and supposedly that represents that the Native Americans had their land taken and domesticated the animals to suit their own needs.”

"Pretty messed up when you think about it, all of their land, now controlled by a bunch of other people." Eren commented sadly. "That's like having Shadis living in my room and ordering me around."

They had gone over Ceremony with many back turns and highlighting of important details to find for the quiz until Eren knew them like the back of his hand. “Levi won’t worry about this information, but he will most likely quiz us on this stuff over here on page 112.”

“Yeah, I doubt the midget will care that the men wanted to go after the mountain lion part” agreed Mikasa, “most likely he’ll quiz us on the allegorical features of the poems.”

While Eren was reading the rest of the chapter, Armin had taken out his biology homework to work, finishing up an explanation of why primary feathers were important for flight. Thinking of biology made him think of the dissection from earlier today, which made him think of Annie, which made him think of…

He reached for his bag with his left arm and winced as he felt a jab of momentary pain shot up from the action. Annie had kicked him pretty hard there. In fact, his whole body had felt like it was sensitive from today’s relay and beat-up session.

Today had been a terrible day. And weird. This was the first time he saw a different side of Annie than the one he was all too familiar with. Since lunch, he'd felt on edge, his stomach in knots as if he was treading on broken glass. He let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

He felt tired, not just body-wise, but brain-wise too. He snapped his bio book shut, almost at the same time Eren spoke.

“How far have you read?” asked Mikasa to Eren.

“Finished it, to be honest, I feel like I need to stop or my brain’ll hurt.” Yawned Eren. “Honestly, we made so much progress already that I feel like I can ace the corporal’s test. Plus, we can finish tomorrow”.

Armin suddenly felt grateful for Eren wanting to stop. He could feel his bones ache and his brain turn groggy. “You know what, I’m actually pretty tired too” he admitted truthfully, which made Eren and Mikasa look at him in surprise. He chose this opportunity to yawn (After all, straight-A students with honors can reach their limits too). For a moment, he forgot his torso was aching from earlier with his scuffle from Annie and he tried holding back a groan.

“You okay?” asked Eren, his eyes looking at him closely. “Ya know, you actually look pretty tired. We did run that relay today after all and I knew ”

“No, no I’m not hurt I’m just…sore from P.E” disclosed Armin. He turned his head as though reaching for his bag so he didn’t have to meet their gaze.

“Oh yeah, P.E was tough today." said Eren sympathetically, "Hey-at least we beat everybody on the other team and don’t have to run the mile! Annie was definitely faster than I thought!”

"It was almost weird. She didn't seem like herself today at all. In fact, I saw her after school looking especially peeved about something." quipped Mikasa.

“Yeah" trailed Armin, feeling uncomfortable with the fact that Annie was in the conversation. She had been on his mind this whole time and it took all his strength to appear to stay focused without appearing suspicious to the other.

"You know what guys, I think we should call it a night” interrupted Armin. From the corner of his eye he could sense Mikasa giving him a look over her book on the guise of reading. "I'm fine, really," he said, hoping to clear the looks of concern from their faces. "I mean, it's just...the relay. I'm drained." Their faces turned from concern to understanding, and he felt relieved of the perfect excuse. "Plus, Grandpa might be worried and I kind of need to make sure he’s alright.”

“”Drained too, agreed Eren, who also appeared to be a little too grateful for the sudden end of studying. “Oh wait- before you go, I need to give you back your book.”

“That’s fine, I already know everything about it anyway. You can hold on to it to help you get ready for the test and-oh, and don’t copy everything word-for-word or the corporal will be after blood.

“Don't worry," laughed Eren, "I wouldn’t be surprised if he calls me out on something else just ‘cause he likes picking on me during class.”

***

After a hearty good bye from Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger, Armin arrived home not at all surprised to see his grandfather wasn't home. This meant he could have the whole house to himself without worrying about being too loud (not that he wanted to be, of course). He managed to check the time on the oven, noting that it was 8:05 and by now, completely dark. He went upstairs directly to his room to flounce upon his comfortable bed, staring up at the ceiling he’d decorated with stars.

"Another day gone, another day spent", just like his grandpa used to quote whenever Armin’s parents hadn’t come home despite their broken promises over the phone.

He lay there for several minutes just staring at the luminescent lights before turning over on his side to face the window. Watery reflections of a blond boy with blue eyes stared back at him. The noticeable contrast between his house and Eren and Mikasa's was always pronounced after arriving back. With their house, he'd always felt welcomed. Mrs. Jaeger, so sweet and considerate, always asking him how he was doing while including him for any events. The Jaeger household was a world of vivacity; cracked jokes, relatable conversations, and good food. A much different world than his own filled with empty halls, quiet nights, and lonely distant memories of parents. He didn’t know why he was even thinking about it when he’d come to their house millions of times already. His eyes wandered over past the window, at a certain spot behind him on the wall, listening intently for a good few minutes but what seemed like hours, for any sound of a front door opening downstairs.

With a silent house like his, the upside was that it gave him more time to study, to think. But with more studying, came more reflection, and with more reflection...more awareness of being lonely. It wasn't like he didn't have parents, but it didn't feel like they were alive either. They were probably chasing their dreams as the scientists they were, figuring out secret formulas that might cure a nation of world hunger or a rare disease. Because of them, they had been able to afford him a nice house and with a nice education, providing all their expenses behind the scenes. Parents he’d wish to have seen since forever. He missed the Jaegers’ house where everything felt warm and familiar and where they looked like they were actually interested to know how he was doing at school or at least how close he was to achieving valedictorian status. Whenever he tried to imagine his own parents (what would they look like now?), he couldn’t imagine talkingto themthe same wayhe would talk to Eren and Mikasa’s mom. For seven years, his parents hadn’t even bothered to call, much less, Skype him . They were probably busy doing whatever science related thing that had to do with quantum physics. They were probably in the middle of discovering a new element. How many were there existing-118? There could always be room for one more- oh well, another excuse for textbooks to get updated.

He got up from the bed deciding a shower wouldn’t be bad. He had a hard day at P.E after all and didn’t want to go to bed smelling like a locker room. A secret nobody but himself knew- he liked to stand under the showerhead to sing lyrics from his favorite bands. Whether it was Coldplay, Monsters and Men, or the Shins, and since he lived with a grandfather who happened to be out at late hours of the day, it allowed him to sing as loud as possible without being overheard. He stripped his clothes off and was just getting ready to enter when he caught a crude reflection of his side through the mirror door. He looked down to see a small purplish bruise standing out in his pale skin.

Courtesy of Annie the Ice Queen. He put his thumb over it, pressing down gently then releasing it with a wince. He was already dreading tomorrow and his heart sank at the thought of seeing her face to face. She had been holding back her punches too. He didn’t even want to think of her exerting twice that amount.

For a while, all he could think about was what he was going to do to avoid her. If she wasn't fooled by his earlier disguise, he doubted she could be fooled by anything else. And he had classes with her too.

Yep, he was royally screwed.

Chapter 5: Payback

Chapter Text

The arrived at school the next day, they stood outside, lingering near the stairway leading up to the entrance. Armin was on edge, barely listening to Eren’s rant about the game mechanics of basketball and bemoaning their lack of play-offs for each season.

“How come the girl’s team always get to make it to finals?” demanded Eren with something close to wonder and irritation.

“I guess it’s because Mikasa’s team is stronger” replied Armin without taking his eyes off of his surroundings. Secretly, he was keeping a close watch for Annie in case she would appear. So far, he hadn’t seen her, though he wondered if she was keeping herself out of sight to delude him into thinking he was safe.

He turned his head back, trying to keep with the conversation, but found Eren giving him a pout instead.“Oh wow, Armin gee, thanks for the blunt facts!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Actually, I think it has more to do with the fact that you worry whether or not Jean gets the ball before you into the hoop. Plus, Connie may be fast, but his execution and planning could use some work” expressed Mikasa.

“Marco is good, though- he makes a good defense!” protested Eren.

“He might be good, but he can’t continue to do good if you and Jean are constantly fighting and calling each other names when you’re supposed to be fighting against the other team” she reminded.

“Oh come on, I’m not as bad as Horseface when it comes to making passes…!”

Armin turned his head to the entrance further away to see Reiner and Bertolt at the entrance leaning against the sides. Bertolt, he could see, had his arms dangling near his sides and staring down at the floor. He would have looked like an overgrown sloth had his thin face and pointed nose not been somber enough He was wearing a low neckline sweater, a usual staple fashion of his. Reiner on the other hand, was wearing his football jersey, arms crossed at his chest and looking smug. He had that usual boisterous air about him that, glancing this way and that as if he owned the place. Armin noticed that every time somebody made to go through the entrance, he would seem to step up and block their path, saying something to them. Whatever he'd say to these students, he didn't know, but it would cause them to act strange, prompting them to do weird dances for some time before entering through the double doors.

“Mikasa!”

Armin reluctantly tore his eyes from the bizarre events to see a slightly out of breath Sasha Braus, approached them. Connie wasn’t with her, which was a bit odd- he rarely saw the pair of them apart, but a moment later, found the latter sitting on the grass under the shade conversing with Thomas. They looked fine, but Sasha in front of them looked devastated.

“I just got terrible news- Hannah broke her leg!”

Mikasa did a double take. “What?!- When did this happen?”

“I only knew about it this morning!”

“Wait- Hannah as in Hannah Diamant?” demanded Eren, eyes widening in disbelief.

“Yes, yes! Which other Hannah do we know?” said Sasha, now sounding slightly hysterical. “Her mom said that she was leaving the house this morning when she tripped over her little brother’s Tonka trucks and, well…she fell down the porch steps. She was outside when she saw it happen.”

“That’s terrible!”Eren exclaimed. “She isn’t at home, right? Is she at the hospital right now?”

“She is, ‘cause Hannah’s mom knows we’re in basketball and she felt it would be best to give me a call to let me know it that she wouldn’t be at school today.”

Mikasa’s eyebrows creased, “that must have been horrible, falling down the stairs and stuff. I hope they got her to the ER and she’s no longer in pain."

Is she on anesthesia right now?”he asked.

“Don’t know, her mom hasn’t said anything in the past quarter of an hour. Coach Rico won’t be pleased to find out.”

“We’ll have to visit her later after school- actually, scratch that- after practice. There’ll be no point in skipping and making Rico more upset” said Mikasa.

“She’ll be fine, guys”he assured them, “Hannah is tough. I’ve seen her get injured in practice and she takes it like a champion. Remember that time against the prelims she got shoved into the pole but got right back up? She’s a strong fighter. I bet right now she’s probably being well taken care of and resting in bed and eating to her heart’s content-

-and cuddling with Franz.” Finished Eren. “Don’t worry, the Shiganshina hospital is a good one- they’re probably treating her like royalty.”

“Damn, now you make me wish I was in the hospital” said Sasha.

“Don’t you dare say something to jinx it!” scolded Mikasa, “we can’t afford to lose you! You’re too good as defense to be hurt!”

While Sasha was busy in conversation about Hannah’s welfare, Eren started to pull his arm away. “C’mon, they’ll be talking forever about it. Let’s just go up.”

They were already up the entrance at this point when Armin inwardly groaned at Reiner and Bertolt standing like two sentries guarding the door. He should have stayed back with Mikasa and Sasha after all. The moment Reiner saw the pair of them, he marched himself in front of the door effectively blocking their path and wearing a giant smirk in his all too apparent shaved face. Apparently he was only one of the few who had gotten their growth spurt ahead of time.

“Hey, where you d’you think you squirts are going?” he taunted. His big bulky arms looked threatening, crossed like that, and he could already feel a small panic well up inside. As long as Eren didn’t try to get defensive…they could just back away and go enter another way…

“Squirts?- yeah, like we’re going to just sit here while you block the exit! Who came up with that insult-your little cousin?”

“Now, now” said Reiner doing a grown-up’s impression and smirking in an all-knowing way. “All guys must know that in order to get by, you have to pay a tribute.” Armin looked at Bertolt to the side, who continued to look awkwardly at the floor. Despite the situation, he vaguely wondered why silent, uncomfortable Bertolt still hung out with his polar opposite friend.

“What the hell kind of ‘tribute’ do you mean?” snarled Eren

“You and your boyfriend need to do the Chuffle Shuffle in order to get in. Sorry, but it’s the rules or-

“Chuffle- what? Sorry, what language you speaking? Cause it sounds like bullsh*t!”

Oh no

“You got another insult for me, piss-face?” Reiner was now no longer smirking, now sporting a scowl. His flexing arms which remained locked in his earlier pose, were now out as if prepping for a fight.

Hopefully not right now.

“Oi, Reiner are you seriously that stupid?” Armin’s insides did a somersault as he felt a familiar voice behind him.

Eren whipped his head back to see, but Armin didn’t need to turn around to confirm that Annie had suddenly just arrived.

And was right behind him.

“Hey Annie, you’re awfully early today!” said Reiner guffawing down at her. Armin stepped slightly to the side- hopefully so that Reiner would look at her instead of him. Reiner however, mimicked his sideways motion so he couldn't maneuver past. “Ah-ah-ah Aryan Coconut- chuffle shuffle!”

“Reiner, how thick do you need to be to realize that people are bound to complain why they can’t pass the school entrance?” she pointed coolly. Though Armin had his back to her, he could imagine Annie’s gaze was in his direction. He stood rooted to the spot, unable to do anything. Eren seemed momentarily taken aback at Annie’s arrival too, now looking back and forth at their conversation.

“A good morning to you too, pixie dust! And by the way, you’re wrong about people complaining. There aren’t even any teachers around here!” hooted Reiner.

“Then your brain must be even thicker than I thought. Professor Zacharius is currently wondering why a dozen students are approaching him complaining about doing the chicken dance for admittance.”

Reiner’s looked past Armin’s head looking for any sign of authority. He must have, for his eyes suddenly widened and muttered a “sh*t!” and a “let’s go, Bertolt!”. and disappeared so fast they might have vanished into thin air.

Moments later, they heard a pair of footsteps behind them and found the tall lanky form of Professor Zacharius approach them. “So, what seems to be the problem here gentlemen-and ladies. Not fighting here, are we?”

“No, no, of course not!” said Eren flustered. “We were just trying to get through-

But professor Zacharius swiftly cut him off. “Arlert?”

Armin took a deep breath before turning around looking straight at Zacharius. “There’s no problem sir, me and Eren were just about to go up to the entrance to our lockers and…and go to class.” Here he paused and could feel Annie looking at him with her calculating grey eyes like a hawk, though he didn’t dare look in her direction.

“I hope so, I’ve been hearing complaints from other students that two boys are disrupting others with strange requests. I don’t suppose you or Jaeger have anything to do with it Arlert, since you don’t seem the sort, but as for Miss Leonhardt (here he turned to a scowling Annie), “I would advise you to keep those two friends of yours in check. They’re on the football team, and if they do so much as put a toe out of line, I’ll have to contact their coach. Coach Zeke I’m sure, will understand. Good day.”

With that, Zacharius gave a sniff of approval then promptly walked past them through the entrance and out of sight.

“C’mon Armin let’s go,” said Eren, and Armin for once, let himself be escorted away, all too happy. It was at the moment before going through the door that he decided to turn his head and look back.

Annie was still at the bottom, pose frozen in the exact same position, now staring directly up at him with a strange expression. It seemed impassive, but her eyes had this strange glint to them as if she were deeply thinking about something. Armin turned his head away towards the entrance to hurry for his locker.

“What a beautiful day to start off with, huh, Arm’?” said Eren, casting a glare down the hallway for any signs of the blonde quarterback and his sidekick. “Seriously, you’d think they’d get the message that nobody wants them.”

“Yeah…”

“By the way, did you see Annie’s expression? There was something strange about her-she looked like she was about to set a house on fire!”

Armin didn’t reply to that, instead getting his books out of his locker. When Mikasa presently joined them, both boys didn’t feel the need to fill her in on what occurred, much to his relief. He gave a sigh, striding towards AP Cal thinking skeptically of Eren saying it was indeed going to be a wonderfulday.

English with Levi meant still getting into groups and doing the same things, with the reminder of an impending quiz the next day. Right when Eren was in the middle of an enthusiastic foretelling of Native American culture, Armin’s eyes happened to glance for a split second somewhere across the room at Annie who was staring in his direction. He quickly averted his eyes. She had been staring at him for quite some time now, and it unnerved him. He was not a person who liked to be observed like that. But that was Annie. She didn't need to play pranks like Reiner and Bertoldt, all she had to do was stare to intimidate you. Reiner was busy checking his phone, glancing up every once in a while to see if Levi was near.

He kept his eyes away the entire class period.

It was Biology class that he was definitely not looking forward to at all. Minutes before class ended, he took the initiative to pack his things so he could get ready to leave, so when the bell rang, he bid a hasty farewell to his friends and sped walk over to Dr. Zoe’s in hopes he'd arrive first. Getting there, he found a disgruntled Hange at her desk scowling at the printer, giving it an occasional knock on the side. But when she saw him enter, relief washed over her face.

“Oh Armin, glad you’re here! Think you could help me?”

“Sure! What do you need help with?” he asked, brightening a bit as he approached the cluttered desk. He always liked it when Hange gave him special tasks, because it showed that he was capable of handling large stuff like preparing the dissecting dishes or taking care of Sawney and Bean, and knowing how busy Hange was, it felt good knowing he could relieve her class load.

“The class printer is having some problems, so I need to print today’s assignments using the one in the teacher’s lounge. D’you think you can hand back all these assignments before I get back?” Before he could answer, she fished out an enormous stack of papers at least a foot long, that had been lying at the foot of her desk.

“Oh, Armin you’re a lifesaver!” beamed Hange getting up and making her way through the door, missing the look of astonishment on his face. “Listen, you’re the only person I trust to hand back past assignments and not ruin other people’s works-and last week's results are in that pile too! Congrats on that perfect score, kiddo!”

As she left, more people had begun to file into the class, talking in loud voices and playing on their phones as he went around, dropping people’s assignments on their desk, face down if they did bad, face-up if they did good. While handing back assignments, the door opened and in walked Annie through the loud classroom. She had one earbud on and was wearing her usual hoodie, but didn’t appear to pay attention to anyone around her. When she caught sight of him, her eyes narrowed slightly and she strode towards where her seat situated behind his to sit down, tucked her hands in her pockets, and lean back, expressionless. He avoided eye contact with her and tried to focus on the task at hand.

He found many of his assignments, all graded with top marks, and looking more detailed than anybody else’s. He found some of Annie’s within the pile and deliberately put it on top of her desk. Some had good scores on them, mainly from him completing her assignments. He thanked his lucky stars he'd learned to be skilled with calligraphy to make Annie's own small scrawl more authentic and not make Hange suspect.

Nearing the end of the pile, he finally came across what he had been looking for- last week’s exams. Joe…Susan…Flocke…Gabi…he finally came to his exam to find sure enough, he had gotten a perfect score with a red 100% graced with a smiley face. He smiled, gently putting it on his desk. He passed out many others, noting that a small handful of the class’s scores were decent although no higher than his own. In fact, apart from his, the highest score was a 91 which was from Gabi. It was when he reached the very last exam labeled Annie Leonhardt, did he look at her score…28.

28%? He stared at the two digits for a moment, a bit befuddled. He knew Annie wasn’t dumb, but he'd always thought she would have known enough to pass tests. But then, he reasoned, making him do her own work had caught up to her and she was paying the price. It wasn't like he could complete her own test for her as well.

He hesitantly approached her table, dropping her exam face down to cover her score out of courtesy and continued passing the last two. As he walked away, he turned his head back just a bit to see her turning it over, a small hint of a grimace forming on her face through a curtain of her stray bangs before haphazardly stuffing it in her bag .

Hange eventually came back a minute later, strands of loose hair out of her ponytail and slightly panting as though she had been hurrying, but beaming all the same. Under her arm was another stack of papers while her other hand held a coffee mug saying, “Bio Teacher of the Year”.

“Ah thanks, Armin- knew I could count on you!” She deposited the stack of papers on a less cluttered area of her desk and took a sip from her mug. After a few sips, she clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention and the laughter and voices died down gradually.

“Alrighty y’all, first thing I want to say is, after Armin has passed your things back, I want you all to get a look at your scores, especially those on your exam! To those who scored a 70 or higher, congratulations, you seem to be understanding the material well! (Here, he felt himself glow with pride) …To those of you who aren’t happy with your exam and scored below average, you need to start taking your studies seriously, and maybe think of asking for help from your fellow peers…or tutoring. If anybody needs tutoring, Moblit and I would be happy to help you guys!” Armin was willing to bet that if most of the class really needed help, they would want to go to Moblit. There would be less of a chance of the class catching fire when he was around.

“On a happier note, I am pleased to say that since those of you are struggling to pass the exams, I have taken the initiative to make study guide packets for all of you for your next exam!” Hange fished out the stack of papers she had been carrying and started distributing them in piles in the front so they could be passed back. Armin took one, passing one back to Annie who seemed to snatch it from his hand the moment he held it out. “I would like you all to really get working on it as soon as possible, which is why I’ve dedicated this time during class to have you start it! Use your biology books in chapters twelve through fifteen! You may work in pairs if you wish, but I want you all to be working on it!”

The class immediately resumed their talking, though many were working diligently, albeit slower than what they would have accomplished alone. Armin sat in his seat working by himself. The “study guide packet" was no joke. It was ten pages long with seven questions per page with only a few multiple-choice in between and while he would have enjoyed every minute of answering them, he found himself uneasy throughout the rest of the period. Thoughts of the incident from yesterday and from out in the school yard made him think more than ever that he was a goner. Annie hadn’t said a single word to him today. While that seemed like a relief in itself, it put him in a bundle of nerves. The look she gave him at the bottom of the stairs today made him think with a growing sense of unease that she was planning something, and it didn’t help one bit that the cause of his torment was sitting right behind him, probably best deciding how to deal with him should she catch him alone. He suppressed a shudder and tried to concentrate, though only making a little progress.

When the bell finally rang, he wanted to sigh out in relief. Instead, he stuffed his things in his backpack and practically hurtled out the door for nutrition.

Reiner and Bertolt really were idiots when it came to subtlety, so she was not all surprised to see them at the entrance that morning acting as a poor imitation of bouncers at a night club. But when she saw the blond nerd and his angry friend unaccompanied by their scarf-wearing body guard beast, she was mildly intrigued. She interfered with the news about Zacharius whom she had seen from far off, but had really wanted to come close to see the bookworm who, by no mystery to her, refused to acknowledge her presence. It was only when he finally had the guts to turn around after entering through the door did she catch his face, red with embarrassment and like a hunted deer.

She didn’t blame him one bit, many people feared her (except for that beast girl they hung out with), and it was here that she would formulate a plan to catch him unguarded by either of his friends and make him pay for yesterday. No doubt he was going to do everything in his power to try to stay away, so for the rest of the day, she pretended to ignore him, going so far as to refrain from wrenching his shirt collar in bio. Her mood was further put out when she had received her test back reminding her how little attention she put into it.

Today at biology class, she felt humiliated when Hange called her aside after class. She'd asked whether everything was alright with her at home and if she would require some extra help. If it had been Levi or any other teacher in general, her first reaction would have been to snap back that everything was fine, or to mind their own business. But for some strange reason, she could never bring herself to say that to Hange. Maybe it was the fact that Hange, in all her weird wacky eccentricities, was not one who would judge her or maybe it was her over all bubbly atmosphere that stopped her from retaliating. It also could have been due to the fact Hange was actually the scariest when angry or provoked that she kept her cool.

But one thing was for sure: she would catch that boy one way or another and make him pay. Her heart skipped a few beats even at the thought of it, though why she had started to get excited about that, was beyond her. Eventually he'd let his guard down and then she'd strike.

She barely listened to professor Zacharius during chemistry and found herself following Reiner and Bertolt after class to the football fields to loiter around waiting before practice started. It wasn't like they were super close, but it was more of the fact that they had known each other longer and mostly through connections with their dads.

“I wish Zeke would give us permission to use the gym weights,” said Reiner, “but it’s all cause we can’t disturb the dumpy basketball game in there. Seriously, basketball doesn’t even count for sh*t next to football. Hell, it doesn’t even compare to the baseball, and THAT'S saying something.”

"What about the girl's basketball team? They aren't that bad, though." Bertolt protested while scrolling through his phone. “I wonder if Ymir is going to show up. I texted her and she still hasn’t responded.”

“Crazy hag is probably with her lil’ goddess. You wanna know how many times I’ve seen them kissing when they think nobody’s watching? Take a drink every time you'd see them at it and you'd be in the hospital with liver damage.” said Reiner, chuckling a bit at his own joke. “Hey Annie, you got a dollar on you?”

Annie looked up from the music she was listening to on her iPod. “No, bring your own money next time.”

“Easy for you to say- your ATM is that blond coconut. Actually... I should bribe him myself, too!”

Though Reiner was joking around, he couldn’t help but see a change in Annie’s expression. Even though they'd hung out countless times, Annie was still a mystery on some occasions. They had first met at grade school where she'd had quite a reputation as being a loner who would beat you up if you'd mess with her. He considered her a friend in the sense he'd be around her talking, but she never really would fully integrate enough of herself with anyone, not even him. The only person he could say he was truly friends with, was Bertolt. Bert was like that one guy who’d just go with the flow, like a character in a movie you’d expect to be in the background. Equivalent to a wallflower. Someone who lacked initiative, yet was just cool enough to be considered normal. Maybe that’s why Reiner had gotten along with him in the first place. Or the fact he was tall. But it was this very thing that Reiner liked about Bertoldt. Perhaps alittletoo much.

Annie was a paradox. She wasn’t like Bertolt nor was she like Marcel in that respect either who often flaunted his reputation. She never had to say anything and it would always intimidate everyone around her. And it wasn't like she was tall like either of them. She ranged about 5'1'' making her the second shortest girl after Historia in their grade. For a moment, an image of a grim- faced kindergarten version of Annie standing up to a tall third grader popped into his head, and he forced himself not to laugh.

“Bookworm belongs to me. You vent your frustration out on some other sniveling kid.” She ground out.

“Oh, and you don’t?”

Annie gave him a cold look before turning away. “You find your own victim for whatever reason, but don’t think you and I are the same.” There was a moment of silence between them. Even Bertolt who had been busy checking his phone, looked up.

“Said the one who’s been taking his lunch money.” Reiner quipped before he could stop himself. Annie’s eyes narrowed. Bertolt looked a bit anxious, glancing between his partner in crime and Annie. She slowly got up.

“I’m gonna take a walk.” She said simply.

“Not going to answer? Well, that proves my point I guess.” Sighed Reiner shaking his head in mock disappointment. “Bert, I guess it means she’s too cool to hang out with us.”

“Dry up like a leaf and blow away” she scathingly replied. “Tell him that, Bert.” Then she gave him the bird.

Before she could let them reply, she hoped down the bleachers effortlessly and began her solitude walk.

***

She made her way to the main part of the school in such a bad mood over Reiner. She'd wished he'd shut the hell up and just do something, anything. Like make out with Bertoldt or something (it was so obvious at this point, why bother denying their attraction with one another?). Butnooo he'd had to open his stupid mouth and provoke her. She cursed herself for not giving a few jabbed insults to him before walking away. Would have served him right.

Despite what the blockhead said earlier, she couldn’t get the conversation out of her head. She knew she wasn’t someone who was very friendly to approach, adding in to the fact that she was known to beat up a few of the kids when they got on her nerves. But she always had a reason for it; they were too loud, they were annoying, they provoked her…

But that Arlert kid. Not once had he done anything like that. In fact, he was known to be one of the sweetest boys in the whole school, so what made her start picking on him in the first place?

Well, for starters, he’s a weakling she thought savagely.

No, that wasn’t it. She knew other people who were worse off than him who'd cried. Now that she thought of it, she had never seen the blond kid cry from her bullying. For someone who was a weakling, she realized that he never, not once, ran away like a coward until yesterday. But he was probably running because of that thing I took from him earlier. It must have been special to him.

No. Armin was no coward. And that was what probably got under her skin in the first place. Every time she shoved him in the hallways, or took his money, or forced him to do her homework, he always obliged without argument. It could have been from intimidation, but deep down, whenever she saw him smile with his friends and laugh at a joke from Jaeger, she felt he considered her too below him to bother. Someone who was smarter than her. Someone who wouldn’t waste their time on a delinquent like her. The thought made her clench her fists unexpectedly.

She'd been wandering around not paying attention to surroundings to find herself inside a section of the school where they'd usually hold the science classes. How the hell did I get here?

She was just resigning to turn around and find some other place when as fate had it, she spotted at the end of the empty hallway a familiar silhouette against the bright light. There was no mistaking that bowl-cut hairstyle and relatively thin frame.

Armin Arlert.

The first thing that came to her mind was confusion. Why was he here alone not flanked by his usual friends? But then, she realized, he'd probably come back from attending one of his science groups. With his nerd friends. How cute. He didn’t appear to have seen her, instead checking his watch and approaching the water fountain for a drink, sticking some papers in his satchel. The opportunity was too good to pass up. After her confusion faded away, it was replaced now with creeping humiliation and rage since the last time they came face-to-face. She was going to get him back for yesterday.

Cautiously and silently as a cat, she stalked toward his hunched form still at the drinking fountain. He was just finishing and straightening up to turn around did she strike. With one deft hand, she grabbed the shirt at his nape and with her other hand, she held his thin bicep, effectively whirling him around to face her. Once he saw it was her, his face changed to shock and his face paled like parchment.

“A…Annie…wait…I…”

His pleads were fruitless at this point. She kept a tight grip on his wrist, with the other on the collar of his nape, guiding him roughly towards a room where she knew to be one of those large closets holding cleaning supplies. She flung the door almost at the same time she pushed him into the room where he stumbled and slammed it shut.

In the near penumbra, she could see the nerd’s blue eyes glinting; alert, hesitant, and frightened to find himself in this situation. His eyes darted from her fist to her cold eyes as his back leaned against the wall behind him, and it suddenly occurred to her that what he was doing, was not actually trying to find an exit, but to prepare to take her attack.

“What’s wrong? You seemed to be putting up a fight yesterday, so why the f*ck not give it another go?” she murmured. She grabbed his arms which had been crossed nervously over his torso and flung them apart, pinning them against the wall with her own. As she edged closer to his face, he turned his face to the side, eyes staring at a spot somewhere in the ground. Waiting for the worst. But instead of kneeing him in the torso like always, she tried for a different tactic. For whatever reason, maybe it was from the rage she'd built up from today, or the frustration from her piss poor test that caused her to react without thinking and wield her hand into an open palm before smacking it into his face.

The harsh sound of a slap to the cheek echoed duly against the small room. When her palm met impact, the nerd’s head swiveled to the side, blond hair swaying. But most definite was the boy's shock plastered all over his face and the look of hurt. Seeing his face like that actually made her nervous and something like regret slivered their way through the cold chasms of her heart. But she shook teh feeling off almost immediately. Out of fear now, he slunk back, trying to bring his arms to defend his face when he found she would be aiming there. But this time, she aimed a kick at his gut, making him choke out in pain as he dropped his arms to defend that area too. With his head unguarded, she brought all her rage and disgust into her fist to grace his other cheek prompting a cry of pain.

By this point, he was no longer standing, but in a near fetal position against the floor into a corner as he tried to cover every sensitive area he could while she hit him. The boy who never would look at her as anything other than someone lower than him. Someone who didn’t deserve happiness, someone who would never amount to much. Someone who couldn’t even have both her parents together for her sake.

It seemed hours, though it was probably minutes before she finally stopped, feeling winded in this small trashy closet, did she hear the uneven gasps of pain and whimpers from the boy beneath her that brought her back to reality. He was curled up in a ball, small wracking sobs could barely be heard as he lay in that position.

She had hurt him. She had really hurt him this time. Her heart pounded through her ears as she stared down at him in shock and sudden revulsion at the state of him. Both his cheeks were tinted a deep red, but one side, she winced as she noticed a purpling bruise. Without thinking, she brought her finger to gently tap it, but the face flinched away from her touch and curled even tighter. She stood back in horror, and to further add to it, the boy had slowly disentangled his face to peer up. His pained bright blue eyes sparkling with frozen tears as he regarded her like a mouse in a cat’s clutches. He was still gasping, and she was willing to bet with compunction that there were more bruises to be hidden under his shirt.

You vent your frustration out on some sniveling kid she had told Reiner from before. Yet here she was- the one inflicting it upon him.

The look of hurt must have been seen on her face as the boy below her looked at her in confusion. She turned tail from the closet, rushing away from the scene of the crime, past the hallways to exit out of the building.

When her steps ultimately led her into the girl’s locker room did she finally slump to the floor, unable to wipe away the searing hot feeling of regret that not even the AC could put out.

Oh god, what have I done?

Chapter 6: Bruises and Bemoanings

Chapter Text

It was lucky on his part that his grandpa hadn’t been home by the time he made it back. Or anyone else's knowledge. Because what he thought he looked like, was certainly going to garner a lot of questions from anybody who would see him in this state.

His clothes were wrinkled; there was a tear in his vest, His jean knee had started to show scratch marks, and his whole body felt like it was run over by a cement truck. Every little movement struggling to trek up the stairs caused a moan of pain. Dropping his backpack in his room, he entered the bathroom slowly and was met with a dreadful sight in the mirror.

The first thing he noticed was a cut on his lip still bleeding from when she punched him. His cheeks were an angry red hue and he could swear one side was starting to well up a little purple. His blond locks were disheveled, shining through the dim light of the bathroom, some even sticking to the side from perspiration. His eyes were bloodshot from the tears he shed earlier, the blue hues barely noticeable through the light. He had dark spots littered around his neck, and for a moment he panicked, thinking they were bruises, but next moment he looked more closely and realized they were spots of dirt. Probably from crouching in a defensive position on the floor while she beat him up.

He took some tissues and hydrogen peroxide under the cabinet, gently dabbing over his the bruises along his arms. He had been used to this before- treating his wounds after bullies, but never around the facial region and never this bad. Very cautiously and with a breath of preparation, he brought the wet tissue to the spot on his cheek where it was more bruised. He bit back a gasp of pain as the searing sensation hit him. Luckily, just as quick as it came, it faded again, and he dabbed some more, making sure to wave some air around the area for relief. Then, sucking in a breath, he continued treatment.

It was the first time she had ever hit him in the face. She never aimed there, because she was concerned others like Mikasa or one of the teachers would notice. But why had she done it this time? Was it from what he did earlier to get back his possession? He was both hurt and affronted by this realization. How on earth was he supposed to face his grandpa like this at dinner?

He gulped. How was he supposed to go to school when teachers would be bound to ask questions about it? Then, an even greater concern: how on Earth would he evade Eren and Mikasa at this point?His friends were probably going to come by at any time. He had no idea what time it was. Maybe an hour had passed…maybe two, already? They would probably be getting out of practice. He checked his watch which had miraculously managed to remain undamaged through the whole ordeal. 5:12.

He could just tell them he wasn’t in the mood to study…but no, that plan wouldn’t work. They would still come over nonetheless. They would know something was up. They would know right away something was amiss if he told them about not wanting to study. He wracked his brains trying to think up an answer as he sat hunched on the toilet seat, wincing at feeling of a hot knife grazing the bruised spot.

He could tell them he was sick. If he had a cold and said it was contagious, maybe it would be less suspicious. But then, if he was known to be sick, that would mean he'd have to miss class too. But it’s not like he had any tests tomorrow except-

I have a quiz in Levi’s class tomorrow!

No. He wouldn’t be able to miss tomorrow- he wasn’t exactly sure if Levi would even allow him to take the quiz at another day. He never got into trouble with Levi, but it was still worth it to ask if he'd make an exception. He did after all have the highest grade in the class and they were on good terms. It was worth a try to email professor Ackerman tonight.

By the time he got back to his room, he noticed his phone had acquired six texts. He opened them and noticed they were from Mikasa and Eren. Mikasa: Where r u?

Eren: we checked library. Did u get mika’s text?

Mikasa: Eren sent you text. Where r u srsly? O.o

Eren: Srsly bro, you alright we can’t find you anywhere! Dx

Mikasa: pplz answer, ur scring us

Eren: ARE U OK????

Guilt swelled at the thought that his friends were looking for him when he had gone home. He texted back Mikasa in a frenzy.

Armin: So so so sorry!!! Not feeling well so went home… ;;| I’M SOO SORRY GUYS! :c

Not more than five seconds later he got a whole slew of replies from both.

Eren: So ur sick? Aww im sry to hear that! ;;O

Mikasa: Are u feeling alright now? Do you need anything? 8|

Armin: no no, don’t come!

Mikasa: why not?

Armin: sick rn and don’t want you to catch it!

Eren: cmon arm, were not scared.

Armin: No, u don’t understand- its bad. I think im going to take nap cause im tired. Might have to miss class tomorrow.

Eren: Oh nos! so sorry armin, I hope it doesn’t turn serious!!

Mikasa: get lots of rest and drink tea. Im goin to tell eren to stop texting u since you need to sleep it off.

Armin: thanks guys and im sorry for making u worry

Eren: don’t say sorry its not ur fault! But I do wish u would have said smthing sooner so u didn’t have us worry. Get plenty of rest- if you want, I can take pictures of notes of chem English and gov! Or we can drop your hw off at home tmrrw.

Armin: thanks eren!! tell mika that too:D

Lying to Eren and Mikasa wasn’t the same as lying to the teacher. He had already felt ashamed he couldn’t stand up for himself. Nevertheless, telling his friends would only cause Eren to go crazy and for Mikasa to get roped in. He didn't need reminding how weak he was. This was a fight he wanted to battle on his own.

Instead of going to sleep, he took out his biology packet and started working on it, trying to ignore the stabbing pains of his side.

Regret accompanied Annie for every step she took back to the flat she shared with her father-and at one point, her mother. The moment she fit the key into the lock and turned, she was met with her father at the doorway grimacing. It looked like he was in the middle of taking off his tie.

“Where were you?”

“At school” she replied duly, letting herself inside and closing the door. Their apartment was a bit cluttered, the majority of the living room comprised of cheap plastic- flimsy decorations that would dull a robber’s tenacity should he enter. There was a single TV hooked on to the VCR that was the only thing remotely valuable in that room, though she didn’t much bother for it. Usually it was her father that sat down to watch with a drink.

“Until six in the evening?” his tone wasn’t threatening, but there was just a hint of suspicion when he said it, as if he wanted to lead the conversation to inquire her whereabouts.

“Yes, at school. I was with Reiner and Bertoldt.”

Not a lie, but she wasn’t about to tell him that their practice had finished an hour and a half ago at which point she was left sulking in the girl's locker room until until kicked out by the janitor.

“Still with those two, I see.” He merely commented. “I never understood them. I always see them together.” Instead of leaving it at that, Annie was further alarmed when he followed her into the kitchen. He was acting…different.

“I got a call from your counselor today.”

Annie froze, looking straight at her father’s solemn eyes as the cold feeling of dread washed over her. Had Armin told the school what she did? She tried to imagine the blond nerd crying and limping towards the office as he explained to Principal Smith all that happened in the closet. She tried to imagine Smith telling the guidance counselor then phoning to her father who would pick it up and get momentarily confused before concerned…

“What did they want?” she asked, and was pleased to hear that her voice remained impassive. Outside she looked calm and composed like her usual exterior, but her insides were swimming with apprehension. Did beating up a kid guarantee expulsion? She fought the urge to swallow.

“They called to notify me about your classes.” Annie’s heart relaxed at this momentarily. So the Arlert kid hadn’t told anybody. But the tone her dad had spoken about it reminded her of how a mildly upset boss would react with his employee. “You’re failing in chemistry and government.” His words though calm, could have the effect of reflecting disappointment. You’re failing… failing… failing… she didn’t respond, but she had the dignity now of looking embarrassed as she stared at the grim khaki tiles on the kitchen floor.

“Oh” was all she could say.

“Oh? -oh? - is that all you have to say about it, Annie, “oh?” now he sounded angry, impatient. “You know, I just came back from a hard day at the office, and here I am thinking that I don’t have to worry that my daughter is failing in not one, but TWO classes and coming home late after hanging with those two idiots whose father can’t be bothered to care where they run off to!”

“I’m sorry dad, it’s-

“Oh, now you’re ready to talk about it, huh?” Annie kept her mouth shut, instead forcing herself to remain contact with her father’s angry ones. “There’s no explanation needed for failing a course- your mother wouldn’t have-”. Here, he suddenly stopped, closing his mouth while turning his head off to the side to gaze at nothing in particular. Whenever the topic of her mom was brought up, there was always an uncomfortable silence and hours afterwards of her father just drinking. Sometimes, he would get violent, though not terribly so.

“I understand dad, and….and I’m sorry.” she said duly. There was a pregnant pause in which her father turned his head back towards her direction, eyes unseeing, as though focused on something in the past. Annie squirmed under his unseeing gaze, knowing that somewhere within those orbs, he was still thinking of her- the way she threw his possessions down the stairs, the way she yelled, calling it unfair and how this was not the life she envisioned. Annie turned to open the cupboard to bring out a glass of water, not because she was thirsty, but because she wanted something to do with her hands. To make her forget. She was in the middle of filling the crappy SpongeBob plastic cup she had gotten when she was in third grade, back when she had at one point been crazy over the show.

“Annie”

“Yes, dad?” Now his voice seemed calmer, more composed than before.

“Please, bring those grades up. If they call again, I-

“Dad, it won’t happen again. I’ll…I’ll talk to the teacher,” she finished lamely. She was already having a niggling feeling at the back of her mind doing such a thing. She hated to socialize and even more so, hated to confront the teachers themselves where she could feel their judging stare. But she was already preparing to bet that she would have to talk to them anyway since her counselor had been notified by them. Her father showed some relief on his face, turning back to go to the fridge and fish out a Coors beer.

Figures he'd do that.

“Did you at least practice your judo techniques today?” If by “practicing”, you mean trying it out on victims, then yeah, sure.

“Yes” she answered.

When she was in first grade a boy from her class had teased her about her size. He was a typical low leveled student who enjoyed riling others, so she replaced the words escaping from his mouth with the metallic taste of blood on his lip after a punch squarely in the face. He had run to the teacher crying, who had first phoned the parents for the kid, then her father. The teacher sent her in disgrace to recess timeout that day along with for the rest of the week, but when she came home that day, rather than get angry about it, her father looked unusually pleased (after hearing the story from her mouth), and from there, he began to teach her how to fight. He taught her the usual uppercuts and made sure every day her punches and kicks matched up to something. Much later, he enrolled her in private judo courses.

His face relaxed at that, and she could even see a miniscule smile through the beer can he was bringing to his mouth. Annie felt a sort of relief seeing his barely contained pleased look which meant he was no longer disappointed with her. But when he lowered his drink to regard her, she turned her head on the guise of putting her cup to avoid spotting the beer drops clinging to her father’s stubble chin.

“That’s my girl, always strong,” he said, with something closed to drunk reverence as he walked out of the kitchen to leave her standing with her cartoon cup and a backpack growing heavier by the second. A moment later she heard the TV turn on and the sound of a couch groaning under his weight which meant he was turning in for a night of relaxation. She felt some respite from this. Her father was now going to sit down and watch TV, probably forget about everything they said in the kitchen, and they would go on with their lives like it always was. Him going to bed after the stupid game ending and sauntering back to his room.

As she made her way back to her room fishing out her headphones to listen while trying to disdainfully complete class work, she found herself wishing that she had stayed longer at school. Her father would have come home and probably would have gone straight to drinking and watching sports and forgetting that his daughter was a failure and that his wife left him. And she wouldn't have to have felt even more sh*tty and trapped than she already was.

She could hear a yell of frustration coming from the living room, no doubt because of a poorly made pass or the opposing team’s score. She adjusted her headphones, pushing her blonde bangs back so it didn’t frame her face, before raising the volume to drown out the world.

Chapter 7: Pleas and Promises

Chapter Text

“Armin, what on earth happened to your face?”

It was morning and Armin had been downstairs fixing breakfast thinking his grandpa had finally left…only to return inside after he forgot his keys and…well…he was a bit shocked. “I…it’s nothing gramps…I just fell.” He lied.

“Armin my boy, that doesn’t look like you fell off the bike- your cheek looks swollen! When did this happen?”

Armin sighed. “Grandpa, I don’t ride bikes anymore, I just happened to be walking when I tripped down the stairs and stuff!” he invented wildly, “and…it was on the steps near school,” he added for good measure. He wasn’t sure if his grandpa would believe him; after all, his grandpa was actually aware of the bullying that had been going on in middle school.

“Did you treat your scratches with the rubbing alcohol upstairs at least?” he asked concernedly.

“Yes of course I did and-

“Armin, are those by any chance…from those boys that beat you up?” he asked cautiously, studying his grandson’s face closely with warm brown eyes. Armin could remember when he was in second grade when he came home crying and rubbing his arm with bruises before his grandpa would coax him into the bathroom to treat them. Mikasa and Eren had been out for the day and his parents…well, they were as usual absent from the house on one of their trips. It was when he told a puzzling Eren afterwards that Mikasa went after the kid.

“No-no- of course not gramps!” he said hurriedly and trying to appear puzzled. “This happened because I wasn’t looking where I was going- honestly! I was on my phone and I tripped on the step and that’s it!” He could see his grandpa’s eyes narrowing at this story as if not quite believing it, but seeing the look on his face, he decided to let it rest.

Plus, he had work to go to.

“Alright son, but please try to be careful with your surroundings. I hope you don’t plan to go to school like that. I know you are a good student, but sometimes… you need a break as well. God knows, we all do at least once in a while…” He trailed off, looking to the side as he said it as though conjuring up memories he wanted to suppress.

“Don’t worry, I emailed my teachers saying I wasn’t going to show up today.” He assured him.

This was a half-truth; he had told all his teachers via email he was sick- but not on the fact that he was bruised. To his delight, Professor Ackerman had replied early before school the next morning saying that he was excused from even taking the quiz and what was more, he was going to allow him to take it on Monday. Armin had a feeling that if it wasn’t for the fact that he was always attentive in that class, he wouldn’t have given him another chance to take it.

Grandpa Arlert’s face relaxed considerably at this, but he remained suspicious, “alright, but please use this time to heal, alright?” His grandpa came closer as though coming for a hug, but then faltered, thinking that he might end up hurting his grandson. “I want you to rest up and call me if anything is wrong.”

“Yes gramps, I will, you should go to work now before you’re late!”

Armin’s grandpa chuckled then bid him a farewell which Armin returned with one and a smile, before walking out and closing the door behind him, leaving him in the living room. On any other day, Armin would have loved the attention his grandpa was giving him. He had Mrs. Jaeger dote on him before, which was a nice feeling, but it just wasn’t the same as when it was from your own family. Thinking this made him remember his own mother and father, and he struggled to wipe the thought away lest he should become emotional. Oh well. Since he wasn’t supposed to show up to class today, he might as well spend it reviewing and going over notes.

***

It took many texts and calls to assure Eren and Mikasa that he was doing fine. Mikasa, inquiring whether he drank enough tea and if he was dressed warm, and Eren, who had managed to send him pictures of notes they did in classes and asking if he was getting any better. During phone calls, he would always feel guilty by trying to fake a cough through the phone to keep the image. He hated to do it, but he only told himself that it was necessary. He was beyond ecstatic to find that by the end of Saturday, the swelling in his cheek was going down. But there was still a bruise visible on the far end of his face, which worried him. He might be able to hide his other bruises on his body, but he wasn’t sure Mikasa or Eren wouldn’t help but notice it. He considered covering it with his hair by constantly leaning in, but he scratched the ides immediately. He didn’t have hair that long. Finally, in a spark of genius, he realized putting a large band-aid on it would help conceal it. He could just say that he got into an accident- maybe fell into the dresser drawer…or he got cut while shaving...no that would never work. Eren knew for a fact that Armin never shaved-never needed to in fact. No, the accident idea sounded more believable.

Being friends with Eren Jaeger taught you two important things. One, it wouldn’t matter if you were going up against two or three bullies at a time and getting your ass beat, as long as you had the resolve to keep on fighting. The last one, he was stubborn as hell.

So stubborn in fact, that Armin wasn’t smart enough to gauge that on a Sunday mid-morning he might wake up to the sound of his slightly open window being pried open by his teal-eyed friend. For a moment, all he saw was a hunched over silhouette in the window from the dawn light shining through, which provoked him to give a yelp of fright.

“Holy sh*t, Arm’ what the hell, what if the neighbors hear? You nearly scared me to death, you know that? it’s-!” Eren stopped, hand still on the window and one leg into the room. “Whoa…what happened to your face?”

“It’s…it’s nothing…” stuttered Armin turned his head away to hide it, but Eren strode across to put a hand on grasp his shoulder for him to turn around. The motion caused him to gasp in pain and suddenly Eren released his hand feeling puzzled. “Armin, what’s going on?” he said, still staring at the band-aid plastered on his cheek.

“I fell down the steps a while ago, and I had to treat it and-

“Why didn’t you say anything about it, though?” asked Eren, “that looks really painful- are you sure you don’t need help?”

“Eren, I’m fine, okay? Just…just leave it alone!” said Armin exasperatedly as he sat down on his unmade bed. “Why are you here in the first place? I told you I was too sick for you and Mikasa to visit- where is she by the way?”

“I decided to come alone since Mikasa went to Sasha’s house and would’ve stopped me anyway. Plus, I’m not even scared of the flu or whatever it is.” He noticed Eren’s gaze wandering over his room, noticing his slightly ruffled bed but otherwise, clean room. “You don’t look like you’re sick actually…do you have a box of tissues with you?”

“What do you mean?” Armin asked confused.

“If I was sick, I would’ve had like a mountain of Kleenexes around my bed or something. You don’t look sick either-

“Well, I always throw mine away after I use them, so that’s why you don’t see any out of place.”

Eren shook his head, sitting down on the bed as well, “Armin, that’s not what your grandpa told me.” At this, Armin could feel himself turning red with embarrassment, and he turned to look away at his friend.

“Is that why you came over?” asked Armin heavily, looking at the floor, “because you wanted to know why I couldn’t make it to school on Friday?”

“Look, I was actually going to go to your grandpa to ask him whether he could tell me if you were alright, but he stopped me, saying “you can talk to Armin, but I think he’s sleeping, he looks pretty beat up in the face, so he needs to heal from his injury at school,” so yea, of course I got a little worried.”

“But I just fell down the steps at school and-

“That’s not what you told me and Mikasa.”

Armin froze, then realizing the trap he set himself into, buried his face in his hands. How could he be so stupid to make a blunder like that? He was supposed to be a master at subtly, not a freakin’ idiot! Why couldn’t he have told his grandpa about “falling down the stairs at home” too? To his puzzlement, he heard Eren laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“No-nothing, it’s just that…Armin, you’re good at most things related to feelings and school, but when you’re trying to lie on the spot, it shows right through, and when you get all flustered about it, it looks funny.” Despite him laughing, it brought Armin to smile against his better judgment. The good thing with Eren, was that he never stayed hurt for long. He could already feel a little of his tension ebb away as they both sat on his bed. He sighed.

“Eren, why had you decided going through my window would be a better option? Couldn’t you have just used the back door?”

“Well, your grandpa made it seem like he didn’t want me coming in the house, and knowing how you are, you wouldn’t let me enter since you’re sick- and you’re not, right? - so I decided to climb through your window and surprise you!”

“Through my window? Eren, remember the last time you did that, you were trying to show Mikasa you were a ninja and you fell off the tree?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, that was a long time ago!

“It was last year Eren- and your mom was really worried after-

“Okay, okay, I got it!” said Eren, now looking flustered. “The point is…you aren’t actually sick, are you? Your grandpa didn’t even make it seem like that. He made it sound as though you got into an accident of some kind at school.”

Armin inwardly cringed, hoping that Eren had dropped the conversation at that. “Eren, I just fell down the steps and got like this” he said, motioned to his face.

“Oh yeah? I fell down a tree, remember? And even in my hurt state, I don’t remember having bruises that look like that.”

“I just-. Armin paused. He didn’t see any way out of this problem. A part of him was annoyed at Eren for being so persistent. But I guess that’s what comes as a package deal when you’re friends with Eren he thought shrewdly. He half considered lying again, but then he reminded himself that it probably wouldn’t work. Eren would see right through him, and he after all, hedeserved an explanation. He had just forgiven him, despite all the trouble it took to get here…He sighed and took in a breath before replying.

“Fine…I kind of got beat me up after school. It happened in one of the closets by-

“what? You-WHO beat you up?” demanded Eren, outrage evident, eyes blazed with anger in them. “Tell me who did it- their ass is dead!”

“Eren no!” he pleaded, already feeling his head aching with the conflict that was coming. “Eren please don’t- it was only a little bit and-

“Only a little bit-Only a little bit? Armin, it looked like they were using you as a boxing dummy!” he grit his teeth and tightened his fist that was currently grasping a part of his bedcovers. “I swear, whoever did this, is going to pay!”

“Eren, stop- listen to me!” he shouted, hoping to get Eren’s attention. “It won’t matter at the moment, because I…I couldn’t see their face!”

“You mean they were wearing a mask, huh?”

“No-it’s just that it was…too dark to see in the closet and they kept coming at me and by the time I looked up, they’d left!”

“I bet it was Kitts-

“Eren…

- "I never liked that guy-"

-“Eren- "

-“or it could’ve been Josh-

“EREN!”

“What? Why are you so angry over me- aren’t you supposed to be angry over the guy that beat you up?” Eren actually looked hurt, “I’m trying to help you find out who it was, and you you’re yelling at me for no reason!”

“Eren, listen to me- and listen to me good! There is no way you can confront them at this point! I don’t WANT you to go after them- whoever they were. If you do, you could get into trouble and-

“So what? It’s not like I’m just beating them up for the fun of it!”

“Eren, can you please just listen to me?” he pleaded. Eren, visibly infuriated (but not at him), turned silent, glaring at the wall opposite the room where a National Geographic poster of the Himalayas shown. “Look Eren, I appreciate you taking care of me- I really do, but…” But what? He thought. He highly doubted saying “I don’t trust you to handle things when I know you’re going to make the situation worse” would do anything. “Eren, I don’t know who it is, but… can you please just this once not interfere? It’s not that I don’t trust you or anything, it’s just that I want- I want to fight my battles too. And…and you’re the one who says I should stand up for myself, so…I want to deal with this problem myself!”

Eren regarded him, surprise shown on his face, but next moment he looked away towards his bedroom door, slightly scuffling his shoe on the plush white carpet near his bed. “I guess you’re right Armin. And…and I’m sorry for getting in your business. It’s just like Mikasa says sometimes- that I always try to make things right and end up making them worse.”

“Eren, that’s not what I meant- what I meant was that…I... Look: I know I’m small, but you guys have always protected me, and it kinda made me realize that I don’t stand up for myself like you or Mikasa. All I’m saying is…I…I want to learn to stand up and be strong like you guys-and learn how to fight me own battles!”

“I understand Armin, but…we don’t want you to get hurt…I don’t want you to get hurt!”

“Eren, I know, but I just want to know how to defend against people, too!”

He saw Eren fiddle with a spare thread in his jacket before finally nodding and looking up at him. “I guess…I guess you’re right. But I do have a request to make.”

“What request?” he asked.

“I…” there was gap of reply before he continued “All I ask is that you stay with Mikasa and I when we’re at practice.” Armin considered this closely. He didn’t think it sounded too bad. It wasn’t as if they were insisting escorting him around. He could just wait for them after practice and it would be alright.

“Fine, but I have science and debate club!” he said.

“Armin, you can’t just-

“Fine! I’ll tell you what…I’ll walk with some people from the group, like Marco, or somebody, there, happy now?” he said exasperated, but no longer feeling any more anger.

Eren’s face broke into a relieved smile. “That’s fine Armin, I guess it’ll be alright.” He gave Armin a pat on the back which made him wince in pain for a bit, causing Eren to blubber apologies and look at him sympathetically. “oh, by the way, I also needed to come by to drop this off.” He fished out from his side pocket the English novel from his English class he had let Eren borrow for annotated notes. “You still need to study for the quiz Levi’s going to be giving you.”

“Oh thanks, Eren” he said, taking the book carefully and depositing it on his nightstand. “How did the quiz go? Was it hard?”

“Actually, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. There was a freaky moment when I forgot the name of the guy at the Reservation, but I remembered it at the last second who he was.”

“That’s great!”

“Yeah anyway…oh- and before I forget- Levi also told me to tell you that even though you get special treatment to take the test at another time, he’s making a separate quiz just for you.”

“Hmph, yeah I gathered as much. He probably thought you’d tell me what would be on there.”

“Ha, as if you’d need me to tell you. You already finished the whole book, and Levi knows you don’t need to cheat to get good grades anyway since you’re already smart.”

“Eren, I study hard! It’s not because I’m naturally smart!”

“Yeah, yeah whatever Mr. Smarty Pants. Anyway, I have to leave now before Mikasa gets back home.” He got up from the bed and started to move towards the window.

“Eren, what are you doing?” Eren paused looking confused, “what? I’m going home and-

“Are you sure you don’t want to try using the door?” he giggled, smirking at his friend’s now abashed look.

They went downstairs, Armin following close by to watch him leave “err Eren, can you explain all this to Mikasa? Can you also tell her not to worry about it? I know she’ll want to ask me who it is that did this” he said, motioning to his face, “…but can you tell her the same thing I told you?”

“Of course, Arm’” he said, understandingly. “Also, hurry up and heal, I don’t want to see you looking all sad like that!” he smiled cheekily before turning to leave. “Rest up and don’t do anything strenuous!”

***

Like Eren, Mikasa had been angry to find that Armin had been beat up. What’s more, the fact that she couldn’t shift the blame to a specific person made her all the more frustrated. He was willing to bet that they would do everything in their power to keep him from being out on his own. At least they don’t know who it really is he thought. When he realized what he thought, he felt flabbergasted. Since when am I happy to protect a bully’s identity?

But at least, he told himself, that’s what’s keeping his friends from getting into trouble defending him. If they didn’t know who the culprit was, then they wouldn’t start anything. There was also the issue of Reiner and Bertoldt. Reiner would no doubt hear it from Annie if she told him he had ratted her out to his friends who would then tell the principal or fight her, causing Reiner to go after him instead. Meek Bertoldt, well, he wasn’t really worried about him, but he was willing to bet that he would react no different when found out his two friends were in trouble.

I am so screwed!

The walk to school was a bit tense to say the least. Eren had told Mikasa beforehand not to ask too many questions regarding the “mystery” person who had beat him up, but he could just tell from the way her eyes would glance at him, that she was a bit worried for his sake. The scarf wound around her neck concealed part of her face, but Armin could see closely that her mouth was set in a flat pursed expression as she scanned each person on the grounds as though thinking one of them could be the culprit.

When they got to English class, Armin’s immediate thought went to Annie, who had entered the class moments before with Reiner and Bertoldt. As he passed the aisle, he heard Reiner give a snide snicker which he neither cared, nor bothered to acknowledge. His sights were on Annie, who sat next to Bert and was hunched over, one hand propping her head upon the desk and looking in the opposite direction. He made no comment and didn’t spare a second glance when he sat down.

When he approached Levi about the test, he was a bit anxious as the teacher gave him a second glance at his face, noting the bandage he had used to cover up the bruise. Luckily, with all the students piling in before class started, Levi simply gave him the quiz paper and he sat down to complete it. It was only ten questions which he breezed through before turning it in. He was just turning around, thinking he was free, when Levi’s voice startled him. “Arlert, what happened to your face?”

“I fell sir.” He replied simply, heart pounding. He wondered if Levi would call him out on this lie. If Eren could tell, would Levi, too?

“Hmm, I see, well, hope you’re feeling better.” He simply said, still looking at him suspiciously. Armin walked back to his desk with Eren and Mikasa at his sides, heart still pounding and feeling bothered.

Luckily, most of the lesson had him busy taking notes and listening to Levi give lectures about key literary elements. He didn’t dare turn around, even when Levi had called on someone to answer and they did so, with a poor attempt, making the rest of the class laugh. Nor did he turn around to see if Annie was looking at him. He didn’t know how, but he sensed she wasn’t. The hairs on his neck weren’t up anyway.

Bio class was by far the most awkward. He had full faith that if Hange were in the class, Annie wouldn’t start anything, but he was not prepared to find Annie, head down and looking in the opposite direction, looking as though he didn’t exist. In fact, he was more than surprised that she made no attempt to talk to him or pull his collar painfully like she would at times to get his attention. It was very…strange to say the least. He decided that he too, would make an effort to ignore her and just continue on with listening to all his teachers lecturing.

***

Annie’s stomach twisted in knots as she regarded the boy she caused pain last week, walk down the hallway with his friends. He had a patch on his left cheek and she could see that the area around it was red from the hard punch she delivered. The moment she saw him in that state, she felt an uncomfortable wave of regret for her actions. What’s more, she could see through his walking, a slight limp as though he was trying not to make it noticeable. She saw Eren make eye contact with his sister and they each exchanged a private concerned look, almost like how parents would. Her stomach clenched at this; had the blond nerd told his friends?

She chose to spend the rest of the day ignoring the three of them- most specifically, Armin, though this was difficult to do since he sat in front of her in almost every class, which meant her eyes would remain on him. Whenever he made to turn around, she averted her eyes to look down at her desk, or appear disinterested (which was a gift she had).

She couldn’t explain this feeling within her. Back when she had him cornered in the gym, she had felt something peculiar. She couldn’t explain what it was- probably adrenaline. But no, she of all people would know those were two different things. When he tackled her to the ground, yes, she had felt momentary fear, but it wasn’t the kind of fear that came from when someone was legitimately attacking you…

She shook her head, trying to rid her thoughts on the matter. During chemistry class, she saw professor Zacharias give the classroom a brief sniff, no doubt checking to see if there was a gas leak. Seeing him made her angry again at the thought that he contacted the school counselor for her low performance in the class. She hated chemistry anyway, what was the point in something she was going to forget later on in life? She grit her teeth through the whole lecture, feeling sluggish. When the bell finally rang, she was one of the first to get up and head out the door before Zacharias or anybody could stop her.

She found Reiner and Bertoldt walking towards her from the locker room leaving the P.E. Reiner seemed to be saying something funny to Bert. He was gesticulating and slightly hunched over as if explaining while walking, and Bert had a politely amused expression which then erupted into laughter that was kind of pleasant to hear. Bertoldt saw her and waved and making Reiner look over as well.

“Hey, hey- get this Annie! I heard this joke from Ymir in class and she said-”

“Look Reiner, I’m really not in the mood-

“-guy walks into a circus and sees a stripper and a clown making out and-“

“Reiner, I really don’t want to know.”

“ -and so the clown said to the acrobat-“

“Reiner, the counselor called my dad.” She huffily said over his joke.

Reiner stopped midsentence. Bert looked mildly worried. “What, why?”

“Apparently I’m failing chemistry and government and they let my dad know.”

“Well, no wonder you look like someone sh*t on your day!”

“Annie, what did your dad say?” asked Bertoldt solemnly over Reiner’s remark.

“He wasn’t too happy, but he shrugged the whole thing off once he knew he was going to watch the game with a can of beer.” She replied.

“Well, I guess some things never change.” Reiner said, shaking his head understandably. Then, catching the look on Annie’s face, he hastened to cover his statement. “So…you have anybody helping you?”

“Actually, I was thinking one of you might know something about either one.” She said.

“Pff, are you kidding me? Me, know chemistry?- I got a C last year when I took it from Keiji, and I only passed ‘cause he was a fan of football and didn’t want to stand between our winning streak...oh and don’t ask me for notes either. I burnt them over the summer beach bonfire.”

“What about you Bertoldt?” asked Annie, spirits sinking even lower. “Don’t you have any notes either?”

“Well...I also burnt my chemistry notes that summer at Historia’s bonfire so…yeah. As for government, well...neither of us took it since we weren’t really interested in it.”

“Waste of a class.” Added Reiner, agreeing.

“Well, don’t you guys know somebody who wouldn’t mind tutoring me like, maybe…after school?” she asked, now feeling desperation clinging to her like a tick.

“You could try Historia,” said Bertoldt hesitantly, “she’s nice and-”

“She plays basketball after school and would probably have no time.” Said Reiner. "and good luck trying to pry her away from Ymir."

“-Or you could try Mikasa-

“Dude, are you for real? She and Mikasa never got along. Plus, she’s on the girls’ basketball team.” Reminded Reiner.

Even if she wasn’t, there was no way Annie would ever ask someone like Mikasa.

“Fine, I guess I’m screwed then.” She waved her hands in defeat.

“Wait Annie” said Bertoldt suddenly. “What about Armin?”

The mention of his name brought a jolt to her, “what about him?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

“Armin’s the smartest! He sometimes tutors people when they’re stuck on a math problem and he helps them. Plus, I know many people who’ve been tutored by him and they end up doing soo much better!” Annie felt her heart sink. She didn’t want to ask Armin not because of the fact she didn’t want to be tutored, but because of what she did to him. “Like hell he'd wanna be around me? I beat him up!”

“No seriously Annie, Bert’s right- if anybody can make you do better, it’s Armin- he’s like a blond Einstein or something!” chimed in Reiner. “Go to him and demand that he teach you- and if he doesn’t, threaten to beat him up or something.”

Annie winced at that. But what other choice did she have? She needed someone good-and fast. She had no doubt of his ability, but would he even say yes?

***

Things had a funny way of happening to her sometimes. Annie never believed in fate...nor luck for that matter. She'd had too many experiences to care where things never worked her way. BUt sometimes, on the rare occasion she'd be down, it seemed that events would line up perfectly depending on her situation.

Like the fact that she was just exiting the bathroom when she happened to hear a voice from around the corner. But not just any voice- a voice she only knew too well. She crept closer to the side of the wall to hear better.

“…thanks Mina, and of course it’s nothing serious, I just fell down, haha!”

“Are you sure Armin, did you at least treat it before bandaging it?” replied a girl’s soft voice. Mina.

“Of course, but I’ll have to treat it again later” said Armin. There seemed to be a brief pause. Then: “so what was the secret you wanted to tell me?”

“Oh, it’s just…I want to give you something.” Annie could feel the trepidation in Mina's voice. What was it she was giving Armin? Suddenly curious. She inched closer to the wall's corner to hear better.

“A letter?”she heard a puzzledArmin.

“It’s a letter to…Marco” said Mina. Annie almost couldn't hear the name from how softly she said it. “I…I want you to give it to him, since I know you both are in the science foundation club and…well, you both are good friends apart from Mikasa and Eren…I…what I mean to say is…”

“It’s okay Mina, I understand” she heard Armin reply kindly, “I won’t tell anybody- even Mikasa and Eren, and I’ll make sure he gets it.”

“Armin thanks so much, you’re the best!” exclaimed Mina, “Oh, and one more thing…could you not tell Marco that I gave you this? I…I didn’t write my name in the letter and…well, I wasn’t sure how he would take it.”

“Don’t worry Mina, you can count on me, I won’t tell him you gave it to me. I’ll just tell him I found it near his locker or something- and don’t worry, Marco’s one of the nicest people I know, so he wouldn’t make fun of you or anything, supposing he would find out.”

“Oh Armin, you’re soo nice, thanks so much for understanding!” exclaimed Mina. Annie almost rolled her eyes. Figures she'd give it to someone as equally sweet as Armin.

Wait a minute...did I just admit he was sweet?

“Take care Mina!” called Armin, and she could feel him smile through his voice even if she wasn't looking at him. Smiling. How pathetic. Slowly, she crept from the shadows.

Armin had his back to her while traipsing away, so he didn’t notice when she got closer to bring a hand on his satchel to halt his walk. “Hey, Arlert!”

Armin turned around and upon seeing her, the smile evaporated at once. “A…Annie… what do you- "

“Just shut up and follow me.” She said, cutting chase while guiding him forcefully into a nearby closet. Once he was in did she close the door and flick the light on did she take the opportunity to pin him to the cold metallic wall once more. She felt his hand like always, grasp weakly against her grip. As much as he had been harassed, not once except for that time, had he fought back. She found it both aggravating and fascinating. For someone known as a genius with the highest grade-point average, he seemed incapable to fight back to someone like her. It was almost as though he was challenging her. He was taller than her by about a good few inches for crying out loud, so was he so weak that he couldn’t defend against someone like her? Instead of a fight like any normal people, he simply…took it.

“So…have a thing for Mina?”

Armin’s eyes widened “w…what are you talking about?”

“You like her, don’t you?” She watched with some beguilement as his face seemed to turn red at the statement. Even though she was currently interrogating the boy she usually bullied, she couldn’t help but notice him closely. In the dim light, the blue tint in his eyes seemed to flicker when the light caught it just right and his face held a young boyish look. A little pocket of befuddlement escaped her at that random thought and she hastened to go back to reality.

“N…no, I was…just talking to her…wehad just come back from thecomputer lab after-

-after kissing?” teased Annie, a crescent smile grazing her features as she jabbed a finger in his chest making him pipe. “So, like the nerd you are, you decided to take her out on a date to the lab!” she gave a dry hollow laugh, not knowing why. It wasn’t even remotely funny, but it seemed funny Armin would do something like that.

She felt wildly out of character right now. What was going on with her? She'd never intimidate him with something like this. Plus, since when was she laughing? Armin had also seemed to notice something as well. He looked more cautious than normal as if not knowing how to deal with this other side of her. She felt his eyes darting between her and the exit.

“You’re wrong...I…I don’t have a crush on her. She’s nice but…she likes Marco and she asked me to help her so he could-“ suddenly he clamped a hand to his mouth looking horrified, blue eyes widening. Annie snorted. The reaction he gave was so comical, like a boy caught swearing, that for a moment he looked…adorable?

No. Theatrical she tried to convince herself.Get ahold of yourself Annie. Cute?

“Well, well, well, seems the cat’s out of the bag now...and Marco has no clue. Imagine if someone were to tell him...” She would do no such thing of course. Getting in the middle of lovey-dovey relationships had never interested her and quite frankly, disgusted her. Yet she thought of saying it to make him squirm.

And squirm he did, for the moment she pretended to turn her back to leave, she got a cracked voice protesting out.

“Wait!”

She stopped, not knowing why- perhaps it was the pleading in his voice-the desperation that made her turn away and look at him. He put a hand out on her shoulder, stopping her. Had it been anybody else, she'd have instantly flipped them to the ground. But she was more curious for this unexpected burst. It seemed she too wasn't a little out of character today.

“Don’t tell him, please. He…he doesn’t know, and I promised her that I wouldn’t tell anyone and…” he trailed off, avoiding eye contact. “Look, I know that you don’t like me, but…but please don’t tell them. Instead of taking it out on them, take it out on me. You can beat me up and take my money…whatever you want.” He let out a puff of resignation, staring at his knees.

Annie stared; the thoughts whirring in her brain at his proposal. Was he really willing to dig his own grave?

“Anything blondie?” she ventured, grey-blue eyes glowing with curiosity. “So, if I told you that you had to sing the Barbie girl song’s solo in the middle of lunch, or had to run in your underwear around the track after school, or that you would let me use you as a punching bag, you’d agree?”

At this, Armin’s face turned a bit pale, eyes widening in shock at all these scenarios. Maybe he was overthinking it. Maybe he should have reconsidered making a promise with the infamous Ice Queen. But then he thought of Mina, eyes tearing up at people knowing her secret, Marco’s saddened expression directed at him because he had broken the trust between them, and his mind was made up almost instantly.

“Y…yes, I’ll do whatever you say.” Annie’s eyes widened slightly, but she held her emotions well. After all, they didn’t call her the Ice Queen for nothing. The boy was clearly suicidal, that was for sure. She could have made him do any of the above, but he hadn’t backed down. Why was it so important for him to keep his promise? The kid may not have been physically strong, but he certainly had guts.

“Why are you willing to sacrifice yourself for a stupid promise?”

He pushed some blond bangs out of his eyes and suddenly, it was as if she was looking at another side of him. “B…because if you break a promise, then people can no longer trust you and…it’s a terrible thing to break that person’s trust-to let people down when you raised their hopes up. Then they stop trusting you and you start to lose hope…” he trailed off, looking at the floor, blue eyes on a certain spot. “And…and I know I’ve broken a promise by accidentally revealing it to you, and the fact that I’ve broken it…I guess I deserve what you’ll do to me.”

Annie gave him a queer look at that response. He seemed to be speaking as though from memory. She was vaguely interested in what caused him to have that mindset.

To his surprise, she released her hold on him. “Since you're so determined at keeping promises, you should have no problem keeping one to me.” The tiniest of worry etched across his face. “You will not tell anyone of our pact. Are we clear?”

“Crystal” he said solemnly, eyes downcast.

Annie considered him for a moment the kid in front of her. Took in the sight of his bowl-cut that gave him the nickname “Aryan Coconut” to many. He was in the same grade as her, but she always felt like he acted like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sometimes during lunch, she would get glimpses of his expression when he thought his friends weren’t looking, and they would seem unfazed…distant…

She cleared her throat. “And the second thing- I’ll make you a deal.” She said, leaning over to speak to him low. She was swiftly aware that while doing so, it made her conscious to her heartbeat which seemed to steadily get louder in her ears. What the hell?

“What kind of deal?” asked the blond before her, trying to look warily at her stormy blue-gray eyes. She regarded him closely, noticing that among the dark she could see him hold his breath as if mentally preparing for his sentence.

“Be my tutor.”

Chapter 8: Tutoring the Ice Queen

Chapter Text

After the encounter with Annie, Armin had been feeling a bit anxious to go back to the gym where he knew Mikasa and Eren were in the middle of basketball practice. There were also several people in the bleachers, including a girl he recognized as Hitch Dreyse. She was likely here because of her boyfriend, Marlow who was on the team with Eren. Whenever Marlow made a cool pass or scored a hoop, Hitch would be the first to yell out, meaning that anybody in the vicinity would hear.

Mikasa and her team had taken their water break and were sitting out on the sidelines, so she recognized him first. She gave a small smile and appeared to be analyzing him carefully, as though trying to see whether he was okay. He gave her a smile and a thumbs-up. He could see a sheen of sweat on each of the girl’s faces which meant Coach Rico had certainly gave them a hard workout. Sasha’s chestnut brown-red colored hair which was set in a ponytail, had darkened at the tips from perspiration, and were clinging to the sides of her neck. Historia, even when tired, still looked pretty with her blonde hair in a low ponytail. Nifa, who had short hair like Mikasa, had her auburn hair pinned back in clips. Her legs were outstretched before her over the bench, still panting from the earlier exercise.

He took a seat a short distance to watch Eren’s team currently in the middle of a mock game. Eren appeared to be at shooting guard and was trying to signal to Jean to pass it to him. When another guy from the “opposing team” came close, Jean passed it to Marco instead, who managed to catch it and make off with the ball. About two other guys came blocking him, and he saw Eren, now a bit distempered, trying to maneuver around the guy in front of him. The ball passed around, whizzing from boy to boy while the rest of the spectators around the gym watched.

“Coach Rico doesn’t look too happy, huh?” came a lazy voice near him. He whipped around to see Ymir, leaning over one foot on the seat next to him.How on Earth did she appear next to him undetected?She was wearing a black biker jacket with Doc Martens and regarding the team before them in a scowl. “The boy’s team is actually doing better I daresay. Connie still looks like he’s catching butterflies, to be honest.”

Armin turned back to the game to find Connie whizzing past a smooth line of defense and dribbling the ball. It was a bit amazing that Connie, who was smaller than him, had much more speed and agility than people gave him credit for. That was probably what gave him a spot on the team despite his short height. He then turned his head to regard the girl’s coach, Rico Brzenska who was talking to Sasha and Mikasa. All three of them looked serious, with Rico looking a bit disgruntled. “I suppose not, I mean…it must be because Hannah broke her leg the other day and now can’t play. The season’s almost started, so it’ll be hard to find someone adequate who can replace her.”

“Hmph, like that’s likely to happen. All the other athletic girls are doing volleyball, so they’ll probably have to scrape at the bottom of the barrel for a satisfactory player for JV.”

“That’s true.” Said Armin, eyes now wandering where Jean was currently addressing an annoyed Connie. He could see Marco, wave his hands in surrender as though to ease the situation.

“Oh great, it seems Jean-bo and Krillin are at it again! If they continue at this rate, Coach Dietrich is willing to give up on humanity!” Huffed Ymir, rolling her eyes. Armin wasn’t close friends with Ymir- he had never really had a conversation with her since she only seemed to have eyes for Historia, but he couldn’t help but think she was right. Sure enough, he saw Dietrich blow the whistle, effectively stopping the mock game before beckoning them all. He saw Dietrich facepalm when no one was looking.

“Well, there he goes.” Said Ymir, humorlessly.

Armin looked towards to see Eren looking equally parts nervous and annoyed as he looked over at Jean. Armin made eye contact with him, and Eren seemed to exchange a look that said: “I can’t believe I have to deal with this!”

“Seems like they’re done,” said Ymir standing up. “I better go see if Historia is alright.” She got up, leaving to go to her girlfriend whose team was now packing up ready to go. Armin got his things and went down to join them as well.

“I’m telling you- Horseface made a wrong pass and that’s why Connie made the blunder!” came Eren’s heated voice as they sat eating snacks in the outdoor cafeteria after practice. “Did you even hear Coach Dietrich scold him?”

“Eren, I heard. And he didn’t just scold Jean, he scolded Connie as well. As a matter of fact, he got mad at your whole team.” Said Mikasa.

“I don’t know, it seemed more like he was mad at Jean.” Said Armin cautiously. Eren looked pleased with his best friend sticking up for him.

“See? even Armin think so!” cried Eren enthusiastically. “And anyway, Mikasa, we still have a better chance of making it to finals than you.” Mikasa scowled at this, and was trying to playfully hit Eren on the head while he dodged it, laughing. “Just kidding, just kidding!”

Armin smiled at his friends, meanwhile thinking of the earlier events that took place with Annie.

“Tutor?” asked Armin confused. “You want me to tutor you?”

“Yes,” she ground out. “I want you to help me study. I’m…I’m not as good with chemistry and government…or biology when it comes to tests…” she trailed off, and it looked like she was suddenly embarrassed. Her usually cold grey eyes which looked expressionless, scowled with emotion at the briefest of seconds. “I want you to help me in those subjects.”

“Al…alright, I accept. But what should I tell Mikasa and Eren?”

“You shouldn’t tell them anything! You might-

“But…but Annie, I can’t keep a secret like that! They’re my friends and we’re always together! It’ll be hard to keep things from them!”

Annie seemed to consider this, scrutinizing the ground. She desperately needed to improve her grades. Was she willing to put aside her dignity of having this kid’s friends know? But she didn’t want another call from the counselor again…

“Fine, I accept!” she ground out. “But on the condition we never meet at my house. We’re meeting at yours!”

Armin could feel his stomach clench uncomfortably at that thought. Having his worst bully in his OWN house? The thought was frightening. His grandfather wouldn’t be home during the time after school, so it was unnerving to think she and him would be the only ones there. But how best to explain to Mikasa and Eren?

“Eren, Mikasa, I have something to tell you.”

Mikasa and Eren looked at him. “What is it?” asked Eren. “Is something the matter?”

“Guys, I…every other day after school, I’m going to be tutoring, so…on some days we might not be able to meet together until much later.”

“Oh, is the teacher asking you favors again?” asked Eren amused. “ Cause they should retire and have you teach instead.”

“Umm…uh…not exactly.”

“Who are you tutoring then?” asked Mikasa, cutting to the chase.

“W…what?” Armin asked.

“Tutoring. Who are you tutoring then?” repeated Mikasa.

“Oh…umm...Annie…Annie Leonhart.”

“Ice Queen, herself- !?” sputtered Eren, doing a double take. “You’re going to tutor her?”

“Yeah, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Came Mikasa’s voice lowly. “I remember back when she would hang around with Bertoldt, Reiner and Marcel in middle school. They used to pull pranks on the smaller kids. Remember when they played monkey in the middle with your backpack and refused to give it back?”

Yes, Armin did remember those days. Sometimes he wished he could forget them. But back then, Annie hadn’t really done anything other than glare at kids. Eren and Mikasa didn’t even know that now she had been picking on him, which was a miracle, considering they were close to each other.

“Guys, listen…she said she needs help in subjects at school and-she wants to be tutored after school- no really! She won’t be with Reiner and Bertoldt, honest!”

“But Armin, do you have any idea how many guys my age, she’s flipped onto the ground?” Eren said, staring at Armin as though he couldn’t believe his eyes, “Remember she flipped me ‘cause I told her that her socks looked ugly?”

“Eren, if you insult a girl like that, you really think a girl’s bound to walk away?” he said exasperatedly. “She honestly won’t do anything when I’ll be teaching her-no really, Mikasa! And…and if anything happens, you guys will be the first ones to know!”

His friends grew silent, exchanging a look with each other. Finally, Mikasa spoke up. “Well, at least it isn’t the Armored Titan, Reiner.”

“Don’t worry Mikasa, she won’t harm me. Oh and…Annie said she wants it just to be two of us during the tutoring.”

“What?” came Eren, outraged. “What kind of a request is that?!”

“Eren, you don’t understand! She doesn’t want to get distracted, so she wants to focus on what subjects I’ll be going over with her. I don’t think she’ll feel comfortable knowing you guys are around.”

“Annie doesn’t seem like the type that would try something when she knows she’ll have to face us,” piped up Mikasa helpfully. “If anything, she should be the one to watch her back.”

Armin brightened at that. It was imperative that he show Mikasa and Eren that he was capable of taking care of himself. “Guys, also, since it’s Monday, I told her that we’d meet at the library before heading to my place.”

Eren looked a bit nervous, and Mikasa still looked a bit distrustful, though not at him. “Well, I guess she won’t do anything to jeopardize tutoring, so I have some faith she won’t try anything. But know this: the first thing she does to hurt you, she’ll hear it from me.”

“She’s actually waiting at the library right now, since I told her we could start today. I can go tell her and we can go home. But the both of us will be going to my house.”

***

In all honesty, Annie was a bit worried about the tutoring session. She had no idea why, but she assumed it was mainly because she was now going to be one-on-one with the very guy she picked on, on a regular basis. But it could also be from the notion that she had never actually been tutored before. Plus, she wasn’t a people person to begin with.

She met Armin and his two friends, both which were regarding her like a distrustful pair of guards. Eren’s eyebrows looked knitted together in some kind of determination, he was a bit uneasy. Mikasa had the lower part of her chin hidden, but she could tell from her eyes she was regarding her like a hawk. She didn’t seem to blink much, and when the four of them started walking, Armin on the far left side, with Mikasa on her right, she could feel the Asian girl watching her through her peripheral.

They didn’t say much the entire walk. Armin attempted to make small talk with Eren about basketball practice they had earlier. Mikasa didn’t say much, only nodding her head in agreement or grunting in response when the situation called for it.

To occupy herself with the uneasy walk, she took a look at her surroundings. They seemed to be in a neighborhood that was different than her own. These houses were more on the up-and-up and a good deal of them were two stories high. At first, she assumed they were condos, but then she realized that each house had their own backyard.

She felt theothers beside her falter, and she realized that they had stopped in front of a blue two-storyhouse. His house. It looked ordinary looking, albeit a bit dull on the outside. Unlike other houses whose lawns were decorated with palm trees or flowers, his lawn was just green grass. How boring.

But whatever.

“Don’t worry guys, we’ll be alright.” Said Armin, trying to sound cheerful to his friends. “Me and Annie will take it from here!”

Annie noticed Mikasa and Eren return an unsure smile. “Alright Armin, I’ll call you later about those math problems!” called Eren as he and Mikasa started to walk down the street. “And we’ll have to make sure to meet Hannah at the hospital!” he called over his shoulder.

They left; turning the corner and leaving her alone with Armin. She glanced at the blond nerd beside her to find him fishing in his bag for his keys.

“Hannah? Why is Hannah in the hospital?” she asked.

“Oh, uh, she’s a basketball player in the girl’s team with Mikasa. She broke her leg last week and now we visit her sometimes. She was staying at the hospital for several days because of her leg, but I think now she’ll be able to go home tomorrow in a cast.”

“Seems like she’s out of the team this season.”

He managed to open the door with a click, holding it open for her. “Oh umm…make sure to take off your shoes when you go inside.”

“What-why?” she asked.

“I mean…you don’t have to, but it would mean less cleaning for me over the weekend. But if you don’t want to that’s-”

“Fine.” She said abruptly, removing her sneakers like he did with his grey converse. She was grateful that this morning she had decided to wear her black short socks instead of her pink unicorn ones.

“So, umm…this is my living room.” He announced to her in a small voice, waving his hand unnecessarily.

To Annie, it seemed like just a regular house- as though it were on the inside of a magazine. Everything looked put-together as it should- the navy-blue couches looked spotless- too spotless. The walls were a white-almost green color and looked pristine. The flat-screened TV in the room that suspended from the wall, stood out against it.

But as they stepped further in, Annie noticed something else too. The whole place looked unanimated. Except for a glass table out back showing a flimsy vase, it looked otherwise empty. It shocked her a bit. Where were the picture frames showing a smiling toddler, perhaps with a gap in his teeth and maybe with his parents at some amusem*nt park? The only thing around was a bland vase and some porcelain flowers for decoration. Annie hadn’t been inside that many houses, but she was sure that most of them, if not all, held pictures and looked a bit more lived-in than this one. She remembered going to Bertoldt’s house when she was thirteen and found the living room filled with pictures of Bertoldt smiling with his ecstatic parents frozen in shot with a picture of Mount Rushmore in the back. In another, Bertoldt getting ice cream all over his face. This house however, looked empty so far. Unused.

Almost dead

She looked at the blond kid avoiding her eyes as he tried to occupy glancing around the room. Was he trying to gauge some kind of approval from her?

“So...would you like some water?”

“What?” she asked, momentarily confused.

“I mean…would you like anything to drink? I have water, Capri Sun, and-”

“Oh, uh, water’s fine.” She followed him into the kitchen where she saw him reach in one of the cupboards for a clear glass, filling it from the refrigerator filter.

“Ice, too?”

“Sure.” She said, feeling suddenly awkward again.

It was surreal that she was in his house. In fact, she couldn't imagine a time when she felt this awkward. It certainly wasn't the first time she was in a boy's house alone. She'd been to Bertoldt's before, but for some reason never felt as conscious about it as she did now. Maybe it was because she knew Bertoldt longer or that he acted normal around her. She took the cold glass from him, taking baby sips to give herself something to do.

“Where are your parents?” she decided to ask to cut the nasty silence around them. For the briefest of moments, she thought she could see his eyes narrow just barely as he cast his gaze over the counter from her question.

“They’re- they’re not here right now.”

So, they must both be full time workers like her dad. A bit weird, but somebody had to afford a place like this, right?

“My grandpa leaves in the morning and doesn’t usually come back until much later, or depending on if he finishes early or not. He works as a computer technician for CyberTech.”

“I see. What time do your parents usually come?" She took a swig of water.

Now there was no doubt about it, he definitely didn’t meet her eyes this time and she saw him bite his lip. “They…they don’t come home.”

“What?” she blurted, forgetting about keeping her composure. “Where are they?”

“They work overseas, sometimes traveling around. They’re quantum engineers who sometimes work with people in other places. Their work involves physics and engineering of computer modeling, cryptography, and nanotechnology...all that computer tech stuff.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

A pause. In her eyes, she could almost swear he was looking more and more uncomfortable.

“And, uh, they were at one point in charge of this one project in the Quantum Engineering CDT in Bristol- which is a city around Great Britain.” He finished lamely. She made no comment to that, a bit taken aback by this information. So his parents are super nerds, just like him. Why am I not surprised?

Still, she was actually a bit impressed, though she didn’t show it. She did wonder about the nerd’s reaction. For someone whose parents appeared to be super smart, he seemed…a bit downcast. Almost indifferent.

“So, how often do they come home to see their little blond genius?” she jested.

“They…they don’t come home very often.” He said in a small voice, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

Umm…what? “Well, when was the last time you saw them then?’ she sighed.

There was an even bigger pause in between her question, in which he didn’t answer this time.

“Seven years ago.”

“WHAT?” she exclaimed, forgetting that she was supposed to look calm. Seven years? Seven ACTUAL years ago? “What the hell, Arlert, seriously?”

When he made no comment to correct her, all she could do was stare at him in shock. It was astonishing- no…alarming. Even though her mother was divorced from her dad, she still got to see her mother on more than one occasion when she dropped by.

But to be separated by your parents since grade school with no contact whatsoever and all the way on the other side of the world? The concept was absurd to her. She tried to imagine living without her parents except with the company of an old relative who would leave the house most of the time. She couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

“So uhh…I guess we should start with the tutoring.” Came the blond’s voice slowly. The pair of them exited the kitchen to retreat back into the living room. Annie wondered if Armin had wanted to get the tutoring over with or to change the subject regarding his parents.

"It’s not much, but I…I think we should go to my room.” said the boy, watching her nervously once again as though he expected her to argue.

“Fine.” She allowed herself to follow him up the stairway, noting that the color of the walls had still not changed. Gosh darn, was this whole house just a plain model one you’d see in a Martha Stewart magazine? There were still no pictures of a younger boy with his smiling parents, and Annie was beginning to have an unsettling feeling about the exchange she had with him regarding his parents. For crying out loud, even when her mom left, there were still some pictures in the house with all three of them.

If anybody were to go into this kid’s house, it would be as if they didn’t exist at all.

“Well, anyway, here’s my room.” Armin said, in a slightly hushed voice. The moment Annie stepped into the room, all thoughts about the boring layout of the house died behind her.

It was as though she was looking at something from an art museum: Every corner of the walls was painted to resemble an ocean, mixing every shade of blue and green that existed. She wondered if he painted it himself. One part of the wall shown a sandy beach with the ocean line extending over the horizon forever. On the other side of the wall opposite the window, her breath seemed to catch in her throat to find three beautiful, almost life-sized drawn pictures immediately recognizable as the blond and his two best friends, hand-hand-in-hand suspended under the ocean. Mikasa’s crimson red scarf wound around her head, standing out among the clear blue of the ocean around her, trailing in the water behind her like some exotic sea serpent. Her jet-black umber hair whirled about her in graceful strands that looked like sharp grass blades. Eren’s fierce teal eyes alight with a carefree grin shown through the light in the water, the signature key that he always wore dangled at his chest as he floated.

And then Armin himself in the middle of them. blond bangs sticking up in all directions like ripened wheat in a hay field, face formed into a smile that seemed to penetrate the surface of the water. What really stood out, though, were his eyes, which seemed to be of a deep cerulean blue which seemed to gaze in wonder at the scene around them. As Annie looked closer, she found his eyes to hold the same hue as the ocean in a sunlit day. To further add to the amazing picture, all around them swam fish of so many distinct species she couldn’t name, though she recognized painted sea turtles around the ground, a sneaky octopus hiding among the rocks, and in the far backdrop, she felt she could just make out the silhouette of a humpback whale careening.

The paintings weren’t guaranteed to be the Mona Lisa, but they didn’t look like anything ordinary you’d expect to find in someone’s room- much less, one from a boy’s. There was a certain realistic- almost lively quality to the trio and the creatures surrounding them. She could swear that the pictures looked like they moved. Breathed, actually. It was eye-candy, and she could feel something wistful within her stir as she gazed hungrily at it all.

There was his bed of course- also a matching blue, (she was beginning to think it was his favorite color), and a small desk that still left a lot of space in this room. Upon the wall were National Geographic posters depicting impressive images taken by photography. One had a close up of a Bengal Tiger staring at the camera “India’s Most Dangerous Jungle Beast” and another, an aerial view of what she thought, was Mount Everest, “Explore the Peaks of the Highest Mountain Range!” The walls also held numerous science awards including a “Most Impressive Science Project of 2010” or a debate team award “Lincoln-Douglass Semi-final 2nd Place” and another, which was first place. She also managed to see two posters of bands she found herself recognizing as The Shin’s 2007 Album Wincing the Night Away, and another which she saw was one from Coldplay’s 2005 album X & Y.

Annie soon found her gaze moving upward towards the ceiling. Of course it was decorated as well. Small dots scattered here and there, and it took a few moments for her to realized that what she was seeing, were the markings of the constellations in the sky. She was willing to bet that if the light was turned off in the room, they'd be glowing.

She honestly didn’t know what she'd expected. For someone like Armin, and especially for the plain and uninteresting house she had seen downstairs, she hadn’t expected to come across something like this. For once, she couldn’t say anything, but simply stare at the room around her with its ocean vastness. The room was so clear and swimming in multiple hues of blue, that it felt like she was encased within an ocean. She had never in all her life seen a room so spectacularly decorated as this.

She was suddenly aware that she had been staring at everything but the owner of said room, and she realized with a bit of embarrassment that while she was busy gazing at everything around, he had been closely watching her. She cleared her throat to gather herself.

“Umm…it’s pretty nice.” She forced herself to simply say, then mentally face-palmed herself. It was not JUST “nice”, it was spectacular, beautiful, amazing-!

“Th…thanks.” He said, forming a very slight smile. “I’m afraid I can’t really draw people that good- Mikasa’s good at that, so she helped me, but we all painted each other…” his hand nodded unnecessarily over the three swimming figures on the wall. “But I wanted to draw the ocean so…yeah.”

Annie nodded, noting that Armin’s face looked a bit relaxed-wistful, when he said it, as though recalling a fond memory “So do you want to get started? We can sit at the desk or by the floor. Or on the bed.”

“What?” she said, a bit startled.

“Well…in case you don’t want to sit at the desk,” stammered Armin hastily. “We can sit wherever you want so there’s more room.”

Oh…right. In lieu of staring at the kid's room, she had forgotten for a moment why she was her. “I guess we can sit on the floor since…there’s more space.” She said quietly.

Armin nodded and dropped to the floor as did she to find the carpet unusually soft. She opened her backpack, taking out her chemistry book and her notebook, flipping it to a blank page to take for notes. Armin briefly went to his desk and opened a drawer to fish out blank pieces of paper, propping it on a flat board as though preparing to use them for notes as well. “Would you like to start with chemistry then?” he asked.

“Yeah, I guess. It’s the class I’m failing most at.” She mumbled.

“Okay, so…since you’re in my class, it’ll be easier actually go over what professor Zacharias says about chapter ten.”

“I don’t really understand how to do the steps with the percentages of the elements to find the amount. And I don’t know how they find the number of molecules and to balance it out.”

“Oh…you mean how to find the molecular formula and find the number of moles?” supplied Armin helpfully. “Don’t worry, it’s not so hard to understand- all you need is a calculator to do the math for you. The rest, you just have to understand by common sense.” He took her chemistry book flipping the pages until he came across the correct chapter. “How about we start doing this problem?” he said, pointing to one.

“Sure, that’s good.” She said slowly. “I don’t understand how we start.”

“Well, I always find that the easiest thing to start with, is reading the problem and writing down the information they give us. For example, this problem is saying that we have 40.00% carbon, 6.71% hydrogen, and 53.29% oxygen, so what do we know about this so far?” He scratched the information down on his blank sheet.

Annie thought for a moment. “Well, I kinda remember Zacharias explain how the percentages all add up to 100…” she said slowly, writing it down as well.

“Exactly! So that makes it easier for us to gauge the actual mass amount in each element. When they say 40.00% carbon, what you really need to see it, is 40.00 grams of the substance.”

“Really?!” she said, actually perplexed. “So all I have to do is convert that to moles?”

“That’s right,” said Armin looking relieved she was catching on. “But that’s not all that can be done, you see, what you also need to do is…

Armin was surprised to see that the more he taught Annie, the more she was catching on with the material. They breezed through the chapter faster than he had expected anyone who hadn’t learnt the subject to, and Armin was actually for the first time, beginning to enjoy the session. The Annie he had been accustomed to at school and the Annie that was in his room seemed to be two different people. Instead of replying with a snarl, or giving him death glares, she held a concentrated look in her eyes as she took in his discussions of chemistry and tried to follow through. He found her to actually be a compelling pupil. When it looked like she didn’t know how to do a problem, instead of giving up, she asked some questions and would try to work her way through to solve it.

“…So, when Zacharias does this problem, just remember that he’s following through with this equation, and all you need to do is memorize the formula.” He finished, after another lengthy discussion. She nodded in understanding, then saw her check her phone. She suddenly looked alarmed.

“Oh, it’s 8:23” she blurted, staring at the screen as though she couldn’t believe her eyes.

“What?” he said, “But we’ve been studying for- “

“Three hours.” She finished for him. She raised her head looking at him. The window behind him shown dark and even through the light, her pale skin and blonde hair set in a bun was more noticeable against the background. He found he rather liked how it looked. As soon as the thought crossed him, he internally shook his head. Wait, what?

“I’ll…I’ll tell you what…I think we’re done for today, so maybe we could continue this on Wednesday.”

“Couldn’t agree more.” Came her monotone reply as she gathered her things and slowly got up from the plush white carpet floor. It was a bit odd to find it in a room belonging to a boy’s, but she found that she enjoyed it. Unlike downstairs where everything was bland and dead, his room looked more…lived in and held more character.

There was a moment where he and Annie stood there, facing each other but not saying anything. He could see her blue-grey eyes on him, as though considering something. He fidgeted under her gaze, wondering what she was going to say.

“Th…thank you for today.” She addressed his shoulders.

“It’s, uh. No problem.” He felt himself replying, then added, “Is your dad picking you up?”

sh*t. Annie hadn’t thought about calling her dad about staying late at another person’s house. She wasn’t even sure she should be saying she was at anyone’s house, much less a boy’s. Without understanding it, she felt the nape of her neck feel hot. “Oh…uh…no..”

“Err…my grandpa’s not here either, and I haven't yetgotten my license so…how far is your house?”

“About fifteen or twenty minutes by foot” she replied.

“Okay.” He said. “Why don’t we leave then.”

They made their way downstairs and unto the doorway when she turned and saw Armin putting on his sweater and shoes as well.

“Wait, where are you going?” she asked confusingly.

He looked at her like he didn’t understand, “What? We’re going to your house.”

“Why?” she inquired, completely bewildered. “I’m going to walk you home, right?” He replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

For whatever reason, Annie felt herself blush and feel hot again, a feeling she was not used to. “You don’t have to, you know. Why would you walk me home, I can do it myself,” she said defensively.

“I know that, but…but…” she could see him fidget on one foot and casting his gaze all around the living room “…It’s dark out and I…I don’t want you to be walking alone.” There was a silence where she simply stared at him for suggesting such a thing. He was offering to walk her home. Didn’t he know she was capable of dealing with trouble on her own?

“Why?”

“Why what?” he said, door still on the handle and regarding her carefully. She could see a flush on his face despite the injury. The injury she had caused, she reminded herself with guilt.

“Why would you walk me home…why would you go through the trouble?”

The very faintest of blue flicker in his eyes at that question. “Because it’s…it’s the proper thing to do and I shouldn’t let a girl walk home alone.”

She stared.

“Fine then.” She said, surprising herself. “Alright, but you’re stopping outside my apartment.” She found herself saying.

“Fair enough.” Seeminglypleased with that,he finished slipping on his sweater to follow her out the door.

I can't believe I was talked into being escorted out thought Annie. And with a weakling, too!For some reason she hadn't talked him down and that was what disturbed her. For once she had been unable to make the decision herself but instead allowing him to treat her likea...like a...

Nobody had ever treated her like a lady in distress. She hated the idea of being considered weak. Since her upbringing she'd been bred to do things her way. Be independent. Girls in distress were Historia, Mina, and Yelena. Not someone like her. However, for some reason, she hadn't minded it when he proposed the idea.

The whole walk towards her apartment was filled with silence. Armin didn’t trust himself to speak, nor found that he didn’t really need to. It seemed the pair of them simply enjoyed walking in silence as they made their way through the dark streets illuminated by the strategically placed lampposts.

While he was walking, he presently became aware of a feeling throughout his body. Like an excited sort of feeling. His heart seemed to quicken, and then he realized with some confusion it was beating at a rapid rate. What was going on? Why do I feel sweaty all of a sudden? What am I scared of?The nervousness refused to leave him. It wasn't like she was going to pummel him to the ground, right? Why was he so on-edge?I

“We’re here.” came Annie's quiet voice minutes after. The decrepit looking apartment stood before them, a stark difference in comparison to where he and his friends lived at. “It’s sh*tty, I know, but anyway, about that tutoring, I guess we’ll continue on Wednesday then.”

“Yeah, sure, if you want. Next time we should go over government homework and try to work out the basics.” He said.

Once again, the pair of them simply stood in silence, neither of them making a move to leave. To Annie’s trepidation, she felt her heart picking up without warning almost reminiscent of waiting for a jump scare. Was this her cue to leave or-? Should she say something to Armin who was also looking a it uneasy? Wait...was he also looking uncomfortable as well? She couldn’t tell if it was the light, but she could swear that on closer inspection his face seemed to flush. He fidgeted a bit and looked away as though not knowing how to act.

In the end, she decided to break the silence. She cleared her throat to retain a sense of normalcy “Well, it looks like we’re here, and…thanks for walking me home.” She said to the blond tutor. God, that last part felt to foreign to her, like they were the words from someone else's mouth. Had she just thanked him?

Getting his cue, he turned to leave stiffly.

“Oh, and uh…Armin-” she called out to him. He turned on the spot, astounding blue eyes widening at the thought that she had called him by his name for the first time today…maybe even perhaps for first time ever. “…thank you for today.”

He stood, blinking in the light at her words, and she noticed that the light captured his face, making his eyes look more alert than usual.

“You’re welcome.”

She watched the corner of his mouth twitch uncomfortably. But as he nodded at her, waving a farewell and turning to walk away, she could have sworn she saw him smile.

Even as Annie made her way inside, even when she saw her dad conked out in the couch, TV still on with two beer bottles next to her, and laying awake to stare up at the ceiling before presently hearing her father stumble to his bedroom, she felt a strange warm feeling in her chest awake.

Chapter 9: A Pleasant Change...An Awkward Exchange

Chapter Text

Wednesday came around quickly enough, and Armin was once again walking with Annie back to his house to go through the 2nd tutoring session. After Annie had left Monday night, he recounted to Eren and Mikasa what they did and how well it turned out. After reassuring a worried Mikasa that no, she didn’t hurt him and thatyeseverything was alright from a suspicious Eren, they were relieved to see he looked fine.

Yet for some strange reason he decided to leave out what happened after tutoring when the pair of them went walking that night. He had no idea why he decided to leave it out. That night coming back from escorting her left him in a very confused state. It seemed like he was moving on autopilot and while he'd flounced on bed and looked up at the astral ceiling of his room trying to find an explanation for his sudden interest in her well-being, he couldn't hazard a guess.

“I couldn’t understand really what Pixis was saying about the judicial branch, so I was wondering if we could go over the main branches.” Said Annie while walking.

“Of course,” said Armin. “We might as well go over that and what he was saying about the Bill of Rights process.”

Annie truly didn’t know what was happening to her, but she'd begun to feel slowly at ease being in the nerd’s presence. In all honesty, she was really looking for another study session with him.

Since when the hell am I excited to study? Still, there was something about studying that made her feel accomplished afterwards. A feeling like she was ready to take on the world’s knowledge. And a feeling that maybe, just maybe she wasn't going to flunk out of her classes. She wondered if that was why the blond walking next to her liked to study so much- because he took pleasure in helping others. As they reached his house, Annie noticed an old red SUV parked in the driveway that wasn’t there before and looked towards Armin questioningly.

“Oh, I guess Gramps is home early!” he said cheerfully, going through the door. Annie followed behind a little hesitantly.

“Hey gramps, I’m home!” he called. “Is everything okay?”

A man looking to be in his sixties with brown hair and a short beard appeared from the dining room. A warm smile lit up his grandfather's face upon seeing his grandson, and he appeared to be carrying some heavy bags. “Hello my boy, how was school? - oh, and who is this young lady?" he added jovially, looking towards Annie as the corners of his moustache curved upwards. Though his face held numerous wrinkles over the years, the eyes that shown back at her were

“It was fine, oh- and this is Annie, a girl from my grade at school.” He said.

"Hello, Mr. Arlert" she said politely.

“Well, hello, how do you do?” he shook her hand cheerfully, “I’m used to seeing Mikasa and Eren around here, so please excuse me if I don't know you.”

“Err, it’s alright.” Said Annie a bit hesitant, wishing she could know how to speak better.

“So how do you know my grandson? Apart from his friends, he never has brought a girl home before.”

Before she could try to come up with a response, Armin suddenly interrupted “Gramps, those bags look a little heavy,” He took one of the heavy bags he had been carrying to sling it over his shoulder. “Where would you like them? They’re kind of heavy!” She briefly wondered whether Armin had been trying to swiftly change the subject or had just noticed the weight of the bags his grandpa was carrying.

“Oh, thank you Armin, actually, can you help load them in the car for me? They’re just some tools I need to bring today. I’m just about to leave right now.”

The three of them went out to the car where Armin deposited them in the back seat with his grandfather’s other bag. When Mr. Arlert finally closed the trunk, he turned to give her an apologetic smile. “Sorry ‘bout that, it’s just I’ve had a lot to deal with.”

“Oh no, it’s quite alright” she stammered, trying to be polite. She wondered if Armin had got his personality from his grandfather, because they both seemed to hold the same sweet personality. And then another thought: What were his parents like?

“Anyway, so how ‘bout it, how would a nice young lady like you, know my grandson?” he questioned, friendly smile showing the crinkles on his kind old face.

“Err…” she hesitated. What exactly was she supposed to say? She hardly thought “Hi, I’m Annie, the classmate that’s responsible for bullying your grandson” would get her on good terms with him.

“She’s in most of my classes this year” cut in Armin, making her immensely relieved for his interference. “She’s in my chemistry, biology, government, and P.E class, oh- and also English! I’m tutoring her this evening.”

“Really, now?” said Mr. Arlert, widening his eyes impressively. “Then she must be a smart lady!”

“Err…no not really…” she found herself stuttering. “But thank you for that.” She added last moment. She could somehow feel Armin beside her trying to hide a smile. Smart? Pfff, it’s quite the opposite. Does he really think that of me?

Grandpa Arlert chuckled at that. “Well, I really do need to run, boys and girls, so I’m afraid we have to cut our chat to an end. Armin, make sure you turn on the sprinklers later- that’s all I’ll be asking of you. I wouldn’t want to interrupt you and your girlfriend studying.”

“Grandpa!” squeaked Armin indignantly. Annie felt her face blush against her will. His grandpa was a kind person, but really, all she wanted to do was sink into the ground.

“Oops! Did I pry too much?” Though, there was a hint of a smile when he said it.

“It’s okay,” Annie consoled him calmly, before Armin could open his mouth. “We aren’t dating or anything, he’s just my tutor for classes.” Beside her, she thought she could feel Armin’s eyes on her but she couldn’t determine his expression. Somehow it looked thoughtful.

“I see, I see, I understand, I’m sorry” the old man blubbered, apologetically. “Well, I guess I have to hurry before business starts.”

They exchanged goodbyes and he soon got back in to his car, reversing out of the driveway but not before giving them one last smile before taking off.

Annie politely waved him off, the exchange between his grandfather and them still clear in her mind. She felt her face heat up. Great, now I’ll look like a tomato! The thought of being Armin’s girlfriend was a ludicrous idea which almost made her laugh given the situation. Yet now that she remembered, she just realized that Armin hadn’t in fact denied it…

But to her surprise, she found Armin with an equally embarrassed expression. “So uhh…that’s my grandpa- Amos Arlert.” His face looked half hidden as he turned, but she had the distinct impression he was trying to hide his face which she could swear might have been red. His ears looked red anyway.

“I see.” Was all she could say. Then, as a way to change the awkward air around them, “Do all your folks’ names start with the letter ‘A’?”

“Well…no…” he said, showing a thin smile, before averting his eyes again. As the two of them made their way back indoors, he chose to add: “See, my mom's name is Arlene, but my father’s name is Ian. Arlene and Ian Arlert.”

“Well, ‘Ian’ still sorta sounds like it starts with ‘A’’

“It does not!” he admonished. “If anything, ‘Ian’ sounds more like it starts with the letter ‘E’!”

Both made their way up the stairs again with Armin opening the door and letting her inside first. Once again, she was greeted with the picturesque ocean, finding herself drawn to Armin and his friend’s paintings. Looking at them gave her a suddenlonging to see the ocean, which she hadn’t done since her mother had divorced her father.

“Do you want to go over government homework before starting biology?”

“Yes” she replied, opening the textbook Pixis had distributed to the class in the beginning of term.

Armin would read a paragraph aloud in a certain section, and Annie would take to continue where he'd left off. This would continue until both would finished the section where they could end up discussing it. She couldn't believe how easy it was talking to Armin compared to other people. He was a patient and enthusiastic teacher. For the time they had been together, she had begun to notice small things about him from their time together. Like, whenever he was deep in thought, he'd narrow his eyes and chew a little on his bottom lip. Or the fact that he would often loop his 'o's in handwriting. Or the fact that he always liked to put mayonnaise on both sides of his sandwich. It was little things like this that made her start to slowly pay attention to him.

And she was astounded to discover government wasn’t such a difficult subject after all. At least when he was teaching it. She was beginning to wholeheartedly agree with Reiner and Bertoldt that Armin was an amazing teacher when it came to discussions and explanations. She would ask him a question and he was enthusiastic in his response, often going above and beyond to make analogies of real-life situations to make her understand. Not only had they finished the section Pixis was lecturing, but also other sections of the book as well.

“We're making great progress, Annie!” said Armin after they had gone above and beyond in government. “If we keep it up, you’ll be ready for the next week's test!”

Annie gave a wry smile. Unlike other times where she groaned about an upcoming test, she was now actually looking forward to one to prove to herself capable. “What subject would you like to go over next? I was thinking we could continue with the biology handout that Hange gave us last week.”

“Oh, you mean the study guide packet? Sounds good! I actually have two more pages to get to actually, how far are you in the packet?” Armin asked.

“I have four more pages to get to” she grumbled, flicking through each of the pages. “Seriously, why does she have to include so many questions on one page?”

“Well, that’s Hange for you. I guess it’s to better prepare you. She wasn’t too happy with some people failing the previous one, so I guess she’s making sure that we’re much better prepared now.”

Annie, remembering her own abysmal test score, went quiet. She wasn’t terrible in biology, really. Most of the time she got passable scores, but it was just for the fact she'd been preoccupied with other things and feeling down that caused her to become careless with her school work. Sometimes when she’d go home, she wanted nothing better to do than to encase herself in her room listening to music on her loud headphones to drown out the sound of her father screaming at the TV or drinking himself into a stupor.

They got to work on Hange’s study packet, silence all around them save for the sounds of page turning coming from their books. Though Annie was used to working in silence by herself, being in a room with someone else and having no conversation, made her unusually awkward.

She was still on the same page, reading through the textbook when her eyes happened to be drawn to the boy across her. His blue eyes were glued to the textbook focused on the chapter, probably processing hundreds of facts per minute of all it had to offer. Annie envied people like that; people able to read and simply remember all they knew. She wondered if that had been the reason to cause her to bully him in the first place.

No, I don’t think that’s it she told herself ruefully. While the boy across from her was intent on studying the chapter, one hand grasping his pen to take for notes, she found herself studying him instead. His face had a youthful appearance, as though he was a young freshman instead of a junior. Some strands of blond hair framing his face fell forward, somewhat obscuring his view of the textbook in front of him and she saw him absently tuck some of locks behind his ear.

Something about the gesture looked innocently cute- like something she expected children to do absentmindedly when they were trying to focus on something. She shook the thought out of her head. Then, her eyes caught something at the side of his face. A band-aid on the side of his face she didn’t notice before. She had probably not seen it from his bowl-cut hair covering it up. But it was through the band-aid, she saw barely distinguishable mark of a small purple spot that made her breath catch in her throat.

A bruise. Her bruise. What she had done to him.

At once the familiar feeling of regret washed over her as she carefully regarded it. He had soft skin for a guy his age, which meant that any injuries acquired would be as easily visible as a black mark on a whiteboard.

Had he suffered a lot? The question itself seemed dumb. Hadn’t you seen him after you were done to him? She told herself sardonically. Still, she wondered. Was the bruise hurting him at this moment? Did it hurt every time his finger would brush against it while fixing his hair?

So, without thinking that what she was supposed to be doing was studying, without thinking how the boy in front of her would react, and how strange the gesture itself seemed, she reached her hand to gently touch the bruised area around his face.

At once, the boy in front of her flinched back a bit, but instead of removing his face, he looked with widened eyes at her, then her hand, then back again to her face as if not understanding her gesture.

“A…Annie, wh…what are you-”

But she didn’t answer. Her fingers gently skimmed, just barely touching the spot that was hidden from his band-aid. She hadn’t known what to do other than see what it felt like in her fingertips the thing she had caused him. The she noticed the boy, staring at her with his bright blue eyes in a startling, almost cautionary look. Then it was like the spell was broken. With a feeling of panic, she released her hand as if burned, now feeling her heartbeat ringing in her ears.

There was a complete silence as they looked at one another. It seemed like a minute, but what really were a few seconds as they looked at one another's faces. Stormy eyes into ocean blue ones.

She attempted to say something. “Umm…anyway…so…uh...do you know what you got for question number twenty-six on page three of the packet?” she blurted. She hastened to pick up her book, eyes set on the page as though concentrating on something difficult. Anything to forget the fact that she had just touched the blond boy in front of her without consent.

“Oh…um, yeah I- hold on.” Luckily, he seemed to be just as flustered as her, which somehow made her less embarrassed. She noticed he was turning the pages back from his packet as though it were a demanding thing to do. “Here, this is what I got.”

“Thanks” she mumbled, bowing her head and intent to keep her head down to read his notes. But she was not taking in a single word of the difference between mitosis or meiosis as she squinted at the cellular diagrams …

“Annie?”

Her head snapped up in surprise towards the blond tutor. He was facing her, but his eyes appeared to be downcast at the label of his open textbook and his eyebrows were slightly knitted together. It was like he couldn't muster up the courage to look at her face on. The sight of it brought something warm to her chest, though couldn't describe the feeling. “Yeah, what is it?”

“Why is it always me?”

“What?” she asked, completely nonplussed.

“Why…why do you always pick on me?”

She stared, unable to answer.

He sighed. “I mean…” he sat himself up a little straighter while saying this, still looking towards the ground and somehow feeling even more embarrassed. “I…I know I’m not strong at all, and…I know I’m pants at P.E, but…why did you start picking on me when high school started?”

At this, she became lost in thought. It wasn’t as if he were asking her what he thought of him. It was more on the fact that she couldn’t fathom a decent answer. She wished there was some witty or ambiguous response she could give, but somehow the words that came out of his mouth seemed to have the same effect of asking something personal about her.

“I don’t know.”

After that they didn’t say anything.

Immediately going back to the biology packet at hand, they kept in silence. It was only when the clock struck eight did the pair of them come to a stopping point. She couldn’t be any happier for a reprieve from this awkward silence that followed. Her heart was pumping in ways she had no explanation for. Her stomach was in knots and she had been on edge this entire time, trying to drown it with the class load. What was this feeling she had?

When they reached the bottom of the stairs however, they were in time to see a familiar red SUV pull up the driveway showing grandpa Arlert arriving home. She felt herself groaning mentally. His grandpa was nice, but she didn’t think she was in the mood for any unnecessary banter. Especially given their awkward exchange earlier.

“Hi grandpa, had a good day at work today?” asked his grandson politely with a smile.

Mr. Arlert jumped. “Ah, so you kids are still here! The day at the office was great, we made more sales than yesterday!” he added cheerfully. Unlike before, he seemed a bit tired, albeit content. “Have you both finished studying for the night?”

“Yes grandpa, I was just about to walk Annie back to her place, actually. We're going to head out now.”

“Walk her home? - In this darkness?" Mr. Arlert seemed skeptical. "Come on, I’ll drive her back home!”

“It’s...it’s no problem, really” she mumbled, shaking her flustered head.

“Nonsense, I insist! It’s rather late and I don’t like the idea of you both out on the street!” He addressed her kindly. “Where do you live?”

Annie internally sighed, knowing there was no point of arguing. She could feel Armin beside her scratch his head nervously.

“Marley Street. In one of the apartment complexes” she replied.

“That doesn’t sound very far away” said his grandpa. “Well, hop in and we’ll take you there!”

The car was a bit dingy, but Annie hardly payed attention as she sat in the front seat, watching the outside and occasionally giving directions when needed. Armin sat in the back and a quick glance at the side mirror told her that he had his hands in his lap. During the short ride, Mr. Arlert had asked the pair of them how school went, occasionally making small talk.

“…and so I’m glad that you two are paying attention to your studies. I used to remember Armin, Mikasa, and Eren would make a gathering every Friday after they were done studying and go out to watch a movie- whatever would be playing at the cinema.”

“Well grandpa, we do that still, but we don’t go on Fridays anymore because it interferes with basketball practice” came Armin’s voice in the back seat. “Oh, did you know Hannah Diamant- remember the girl in third grade with red hair? - she broke her leg and now she’s out of the season!”

“Oh no, you don’t say! My condolences to her!” said Armin’s grandpa shocked. “To be excused from sports is not a fun way to go. Do you do sports, Annie?” he quipped, addressed her.

“No, not at school, but…I do practice Judo every occasionally. My dad enrolled me in lessons when I was younger and when I got older, I started to teach the younger kids.” She said tentatively.

“Really?” exclaimed Mr. Arlert, turning to see her with an impressed incredulous expression on his face. “That’s remarkable! It’ll be harder to pick a fight with you, missy, that’s for sure! Armin here tried at one point to try to learn ninjutsu. Oh how I remember him falling when Mikasa was trying to teach him back in second grade! But sadly he never was interested in sports!"

"Grandpa!" came Armin's indignant voice from the back. Annie fought the urge to give a little chuckle at his exclamation.

"While it was good all the same" she heard his grandpa continue, "I wished I could have enrolled him back then to some program to teach him to give good punches and kicks. He would have learned a bit more to stand up to his bullies!”

After that statement, her urge to keep from chuckling faltered and now she couldn’t remember feeling more uncomfortable than she already did today. What would his grandpa think if he found out he was giving a ride to the very person that made his grandson’s school life hell?

She looked to the side mirror and suddenly noticed that Armin was looking at her through the mirror. His expression was contemplative, like he was studying her. She quickly looked away.

To her immense relief, she could see the entrance of the apartment complex from the bright lights of the inside hallway and the car come to an idling stop. But before she went down, Armin’s grandpa spoke up from the window.

“Annie, it was nice of you to visit and study with my grandson! I will be coming home early the next time around, so how about you have dinner with us? - If your parents let you, of course. I’m sure Armin wouldn’t mind, would you?” he asked, looking at his grandson through the mirror. Annie could swear that through the dim light she saw the eyebrows of Mr. Arlert raise, and a twitch of his moustache was seen.

“Not at all, that…that sounds nice.” Said Armin slowly, forcing a smile. But Annie could tell that he looked a bit unsure at the prospect. Like he wasn't sure she would like such a thing.

“Well...” Annie desperately didn’t want to say yes for the mere fact that she would be asked a bunch of questions about her life, and she had little to no skill with talking to strangers. She already felt awkward during the car ride as it was, but the look on Mr. Arlert’s enthusiastic warm smile once again didn’t give her much choice in the matter, so she immediately found herself answering with an affirmative. “That sounds nice, I would love to.” She added a smile to show her appreciation. It was strange- she hadn’t given a smile, however fake, in a long time.

She looked towards the back to see Armin’s eyes widening at her expression. Had he expected her to say no?

“Excellent!” said Mr. Arlert. “Anyway, I guess that’s our cue to leave, be careful Annie- hope to see you again!” She bid a rather hasty adieu and turned to open the doors to the apartment hallway.

When she opened the doors to her apartment door, she was surprised to see the inside nearly dark. She flicked on the switch, hanging her jacket on the rack by the doorway and strode forward, passing the couch and peering through the kitchen on her way down the hallway. She didn’t see her father. Where was her father?

“You’re awfully late.”

Annie whirled around, finding her father sitting on his armchair.

Her heart sank. Whenever her father had been drinking, he'd usually sit there and drink himself into a tizzy until sleep took him. It was also the time in which he got a little violent. How she had not spotted him there upon arrival was a mystery.

“I…was at a friend’s house.” She found herself saying. Not a lie exactly.

“At a friend’s house” he repeated.

She saw through the dim light a part of his face obscured in shadow. The thin lines and bristles of his short whiskers cast his face into greater relief, much like a statue. His eyes had this faraway look about them like he was gazing at something in a far-off memory. Looking more closely, she saw his cheeks looking red, indicating he'd been drinking for quite some time.

“Yeah, I was at a friend’s house studying” she said.

“At a friend’s house studying.” he repeated again.

“Yes dad, that’s what I said, at a friend’s house studying. Why are you repeating everything I’m saying?”

“Annie, do you know what time it is? It’s 8:25! Nearly nine o-clock- and on a school night! Do you have any idea what your mother is doing right now? She was in the kitchen worrying so much, she went to our bedroom to cry!”

Now this took Annie aback completely. “What? Mom’s here?” She looked wildly around as though expecting to see her mom pop out any second.

“Yes, she’s in our bedroom!” her father bellowed back, pointing to the hallway with a quivering finger. Her gaze followed the shaking finger’s direction towards the area where their bedroom was. It was closed, but she could see that the light was turned off.

There was no way her mother was here, right? Had her father in his drunken state somehow manage to call her, prompting her to drive here panicked that her daughter was supposedly “missing?” Her mother didn’t visit her often, and she lived far away, so how was she here of all times? And even if she didn’t visit often, wouldn’t she have sent her a heads-up phone call letting her know she would be stopping by? It didn’t make any sense.

Wait.

Wait.

How was itpossible?

She left her decrepit father in the living to stride past the hallway to wrench the master bedroom open. It was dark. She flicked it on to find it looking no different than what she usually saw it as. Empty beer bottles, bed made messily, dresser drawer devoid of anything valuable. A pile of dirty clothes on the floor. She scanned the room, checked into the closet, even looking under the bed for any sign that someone was here. There was no sign of her mom nor any person.

Of COURSE her mom wasn’t here.

Her father had been drinking. Had been drinking so much, that now he was confusing the past with the present. He had somehow believed her mother was still living back with them. She should have known not to take his words at heart when he was in this state. It was all just a figment of his imagination.

“There’s nobody here dad.” She chocked, alarmed to feel frozen tears start to form. Why was she feeling this all of a sudden?

Her father simply sat there in his chair, empty beer bottle in hand, with an empty expression.“Oh,” he said stupidly, blinking his eyes against the light, making him look like a barn owl. “Guess I was wrong.”

Annie said nothing to that.

All she did was simply make her way to her room, dumping her backpack on the floor in the process and hastily tearing her clothes off. Slipping on her pajamas, she took out her headphones, blasting the music to The Pretenders Tattooed Love Boys, while scrolling through her phone for stupid menial stuff. Anything to distract her for the fact that her hopes had been dashed thinking her mom would visit. She continued like this for several hours, even well past midnight.

But before she drifted off, an image was conjured in the middle of her mind. A certain blond boy with bright blue reassuring her. Coaxing her, that everything would be fine. Then her thoughts dwelt to the blond boy's parents. Where were they now, leaving such a wonderful son behind? The last thought she had before finally succumbing to the inevitable was wondering if the relationship he had with his parents were anything like what she had with hers.

Chapter 10: Feelings in Biology Class...Mina's Infatuation...Armin's Weird Dream

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you don’t know who sent it, Armin?” asked Marco as he reread the letter Mina had wrote. “She sounds very nice and sweet, but how can I be sure I like her too if I don’t know who she is?”

“Well, I don’t know Marco, but I’m sure she can’t be a complete stranger, right? I kind of forgot to give it to you, so I don’t know who it could’ve been from” said Armin, trying to contain his smile.

In light of his busy schedule these past few days, Armin had almost forgotten to deliver the secret letter Mina had given him, so on Thursday while out in the hallways, Armin had spotted him and saw the opportunity.

“Hmm, that’s a shame really, I really wish I knew who she was” said Marco wistfully.

At that moment, Mikasa and Eren came over through the front doors, appearing to be in heated conversation. “…I’m telling you, ‘kasa, you have to make up your mind! Sasha already said she tried asking them on the team, but they said no!”

“…Eren, we are a month away from our first game, we can’t afford to wait while one of our best players is down with a broken leg!”

Eren saw him with Marco, excitedly hurrying over, “Hey Armin, you know what Mikasa did? I found her trying to recruit some new volleyball girls from the Volleyball team by challenging them to a match!”

“What?” he yelped. He looked over at Mikasa who had an 'I don't care' expression.

“They unfortunately didn’t want to join basketball- and also because Coach Pieck just happened to be around.” Explained Mikasa calmly.

“Mikasa, are you crazy?” sputtered Armin, “You can’t just intimidate them and expect them to join like that! You could get into trouble!”

“Yeah, that’s Jaeger’s job anyway” said a voice beside Marco. Jean had just arrived.

“Jean, what the hell do you mean with that statement?” gritted Eren stepping forward.

“Oh nothing, except for the fact that being the suicidal bastard getting into trouble is what you’re best at, anyway.”

“Jean, don’t…” said Marco weakly.

Luckily, Connie had just appeared at that moment, scanning the crowd as though looking for someone. “Has anyone seen Sasha?” he asked.

“Sorry, I haven’t seen her enter. Did you check near the snack machines?” asked Armin.

“Wait, she was actually outside a few minutes ago with us.” Said Eren, snapping his fingers. “She said something about ‘finding some lunch money’.”

“Ha, she’s probably looking for someone who’s willing to lend her cash.” Snickered Connie as he swiftly left. “Thanks guys!”

“And there they’re at it again” sighed Mikasa again, the others joined in chuckling.

“Hey, what’s that you have in your hand?” asked Jean suspiciously, pointing to the letter Marco was holding.

Marco sputtered, trying to fold up the paper away from prying eyes, “Oh, uh…it’s nothing…” but Jean was too quick for him, managing to snatch it from his hand before it was pocketed.

“Jeaaaaaan - hey! Give it back, that’s not funny!” pleaded Marco, trying to retrieve the love letter from his friend all while Jean was dancing out of his way.

“Na, ah, ah, not until I’ve had a look at what’s in it, Freckled Jesus!” he sang. He managed to open the letter and read the words silently before withdrawing his gaze to look at Marco in a befuddled expression.

“So…somebody has sent you a love letter!”

“What? Who sent Marco a love letter?” asked Eren curiously, trying to reach over to read what Jean was reading.

“They didn’t even write their name on it, Jean, don’t ask me! And please give it back!”

“Not until I do a thorough check!” laughed Jean.

Before anybody could do anything, Armin, quick as lightning, snatched the letter away from Jean.

“Oi, Armin, what the hell, I was reading!” retaliated Jean.

"That letter was delivered to Marco, have some respect” Armin said. Marco gave him a grateful look, taking the letter and this time to fold and pocket it in his jacket.

“Who was it from Marco?” asked Eren enthusiastically. “C’mon tell us!”

“Eren, it’s private.” Said Mikasa huffily, “and anyway, Marco said he doesn’t know who sent it.” At that moment, the first bell rang, signaling the beginning of class.

Eren groaned. “Oh well, I guess it’s time to leave.”

“Jean, you didn’t have to do that” admonished Marco as he and his friend walked away, their voices fading out into the bustle of the hallway.

“Armin, do you think you’ll be alright?” asked Mikasa cautiously, scanning her eyes around crowd. “I mean, do you want me and Eren to follow you into Cal class?”

“No, no it’s alright!” Armin hastily said. “I’ll be alright! I can just walk with…” he thankfully spied Petra and Oluo walking together. “I can walk with Oluo and Petra- they’re in my math class!” He waved to his friends, noting that they looked a little nervous but presently waved him good-bye before heading off in the opposite direction.

When English class came around, Levi had passed back their quizzes, remarking that he expected top marks. Armin took a look at his and Mikasa’s perfect score and then at Eren’s from sideways. Eren had gotten a 92, but he scowled as Levi gave a lecture how sometimes passing wasn’t good enough. Armin found himself turning around at that moment, noticing a pair of familiar eyes had been staring at him. When Annie noticed Armin had been watching her look at him, she quickly averted her eyes. He turned around towards the front again.

Huh, that was weird.

Come biology time, Hange had decided that they choose partners for a flashcard game, to test each other’s knowledge by keeping tally of how many questions they would get right. The object was to test their knowledge on the guise of a game to see if they had been studying. Enthusiastically, she brought out a large box with said flashcards and let them loose.

The moment the class had free reign and Hange began to put her usual music on the speakers, the whole class had already chosen their partners. Gabi and Falco were paired and Flocke and Susan were already beginning to start, both chatting excitedly.

Armin turned behind him. “Would you like to be partners?” he asked Annie. She was wearing her white hoodie with one black earbud dangling out. She fiddled with her phone, turning the sound off before giving a grunt.

Armin got a stack of the flashcards and returned to his desk to sort through them.

“Okay, so most of these are stuff we went over- you know, cell division and phases,” he explained. “so you shouldn’t have that much trouble. It’s just stuff we went over in the packet. Do you want me to go first or you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she replied shyly. Wait. Since when was she feeling shy all of a sudden?

Armin ended up being the one to answer the questions while Annie asked. This wasn’t the first time Annie was impressed with the amount of knowledge Armin could hold in his brain. He got every single question right- save for one, which he answered on a second try after remembering the function of a Myelin Sheath.

When it came her turn, she was ecstatic to discover what a few hours of studying yesterday had done. She didn’t beat Armin’s score, but she supposed that getting forty- one out of fifty couldn’t be that bad.

When they were finished, they were able to flip the cards over (since there were two questions on one card and were color-coded with upside down answers) and repeat the game. Armin decided to ask while Annie answered the question.

He had begun to notice little quirks with Annie he hadn’t noticed before. Whenever she was stuck on a problem, he would notice that she would run her fingers through her strands of blonde hair. If she had gotten a question right, he would notice even the briefest moments of a proud smile forming in her eyes. Anyone who wouldn’t be paying attention, wouldn’t notice it, but he did.

He soon found himself paying more attention to her face than at the task at hand. It was during that time when he had noted she looked different. Her skin looked slightly wan, as though she wasn’t getting enough sunlight. Though she was fair skinned like him, it had an unhealthy look to it, like she didn’t get out much. Her eyes on closer inspection were red-rimmed- just barely as though she hadn’t closed them in a while, and there were traces of bags under her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Annie asked, momentarily stunned that the boy hadn’t answered her.

Armin snapped himself to attention, ears turning pink with embarrassment. He had been staring at Annie for so long, he had failed to hear her ask him what the next question was. He had also forgotten to take score. “What happened?” he asked, feeling stupid.

“Armin, what is wrong with you?” asked Annie with some irritation and regarding him carefully. While she had been talking, she had noticed Armin staring at her, she didn’t want to admit it, but she would be uncomfortable whenever somebody would look at her carefully. And yet…

“Ah, n…nothing, I just remembered something.” He stammered, averting his gaze and feeling his cheeks go red. “So…uhh…what question were we on?”

Liar. Annie shook her head, trying not to let a smile show. He had been caught staring at her and he knew it. Even though she was someone who didn’t like to be studied, she found to her surprise that it didn’t really bother her. It was almost like she enjoyed it.

Really, if she didn’t start to focus on the flashcards instead of that, she was going to lose it.

Armin was grateful nothing more was said about the matter. He had been so embarrassed over the fact that he had been caught that he stumbled over his answer when explaining the difference between Meiosis I and Meiosis II, and it didn’t help matters that he could see a small smirk playing in the corner of her mouth.

***

When Armin regrouped with Eren and Mikasa after school, this time, he decided to follow them to practice at the gym. Sitting on the bleachers while doing homework, he was reminded of the earlier events that took place in biology class.

Why had I been staring at her? He thought, nonplussed. He supposed it was probably because he had noticed her looking different these past few days. Well, she didn’t look any different to how she normally looked. She had her hair up in her classic bun, wore her hoodie and with dangling earbuds, and her usual black attire. But it was her face he noticed.

She had the appearance of someone who looked tired, he gathered. Someone who hadn’t gotten enough sleep. Then, a thought popped up out of the blue: Was she alright? Why was she tired? She had been awfully closed up these past few days during the classes they shared, and he was curious to know why.

“Hey Armin!”

His thoughts were interrupted when he found Mina waving from the bottom of the bleachers. She climbed up to join him, black twin ponytails swishing as she passed each of the benches. The basketball court was loud with the sounds of screeching tennis shoes and the echoing dribble of the ball for anybody to notice her. Armin gave a warm smile, happy to see Mina. Anybody who was around Mina would find it hard to stay angry or sad for long.

“Did you give the letter to Marco?” she whispered as she went up to sit beside him, not taking her eyes off the game below.

“Of course, Mina, I gave it to him this morning. I’m so so sorry I couldn’t give it to him yesterday, I hope you don’t mind” he said abashed.

“Oh no, it’s fine.” She smiled, though she did not stop facing the front. “I’m talking like this so nobody notices anything suspicious. Like the fact that they won’t think I had anything to do with making you middle-man in my letter to him.”

“Of course,” he chuckled softly. He stole a glance at his pig tailed friend beside him, noticing she was looking at the basketball game with rapt interest. He was willing to bet that she was watching for Marco, who was showing a flustered Jean how to shift his weight when shooting a basket.

“What did Marco say when he got it?” she asked after five minutes of them watching below. Armin took a look at the girl’s basket ball practice, noticing that they were doing dribbling exercises. Mikasa and Sasha appeared to have been having a friendly competition with Mikasa ultimately winning. Sasha chuckled, giving her friend a high-five. He tore his gaze away to instead look at Eren.

“Well, Marco had no idea who it was. Of course. But you have to be careful, because Jean saw a bit of the inside when he grabbed it from him.”

“Oh no, did he really?” she asked suddenly scared. “But Marco’s his best friend, he wouldn’t- “

“You’re right, he wouldn’t do something like that to Marco, his best friend, but he might be able to figure out who could’ve sent it based on the handwriting.”

“Uh oh, does he know it’s me? I have Jean for math and English and all three of us sit together!” she panicked.

“It’s ok, it’s ok! Maybe Jean won’t be able to tell the difference between yours and somebody else’s.”

“Hope you’re right.” She sighed. Then she swiftly change the topic and they began talking about menial topics such as when the astronomy club was going to get the budget to visit the observatories and whether or not Levi would retire to be a janitor.

***

When practice ended, he and Mina went down to where their friends were once game had ended. Eren was explaining to Connie about something and Mikasa had excused herself to use the restroom with Nifa and Historia.

“Doing alright Eren?” he asked a sweaty Eren as he handed him his water bottle.

“Thanks Armin, well, it would be better if Coach Dietrich let us have a break once in a while like the girls here,” he said nodding towards where the girl’s team was. “But he only told us that they work twice as hard and that we’re sissies compared to them. I think he’s only saying that based on Mikasa’s skill alone.”

“Of course he meant Mikasa, Jaeger” Jean said exasperatedly. “Pff I’d bet my whole dinner on Mikasa bringing the team to victory!”

“Me leading the whole team to victory?” queried Mikasa humorously suddenly out of nowhere, “Not sure if I’ll be able to dodge all those girls, but thanks for the oath of confidence Jean.” She smiled at Jean, prompting him to blush like crazy at. Armin knew of Jean’s crush on Mikasa, and the funny thing was, Armin had also heard Mikasa one time remark that apart from his and Eren’s constant bickering, she found him a compelling guy. Armin smiled as he thought of the two of them getting together. They would make a good couple, he imagined.

“Hey Marco, how was training?” asked Mina.

“Oh hi, Mina! Glad to see you here!” said Marco cheerfully, giving her a warm smile. “Hey, do you want to hang out with me, Jean, Connie, and Sasha at In-n-Out right now?”

“Well, I guess I have time.” Said Mina, blushing furiously, and finding the scoreboard behind her interesting. Armin saw Jean give her a careful look before looking from Marco to Mina then back again to her. Despite what he said earlier about Jean, he was willing to bet all the collection of books in his room that Jean was slowly putting two-and-two together.

“What about you guys? D’you want to come too?” asked Marco to he, Eren, and Mikasa.

“Nah, no thanks, I’ll pass.” Said Eren. Mikasa also said no, much to the disappointment of Jean, saying that she wanted to take a shower as soon as they were done here. Armin also declined, saying he needed to get home and study.

“Oh well, maybe next time!” called Marco as he and the group left another way.

“You know, I would’ve gone too, had Horseface not decided to come along as well.” Said Eren before taking another swig from his water bottle as the three of them exited the school.

“Eren, he doesn’t look anything like a horse” reproved Mikasa and giving him a cuff on the head.

“Are you kidding me ‘kasa? He looks like that one horse from Spirit! Whose side are you on, anyway?” asked Eren in mock hurt. She didn’t say anything, but Armin could see her adjusting her signature red scarf closely about her face as though shielding the small blush on her cheeks.

***

Turned out, Mikasa wasn’t the only one who wanted a shower after a grueling day at practice, so Armin waited in Eren’s room completing some chemistry on the floor in the meantime.

“Why am I always so tired after practice?” asked Eren scornfully as he reappeared in his bedroom, holding a soppy towel and dirty laundry. He was now wearing his old Spiderman shirt he had gotten since fifth grade, the one that Mikasa had told him, looked a bit scruffy, but couldn’t stop him from wearing. “Wow, are you really close to finishing Zacharias’s chapter?” His hair was shining wet and stuck in all directions, some water droplets falling unto the textbook below him.

“Watch it or it’s going to turn into a lake down here!” he scolded, swiping the textbook away from harm’s reach before wiping it.

“Sorry, sorry,” laughed Eren. “So how ‘bout it? You’re already ahead with the chapter, how did you finish it so fast? Is it because you and Annie have been going over it together?”

“Yes, we’ve gotten pretty far these last few days. She’s really got the subjects down. In biology class she answered most of the questions from these flashcards Hange gave us to study.”

“So you mean…she hasn’t like…beat you up or anything?” he asked slowly.

“Eren, if she did, d’you really think I’d still be here unharmed?” asked Armin exasperatedly.

“Sorry, guess not, it’s just that…she can be intimidating at times- actually, scratch that, she is intimidating always.”

“Yeah…”

Armin didn’t say anything after that, except he and Eren had started playing a quick game of tic-tac-toe for fun before studying. Mikasa came in later, charcoal black hair slightly wavy from being blow-dried and wearing pajamas with fluffy pink slippers, and smelling like a fresh garden. Since all three of them had known each other for so long, they had grown used to each other to the point that they would wear their pajamas together (however cringey), and not care.

“Is that cherry blossom, Mikasa?” asked Armin in interest. “I can smell it from here!”

“Yep.” She chirped, sinking down into Eren’s bed to better observe them. “In case you want to get the same one I have, it’s in the soap section at Walmart.”

“Hmm I might consider trying that instead of Sea Breeze.”

“What d’you mean? I like smelling the Sea Breeze on you!” said Eren.

“Eren, that totally didn’t sound creepy at all.” Said Armin.

“What? It’s the truth!” sputtered Eren while Mikasa giggled above them.

“You and Professor Zacharias should get together sometime” giggled Mikasa. There were very rare instances where Mikasa laughed which, if anybody happened to be around to witness it, was very lucky indeed. Though Armin and Eren were pretty much the only ones that got to see her laugh, it still would take them by surprise how someone as cool and collected as her, could start giggling like a child.

“Well, I haven’t used Sea Breeze since I ran out in like a month ago, so I guess I should start putting it on then. Summer’s coming and I don’t want to have to smell like an elephant.”

After studying, Armin came back to his house to find his grandpa’s car still missing in the driveway, which meant it was another night in which he came back late. He walked upstairs to his room then placing his backpack at the foot of his bed. It was a good day today, but he couldn’t help but feel he was missing out on something.

Even though it was still seven, Armin found himself putting on his pajamas ahead of time as though he were going to bed. He found himself hungry, so he went downstairs to fix a plate of frozen pizza they had gotten several nights ago. Already feeling a bit sleepy- most likely from the food, he went back upstairs trying to wonder how to kill time as he lay on his bed with the lights out scrolling through his phone. He was unaware of how sleepy he really was as his eyes drooped of their own accord…

He was gliding through the forest, past trees that seemed larger than ordinary. He could hear the howling of the wind rushing past his ears as he soared high above than seemed possible. Was he flying? He asked himself. No, he appeared to be swaying- like shifting his weight forward as though some invisible grappling hook was propelling him forward.

He tried looking all around him as the sunlight filtered through the trees, causing him to squint every time it fell upon his face. There was a warm exhilarating feeling in his gut as he flew through the air- feeling the freedom of being higher than ground…and yet- there was something in the back of his brain that told him that there was someone behind him.

Or SOMETHING.

He could hear the faint sound of thumping getting louder. Like the sound you’d expect to hear when a herd of large bison were running- but all running simultaneously...Filled with curiosity, he looked behind him- and found something terrifying.

A large giant.

A large giant racing after him in the forest.

He was suddenly overcome with shock, trying to urge himself to go faster-

faster-

He could feel the deafening sound of running getting louder…

On the split second he felt himself flown backward, he managed to take a look at the giant. It had short- almost shoulder length yellow hair, it appeared to be covered in tissue that humans had beneath their skin, except its body was lined with a certain pattern, and upon further inspection, he saw that the giant had womanly features which indicated it was female.

But it was the eyes he saw last- a pair of frozen blue-grey eyes that looked startlingly familiar…

And then the scene dissolved. He was lying on something soft…but all around him, there was this eternal whiteness. What had happened to the forest? Where was the female giant chasing him?

I t also came to his attention, not by looks, but just by feeling- that he was naked. He should have felt vulnerable…squeamish. In any other situation, he would have shied away, trying to shield himself from any eyes. But for some reason, he didn’t feel that uncomfortable feeling.

He could feel caressing on his chest, he saw pale arms wrapping around his torso from behind. They looked like they belonged to a girl’s hands…

He felt a soft breath in his ear and several strands of lemon blond hair from the mystery person came into his side view. He wanted to know who it was, but he was too tired and too relaxed from the hands touching him to care. “

What’s wrong, Arlert?” hissed a voice low in his ear. The way it was uttered send shivers to his spine. He could feel the naked person behind- (he assumed it was a woman,), the feeling of two mounds pressing against him as their hands sank lower…

And lower…

And lower…

He was so close...close to what exactly, he had no idea. All he could think about,was thesoft bite on his earlobeas hefelt himself groan into the touch, unable to hold back his voice as Annie stroked him…

Wait.

Wait.

Armin found himself jolted awake unto the darkness of his bedroom. His heart was thumping, feeling his chest heaving as though he’d run a mile. He lay that way for several minutes, trying to regain his composure. He was aware that it seemed to be in the middle of the night, probably one in the morning, and he was also acutely aware of some kind of wetness between his legs that wasn’t there before…

He sat bolt upright, whipping the covers off and stumbling through the darkness for the light at the same time he saw his pants which were soiled from what he had been dreaming.

His dream.

He had had a wet dream.

It was the first time anything like this had occurred. But what stunned him wasn’t the fact that he had a wet dream about someone pleasuring him. It was the fact that it was someone he knew. A certain someone with lemon blonde hair, and an icy expression with a soft silky voice.

Annie Leonhart.

Chapter 11: Too Close for Comfort

Chapter Text

“Armin, hey Armin! Earth to Armiiiin!”

Armin found himself jostled back to reality as he felt Eren’s hand shake his shoulder a bit. “Huh, what is it?” Armin said.

Eren shook his head, “I just said: do you want to go with me and Mikasa to see a movie after school?”

“Oh…yeah sure…uh…wait, don’t you have basketball practice?” he added.

“Armin, weren’t you even listening for the past two minutes?” asked Eren exasperatedly, “Coaches Brzenska and Dietrich found that the basketball court has an accident with one of the rafters. Apparently, somebody threw a basketball up in the ceiling which caused that small fan from above to collapse, so they cancelled practice.”

“Oh uh, that’s too bad…err...I-I think a movie sounds good-”

“Armin, are you feeling alright?” cut in Mikasa concernedly. “You don’t look too good. Your face looks a bit clammy.”

“I-I’m fine!” gasped Armin, trying to regain his composure. “Really, guys I think I’m just having an upset stomach.”

But it was a lie; while he was supposed to be filling in the diagrams of the three branches of government with his friends, he found his mind wandering, thinking of the dream he had last night concerning a certain blonde girl. When he had jolted awake, he couldn’t believe for a full five minutes that he had actually been having one of those dreams. And his pajama bottoms had been the proof of it.

What the hell kind of dream WAS that? He thought desperately. Why the hell had I dreamt up an image of a giant girl that looks like Annie and then had her in a dream doing- that… to me?

He glanced across the room where he knew Annie was. She was in a group with Historia and Ymir, both which were busy talking. Annie didn’t seem at all that interested in what they were saying. Her head was supported by her hand as she leaned against the table lazily looking off into space.

Perhaps his stare was too noticeable, for after a second of observing her, he saw her eyes wander over the many people around them…then finally locking eyes with him. When she saw him staring at her, her eyes narrow in confusion. Icy blue eyes. Just like in his dream.

He gulped, turning himself back to Eren and Mikasa, hoping they hadn’t noticed anything. Eren had been too busy scrolling through the chapter, cursing as he tried to find some vocabulary word. He looked at Mikasa, dismayed to discover that she too, had been watching him with a thoughtful expression.

“W…what?” he asked guiltily at her, his face turning red.

“Nothing.” She replied innocently, turning back to her book. But Armin got a foreboding feeling that she was catching on to him.

***

Armin couldn’t help it, but his eyes kept going towards Annie during the classes they had together. It was hard to do it sneakily when he was seated in front of her, but in P.E where there was movement, he would often steal glances, sometimes making him lose track of reality. In fact, during a softball game, he had been too busy paying attention to Annie in another field, that it prompted Keith Shadis to yell at him that he was running through the bases the wrong way after batting.

By the time school had ended, Armin’s head was so mixed with thoughts of Annie, that he hadn’t been watching where he was going, and bumping into a large wall.

“Ow, what the-”

His voice died in his throat as he realized the “wall” he had run into was the bulky muscular body of Reiner Braun, the quarterback.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t lil’ Coconut Head himself!”

“I-I’m sorry for b…bumping into you…I’ll just leave and-” he squeaked, unable to finish his sentence as a smirking Reiner put out a hand to stop him.

“Reiner be careful, teachers might be watching…” said Bertolt weakly.

“Don’t worry Bert, they’re probably still in class, and anyway, I don’t think anybody’ll notice a nerd like him” Reiner said. Then, noticing Armin was struggling, he guffawed. “What’s wrong, nerd? The library’s the other way, but don’t worry-I’ll help you get there faster!” he grabbed Armin’s hand, ready to throw him to who knows where.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” asked a cold icy voice.

Armin and his two captors whipped their heads in the direction to find Annie leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with an annoyed and slightly angry expression on her face. Armin’s heart sank as the person he had been thinking about had made an appearance. Why did she have to come here now of all places? He felt Reiner release hisharsh gripon his shirt collar, but didn’t let go.

“Hey Annie…” said Bertolt weakly, looking nervous which was a bit funny considering he was nearly five heads taller than her. Annie ignored him, walking straight for Reiner and him.

“You’re just in time Annie! How ‘bout we give the nerd an exclusive tour of the closet while we’re at it?” he snigg*red. Annie to his surprise, didn't look amused in the slightest, with a glare that was capable of making a grown man run in the opposite direction.

“Take your hands off him” she snapped, as he felt her grab on to his arm and the back of his shirt firmly, but not painfully. Reiner immediately released his hold, even stepping back a bit to be near a sweaty Bertolt.

“What’s wrong?’ he asked innocently, “I thought we were going to have some fun with the nerd!”

“Well, that ‘nerd' just so happens to be my tutor, so I’d appreciate it if you keep your hands off him or you’ll regret it. Go pick on some other nerd. Not this one.” Armin felt himself jostled forward as Annie marched him away from the scene. But she didn’t release her grip on him as they walked through the hallway, and he didn’t try to fidget away. Had she just saved him from a potential beat up session? He felt immensely relieved and grateful-but where was she taking him? And most importantly, why had she helped him?

“A-Annie, where are we-”

“Quiet!” was all she snapped at him as she led him forward....towards the closet.

He was pushed into the dark, but a quick flick to the light from her changed that. He turned around to see the door slam shut and simultaneously felt Annie pin him against the wall again; though, this time lacking the usual force she had done from all those other times when she bullied him.

Oh no, she’s going to hit me! She’s going to hit me in the face, and this time my grandpa won’t believe me if I’ll tell him I fell down the steps again! was all he could think about as he tightened his eyes shut, head turned, waiting for the blow to fall…

"Oi, what are you doing?”

Armin opened his eyes slowlyto seeher looking at him with confusion and just a hint of annoyance

“J…just get it over with” he sighed, bracing himself against the wall for impact. She looked at him in confusion for a moment, before scoffing, releasingthe grip only slightly from his collar so it rested on his collarbone.

“I’m not going to hit you, stupid."

He looked up at this. “You’re n…not?"

"If I wanted you to get hurt, I would’ve left you with Reiner back there. No...you and I need to have a little chat about today.”

"Chat about what?” he asked apprehensively.

“About the fact that you seem to be watching me through class time.”

Armin swallowed. “Err…what do you mean?”

“Don’t get cute with me! You think I haven’t noticed you staring at me when you think I’m not watching? And you have to be an idiot to think that I didn’t catch you make that stupid blunder during P.E while watching me run.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry” he said, embarrassed. He blinked his eyes,almost as if unsure he was dreaming. Annie had just saved him from Reiner, and now she had been aware that he had been secretly watching her during all their class periods together? The thought made his ears turn red.

Annie, noticing how it was making him look red,gave a smirk. “What’s wrong, Arlert? Since when did you start looking at me with those eyes?”

Armin couldn’t understand why he was suddenly feeling hot and bothered. Not really scared, as if expecting to be beat up, buta sort of shy feeling like he was up against a crowd.This was Annie, the person he should be scared of, so what was it that made him feel so weird?

What’s wrong, Arlert...?

His stomach did a turn as he remembered that exact same phrase whispered to him in his dream.

It had suddenly occurred to both of them how close they were here in the closet. Armin could feel himself turn redder by the second as his back was up against the wall. He had been shoved into the closet multiple times and none too happy with it since it guaranteed him suffering from bruises on his arms and legs. But what was the deal with right now? He should have felt fear instantly the moment she had shoved him in, but he was beginning to feel something he hadn’t felt before. He became all too aware of his heart thumping through his chest as he saw the girl before him, now with her eyes narrowed as she regarded him carefully.

Her lemon colored hair bangs seemed to accentuate her angular face and Roman nose as well as her eyes, which were narrowed as they stared each other down. It was just like in his dream. The one where she had been touching him…

sh*t! Now’s not the time to be thinking of this! He screamed inside his head. The last thing he wanted, was to get turned on thinking of thoughts of her hands stroking his torso and…

No! Stop! She’s right here, she’s going to notice something!

Annie meanwhile had her eyes narrowed at the blond whose back was up against the wall as she held him there. She would have mistaken his expression for one of fear except that something looked…off. Her hand was still on his shirt collar, and even through the clothing she could feel what felt like a thumping in his chest.

His heart was beating.

His heart was beating just like hers.

If anybody to this day would have asked Annie why she had done it, she wouldn’t have been able to answer to the fact that now the hand that she was using to grasp his shirt collar was now sinking to experimentallyplace it directly above his heart.

“W…what?” sputtered the nerd before her, nonplussed. She could see his expression as he stared at her, then at her hand, then back again to her, blush further forming on his soft cheeks which she thought out of the blue, was suddenly very cute. Armin may not have looked muscular like Reiner or held some kind of devilish appearance like Jean, but Armin had an attractiveness all to his own which made him different from all the rest. Like a certain fresh quality to him that was untainted with the thoughts and actions of other teenagers. As soon as she thought of that, she distinctly wondered why she was thinking that here, now of all things.

“A…Annie please-I’m s…sorry” Armin struggled, now looking more and more agitated.

Her eyes which had been on his chest, shot straight up at his face from the tone of his voice. There was something funny going on here. The boy looked troubled about something. But she hadn’t done anything to him! Her hand was still on his chest, and nothing made her more confused within herself than for the fact that she had begun to absentmindedly rub her fingers through his shirt.

“Ah...s…stop Annie!” she heard a throaty gasp.

She froze. What had she done? Through all her time bullying him, never had he pleaded with her like this. Except…he didn’t sound like he was hurt- she had only skimmed her fingers around his front That hardly qualified as inflicting pain, so what was it?

A part of her was curious to try it again. She repeated her action, only this time, finding her hand going lower to his stomach. The effect was immediate and had him flinching.

“A- A-Annie- s…s…stop! T- this is- isn’t f- fair- Ah!” he moaned, biting his lip.

Wait. Had she just heard him...moan? She froze, gauging his appearance. His chest was slightly heaving, like he was trying to compose himself after exercise. She looked at him, expecting to see pain in his eyes, but what she found instead was the look of someone who appeared to be enjoying something against their will. He was also fidgeting a bit- almost like trying to keep himself from nudging against her.

Armin struggled against her grip, now scared for an entirely different reason than to get beat up. Why the hell was he feeling all these sensations? He could also feel a sensation in his gut as well.

No! Stop! What are you doing? He found himself pleading. But to who he was pleading, he had no clue. Blood rushed to his head as he felt it rush to other regions as well, against his own will.

Annie had perhaps realized that she was now witnessing the nerd in his most vulnerable position. She saw him bite his pink lip, the motion brought her eyes to it instantly. For a boy the same age as her, and the same age as Reiner, he looked to have remarkably soft lips. Not too large, not too small. What would those lips feel like? She wondered.

And then, an even daring question: what would those lips feel like on another’s? She found herself inching forwards, the hand on his chest now migrating upwards to grab his collar to bring his face down. His eyes shot open from the movement and she found a pair of blue eyes looking straight into hers, wide and fearful, but perhaps for a different reason.

He didn’t pull away. It was almost like some invisible hand were keeping him frozen in that position. They were face-to -face now, inches apart from each other. She was so close, he could see the individual irises and magnified details on her skin. Were those barely noticeable freckles on her cheeks or was it the light? He found he couldn’t care less as she inched forward, her eyes holding just as much trepidation at the scenario…

He knew what was coming, but it still socked him the moment he felt her lips meet his own. A pair of lips that were strangely soft and were moving against him.

Annie had no clue what she was doing as she pressed her lips against the boy’s. She had no idea how to initiate a kiss nor what to do once they met their mark but it dully registered with her that while she had been pressing her lips against the soft boy’s ones, not only did she feel the motion of his lips register her own, but he was kissing back.

He was kissing her back!

If somebody had told Armin that in a week’s time he would be in the closet kissing Annie Leonhardt of all people, he would have told them they were probably drunk or needed to visit a mental asylum. Her mouth was hot against his, but now, as he found himself leaning in to the kiss, he forgot all and everything he was supposed to be doing as well as what he was doing could have been a big mistake.

sh*t

Oh no.

Amidall thekissing, he could feel a painful sensation in his lower regions he had forgotten about. He could feelthe rush of bloodmaking his pants tighten painfully and he groaned. Why had he suddenly felt that here, of all places? What was he going to do?

He needed to get out of here before she could notice. Had she noticed? He thought fearfully. The thought of her looking down and seeing how much it was affecting him would be torture. She would get disgusted, maybe even beat him up because of it…

His mind wildly made the decision for him. He tore himself away from her soft warm lips, nearly shoving her sideways in the process as he sped out the door, praying that there was a bathroom, a faculty one, or for a handicapped one- anything where there would be privacy so he could deal it out in peace. His heart was nearly in his throat as he hoped against hope that she hadn’t caught on or decided to chase after him…

She stumbled backwards and was just barely regaining his footing when she realized that the nerd before her had sped out the closet door. He had run from her.

He had pushed her away and run out the door away from her. All of a sudden, the air around her felt cold. She felt icy cold as she realized that she had been making out with the nerd.

She had been making out. Here,in the closet, with Armin Arlert, the blond nerd.

And he had rejected her.

What had she been thinking? Why had she been kissing him? How the hell had she gone to pinning him against the wall and threatening him, to kissing?

He probably hated her now. He was probably going to tell his friends, no doubt. She could feel the icy coldness around her envelope her at the thought.

But what made her feel distressed and broken wasn’t the fact that she had let her guard down, or the fact that there was a possibility of others knowing. It was the fact that he had run from her. He had probably felt disgusted with her.

For the first time ever since she had made his life hell in school, now she knew what it felt like to be the victim.

Chapter 12: Movie Night!

Chapter Text

He dove into the first bathroom he saw out in the hallway that was far enough away, not caring if there were people in it. Luckily, it would be practically empty since this was after school.

He chose the largest stall at the far end and bolted the door shut, heart still pounding heavily in his chest. But he hardly cared about that except for the fact that right now he had a bigger problem to deal with.

He yanked the button out of his jeans, releasing the confines where his noticeable bulge was present and got to work all the more thinking of the feeling of Annie’s lips against his own. A warm wet softness sliding against his own lips as a pair of hands stroked him to completion. He tried to imagine her in the dream doing that to him- pressing against him, a fiery sensation on his back as she embraced him, naked skin against his own…

When he presently came did the magnitude of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. He had jacked off in the boy’s restroom. To thoughts of her, Annie Leonhardt. The Ice Queen of St. Maria High herself.

He was overcome with a feeling of deep shame and reached over to rip a large wad of toilet paper to clean himself up before adjusting his pants on.

When he finally had the courage to open the boy’s locker room and look at his shame-faced expression in the sink, he felt a notification in his pants pocket. He dried his hands before reaching in and seeing that it was Eren.

Eren: Hey, are you done with Astronomy club?

He hastened to text back, hoping that he didn’t act suspicious.

Armin: Yea, wats up?

Eren: Remember? Movie nite! Wat movie should we c?

Oh yeah. He had almost forgotten. How could he be so stupid as to forget it was a Friday?

Armin: oh sry I forgot. What movie were u guys gonna see?

Eren: Mikasa said they all look like crap, but she saw the trailer for this one movie called Ghost in the Shell and now she wants to see it badly.

Armin: im so so so sorry eren for forgetting!! Dx just came back from club

Eren: what r u apologizing for? no worries bro, u been working too hard and it shows! ;]

Armin: sry 4 forgetting anyway. Where r u guys at?

Eren: we’re at home right now. Mika wanted to eat something and check the movie times when it starts. Come to our house after you leave skool!! Mom got us some snacks for movies including the Swedish fish that u like.

Armin: Your mom is amazing. Tell her that :)

Eren: I’ll make sure

Armin felt a rush of affection for his friends. He truly was grateful for their company as he walked down the steps leaving school, hoping to rid the memory of what happened before. Right now, a movie sounded like the best remedy.

***

It turned out, the nerd had left his backpack in the closet.

She had been standing inside the closet for a while now, and only just noticed his gray satchel which had been dumped on the floor when they had their “conversation” together. She thought it funny how such a smart kid would have forgotten something as important as that, but then again, after what had happened, she couldn’t blame him in the slightest for running away.

She picked it up, immediately annoyed with its weight. Why was it so f*cking heavy? She thought in annoyance. What do I do with it?

She thought of putting it in the lost and found. The Annie she knew from a weak ago would have probably dumped all his stuff around the school or taunted him by throwing it up a tree for him to retrieve it.

But that was the old Annie. Now, whether she liked it or not, she had begun to thin differently about the kid. He had never told on her. He never sent his friends after her (not that they would have scared her), and he hadn’t back down to teach her even after all she had done to him.

It irked her. The boy was a paradox all on its own. He never got into fights, but he had never tried to run away for his own sake. Even when she and Reiner just happened to be present. It bothered her that he always took it, never running away.

She held the backpack at arm’s length, the curlicued scribble of Armin Arlert visible on the side of the bag most likely from a Sharpie. She would have to return it. She couldn’t just leave it here- he had all his homework and books and notes from all his classes. She briefly wondered if she could give it to somebody else. Eren perhaps, but she had no clue if he was even around. And anyway, judging how he was always flanked by his scarf-loving sister, they would be even more suspicious if someone responsible like Armin had left it lying around. Also, she didn’t even know if they would still be around.

She could go to his house and return it. Nobody would have to see her, and she could just walk to his house and drop it off at the doorstep. Maybe ding-dong and ditch before he could realize she was there…

She made up her mind almost instantly. She would bring it to his house and leave before he could see her.

As Annie began the trek to his house, she was beginning to have second thoughts about delivering it. Suppose she were to wait until nightfall to sneak it in?

Come on Annie, don’t be such a puss*. It’s Armin for god’s sake- the kid you used to beat up! Since when have you been scared of him?

She presently approached the familiar blue two-story house, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. The sprinklers were off, no red car was here which meant his grandpa was out, and there seemed to be no sound coming from inside. Her eyes darted up to the window in the second-story floor overlooking the front of the house where she knew his bedroom was. His window appeared to be covered with the blinds which made her puzzled. Either he was sleeping (highly unlikely) or he wasn’t home (most likely).

She placed his backpack on the doorstep carefully before retreating as fast back the walk as she could, not bothering to ding-dong the door.

***

Spotlight was Shiganshina’s most underrated (and cheap) movie theater they’d been to as kids. They charged $5.75 for every other day except for Friday, which they called “five-dollar Fridays” since that was usually the day in which all the students leave school and hang out.

After basketball practice, Eren and Mikasa would go to Armin’s house to play on the Wii or just chill until the time came for them to go to the movies. It was usually Eren’s mom that drove them since they used the excuse that they were too tired to walk. Plus, Mrs. Jaeger didn’t mind.

“Make sure to get the biggest size of popcorn Mika!” called Eren as she left to go wait in line at the lobby.

Mikasa had taken it upon herself to be in charge of the popcorn since they were kids, her motive being that Eren would always end up destroying it with too much saltmaking it impossible to digest and leaving them with three-fourths of a bag full of uneaten popcorn at the end of the show. Another benefit of this was that it also gave her free reign to mix the drinks so that sometimes while they were thirsty from all the popcorn, the taste of Minute Maid, Sierra Mist, and Fanta orange flavor all into one Big Gulp felt delicious on their tongues.

While she was to make the food arrangements, it left Eren and Armin walking into the theater to reserve the seats. Armin would sit on one side and Eren would sit on the other, reserving a seat in the middle, or sometimes they had a jacket on them, which they would place on said seat so nobody could take it. Most importantly, they always made sure to pick the spots that guaranteed them a place in the middle where everything could be seen.

The theater was half packed by the time they went inside, so he and Eren maneuvered through the near darkness guided by the lights on the steps up to the middle of the rows where barely any people were. Most if not all, chose the very highest (those were the romantic couples who would usually start kissing mid-way through the movie) or those on the very bottom (those who wanted to hear better). At the end, it was no big task to find seats, so he and Eren sat themselves comfortably down the empty middle row during the time early previews showed up on screen.

“Thought there’d be more.” Remarked Eren as he glanced around the vicinity. “I mean, the movie just came out yesterday, so I expected it’d still be packed. It’s kinda weird.”

“It is kind of weird,” he agreed. “but then again, this movie doesn’t have IMAX, so I’m guessing they wanted to watch it in a bigger screen and in 3D.”

“Dude, 3D sucks. Remember that time when we watched Spy Kids and exited the theater squinting and blinking at everything outside?”

“Don’t remind me” laughed Armin. “If I recall, I kept rubbing my eyes out while you kept yelling about how horrible the movie was, and Mikasa was complaining of a migraine and wanted to sleep as soon as we got home.”

“Well, at least some people enjoy 3D, 'cause that means we get the perfect seats all to ourselves!”

At that moment, they saw the silhouette of Mikasa appear, laden with two bags of popcorn and Giant Gulp in one hand. Behind her, he could make out seven other familiar silhouettes as well.

"Look who I found in the lobby" said Mikasa.

“Wait, is that-?” began Eren.

Turns out, Historia, Sasha, Ymir, Connie, Jean, Marco, and Mina also had the same idea as them to go to the movies. They were smiling and laughing like one big happy family.

“Fancy seeing you here” smirked Ymir at he and Eren. Historia, clutching Ymir’s arm, waved up to them smiling.

“Oh hey Armin! Are you going to see Ghost in the Shell too?” called out Connie with two bags of popcorn on each arm. Whoever filled the bags of popcorn had either been generous- or inconsiderate of the amount that they piled to the very top. Every time he moved, the popcorn on top would sway dangerously. Every time Connie wasn’t looking, Sasha would snipe a few pieces off and pop them into her mouth.

“Wow, it doesn’t seem to be packed like the other theater!” remarked Mina glancing around.

“Make more room Eren, so we can all fit!” called out an enthusiastic Marco. Several people in the front of the row ahead of them turned back to scowl at the noise of loud teenagers.

“Wait, since when did you guys invite yourselves here?” sputtered Eren indignantly.

“Relax, Eren, it’s not like there’s not a lot of empty spaces” said Mikasa as she made her way back to the seat on the other side of him.

“Yeah, geez Jaeger, d'you own the cinema, or what?” smirked Jean.

“C’mon Eren, it’s fine! The more the merrier, right?” said Armin quickly before his best friend could retort back. He didn’t think he would be able to take it if Jean and Eren started bickering before the movie even started.

“Whatever, just as long as I don’t have to sit next to Horseface.” Muttered Eren, slouching in his seat.

Eren did not have to sit near Horseface, as a matter of fact.Hesat in the middle with Armin on his left and Mikasa on his right. Next to Mikasa sat Jean (who was pleased enough with the seating arrangement that he stayed silent), then came Marco and Mina. On Armin’s side, Ymir took it upon herself to sit next to him (“Honestly, I don’t want to hear Connie and Sasha chomping on popcorn!”) then her girlfriend Historia, and lastly, Connie and Sasha at the end.

Armin looked next to him to discover that Eren was appearing disgruntled and shooting Jean death glares. To further stem his annoyance, Mikasa stuffed some popcorn in his mouth to shut him up, which unfortunately made him spit it out everywhere causing several people to stare.

“Gahh- pfff…what the hell Mikasa?” he sputtered, still choking on corn.

“Eren, don’t be a baby. You’re supposed to be relaxing on movie night” she said calmly turning her attention back on to the screen.

-"How can I relax if you stuff food into my mouth?!"

While Eren was fussing with Mikasa, Armin found himself looking at Ymir who was on her phone. Historia was talking to Connie, explaining something about the previews while Sasha on their other side was joining in with mouthfuls of popcorn. Ymir on the other hand, appeared to be frowning and texting nonstop, but she looked up once she caught him staring at her.

“What? Got a problem? Are you gonna be one of those guys that tells me to stop texting and enjoy the movie?”

“What? - No! I just was looking. It’s not a problem- sorry if I was staring.” He said, abashed as he turned away to face the front. But to his surprise, Ymir only cackled.

“Ha, you know I’m only f*cking around. I know you wouldn’t be that kind of person. Actually, I couldn’t care less really. Just been texting Bertoldt.”

“Oh, I see” he said politely, feeling a bit apprehensive, hearing one of his bully's sidekick.

“Yeah, he and Reiner just got out of football practice and were heading over to his house. Reiner’s parents aren’t home, so they’re probably going at it in his own room” she joked.

“Oh,” was all he could say. He had danced around the thought for a while that he and Reiner might possibly be a thing since the beginning of freshman year, but he had had no evidence to back it up. And also how could he, since his only relationship with them involved being their piñata?

“Yeah, I remember when they got together in sophom*ore year. Reiner had asked Bert in the locker room- or was it Bert? - Anyway, it was all sappy.”

Arminmade a non-committal noisein response, turning to the front and now distantly watching an ad about Home Depot. He didn’t really care to know about his other bully and his sidekick’s love life to be honest. So while Ymir went on with the details as she absentmindedly played a game, Armin only remembered to nod his head or mumble an affirmation at the right moments or when silence ensued. But he wasn’t prepared for the next line of conversation that brought him back to reality.

“…and so, they went to Annie’s house, but didn’t realize that her mom had left her dad at the time-

“What?” he blurted out, suddenly fully alert as he tore his gaze at the screen to stare at her.

“- Yeah, I know, right?” said Ymir, continuing as though nothing happened. “…and so she didn’t want to make it to their party after everything that went on.”

“Wait- what did you say before? Did you say Annie’s mom left her dad?”

“Yes Armin, that’s what I said” said Ymir testily.

“But…why?” he asked before he could stop himself.

“You weren’t really there, were you? - oh wait, we weren’t even classmates at the time! Anyway, it happened in grade school. Supposedly (according to Bert), Annie confided to him that her mother left cause she didn’t want anything to do with her father. Said he was too controlling.”

“What?”

“Yeah, he was always a bit weird- always telling Annie she couldn’t play unless she finished her Judo practice.”she explained.

All Armin could ever do, was wordlessly stare at her as she continued. He was no longer paying attention to the screen, but directly at her now, mouth slightly open in shock.

“Then both of them started yelling at each other and she got all scared, so her mom finally threw his stuff down the stairs and told him to leave. Then there was more yelling and it would have continued on too, if the neighbors hadn’t threatened to issue a complaint.”

Ymir gave a groan as the game she was playing gave her a game over sequence. She put her phone away and reached into her bag to take out a piece of Orbitz bubblegum.

“Wait…so…Annie lives with her father now?” he said after a stunned silence.

“Yeah” she muttered, popping the Orbitz in her mouth and chewing. Her eyes seemed to darken as though recalling some distant memory. “I remember when he met Historia and I, he told us that we were gross and deserved to go to hell. After that, we stopped coming by. Have to admit actually, I didn’t really talk to Annie after that cause she started being all weird and antisocial after that. Though, I think she stopped caring what other people felt about her.”

At this point the lights had slowly dimmed, putting them into near darkness as the advertisem*nts came to an end.

“Here Armin, you want one?” asked Ymir’s voice, extending the Orbitz packet towards him.

“Err, no thanks, thanks for asking.” He politely declined. Beside him, Eren caught his eye and so did Mikasa on his other side, both giving a thumbs-up and excited look at the prospect of seeing the movie. He faintly returned one, hoping the darkness could conceal his shock at the information he heard earlier.

So Annie lived with her dad. Her mother had divorced her dad because of issues concerning authority and had had enough. He tried to imagine the Annie he remembered distantly in grade school, huddled in the corner clutching a teddy bear as her parents fought on throughout the night. Now that he recalled, Annie had always been antisocial up until high school.

Armin hardly paid attention when the movie was playing, and was only ever jostled by Eren either pointing some special effect on the screen or helping himself to one of the Swedish fish bags they had smuggled in. All he could think about, was the conversation regarding Annie's parents. He looked to the side to see her and Historia both leaning on each other’s shoulders. Connie and Sasha had left to get more popcorn and use the restroom (probably from all the soda), so he turned his head as far as he could to see Eren’s other side.

Eren had left his popcorn portion to Mikasa who then offered some to Jean. Whenever Mikasa’s hand dove absentmindedly into the container, Jean would suddenly feel the need to take some, in hopes that they could "accidentally" touch hands. Luckily, Eren as too busy watching the movie or whispering to him occasionally to notice.

He peeked further on and saw Marco, but he wasn’treally looking at the movie. He craned his neck further, pretending he was adjusting his seat, and was surprised to see Marco facing Mina. They looked like they were whispering to each other, but through the white blare of the screen on his freckled face, he could have sworn it looked like he was blushing.

The movie finally ended, but Armin hardly took notice as he followed his friends out into the lobby where they were still talking about the movie.

“I don’t get it, so did the bad guy in the beginning die?” asked Eren for the fourth time after nobody had bothered to answer.

“No Eren, he fused part of his brain into Scarlett Johansson” replied Mikasa. He was grateful for her intervention, because if Eren would have asked him, he wouldn’t have been able to reply. True, the movie did look fantastic, and he got the gist of it, but he found himself unable to pay close attention when all he thought about was Annie’s home life.

Now I’m REALLY out of my mind, just like the characters in the movie he thought sagely.

“Hey, Mina, I really enjoyed the movie you recommended” said Marco brightly.

“Oh well, I’m glad you enjoyed it- it was totally worth seeing it” she said, trying to hide a bashful smile.

“I thought the special effects were cool” said Connie in awe. “Just think of the amount of budget that went into making it!” Sasha nodded in agreement: “Apparently it was based off a manga by this Japanese manga artist”

“Well, that was fun guys, glad we could all hang out, even though it wasn’t…well…expected.” Said Historia sweetly. “Me and Ymir need to actually go home. I don’t want our parents worrying.” She grasped Ymir’s hand who heartily took it.

“Well, me and Sasha were going to go to GameStop,” said Connie.

“Yeah, me and Jean were also going to leave. Oh- do you have a ride, Mina? If not, you can ride with me and Jean" said Marco.

“I…I haven’t called yet, but I’m sure they’ll let me go with you guys If I'll ask them” she said. Armin briefly wondered if she and Marco had already confessed, becausethey had certainly been acting friendly towards each other.

“I have to get home actually. Gramps might be home” said Armin, hoping to bring their conversation to an end.

“Well, Mikasa, Armin, and I will be going, so we’ll catch you later at school!” said Eren as he waved the group off. Mrs. Jaeger had arrived in her silver Town and Country van and was now parked near the entrance.

“How ‘bout it Armin? You want us to drop you off at your house?”

It wasn’t long before they reached Armin’s house. He found his grandpa’s red SUV parked, so he didn’t bother to take out his keys, instead thanking Mrs. Jaeger for the ride and descending the vehicle.

“See you tomorrow or later!” called Eren. He waved back at them and they sped off into the night, the honeycomb lights fading out as they turned a corner out of sight.

“Hello Armin, how was the movie?” called his Grandpa opening the door. The TV was turned on which meant he had been sitting down watching for some time.

“Oh, it was great, we had a good time” he smiled, taking off his shoes to go upstairs as his grandpa sat back down to resume watching his show. He couldn't wait to get to his room to think about what he had found out today.

"Oh, and Armin- make sure you don’t forget to put your backpack inside next time!” hecalled from the living room.

“What do you mean?” he asked confused, one step on the stairway as he halted.

“Your backpack just happened to be outside right in the doorstep. I nearly tripped over it, but I managed to put it in your room.”

Wait, WHAT?

After calling out a hasty thank-you from the stairs, he sped through the stairs two at a time and opened his bedroom door.

His backpack was sure enough lying on his bed, but that wasn’t what got him. He had left his backpack at school. And not just anywhere, but in the closet.

He hesitantly approached it to see if it held any damage. Nope, it was in the exact same condition.

All his belongings were inside just as he had left it.

Left it…

In the closet…

He almost gasped. Annie had brought his backpack. She had gone to his house to drop it off while he had been at Eren and Mikasa’s. Even after what had happened, she still had the decency to give it to him after everything.

He had a surge of remorse take over him as he thought of what had happened only hours ago. She was probably angry at him.

And yet she still returned it to you said a voice in his head. She’s not as bad as you originally thought she was.

He needed to apologize- and thank her.

He lay awake later that night staring up at his decorated star- streaked ceiling as he kept thinking up imaginary scenarios of confronting her and apologizing for running away. He wassuch an idiotic cowardto leave his backpack for her to handle. He thought of what Ymir had divulged about her family history, and felt an even greater wave of remorse as he thought of the Annie in grade school having to endure that.

He was going to talk to her tomorrow. He knew where she lived. He’d find the landlady or landlord or whoever, so he could ask for her apartment number and apologize to her in person. He fell asleep, looking at the stars over him, thinking how similar they looked to Annie’s skin as the light hit it in just the right way…

Chapter 13: A Trip to the Principal...Making Amends

Chapter Text

Armin soon found himself at the foot of the apartment buildings where they had dropped Annie off. He hesitantly approached the doors to the lobby, heart pounding in his chest.

He wanted to turn back. He really did, as he had a feeling this whole idea wasn't the brightest considering what happened before. But his feet moved him forward as if he had no control and in the back of his mind there was the notion that he came this far and might as well make it through.

Approaching the entrance, he noticed a sign on the right hand-side labeled ‘Directories’. He scanned the names listed, intent on finding her last name.

Azumabito…Freemont…Grice…Lennox…Leonhardt

Leonhardt………….Rm 45

Even if he were to ring their door, would there still be a chance she’d listen to him?

Why the hell am I here?

How was he even supposed to get into the building without consent? It had a keycard-accessible door, which would make it impossible to get in. And suppose he did manage to make it up to their room, then what? He now seemed aware of how naïve he’d been thinking. Was he going to ring their door and ask for Annie? What was he going to say?

What if she doesn’t evenWANT to talk to me? He suddenly thought.

“Is your mom or dad not answering?”

Armin was jarred from his thoughts as he whipped around to see a young boy looking curiously. He looked to be about six years old, scruffy brown hair, an upper tooth missing along his mouth, and clutching a G.I Joe action doll.

“Err…what?” he said, confused.

“Is the machine broken?” the small boy asked, clearly oblivious that he'd caught him trying to look for a way in. “Cause sometimes daddy complains that it breaks and he has to go with the landlord to fix it.” He must have been talking about the intercom, thought Armin. An idea formed in his mind. He tried his best to make his face appear disheartened and embarrassed.

“Well, actually, I’m a relative that’s visiting a family, but they don’t know who I am.” He invented. For good measure, he put a finger to his lips as though he was telling a secret. “I have a problem actually. See, it’s my uncle’s birthday today but he doesn’t know that I’m here. I don't want to tell him I'm coming up because I want to surprise him.” He sighed for good measure and put a sad face, hoping this would look convincing enough.

Were seven years-olds smart enough to realize a lie? He thought curiously. Well, my grandpa always told me I was too smart to fool…

But to his immense relief, the boy gave a toothless smile clapping his hands a bit. “It’s okay, I can help you! Me and my family live in the building, so I can open the door for you!”

Inside, Armin was brimming with relief. “You can?”

“Sure, I just need to call my mom, but don’t worry- I won’t tell her that you’re coming up!” The boy pressed one of the buttons by the directory where a name was, then waited. Armin simply stood there, feeling nervous and giddy all at once.

"Jaime, is that you?” came a woman’s voice through the intercom. She looked like she was struggling with something, and Armin could distantly hear a baby crying in the background.

“Yeah mommy, can you let me up? I have to use the potty!”

“Jaime, how many times have I told you to go to the bathroom before playing? Oh well, fine, be careful on your way up- Alphie spilled some soup in the kitchen!”

The door ahead of them suddenly buzzed like it was activated, but the kid strode forward to open it, smile still apparent on his face. Armin followed close behind him, hardly daring to believe his luck.

Either I’m not such a bad liar, or this kid is incredibly naïve. With another spark of inspiration, he reached into his pocket and fished out two dollars, handing it to Jaime.

“Here, I want to give you something after helping me. I’m very grateful that I met you.” He said with a smile as he handed the money over. The kid, seeing the money- perhaps more money than he had ever held, gleefully took it, smiling happily and throwing an arm around him.

“Thank you, mister, do you need any more help?” he asked imploringly, hoping for more cash.

Such a sweet kid. “No, I don’t, but thank you for helping me!”

“You’re welcome!” called the kid, giving him one last wave before disappearing inside an elevator.

Torn between guilt but also relief, he continued on his way, walking down the unfamiliar halls of the yellow faded building. He found a small map indicating which numbers appeared in what floor.

If it’s 45, then that means it has to be in the fourth floor. He found an elevator and got in, looking at his reflection through the mirror and wondering if perhaps he was taking a big leap of faith coming here unannounced.

The moment the doors opened, he spotted it. On the right side he could see the black engraving on the door, marking the numbers 45. He gulped, taking a step forwards, looking around in hopes that nobody was hearing, then gave the door three consecutive knocks.

He couldn’t hear any sounds from the door he just knocked, but there were other sounds throughout the hallway but he hardly paid attention as his heart was pounding in his ears as he waited tentatively...

He expected to see Annie once the door had finally creaked open just a smidge. However, the gap showed the head of a middle-aged man with a short stubble. He had short blond hair combed back from his face and cautious brown eyes. If it wasn’t for the fact that he had the same recognizable shade of blond hair as Annie, he would never have assumed he was her father.

“Who are you?” he spoke, looking him up and down.

Armin found himself stumbling over his words. “Oh Uh..hello. I…uh..I’m a classmate and friend of Annie’s. Are you Mr. Leonhardt?”

The man regarded him for a moment, then eyes squinting, said, “That is correct. You- you’re not Reiner. Who are you?”

“Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Armin. I was wondering Mr. Leonhardt, is she available?”

Instead of answering, the man looked at him in even more suspicion. “Annie never told me that she had other people aside from Reiner and Bertoldt. Why are you here?” he demanded, now standing up straighter, but still holding the door at a crack. “Are you friends with those idiots, too?”

“N…No, I don’t know them,” he lied. “I just came over to see if Annie was home so I could talk to her-”

“-Well, Annie isn’t home, so I’m sorry that you came all this way here only to know that.” he interrupted, squinting at him still distrustfully.

Armin took in the man’s appearance, noting that through the small crack, the man’s shirt collar was disheveled and there was a noticeable smell that reeked of something alcoholic. Upon looking closer at the man’s eyes, he noticed they appeared to be rimmed- like he had been drinking.

“B…but it’s morning, couldn’t there be some way of contacting her so-

“What’s the matter boy? I told you she isn’t here, now go on, get!” the man raised his voice, gesturing him to leave. “My daughter doesn’t hang out with the likes of you!” without further ado, the door was slammed shut, leaving him standing in the hallway. Inside, he could hear the man cursing as he moved away.

Armin simply stood there, rooted to the spot, staring hopelessly at the door before his feet could finally decide to walk again.

Just like Ymir had said, Mr. Leonhardt did not seem to be a person to rationalize with. Ymir had said yesterday at the movies that he was a weird guy and been controlling, but he had only taken it with a grain of salt thinking Ymir had been exaggerating. But now, he saw that he was every bit of descriptive as she'd said.

The man clearly looked like he wasn’t himself as it was obvious he was a heavy drinker. Armin was willing to bet that Annie might've even been home.

He rode the elevator back unto the lobby in low spirits and more questions than answers as he exited the building.

He would have to confront her at school tomorrow. To apologize and explain. Maybe not explain everything, since he wasn't sure he could, but find some even ground between them to communicate the previous events.

As Annie hastily ate her breakfast on a Monday morning, her father appeared at the doorway, tie in hand and getting his briefcase. She usually expected her father to leave right around the time she was eating, but now there was something different about him. Whatever it was, he was looking at her through narrowed eyes.

Taking a bite of her measly corn pops, she was startled to see him take a seat at the table in front of her. She stopped mid-swallow to look at him.

“Annie, would you happen to have any other friends besides those two idiots you hang out with?” he asked slowly. He seemed to be carefully regarding her.

“N…no” she said slowly watching for any signs that he was angry.

He looked at her through narrowed eyes for a moment before he continued. “Well, there was a boy who came to see you, claiming that he was a friend of yours.”

Annie stared. “What?”

“He was some blond kid with a stupid little haircut.”

Wait.

“Did he say what his name was?” she asked with a growing sense of foreboding. Was he who she thought he was? There was only one kid with a distinguishable blond haircut…

“I think it was Arthur- no, Arvin- no…I can’t remember, it was some kind of stupid name.”

Annie nearly chocked on her corn pops. Armin had come here?

“Is that it? What did he want?” asked Annie as she fought her voice to remain calm.

“He said he wanted to speak to you. He gave me his name, but I couldn’t remember what it was. Anyway, he kept insisting on talking to you. That’s all I found from him.”

“No, I don’t know who he is” she said calmly. That meant she must have been asleep when it happened. Her father had answered the door instead and told him to go away. She clenched her fist, not knowing who she was angry at.

Her mind was brimming with thoughts of the boy coming to her door and speaking with her father. If only she was there to answer, she might have been able to realize why he had come to see her.

Presently, her father left, issuing a warning about strangers, though Annie gritted her teeth hearing his crazy talk. She was going to confront the nerd and demand answers from him today at school.

***

Things never had a way of working out with Annie at all. When the bell rang, Annie had gotten into her period 1 English class with professor Ackerman, but found her path blocked by the man himself.

To her surprise, he held out a pink slip. “You’re wanted at the principal’s office this hour” he droned. “Apparently Erwin Smith needs to have a talk with you.”

Her insides dissolved a bit, hearing that. What had she done this time? Was she in trouble for skipping class that one time? Had Armin or one of his friends told on her from that one time in the closet? That last thought seemed to hurt the most. The thought of Armin telling on her seemed to tug at her heartstrings.

“What is it about?” she asked nervously.

“I don’t know, but I suggest you go to the office to find out.” He drawled, turning away to start the lesson.

As Annie made her way out the door while the class still was still arriving, her eyes caught unto Armin, who was sitting next to his friends. He wasn’t talking to them, but his gaze was directed right at her. His eyes looked concerned, almost worried. Without another glance, she made her way out the door and towards the direction of the office, preparing for the worst.

When she arrived, the attendants flitting in and out of the office rooms hardly seemed to notice her. Except for a woman with teased hair that spared only a single glance at her note before directhering her to a seat right outside said office which appeared to look the largest at the end of the hallway. It was labeled Erwin Smith- St. Maria High Principal adding to her anxiety that whatever she was being called for, seemed to be important enough to warrant a talk with the head of the school. She could hear voices coming from the office, but she neither cared nor paid attention to it. Her heart was pounding out of her chest, and she found her eyes looking towards the opposite door she came as if it could somehow beckon her to safety…

Then, the door finally opened and out came a man with a face like Santa Claus whom she recognized as Daris Zackley- vice principal of St. Maria. He hardly spared her a second glance as he carried some papers and made his way down the hallway and into another office.

“Oh, I see you must be Annie Leonhardt, correct?”

Erwin Smith, with blond hair and an undercut style with large eyebrows gave her a short smile, and she found herself immediately going in his office. She had never been in it before, but the closest thing she could relate it to, as the office of a jury official. There were bookshelves on each side of the room, filled with books of all kinds, though what kinds, she didn’t know. His wooden desk shone, clean of any dust or debris- like the kind you would expect to see in an office building on Wall Street, except with a little less modernity. Behind him, numerous awards, including a prestigious one entitled Distinguished Award for the 34th Expedition of Child Educational Development were behind him.

On his desk held his placard with the name Erwin J. Smith shining in gold lettering like some kind of warning. On his desk there was a file, and with a jolt, she realized it was a file with her name on it.

“Glad you came. Take a seat, please.” He said, beckoning to the chair opposite him. She sat down rather stiffly, feeling like some kind of person awaiting a death sentence. “Would you like some?” asked the blond man in front of her, motioning towards a small jar containing some intricate cookies.

“N…no thanks sir.” She said politely.

“It seems Zackley’s wife had made him some cookies to distribute to the rest of the people at work, so he gave some to every one.” He explained, a small friendly smile on his face. Annie didn’t know what to say, so she gave a small nod, wondering why Mr. Smith wasn’t already suspending her.

“I’ve recently talked with your counselor, and she has told me the progress of your classes.”

Annie could feel a tightening in her chest forming as well as a little relief. So this wasn’t about what happened last week.

“Miss Leonhardt, it has come to the attention of your counselor and teachers that you are behind in class.”

“I know that.” She found herself blurting out. She wanted to get out of this office as soon as possible. She could already feel the walls around his office start to close around her, dragging her down an abyss.

Mr. Smith regarded her carefully with his cold blue eyes. “You were aware of that I presume, so Mrs. Traute Carven has asked me to recommend certain notions for your improvement."

“And what are those recommendations…sir” she added hastily at the end.

“One: You start dedicating more time and effort to your classes- studying hard, and putting your best foot forward. And two: Get help from fellow tutors.”

Upon hearing the word tutor, she immediately thought of Armin, smiling, helping her study Hange Zoe’s notes and deciphering the meaningless drabble of Pixis’s AP government notes.

“I actually am receiving help from a tutor” She answered.

Erwin’s eyebrows raised in polite interest. “Ah, I see. From whom?”

She almost didn’t want to answer, but found herself anyway. “Armin Arlert."

She could tell Erwin’s high opinion of the boy with the way he slightly nodded his head and the corner of his mouth curled upwards into a smile. “Ah yes, he is indeed an exceptional student- perhaps the best one we’ve had in decades and is certainly on the running for Valedictorian.”

“Y...yes. He is tutoring me every other day after school.” She found her voice small.

“Well, it seems you are indeed receiving much help from him, I gather?” he added, smile still playing at the corner of his lips.

“Yes sir. He’s been a big help.” She said truthfully.

“Well then, Miss Leonhardt, it appears there is nothing more to be said with this meeting. I hope you stay on the path of productivity as you and Mr. Arlert work at it. But be warned: should you continue to fail, we will have no choice but to withhold your academic record for any future colleges you should want to apply to.”

Her nape seemed to have turned hot at the idea. “No sir, I won’t. I promise that won’t happen.”

“Then I wish you the very best on your tutoring and improvement in classes and hope it does not come down to that.” He finished calmly with a smile in his corner. “You are dismissed, Miss Leonhardt.”

Throughout the rest of the day, Annie couldn’t hear anything except the voice of Mr. Smith’s words echo back to her.

We will have no choice but to withhold your academic record for any future colleges you should want to apply to.

Her heart clenched at the idea of being the only one unable to proceed to senior year because of her grades.

I must work hard she told herself fiercely. I can’t have something as this get the better of me!

***

When school finally came to an end, Annie stood waiting around the corner where she knew the blond would exit from Astronomy club. She peeked around at the sound of the people leaving, spilling out into the hallway. During lunchtime when people had started to depart to study session, she found an opportunity to slip him a note explaining for him to meet her in the hallway after his club. After all, he had wanted to talk to her apparently that Sunday, so she had no doubts he wouldn’t comply. She kept a close eye, eyes darting towards the backs of students to locate the familiar blond hair…

She found him talking with a smiling Mina, and without thinking, she found her fists clenching in disgust. She knew Mina liked Marco from what Armin had told her, but it still made her angry to see her with that blond nerd.

Mina presently left, leaving Armin standing by the water fountain waiting for her at which point she took a deep breath before approaching.

His eyes met hers the moment she detected them filled with regret and something that looked like guilt.

“Glad you followed my note.”

He nodded his head, but didn’t say anything, intently staring at a spot off to the left.

“So uh…” she began, but stopped as he spoke up. “You returned my backpack.”

“Oh…yeah” she said a bit awkwardly. “You left it in the closet.”

She could just detect a wry smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah. I had completely forgotten about it. I went through the whole day not realizing it until my grandpa picked it off the doorstep. I wasn’t even home to begin with, Sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize.”

There was a heavy pause as the pair of them looked at each other, each unable to talk about what had ever occurred in the closet before. “I’m sorry I ran away.” He said, finally speaking up.

“It’s no need. I’m the one that should be apologizing for starting it” she answered. At this, Armin seemed to look very puzzled.

What was she talking about? He thought. She should be disgusted by me!

Annie took a deep breath before continuing. “I…I just wanted to know if…if we could forget about what happened.”

He didn’t say anything, but she could tell he was silently agreeing, so she continued. “I…I got called to go to Principal Erwin’s office because of my grades and-

“So that’s why you left during English class today” he said slowly, as the information dawned on him. “I was worried that you might-

“Wait, you were worried?” she asked in disbelief. Armin, realizing what he said, blinked and looked away.

“I-it’s nothing. It’s just…when I went to visit you yesterday, your dad answered it instead and told me you were out.”

“He’s lying,” she said, turning away to glare at a flyer on the wall. “I never left Sunday.”

“I figured as much, but he still wouldn’t let me talk.”

Armin wondered if he was revealing too much. He already knew about her home life, but he doubted bringing it up would make her happy. He thought to change the subject.

“So…Erwin talked to you about your grades. What else did he say?” he asked curiously.

“I…told him I am- I was being tutored.”

“What do you mean was? I’m still tutoring you, remember?”

Here, Annie looked up in surprise. Was the nerd implying that he was still wanting to help her? “I…I don’t…are you saying-

“Yes” he said, watching her closely. For reasons that should couldn’t explain, his face still held guilt. She wondered why.

“You’re still going to tutor me after everything that happened?” she said, eyes widening slightly.

“Yes.”

A pause.

Then-

“Why?”

“Why what?” he asked.

“Why would you still help me after what I did to you?” she found herself blurting before she could stop herself. She was staring at him with something close to wonder.

Armin couldn’t bring himself to reply. It wasn’t necessarily for the fact that he had been having dreams because of her. It was more than that. There had always been something about Annie that still remained a mystery for him even when she bullied him. When he had learned of her family, something awoke within him which made him see her differently. Yes, she had been a bully, and yes she had caused him pain, but little by little, he had begun to see past that. He was starting to see her less as this untouchable ruthless Ice Queen and more of a lonely regular girl who had a rocky relationship with her parents.

A girl whose parents were flawed. Just like him.

“I…I don’t know.” He said. And he didn’t think he could explain it.

More silence, but after a few seconds, he spoke up. “My club just ended, so...if you want, we can go home to continue the session.”

He turned to leave, expecting her to follow. Annie, still speechless, could only nod. “Armin.”

He turned back, confused “Yeah?”

“I…” she couldn’t find the words. “...yes, I’m coming.” Was all she could say.

But Armin smiled and nodded, as if he understood what she meant.

***

The walk back seemed to have reverted them back to their awkward state as neither of them ended up speaking much. Annie could feel the beginnings of shame pop up as her mind would fly back to the closet incident. Sure, they agreed not to talk about it, but she was curious more than ever as to what had went down there.

When they reached his room and sank to the floor, Armin brought out his government textbook, mumbling about how it was essential to go over the chapter.

While Armin was reading, he couldn’t help but glance back at Annie every now and then. She had her eyes glued to the book, and he noticed the way her profile looked as the light shone through the window.

Whatever had happened in that closet and whatever dreams he of her were slowly starting to get to him. He could feel his cheeks redden at the thought that she had done that to him. How could she kiss somebody like him? Maybe that was why she was feeling awkward- maybe even disgusted because of it. But that thought of her being disgusted by him tugged at his heartstrings in a way he never thought possible. He sincerely hopedshe wasn't disgusted by him. Was she? He tried to get rid of the feeling of a familiar pair of lips against his, but all it did was cause him a sleepless night.

He desperately wanted to talk to her about that time. To understand why she had done it. Maybe find out if she truly thought him as disgusting as she had thought of him when she bullied him…

“Annie, p-please tell me…why did you kiss me?”

He could see her neck tense briefly, but she kept her eyes on her book, as though pretending to read.

“I-I mean…I didn’t tell anyone of our pact but…I just wanted to tell you that…it’s…it’s alright.”Why did he have to feel so awkward?

Again, Annie didn’t answer, eyes glued to the page, forgetting that it was the wrong chapter.

“And…and I just wanted to say that…" Here, Armin held his breath a little, heart pounding in trepidation. "...even though you found me disgusting, even though you probably hated me after, I wanted to say that…you kissing me…it’s alright.”

Annie sat silently, eyes glued on to the page, but Armin's voice was completely dominating her train of thought. Of course he would say something like that, of course he would say it was alright, he was at no fault.

But then, the next words made Annie actually stop reading altogether.

“…a-and I didn’t hate it.” Armin almost whispered, not meeting her eyes.

“WHAT?”

Surprise etched on her face, she stared at him, forgetting that she was supposed to be pretending to read.

“I-I said I didn’t hate it”

Annie could only stare. He didn’t hate it? What? “W…. what are you talking about?” she asked, a bit more curt than she meant to.

Armin felt himself turn pink. He could not believe he was doing this- talking about the closet incident. And not only that, but that she wasn't the only one who was into the kissing.

“You...you didn’t hate it? What are you saying?” she felt something rise up in her chest as though a great weight was being lifted. “Are you saying that-"

“Yes” he ground out, trying to control himself from burying his face in his hands.

-you liked it?” finished Annie over him, now looking at him in disbelief with a slightly open mouth.

Armin finally met her icy blue eyes, conjuring up every ounce of his willpower, too. The eyes he had seen in his dreams before. As Annie looked at him, his face appeared to look pained, as if trying hard to compose himself. “Y…yes, I-I liked it.” He looked away before just barely muttering. “It-it wasn’t a bad kiss.”

There was a silence between the two. Annie felt like her stomach was doing back flips. Out of all the things the nerd had said to her, this was not what she had imagined him to say. He looked like a boy being punished with the way he averted his bright blue eyes to look at the floor instead. His blond hair shone through the sunlight seeping in through the window, as a small draft slightly ruffled it.

“An-anyway, that’s all I want to say.” He turned around as if to go back to reading.

“Wait.”

Armin stopped, reluctantly turning back to meet Annie, who hadn’t moved from the spot. Her eyes weren't meeting his now, and they were off to the side as she mentioned an unexpected sentence that explained her look.

“Did…did you like it when I kissed you?” she said, still not looking at him, concentrated at a spot above his desk.

When he didn’t answer, she placed a hand on his shoulder, then slowly, just so slowly, turned her head towards him, finally looking at him straight in the eye. “Answer the question.” She said, with some hint of desperation.

Armin forced himself to look straight into her blue grey eyes, back to the floor, then slightly nodded.

“Yes.”hemumbled, meaning every bit of what he said. “I-I didn’t think it was bad. I only ran away because I didn’t err- I didn’t want you to see how much it was affecting me. But- but it felt nice.”

He could feel himself turning red as he regarded her pale face, the way her nose made her look sharper, more calculating…

“Do you want another?”

Now it was his turn to look surprised. “What? Do I want another-?”

“Kiss.” And this time, she no longer held shock or surprise. Instead, there wasa certain warmth in her eyes he couldn’t place.

“Are you asking me if I want another kiss?” he inquired slowly. He had to have heard wrong.

“Did I stutter?” a smirk on the corner of her mouth. Something about the look made her seem cute. Almost stimulating.

She watched as the blond nerd before her looked so surprised his mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ shape before closing. He looked so adorable for the two blushes appearing on his cheeks, that it almost compelled her to kiss him.

What is she asking me? Armin thought. Is she out of her mind? Of COURSE I want another kiss! Wait-no Armin, you shouldn’t! You don’t love her! She would probably never reciprocate your feelings!

Aah said another voice inside his head. But you DO like her. It was YOU she kissed in the closet that day. She was the one to initiate it first. Admit it, you have feelings for her!

“Y…yes” Armin said.

“So… you want another kiss? She asked, sly smile widening.

“Yes,” he confessed.

She crepttoward him, closer until only a foot distance was apart from them as they kneeled on the plush carpet. Armin to his own surprise, felt himself slowly approaching her.

They were now so close, nearly lips to lips with each other, but not yet doing anything, just staring at each other as if they were about to do a dare, each frozen with awaited breath.

Well, it kind of is something close to thathe thought ruefully.

Annie watched as he simply stood there, as if waiting for instruction. Close up, she could see the longing in his eyes. They looked the deepest blue from up close, like the same shade as the wall around them that she stared at the orbs, catching her own reflection in them.

She saw him briefly flick a tongue to wet his bottom lip nervously. Like a magnet, she found herself drawn to the motion. Even though the action was unconscious on his part, she felt it was a bit...cute? Like he was trying to prepare for the act. They were so close, he was leaning over, and she could feel her heart pounding in trepidation- or excitement…or was it his heart...?

Annie’s lips felt warmth over the boy’s as he pressed into her. The way their lips slid over one another’s had a wet warmth to it. A foreign feeling. A feeling she had never felt with anybody else except him. While in the closet there was the awkwardness and the confusion, here, there was the feeling of something pure- of something beautiful rise from her chest.

Armin found himself inching even closer as his lips met hers. As he retracted his mouth before diving back in for another, he felt something tickling his cheeks, realizing they were her eyelashes. It registered in him as being strangely intimate, but the lips of the other person distracted him.

When they broke away, she hadn’t realized he'd been hugging her, embracing her as they kneeled on the floor. When they finally broke away, it seemed more than a coincidence they found themselves looking at one another slightly out of breath. Both shocked, but equally parts content.

“How…how was that?” he said after some silence and wondering if it was weird of him to ask her that. He had a weird thought altogether that he'd hoped it was as good for her as it was for him.

Annie formed a crooked smile at the wonderful boy in front of her. “You kiss by the book.”

There was a brief pause with Armin looking blankly for a few seconds, but next moment, laughter spewed out of him, before the other blonde joined in too.

Chapter 14: Staying for Dinner

Chapter Text

“Armin, I’m hooome! Could you help me downstairs please?” came the booming voice of Grandpa Arlert, startling them out of their studying.

Armin gave her a sheepish smile before excusing himself. “Seems Grandpa needs help unloading stuff from the car. I'll be right back.”

“Wait, I’m coming too,” she said, depositing her book and getting up to go towards the doorway.

“Oh, you don’t have to-

“It’s fine, the more the merrier, right?” she said, smirking. Armin formed a small smile as they made their way downstairs, meeting Mr. Arlert.

“Thanks Armin I- oh hello Annie, I didn’t know you were here too!” said the elderly man, beaming at her. “How are you today? Are you and my grandson studying?” there was a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth as he said it. Annie, remembering what he had said about them being boyfriend and girlfriend, forced herself not to blush.

"Yes, Mr. Arlert. We were just going over our biology lesson."

"Oh, you don't have to call me Mr. Arlert, Amos is just fine dear." said Mr. Arlert genially to which he gave a nod and affirmative.

"We've made quite a lot of progress with Hange's class," agreed Armin next to her.

His grandpa needed to unload some computers from the car. The computers were old, worn out, but his grandpa explained that it was not the computer that was valuable, but the parts within it which were important and used in other more modern computers. His job was to take the chips and other mechanisms and use it to adjust and fix other computers. As they helped unload them, she listened as Armin give a brief but enthusiastic description of the process his Grandpa took, perhaps not fully understanding it, but content to listen to him talk.

“Thank you to the both of you.” His grandpa said after they were done, smiling widely at the both of them as he adjusted his reading glasses. “It’s hard taking them down by myself. I’m not as young as I used to be, so Diggory at work helped in the first place putting them in my car.”

“It’s no problem Mr. Arlert, glad to be of help” she said.

“Well, Annie, since it’s about an hour and a half from six, I was wondering if you would be allowed to join us for dinner.” Annie’s eyes widened in surprise. “I mean- if you can, that is. I’m not sure if your parents would allow you to, so it is entirely up to you. We’re having salad with spaghetti and meatballs.”

She saw Mr. Arlert’s happy face- a face free from trouble, then glanced at Armin’s face who simply watched her then shrugged as he formed a small smile. If she were to see him smile like that at her, it would be worth it.

“I would love to, Mr. Arlert. But I need to call my dad first.”

While Armin and his grandpa were busy chatting in the kitchen, Annie went into the living room and sat on the edge of the couch and took out her phone to call her house.

What should she say? Should she say that she was at a friend’s house? What about Ymir’s house? No, that couldn’t be. He happened to have Ymir’s phone number, and even if Ymir herself were to back her up, if her parents were to pick up, she’d be screwed. Her best bet would be with someone that he didn’t end up knowing. Like Mina maybe…

“Who this?” came the groggy voice of her father. He had probably just come home from work

“Hi dad, it’s me, Annie.” She said, holding her breath.

“Annie? What’re you doing? Why aren’t you home?” he sounded surprised.

“Sorry dad. I was studying with Mina – remember Mina from middle school?" Annie lied. "Well, anyway they asked me if I could join them for dinner, so I said yes.”

There was a pause in which her father took it in. “How’re you going to get back?”

"Don’t worry, they agreed it drive me back when it gets late.”

“Fine. But know this- you can’t be out after curfew. Promise me you’ll get back.” He said in a firm tone.

“Yes dad, I promise. I-”

But her father put down the phone before she could finish her sentence. He was probably drinking again. The thought made her both relieved yet sad. It seemed there were hardly any days where he was sober.

“Did your father say yes?” asked Armin went he went to the living room.

“Yeah.”

He looked at her closely with slightly worried eyes, but he nodded. They continued on with chemistry, with Annie trying to do practice problems from the back of the chapter while Armin supplied her with help.

Armin still couldn’t get over the fact that they had just kissed again, this time in his bedroom. It felt unreal to him…like a dream.

After they had kissed a while ago, there was just a moment where they looked at each other as if trying to assess the situation. Armin didn’t think he had ever turned redder in his entire life when he told her he had feelings for her.

“Umm, Annie?” he said hesitantly as their lips parted.

“What is it?” she said, as they finally broke away. There was a blush forming on her cheeks from the encounter and he admired the way it spread across her face, giving her a rosy complexion. Looking at her like that gave him a swooping feeling

“What- what does this make us?” he asked cautiously, fiddling with a loose thread on his shirt collar.

Annie regarded him for a moment before turning away. Now she looked sad.

“ I-I mean, I’ve known you and well- I’ve never done that before so- I was just wondering…why is it me?”

"Why you?”

“ Yes- why did you kiss me?”

She looked at the ground, noticing the white plush closely with the way her fingers ran over it. “I guess…I guess it’s because you always seemed to be smart” she finished lamely.

He chuckled a bit. “Really, is that why? You called me ‘nerd’ all the time- even when we were alone.”

“Well, I guess that’s true,” she chuckled back. There was a pause as each looked down at their notes, which they were supposed to be studying.

“ Well,” began Armin after some silence. “To be honest, I always thought you were different.” At this, Annie looked up in surprise.

“Me?”

“Yes. I don’t know why.. When you started bullying me, I couldn’t really understand it, but…you just had this attitude that was different.” Annie continued staring at him, something like shock. He went on:

“There was something in a way that made me think we were similar. I couldn’t put my finger on it at first, but then I realized that you looked…sad at times. Like you were trying to hold it in. I felt something like that as well.”

“Armin.”

“Yes?” he asked, now apprehensive. Had he revealed too much?

“That was one hellofa confession.”

Some silence. Then...

“Annie?” he asked in a small voice.

“Yes?”

“Do you-do you want to be my girlfriend?” he looked embarrassed, but looked determinedly at her all the same. “I mean-it’s- it’s ok if you don’t want to, I just thought you would-

“Armin.” she cut across his babbling.

“What?”

“ I would like to.”

“Like to-?”

“I would like to be your girlfriend” she finished for him.

“O-oh…” was all he could say. His shimmering blue eyes widened perceptively at this, making him all the more cuter. How could she have EVER wanted to beat him up in the first place? His face which had seemed tense before, now seemed to relax perceptively. Had he been preparing himself for rejection?

“And I also want you to be my boyfriend” she finished as though as a final straw.She bent forward, giving him a kiss on his cheek, which made him sputter and make his ears turn red. “And you look cute when you look like that, by the way.”

At this point, Armin’s face was in danger of turning into a tomato as she gently brushed his blond locks away from his face chuckling before laying a searing kiss on the damaged area on his cheek as though in apology.

“I’m sorry.” she whispered in his ear.

He only held her tighter, the warmth enveloping her. But she could have sworn she heard him whisper,“it’s okay.”

Dinner was ready by the time they had finished studying chemistry, so they made their way downstairs, now in lighter spirits and both with slightly flushed faces.

“Well, I’m glad that I decided to take out the meatballs and thaw them out before warming them in the microwave” said his grandpa when they sat down.

Annie sat herself upon the small cherry wood table across from Armin while his grandpa sat at the very end, perpendicular to her. “Wow, Mr. Arlert, this looks delicious she said, as she helped herself to a portion.

“Why, thank you, but it really wasn’t my doing,” he shook his head smiling, “I just happened to pass by IKEA and I thought of picking them up. Armin said he always liked the meatballs they served there. In fact, it’s his favorite food.”

“Oh, really?” she asked curiously.

“Well-not really, I mean- it’s one of my favorites on the list. What's your favorite food, Annie?” he asked, looking at her intently.

“Oh uh…” she shifted around for an answer trying to decide. “I- I actually don’t know. I mean, not a specific type of food but…I do like the sushi they serve in the Japanese restaurant down on Ovrud street. There’s a restaurant down there called The East Sea Clam where they serve the best California rolls and other seafood dishes.”

“Oh- yeah that place! It isvery good” said Armin enthusiastically after he popped a tomato from his salad in his mouth. “Mikasa took me and Eren there in freshman year after her team beat the Titans, our rival school, in a basketball game.”

“By the way, how is Hannah, Armin?” asked his grandpa. “I hope her leg is healing nicely.”

“Hannah is still at home. The doctor kept saying she had to stay home for another month to let it heal. Apparently tripping over her brother’s Tonka trucks and falling on the stairway put more stress and fracture on her leg than was realized. She’s being well taken care of and me and Eren and Mikasa have visited her. Oh- and also some of the girls on the basketball team.”

“Well, that’s a relief. But I’m sad to say that she’ll still be out of the team. She was such a nice girl, Armin. Remember when she saved you from those bullies in third grade?”

Annie, who heard the word ‘bully’ tried to mask her surprise with a little cough.

“Yeah grandpa, but now the team is facing a lot of conflict. Turns out there is one girl short on the team. And Hannah was very good at being power forward. According to the rules and regulations, they have to have five players every time the switch off. Now they’re one player short.”

“Couldn’t they just recruit another girl?” she asked.

“They’ve tried, but most of the athletic girls on the team are in other sports. Did you know Mikasa had actually went so far as to challenge them to a match against her so that if they lose, one of their players has to join?”

Annie chocked on her glass of raspberry juice. “W-what?”

“Yeah, I know, right?” said Armin scoffing. “Mikasa can be a daredevil. None of the girls wanted to challenge her because she’d be too good. Did you know that they also wanted Mikasa to join their team? Coach Pieck was for the longest time, trying to convince her to join their side.”

“Well, that girl had always been strong” chuckled his grandpa, agreeing. “Lord knows how many times she’s saved Eren from all of his outbursts.”

“Well, I really wish you guys find another replacement for Hannah” said Annie, “They’d need to be strong and fast, and capable of- what?” she said suddenly, noticing the look Armin was giving her.

His eyes had a certain glint to them, making the blue orbs reflect the light.

“Hey Annie…” he said in a slow voice, now observing her as if he was just looking at her in a new light. “Do you know anything about basketball…”

Chapter 15: Welcome to the Team, Annie!

Chapter Text

“Armin, I really don’t think this is a good idea” huffed Annie as Armin led her towards the basketball court on a Tuesday afternoon.

“Come on, Annie, it’s going to be fine!” he said cheerfully. “Eren and Mikasa will be there. Sasha too, she’s nice! And of course, you know Historia. There’s also Nifa as well-

“But what if they already have someone else on reserve?”

“Don’t worry! Coach Rico told me the other day that they still haven’t found a player- but I did tell her about you and she seemed actually pretty relieved.”

“Hey Armin!”

They whipped their heads back to find Eren jogging to them from the other side of the cafeteria. Mikasa wasn’t too far behind, but the moment they saw Annie, Eren seemed to falter a bit.

“Hey, Eren! Hey Mikasa, I’m telling you- Annie is perfect for the team!” Mikasa and Eren’s eyes immediately shifted towards Annie. Mikasa regarded her carefully, giving her a calculating gaze which Annie returned right back. They weren’t friends, but they hadn’t actually been enemies either. In fact, Armin could recall that at one point in middle school, it was rumored that Annie and Mikasa were the strongest females in the grade (maybe even in the whole school), and each was always trying to outcompete each other. Eren looked nervously between Mikasa and Annie.

“So err…Annie, have you ever played basketball before?” asked Eren, as if trying to ease the tension.

“No” she answered simply. “But Armin gave me basics of how the game works, so all I have to do is get the ball in the hoop, right?”

“Basketball is more than just scoring,” said Mikasa shortly, still regarding Annie as if thinking carefully. Armin had known there was a chance that Mikasa and Annie would start off on rough ground, but he was determined to have them at least work with each other. After all, Annie was pretty athletic. Armin had been wondering why Mikasa never chose her in the first place, but judging from their rocky relationship, he could only assume that she didn’t trust her.

“Yeah pretty much.” Said Eren as well. He too seemed unsure about Annie joining, but it wasn’t because of rivalry, but more like caution for Armin and Mikasa's sake. “You play as power forward though, so you get to be the one to score for the team.”

“But the thing that makes basketball invigorating is the amount of teamwork that the players go through to eventually get the ball in the basket.” Said Armin, trying to remain cheerful. “Most of the practice is just learning to read teammate’s cues and signals.”

“I’ll learn the rest eventually.” Said Annie, who seemed to be a bit cautious with the others. Mikasa and Eren exchanged a look with him and he shrugged his shoulders. He was willing to bet he was going to have a long talk before bed from both of them for this grand idea of his.

“Look, it’ll be fine. See?- There’s coach Rico!” he said, relieved they had finally arrived at the gym.

Sasha was sitting on the bench doing some stretches with Nifa and Historia but the moment they came within eyesight of her, she gave an exclamation of joy, bounding forward to meet them.

“Is Annie gonna be on our team, Mikasa?” she beamed, looking from her to Annie. Annie seemed to falter a bit under Sasha’s enthusiasm, but the crimson colored girl was bouncing on her heels.

“Yes, Armin managed to convince Annie to join the team, I don’t know how, though.” Said Mikasa tonelessly.

Annie felt a bit uncomfortable at this statement. Armin hadn’t told his friends that they were now something of a couple, he felt the second he would tell them, they wouldn’t take it seriously. Hell, even he couldn’t believe how they’d done a 180 from being bully and victim to now friends.

“That’s so awesome!” said Historia, with a wide smile that even Annie couldn’t grimace at. “And you’re pretty fast in P.E, so it won’t be a problem here!”

At that moment, a whistle startled them all out of conversation. Coach Dietrich had signaled the beginning of basketball practice for the boys.

“Looks like practice started, see ya!” said Eren, tying his shoes into a double knot and racing off to the center of the court where all the rest of the boys were. Armin wished him good luck.

“So... is this our new player you’ve been telling us, Armin? Mikasa?”

Coach Rico had arrived. To Annie, she was a woman a head taller than her with short gray hair that looked odd given her young age. She wore rectangular She was holding a basketball on one hand and balancing her clipboard on the other. She gave Annie a once-over as though trying to assess how strong Annie looked and whether any of it could be put to use in the court.

“Yes, this Annie Leonhart. Armin was the first to recommend her to us, and Annie decided to join” said Mikasa.

Annie stole a look at Armin and he returned one with a reassuring nod. In truth, yes, it had been Armin’s idea to decide to put her on the team. But Annie wouldn’t have even thought of joining if it weren’t for the fact that Armin assured her that getting on the team and making friends would make them less conspicuous and give them an opportunity for his friends to gradually be comfortable around her.

“Well, welcome to the team, Annie. My name is Rico Brzenska, but you can call me Coach Rico. Do you know some of the basics about Basketball?”

“Yes, I do.” Said Annie a bit hesitantly. “Armin explained all the key things and so did his friends.”

Rico seemed to relax considerably at this, her blue eyes trained on Annie like a hawk. “Ok, that’ll make it easier. But what we’re going to do today, is have a mock game to test your compatibility with the other players. Because basketball is a team sport, you’re only as strong as the team work you put in the game.”

Armin excused himself to sit on the bleachers, but not before saying a “good luck” to Annie and a smile. Annie returned a small one when no one was looking, then joined Mikasa and the other girls as they made their way onto the court.

Annie was fast on her feet, of course, which was most likely due to her years of hard judo training. She got the dribbling basics done alright, and when the time came to score, she was on par with it. Her only problem, he figured out, wasn’t in the actual game, but in the team work itself.

For example, when the ball was given to her, she would take off with it, often times finding herself blocked by other players. When this occurred, one of the opposing would take the opportunity to swipe the ball from her hands or crowd around the other players, making it difficult to give away the ball.

Three times now, Rico had paused the game to teach the team a thing or two about a wrong pass, or how to correctly evade an opposing ball thief.

“Annie, we could have scored had you actually decided to pass the ball to Nifa or Mikasa.” Came Rico’s voice, a little exasperated. “You have to look around and judge the situation at times.”

But as Armin watched, he noticed with a bit of dismay that Annie didn’t seem to like passing it to people but seemed to hold the ball to herself and score. Rico had begun to notice too. “Annie, Historia’s wide open! You can score if you pass it to her since tall enough to take it!”

When they reached half-time, Armin noticed Mikasa was scowling silently, not at all her usual self. Armin could see her throw Annie a grimace when she wasn’t looking, but didn’t say anything. Of course, given how Annie refused to pass the ball to her, Armin had supposed there was a good reason for that.

“Mikasa doesn’t look that happy” remarked Eren beside him as he took the water bottle from Armin’s offered hands and took a sip.

“Of course she doesn’t. Annie had more than one opportunity to pass the ball, but she keeps passing it to Historia or anybody else” he said.

"Why doesn’t she pass it to other people?” asked Eren.

“I don’t know”

As Armin watched the rest of the game, Annie only made a few passes, but the majority was mainly dribbling off with the ball to where the opposing basket was. Towards the end, just as Annie was about to make a hoop, another girl from the opposing team managed to swipe it in midair. When that occurred, Annie looked like she wanted to retaliate from the steal the other girl made, but a whistle blown from Rico signaled the end of the practice.

“Alright, girls!” said Rico when the team gathered around her for some last-minute talk before dismissal. Sasha looked relieved, Historia looked worried, Nifa looked anxious, but Mikasa and Annie looked sour. “The practice wasn’t bad, but I couldn’t help but notice it wasn’t as much of a team effort as I wish it was. Annie, that wasn’t a bad first practice, but it seems you need to work more on your passing skills. Mikasa was open at least five times, but you insisted on taking the shot.”

Annie had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at this. She had the ball and she made some shots, so what was the big deal with passing if she knew she could make it?

“Why do I have to pass it to somebody if I know I could make it?” she asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

Rico gave a sigh. “Look, Leonhart, I know you’re fast- with a speed that rivals Mikasa, but I need you guys to trust in one another. What if you’re trying to score but you find your way blocked? If you continue to try to take it on your own, then you won’t have much luck in making the game.”

Annie for a fraction of a second glanced upwards in the bleachers where Armin was, to find him trying to listen in on what Rico was saying.

“Fine, I’ll try next time.” Said Annie unhappily. I knew this whole joining the team wasn’t going to work out, Armin!

Rico must have sensed her discontentment, because she replied again. “Look, I know trusting people is sometimes hard to do, but this is a team sport, and trust can be acquired over time the more you keep at it with your fellow teammates."

“Yeah, all you just need is practice” said Sasha, trying to cheer her up. “It was like that for me in the beginning. I wasn’t really good at passing until I kept practicing with Mikasa and the others.”

“You don’t have to be nervous and feel the need to take it all on your own or try to be perfect. You just have to be yourself” said Historia helpfully.

Despite feeling down, Annie felt slightly better at their encouraging talk. She was definitely not a people person to begin with, so she was a bit taken aback at what they were saying to her. She expected them to treat her indifferently, but they were all acting so nice which made her feel guilty.

I have to do better at trusting other people. But what if I trust too much? She worried. She gave a nod at her head, then listened to Rico explain further about key points in the game, all the while trying to imagine herself comfortable with other people. She had been comfortable around Reiner and Bertolt because, well, they had always been around her when she was younger, then gradually Armin. But with large crowds of people, she developed into a lone wolf.

When practice was finished, Armin descended the bleachers towards Annie and the rest of his friends, blue eyes shining with excitement.“Hey Annie, that was a good start!”

Seeing the dazzling look on Armin’s face was enough to shelve her bad mood temporarily. “Don’t lie to me, Armin. That was horrible." But she tsked in amusem*nt at his attempt to cheer her up.

“What? What are you talking about?” he said confused. ‘I mean, sure, you weren’t perfect, but it was a really good start considering.”

“You just need a few pointers is all,” said Eren, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. “It took some time for Hannah to get it too. In freshman year she had trouble at first throwing the ball and maneuvering around people.”

“You’re fast like Rico said, but you need to work on passing. Even if you’re fast, it will get you nowhere if you continue to act like that.” Said Mikasa shortly. Armin could see Mikasa and Annie make eye contact with each other, and he abruptly worried that a confrontation would occur.

“I think you were amazing, Annie. I was watching from the way you shot a basket, and I thought your steering around the court was phenomenal!” Armin said. The compliment seemed to have distracted Annie and she didn’t say anything.

“D’you guys want to head over to my house for some snacks?” asked Eren.“My mom is out at the moment and she won’t be back until a few hours later. How does that sound, Annie?” Armin could tell from the nervousness in Eren’s tone that he was a bit worried about inviting Annie to his and Mikasa’s house. “I mean…if-if you don’t want to, then that’s fine.”

“Me and Annie were going to go study, so I don't know. What do you think Annie?” he asked her. Annie certainly didn’t feel like going, but then she remembered Rico’s words about learning to trust other people. How could she learn to trust others? She thought. Trust wasn’t something that was easy for her to have, but maybe she could give it a try…

“That sounds like a good idea,” she found herself saying. Eren looked happy, Mikasa looked a bit suspicious, but she was pleased to see Armin look at her and give her a small smile.

At least he’s happy.

***

They didn’t actually go straight to Eren’s house, but took a detour down to the shopping plaza to get something to eat. Mikasa suggested that they go for Subway, but Eren was all for getting some fast-food until Annie pointed out that there was a long line and they would most likely be waiting until nighttime.

Eren and Mikasa ordered a foot long to share, while Armin and Annie were to share another (turns out, they both weren’t really hungry).

Annie took out her wallet, preparing to pay her half, but before she could give the money to the cashier, Armin took out a ten-dollar bill and wordlessly handed it to the guy instead.

“I…I can pay for it myself” she stuttered, shocked that he had offered to pay on her behalf.

“I know you can, but we’re inviting you out, so it’s only fair that we treat you.”

"Yes, but, I don't want you to be paying for me" she protested. She turned her head to hide the fact that she was blushing.

"It's alright, it's no problem" he insisted, smiling.

Annie still had doubts though. "But-". She didn't want to feel like she was a charity case where people would pay for her.

As if sensing her thoughts: "It's no worry Annie, honestly! But...if you still aren't comfortable, how about this: next time you can return the favor if you want!"

Though it was a simple gesture on his part, Annie felt a great weight lifted off her chest as he said those words. She wholeheartedly agreed with him, feeling a rush of gratitude for the boy treating her equally and not like someone needy.

After their order, the four of them walked to the Jaeger household talking all the while about random things. She didn’t say much, mostly listened, but that was okay, because Eren and Armin did most of the talking. Some stuff concerning school, how club activities were going, whether Pixis would ever get a hot date, or whether Oluo would stop biting his tongue. She had never before been part of a small crowd that wasn’t Reiner or Bertolt. But then again, Reiner and Bert were all gushy for each other and hardly noticed her sometimes.

Mikasa opened the door for them, and Annie was introduced to the Jaegers’ living room- it looked much better than Armin’s, with a more-lived in look to suggest that it was a place for accommodation during TV time. Although the beige couch looked lumpy enough to sink someone in like quicksand, it was comfy and large enough to accommodate them all.

“I thought instead of studying we could all just hang out and take a break.” Said Eren.

“Eren, very day is a break for you,” said Mikasa. This prompted Annie to chuff out in humor and Armin to shake his head smiling.

“I’m serious! Especially you two” he said, motioning to Armin and Annie. “I bet you guys get a lot of stuff done during tutoring.”

“Well, it’s been less tutoring and more studying together” laughed Armin. “Besides, a break doesn’t seem that bad, I agree.”

“Yeah” said Annie, finding herself agreeing. She didn’t know why, but she found herself relaxing despite being in another person’s house. Armin was here, so she wasn’t completely worried.

“See, Mikasa? Told you I’m right!”

Mikasa shook her head, about to leave the room, but Eren jumped up, remarking that he wanted to go into the kitchen to bring other snacks. “Hey Armin, Annie, you want me to bring you guys anything? We can’t just eat a sandwich without junk food on the side! Oh- and can you turn on the Wii?”

“I’m not that hungry, but you can get whatever is out,” replied Annie, feeling a little less shy.

“Wait- do you still have that big bag of Swedish fish that your mom bought the other day?” asked Armin as he obediently got the Wii set up.

There was a rustling as Eren looked in the kitchen cupboard. A moment later, he poked his head through the corner with a guilty look but trying to hide his laugh. “err, sorry Armin, I… kinda had too many.”

“You bastard- nobody steals my precious Swedish fish!”

Eren gave a maniacal laugh and retreated back to the pantry while Mikasa entered the living room with some cans of Pringles and some Sour Patch Kids packets which she dumped into the couch next to them.

“You like Swedish fish?” asked Annie giving him a curious side look .

“What? What’s wrong with Swedish fish? They taste great!”

“I didn’t say anything bad about them yet, Arlert. But yes, they are great.” Armin high-fived her "Hell yeah!"

“What game do you want to play?” he asked Annie, offering the box of Wii games in her direction. “Since we’re inviting you, you get to choose.”

Curiously, Annie peered into the box to see what they had. She didn’t have a Wii at home and her only instance of playing had been long ago when she went to Bertolt’s house with Reiner where all three happened to play Super Smash Brawl.

“Do you have Super Smash Brawl?” she asked. To her surprise, Armin gave a whoop.

“You like Brawl too? That’s one of my favorite games!” He tentatively took it from the box and fit it in the game console to start it.

"Same." agreed Mikasa.

Eren joined them, then, taking a look at the screen, said “oh yeah, I forgot about that game! We always play Mario Kart or Star Wars. Do we even have that many controllers?”

"I think they're in your room, Eren." said Mikasa.

They only had two Wii controllers, but Eren went upstairs and came back with two game cube controllers saying that they would work instead. Armin took the game cube controller, saying that he was more accustomed. Annie also asked for it, seeing how she, like Armin, had grown up with a game cube and PlayStation controller. Presently, the menu came on, with the familiar choir music in the background to stoke the mood.

Annie found it funny how Eren reminded everyone that Star Fox was his character while Mikasa, choosing Pikachu, argued that he couldn’t boycott it. Armin had been sneaky; while he and Mikasa were reaching for some snacks, he took the initiative to choose Eren’s favorite.

“Hey Armin! Star Fox is my bitch!” he yelled out. But Armin laughed, already changing his character back to Kirby.

“Which is your favorite, Annie?” asked Armin.

“Well…I kind of like Pikachu," she said slowly,"but he’s not my favorite character.”

“Pikachu is my favorite character to use in the game” Mikasa replied. “I always end up beating Eren’s ass with his lousy Star Fox.”

“Mika, don’t you dare dis Star Fox! For your information, at least I don’t spam the B button when I’m trying to send thunder!”

"It's notspamming, it'sstrategy!"Protested Mikasa.

“What character do you think I should be?” asked Annie, scrolling through all the characters, unable to make up her mind.

“Hey, you should be Samus!” said Eren suddenly. “You and Samus sort of look alike.”

“Aside from the fact that we both have blonde hair and bluish grey eyes, not really Jaeger.” She muttered.

“Oh really, Eren? In that case, you should have been Captain Olimar, cause that’s what you look like when you’re trying to think.” said Mikasa.

“Ha, I think Captain Olimar looks more like Levi when he’s trying to take a piss-

"And how would you know that?" asked Mikasa.

Eren gave a smirk over his shoulder. "Levi sometimes uses the student's bathroom cause the faculty one is farther away."

"Ew, what the hell Jaeger?" said Annie.

"Hey-I'm not gay! You would notice too if you came out of the stall and saw him!"

“Annie and Samus both look like they have the same body structure.” said Armin without thinking. His eyes were glued absentmindedly on the character menu screen but upon looking up, he found everyone staring at him and suddenly realization kicked in. “Wait no- Not...not like that, it’s just that-” he looked horrified at her and his friends, putting his hands up in a defense. Annie could feel herself turning a bit pink at that statement as a zero-suit Samus came to mind.

“Don’t worry Armin, we know what you were trying to say.” Said Mikasa. But she had a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. Armin looked as though he wanted to sink into the floor and it didn't help when Annie raised an eyebrow at him, in which his eyes decided the screen was more interesting to look at.

Annie found herself enjoying immensely Super Smash, and presently in the middle of their game time, Eren had decided that they should have a competition to see who could win three games. Mikasa suggested to divide in teams, and Armin wholeheartedly agreed.

Armin and Annie were teamed up, while Eren and Mikasa were in the other team. Both blondes were quite a formidable bunch when they worked together, giving each other instructions and coming up with plans while fighting against their opponents. Soon, the living room was filled with the raucous enthusiastic yelling from both sides as they played. Annie was betting that they would have neighbors knocking on their doors soon.

“NOOOOOO!” yelled Eren, the moment Armin finally defeated Star Fox with a hammer at Yoshi’s Island. “I wanted ALL items turned off!”

“Sorry, rules are rules, me and Annie won!” said Armin triumphantly, exchanging a smirk with Annie who returned it.

Next round had Mikasa and Eren beating them at the Hyrule map and then all of them against one another. Eren truly did kick ass as Star Fox, and Mikasa was prone to falling out of the map more than once (mostly from her own undoing). Annie was pleased she didn't play nearly as bad as she thought, but she was no match against Armin's combos as Kirby.

They ended up playing for hours, challenging each other and betting on snacks to make it interesting before they realized they were all out of that. Everybody’s stomach was full with Subway and Pringles and Hershey’s kisses, so neither person wanted to eat anyway. Armin was complaining of his stomach being too full to be able to eat dinner later. Annie also felt a bit queasy.

Presently, Eren’s mother came home, and upon seeing the state the living room was in, declared everybody had to clean it up before their father got home. Annie and Armin, red in the face, got a plastic bag to put their trash in. Eren was trying to clean up a spill that he had made with his soda drink as Mikasa put away the Wii and controllers.

“I don’t feel so good” muttered Eren, clutching his stomach. “God, I feel like I’m going to barf.”

“Here,” said Armin, handing him a glass of water he filled in the kitchen. “If you drink water, maybe the pain will go away and help you digest it faster.”

“But I don’t want to swallow anything else!” he groaned. Still he took little sips.

“What about you, Annie. Are you feeling alright?” asked Armin.

“Ha, I don’t think I ate nearly as much as you guys.” She said, scoffing. "But, I do feel a bit queasy." And it was true- both she and Mikasa were the ones that persevered unlike the boys, though she was a bit tired of junk food.

“Well, it was your guys’ fault for deciding to eat too much” said Mikasa, shaking her head. “Honestly Eren, I did tell you to stop eating the whole container of Pringles.”

“Urghh… how the hell does Sasha eat so much to begin with?” asked Eren annoyed.

“Must be genes.” answered Armin chuckling a bit.

“I don’t see how Jean has anything to do with it-

“Not Jeans- genes, Eren!”

“Ohhhh” said Eren, embarrassed, while Mikasa and Annie snorted.

Their fun was put to an end when Mrs. Jaeger informed them all that Mikasa and Eren-, (mostly Eren), had the garage to clean since it was previously trashed from their time partying in there, and didn’t they have homework to complete? That put an end to their day, with the siblings agreeing they were in need of a shower from the earlier practice. Annie agreed she did as well, so they had both decided to get a move on home with Armin insisting that they should try hanging out some other time. Picking up their things and thanking Mrs. Jaeger, they were out the door and giving a final wave before making their way to Annie’s house.

“That was fun,” said Annie, once they were out of range of the Jaeger’s house. It was getting a bit dark at this point, but neither cared since the walk wouldn’t be that long. “Although you and your friends are a weird group when it comes to taking games seriously...and snacking.”

Armin laughed at that, looking a bit sheepish. “Oh well, it’s not like that all the time, but Eren is certainly the daredevil.”

“He sure is." she agreed. "I can’t remember a time when I played with friends like that.”

"You mean you don't really hang with Bertoldt and Reiner?" he asked, puzzled.

"Oh I do, a bit, but..." how could she explain it to him? "It's a bit complicated. Like, I know them and sometimes we hang, but we don't know really everything about one another. It isn't like you and your friends."

Armin, remembering what Ymir told him at the movies about Annie not making that many friends, simply nodded his head in understanding. “Well, at any rate, I’m sorry we didn’t end up doing anything productive like studying or-

“Oh please, it’s fine. Besides, we’ve made great progress. I feel like for a week of studying, I got the material better. Plus, I found out a few things today...like the fact that you think me and Samus look alike” she said, giving him a side look.

At remembering this, Armin's eyes widened and his face turned pink before looking away. She felt amusem*nt listening to him stuttering, trying to articulate. “that’s- that just came out at the moment, I d-didn’t mean it like that-!

Annie laughed, playfully tapping him on the back, to which he buried his face in his hands.

“I promise we can go over some class material tomorrow,” he assured her, snickering after the silence.

“Sounds good to me. But we’ll have to do it after practice.”

Even though they hadn’t ended up studying, Armin could care less. They'd spent some valuable time together, and to his surprise and relief, it looked like Annie also enjoyed as well. When they had played Super Smash together as a team, there was a moment where she gave him a smirk only at him when the others weren't looking that made his heart flutter…

“Thanks for walking me home,” she said in a small voice interrupting his thoughts. There was a weird tizzy feeling in her pounding heart as she said it, but she could swear that she felt the boy next to her chuckle in agreement.

When they finally reached the apartment complex, Annie felt the need to ask him something. “Hey Armin, how exactly did you manage to get inside the apartment building without ringing up, the day when you met my dad?”

Armin seemed a bit unsure, glancing around before replying. “Well, errr… you see-”

“Arlert, did you happen to sneak in by any chance?” she said, one hand on her hip and regarding him suspiciously.

This alarmed him, and he put up his hands in defense. “What? No! -No, that’s not what I did! I err… there was this little kid and I told him I was a relative of your dad’s, so…” he broke off, looking a bit embarrassed.

Annie just stared at him blankly in shock. “You mean to tell me that you lied to some little kid so you could break in to my house?” Armin looked ashamed at himself as he stared off to the side, but when he looked up at her, he was surprised to see her laughing, which prompted him to, as well.

"Relax, I'm only teasing you," she said with a sly smile.

“So, uh…that was a good practice today.” Said Armin, after a moment of laughing.

“Well, I have room to improve. I can’t believe I let you talk me into doing it."

“Oh- I almost forgot!” said Armin suddenly. He dug into his pocket and fished out his phone. “I forgot to give you my number!”

Annie wanted to roll her eyes in exasperation. Really, they were so lame. They had been together for several days now, and they couldn’t remember until now to exchange numbers. She fished out her own, telling him hers and sending him a text. “Ugh, I feel like such an idiot bringing it up now.” He shook his head, blond hair swishing slightly, “but oh well, at least we have a way to contact each other.”

It was after exchanging numbers that the pair of them just stared at one another unsure. Armin, feeling his heart beating, and Annie, feeling a sense of foreboding.

“W-well, see you tomorrow!” he said, breaking the silence and turning around to leave. He was about to walk away when he suddenly felt a hand on his arm.

“Annie, what-” He turned around and was unexpectedly met with a pair of lips on his own, shocking him.

“-oh…”

He returned the kiss eagerly, surprised at her actions as he finally placed his hands on her shoulders to steady them. Annie broke away just for a moment to smirk at him, their foreheads nearly touching.

“Was this what you were expecting, Arlert?” she purred. “A good-bye kiss?” Then, just as soon as it started, she broke away, giving him a side smirk, still leaving him stock-still, mouth still open.

“G-good bye, Annie.” Was all he could muster, then, giving her a wave, feeling his heart beat irregularly fast. She returned one then reluctantly, heading back to her apartment.

Today definitely was a good day, thought Armin, as he watched her leave.

Chapter 16: Visitors for Hannah

Chapter Text

She was at school, walking through the halls while people surrounded her. Faces unrecognizable swimming through her vision. It looked like just a typical day at school except…something felt different. She could hear the buzzing of conversations from all the people at school surrounding her, almost drowning out the sound of her breathing.

But then, something changed: The meaningless incoherent buzzing of chatter surrounding her seemed to evaporate, fading out until she could no longer hear any sound. She found herself stopping her walk. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

All the faceless strangers around her immediately turned in her direction. It was as though at that moment the pleasant air around her dissipated. There was a transition of movement as now all the bodies were swimming around her- trying to slow her down. She choked back tears as she realized that she could neither move nor breath as they got closer. Then came the voices. “

Freak!”

"Pathetic!”

“ Bully!”

She could feel the tears well up in her eyes as she heard insult after insult coming from the people around her. The voices were vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t pin-point where she had heard them from.

“Why do you have to look so much like your mother?!”

In her kneeling down position, she jolted her head up at the sound of a familiar voice. Her father’s voice. She couldn’t see him through the blurry haze in her vision, but his voice rang out around her.

“Wake up, Annie! You’re supposed to be at school!”

Wait. She WAS at school, right?

“Annie, I swear to god, if you don’t get up this instance, I’m going to drag you out of there!” She could hear a distant banging, like someone was hitting her door. Was she dreaming…?

*

“Annie wake up!”

She jolted awake, confused at first until she heard some banging coming from her door. She sat up in bed, feeling the world around her head swaying. On instinct, her gaze moved to the clock to look at the time.

6:30

“Annie, what the HELL is taking you so long?”

“Sorry! I-I’m up!” her voice stammered as she flung off the covers of her bed to scramble wildly around her closet for something suitable to wear and trying to fit into a pair of common jeans she had worn several days ago.

Dammit, why hadn’t my alarm gone off? Did I EVEN set it?

No of course she hadn’t. She had been busy that day hanging out with friends. When she got home, her father was a bit suspicious why she had arrived home looking mildly happy and too aloof to respond where exactly she'd been. She remembered answering with some vague comment about being at a friend’s house before going to her room. But rather than scroll online while putting on her headphones, she had taken the initiative to study the material like she and Armin had done on previous days.

Seriously, that blond coconut has changed me in ways I don’t know how she thought wryly.

She only managed to grab a piece of toast before flinging herself out the door and out of the apartment. She couldn’t believe how close she was to being late at the time. If her dad hadn’t woken her up, then she could have easily missed class, which would not have been good at all seeing how she had been trying to improve class-wise.

As she turned her phone on, she was at first confused to see a text message appear from an unknown number before she assessed who it really was. It had been Armin., and judging by the time, it had been sent fifteen minutes ago.

Armin: Hey, how are you? :)

She hastily jammed her fingers into the keypad, trying to respond while also watching where she was going.

Annie: I’m up, if thats what ur wndring

Armin: Of course! do u wanna walk to school with me and others?

Annie: Left house already. How bout at Dauper Park on the way?

Armin: sure! Can’t wait to see you there! ;)

Annie almost wanted to roll her eyes at the amount of enthusiasm the other blond was showing her even in text. It was absurd to think a kid she'd been picking on before she developed feelings for said kid, would do a complete loop.

Armin, who was flanked by Eren and Mikasa, spotted her from across the park, a smile on his face.

“Hey Annie, how’s your morning?” Armin asked cheerfully.

She shrugged, still remembering the dream. “It’s fine.” Sensing that Armin was looking at her carefully, she added on, “How’s Hannah by the way, guys?”

“Oh, she’s doing fine” said Armin, “but she says that she sometimes gets bored laying down on her bed with the cast on.”

“Sasha said that she’s as restless as ever. When we told her that we found a replacement for her, she seemed relieved.” Said Mikasa. “But she’s still worried about the team overall.”

“Yeah, I heard from Franz that every time he comes by to give her homework, she constantly asks how everything is doing,” said Eren.

“If I were stuck in bed, I think I would go crazy as well,” acknowledged Annie.

“Hey guys, I got an idea! Why don’t we visit Hannah after school- err…I mean, after practice?” asked Armin.

“That’s a great idea Armin!” exclaimed Eren, bright teal eyes flashing. “Do you want to come with us, Annie?”

Annie looked at all their faces, noticing Mikasa’s mildly curious to Armin’s warm encouraging smile. She nodded.

“I don’t see why not.”

“Yes! Then I guess that’s settled then!” said Eren. “Hopefully the coaches let us out early from practice.”

***

In biology class, Armin and Annie found out that they had been the only ones that had finished their study guide packet ahead of time while everybody else had either just started or were nowhere near to finishing.

“I can’t believe we’re the only ones who finished it!” she said to him, as they both got settled in to class.

“Well, that’s what comes due to practice and dedication.” Said Armin, cheerfully as he settled down, adjusting his position so that it faced Annie behind him. “You worked very hard on it!”

Annie blushed, seeing his shining eyes light up on her, making her cheeks heat up. Come on, now’s not the time to get all giddy because he complimented you! She was truly happy not just because of his support, but because it was another step towards reforming her grades and herself.

“Well, looks like you two have finished early!” came Hange’s voice out of nowhere. Both whipped their heads back up to see the crazy mad scientist, hands on her hips, and looking through their packets in an approved way while nodding at the detailed answers they jotted down. “Congratulations on the two of you. Nothing short of what I expected from my favorite student!” She added to Armin, smiling. Annie could see Armin looked pleased, a small tint appearing in his cheeks. “And good job Annie, these all look correct!” she added, taking a look at her packet. “Oh, little spelling mistake here, on page eight- you spelt meiosis M-E-O-S-I-S instead of M-E-I-O-S-I-S.”

“Oh, right.” Said Annie, taking an eraser Armin gave her to correct the mistake.

“Since you two finished ahead of time, do you think you would have time to help me with something, unless of course, you need more time to study?” asked Hange, looking at the pair of them anxiously.

“Sure, of course!” said Armin enthusiastically. Annie nodded.

“Perfect!” said Hange, eyes sparkling. “See, I have to prepare the freshman class’s dissection and review packets, but I still haven’t been able to grade their multiple-choice tests.”

“Don’t worry Professor Hange, we’ll be extra careful” said Armin. Annie nodded, the act reminding her of a student aid.

Hange beamed once more before going to her desk to retrieve a medium-sized pile which she deposited on the desk next to theirs.

“Have fun!” she said, excitedly, glasses gleaming.

“Wow, I’ve never graded anybody’s tests before,” she remarked as they got to work grading. They had both pushed their desks side by side so as to allow them to share the same answer key to get the job done faster.

“Oh, Hange’s asked me many times in the past for help in grading. Actually, it’s not just Hange, but Professor Pixis, Moblit, and even Galliard. I only did it once for Galliard on the day when hewanted to help Coach Pieck prepare for their volleyball tournament.”

“Wow, it sounds like they take advantage of you,” she said, smirking sideways at him.

“Oh, not at all!” Armin stated hurriedly, “They ask me when I’m usually like, ahead of the class and stuff. Since they took out the student aid program last year, it has made it hard on teachers.”

“Isn’t grading part of a teacher’s job though?” she said skeptically, with a pale eyebrow raised. She was amused to find Armin looking a little flustered.

“Well, I-I mean, yes, but…I know that a teacher’s job must be pretty difficult you know, grading, and all that stuff, so I don’t mind it at all if it means you’re making their job bearable. Plus, it gives me the opportunity to do something interesting,” he finished with a small smile.

“You’re such a nerd.”

He looked at her, a cute indignant pout in his lip ready to interject, but stopped when he noticed her teasing smirk. She was tempted to lean over and place her lips against his, except they were in a classroom where somebody would happen to notice. Instead, she tapped him lightly on the nose with her index, much to his surprise.

“What was that for?” he asked, flummoxed, touching the place where she had bopped him.

“That’s what you get for being a cutie pie to everyone.” She said smugly.

She took pride that the red tint in his cheeks didn’t fade for the whole class period because of that remark.

**

Armin had been worried when lunch time came when Annie would break off to sit with her usual friends Reiner and Bertolt. Despite seeing her hang around the pair of them, he never got the impression that they were particularly close. He only assumed she hung out with them because they didn’t intimidate her or simply because of knowing each other for so long. However, when she continued to follow him to the table he sat with Eren, Mikasa, and the rest of the gang, he was pleasantly surprised.

“It’s only natural, given our situation.” She pointed out, accompanying him.

“Are-are you sure you don’t want to sit with them?” he asked, eyes darting to the duo on the other side of the cafeteria.

“Not really. Both of them are always to each other...and sometimes Reiner has a disgusting way of eating. But if you want me to, then I can-”

“Oh n-no, of course I want you to sit with us,” he stumbled, as though worried she might take his words differently. “I just meant that…I thought you wouldn’t want to. He faltered a bit when she cast a wary eye at him.

“Well, since we are technically girlfriend and boyfriend, the most we could do is sit by each other.” Armin smiled at that, but diverted his gaze once he was within earshot of Mikasa and Eren.

“How was biology Armin?- oh hey, Annie,” greeted Eren, looking a bit befuddled to see Annie and him together. Armin could see Mikasa look politely surprised yet cautious as she looked Annie up and down, but not saying anything. He could also feel Annie staring straight back at Mikasa, determined not to let the ravenette intimidate her.

“It was awesome, Eren! Hange let Annie and I grade tests from her other classes.”

“What? No way! She never lets anybody grade her work! I mean…except for you ‘cause you’re her favorite student, but she also let Annie?”

“What’s wrong with me helping, Jaeger?” she meant to tease, but realizing the way she said it, may have come off a little defensive. Armin laughed nervously as Mikasa narrowed her eyes at the blonde before eating her carrot sticks from her Sailor Moon lunchbox. Eren looked a bit nervous, but thankfully not hurt. Trying to back pedal, she meant to reply in a kinder tone. “What I meant was...it was fine because we finished our study packets early.” she corrected her tone to be more soothing.

“Yeah, she gave us like ten pages worth,” Armin added, with a smile.

“Holy hell, you mean you guys finished it that quick?” blurted Eren, green eyes widening in shock.

“Well, Annie and I did finish it at home when we studied,” he explained. “We spent a few hours doing it and testing each other.”

“Damn, I wish I had that much patience.” wished Eren. “Mikasa always complains that I want to take a break every thirty minutes or so.”

“You end up taking longer,” said Mikasa, some amusem*nt in her tone.

“Ok, ok, I get it!” admitted Eren, looking a bit embarrassed. “Point is, you guys do waaay too much studying!”

“It’s not so bad,” said Annie tonelessly, but a mysterious smile played on the corner of her lips.

“Well…” began Armin hesitantly, but then faltered. He wanted to say that no, they didn’t just study. They watched videos, kissed, compared music, kissed, and quiz each other…oh and kissed. Though, not necessarily in that order.

“Are you alright Armin?” asked Mikasa in concern.

“Yes, yes I’m fine!” he managed to stammer, trying to wipe away thoughts of kissing. In a way to compose himself, he took a bite out of his sandwich. “So…how’s the boys’ basketball team?”

Eren’s expression changed to one of annoyance. “I seriously hate that Horseface.” Muttered Eren, cracking his knuckles against the edge of the table. “Honestly, when the coach asks him to make a straight throw when he’s passing it to me, I swear- he deliberately throws it in such a way to break your fingers without it being on being on purpose!”

“He doesn’t throw that bad.” Said Mikasa suddenly. “Maybe it’s you that doesn’t catch it right.”

Eren looked reproachfully at Mikasa, as though he couldn’t believe she was sticking up for his enemy. “Mikasaa, who’s side are you on!?”

“I’m just telling you how it is.” She answered calmly.

“Well Mikasa, I think Jean also makes his passes a little too rough,” consoled Armin.

“See?” said Eren, shooting a grateful look at him. Mikasa, he noticed, had tugged her scarf closely around her cheeks which had a blush. Thinking back to the time around the movies where Jean was trying to touch her hand during the popcorn sharing, he suppressed a giggle.

“Are you staying in the after-school astronomy club?” asked Annie, turning her head to look at him.

“Nope. It’s debate club meeting today. Oluo probably wanted to go over the dates of our upcoming tournament against Trost High,” explained Armin.

“I’m guessing you’re going to be arriving at practice a little late” she confirmed.

“Yeah.”

“I hope we can make more progress at basketball,” said Mikasa, looking at Annie carefully.

“Likewise,” replied Annie in agreement and meeting her gaze. There was no aggression in either of their tones, but it was as though anyone could feel the weight of the stare down.

“Of course, it’ll be fine!” Armin added hurriedly, not wanting any potential argument to start. “All it takes is a little practice- right Eren?”

“Uh, yeah…I guess…” said Eren awkwardly. “Hell, I don’t think I started off that great playing basketball either when I first joined.”

To Armin’s immense relief, their conversation shifted when Connie and Sasha had arrived, closely followed by Jean, Marco, and Mina who sat down and beginning to enthusiastically talk, putting an end to the tension between both girls.

“I wish it were Domino’s Pizza day” sighed Sasha, plopping down on the chair on Mikasa’s right and opening a container of soup. Her partner in crime sat next to her eating a peanut butter sandwich. Jean, Marco, and Mina met on Annie’s right.

“Dude, Domino’s Pizza sucks,” remarked Jean. “Take it from me- the service is sh*tty and the pizza is overpriced!”

“Little Caesar’s should have made a deal with the cafeteria contractors” said Marco. “The price on their pizza is always half off of what you’d get at Domino’s.”

“There’s Domino’s Pizza day here?!” exclaimed Eren suddenly interested as he got up his seat to scan the small crowd forming the line.

"Eren, we've been at this school for three years and you mean to tell me you didn't know?" said Armin, shaking his head.

“I said I wished it was Domino’s Day” corrected Sasha grumpily sinking her head down unto the table.

“Don’t worry Sash', we can go get some after practice,” consoled Connie.

“Hey Annie, I didn’t see you here!” said Mina, just catching sight of her behind Jean. “Where’s Reiner and Bertolt?” Then, glancing at the other side of the room where Bert and Reiner were talking to Historia and Ymir, she asked further. “Don’t they have a game on Saturday?”

“Yeah.” She admitted. “They’re going to be up against Saint Rose High. Their football team over there sucks though.” Mina was one of the few girls in the past that she still got along with. Just then, she had a flashback of the time when she had pinned Armin against the wall and threatened to tell Marco of her feelings towards him. In reality, she had been bluffing at the time, but she could have never brought herself to do something like that to the innocent brunette.

“Since when have you started hanging out here?” asked Jean towards Annie, looking puzzled.

Knowing how blunt Jean could be, it might have come out as more aggressive than intended, but Annie glared at him, “Since when have you started dictating where I’m supposed to be sitting?” she challenged.

Jean’s eyebrows met in the center, mouth about to open in a snarling comeback, but was stopped by a small tap on his shoulder from Marco, “Jean, come on, don’t be mean!”

“She’s our friend.” Blurted Armin. “We also study together, so what?” he said, surprising himself. The rest of the table looked at Armin in surprise at the fact that he seemed to show a little spunk. Jean shook his head, “Ok-ok, geez Armin, sorry.”

“She also happened to join the girls’ basketball team.” Said Eren, in reply to Jean. “-And also, Armin is her tutor.”

“W…well, not really, I mean…yes, originally I was, but now we just study together and-

“-So now you two are going out?” came Connie’s voice in mid-chew. Though Connie was preoccupied with eating his sandwich and wasn't meaning it, a hushed silence fell over the table. Armin meanwhile, had begun to feel his face heat up unbearably fast and he forced himself not to look at either Annie or his friends, but straight towards Connie as though hoping to school his face into confusion.

“Connie! C’mon, you can’t just say that!” exclaimed Eren.

“What? It was a joke, ok? Sorry!” said Connie, putting his hands up defensively. But then as if seriously considering, he added, “…you’re not really going out...right?”

“Connie, we just study together. Th-that’s all…” Armin said a bit shakily.

“Do you really think we’re making out or getting ice cream or cuddling when we’re supposed to be figuring out how to finish Zacharias’s chemistry problems?” spoke out Annie tonelessly and grateful for how uninterested she appeared to sound. “You honestly have some screws loose in that brain of yours.”

Connie looked flustered, “Look ok, sorry I brought it up guys, I was only joking. Besides, Armin doesn’t even seem like the type to do something like that.”

Oh wouldn’t you like to know? Thought Annie in amusem*nt, because what Connie mentioned, was not exactly far off from the truth. She glanced at Armin to find his cheeks look pink, as he seemed to be thinking the same thing and forcing a laugh. He sure looks adorable when he’s flustered-wait, what the hell am I even thinking at this time?

Presently the bell rang, much to Annie and Armin’s relief, and the topic was dropped. While everyone else was distracted by Jean and Eren fighting, she looked sideways catching his eye and giving him a smirk at the corner of her lips. He returned one, shaking his head and a small laugh forming, even when the crowd of people from the cafeteria enveloped around them.

“See you later at P.E” she whispered past him, giving the back of his hair a small ruffle as she made her way down the hallway to join the crowd.

***

After school, Armin regrettably broke from Annie and his friends with the promise that he would text them, should he be late. He resisted the urge to hug her, instead, patting her back and with his hand remaining just a bit longer than necessary. He didn’t want to look too suspicious in front of Mikasa who had started to look at him cautiously every time he conversed or mentioned Annie to them. He had a sinking feeling she was beginning to suspect, but had no proof yet.

Most unfortunately, he had forgotten that today in Debate club, they were practicing doing improvs and reviewing notes with one another, which meant that it had taken twice as long. During transition mode with another partner, he heard a notification coming from his phone. He gave an apologetic look to his partner who barely acknowledged him, before checking who had sent him a message.

Annie: U out yet nerd? prac ended 20 min ago

Armin: Not yet Samus. still doing debate stuff. Are eren and mika there? If so, can you tell them too that I’ll prob b out in 25 minutes?

Annie: k. they went to go to Jamba Juice. They asked me if I wanted to go, but I said no… btw: Samus????

Armin: what? u called me nerd, so it only fair u have a nickname ;-]

Annie: whatev hurry up, I’ll b waiting for u down the hall.

Armin: sry sry. Hopefully it won’t take long!!Dx

Armin could not remember a time when he was so eager to get out of a debate meeting. Every minute or so, he would glance up at the clock, cursing its inability to move faster. He couldn’t understand why he was so eager to get out, but he attributed it to nerves. And to see Annie.

Mostly to see Annie.

He left the classroom finally, the small crowd of people spilling out down the hall behind him as he turned the corner. He had expected to find Annie, leaning against the wall waiting, maybe with the usual bored or scowling expression perhaps, but he found it empty. He frowned. She had said to meet him here, so where was she? Had she been kidding around?

He was just considering taking out his phone and backtracking, when he felt a hand clasp the back of his shirt. A bit surprised, he turned around and came face-to-face with Annie who gave a scoff at his reaction.

“Oh hi Annie, I was waiting for-! But his words were cut off as he felt her tug him sharply away from the corner and back to where he had come from.

“W-wait Annie, W-what are you doing? Where are you taking me to-?” he tried to question, but she shushed him, nudging him in the opposite direction. He was confused beyond all doubt- where were they going?

“Annie, Eren and Mikasa are-

“They’re nowhere, didn’t you get my text?” she whispered in his ear,making him shudder at the close proximity. He looked around nervously for anybody who might see them. Luckily, the hallway was emptyas she marched them straight forward and giving him an annoyed glare. “Now hurry up before they get back here.”

“I still don’t understa-

It was then he realized that she was leading him towards the familiar closet door that brought Deja-vu. For a moment when she shoved him in there, he panicked, thinking for some strange cruel twist of fate, she was going to be back to her usual self and beat him up. His mind grew cold as he feebly dwelled on the idea of feeling her punch- until he felt a pair of hands push him back against the wall and her soft lips met his own.

All at once, he felt warm again as he realized Annie wasn't going to hit him. How could he have thought something like that in the first place? His body seemed to have a mind of its own as he wound his arms around her backside, running his hands along her experimentally as though he couldn’t believe he was doing it. Their lips were sliding against one another as he explored the hotness that was her mouth, feeling an unexpected shiver through his body at the strange contact with another person. He could taste the orange in her mouth mixed in with something else too. Something like raspberry.

“Mm, I can taste mint on your mouth, blondie.” Came Annie’s shuddering voice through the kissing as she wrapped her arms further around his neck. To reach her lips, he had to bend his head a little bit, to prevent her from trying to reach him through her tip-toes.

“Mm, really?” he breathed. “Must be ‘cause of the- mph!- Orbitz…” He gasped as his arms circled hesitantly around her waist, rubbing circles along her backside, but not venturing any farther than her hips. “I can taste the raspberry Brisk on yours as well.”

The pair broke away for a gasp of air, prompting them to laugh at the situation, and just stare at one another in silence. Annie’s crystal blue eyes up close looked even better than he had imagined, reminding him of the color of the sky on a stormy day, a trait that he still firmly believed equated her.

She looked at him, regarding him in an almost soft expression she wasn’t used to putting on anyone else. His cheeks looked flushed, though maybe from account of all the kissing they had done, but she knew she probably looked no different. She also seemed almost hyper-aware of her own body as well, feeling something welling up inside, like an electric pulsing in his veins. The boy before her cast his eyes downward between them, biting his lip as though deep in thought before raising his eyes to meet hers. The motion caused something in Annie to look at his chapped lips- to feel their red smoothness against her own. Who would have thought that she’d crave to feel more of the boy’s warmth?

“You have really pretty eyes.” Armin said softly, looking at her with his ocean blue ones.

“What?” she blurted out, momentarily distracted.

He smiled, leaning forward even some more to wrap his arms around her and give her a peck on the mouth. “I said you have really pretty eyes.”

“Oh.” Was all she could say, startled at the compliment coming from him. She could feel the back of her neck heat up and a swelling in her gut.

“I’m serious. It reminds me of the stormy sky.”

“Ha, like a violent storm about to destroy everything?” she huffed in amusem*nt.

“Not all storms cause havoc.” He murmured, stepping a bit closer to her. “Sometimes they’re beneficial.”

“Oh my god, you aren’t seriously getting all poetic on me, are you?”

“What? It’s the truth! I-I meant what I said about your eyes having a nice color!” Annie could feel herself blushing at that. Nobody, not even her own parents, had ever said anything about her eyes before. “You’re the first person to ever say something nice about my eyes.”

Now it was his turn to look stunned. “Oh.” There was something about the way Annie said it in a deadened tone with her head downcast that made him feel a rush of sympathy. So, without any other hesitation, he bent down to meet their lips once more in a soft kiss.

She returned it, surprised at his initiative, feeling a warmth settle in her gut at his soft welcoming touch, and in between pants they would break away to look at one another before continuing again.

“I never took you for quite a kisser, Armin.” she smirked at him when they broke away from each other’s lips for the moment and went instead to hugging.

“And I never took you for a huggy person,” came his reply on her shoulder after a stunned pause.

He could feel her body shaking, which meant she laughed.

“A-Annie?”

“Yes?”

“Maybe…maybe we should look for the others. I don’t want them to worry and start to look for us," he said regretfully.

He heard her give an impatient sigh, “yeah, guess you’re right.”

They exited the closet minutes later after one last peck to the lips where they were blinded with light after being in near darkness for so long. As the last of the euphoria from his chest faded, he was now feeling a bit nervous. They had been in the closet for twenty minutes, which was longer than they had realized. Not that he was complaining, but-

“Armin! Annie!”

Eren and Mikasa had arrived. Their worried looks caused him to feel guilt at the thought that they had probably been looking for them for quite some time.

“Where the hell were you two?” demanded Eren, coming to a stop in front of them, with bewildered eyes. “We were worried something had happened to-!

“I'm so sorry Eren, b-but we’re fine!” protested Armin. “Look, me and Annie were just down the hallway and-

“-We checked that,” said Mikasa. “But you weren’t there.”

“Oh…” said Armin, now feeling himself turn red as he racked his brains for an excuse. “We must have missed you guys. We were-

“-in the classroom talking with professor Zacharias.” Invented Annie tonelessly, staring straight at them. “I wanted to talk to him about my grade in the last test and that was all. Armin accompanied me too.”

“Oh.” Said Eren, now scratching his head, now looking a bit embarrassed at his outburst. “Sorry, we didn’t know.”

“No, don’t be, Eren! There’s nothing wrong about that. We just-just lost track of time.” Said Armin.

He could feel Mikasa’s wordless stare run over his face and to his disquiet, he saw her glance in Annie’s direction in an almost accusatory way. Before looking at her up and down. Armin realized with a jolt that they were both rather disheveled and looked as if they'd recently run and he could almost swear he heard the cogs in Mikasa's brain start to whirl. “You could have at least texted us you were going to be for a while” she said.

“We didn’t know it would take long.” Said Annie, a bit apologetic.

“I meant Armin.” Mikasa corrected. There was a hint of a tone in her voice that suggested she wasn’t angry at him, but cautious between the short blonde girl beside him. He looked to find Annie in a locked gaze at Mikasa, glaring daggers.

“Guys, I’m sorry. It’s my fault for losing track of time.” Apologized Armin, before he could feel the heat radiating off both of them start to change the atmosphere. “I stopped to chat with Zacharias and I lost track of time. Next time, I’ll make sure to tell you where I am.”

“O-kay Armin, we’re sorry, there’s no need to apologize. I-I reacted a bit too much.” Laughed Eren. “Are you guys going to visit Hannah with us?

****

After leaving school, the four of them had arrived at the entrance of a white house with steps leading up to the porch of Hannah’s house. It was a bright house despite its small size, with bushes of bright purple African Lilies on the sides of the porch and some rose bushes.

“So this is the porch that cost her a broken leg,” remarked Eren, carefully watching his step as though expecting a toy truck to come rolling by. “Falling from this must have hurt like hell.”

“No kidding.”remarked Mikasa, reaching a hand to press the doorbell.

They stood waiting there on the porch, exchanging glances and taking a look a glance at their surroundings while they waited. Though Annie felt a bit awkward coming, she also was a bit curious to see the former basketball player. They could hear raucous sounds coming from the house followed by a pair of quick footsteps like they were running around. A moment later, the door opened.

Instead of Hannah’s mom, their heads turned down to see a small mousy- faced boy with short chestnut colored hair and a gap in his teeth hold the door open. He didn’t look older than five.

“Oh uh…hi…” said Mikasa slowly, trying to peer past the doorway for an adult. “Are you Hannah’s little brother?”

“Yep. My name’s Ryan. Who’re you? Are you my sista’s friends?” he said, interested. “She plays basketball but now she can’t play.”

“Oh, that’s ok. We’re not here to play, Ryan. We’re here to see Hannah. Is she available right now?” said Armin in his most innocent tone he used to talk to toddlers.

“Oh ok. That’s fine, but I have to ask my mommy if I can let you in.”

They heard another sound of abrupt footsteps in the house, belonging to someone larger and the boy turned his head to look over his shoulder as a woman’s fretful voice could be heard getting closer. “Ryan baby, what have I told you about opening the door to strangers?”

They saw a woman’s hand nudging the younger boy from sight before revealing herself to look at her new visitors. She had dark red hair like Hannah and some crows feet on the side of her eyes, but when she caught sight of Armin and Mikasa, her face immediately lit up.

“Oh hello, you must be Hannah’s friends from school! My goodness, I’m so sorry about Hannah’s brother! He’s only four, and we’ve been trying to tell him about stranger danger! - and hello Armin, long time no see! Great to see you!” she said, gifting him with a wide smile and bright brown eyes.

“Hello Mrs. Diamant, great to see you too!” said Armin sweetly. “How are you?”

“Oh I’m doing fine Armin, thank you! Been a little busy with work, and of course, with a certain little someone who can’t listen to mommy...” her mock annoyance turned behind her where they heard Hannah’s little brother calling out, “I’m sorry, mommy! I won’t do it again!” Each of them gave a polite laugh.

“How’s your mother and father?” she asked, turning to Mikasa and Eren. “I saw him at the hospital when we took Hannah to treat her broken leg. He didn’t treat her though, some other doctor did since he works in another department- but we exchanged hellos!”

“Oh, he’s doing great.” Said Eren, “he’s been busy with a lot of patients these days.” Mikasa nodded.

Then she turned her head towards Annie, smile faltering a little and looking guilty. “and… I’m afraid I don’t know your name, dear. Are you also a friend of Hannah’s?” she asked sweetly.

Annie felt a bit uncomfortable, but replied back. “I’m Annie Leonhart. The new girl on the team.”

Mrs. Diamant seemed to brighten perceptively at this. “Ahhh, welcome to the team!” she said, gifting Annie with a warm smile that Annie tried to return before addressing them all. “Well, why don’t you all come inside dearies? Hannah’s in her room!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Diamant!” they said in unison.

Annie followed Armin and the rest through the doorway where they were greeted by a cozy living room slightly cluttered with toys belonging to a small child. One look inside the hosue told Annie it belonged to a busy housewife with kids to take care of. Numerous pictures dotted the walls and cabinets of Hannah and her family. If Annie had to describe the theme of the house, she would have to say it had a lived-in yet also traditional style to it with the soft curves of the wall and the hard bookshelves and cabinets. The couch had nice geometrically decorated pillows centered cutely, and there was a definite smell of Febreze in the air. It was a stark contrast to Armin’s own empty living room where pictures were missing. No wonder Armin and his grandparents barely had any visitors.

“Honey, you have some visitors!” called Mrs. Diamant knocking on the door once to announce her presence through the door to where she could only guess was from Hannah’s bedroom. They heard an excited shuffle from inside, then a girl’s voice: “Did Franzcome backagain?”

“No, dear!” sang Mrs. Diamant, with an amused look over her shoulder at them all. “It’s friends from your school!”

“Hi Hannah, how are you doing so far?” called Mikasa from the doorway.

“Mikasa? Hey!-Mom, it’s alright- they can come in!”

The door was opened to reveal Hannah, her ginger hair was loose unlike tied back during which Armin had seen her in the court. On her bed was a noticeable white cast on her right leg above the bed. She had the TV on in her room which was playing some kind of show, but upon seeing them at the doorway, her face brightened up and she muted it, sitting up instead.

“Have fun you guys!” called her mother as she bid them one final wave and smile. “And make sure to tell your prince charming he left his jacket!” she reminded Hannah.

“Moooom!” sputteredHannah, cheeks reddening as Armin and Eren chuckled good naturedly.

“Just saying- just saying! Anyway, have fun!” Mrs. Diamant sang, before finally leaving and closing the door behind her.

“Jeez, my mom’s never given me a break ever since she found out me and Franz were going out.” Said Hannah exasperatedly once her mother’s footsteps were heard echoing off down the hall. “My brother even asked him if he was going to marry me!”

Eren snorted. “Well, he’s only...what-five?”

“Yeah, he’s in kindergarten, and already he’s a little disaster planner. So…Mikasa, Eren, Armin, how’s it going?” she said, sporting the same grin as her mother. “And Annie!”

Annie gave a shy smile and wave. “y-yeah…how did you-?”

“Oh- Mikasa and Sasha told me about you!” she said perkily. “Congrats on making it to the team! I don’t feel quite so bad knowing you guys found a reserve player that will help us win a victory against the Titans!”

“Yeah, it was Armin who recruited her,” explained Eren. “She and Armin were originally study buddies and he had the idea.”

“How is your leg, Hannah?” asked Mikasa, approaching the bed and taking a seat from far where her cast was. “Coach Rico has told me to tell you to get better and hope you aren’t suffering.”

“Oh well, it hasn’t been too bad. I mean…Franz comes by every day to give me my homework from classes and hang out, and I get to have my meals in my bedroom which is freakin’ awesome, so it means I get to watch my favorite shows and eat.”

“That sounds like something I wish I could do.” Said Eren morosely. “I’d love to take a break from school for a while.”

“Eren, are you saying that you’d rather have a broken leg, too?” scolded Mikasa.

"Of course not, Mikasa! I meant it must be nice being able to relax and eat while watching movies!”

Hannah giggled, noddingher head in understanding.“Haha, no I understand what you mean. It does feel awesome. But at the same time, I get restless, too. Not being able to move and just sit here...I wish I were back on my feet and at school.”

“I’m sorry,” said Armin meekly, “I hope you don’t have to stay like this for a while.”

“Oh don’t worry you guys, the doctor said I’d be able to get up at the end of two weeks. It won’t be so bad when I have you guys, right?” she said looking at each of them cheerfully. “And of course, I feel much better knowing Annie is on the team. I remember when you were super-fast that one time in P.E.” she said, addressing Annie.

“Yeah well…” Annie paused, contemplating it over. “I-I’m still trying to practice how to deliver passes to people.”

“Oh don’t worry, you get better with it over time,” consoled Hannah, nodding her head. “I remember the coach made me practice with her for a whole half-hour after practice when I couldn’t master it. She was very nice and because of her, I’ve gotten better!”

“Well, it’ll probably take some more time with me,” she replied gloomily.

“Oh don’t say that, of course you’ll get better. If you can already master speed and agility, you can sure get better at something as trivial as that. You just need to relax and stay with it!”

“She will.” Affirmed Armin, looking at Annie and giving her a warm smile. “Even Coach Rico said she was surprised at Annie’s technique.”

“What we all need to do right now is relax in the meantime” admitted Hannah in some authoritative finality, clasping her hands together and a smirking game-face on. “So…what should we do now that you guys are over right now?”

They spent a very enjoyable evening in Hannah’s bedroom talking about their time at school. How Mikasa and the rest of the girl’s team was faring, how some of their teachers like Nanaba and Mike were caught smooching after school by a fellow student, or how their club activities were going. Armin talked on and on about how the astronomy club finally got the budget to have the rights to visit Mount Deerclimb’s observatory. Annie listened with interest, pleasantly noting the enthusiasm in Armin’s eyes as he explained the cool knowledgeable facts of constellations and stars, but it was interrupted with Mikasa announcing they play some board games.

They took turns playing chutes and ladders with one another, tallying their score, and somewhere along the way, it had begun to evolve into a truth or dare every time one of them landed on a slide or lost. All of them were laughing, and it further escalated when Hannah made a daring bet with Eren that he would have to act like a monkey in front of her mother. All of them- even Annie, burst into a fit of giggles as a furiously red Eren made chimpanzee sounds in front of her mother when he had lost. After explaining to a nonplussed Mrs. Diamant that they were playing a truth or dare game, she laughed out, before leaving the door chiding good-naturedly “kids these days…”

Once they had tired of chutes and ladders, Hannah had announced gleefully that Who’s Line is it Anyway- their favorite show had just started to air. Annie normally didn’t watch TV, but she found, to her complete surprise, the show was really quite funny. Every single improvisation act had them laughing and gasping at the actors having to perform ludicrous scenarios for the audience.

“Hahaha oh my god! I can’t believe he still ate the mustard and chocolate in his mouth!” exclaimed Eren between fits of roaring laughter and fake retching noises when the actors were performing a Helping Hands scenario of a couple trying to enjoy a romantic dinner.

“I know right? I used to want to be in this show, but now I don’t even think I want to after seeing how much they have to endure!” said Hannah.

“I’d be more concerned with trying to come up with something on the spot,” disclosed Mikasa in amusem*nt.

“Well, I’m pretty sure they get some time to think it over,” stated Armin, giggling. “Otherwise, they’d all be up there looking at one another and sweating over what to say on the spot. Plus, it could also be some people from the audience are actually the ones running the show and had introduced ready-made scenes to the actors ahead of time.”

As he finished his sentence, he happened to glance over at Annie, catching her eye and giving her a grin. Luckily, everybody else was too preoccupied with watching the show to realize to notice Annie had turned her head, trying to hide a smile and blushing cheeks.

It was around 8:30 when Hannah’s mom finally came through the door announcing that she was putting her son to bed and wanted some quiet. The four of them took that as their cue to leave as also it was already dark. The four of them said a hearty good-bye to Hannah and her mom as well as her dad, who had just come by the front door from work before waving them off as thy walked down the street and out of sight.

“Good-bye all of you! Tell each of your parents I said hi!- and so glad to have met you Annie!”

“Where do you live, Annie?” asked Eren , as they walked in the direction of the Jaeger household.

“Marley Street, a few minutes away from here.” she mumbled.

“Marley Street? Oh- isn’t that the place where the police found all those drug addicts?”

“Eren!” admonished Armin, looking at her then Eren.

“Oh no- I didn’t mean it like that, Annie. I just meant…I was just trying to remember the place!” said Eren, disconcerted.

“It’s fine.” She mumbled tonelessly. Despite not being on purpose, Eren was kind of right in pointing out that no, it was not exactly a safe neighborhood.

“It’s not all the way into Marley street, just at the front, which is not that dangerous.” Replied Armin. “I’m going to walk Annie home guys.”

“What?! Are you sure?” asked Eren surprised. “Armin, don’t you think we should-

“It’s fine,”huffedAnnie impatiently before Armin could reply. “Jaeger, I’m not defenseless you know.”

“I know but-

“Eren, mom just sent a text telling us to get our asses home,” exposed Mikasa, scrolling through her phone. “Armin, are you absolutely sure you’ll be alright?” she said, frowning at him like a concerned mother.

Judging how Armin frowned at the “you’ll” to refer to him, and not Annie, he looked a little down, but replied back in a determined voice. “Of course, Mikasa. It’s just a short walk. Besides, Annie will protect me- right Annie?” he said innocently.

Damn him for looking so cute like that! Her brain mentally grouched. She was eager to finally have alone time with her boyfriend in secret, so she nodded, looking a bit too eager. “Of course.”

After a final stare at the pair of them, Mikasa nodded, waving them a farewell with Eren, and promising them to get together tomorrow to study.

The pair of them ended up spending more time in the shadows of the apartmentbuilding when they arrived, kissing, before Annie finally broke it off, stating her dad was really going to forbid her from ever staying late again. He followed her towards the entrance, giving her one more kiss- for good luck, before turning around and shouting out how they needed to spend more time together “studying”.

As Armin turned one last time to watch her go, a sudden movement in one of the many windows of the apartment caught his eye. Glancing up, he could have sworn he saw the shadow of a man peering through the blinds in the dark apartment, but when he took closer look finding no movement, he attributed it to his wacky imagination. He sighed, blowing Annie a kiss before setting off down the road and out of sight.

Mr. Leonhart meanwhile was glaring at the fading figure of the boy with the blond bowl-cut through his bedroom window, his eyes glaring.

Chapter 17: Running Away

Chapter Text

All she was aware of, was a darkness surrounding her. She felt vulnerable, on high alert- and she felt cold as well. A feeling of being alone.

“Who's there?” she heard herself calling out. The sound of her voice could be heard echoing off the thick walls around her like she was in some massive tunnel. A feeling of despair overtook her- she was feeling claustrophobic.

When she was a small child, she had gotten separated from her mother and father (when they were still together) on a trip to Belmont Park and happened to wander inside a tunnel with intricate pathways. Since she was still too young to find her way through, all she could remember was the darkness and the unending feeling of hopelessness of staying stuck there alone forever. She could remember trying to stop crying in the penumbra as she sat on the cold filthy floor, hugging her knees and wishing for more than anything that the darkness and pain would go away. It was several hours before they finally found her, still in that same position, half asleep, and with a tear stricken face, refusing to say anything afterwards. To this day, she had never looked at tunnels the same way again and would always try to avoid them in the future.

“You’re not alone, Annie” came a soft voice from the darkness. It belonged to someone vaguely familiar…

She whipped her head up, finding nothing but the darkness surrounding her. Yet there was a presence around her, making her feel not so alone anymore.

“Who’s there?” her cracked voice called out again.

Out of the shadows came a blond boy- hair framing his face and bright blue eyes that were now intensely gazing at her curiously yet sympathetically.

“A-Armin?” she choked out. “What are- what are you doing here?”

“I’m-”, then suddenly he stopped, his eyes wandering over her face where glistened tears were leaking from her eyes. “A-Annie, what’s wrong?” he said, great blue eyes widening in worry. He quickly approached her, dropping to a kneel and put his hand on her shoulder. Normally, she would flinch at the contact, but his hand was warm, and it was better than the darkness surrounding them. “Why are you crying?”

She drooped her head so he didn’t have to see her in this state. Warriors never cried. To do so, would reveal weakness. “It’s-it’s nothing, go away.”

With his warm hand on her shoulder, she expected him to withdraw his hand from her shoulder. What she did not expect was a hand to cup her face, dabbing away gently the tears. Her face shot up to see Armin, whose face was closer to hers and searching her face as he put a hand on her shoulder.

“Annie.”

“What is it?"

"Don't cry."

" I don’t deserve this.”

“Deserve what?”

“I don’t deserve kindness.”

Armin’s hand, which had settled on her shoulder now came to cup her cheek. His calloused hand was strangely comforting, and she resisted the urge to pull away. Instead, a single tear dripped down her cheek and unto his palm.

“I-I don’t deserve your kindness, Armin.” shereiterated, even when he wound both arms around her in an embrace.

“What are you talking about?” he muffled through her shoulder.

“I-I’ve been horrible to you, and- you don’t need someone like me!”

“You’re right.”

Annie felt her insides turn to ice and it seemed her whole body was paralyzed in shock. “W-what?”

“I said you don’t need someone like me.”

This time, there was no mistaking the harsh tone of voice coming from him. She snapped her head away from his embrace to look at him. His face, which was calm and loving before, was now smiling- but not just any smile. It was a leering one of someone who took pride in other’s misfortune.

She recoiled back in alarm, standing up and getting away from this strange new person. The Armin she knew would never say something like that. This was all a mirage. This COULDN’T be him…

“How could you ever think somebody would love a pathetic person like you?” he sneered, now watching her face contort in horror. His eyes no longer held the same dreamy blue in them. On the contrary, they looked black- like the depths ofthetunnel she had got lost in all those years prior,and she wondered if they had been that way all along.

“Y-you can’t be real! You’re not Armin!”

The Armin gave a laugh that did not match at all, belonging more to an adult than a boy like him. His cold watery laugh made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, and she blinked furiously, trying to adjust to the ever growing darkness around them. She could swear the boy’s face before her was changing ever so slightly to resemble her father’s.

With a choke, she had realized that in Armin’s place stood her father, wearing a hateful expression he reserved for her when he'd been drinking.

“Get out of here!” he screamed, charging at her.

There was a disturbance in the air. It seemed his voice was fading in and out, yet getting clearer. A voice far off in the back of her head was calling out to her harshly. Like yelling incoherently. She felt her whole world shake, while the sound of her father’s voice was getting louder, as well as a distant banging…

“Get out of here!”

Annie jolted awake, feeling her head spin out of control. It was pitch black, and she suddenly realized she was back in her room. The yelling she'd heard in her dream was her father yelling at her in the present. She blinked her eyes dully in the dark around her until they settled on the neon outline of the numbers from her digital alarm clock sitting on her desk.

12:45

With fumbling fingers, she anxiously felt around in the dark for her lamp, knocking over some things unto the floor in the process. When she finally managed to flick the chord, did she nearly jump out of her skin.

“D-dad?!” Her voice shook.

There stood her father in her bedroom looking worse for wear- wild looking eyes that, even in the dim light, she could tell were red. His hands were shaking like leaves in the wind, which immediately frightened her, and his mouth seemed to be slack-jawed like he'd been yelling.

And she could also smell the acrid odor of alcohol even from the distance, nearly making her gag.

It was as though the nightmare she had moments ago had appeared before her. She had never seen her father look like this before and her heart was pounding as she tried to take in the fact that he had drunk too much this time, and was now probably about to pick a fight.

“Why do you always have to torment me, Diane!?” yelled her father, swaying a bit on his feet.

“D-dad, what are you-” but she was cut off from the look of anger on his face. It was scary: his eyes looking as bloodshot as ever as he approached her, and she was willing to bet from the wild look in his dilated pupils, that he wasn’t quite aware of where he was. She shrank back both from the smell and with the fear that her dad would try to give harm.

“HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, DIANE?” he screamed, jabbing a finger at her.

Diane.

Her mother’s name.

He thought she was her mother.

“Dad I don’t- I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she protested in a shaky voice. Goosebumps formed on her arms and the hair on the back of her neck seemed to stand on end as she fumbled around the side of her bed for her phone without him noticing. If he were out of it, there would be no guarantee he wouldn't hit her.

He stared at her, eyes widened, swaying on the spot after she said that. His matted head tilted to the side so as to look at her better. A second later, his face arranged into a snarl.

“YOU LIED TO ME, DIANE-YOU BITCH!”

And suddenly he lunged at her.

Annie, who hadn’t taken her eyes off him while her hand clutched her phone, jumped to her feet, ignoring the jab at the bottom of her heel due to the unexpected exercise as she bolted out the door.

Behind her, she could hear the anguished shout of her father, trying to stumble through the doorway after her. Her heart was pounding as she sailed past the hallway to the living room, before finally stopping.

She was at the doorway now. She could just leave.

Should she leave?

A million thoughts jumbled in her brain of this. There was no way she could stay here if her father was like this. But where could she go?

Reiner and Bertolt’s house? Bertolt’s family would be there as well as Reiner’s and she did not want either of their parents to know that she was staying at a house with either of their sons without them thinking they were maybe boyfriend/girlfriend material. After all, they hadn’t come out to their parents. Mina and Ymir were out of the question. She doubted showing up out of the blue at Mina’s house at this late hour and when she had not really talked with her. Ymir would only scoff and it wasn’t like they were great friends or anything…

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?!” she heard him scream behind her.

Annie’s head whipped around to see her father at the end of the hallway, eyes enflamed with fury at having run away from him, now heading straight towards her.

With frozen tears in her eyes, she wrenched the door handle with her shaky fingers and flung herself out of the apartment, ignoring the fact that not only was she was in her green unicorn printed pajama bottoms with a pink tank top, but she had left everything behind, except her phone.

She hurtled through the silent dim hallways, wondering why there were no people, until she realized it was the dead of night and people were likely sleeping. Would they hear her father at this hour?

Without thinking, she raced out the door of the complex and into the biting chill from outside, panting and collapsing on the grass in the darkness of a tree.

Her heart was still racing at the thought of what she had just done; she had left her apartment- and at midnight, too. There was no way she would ever dare go back at this hour and with her father in a violent temper. There had been several instances where he had been drunk and had gone yelling at her, but never like this…

She wiped away a stray tear vigorously and sniffled in the cold autumn air. As she sat, huddling against the cold, she realized that she wasn’t even wearing shoes. Hell, not even socks. She was bare foot, wearing a tank top, in her most ludicrous unicorn pajamas out in the middle of the cold night and completely exposed in a not-so safe part of town.

What do I do now? She thought hopelessly.

For a few minutes, all she could do was stay huddled in the shadows, rocking her body back and forth unable to come up with a liable solution. She couldn't stay out here the whole night when she had school tomorrow! Where would she go? Could she dare go back to the apartment?

I'd rather stay outside the whole night than go backshe thought savagely.

As her mind frantically turned over for a solution, her mind wandered back to the dream she had of the blond boy that was Armin.

“You’re not alone, Annie.” Came his voice from her dreams.

She pocketed her phone in her pajama bottoms and stood up, brushing the leaves and grass that had stuck to her clothing. He was the only one she trusted right now.

Armin was awoken from his slumber by the sound of something like singing.

A few seconds went by for his feeble brain to finally recognize the guitar melody of “This Too, Shall Pass” by OK Go which was heard resonating through his room, and it took him another few bleary-eyed moments to realize that it was coming from his phone.

“Wha…?”

Had he set his alarm incorrectly?

Without any hesitation, he groaned and threw the covers off him to walk like a zombie towards his dresser with the intent to turn the music off, hoping his grandpa hadn’t woken up from the noise. Since when had he decided to set his alarm at half past twelve in the morning? Before he could curse his own stupidity of setting the wrong time, he looked at the screen and had to blink his eyes awake several times to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.

It wasn’t an alarm. It was a phone call.

A phone call from Annie Leonhart.

Why was she calling him in the middle of the night? Had she accidentally pressed the button in her sleep? But he had no time to fully ponder except to press the accept button and put the phone to his ear. “Annie..?” came his slow, unsure voice.

All at once, he heard her sigh of relief. “A-Armin?” She sounded worried, scared.

“Annie, why are you calling? Is everything alright?” he asked, trying to keep his voice low enough so he wouldn’t wake his grandpa.

To his surprise, he heard her voice croak at the other end, which made him even more concerned. She didn't seem like her usual normal self. “Annie, tell me, what’s wrong?”

“It’s my dad. He-he kicked me out of the house and-

“What?!”

“He kicked me out of the house! I don’t know why but…I can’t-" he could hear her voice cracking with every word she spoke. Something in him stirred awake at the fact that it was Annie in a desperate situation.

“Annie, where are you right now? Does that mean you’re…you’re outside at this time?!"

“Armin, I’m so sorry I-

“Don’t say that, it’s not your fault! Tell me where you are, Annie, ok? Don’t hang up, alright? It’s dangerous for you to be out at night! I’m coming to get you right now and- !“

“I’m already outside your house.”

“You’re-you’re what?”

He bounded over to his window to peer out into the dark, deserted street lit by sparse street lamps illuminating little circlets of light. He peered down to see sure enough, the shadow of a figure hunched near the bushes on his lawn. He could tell it was her because of her pale complexion nearly shining through the obscurity. He could also see the faint glow of what he knew to be her phone, by her face.

“I see you on the lawn under my bedroom window” he said hushed, into the phone. He saw her face look up at him, and even through the darkness and the height, he could tell she looked apprehensively around his neighborhood as though worried anybody else might catch sight of her. “Hold on, I’m going to open the door for you and-“

“Wait!- Don’t do that! I’ll climb up the tree and unto your window.” Came her voice through the phone.

“Annie, are you out of your mind? -That’s dangerous!”

“No- I’m a much better climber than you realize me to be. You’ll wake your grandpa-. Please- just listen to me!"

She looked up at him through his window and Armin could practically see the desperation in her eyes. She did have a point. The last thing he wanted, was his grandpa waking up to the sound of him opening the front door and trying to smuggle the girl he had introduced so that she could stay in his room. Even if there was nothing weird like that occurring, his grandpa would have a tough time believing that he was only trying to provide her with a place to stay for the night.

“Fine, just- just be careful! I’ll open up the window then. ‘Kay see you in a few seconds.” He opened the sliding windows as slowly and quietly as he could, the cool wind from outside blowing his golden bangs back a bit.

He leaned forward, peering outside to see Annie, giving him a small wave from below the second story and making her way over to the tree to hitch herself up its branches. She hitched first one leg, then the other, and Armin had to admire the muscle strength she held through her tank top. When she reached the top of one of the branches of the jacaranda tree, Armin leant forward to grab her hand and hoist her towards the window, and with several grunts and “I’m sorry’s” at one another, Annie had one foot through his room and the other still on one of the branches.

“Annie, where-where are your shoes?” he asked, looking at her bare foot, planted in the sill while he helped hoist her in.

“I…didn’t bring them with me because- ah!” While managing to hoist her other leg in, she had slipped on the ledge, so with Armin’s hands occupied supporting her, it caused him to fall backwards with Annie falling right unto him with a squeak.

“Are you- are you okay?” asked Armin, in concern, looking up at her.

“Shouldn’t I be the one to ask you that?” she asked, a bit apologetic.

Before he could reply back, the sound of a particularly loud sudden snore several doors away could be heard through the silence, and the pair of them froze, scared that they had caused too much noise. The two blondes looked at each other worried, before looking towards the door ears desperately trying to listen in case the other resident of the house had woken up. After several long moments, they could hear the rhythmic snoring returning from Grandpa Arlert. The both let out a breath they hadn’t realized they’d been holding and it was then they turned their attention to the awkward situation they were in.

She had fallen straight into his chest, flush against him with her face nearly inches from his own and hands and legs on either side of him. Through the darkness, he could see her storm blue eyes widening in some kind of shocked but abashed look as she looked down at him. Her lemon- colored blonde bangs were illuminated by the moon from the window, yet brought part of her face into shadow, but he was willing to bet that her naturally pale face was now sporting some pink, given the situation.

“Uh Annie…?” he asked uncertainly, feeling his face turn red as he stared up at her.

This seemed to have startled her back to reality. “Oh uh…sorry, Armin” she said in apology, hastening to get up from him and offer a hand to him which he thanked.Oh hell, I can't believe that happened!

As the pair of them knelt on the soft plushy floor of his bedroom, Armin took in the state of the girl who had come through his window. She was wearing what obviously looked like her pajamas. She had on a pink tank top and some pajama bottoms decorated with green unicorns. Her hair, instead of in a bun, hung straight down, the length of her shoulders. He had never seen her with her hair down before, and she looked like a different person. On some parts of her arms, he noticed there were a few scratches. His eyes were next drawn to her bare feet which now looked stained with grass and from climbing the tree.

“A-Annie, you’re hurt! Did- did you walk barefoot all the way from home?” he asked, alarmed at the thought.

“N-no I didn’t I-“ She looked ashamed, trying to hide her feet.

“Annie, did…did your father hurt you?” he asked in a hushed voice, blue eyes widened apprehensively as he looked over her face.

“No.” she said in a low voice, turning her head to look at the floor. She didn’t want to have to look up at his beautiful shining eyes illuminating through the dark as he observed her. To her utter dismay, she felt tears start to form, unchecked and it was like a damn broke through her, releasing all her emotions at once.

“I-I can’t believe I ran away from home…” she choked, trying desperately to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand.

“A-Annie-“

“My…my dad had too much to drink and…and he managed to wake me up and he started yelling at me and then I had no choice but to leave. He- he has a drinking problem- no…he’s always had a drinking problem for as long as I could remember…when my mom left and-“

“Shh, Annie it’s ok.” He said consolingly over her words. Something in him compelled at that moment to reach over and bring his arms around her, towards him. Annie tensed momentarily, and he worried that she was going to move away. Instead, he felt her hands wrap around his shoulders her body shaking as she struggled through tears.

“I’m…I’m so sorry Armin, I-I didn’t know who else to turn to and- and I’m sorry for waking you up but-!”

“Annie, shh, it’s ok, there’s nothing to apologize for,” he said softly, holding her snug against him, hands roaming around her backside.

“I just- I’m such a coward to run away and-

“Hey-hey, Annie,” he said softly, shaking her once, to emphasize his point while his deep blue eyes held a softness in them. “It’s not your fault at all. It’s your father’s! He should never have done that and forced you to go out at this time! You did the right thing. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

She nodded, burrowing her face back into his coaxing chest as she felt his arms wrap around her once more. With her cheek resting on his shoulder, she found herself sighing, relaxing to his touch.

When was the last time she remembered being held like this? Her earliest recollection of being held was around kindergarten when she had scraped her knee rather hard on the asphalt when she was running during recess. She had remembered crying so much, but the kind teacher merely took her inside and applied a Band-Aid while someone held her in a hug as she sniffled and eventually fell asleep. When she woke up, she remembered feeling ashamed for her behavior as the teacher explained to her dumbfounded father what had happened.

Instead of hugging her and telling her it would be alright, she remembered her father chastising her for causing such a ruckus, instead opting her to toughen up because it was just a scratch, as he said.

What is wrong with me? she thought sardonically. I can’t even remember a time when either of my parents held me.

Would it feel like she was feeling right now? The feeling of her problems ebbing away while being held like this? Feeling his light puffs of breath on her neck as he hushed soothing words to her? Did she feel a jumping sensation in her chest while he was near?

“I had a dream about you before…before waking up…” she said, voice slightly muffled. As soon as she said it, she felt incredibly foolish, like she was confessing some secret.

Armin pulled his face away to look at her in surprise, but he didn’t stop holding her. “Really?”

“Yeah, you were- you looked different though…” she trailed off, once more setting her cheek on his shoulder as she looked out into the darkness of the night through his window.

“Did I have three heads or something?” he added in a small chuckle, trying to cheer her up.

Annie exhaled through her nose in amusem*nt. “Definitely not. But…but in the dream you acted different. You were all nice but suddenly, you-you weren’t.”

She felt Armin still for a moment in his gentle back rubbing and he pulled away once more to see her. “I was?” Did he look saddened hearing that?

“In my dream, I was crying for help and you came. But then-…then you turned into my dad and were saying how I didn’t deserve to have happiness and stuff…” She felt her eyes pooling, and she looked away from the boy holding her so he didn’t have to see how the dream had affected her. She shouldn’t be crying. Crying was for babies who got into trouble with their parents. Crying was for the weak- not for a warrior like her.

“I’m so pathetic. I can’t believe I’m crying over something so stupid and not real.”

She felt a hand gently pry her chin to the side so that she was looking back into those deep blue eyes that reminded her of the ocean in his room.

The boy who had suffered so much from her hands, yet remained by her side despite everything. Armin’s thoughtful gaze darted everywhere to her face, like he was told to memorize it. With his other hand, he very gently smoothed out the tears that had started to trail down her cheeks before placing a kiss on either side of them. It was strange how just not more than a few hours ago she had been laughing with him and his friends with Hannah, with not a care to the world.

“Annie.” He said, and she could swear that he looked at her with some reverence a mother would show for her baby. “It’s ok to cry. Crying doesn’t mean you’re weak. Sometimes…sometimes even the strongest person in the world needs some time to cry. It doesn’t make you pathetic at all. It just means you are expressing how you really feel, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

So she let it all out- all the bottled up emotions that had accompanied her through grade school up into high school seemed to flow out like a dam. How her mother had left her father, how she had been hoping all her life she could feel wanted and loved by him, her fear of failing her classes…

She cried silently against the boy who only returned the hug, refusing to let her go, even when his shirt was tear-stained. He only whispered soft words of encouragement to her, giving her a kiss every once in a while, nuzzling against her head as she found herself gradually calming down, eyes drooping from exhaustion…

He felt the weight of the girl go slack against him, indicating that she had fallen asleep after exerting all her emotions out. He really didn’t want to let go of her- the pleasant feeling of her head against his shoulder making him feel a warmth in his chest he hadn’t felt like. Like he was protecting her.

Never in his life had he played the role of protector. He had always been the one protected, whether it was from bullies, when his parents had left home and comforted by his friends, or when he would get hurt. From being in that role for so long, it had kept him from really understanding how different it was to being the protective one. Being the one that would hold the other when times were hard. That was why when she had ended up falling asleep against him, he was reluctant to break away from her- even to sleep.

He gingerly picked her up, bridal style, and lowered her unto one side of his bed and adjusting the blue covers around her. She did not wake, but curled in to the warmth.

She looks so peaceful he thought to himself, as he watched the normally stoic and serious expression on Annie’s face show tranquility, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He leaned over, eyelashes barely grazing her hair to give a soft kiss to her forehead.

So peaceful and beautiful.

The thought of sharing a bed with his former bully and now girlfriend unbeknownst to either his friends or grandpa hadn’t even crossed his mind that night as he settled on his side to face her. Strange how it almost seemed natural to have them both here.

But what about her father? He really couldn't believe she had trekked here in the middle of the night barefoot, no less. How could her father do such a thing to her? His teeth clenched at the thought.

He would have to formulate a plan to hide Annie from his grandpa’s eyes. But he decided that that could wait for tomorrow.

Automatically, and without thinking, he pulled the side of the covers gently around the both of them before brushing a lemon strand back from her face. Then, leaning over once more to give her a kiss, this time on her aquiline nose, he felt a gentle puff of air from her lips as she slept.

“Sleep well, Annie.” He whispered to her before drifting off next to her.

Chapter 18: Second-Hand Clothes...Shocking News

Chapter Text

The first thing she felt was a warmth spreading all around her. The subtle texture of cotton sheets was felt against her bare arms. A cool deliciousness on her skin that made her think of cleanliness. She sighed contently. Her eyes were still too heavy for her to open them. The sun seemed to be shining just barely through a window unto her face, and for a moment she wondered if that was what caused her to wake.

The next thing she noticed was an unexpected scent. A foreign scent. An odor she did not recognize waking up to before. Instead of the woody and smoky scent she had come to familiarize with her house, this held the scent of clean sheets and something that smelled distantly like…a salty spray in the wind. Like something from the outside or decidedly male. She really didn’t want to leave the warm confines of her bed due to the softness around her, opting to snuggle further into the bed. Besides, the smell was not entirely unwelcoming to her nose. Instead, she decided to hazard a peek with one barely shut eye at the something that was giving warmth underneath her.

Or rather someone.

Her heart skipped a beat and she whipped her ahead above, finally wrenching her eyes open to stare for several awed seconds who she'd been resting against and who was currently holding her in his arms. The someone with a blond bowl cut hair with a slender frame wearing a red t-shirt.

Armin Arlert.

What?-How?-When???

She froze in shock, peering up at the young blond boy still fast asleep. She had spent the night in none other than Armin Arlert’s house. In his own room! Why'd she wake up in the arms of Armin Arlert in HIS bed?

Then she remembered last night: her father’s wrath, her running away to his house, him comforting her as she cried into his chest…

But she couldn’t remember anything after that! She felt herself turn incredibly red at their closeproximity. They had kissed multiple times since they had secretly become a couple, but never had she woken up next to someone, much less next to someone she was currently in a relationship with. She tried to gently pry herself from the arms currently holding her without waking him, but all it ever did was cause said owner of the arms to tighten their grip and turn over so that he was instead spooning her.

She gave a huff of annoyance that was more of a gasp. The arms were now tightening their grip around her like an octopus hold, preventing escape. She could feel his chest up against her back and his head was burrowed in her hair. The blond locks of his hair mingling with her own as he leaned in further against her in a way a lover would. She could feel the small exhales of his breath on her nape and the way her heart pounded, causing her nerves to go haywire with a feeling that both excited and thrilled her when she'd been in the closet alone with him.

But it wasn’t a scary feeling. Being held like this…felt quite nice. But she couldn’t help but feel an unsettling feeling at the thought of his grandpa opening the door, and finding not just his grandson, but the blonde classmate he'd invited to dinner. The sun was peeking out from the boy’s open window as the air current wafted in.

Oh, that’s right. She had literally climbed through his window last night. The thought almost made her laugh at how ludicrous it seemed in hindsight, except she realized that it wasn’t wise to make so much noise in the morning. What time was it anyway?

She strained her head to look around the room for any sign of a clock, but found none. Then she remembered her phone.

She dug into her pocket to find it empty. She cursed mentally, eyes darting around the room from her limited position. Where had she put it? Had she dropped it by chance when she was climbing the tree? Or was it in his room somewhere?

Tentatively and with as little noise as possible, she adjusted her body to turn while the still sleeping blond held her. At her position, she was nearly inches from his face. My god, why the hell is he so clingy in his sleep? She felt in both affection and annoyance.

Though amid the struggle, she had to admit that for a guy, Armin’s face looked very smooth and devoid of any pimples. She remembered back in middle school the little times she got to see him, he looked younger with plump cheeks. Now up close, he seemed to be older, his face more narrower as if he had been exercising a lot. Though semblances of his boyish qualities still were seen on his face.

Her eyes were then involuntarily drawn to the boy’s pink lips slightly parted as he dozed without a care that he was being watched. He looks so adorable when asleep she thought, a little envious for the fact that he could look cute no matter what he was doing.Like an angel!

The next thing she had noticed through her peripheral was a black rectangular apparatus lying on the cabinet next to his bed behind him. Her phone.

She must have dozed off, too preoccupied to notice she'd left it on the floor of his bedroom. He must have picked it up then. She was only a hand’s grab away from it. She tried leaning her whole body over Armin's own to get it. Their faces were literally inches apart. If she could just lean in and-

Suddenly, a loud song from a phone playing erupted in the quiet morning air.

Maybe it was the alarm that woke him, or the fact that she had made a small gasp audible in his ear, or maybe the fact that she stirred him awake; all she knew was that now she was face-to-face with a pair of startled blue eyes inches away from her own.

They stared at one another for several agonizing seconds. Blue against grey-blue as the kid before her was slowly processing what he had woken up to.

He bolted upright, almost hitting himself against the cabinet behind him “A-Annie!”

“Good morning, nerd.” she grumbled, eyes fixed in their usual stoic attitude, even though she must have turned several shades red.

“Annie, I-I err…I-it’s not what it looks like!” He sat up, suddenly awake, staring at her, face going immediately red like a tomato before glancing back to the alarm still blaring The Shins’ “Girl Sailor”. If she wasn’t so concerned about the amount of noise they had already made, she would have laughed at how ridiculously embarrassed he looked striding across the room and turning off his alarm.

Armin couldn’t believe he had so willingly put Annie in the same bed as he and had not only woken up with her on his bed, but the fact that he was found to have snuggled against her at some point during sleep.

“Are…are you-“

“Don’t worry, nerd, we didn’t do anything last night.” She half-joked amid his babble. Oh the humanity.

Armin blushed all the way down to his neck line at that. “N-no, I meant, are you- are you okay?” he asked hesitantly, eyes looking her up and down before widening. “Annie, your- your feet!” She followed his gaze to look down and see a few blisters and angry scratches running along her ankles and feet. From walking barefoot all the way here last night and climbing the damn tree.

“It’s-it’s nothing.” She flushed, trying to cover them from his prying eyes. “You’re hurt Annie- why didn’t you say anything last night- you must have been in pain and-

Then the voice of Armin’s grandpa from downstairs made both of them jump. “Armin? Are you awake?” Armin's eyes widened in horror.

“Yes Grandpa, I’m coming down!” he called, forcing his tone to normalcy before whispering to her. “Sorry Annie, I- I have to go down or he’ll come up here and find you!”

“Just go, I’ll be fine, Armin.” she said, eyes on the door, ears straining for the sound of heavy footsteps.

“Sorry, Annie, I’ll be back- just- just don’t make any noise!” With one final look, he hastened to wrench the door open to come downstairs.

To Armin’s immense relief, it had been one of those days where his grandpa would leave very early for work, so while Armin went downstairs, finding his grandpa already finished with breakfast and heading out the door, but not before wishing him a good day and reminding him to pass by the store later for some bread.

He could only let out a breath in relief when his grandpa pulled away from the driveway, allowing him to dart back upstairs in his room.

“He’s gone!” announced Armin, bursting through his bedroom in triumph. This made Annie jump in fright.

“Oh my god, Armin, warn me with a knock next time! You scared me!”

“Sorry,” he said, apologetically, but couldn’t help smiling at her reaction. He picked up his phone checking the time, then his eyes widened. “It’s six-ten!” he gasped. “How are you going to go to school if you don’t have a change of clothes?!”

Annie looked down at her attire: barefoot and wearing a tank top with unicorn pajamas, not to mention the numerous scratches on her feet and arms. Her gut clenched at how ridiculous she looked and how she would appear at school. The issue of clothes hadn’t occurred to her until now and she cursed her decision of deciding to leave the house without at least a decent pair of shoes. Even slippers wouldn’t be so bad. Nobody could be bothered to look down at the least conspicuous article of dress wear.

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped, I’ll just have to go in this and-”

“Don’t say that, Annie! I have some clothes you can put on!” argued Armin. He scrambled to his closet to try to find something decent for her to wear.

“A-Armin you don’t really have to-” but she was cut off from the same determined gleam in his eyes she had come to associate with test day.

“Annie, you can’t go to school barefoot and looking like that! You could get sent to the office!” The only thing he found that was gender-neutral and didn’t stand out, was a blue shirt of The Shins’ U.S tour of 2007 and some black jeans that didn’t appear too large which he lay on the bed in front of her.

He really is a huge fan of the Shins! She thought in some awe.

“Now all we need is some shoes,” he said, diving into his closet. “Oh no- I think my shoe size is too big for you!”

“Armin, I told you- you really don’t have to go through all the trouble!” she said, flushing at his enthusiasm to help her. “I can just go barefoot. The jeans are big enough so they won’t-“

“Don’t say that, Annie! Of course it’s important!” Your feet are already in bad condition from running here and climbing. You need at least something!”

“Forget shoes,” she shook her head hurriedly, not wanting to waste any more time that could potentially make both of them late. "Don’t you have any flip flops or sandals I could borrow instead?”

“Great idea!” he exclaimed. He dove into his closet to come up with a pair of red flip flops which looked like the kind you would bring to the beach. “Since my grandpa isn’t here, do you want to take a shower before we leave?” he asked her cautiously. “You can use my bathroom if you want, or the one in the hallway. Whichever you’re comfortable.”

Annie took the clothes, then the towel Armin offered her with slightly shaking hands. It wasn’t that she was nervous, it was more the fact that she had woken up in his bed, was going to take a shower in his house, and going to wear some of his clothes.

Why are you too nice to me?

Nobody else would have gone through all that trouble with her. Ymir would most likely scoff, Reiner would just laugh it off and maybe offer the bare minimum.

But Armin…

To her horror, she found tears prickling in her eyes, and she gave a sniffle.

“Annie, are you okay? W-what happened?” stuttered Armin, alarmed to have seen silent tears form in her eyes. “D-did I do anything wrong? Please tell me what’s wrong! Are you hurting?” His eyebrows were furrowed in sadness as he looked at his girlfriend’s face for an answer. Seriously, did this kid exist? He was under the impression he had done something wrong, when quite the contrary, he had done more than enough for her.

“N-no, it’s not that, it’s just…why are you being s-so nice to me?” she quietly said, burrowing herself in his chest.

“I don’t understand…” he said, co*cking his head in confusion. “There doesn’t have to be any reason to do something nice. Besides Annie, it wasn’t your fault your father got drunk. If you would have stayed at your house, you could’ve been hurt by him. You had no choice but to leave! You’re a good person, Annie, it doesn’t matter what your father or anyone else says.”

Annie nodded, trying to wipe the silent tears away, feeling ashamed for showing more of her feelings in front of him.

“We have to get ready for school,” she said, reluctantly drawing away trying to assume a business tone. “Let’s get ready or we’re going to be late.”

Armin gave her a smile and nodded, glad she was cheering up.

***

Annie ended up using the shower in Armin’s room while he used the one in the hallway. There would be a slight chance that Grandpa Arlert might have forgotten something and backtrack to the house, so they wanted to avoid all possible future complications.

He tried not to think of the fact that it was Annie in his shower who was using the same bar of soap he used and was probably putting on the same shampoo he used daily. And he was definitely not thinking of a naked Annie in his shower. At all.

Put it together, Armin! he thought to himself, drying his hair on his towel and shaking it. Since when are you thinking about that, when your main worry should be what’s going to happen when her father finds out she spent the night somewhere else? He’ll be livid!

He honestly did not like Annie’s father. No parent should ever force their son or daughter out into the night or drink themselves into a tipsy. He recalled Ymir’s words about how Mrs. Leonhart, her mother, threw his luggage down the stairs, effectively kicking him out. Back then, he had felt sympathy for her father since he didn’t know the entire truth. Now that he knew, he was filled with nothing but anger for the man.

“I really hope I don’t stand out.” Came her voice from the doorway behind him.

He turned to see Annie in her clothes-his clothes, not meeting his eyes, but looking both grateful and embarrassed, both cheeks reddening amd making her look more adorable than ever. The shirt he picked out looked slightly large on her, but not enough to be that noticeable unless observed carefully. He had to admit though, that she pulled off the bad girl look quite well considering their attire was severely limited.

“You look cute.” He admitted, gracing her with a smile which she returned with a half of one.

“Oh sure, you’re just saying that because they’re yours.”

“Nuh-uh, not true! It’s because you make it look cute.” He said, smugly, earning himself a hair ruffle from her, but she held her hand there, smoothing over his corn silk hair

“Thanks blondie for the oath of confidence, but I think I look tired and scratched up.”

“Oh! that reminds me…”Armin strode over to the bathroom to fish out a bottle labeled Isopropyl, and a cloth. “…here, it might be a little too late for that, but put some on for the cuts or you’ll catch something. Let me help.”

Before Annie could do anything or protest, he gently dabbed some alcohol on the cloth. But as he lowered it to put over her cut, he paused, looking at her as though looking for confirmation. “It’s going to hurt a little bit.” He confessed, giving a regretful sympathetic smile.

“It’s fine, I’ve dealt with worse.” She huffed, refusing to acknowledge her trepidation. His gut clenched every time he passed over a nasty scratch. He knew her father hadn’t actually physically harmed her, but he couldn’t help but feel he was responsible for every cut and rash. There was a particular moment when he applied the alcohol on a deep one near her leg that she gave a small intake of breath.

“Sorry!” he apologized, eyebrows furrowed in sympathy as he squeezed her hand. “See? All done! Looks like that’s all of them. I have band aids you can put on them.”

When she was done putting them on herself, the pair of them went downstairs to eat a hasty breakfast, discussing how best to go to school like everything was normal. There was a brief moment of panic when Armin realized that she didn’t actually have a backpack to bring to school, so he sped down to the basem*nt to rifle through some things they were going to get rid of in a garage sale to fish out an old satchel he'd replaced for his newer one.

“...at least I don’t have anything due today in class” she mumbled, taking the backpack and already feeling hot at the fact that Armin had more than helped her through this ordeal. But it took massive convincing from Armin’s part to give her a binder and some paper in preparation for class so as not to look unprepared enough to get called out by Levi.

Truly, Annie thought she would sink to the floor in embarrassment. Nobody had ever offered to help her so willingly and diligently as Armin Arlert. She wondered if Armin’s parents- never home as he said, knew their son was too nice for his own good.

“Alright, I think we’re set to go.” Said Armin, beaming in success. “I just texted Mikasa and Eren to tell them not to wait for me. See, they don’t know you’re over and I never told them.”

“Good thinking.” She said, making her way to the front door with him and opening the door. The last thing she wanted, was for that beast of a girl Mikasa to get on her case after finding she spent the night with her childhood best friend.

“Okay, I don’t think I’m missing anything…” alleged Armin, frowning, eyes narrowed in thought while his finger traced his mouth. “lunch bag- check, books-check…okay, that seems to be everything!”

“Not everything. You missed something” she said, mouth twitching in silent amusem*nt.

“Really? I thought I got everything, what am I mi-?”

He was interrupted from finishing that sentence as she planted a kiss on his right cheek, catching him in surprise. Then she led the way ahead for her blushing boyfriend.

***

“Hey Armin! Annie! Over here!” called Eren at the entrance once he caught sight of them.

“Hey guys, sorry it took so long!” called Armin as he and Annie met the two at the entrance.

“Nah, we just got here ourselves, no big deal. Did you and Annie walk to school?” asked Eren, looking at the pair of them, then looking closely at Annie’s shirt. “Hey! Armin has that same exact shirt back home!” said Eren enthusiastically. “I remember when he made us go to the concert when they were in town and bought that shirt!"

“Oh ah…yeah, I uh…I like them.” Said Annie slowly. “They’re a-a good band.”

“Hmm, never took you for a fan” said Mikasa, looking attentively at her, making her feel uncomfortable. “What’s your favorite song then?”

“Oh err…-”

“She told me she likes Phantom Limb” butted in Armin quickly. “When we were walking on the way here.”

“What other songs do you like then?” asked Mikasa swiftly, eyes narrowing as though suspicious.

Just before Annie could begin to sweat and think up an answer, there came the beautiful sound of a bell signaling the beginning of class and effectively interrupting them. She excused herself saying she had to use the bathroom, which gave her anopportunityto dodge Mikasa’s question.

“Mikasa, why’d you have to be so intimidating and gatekeep The Shins?” asked Eren.

“I wasn’t being intimidating, all I just asked her, was what song was her favorite”defended the ravenette, though she did look a bit guilty.

“It wasn’t the question, it was more of the way you said it,” explained Armin, feeling slightly annoyed. “Let’s go to class before we get called out by Levi.” He looked back in the direction Annie disappeared to, worried.

When the trio reached the classroom, he fished out his phone, electing to text her while Eren and Mikasa were busy talking with Connie and Jean before Levi could start the class.

Armin: Hey annie, u okay?

Not ten seconds later, he received a text from her.

Annie: yea im just in bathroom. Ill b out.

Armin: im sorry if they put u on the spot like that. I know mika can be a bit intimidating, but she’s not like that. Shes rlly nice once u get to know her. If she asks u that same question u can just say “red rabbits” or “a comet appears” as your favorite songs.Their also mine :)

Annie: Im sorry if sometimes im difficult. Im just not used to being around people. Im sry if I caused trouble with you and ur friends.

Armin: nothing to apologize for not ur fault and theres no trouble! :D I feel a bit bad that u were uncomfortable. I feel like I should have said smthing :\

Annie: theres nothing to apologize for, you’ve helped me last night when no one else would. I honestly don’t know how u can be so nice like that. Thank you armin.

Armin: don’t mention it annie. That’s what friends r for…and BFs ;-D Im just worried what will happen when u go home. Plz wait for me so I can walk u home. I don’t feel comfortable with u walking back to your house after u left last nite.

Annie: im scared too. Ive been trying not think about it, but I cant just leave and not come back. Hopefully hes too out of it or doesn’t remember.

Armin: still, I want to walk u home nonetheless. btw hurry to class soon cause levi going to start!

Annie: turn around Aryan coconut

Confused, Armin turned around in his seat and was surprised to see Annie sitting in her usual desk next to Reiner and Bertolt who were too deep in conversation to notice her texting. She gave him a curved smile and, bringing her hand up on the guise of brushing her bangs, she delivered a blowing kiss. Armin smiled, but since he was worried Mikasa or Eren would notice, he went back to his phone and delivered one last message.

Armin: <3 <3 <3

Annie:>.>~*<3 <3 <3

When biology came, both of them had begun to relax, and Annie’s mood was further raised in spirit when she received her bio quiz back from a smiling Hange, showing a 92%. She looked over at Armin’s paper, seeing a 100 written in red ink with a smiley face.

“Nice job!” said Armin, beaming as he looked at her quiz. “Knew you could do it, and it was a hard chapter too!”

“Oh stop it, it was easy for you, don’t lie.” Huffed Annie, but without any contempt and giving him a smirk. “I only got this score because of help from you.”

“That’s not true, Annie, you made it all yourself! It was your own hard work that paid off!”

“Yeah, I guess…” she admitted. Nevertheless, she was immensely pleased with her score. It was progress, and she was willing to go through with her promise to Principal Erwin-and herself. She felt herself blushing. “Still, it was you who helped me realize the importance of hard work.”

As they heartily prepared for lecture, Armin noticed the door to the classroom open. A student he recognized as one who delivered messages, walked hesitantly into the classroom and straight to Hange’s desk to deliver a small slip of pink paper. A pink slip. He saw Hange greet the newcomer with a smile before taking it with a “thanks”, glasses adjusting to better read the small print. But then, he saw her eyebrows furrow, staring at it for a second, looking serious, then looked up straight towards Annie.

For some reason, Armin felt his heart sink, recognizing that something was probably wrong. Why is there a pink slip? Is it for Annie? What if it’s from her father? He thought worriedly.

But before he could turn to say anything to Annie, Hange made her way towards the pair of them, still holding the pink slip in her hand before stopping in front of her desk, startling the blonde girl.

“Annie, I received this from a student just now” she said. “It’s a pink slip from the office. Apparently, they need you to come right now.”

Annie was too stunned to say anything except take it from her hand, unfolding it. But Armin wasn’t paying attention to what was written on the paper, he was looking at Annie’s face which had morphed from confused, to concerned, then to shock.

“What? What is it?” he asked, now feeling scared himself.

“I-I have to go to the office.” she said in a small voice, staring blankly at the gnarly slip as though it held her death sentence. She looked up, face now looking paler than ever as she stared with wide eyes. “It’s m-my dad. He collapsed from drinking and- and he’s in the hospital.”

Chapter 19: A Visit to the Hospital...The Truth Comes Out

Chapter Text

Annie couldn’t recall when she had managed to make her way to the office and find a concerned Principal Smith speaking to the police, neither does she even remember answering the police’s questions verifying her identity. She doesn’t even remember getting into the police car with too much air conditioning in the back while they made the drive to Shiganshina’s city hospital.

She honestly didn’t know what she was feeling. She could have been feeling so shocked, it registered only dully that what she was doing, was visiting one of the rooms in the ER where her father was stuck with wires and needles, trying to save him from a life of intoxication. He had been found in his home passed out on the kitchen floor, the empty alcohol bottle not too far away from where was. Annie wondered how he was found, until it was said by one of the police that a person from his work had called and, stopping by, noticed the door to his apartment had been open.

So here she was, standing off to the side with her flip-flops and slightly large t-shirt clutching her backpack- Armin’s backpack and staring down at the scene of her father, still unconscious. He looked wan, almost a gaunt expression that reminded Annie of a skeleton. His skin looked peeled in places, and the only way Annie knew for certain he was alive, were the small rises and falls of his chest accompanied by the steady beeping of his heartbeat on the monitor.

For an hour, she sat on the chair waiting, while the clicking heels of nurses going past their doorway echoed off down the hallways, reminding her that she was not completely alone, though she felt it. She decided to go on her phone, but she lost the desire when all she could think about, was the fact that her father was lying feet away, maybe on his deathbed. She found it hard to think straight when the cacophony if the heart monitor was like a timer, counting down to the time he might never wake up…

What had she expected? She knew her father had had a problem with drinking that might have stemmed from the disappearance of her mother, but she had always assumed he would sober up, maybe get better over time.

What had happened to him after she left the house to spend the night at Armin’s? Had he been yelling and walking aimlessly around the apartment from the fact that his only daughter left to spend the night somewhere else? Or had he simply gone back to cracking a can open to watch television?

A notification sounded off in her phone, startling her out of reverie. A text from Armin.

Armin: Annie, r u at the hospital? How is your dad??? R u ok?

Annie: yes, he’s at ER rite now. He’s not looking good.

Armin: im sorry annie

Annie: its ok

Annie inwardly groaned when she sent that text. Of course she was not okay. She and her dad never really got along conversation-wise, but to see her dad looking like this…

Annie: Doctor said his heartbeat is fine which is a relief, but it looks like things are going to change when he comes to.

Armin: what do u mean?

Annie: theyre not going to let him go free. Police talked with me and I had to tell them everything that had been going on. They asked me if this was the first time it happened and if not, then how long. They said that as long as he continues in this manner and relying on support from government, hes considered unfit to support me.

Annie had to choke back tears while texting this to Armin. When the doctors came to tell her, confirming that long-term alcoholism had gotten to him, she wanted to laugh out. Did they really think she had no clue that her father would pass the time drinking and yelling? What she hadn’t known was that there had already been filed complaints of her father, putting him in a position where he was now under care to treat it?

Armin: annie, im really sorry u have to go thru this. Whats going to happen? What r u going to do now?

Annie: armin, hes going to rehab. There’s nothing I can do.

There was no immediate reply from him, but she could tell he was processing this information just as much as she. How long would her father be gone from rehab? And another thought which hadn’t struck her until now: Where would she stay in the meantime? She was still underage, so there would be no way they would let her stay by herself. Personally, Annie couldn’t care less if she were by herself. She had always been by herself, so what difference did it make if her father wasn’t going to be around?

Armin: how long is he staying?

Annie: not sure. I really don’t know anymore. I feel like its my fault.

Armin: Don’t say that! You didn’t make your father drunk. That was his own choice to make. Annie, no matter what happens, it will never be your fault. All we can do right now, is hope for the best and that he’ll get the help he needs.

Annie reread Armin’s text, staring at the words there as though wishing she could absorb some of his optimism. She never thought she’d wish it, but she desperately hoped she was back at school right now, among all the people in the hallway, attending Hange’s biology class, government, or even Zacharias’s stupidly difficult AP chemistry class if it meant being with Armin. Hell, she even wished to be among some of his friends if it meant being by his side.

Armin: how long will rehab take for your dad?

Annie: idk. Maybe months. Sometimes it takes longer for people depending on circ*mstances.

Armin: I see

Annie: yea

Annie wondered if he was at lunch time sitting with his friends. It was lunch break at this hour, wasn’t it?

Armin: Do u want me to tell coach rico u wont show up at prac? She’ll understand.

Annie: thank you armin. I honestly don’t know what I would do without u. and im sorry if ive caused u trouble by coming over.

Armin: don’t say that either! Im glad u came to me in the first place. Id rather have u come spend the night at my house than be out on the streets! I know youre strong and all, but its still dangerous for you!

Annie: thank you armin. I mean it.

Armin: don’t mention it annie. Don’t give up.

Annie: I wont.

Armin: I have to go now Annie, lunch is over and I cant text in zacharias’s class. U know how he is, he confiscates people’s phones if theyre out. Remember how he confiscated eren’s?

Annie: yeah ok, I think I better go too. I’m going to stay here until my dad wakes up.

Armin: Do you have a ride home?

Annie: no. I actually hadn’t thought about that. I guess I’ll ask idk reiner or someone.

Armin: do you want me and my grandpa to pick you up? im sure my grandpa wouldn’t mind. I haven’t gotten my license yet, so I cant drive u home myself. :/

Annie: Armin, you’ve already done enough for me, I don’t know, you don’t have to…

Armin: its no worry! besides, what are boyfriends for?

Annie: fine ok. Armin, im so happy to have u.

Armin: just promise me you’ll be ok. Whatever happens, ill always support u

Reading that text, so sincere, had caused something in her heart to feel warm. Was this what it felt like to have someone you trusted? She reread his response over, sensing that feeling wash over her like a smooth wave. Armin would be with her, support her, no matter how dark the road would get. She tried to think of what to say to him- how grateful she was to have someone like him, how he was like the light that shone through the abyss, giving her hope, how he was all she had…How could you express all of that in a text? There were no words to describe the amount of gratitude she felt for this boy. Instead, all she could manage, was a short reply.

Annie: thank you for everything.

She would have loved to go on, but for the moment, it was all she could manage.
Armin: its alright. Hope your dad is doing ok. The teachers might know about your situation, but I’ll collect your homework just in case. I have to go now. Please annie, talk to me if you have any problems. I’l try to text you as soon as possible <3
Annie: I will. Thank you armin. <3

Annie sighed, pocketing her phone, the heaviness returning as she reverted her gaze back to her bed-ridden father, eyes still squeezed shut, with a nozzle sticking out at the side of his mouth. She hadn’t noticed it, but his hair looked matted, disheveled. Like it hadn’t been combed for weeks. Had her father always been like that? Yes, it seems he has. She thought. All these years since her mom left him, he’d never gotten back to his old self.
I’m not the only one that has suffered. She thought suddenly. Dad hasn’t been the same either.
She was not going to condone his behavior of drinking, or excuse his carelessness or insensitivity, but she was going to sympathize for the fact that he had endured just as much as she did.

***

She had left the hospital room to sit in the small deserted lobby for a full hour and a half before she was approached by a nurse in a blue uniform. The moment she approached her and asked her name, there was a brief moment of searing panic when she thought something terrible had happened to her father. Had his alcohol intake been too much to handle? Had he…?

But the nurse came to tell her that her father, Mr. Leonhardt, had awoken after being unconscious for several hours. Without a moment of hesitation, she followed her down the immaculate hallways, a strange churning in her gut at seeing him face-to-face for the first time since that night.

When they entered the room, her eyes focused on the figure of her father, lying down in the same position she found him in. His oxygen mask was off, which somehow made her strangely relieved. She hated the sight of it since it reminded her of one of the patients with a terminal illness in one of those hospital television shows. His brown eyes were open towards the ceiling, though they appeared to be unfocused, gazing off into space. To say she felt awkward and uncomfortable was an understatement.

The nurse excused herself to exit the room, reminding her not to say anything startling which might cause her father problems before backing out the room and closing the door behind her. Through the clear plexiglass walls, she saw her walk off towards a desk in the check up area, and Annie could not feel any more grateful for the privacy. Her heart was now making a frantic thumping in her chest that was different from being with Armin or from running. She felt terrified, confused, upset, and just a bit relieved as she approached her father’s bedside tentatively like she would approach a wild animal.

“Annie.”

Her father’s lips barely moved, but his eyes ever so slightly shifted from the fan in the ceiling to look upon her own grey ones. His eyes were red, though not as bad as she had seen him before, and her nerves seemed to twist in knots, hating the sight of how wax-like and gaunt his face looked. This was not how her father should look. Not how anyone’s father should look like.

“Dad. How… are you?” Because she could think of nothing else to say.

“Annie.” Said her father again, blinking, trying to adjust to the light in the room. “Annie, my girl, I’m sorry.”

“Dad, you shouldn’t speak too much, t-the doctor said you’re still struggling with getting back into form.”

“Annie, it’s all my fault.” Her father closed his tired eyes, the bags of his eyes now apparent with the weight it took to keep them open. “I don’t have any right to be called your father.”

“Don’t say that dad- just…just please I- “Annie broke off, tears finding their way down her cheeks and the curve of her neck to disappear in her black t-shirt. “Dad, I-I’m sorry too.”

“Annie, you don’t have to apologize to me. What I did was wrong.”
She buried half her face in her hand, smudging away the tears on her blotched red face, but nodded in silence.

“Annie, they’re going to put me in rehab. I’ve had an addiction for so long, I think I have to stop before it gets worse.”

“But dad-!“ She knew what was coming. The nurse had explained it to her while he was unconscious. How he showed symptoms of a suffering alcoholic, but to hear them from her father’s own mouth was surreal-unnatural. He’d never admitted his own faults like this.

“Listen Annie.” His eyes opened again, to gaze at her in a calmness she hadn’t seen nor heard from his tone. “Annie, listen, there’s nothing I can do except go. I have not been a good father and you more than anyone knows that.”

“Dad y-you can’t!” she sobbed.

Suddenly, she felt something soft curl around her hand. Looking down, she found her father’s weak hand enfolding hers in a gentle grasp.

“Annie, listen to me. There’s something I need to tell you.”

She blinked away the tears, looking at him, but not finding the heart to say anything. Her gaze was on his hand enfolding hers. Like something her father would never have done.

“Annie, there’s not a lot of time,” continued her father, eyes straining to see her through the light from the lamp, “but I have to tell you that I won’t be out of the hospital until a few days later. My health is not good at all and they want me to stay until I’ve regained at least some of it back. That means I won’t be returning home. In fact, I don’t think I’ll be coming home unless I complete rehab sessions. And those could take a good few months.”

Annie nodded her head and batting away the tears on her face. Yes, she understood perfectly, but for the moment, she could not say anything against that.

“I have to tell you now that I’ve tried contacting your mother, but so far, she hasn’t replied. She doesn’t want to talk to me or have anything to do with me. You realize what this means right?”

“No I don’t,” she said slowly. Her father gave a breathy sigh, and if he wasn’t so weak, she would have thought he would shake his head.

“It means, Annie, that you can’t stay at the house on your own. You have to have a guardian while I’m away.”

“What’s wrong with staying at the house alone?” she burst out. “I don’t care if I stay alone! What difference will it make if I stay there and-“

“Annie, please, I need you to be strong for me.” Mr. Leonhart said, but his tone was one of tranquil. He seemed to look weaker in her eyes, though it must have been from an account of the light casting his face into greater relief and she took several deep breaths to forced herself to be calm.

“I can just stay at someone’s house.” She sniffed. “You don’t have to worry about me or anything.”

“Who would you stay with, then?” he asked. “I hope it isn’t Braun and Hoover, Annie. Both of them are immature and their parents would not aprove.”

“No not Reiner and Bert!” she shook her head wildly. “I meant someone else!”

In truth, Annie didn’t know who exactly she could stay with for the coming months before her father returned from…wherever he was. She wasn’t particularly friendly with anyone since the divorce, and she knew no parents of any of her possible mutual friends would want to take her in as their guest. Bert and Reiner, though, the people who she probably didn’t care to be around that much, would be too invested in each other to care. Ymir was distrustful towards her, Historia’s parents would frown at her, seeing her as beneath themselves. Honestly, sometimes she wondered how Historia turned out so sweet and kind- a sheer difference from her parents. So, she knew nobody who could take her in, and who genuinely cared for her well-being.

Well…except for one.

But there was no way that she could ever ask him for something as that. She found that it wasn’t a matter of what his grandpa thought, but the fact that she was seeking for his help again. Armin had been the only person who had been her friend these past few weeks. She did not want to burden him again with something like this.

But if I don’t find a place to stay, they’ll put me in one of those care centers.

When the doctor had explained to her, she remembered the doctor’s look that barely hinted her mistrust. Staying with a friend or loved one she said, seemed a much better option and mentally, a care center that would be just as bad as entering a run-down orphanage where there was disgusting hospital food and people who wouldn’t give her the time and day.

“Dad, there’s something I need to tell you.” She took a deep breath, and, for good measure, took a look past the window where the nurse was helping another patient. “Remember when you said that there was this boy that came over to see if I was home? The blond kid? Well…I just wanted to say that…I lied when I said I didn’t know him.”

“I remember. His name was Arvin or Arlin...or something like that.” Her father said. He did not look angry, which greatly relieved her. Yet she felt her throat convulsing as she tried to continue; admitting that she had lied.

“Yes, Armin you mean. Well, I know him from school and well…he’s my friend and we-we studied together.”

“Is that why you’d come home late some days?”

Annie briefly closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see the expression her father made. “The thing is…I lied to you dad. I was never going to Mina’s house. Armin, he…he’s a great friend to me and he’s helped me study. And…and he also helped me get on the girls’ basketball team.”

When she finally opened her eyes and had the courage to look at him, she found him intently staring off into the bedside. Would he hate her now that she’d confessed she’d lied to him?

“I’m sorry dad, I-”

“No, I’m sorry, Annie.”

She froze, mouth slightly agape as she stared at the man. Did he just…say that he was sorry for that? She might have done some things in the past that were questionable, but never had she heard him say sorry to her when she was at fault like now. “I-I don’t understand.”

“No matter how you look at it, Annie, I’m the one at fault here. I’ve been a terrible father since…since this all started.”

“I-I don’t get it.” She stuttered. Had she heard her father correctly?

As she looked closer at her father’s face for confirmation, she was stunned into seeing a tear form at the corner of his eye, shocking her into silence. Was he…?

“Annie, I know I don’t deserve it for all that I’ve done, a-and I’ve committed many wrongs but…please promise me one thing-!”

Now she could feel herself crying, hot tears blurring her vision as she wiped them with the back of her hand.

“Promise me that you will never make the same mistakes I’ve made. Not like your father who has wasted his whole time paying for his sins and treating the whole world as his enemy.”

“I…” she tried to form words for the man- her father who had come to his senses before her eyes. After seven years, she finally understood her father’s pain.

“You don’t have to say anything Annie. Right now, what both of us need to do right now is heal. This is the price I pay for my sins. They are going to put me into rehab, Annie.”

“I know.” She sniffled, blowing her nose with a tissue. “The nurse explained it to me.”

Her father gave a barely hinted nod in spite of the wires hooked up to him. “I need you to be strong Annie. I need you to be the warrior I’ve always trained you to be.”

“I know.”

“It will take around six months, which means that you have to stay here. I can’t have you missing school, especially in your junior year of high school. Annie, I need to ask you: do you have anybody you can stay with while I’m away? I cannot contact your mother because she has refused to talk to me and…well, you know how she is.”

“I…have not asked them.” She said slowly, feeling a renewed pocket of panic settle in the pit of her stomach. “I…I have to ask them.”

“What about Mina?”

“No. I haven’t actually talked with her. Plus, I don’t think she has room in her house. She has two brothers and a sister. I’m just going to make it more crowded.”

She closed her eyes, wishing things had been different. She was never sociable, even before the divorce, but at least she still talked with people. If things hadn’t turned out the way they did, would she even be in this predicament?

“I actually wouldn’t mind Reiner or Bertolt’s help right now” considered her father. Had he not been held down with the wires, she would have thought he’d scoff. “Better them than some complete stranger.”

Annie gave a noncommittal agreement. “I don’t know who I can stay with, I might have to ask them, she said. In truth, Annie was not looking forward to coming with that agreement. The last thing she wanted to do, was to burden an entire family with her problems.

At that moment, the door opened, and in came the nurse, affirming that her father’s vitals needed to be checked and to ask some questions and give him his dose of medication to put him to sleep. Annie could not be any happier with the interruption.

She went back to her seat, taking her phone out and setting it on her lap, but not turning it on. What would she say? What was she going to do?

***

“Armin, aren’t you hungry?” asked Eren.

Lunch break featured Eren and Mikasa at a table looking concernedly at their friend who sat across from them, just staring at the marks on the table and looking around the cafeteria as though expecting Annie to come waking through the doors to join them. Every five minutes he would reach for his phone, hoping to catch a notification from her at the hospital.

“Oh for heaven’s sake, Armin, give it a rest! She’ll text you when she can!” said Mikasa, exasperatedly. But she too looked in sympathy at the blond, wishing she could do something to cheer him up. “Look, we know Annie’s father’s alright, so there shouldn’t be any worry.”

Armin didn’t say anything except shrug his shoulders. Sighing, he cast his eyes towards the table where Annie used to sit. He was surprised to see Reiner and Bertolt not there, until he remembered that they were likely at a football game. Would they hear from her, though? Historia and Ymir, on the other hand, were busy talking, out of earshot. It did not look like they knew what had happened with Annie’s dad. And anyway, he didn’t suppose they would really care since her father had been rude towards them in the past.

As if reading his mind, Eren asked, “Do Ymir and Historia know about Annie?”

“No, I don’t think they do,” he replied, turning his gaze back them. “Ymir and Historia never seemed that close with her anyway.”

“What about Reiner and Bert?” asked Mikasa.

“They’re probably in the middle of a game right now unable to read any messages…or I don’t know. Maybe.”

“You seem to be the first person she contacts.” Said Eren, observantly. “I noticed she didn’t contact Mikasa at all.”

“It’s probably because I’m her tutor.”

“Yeah, but Mikasa’s on the girl’s team. If she wanted to tell her that she wasn’t going to make it, she would have texted her instead. Also, I thought she’d be closer to Ymir at least, instead of you.”

“Well…” began Armin hesitantly, wondering if it was possible to give away some undisclosed information, “Ymir and Annie don’t really talk that much together.”

“I guess you’re right. Come to think of it, I never saw them actually talking during lunch to begin with, anyway,” said Eren, offhandedly.

“That still doesn’t explain why she texts you all the time,” came Mikasa, quietly.

At that, Armin’s head shot up towards Mikasa, looking at him with a knowing expression. He could feel the back of his neck get hot with embarrassment. How long had she known? What gave it away? He was so sure that he had been discreet…

“What do you mean?” asked Eren, confusedly looking at him and Mikasa back and forth.

“Mikasa, look, it wasn’t-” hastened Armin, but was cut off by her.

“You think I haven’t noticed the way you act around her?” she replied, looking at him with something like irritation and amusem*nt. “Honestly, anyone’d have to be real thick not to notice you all lovey-dovey when she gives you looks.”

“I don’t get it, can somebody please tell me what’s going on?” huffed Eren, now crossing his arms. “You make it sound like Armin and Annie are going out.”

There was silence, Armin looking at Mikasa, then looking at Eren, then at the table, face hot. And it had suddenly dawned on him that he just confirmed Eren’s words truth by his lack of response. All it took was five seconds to see his best friend’s face morph from skepticism to almost dumbfounded disbelief when he glanced at Mikasa’s all-too-knowing smirk and his guilty face.

“WHAT?”

“Shh Eren keep your voice down!” hissed Armin, glancing nervously where a few heads in the cafeteria swiveled in alarm before resuming their chatting.

“Sorry, sorry…” apologized Eren, but then he leaned over, whispering harshly, “Are you serious? I mean…what the hell Armin…are you saying that you and Annie are actually-?”

“Yes.” Ground out Mikasa for him, clearly annoyed. “Eren, how could you not notice things like this? We’ve known Armin since like, Kindergarten, and you’re saying you hadn’t noticed Armin acting strange at all?”

“Look, I’m sorry ok? I mean…well…I admit, I did notice him act somewhat weird in the beginning when he brought her out suddenly saying he had to tutor her on a teacher’s orders, but I only thought it was because it was Annie he was scared of being around! Clearly, I was wrong and-”

“No, you have it wrong Eren. You’re not the one who has to apologize for anything-it’s me.” Both Eren and Mikasa looked at him, but he continued.

“Guys, I have a confession to make, and…and please don’t get mad. I…I’ve been lying to you all this time.” Armin could feel his insides churning with self-reproach, and he avoided looking at their eyes, “You see…y-you are right a bit about Annie. She…she…she’d been the one bullying me since we entered high school.”

He could feel Eren’s complete shock and Mikasa’s murderous look-though, not directed towards him.

“Are you meaning to tell me that that bitch was the one who gave you that scar on your cheek?” muttered Mikasa.

“Yes, yes! B-but…but it was in the past Mikasa! This was before the tutoring! Look, guys, I know Annie has done some things that weren’t okay, but…but that’s not all to the story!”

“What do you mean? Wait!-wait a minute-does that mean she blackmailed you into being her boyfriend?!” came Eren’s awed voice, looking at him in something close to horror and just a bare hint of admiration.

“No! That’s not how it happened!...Not really…Guys, please, you have to listen to me! I lied to you guys, I’m so so sorry I’ve been lying and…and I know it was wrong, but…but I thought I had to do it for a reason.”

“Then how can you explain how Annie went from beating you up, to…I don’t know…becoming your girlfriend?” Eren interrogated, disbelief still evident on his face. “Clearly, something must have happened.”

“Yes, I…” here, Armin paused, deciphering the gibberish phrases in his head how best to confront the subject. He thought it weirdly out of proportional now, talking to his friends about their relationship. “Guys, It’s been true, Annie h-had been bullying me, but…but she stopped once I tutored her.”

“Of course, probably because the teacher would have noticed it.” spat Mikasa.

“No, that wasn’t the reason! Annie she…she kind of asked me if I could tutor her in her subjects.”

“So she blackmailed you then. See, Mikasa I was right!” pointed Eren.

“Yes-no-well, no guys, that’s not what happened! Look, she did blackmail me guys, but not in the way you might think! She…she overheard me talking to someone about something, and when after the person left, she confronted me, threatening to tell but I begged her not to, and that’s when she said that I had to tutor her instead.”

“Geez Armin, what kind of secret was it that forced you to work for her?” requested Eren, eyebrows raised. “Did she hear you tell them an embarrassing story or maybe you might have tried to buy drugs- you’re not doing drugs just kidding…", then as an afterthought, "..are you?"

“Don’t be silly, Eren!” he sputtered, feeling scandalized.

“Sorry, sorry, just a thought!”

“Then what was it, Armin?” sighed Mikasa, staring at him like an exasperated mom looking at her toddler doing a poor job trying to convince he wasn’t lying.

“Some…somebody told me their favorite crush and I offered to keep it a secret.”

“Oh really? Then-wait a minute!” Eren nearly shot up in his seat, then, inching forward so that nobody around could hear them, “was it…was it by any chance a confession from Mina to Marco? I remembered Marco got a love letter from some person!”

Armin closed his eyes, exhaling through his nose. Honestly, how many more secrets and lies was he going to reveal he hid? He nodded slowly.

“Well, it’s obvious that they like each other,” said Eren slowly. “But shouldn’t she have blackmailed Mina instead of you?”

“No.” he answered, pulling at a loose thread in his shirt. “Annie’s grades were slipping and she knew that I was smart. But…but she made an agreement with me. She said that she would stop harassing me if I could help her.”

“I don’t know what to tell you Arm’, but that’s still bribing.” Said Eren pointedly, shaking his head.

Armin turned away, shaking his head. He should have known explaining to his friends would be difficult. But…it had come so suddenly when Mikasa mentioned it, that he couldn’t let it slide He felt like a defendant at a jury trial guilty of a crime. He had been foolish for keeping his friends in the dark about this. He had always assured himself that what he was doing was justifiable. He hadn’t taken in consideration how his friends might have felt. It had all been a giant mistake, and he had to break down that wall that was barricading them from the truth.
He found his gaze wandering over to the cafeteria buffet to the ice bath in the drinks section. The familiar aqua magenta label of a soda bottle flashed at him like some kind of warning. Raspberry Brisk. Annie’s choice of drink. If her father hadn’t drunk himself into a stupor last night to earn himself a bed in the hospital, she would have grabbed one of the bottles and joined them at the lunch table. There was so much he had learned about Annie since she bribed him into tutoring her. Such as what foods she liked (sushi and cheeseburgers); what foods she disliked (pea soup); what her favorite movie was (The Shining); and what her choice of color was, (green).

And he learned that she was lonely. How it had been hard when both her parents never truly saw her, too busy with their own things, their own aspirations….

Just like both his parents.

And he had felt they had more in common than he could have realized before. Armin would never be melodramatic with his own parents, but when he had been young, it was hard for him to watch his parents leave for the airport, their white teeth sparkling, filled with broken promises that they would return soon in time for his birthday, only to be told a few days later that no, so so sorry, but this work needs to be done, and We’ll make it to your next one. This had gone on for a few years until he had simply given up trying to convince otherwise. He knew he should be grateful- after all, they worked and received six digit figures- plus his college savings. But was it all really worth it? Was he so wrong to believe that he would rather just throw it all away if it meant he could see his parents come home?

He had known what it felt like to be in Annie’s shoes- at least that part. Somebody like him whose own parents had abandoned them to ambitions.

“You’re wrong.” He said, half to himself, half to his friends, giving one last look at the Brisk staring at him accusingy. “You don’t really know Annie. She was mean to me yes, but…but she’s changed. Her father he…he used to be tough on her, always controlling, and…yes that doesn’t excuse her behavior, but…but she’s also helped me! When Reiner was bullying me one day, she could have easily let him harass me, could have walked away without me knowing, but…but she said afterwards that she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself and that’s when she stood up for me and told Reiner to back off or she’d pummel him-”

“Annie threatened Reiner?” gasped Eren. “But…but Reiner is like one of her old-time buddies!”

“So? She could have been worried there was a teacher nearby.” Said Mikasa slowly, as though trying to think otherwise of a different reason.

“Mika, we were alone when it happened.” Explained Armin. “And anyway guys…” Here, Armin’s voice teetered on the edge of trepidation and embarrassment: Should he tell his friends that she had actually spent the night at his house?

Yes. Came the voice in his conscience. They are your friends. They’ve been with you through the thick and thin. Even when you’ve lied to them about this, they’ve still stuck with you. They deserve the truth.

He took a deep breath. “I also helped Annie spend the night at my house last night.”

“What!?”

“It’s true, okay? I let her sleep in my bed and- no, not like that!” he answered them in a strained voice, feeling his face turn pink. “I didn’t mean for it to- Mikasa! Where are you-!”

“I’m telling the principal on that Tinkerbell,” came Mikasa’s stern voice, getting up from the table. “How dare she take advantage of you like that-!”

“No!” he grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop. “Mikasa, she didn’t bribe me or do anything like that against my will! I let her in my room on my own volition!”

"Oh my god, you let Annie spend the night in your bed!” said Eren, mostly to himself in a hushed voice. “You both were sleeping in the same bed!”

“Eren, you’re not helping!” came Mikasa’s annoyed voice.

“Guys, it wasn’t like that!” he said weakly.

“Care to explain, Armin? Cause damn…”

“Annie’s dad kicked her out!” he almost yelled.

At the very least, it made both his friends freeze amid their sentence and stare at him with something like surprise.

“Annie’s dad kicked her out? You mean…he-

“It was the middle of the night and he’d been drinking. Annie said she got woken up by him, and he scared her- he…he looked like he’d drunk too much and thought she was her mom. She said she had to run out before he could do anything. She called me on her phone and…”

“And you let her in.” finished Mikasa.

“I wasn’t about to let her stay outside!” huffed Armin indignantly. Annie may have been mean before all this, but I wasn’t about to let her stay outside in the cold and where it would be dangerous! She climbed through the tree and I let her through the window. She was…she was feeling bad about all of it. I mean…”

“Did your grandpa ever find out?” asked Eren.

“No.” said Armin, shaking his head and feeling worse than ever. “One of the reasons we let her through the window is that I was scared Gramps might wake up and hear me open the front door. It was her idea anyway.”

Eren let out a whistle, “and she climbed the whole thing? Damn, she’s fearless.”

“That’s not true. Her father scared her- she scared me! When I got her phone call, I was so scared when I heard her voice. It was frantic and…and I had to help her! She told me what happened and then she fell asleep not too long after, and I just put her on one side of the bed and let her sleep until she woke up the next morning. I gave her a new change of clothes and we both went to meet you at school.”

“And that was her wearing your shirt.” Explained Mikasa, as if confirming her suspicion.

“I knew something was off, the moment I smelled the Sea Breeze on her!” said Eren triumphantly.

“You smelled her?”

“Well, yeah..err…not really, but I could smell it around her. I thought it was because of you, so I thought it couldn’t be.”

“Yeah, I…I let her take a shower in one of the bathrooms.” He hadn’t said my bathroom, thinking Mikasa and Eren would have another heart attack. Plus, some things were best left unsaid. When both of his friends hadn’t said anything except stare at him blankly, he grew uncomfortable. “What? Was it…was it bad what I did?”

“You must really like her” stated Eren thoughtfully. “To have done all of this for her. I always thought she was…well, a hard ice-cold person, but she really acts differently when she’s with you.”

Mikasa frowned. “You know, from the start, I could always tell there was something different about her. Something I didn’t like. But…I didn’t know her home life was this bad. This still doesn’t excuse her from her bullying you, though. But…but I want to help her too.”

“Same here.” Eren said stoutly.

“Oh guys!”

Armin jumped from across the table to hug both of his friends who were struck dumb. His friends who hadn’t backed down not even for a moment when he revealed to them hidden information. Who had been with him all this time, even when he’d been having doubts about himself. His friends who stuck with him when he had nobody. He could feel himself becoming undone with emotion. “Im so so sorry guys I kept this from you! I was…I was worried that you wouldn’t l-like her and-and disagree! I’m so sorry! I’ll never lie to you again!”

“Armin, Armin, it’s okay! You don’ have to apologize! How could we ever be angry when you were only trying to help her?” consoled Eren, but finding himself smiling in humor and returning the hug. “Right Mikasa?”

Mikasa nodded her head, but it was her soothing pat on their blond friend’s back that said it all. The three of them together, as they had always been hugged over the table, not caring in the least if stares were delivered their way.

When Armin got home, he went straight to his grandfather and told everything. About the bullying, about the tutoring, about Annie’s home life and her father’s current state, how he had helped her spend the night…

And about his feelings for her.

His grandfather took it better than he had hoped. Even insisting that he had known all along there was “something there”. He did get a little worried for the fact that he had snuck Annie into the house late at night, but since he knew his grandson wouldn’t be the hanky-panky type to do anything, it didn’t bother him. In fact, he praised him for helping her in need, more concerned for the fact that she had climbed through the window from a tree.
“That’s dangerous, Armin! Remember when Eren tried to do that? He ended up in the hospital!”

“I’m sorry, Grandpa, you’re absolutely right.” He said humbly, bowing his head in shame. “It was my fault for keeping this from you.”
“Armin, my boy, I love you and forgive you. What you did for her, was a noble thing, even if it would have gotten you in trouble. You had tried helping a friend in need.”
He could feel a heavy weight lift off his chest and felt like he could soar over the clouds. Finally, no more secrets from everyone; his friends still cared for him, his grandfather still moved him, and he still had Annie.

But…

“Still…” said Armin forlornly, “I guess that means Annie will have to move somewhere.”
“What do you mean?” asked his grandfather, noticing immediately the sad look on his grandson’s face.

“Annie can’t stay by herself, with her father going to rehab. And…and I’m afraid of her leaving.” He finished, staring at his knees.

“Why don’t we let her stay with us?”
His grandson’s head shot up so fast, that he could swear he heard a crick in his neck. But blue eyes filled with incredulity and hope were all he could see in his young boyish face.

“R-really? Y-you mean it, Gramps?”

“Of course! She already spent the night, so why don’t we let her stay…until her father comes home, that is.”
After that, Grandpa Arlert couldn’t tell the difference between an octopus grip and his grandson’s hug, but returned it all the same.

Armin: Annie, u there?

Annie: Yea

Armin: How your dad?

Annie: He’s okay. He talked to me before they gave him some medication, said he was sorry.

Armin: Annie, how would you like to stay with us?

Annie: I don’t understand

Armin: stay with us as in “stay with us until your dad comes back”

Annie: What? R u srs???

Armin: yes. My grandpa says its okay. He knows about the situation and he says it was a great idea.

Annie: armin…

Annie: look, don’t think about it. Just say yes. We would love it if you stayed. Especially me.

Annie: armin, you’ve done too much for me. I cant accept it.

Armin: you’ve also done a lot for me as well.

Annie: me? How? Ive caused u nothing but pain and trouble!

Armin: that was the past, this is now. This might be weird, but Im glad you had bullied me then, otherwise, I would never have known the real you. You’ve been a friend to me as well. You may not think it, but I have enjoyed every minute with you. I would hate to see you leave.

Even when there was no reply after twenty seconds, he knew that Annie was on the other end with tears in her eyes. What seemed like forever, she finally managed to text back.

Annie: I might be a lot of trouble. You might not want me to be around.

Armin: not true. I’ll be happy because youre here. Both of us with parents that are a bit faulty, but we still make the best of it, no matter what.

Annie: I I would also love it if I stayed with you.

Armin: so it’s a yes?

Annie: yes

Armin: YES!

Annie: oh and armin?

Armin: yes?

Annie: thank you Armin Arlert. For all you’ve done. I couldn’t have improved at school, made it through this problem, or anything else, without you. I just wanted to say, thank you for your help. <3

Armin: its no problem. See u at the hospital in an hour to sort things right. <3

Chapter 20: Outburst

Chapter Text

Turns out, it didn’t take long for Annie to convince her father that the Arlerts were a well-respectable family with a great house in a nice neighborhood and closer to the school. Armin’s grandfather insisted on having a one-on-one talk with Annie’s father, leaving the two of them outside to leave them in peace.

Armin could feel his insides squirming uncomfortably; what if Annie’s father decided they weren’t good enough to leave them under their care? The short exchange Mr. Leonhardt had with him was brief, but didn’t go down so well. Suppose he thought he was trying to take advantage of her?

How funny it was, when just a month and a half ago it was the other way around he thought with some wry humor. The funny thing was, Annie was so much stronger than him and could easily kick his ass.

“What d’you think they’re doing in there?” she asked nervously as they sat side-by-side in one of the chairs outside the room.

“Well, they’re probably talking it through. My grandpa is probably wanting to make sure it’s alright with your dad to have you spend the months at our place. He doesn’t want to have your dad worry, even if we tell him you’ll be safe.”

“How have you been so nice to me?” she asked, more to herself than him as she slouched in her chair, supporting her head. “With how much of a stubborn ass I was?”

“Well, that makes both of us. We’re still stubborn asses,” came his voice. She turned to him surprised, but only found him laughing.

“You dork,” she chuckled, slapping his arm playfully. “You joke like that, and I’ll really start to believe it.” Nevertheless, she joined in.

“But honestly…” said Armin, when he came to, “it makes me happy that you’re alright and willing to come with us.”

She looked at the boy, finding him gazing at her in a soft smile, and the sight of him, seeing him smiling at her gave her another warm kind of feeling. He was happy to be with her, and what’s more, he wanted her company.

“I just hope your grandfather can convince my dad to let me stay.” She said, trying to not feel gloomy.

He took her hand, wrapping it around his slender fingers. “Cheer up, Annie, of course you’ll be able to stay- I mean, you should see my grandfather when he talks. He can be pretty convincing- I mean…I remember when I was at the fair and wanted this little stuffed tiger, my mom…” but then he stopped, averting his eyes from hers to stare off ahead. But Annie just saw the quick spurt of emotion pass in those eyes, and she knew right away that he was remembering a past in his childhood- a past in his childhood that still had his parents in the picture. Honestly, what had happened to have made this kid so sweet, shy, yet sad like this in the first place?

“Armin, I-I know I shouldn’t ask about this, but…but what happened with you and your parents?” she asked tentatively. Keeping an almost nervous watch in his eyes, she saw them momentarily flicker, but then it was gone. He sighed, and through his profile, she could hear him trying to process an answer.

“They were never there for me when I needed them to.”

“Damn…”she whispered.

“Yeah,” he agreed, his eyes now fixed on one of the dull flower pictures that occasionally decorated the walls of the hospital. “They would never call me, not even for my birthday. Always saying how busy they were or how their job required them extra care, yada yada yada.”

“I-I’m sorry,” was all she could say.

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault,” he said. She could feel the tenor in his voice change- like something about to slither from the ground and bite at you.

“Couldn’t they have at least called you?” she said with just a hint of shyness.

“Call me? Call me?” And then she saw him- that sliver of anger she had never heard from him, though not directed at her. “Why would they bother calling me when they had everything they had over there?” And there she felt it- that raw mutinous tone and which sent her uneasy. “As far as I’m concerned, not ONCE had they even bothered to ask me how I was doing! NEVER! I remember I told them I had top marks in the SAT test and all they did was say “Good job!”-nothing else! They didn’t even ask me how my day was! They only had to be nice in my elementary school years because my grandfather would always be the one prompting them to talk. He even had them bring me stuff from the places they’d visit for work! The only thing I got back from it was a f*cking globe pencil sharpener! But like the idiot I was, I kept wondering when they’d get back, but you know what? To HELL with it! I’ve given up on them years ago!”

“Armin, look, don’t say that!” she protested, and she could feel her voice nearly shaking with restrained tears. “Look, I-I’m sorry that you had to go through all of that, but…”

But what? She thought. “But it’s always good to believe, that you should love your parents even though they make mistakes?” No, she thought. Armin was the kindest and most gentle kid she had ever met. He had straight A's, completed advanced classes and was considered a genius to all his peers, including his teachers and the principal. And yet, his parents saw him nothing more than a burden. She clenched her teeth at their carelessness. They had given birth to a perfect son, and they had failed to see him for what he was worth. She now no longer wondered why it was he kept saying they were alike. Her parents had dismissed her, while his own parents abandoned him.

“Armin, I…I know how you feel.” She murmured, voice cracked with sentiment.

He turned his head back, and she was relieved to find all traces of mutiny and contempt were gone from that soft innocent face. He now looked perturbed, suddenly realizing he had been voicing his opinions a little too harshly as he searched her almost melancholic teary-face.

“Oh Annie- I’m so sorry I’ve been acting like…” he looked alarmed now, “d-don’t cry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to act like that! It just…” He took her in a hug, holding her close, and feeling her arms wrap around his in return.

“No, don’t apologize,” she said, somewhere near his shoulder. “You were only expressing how you felt and…and I understand how you feel. You don’t have to make excuses.”

“I feel horrible now,” he murmured. “Here we are at the hospital where your dad is sick and you going through all this, and here I am, almost yelling about my parents.”

He felt her give a squeeze of her hand in comfort. “Hey, it needed to get out of your system.” A chuckle was heard, and he smiled, but still remained holding her.

“I guess?” he gave a small nervous laugh.

“When you meant the globe pencil sharpener they gave you, are you referring to the one I took from you a while back?” she felt herself asking.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “That was the last thing they gave me before they stopped contact.”

“Oh. I’m sorry I took it from you before.”

“That’s okay,” she heard him chuckling. “It’s broken anyway.”

At that moment, the door opened, and they detached themselves. It was Armin’s grandfather and he looked pleased, immediately indicating to Annie that he had something done in his favor.

“Well, Miss Leonhardt, it seems your father has agreed with my offer.”

Annie in spite of herself, felt a smile drift to her face. She was going to stay with them. She didn’t have to move away or move to an unsatisfactory care center. She was going to stay in his house with him! Her heart swooped with some excitement that made her feel like dancing on clouds.

“Told you.” Said Armin, smiling next to her.

Chapter 21: His Family

Chapter Text

It took her a while to get used to this strange adjustment as it was still surreal for her to be staying at someone else’s house. Since she had already known the house, they were able to show her to the only unoccupied spacious rooms upstairs which was bare save for a single desk with chair, clothes cabinet, and a rather pretty looking red and blue polka-dot bed medium in size. Grandpa Arlert apologized over and over for the fact that hers did not have a bathroom to itself, and that it was likely she would have to use the one down the hall. But she couldn’t care less about having a bathroom, not even when Armin apologized for the room having the wrong wall paper color, or the fact that it maybe looked empty or dull.

How could she complain when they had gone through all this trouble for her, and the accommodations were much better than what she had at home?

“It’s beautiful!” she said before she could stop herself. Armin’s ears turned pink.

“Well, it looks alright, I guess…” he said slowly, looking at the intricacies of the room as though worried something might be deemed unsuitable or out of place. “We kind of put this together at the last second- not the paint of course, since that was already there, but the cabinet and the chair.”

“What was this room used for? I mean, the purple color sort of made it look like it was guest room for a girl and-

“Actually, it was going to be used for a girl’s. See, err…according to my grandpa, he said my mom was expecting a girl when she was pregnant, so they got ahead painting the room purple, but…well, you can imagine their surprise when the baby was-”

-was you?” she finished, snickering. She had to ponder around the idea of Armin coming out as a girl. A sudden image of a timid girl-Armin with the same bowl-cut style hair with a red bow wearing a skirt and Mary-Janes came into her mind, and she resisted the urge to laugh at the ludicrous thought.

“Exactly,” he laughed. “So they decided that it could be used for a guest bed instead. Despite it being originally a girl’s room, it probably looks nothing like your room but…”

“Are you kidding me? My room is way smaller than this, and doesn’t even look half as clean!”

“Really?” he looked relieved.

“Hell yeah, so don’t worry at all about that stuff. Besides, I’m only staying for a few months- or at least until my father decides alcohol isn’t the best option, so there’s no need to make a big deal out of it.”

“Well, okay, but if there’s anything you need, feel free to ask me or my grandpa.”

Armin left her in her new room, to give her some time to pack her stuff and get accustomed. She closed the door and dropped her suitcase to the purple fluffy carpet that was almost similar to his. There was a large window at the end of the room that was covered in blinds, but would reveal the neighbor’s side of the house. The smell of the room, she noticed, had a pleasant fruity scent in the air that made her think of bananas and pineapples. She guessed it was supposed to be a Hawaiian aromatic scent. Her own room back home smelled like burnt wood and alcohol, so she was more than grateful for the pleasant change of aroma. She made quick work with putting some of her undergarments, pajamas, and other in the drawers while the rest of the clothes she hung in the sliding closet, thankful that they had provided hangers. After she was done, she threw herself on the bed, collapsing to its soft bed covers and closing her eyes.

She really was staying here after all with him. She could not imagine a more peculiar twist of events that led to this. Hell, just a few weeks ago she was wrestling with the boy in a deserted gym and now she was staying in his house. Being reminded of the first time he had actually fought back with her, made her turn pink. They had been close that time, yet never really understanding each other. Looking around the room that was so much different than her own, she was already beginning to feel at home. How strange that she was so far (well, maybe not thatfaraway from home), and already she was beginning to feel content here?

There came a knock on the door, jarring her thoughts. “Annie, you there?”

“Yeah, I’m here, you can come in, Armin!” she called.

Opening the door, he came in a bit timorously, holding a phone, “Sorry to disturb, but Gramps told me to ask you what you’d like to eat. It’s too late to fix something, and given the situation, he thought of ordering a pizza from Domino’s, but he didn’t want to assume since maybe you might want something else.”

Annie could feel herself reddening from the extended hospitality.“Oh, no, Domino’s Pizza is fine- I don’t care what you order- I’ll eat whatever. He doesn’t have to go out of his way for me!”

“Well, Annie, you’re our guest,” he said, “which means that of course we have to ask you,” he emphasized with a playful bop on her nose.

“Alright, alright, Arlert, I get it,” she huffed, though not annoyed. “But I honestly don’t have anything against Dominos, so I'd love some. Thank you.”

He held the phone, fingers hovering over the buttons needed for pizza delivery. “How does pepperoni sound?”

“It’s good, thanks.”

“Alright, I’ll be back then…” he said, throwing a small smile as he descended the stairway, no doubt to tell his grandpa and call the delivery person, leaving her alone to go sink her back to the plush bed covers.

As she was deciding to sink down into her bed, her phone slipped from her fingers, landing with a soft thump on the carpet under her bed. She sank to her knees to retrieve it, pulling back the covers to see under the bed where it landed.

She saw her phone, but she also saw something else through the dark- a large flat glass surface reflecting the little light that reached it. Curious, she retrieved her phone and the mysterious thing, eager to check what it was.

The moment her hand made contact with it, she realized from the dimension and feeling, it was a picture frame. Wait a minute…a picture frame in this place? And then, another realization: she hadn’t seen any picture frames around the house. She excitedly took it out- and came face-to-face with a portrait of a smiling woman and man with a small child.

Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the picture of the couple- both blonde with vaguely familiar features…and a small, smiling blond boy who looked no older than seven- a young but very familiar, Armin Arlert.

His family.

So…was this…? Was this was what his mother and father looked like? The woman in the photo- (Arlene Arlert?), looked beautiful; with an oval face and blond hair that reached past her shoulders in a shining waterfall and with straight bangs. Her eyes were a hazel color, reflecting more green than blue, as she held the shoulder of a much younger Armin Arlert. Well, it seemed Armin had her hairstyle for the most part, down, with the front bangs and such- and her face shape.

On Armin’s other side stood his father- Ian Arlert, as she remembered him telling her. He had a long face, but strong cheekbones reminding her of the same calibers as Benedict Cumberbatch. He had the same blond hair, except some shades lighter, though not as light as hers. But Armin had his eyes- bright blue eyes the same hue as the ocean on a clear day. However, even through the calm smile he gave at the camera, there was something about his eyes that was different from his son’s. This man looked cunning in a crafty way; with calculating eyes brimming with intelligence, that it felt like she was being scanned the longer she looked at him. It made her think that, if she were to meet this man, she would feel a bit uneasy being regarded with those eyes. If she had to compare his eyes and expression to someone, it reminded her of the as actor Daniel Craig had in the James Bond movies. Needless to say, there was no doubt within her that spoke that if Armin would grow up a little more, he would have that same look of crafty calmness too, along with those cheekbones .

And there of course was Armin himself- a smiling boy free from the troubles of the world, and perfectly ecstatic in the company of his parents. Before the bullying and his parents leaving, here was a kid who felt loved and adored…and with friends like Eren and Mikasa. For a moment as she stared at the picture, she’d begun to feel something like jealousy reach in her. She hadn’t known…really known Armin at this time, but she found herself wishing she had all those years ago befriended him and been responsible for his happiness back then.

“Hey Annie, are you-oh.” He had arrived, but now stood rooted to the doorway, eyes glancing from her to the picture frame to her on the floor. “I uh…I found this.” She said, picking herself up and handing him the frame. “It was…it was under the bed. Is this your parents and you?”

“Oh,” he said, but Annie could see his face morph into one of uneasiness. “Yeah, that was taken a long time ago, I forgot. Probably around second grade.”

“They look a lot like you.” she remarked, still peering at the image of the happy family. “You have your dad’s eyes and your mother’s hair- well, a little. Hers is more strawberry blonde here.”

Armin looked at the photograph from his younger, happier days. Had he known at this time that he was perhaps seeing his parents for the last time? It seemed strange looking back at the picture and remembering how naïve he had been, thinking his parents would never have left him.

But that was in the past. He had friends. He had Eren, Mikasa, and now Annie. And a whole bunch of other friends too. They were always there for him no matter what.

So yes, he might not see his parents, but he would always have friends he could depend on.

“Ha, I forgot I used to wear that shirt,” he indicated at his seven- year old self in the frame. “I remember getting that at Sea World because I told my dad that my favorite animal was a dolphin.”

“So, you were a dolphin lover, huh?” she smirked at him, pleased to see that he wasn’t as sad before.

“Yeah, I remember liking them because my dad had said that they were super smart- even smarter than chimps because their cerebral capacity was fifteen percent, which meant they had the highest intelligence level. Higher than our ten percent brains.”

“Damn. And you knew all that when you were seven years old, huh? But I bet yours is around the same level as a dolphin’s.” she teased.

“Haha, nowhere near as close," he said, smiling, “but I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“I’m serious,” she said, and as Armin looked at her, he found she really was looking at him with something close to wonder. “You get perfect or nearly perfect scores in all your studies. Just because I was mean to you before, doesn’t mean that I didn’t notice every time you got a test score back and it came out always the highest. It used to make me jealous as hell.”

“But…but that’s just because I study!” he protested. “There would be no way I would get those scores unless I studied like crazy!”

“Yeah, yeah, okay.” She huffed, but with a smile on her face. “But I still think you’re naturally smart like-where are you going?” she added, when his eyes lit up with some inspiration and beckoned her through the entrance of her room,

“You’ll see. Come on.”

She followed him through the hallway and down the stairs, curious to see what he was going to do. They were in the living room and he stopped in front of the glass table with the flower vase.

“I think it looks good here, don’t you think?” he placed the picture frame face up on top of the glass table with the flower vase.

It’s a nice picture to have there, she thought, as the pair of them stood back to admire the family staring happily back at them. When it looked like what a family should look like. Now it looks like somebody lives in this house, after all.

“I’m sorry they kept procrastinating and lying to you all this time. It must have been hard waiting for them all those years. It’s enough to make anyone feel lonely.” She mumbled to her knees.

When Armin turned to her, she was surprised that instead of sadness, she saw contentment and warmth. “You’re wrong. I’m not alone- I have Eren and Mikasa with me…and you. And honestly, Annie, I’ve never once regretted ever meeting you. It was you who made me realize that no matter how bad things get with our families, or how foggy the future might look, there will always be someone you can rely on and enjoy the ride.”

They shared a hug, finally ridding the conflicts of the past.

***

Annie hadn’t realized she was ravenous by the time the pizza arrived. She’d forgotten that during the time it took for her to get to the hospital and because of sheer nerves reserved for her father’s health, she had skipped lunch without realizing it. Now she found herself making up for it with Armin by eating four slices.

Armin recommended they sit and watch television- but then realized tonight was a school night, and which meant they had to rest up. Annie didn’t mind, with everything that happened today, she really was looking forward to resting up.

“Remember, if there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.” He said. “There’s some toothpaste in the bathroom one over, and if you didn’t bring a toothbrush, we have some brand new ones you can open.”

“I got it, I got it.” She said, smiling at his willingness to help her. “Don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen.”

“I know, but I’m just saying-”

“Look, if there really is something serious, I’ll be sure to tell you- like the fact that the house is on fire or the bathroom is flooded, okay? You don’t have to treat me like a queen.”

“Oh dear! Are you saying the bathroom will be flooded any time soon?” came Armin’s grandpa’s humored voice. Walking up the stairs, he smiled at Annie. “I know Armin told you all the basics, but I just wanted to come up here and say them myself. Annie, if you feel sick or having some kind of migraine, we have some Advil in the bathroom- not that you’re going to get sick anytime soon- it’s just that you might have had a long day and maybe you might feel yourself feeling different.”

Annie felt herself coloring with all the niceness they were giving her. “Oh uh...I don’t feel any pain whatsoever, but…I’ll consider it if I do. Thank you Armin, and thank you Mr. Arlert for taking me in. I just wanted to say that...that you are nice people and if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to stay here. I’d like to say thank you.”

“Why thank you, dear,” said Mr. Arlert, his blue eyes twinkling in a way that made her think of Dumbledore. “It’s no big problem to us. See, it’s just the two of us, so we’re always happy to help someone out.”

“All the same, I’d like to thank you for your…your hospitality,” she finished, hoping it sounded plausible. “And…” here she hesitated, “…and I’m sorry about….being inconsiderate and a bully to your grandson. If...if I could go back in time to fix any of that, I would.” she felt her eyes go to the floor, shameful of those past days.

“My dear Annie, true that you might have been all that, but it's in the past and the only thing you- that any one of us can do, is look ahead in the future and realize our mistakes. My grandson has enjoyed your company, I can see it every time he comes home, and he has forgiven you. If he is willing to put aside any of that, I can as well. I know you’ve had it rough all the years. Believe me, we know.”

Annie looked up at the old man- whose wrinkles still held all those years of striving and working to bring his grandson happiness. How could she ever forget that he had been all those years with Armin, caring for his well-being and making sure he had someone to talk to about his mother and father? He had raised him, continued to raise his grandson just like he did with Armin’s mom or dad, and taking responsibility. And he was still willing to forgive her for her past deeds with a remarkable calmness she wouldn’t have expected from anyone else.

She wanted to be just like him- caring, forgiving, and strong. And just like Armin.

“Anyway, a good night to you, Annie! Hope you enjoy your first night here! Be sure to get some rest in time for school tomorrow. You too Armin!”

"I will, Gramps."

Waving him and wishing him a good night as well, Mr. Arlert smiled before closing the door, leaving them standing alone in the hallway.

“So uh…I guess good night…” she said, somewhat shy.

“G-good night, see you tomorrow…” he said, face turning pink. But as he turned to leave, he was turned around and brought into a hug by her.

“Good night Armin.” She said, feeling his lips plant a kiss near her forehead. “And thank you for everything.”

She felt him squeeze her tight in return, “Good night Annie.”

It was a strange new feeling, she thought, as she put on her unicorn pajamas and got into bed. Spending the night at someone else’s house. The first time she spent the night at Armin’s, she was too focused on the fact of running away and of her father’s behavior, but she had fallen straight to sleep without meaning to. But lying down in different covers, in a bed softer than hers, with a foreign scent, it was almost like she was traveling in a faraway land.

She left the window slightly ajar, but she could see only a sliver of light from the street lamp even though she was facing the neighbor’s side house. A bit of cool air wafted through the room, not too hot nor too cold. She adjusted the covers, staring up at the bare ceiling, reminded of the glow-in-the-dark star collection in Armin’s room.

Could her father learn to heal? She conjectured. Where was he now? Most likely in rehab, no doubt, but she wondered if he was doing alright. She issued a silent prayer to whatever god out there listening, that he was doing fine. Would he be thinking of her, his only daughter, as he lay in bed? Would he think her alright? She wondered what her father thought of Mr. Arlert and his grandson.

She almost felt herself laughing as she recalled her father remarking Armin’s hairstyle as a “stupid little haircut.” Had she been bullying him, she would have agreed with him, but now as she had become accustomed to his company, she found it instead endearing- his shining golden blonde hair. As endearing as the little stars and ocean drawings he had on his bedroom wall for decoration.

She went to sleep dreaming of dolphins, stars, and shining blond hair.

Chapter 22: Progress through Perseverence

Chapter Text

All it took was three weeks for Annie to get accustomed to the new everyday schedule of waking up, showering, changing, saying good morning to Armin and his grandfather- mostly just Armin, since his grandfather would often wake earlier, before heading down to the kitchen. These were fun times since they would watch television while fixing breakfast, and on most occasions, Eren and Mikasa would join them. She had noticed a stark difference in the way Mikasa would treat her. Rather than look at her with suspicion and distrust, she instead opted to help her in different ways, such as spending time helping her with basketball practice, or with anything girl-related. And Armin wasn’t the only one who would help her with school subjects.

“Are you ready to go, Annie?” Armin called from the bottom of the stairs.

“Coming-just getting my book!” she called, fetching her government textbook and scurrying down the stairs to meet he and his friends.

“Oh no! I forgot to bring my textbook!” came Eren’s anxious voice. “I knew I was missing something!”

“I know,” said Mikasa, with just a hint of annoyance but humor, “that’s why I decided to carry it with me.”

“Mika, you’re a lifesaver!”

Annie finally arrived, smiling. “Thanks guys, sorry you had to wait.”

“Oh, it’s no big deal, Annie!” he said, giving her a dazzling smile. This made Mikasa smirk and Eren roll his eyes in a good-natured way.

They made it to school, talking along the way, both he and Annie hand-in-hand, not caring if anybody were to see. Let them see he thought, I could care less if anybody thinks it’s-

“You have got to be kidding me-Ha!”

Reiner’s voice made all four of them whip around. He was flanked with Bertoldt, who surprisingly looked not nervous, regarding them carefully. Mikasa clenched her fists, standing before them and Reiner as though in a protective position, and he could feel his insides squirming uncomfortably as he came face-to-face with his former bully.

“Well, well, well, who would’ve thought you two would make a match?” said Reiner, forming a half smile, staring between him and Annie. But he didn’t dare to take a step further into Mikasa Territory.

“What is it, Reiner?” came Annie’s voice, sharper than he had heard her talk to him. “Unless you have a death wish, I suggest you leave Armin and his friends alone or it could get ugly.” And for further proof, she cracked her knuckles, walking next to Mikasa to better shield their boys.

But Reiner held up his hands in surrender, “Whoa, whoa, chill out guys, I’m not here to fight you. I’ve only come here to talk to the nerd.”

“His name is Armin.” She said, gritting her teeth.

“Sure-Armin,” he said with a bit of a smile, but proceeded, now addressing Armin, “hey, I know we haven’t been the nicest to you and all, and…well…you have a right to be angry, but I’d like to say sorry.”

“I’m sorry as well,” came a slightly shaky voice. Everybody looked to Bertoldt who had just spoken, surprised to be hearing him say that. Armin and his friends had never really heard him speak towards them, so it blew even Mikasa temporarily off guard who looked puzzled. “Even though I didn’t really do the beating, I…I helped nevertheless by keeping watch for teachers. So…I-I’m sorry for doing all that.”

Reiner nodded in agreement and prodded on, “I know you probably don’t forgive us from all those years of pain, so I just wanted to come out and say that we both feel sorry and won’t harass you anymore. See, we know you and Annie are now going out, and even though it’s kinda strange, we promise not to get in the way.”

“Oh..uhh…” he didn’t know what to say, a bit grateful yet perturbed from their sudden change of character, “I uh…I guess err…thank you…?”

“Yeah, Bert and I had a talk about the whole thing, and instead of causing you trouble, we’d like to give you our one-hundred percent support!” he said, thumbs up and forming a smile, “cause honestly, it’s about time we saw our lil’ Pixie happy!”

“I thought I just told you not to call me that,” came Annie’s deadly voice. “…and what kind of an apology is that?” she said, striding forward towards them. Bert, he could see, now looked nervous, coaxing his friend by the arm to hurry out of harm’s way.

“Oh my, would you look at the time?” came Reiner’s voice, backing away with a sweaty Bertoldt, “Haha, me and Bert better go to the locker room, bye!”

“Good-bye, Annie,” called Bertoldt, “and we’re really really sorry Armin and everyone but we have to go!”

They disappeared down the busy humming hall, with Bertolt still trying to reason with his friend.

“God those two are weird.” Said Eren’s disgusted voice, “the way they are with each other. Bet they’re already a thing.”

“Oh, they’re already a thing,” said Mikasa, eyes narrowed down the hall, “You can practically taste the gayness with those two, not that there’s anything wrong with it. Still, I don’t really trust with what they said with leaving Armin alone. It sounds too suspicious.”

“They meant it,” came Annie’s voice, a haughty expression as she shook her head, “Reiner and Bertoldt aren’t the type to lie about that kind of stuff. In fact, I gave them a…what would you say…a sharp word to him about messing with you guys. At first, Reiner thought I was joking when I said Armin and I were a thing and messing with him or his friends would equal disaster, but he came to realize how serious I was, so he backed off.”

“Really? You did that for us?” asked Armin incredulous. Mikasa raised her eyebrows, and Eren looked impressed- probably for the fact that in his mind he was envisioning Annie cornering Reiner in the hallway much like a bully would.

“Yeah, I texted him yesterday about that. I don’t honestly text him that often, and neither does he, but I just wanted to set something straight with him.”

“Well, at any rate, I’m glad you did that, Annie,” came Mikasa’s clear voice. Mikasa, Armin noticed, no longer had the look of uneasiness or distrust. In fact, she looked like she was hiding a very thin smile under her faithful scarf as she regarded the small blonde girl. “But be warned: you better treat Armin right if you two are going to be a thing, or else you’ll have to answer to us. If I hear anything about you giving him a hard time like bullying him, I’ll personally confront you.” Came Mikasa’s serious voice.

“Mikasa!” he stuttered, face turning red. “That’s-that’s not necessary!”

“I wouldn’t doubt you would,” replied Annie, “have no fear, I’ll never do any of that again. Armin is someone that’s as special to me as he is to you two, so you have my word.” And to his and Eren’s surprise, Annie held out her hand in front of a perplexed Mikasa who looked at it for a moment, then back at Annie, before bringing her hand out to shake. “I’m pleased with your promise.” Mikasa said, clearly relaxed. “And I’m glad to know we can be friends from now on.”

Armin could feel a big weight off his chest as he stood regarding both of them. He had been worried for the longest time Mikasa still wouldn’t want to form an agreement with Annie, accepting her into their circle. As far as Kindergarten, he and Mikasa always had a mutual agreement and combined their strengths to often keep Eren’s hot-headedness at bay so older kids or bullies wouldn’t find him a target. And as time progressed, they in turn would keep an eye out for him as well. Mikasa accepting Annie as their friend meant she trusted him to know Annie only had the best intentions.

“So Annie,” interrupted Eren suddenly, “are you still up to play for the girls’ basketball team?”

Annie had been practicing basketball techniques with Mikasa for the past few weeks during practice, and it was almost amazing how much progress they made. Indeed, they were so close in strength now, that it seemed they could read each other’s expressions.

“That’s it Mikasa, and great job Annie! - that was a nice throw!” called Rico, their coach. “At this rate, you’ll be ready for when we have our first match against St. Sina in one week!”

As the girls took their break for the day, she looked up towards the stands to see Armin giving her a thumbs up and beaming at her. Eren was still in practice not too far away, but it seemed that he and Jean had been for once, working together, made by the fact that they would cooperate during a mock game to shoot several baskets.

“Great work, Annie!” whooped Sasha, “I think you and Mikasa got it down!”

“Thanks,” said Annie, a bit shyly, “But I’m not sure if I’ll be ready for the game here.” Every day count downing when they would soon play against another school, and a strong one at that, Annie could feel a rush of tension, the kind that made one nervous before taking a test. She had never felt such a nervousness before.

What if I end up sucking? She thought in horror, what if I end up doing poorly and bring the whole team down?

Well, it wouldn’t come to that, a stronger voice in her head seemed to tell her. She had good friends that supported and cared for her now, and she was making great progress with Mikasa. She wouldn’t have been able to do all this if it weren’t for Armin and his two friend’s help. They would stick by you, even if things would get tough.

“You guys did amazing!” Armin called excitedly, making his way down, and handing her, her water bottle. “I really think you and Mikasa got the techniques down!”

She found some of the tension from earlier ebbing away, and she gave a small smile. “I…I guess…”

“At this rate, St. Sina will have no match against you and Mikasa!” he said with enthusiasm, eyes shining.

“Don’t remind me” she huffed, though with a curl of a smirk, “I’m honestly scared whenever I think about that.”

“Don’t worry! You’re gonna do great! Besides, Historia, Sasha, and Nifa are also great players who have playing for years. Since this is your first game, it’s only natural that you feel nervous. Hell, when I had my first Speech and Debate contest in Rose High, I wanted to pretend I was sick so I’d have an excuse not to appear. But the more I thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense for me to quit when I’d been working hard for it. And now? Well, I’ve learned to cope with stress and I’ve enjoyed it!”

“Oh yeah, I remember that time, me and Mika were there!” chuckled Eren behind them, done with practice. “Who would’ve thought all it took to convince him was a futon and some green tea SoBe?”

“Ereeeen! Nobody was supposed to know that!”

“What? Like the fact that wrapping him in a futon gives him emotional comfort, and SoBe makes him calmer?” said Eren innocently, causing Annie to chuckle at Armin’s red face. “Besides, Armin is quite the talker in debate tournaments- he holds the title to undefeated these last two years! Completely destroys the other opponent every time.”

“Dang…” was all she said.

“Yeah, well…” Armin said, trying not to sound churlish, “I do like debating. It allows you to do problem-solving and thinking. Plus, it gives insight on world problems and incorporates them into a fun, argumentative style.”

“You should watch him when he debates,” agreed Mikasa, turning up behind her, then addressed her blond friend, “Say, Armin- when is your first tournament?”

“In two weeks. He said promptly. “The topic is: does plea bargaining undermine the criminal justice system.”

“Uhh…what exactly does that mean?” Annie asked, lost.

“Oh, the topic asks basically if it’s ethical or appropriate in our justice system to drop charges in the defendant if he or she pleads guilty in a court case. In some instances, it allows the person to have a shorter sentence or have less serious charges.”

Before anything else could be said, Jean and Connie had just appeared, slightly huffy and reaching for their water bottles, apparently in conversation about something.

“…so it seems they’re going to use the gym- the other one, you know, the one that’s been vacant this whole time, and going to put it there.” Said Connie, before taking a swig of water.

“Well, as long as they don’t try to use this gym, it’s fine.” Replied Jean.

“Use the gym for what?” asked Eren. “What’re you talking about?”

“Haven’t you heard? There’s going to be the St. Maria Ball dance in three weeks!” chirped in Sasha. “They’re using the abandoned gym to hold it.”

“Well, I don’t see why they can’t hold it at the Nedlay Hotel,” said Mikasa. “Besides, the Sadie Hawkins dance was probably better.”

“Well, the reason they couldn’t hold it at the Nedlay Hotel again was because they didn’t have the budget,” explained Armin. “Besides, it’s a way too posh hotel for them to afford it.”

“How come we never see you three there anyway?” asked Jean to him, Mikasa, and Eren.

“We do show up,” declared Eren.

“It’s just that you don’t really see us.” Armin explained, “It gets too crowded inside, so we just end up walking along the beach or walking around the city before going home.”

“Plus, it’s not like we had any dates to go with or anything.” Mikasa finished.

“Y-you can’t say that! What if that changes?” sputtered Jean.

“I LOVE dances!” twittered Sasha, interrupting them all.

“Really, Sash? I never took you for the romantic type!” said Connie, puzzled.

“No- it’s not the dances, although they are fun to dance crazy in, but I’m talking about the FOOD! It’s not every day you get to try Cream Puff Swans!”

Connie’s eyes suddenly lit up, “oh yeah- I remember! That was freakin’ awesome! I remember we kept going back for fourths!”

“Annie, have you ever been to the dances?” asked Historia alongside Ymir, whom they hadn’t noticed before. There seemed to be silence when she asked that question, and Annie could feel herself getting a little hot despite the cool temperature in the gym.

“Err..no…” she said in a small voice. “They- they don’t really interest me.” She tried saying in the most offhanded way possible. “Waste of time.”

“Oh, I get you.” Said Marco. “They can get a little rough sometimes.”

She didn’t say anything else after, and to her relief the conversation had switched to movies before she followed Armin, Mikasa, Eren, and the rest of the crew outside, still muddling in her thoughts.

“There you are, guys!” said a sweet voice. Mina had just arrived.

“Oh hello, Mina!” said Marco, cheer immediately plastered on his face. “How was Drama Club?” “It was great, we got a lot done with the Richard III play” said Mina, “How was basketball practice?”

“Great as well,” he chuckled, “Coach Dietrich didn’t push us nearly so hard today, so we only did half the drills. Oh, and have you heard there’s going to be a dance in three weeks? The school’s hosting it in the abandoned gym.” Mina turned pink upon hearing the word ‘dance’, and Armin was willing to bet that she only did so because the object of her affections brought it up.

“Oh, that sounds nice!” was her immediate reply.

“Are you guys heading on home?” asked Sasha addressing Mikasa.

“Yes, we were probably thinking of going home for some last minute studying for Pixis’s government test tomorrow.” She replied.

“Oh well, I guess we’ll see you tomorrow. Me, Connie, Jean, Mina, and the rest of the people were going to head over to the movies.”

“On a school night?” asked Eren, clearly doubtful.

“Hell yeah,” said Connie, “We’ve all been tired this whole week of studying and exercising. So we were gonna go see Logan Lucky.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us Mikasa?” asked Jean with a barely contained tone of hope.

“Thanks Jean, but I don’t think we should, since it’s a school night.” She answered, and if it weren't for the fact that Armin had known Mikasa for long, he wouldn't have noticed an edge of disappointment in her tone. “Besides, our mom is fixing us dinner early.” Jean looked down hearing this, but nodded all the same.

“Aw that’s too bad,” Mina called out to the four of them. “I hope we meet at the movies some other time- bye!”

As Connie, Sasha, Jean, Ymir, Mina, and Marco left, Annie and her three friends headed towards the school gate to walk home.

“Why’d Jean ask you to come?” inquired Eren suspiciously, “didn’t he know we were all going to go studying this afternoon?”

“I believe so,” said Mikasa shortly. ‘Why ask?”

Armin met Annie’s eye, and gave her a grin. Eren was completely oblivious to the fact that Jean had had a monster crush on Mikasa since middle school, but had not yet summoned the courage to ask her out or even confess his feelings. I wonder if Mikasa knows about it? He thought.

“Isn’t it obvious, Eren?” drawled Annie lazily.

“Is whatobvious?” Eren iterated, completely confused.

“Nothing…” she smirked. “Never mind…”

“At least he doesn’t throw bad on the team anymore.” Grumbled the teal-eyed teen, “I don’t know why, but he seemed to have stopped making those quirky throws at me.”

Without Eren noticing, he saw Mikasa exchange a quick look at him, giving him a very small hint of a smile through her scarf. Armin knew the real reason why Jean stopped; it had been because of Mikasa’s interference by talking to Jean about it. This, according to her, was how Jean had changed his ways.

Armin and the three of his friends very much enjoyed spending the rest of the afternoon in Mikasa’s room studying. He surprised them all with home-made flashcards he compiled the night before, and all of them eagerly played a game with trying to answer the definitions. They quizzed each other some more, and he was glad to find that at the end, all four of them were able to get each vocabulary word correct.

“This is great! At this point, I see all of us getting perfect scores! Said Eren excitedly. “I mean, Armin- you already had it perfect to begin with, but wow, I never thought I’d be able to do it!”

“Well, me neither,” agreed Annie, “but I guess that’s what hard work brings.” She gave him a smile which he gave in return. He tried not to notice the way Eren seemed to roll his eyes at their exchange.

“Well, time to relax now,” said a straight faced Mikasa, leaning over to address Annie in a competitive tone, “Are you ready to lose in Battlefront?”

“Bring it,” came a deadpanned Annie’s response.

“Oh man, let the competition begin with those two…” whispered Eren in his ear.

For the next hour, the house was loud with cheers and yells from each of its players. Mikasa challenged a determined Eren. At the end, a losing Eren nearly chucked the controller across the room before grudgingly giving it to him. He was close to beating her, having come up with a strategy, but she caught wind of it, and managed to come back at the last second, resulting in her win. But the moment the boys were waiting for, was a showdown between the girls. In a Kamino map of capture the flag, Annie had gotten the creative idea to use Boba Fett to fly up straight to the tallest point where the map was using the jet pack ability and swipe it under her nose. Mikasa had managed to grab it in return from Annie’s side when she used a squadron of Stormtroopers as bait so she could steal it from behind.

They played a total of four matches against each other, with Armin cheering for Annie and whispering tactics while Eren cheered on Mikasa. At the end, it resulted in a draw. They decided to switch games, playing Super Smash, which resulted in Eren defeating all of them mercilessly with the Star Fox he’d been practicing on.

When an hour had passed, they got back to studying chemistry and math. Since Armin had AP Calculus, which was different than what all three of them were studying for, he decided to help them with Math Analysis instead, insisting that he had already studied for Cal ahead and didn’t mind to go over past material.

To their great relief, Mrs. Jaeger finished a dinner of their favorite; chicken pot pie and homemade pizza, insisting that Armin and Annie stay for dinner. They had an enjoyable session talking about school, how they were doing in basketball, how the debate club was doing, and even inquiring Annie how her father was doing. It had been weeks since Annie had become accustomed to Armin’s friends and his parents, so she no longer felt like a deer in the headlights when she contributed to their conversation. She still remained quiet and reserved by nature, but her heart no longer thumped uncontrollably when asked a question. However, when the topic of the St. Maria Ball dance was brought up, she didn’t understand why she was feeling tense and uneasy.

“So you mean to tell me they’re finally putting that old abandoned gym to good use after all?” asked Mr. Jaeger “If it was up to me, I’d say they should put it to be used for the volleyball team.”

“Well, the volleyball team has their own practice area.” Supplied Mikasa. “And besides, since it started having problems with ventilation and lighting, Coach Pieck doesn’t trust it.”

“Ah, I see.”

“So…” began Carla Jaeger, looking at all of them motherly, “Are all three-sorry, all four of you going to go to the dance?” she asked.

“Maybe,” said Eren, before eating a slice of his pie. “It could be like last time- going there then leaving…”

“But it’s your junior year of high school!” said Mrs. Jaeger, “Don’t you have dates to the dance? Somebody you want to take?”

“No,” said Eren simply. “It doesn’t really bother me.”

“What about you, Mikasa, dear?” she asked.

“Haven’t thought about it.” She said swiftly. There was a definite shift in her eyes when she said it.

“Armin?”

“Oh uh…same with Mikasa. I-I haven’t thought about it.” Stuttered Armin, and it could be seen that the tips of his ears went pink.

“What about you, Annie, dear?” asked Carla kindly. “Have you ever been to any dances?”

“No.” she replied simply, pleased that her voice didn’t betray her awkwardness. “I uh…never had any to take.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to hit her head on the table. It was almost like she was admitting she had been a complete loser.

“Maybe your luck will change,” said Mrs. Jaeger. There was a strange tone in her voice as she said it, almost like she was finding something secretly amusing, but Annie brushed it off, thinking it was just a mother reminiscing about her past high school days. As the blonde girl became suddenly interested in her food, she failed to notice a thoughtful expression the other blonde gave to her.

“Bye Armin, bye Annie! Thanks for coming to dinner!” called Mrs. Jaeger cheerfully.

“Practice hard, Annie!” came Mr. Jaeger’s voice from the kitchen. “And you too Armin, with your debate tournament coming up!”

“Thanks for having us,” called back Annie, politely as she and Armin waved them off. Eren and Mikasa stood at the doorway to say any last minute good-byes and conversations.

“It feels weird still,” said Eren out of the blue as he addressed Annie, “You going home with Armin.”

“Eren, it’s been three and a half weeks.” Stated Armin.

“I agree,” supplied Annie. “Even though I’m staying at his house, there still a part of me that feels weird, like I’m staying in another country.”

“Got any word from your dad?” asked Mikasa.

“Yeah, just last week he told me he was doing fine. The doctors over there say he had a rocky start, but he’s gradually getting better.”

"Well, that’s good then!” said Eren cheerfully. “He must be working hard!”

“Has he said anything else?” asked Armin.

“Well, nothing much. He asked me how I was doing, and how basketball was. I’m surprised, he acted really...relaxed or something. It makes me kind of happy knowing that.”

“Well, keep us updated guys!” said Eren, now waving as the two blondes began to make their trek home. “And remember- if there’s anything you need, Annie, let us know!” called Mikasa. “And great job today!”

“Bye!” they said, in near unison.

“Mrs. Jaeger is a good cook,” noted Annie as they walked together through the dark streets, illuminated by the street lights in some areas, “and that was a nice dinner.”

“She is,” he agreed, “I remember the first time I came over, I asked her if she could cook for my house. This was of course, back in kindergarten, when I first met Eren and Mikasa. When I said that, it was the first time I ever made Mrs. Jaeger laugh.”

“I don’t mean to pry, but is Mikasa, you know…his biological sister?”

“Oh no, it’s not prying!” he laughed, “Actually, Mikasa didn’t meet Eren and I until the middle of the kindergarten semester. She was originally from Japan. Both of her parents err…”

“Died?”

“Well, killed is the better word for it,” he said quietly. “Killed by some evil men.”

Annie felt a bit uncomfortable, “Oh, um…I’m sorry.” She said politely, “I shouldn’t have-.”

“Oh no, it’s alright. Mikasa has already told some of our other friends. Her father, Mr. Ackerman, knew Eren’s dad, despite the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman were dentists.”

“Ackerman…wait, was he-?”

“Yep, he’s white. Mikasa’s mother was Japanese, so that makes Mikasa half-white, half-Asian.”

“I see.”

When they reached the house, they were greeted by Armin’s grandpa who inquired them briefly where they were and how dinner at the Jaeger’s was before apologizing for being late at the office today. Annie and Armin hurriedly said they didn’t mind, saying that it gave them a chance to study with Eren and Mikasa for a test.

Both of them, satisfied with the work they went through today, decided to lounge in the living room watching TV. After just five minutes of flipping through the channels, it was apparent there wasn’t anything interesting to watch, so Armin hooked up Netflix through the Roku and they settled on Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure*- a comedy. The room was filled with laughter as they watched the shenanigans of the two quirky characters. “Wow, I remember watching this with Eren and Mikasa when I was in first grade!” laughed Armin. “Eren found the movie in Blockbuster- this was before they went out of business, and so all three of us started watching it in his room.”

“Wow, you guys were rebels,” she smirked. “I assume you watched it in his room so his mom wouldn’t find out.”

“Well, we didn’t know how his mom would take the movie, what with the one scene with Bill’s stepmom, but actually, when you compare it to the trash movies that exist now, it’s very tame. Anyway, we laughed a lot.”

Even though the movie was a bit old, they still laughed at scenes, and even found little Easter eggs that they hadn’t noticed when they were younger. As Annie watched the screen, she felt her hand brush against his. Both tore their gaze from the television to each other. There was a moment where they looked at one another then as if like a magnet, their gaze was drawn to the upstairs where they knew Armin’s grandpa was sleeping.

They had been boyfriend and girlfriend, but neither had engaged in any close contact while at the house (at least not when his grandpa was there), because they worried it would be deemed too improper. Would hand-holding be alright?

“This is almost like a date,” Annie said slyly as a way to ease her beating heart. "You inviting me to the movies and all."

“Y…yea I guess it is…” he found himself blushing. He tentatively reached for her hand, and she grasped his in return. His heart felt light, feeling her warm hand against his. “But…but I haven’t actually asked you out on a date yet…”. At that, Annie laughed, and to his delight and surprise, she leaned her body against his and he in turn did the same so that their legs touched one another’s.

“Actually, it should be me the one that has to treat you. Armin, you’ve already done enough for me.”

The way her tone had changed from playful to serious, had him looking at her earnest gaze towards him. He squeezed her hand in a comforting way smiling. “That has nothing to do with your current predicament. I still have to take you out. Besides, I can’t tell at this point who confessed to who first.” He thought of the moment they had first kissed in his room, mentally shaking his head. No, it wasn’t at that time, it was before that.

He thought back to the time when she had been picking on him and he had refused to tell his friends about it. Truth was, he had always felt something whenever he was with her. Every time she had cornered him or given him an ultimatum or threatened him to do her homework, he would always recall his senses being on overdrive for a different reason other than bullying, and he could swear while he was with her, he found her eyes lingering a bit too long on him than was deemed suitable.

“To be honest, I always thought you were different.” She said without thinking, looking at the screen in front of them, but not really paying attention. “At first, I thought it was in my mind. Whenever I saw you with your friends, it just made me…I don’t know…jealous that you had friends that followed you no matter what. I started getting angry because, well, you were so much better than me and…it made me angry that I had started liking you the more I confronted you in the halls. I didn’t know that what I was feeling was anything close to a crush and...I started to get confused and angry with myself” She sighed, turning away to look back at the screen.

Armin chuckled, “well that’s a shame, because I think I had somewhat of a crush on you as well, and we could have gotten together earlier.”

This got her attention, and she wrenched her eyes from the screen. “Are you serious?”

“Well, I mean…err…y-yes.” He said guiltily.

“Unbelievable.” Was all she could say, though he could tell she was embarrassed from her past actions.

“But hey, it’s alright Annie. We ended up finding each other’s feelings, so everything’s good, right?” he said, smiling at her and giving her a playful shake despite her red face.

She nodded a bit, then obligingly leaned into his welcoming arms until their heads were together. Some of his gold strands came magnified into her vision, reminding her of the same golden yellow as his look-alike drawing in his room.

She felt suddenly grateful all of a sudden. If he hadn't had the patience to have feelings for her, she would have continued to be the same despised and angry person who bullied others. He had saved her much like her father was saved by the paramedics that took him to the hospital. If it weren't for him, she would have continued to be a weak person to herself. Lost, angry, and alone.

They stayed like that for the rest of the movie. Sometimes when he laughed, she could hear it right in her ear, which sometimes hurt, but she had no desire to move away, not when his arm wound around her in a protective cradle, making her feel at ease and soothed any doubt.

And when the movie ended and they departed for the night with a kiss (after all, his grandpa was asleep) and remembering to charge her phone for the night, did she truly begin to feel like things could get better.

Chapter 23: Arrival at St. Sina High...Nervousness

Chapter Text

All week she had tried drowning her concern and anxiety through studying with Armin, Eren, and Mikasa in order to forget the ever looming match against St. Sina on Friday. The very night before the match, there was a team dinner held at Nifa’s house to prep by eating pasta-foods that would give them better performance during the game. According to Armin, this was due to a certain belief that eating pasta before a work out actually contained energy-boosting carbs which would enable them to keep moving and have greater stamina during the game. Mikasa also strongly recommended orange juice as well, since it had good properties and kept you well hydrated. Annie was grateful for all their help, because she was willing to take any amount of advice that wouldn’t make her mess up the biggest game she had ever competed in.

And this was why, at this moment upon passing through the sleek wooden double doors of St. Sina it was taking every ounce of will power not to go into the nearest trashcan and barf from sheer nervousness.

The moment she and all the other girls entered their enemy’s gym, they were assaulted with the blinding flashing lights and loud cheers from St. Maria and St. Sina. The cacophony of drums from the high school bands nearly drowned out the cheering and quite frankly, Annie was overwhelmed by it all. Was it really necessary to scream until it made everyone deaf? Each seemed to be holding a competition on who could be the loudest. Beyond the opposite side of the court hung a large banner on the with St. Sina’s Alma Mater in gold lettering: Pride and Dedication Yield Success- Go Sina Unicorns! Annie would have been pleased on any other day to see that their mascot was a unicorn, her favorite animal. But quite frankly, the banner with its mascot seemed very imposing, glaring at her with one fierce yellow eye amid its mass of malachite green head as if to intimidate her with its huge size. Everything inside this gym seemed overpowering. The cheers from the masses of people, the opponent’s coach, the cutely clad cheerleaders wearing silver and green and performing their own routine…she clutched her sports bag tighter against herself as they made their way across the gym, two-by-two. And right in the middle of it, she began to suddenly think of Armin.

Would he be here now? Where was he? Was he one of the people in the crowds? She seemed too nervous to even peek out into the sea of people. Which side would he be on? And freakin’ damn-why was this gym so huge?

She felt a hand tap her arm, and she looked sideways at her to see Mikasa giving her the ghost of a reassuring smile and a single nod of the head. As if saying ‘Don’t falter- we’re a team. We will do this together.’ Annie returned a small nod in return, and was pleased to see that it came more expressionless and nonchalant instead of nervous.

There was a bright red sunset along the night sky before they crossed into the locker room. It would be dark in half an hour. When they finally made it to the locker rooms, the cheering could be heard distantly, and the whole team seemed to be quiet as they changed into their uniforms. Annie was so nervous, she had put her jersey on backwards without knowing, Nifa having pointed it out. When she finally did fix it, she joined Historia and Sasha at the end of the locker room in order to wait for the others to finish so they could begin their pep talk.

She was reassured to see that the other girls looked just as nervous as well. She saw Historia continually pulling and releasing her hair from its hair tie, as if trying to make absolutely sure that nothing could hinder her from performing at her best. Nifa’s eyes were darting a bit from the door to the locker room and back again as if wishing to dart out. Sasha’s head was a little hung so she wasn’t able to see her expression, and she seemed to be clutching her stomach, (no doubt probably thinking of food). Mikasa’s face, she saw, was the only one of the girls whose determination showed in her face. Mikasa’s eyebrow were set in the middle of her forehead, giving her a serious look, though Annie could see within dark irises that she looked a bit worried.

“Alright girls, listen up!” Came Coach Bryzenska’s smooth, brisk voice. They got closer together in a circle to better observe one another. “Our match against St. Sina starts in ten minutes. We’ve put in a lot of practice these past couple of weeks, so I know it’ll definitely show in today’s game!”

“We will!” procured an enthusiastic Historia. “And we know that today’s special because we’ll be fighting against their number one ace according to a little scouting that was done!”

“Their number one ace?” asked Annie.

“Yeah,” said Historia. She looked a little worried now. “Ymir told me she was just exiting the bathroom when she saw her come in with this blond girl with pig tails. She managed to catch her name. It’s Mikarin. She’s pretty tall and has a sort of messy black bowl-cut style hair with sort of pale skin. But-but that’s not the important part! Apparently she had transferred a bit late in the semester and this is her first game, but Ymir swore to me that she was crazy strong! She managed to take a look at the girl and found she has a six pack!”

“What?!” spouted out Sasha.

Annie saw Nifa look just as worried. Mikasa’s eyes narrowed at this news.

-“Oh no we’re done for!” said one of the other girls.

-“What if Mikasa’s no match for her?” said another. "She must train super strong!"

“Girls!” started Coach Rico, silencing them all. “I believe we’ve got a little side-tracked here. The important part we’re missing is the fact that we’ve been training harder than anybody else. We’ve had double practice sessions, and we’ve gone over every tactic possible with the surprising help of Arlert,” she finished, with a nod towards Annie and Mikasa to praise their friend. “And right now, there is no use getting nervous and ready for defeat when we came out here to win. And if we’re going to be playing with a new additional player to the team, so be it! We’ll have to know everything we can about the other opponents Historia- can you tell us more about their ace?”

“Oh ah, yes,” answered Historia. “She…she appears to be a power forward and is pretty fast on the ground. According to my sources, she and this girl with pig tails- the one I mentioned in the bathroom…both of them are usually paired up and pass the ball to one another during game and score a lot. The girl with the pig tails is the one with the jersey number three.”

“Excellent- so it seems #3 is the type of opponent who is also fast, seeing how she can keep up with their ace, which means we'll have to watch out for her. Luckily we have girls like that. Your speeds are nothing to take lightly. Mikasa, do you think you’ll be able to handle it?” Annie looked at the Asian girl next to her to find her staring intently as though in concentration, no doubt trying to gauge what her potential threat would be. “Yes.” Mikasa replied.

“And you, Annie?”

“Oh ah I uh…” she felt the nervousness creep back. How could she go up against people with much more experience than her? What if she let the whole team down?

“Annie, it’s alright to feel overwhelmed,” said Coach Rico, “Seeing as this is your first match, it’s understandable that you feel nervous. But at the same time, we want you to be ready to take your first match with a strong forward. Do you think you can work with Mikasa and the others to bring our team to victory?”

Annie looked at all the girls gathered around her, a strong feeling of camaraderie washing through her. They were looking at her expectantly. Sasha, fun bubbly Sasha who always liked to hang with Connie, was now looking at her in serious expectancy. Historia, sweet kind Historia as well, whose strong defense took opponents by surprise despite her size. Nifa, whose encouraging words helped her. And of course, Mikasa, who had tirelessly worked with her even after hours and with Eren and Armin. And many others as well…all of them had sacrificed their time to help her.

All of them were prepared to give it their all today. Every single one of them had been put through gallons of sweat for each practice session. She was going to give it her all. To show everyone that just because she was a new addition to the team did not excuse her from trying her hardest. She was going to help bring them to victory or else.

“Yes,” she said with a firmness that surprised even herself. Sasha, Historia, and Nifa beamed. Mikasa, she could see, had a smile in the corner of her lips. Yes, she wanted to do it for these girls. But she also wanted to do it to prove herself. Prove she was capable of handling things she wouldn’t have been able to handle in the past.

And prove to the blond kid she had grown to love that all his efforts to strengthen her had been worth it.

Despite that strong willpower she had been feeling in the locker room, nervousness came at her once they all reached the double doors and were greeted by the loud cheers of the spectators.

From both sides, St. Maria and St. Sina seemed to be having a competition over who could be the loudest, though, Annie could swear her heartbeat was the loudest of all. As they made their way to the sidelines, placing their bags on the sides and now doing some quick, last minute stretches, Annie couldn’t bring herself to look up at the people. The feeling of so many pairs of eyes on her already perhaps judging what kind of person she was, was enough to make her turn her head. So her gaze went to the far side of the other court in the direction of the opponents.

And felt her heart sink.

It was almost funny how easily she recognized the girl Historia was talking about from a first glance amid the reserve players.

Mikarin, to her in all aspects, looked like a version of Mikasa but with deliberate mistakes. She had jet black hair but was slightly longer in length and half tied back with a low pony tail. Her eyes were actually a brown hazel, instead of dark brown, but they held a sort of fierceness to them that seemed out of proportion to her good looks. Almost like she was an angry person by nature and would pummel anyone who dared cross her. Something about it reminded her of herself in a regretting way before she became a better person. She was willing to bet that if both Mikasa and that girl stood side-by-side with one another, they’d be almost equally matched in height.

What the hell, it’s almost like looking at a second Mikasa, not to mention their names are similar to each other’s! How’re we going to go up against her? Can Mikasa handle it?

She chanced a glance sideways and found to her surprise, Mikasa giving the girl a thoughtful look, maybe to gauge what type this Mikarin girl was and whether she’d be a threat.

“She does look strong,” admitted Mikasa quietly next to her.

“Yeah, but we have you,” butted in Sasha next to them. “And you probably didn’t know this, but Historia heard from Connie that some of the girls on their team hadn’t been able to practice due to a bout of flu.”

“I guess we should count that as a blessing then,” replied Nifa, casting a wary eye at their opponent. Suddenly, a loud bout of cheering echoes through the gym, startling them.

“Go St. Maria!- Defend our Holy Walls!”

Hearing that booming applause, all of their heads whipped up, and were met with a crowd of familiar students from the stands. A good majority of the spectators that Annie had heard before…they were from St. Maria High. And then, she thought of something.

“Where’s Armin and Eren?” she asked Mikasa. She was scanning the colorful stands frantically now, looking for a familiar mop of sun yellow hair and a bright smile. She also tried scanning for Eren’s unruly brown hair and green eyes. She could feel her heart pounding through her chest, even more nervously than when she’d entered the gym. They were here, weren’t they? Why wasn’t he here? Did something happen?

And then she saw him.

No. More like heard him.

“ANNIE!”

Even when all the screams and shouts and whistles and singing around them were going on, she was able to hear that bright and bubbly voice she could recognize everywhere. Armin’s voice. Her eyes widened and swiveled to the direction were she heard it. Her eyes scanned the crowd, but she couldn’t really discern his face. Where was he?

Well, if it weren’t for the painted poster reading Go Annie! Go Mikasa! In bright red lettering, she wouldn’t have been able to know that the person who was holding the sign was actually Armin Arlert with his face painted in white lettering “Go Maria High!” with the words etched across his face in paint. She did a double take.

“Armin?”

And then…

“Eren?”

Mikasa was now the one staring in shock as well at the pair of them. Eren had red lettering saying the same thing, and both were beaming down at them, helping support the poster.

She could feel the tension rid her body as she found the painted yet smiling face of Armin fill her vision. He was waving at her even from that far up, and was clearly in the spirit of cheering. His blond hair was sparkling with glitter in red, silver, and green, as was Eren’s, and she was willing to bet that he and Eren had both come up with the idea to surprise them by decorating each other’s faces and shirts with the colors of their school.

“I can’t believe they did that.” Muttered Mikasa, shaking her head and closing her eyes as if to keep from rolling her eyes. “I told Eren to lay off the face paint because of last year’s incident, but seems he forgot. And what’s more, he’s gotten Armin to do it too.” Despite that, Annie could swear she saw a Mikasa’s lip twitched.

She realized with a jolt that next to them were Connie, Jean, and Ymir. Mina was there too, next to Marco, and he waved at Annie, yelling out words of encouragement and giving her the thumbs up. All of them were holding posters with the name of her teammate’s names or encouraging team words. But her gaze was drawn to the girl next to them. A familiar red-haired girl with freckles and wearing a small cast on her foot…

“Look guys it’ Hannah!” came Sasha’s excited voice, pointing frantically up at her. Everybody looked, and then it seemed a cacophony of cheers erupted. Hannah stood there, wearing a happy grin and waving down at them. As if to explain, she pointed to her cast and made the thumbs up motion.

“I had no idea she was going to show up!” said Nifa, looking incredulously. ‘She’s going to watch our game!”

Annie’s gaze was on Armin’s, who was giving her a wide grin and an emphasized thumbs up since the cheering was still loud. He was mouthing words she couldn’t really make out, but swore they said ‘I believe in you!’ She felt even her whole being turn warm at his mere smile, and she returned the thumbs up. In a fraction of a second before she had to give him one last smile before paying attention to the coach, she saw him blow a kiss towards her.

She couldn’t remember a time when she felt her face get this red in public, and she struggled to contain her smile, barely able to listen to Coach Bryzenska’s words over the sound of her heart beating for a different reason than anxiety.

“…Alright girls, I want you to get out there and show ‘em who’s boss!” yelled Coach Bryzenska. And before she knew it, Annie felt herself swept up into the middle of the court with her other teammates and their opponents.

The match had begun.

Chapter 24: Sina vs. Maria: A Battle of Teamwork and Willpower

Chapter Text

Before she knew it, she was on the court with the other girls now facing the other team. All thoughts of Armin, Hannah, or even the team tactics seemed to escape her as she stared at the opponents. They all looked menacing to her, ready to deliver points and shoves within a moment’s notice and Annie could feel a pocket of trepidation that she tried stifling with breathing. She looked at Sasha, whose gaze never left the ball dangling from the referee’s hands. Mikasa on her other side, now had her unblinking gaze on the other girl- Mikarin. She could also see Mikarin’s face on hers as well, and it was almost like they chose at that moment without any spoken agreement to mark each other off as the most dangerous. Annie looked at Mikarin’s other side, and found the girl with blonde pig tails-looking right at her. She fixed the bun on her hair tighter and returned the stare. This other girl had blond hair of a darker shade, and her eyes were bluer instead of greyish-blue like hers. There was no way she would lose to this girl. Distantly through the back of her mind, she realized that the sound of cheering was significantly quieter, like the whole crowd was holding their breath for when the ball from the referee would drop. Her eyes remained on the orange ball…she saw it rise up high above their heads before dropping like a hammer…

All at once, ten girls rose in near synchronization for the ball. The brief moment the ball came down, even though she knew she was one of the shorter of the girls, she still jumped for it, nearly smacking into the other players, but stopping just short of making contact. Heart pounding, there was a brief scrabble and she could hear the frantic squeaking of shoes on the floor…and by the time she turned around, she found all of the girls in different positions. Her eyes were scanning the court, aware that the cheering had increased tenfold. Where was the ball? Where had it gone to? Did the other team…?

To Annie’s great relief, it was someone from their own team who got the ball first- Sasha. Being the tallest, she must have easily soared high above the others and knocked it into their side of the court. It had all been hectic and gone over with a flash that she hadn’t been able to notice.

Dribbling the ball, she saw Sasha weave her way around the court-narrowly avoiding an opponent…then suddenly she whipped her head back and without a moment to spare, sent it hurling straight to Historia, who was open and had managed to grab it before it got knocked into the hands of another team…

Annie almost forgot that she was simply watching and not trying to receive it. Almost slack jawed, she watched Historia maneuver and dribble the ball, making her way closer to the opponent’s side of the court, unflinching when Sina’s #5 Jersey was trailing near her. Despite being shorter than her, it was almost scary how Historia wasn’t just all good looks but determination and frightening countenance. Even when she was shoved or jostled, she still remained dribbling the ball and weaving in and out fearlessly even when three tall girls had begun to surround her.

They’re going to take the ball from her! I have to act fast!

Annie’s own legs moved of their own accord. “Historia!”

Historia’s head whipped back, and almost immediately, sent the ball flying straight through in Annie’s direction. She caught it, and was just dribbling for the ball in the same direction when…

Like a flash, a hand shot out from behind and then the ball she was balancing in one hand came spinning away from her. She looked back quickly to find it in the hands of a Sina opponent who instead was making their way to the opposite side of the court. The squeaks of shoe soles hastened in the same direction, and Annie inwardly cursed. She’d had the ball for five seconds only! How could she have let it escape her?

She and the rest of the girls bounded to the side of the court, now keeping stride to the girl now holding the ball. It was that Mikarin girl, Annie realized suddenly. She was the one that took the ball away from her. She had come out of nowhere and jostled the ball away, and she did it when she hadn’t even been looking in the same direction. She had been on the far right too before coming up out of nowhere. No wonder she carried the jersey of an ace.

Her embarrassment at having been caught like that seemed to slowly appear in her mind. She was a judo fighter, one had the wits and reflexes honed into her since Kinder, so why had she been caught unaware?

They were at the edge of the court now, and the ball had now been passed from Mikarin to another one of their teammate’s. Annie made her way sneakily behind her, preparing to take it in possession.

But then, in a flash, the ball which came sailing towards another Sina teammate was intercepted by…

“Go Mikasa!” she heard a pair of familiar voices from the stands yell. Annie didn’t need to look over to know it was Eren and Armin.

Mikasa had made good headway over to the opposite end, and Annie was weaving around now, moving closer and trying to put distance between her and the other opponents. Still, if Mikasa needed to pass it towards someone, she was quite aware that she wouldn’t be able to take it. Given how short she was, the other girls practically towered over her even when she tried dodging their way. What was she going to do? For every second Mikasa held the ball, their chances of catching and receiving were lowered based on the amount of time it took for all the girls to regroup. She could see Mikasa’s eyes darting around, trying to determine an opening.

And then, with the swiftest of moments Mikasa’s head turned in a 45 degree angle and made eye contact with her, it was like an unspoken agreement was being made. Annie gave a curt nod, then swiveled around herself to make eye contact with Sasha. Sasha had luckily returned her gaze, and like a bolt of lightning, Annie moved.

It must have been an instinctual thing. All those moments practicing with Mikasa made them realize that not only were they matched in strength, but it seemed like there was something-like some unspoken silent agreement which made them understand one another perfectly when the time came. A single look was all Annie needed to react, and like a tiger, sprang out of the girl’s domain into the open.

And Mikasa threw the ball at her. Annie caught it, but there was no time to waste with this maneuver and although she did not have the height to make it in her own, she threw it to somebody who had: Sasha- all in the span of half a second.

Sasha took the ball sailing over her head, knocked away from the opponent, raised her hands…and threw it.

Right into the basket.

All at once, a short cheer was heard, and the drums played on que like the sound of a heartbeat. She heard the sound of “Go Maria High!” in the stands, out of tune, but nevertheless heard.

“YEA, SASHA!” came Connie’s voice loudest of all. Annie felt herself smiling, even when the ball was already in possession of the other team. They had scored. They had made the first point of the day! And their maneuver worked out perfectly!

“NICE PASS ANNIE!”

It was Armin. She would recognize that voice anywhere, even when nearly all his face was painted in the school's colors.

And he had seen her. He had known that she had made that split second decision to make that difficult pass. He was the one had come up with that tactic in the first place.

It was a small victory, that mall moment. That split half second he had been in possession of the ball. And it was that small moment that enabled them that point. She high-fived an enthusiastic Sasha as he past her, and then saw Mikasa flash her a nod of affirmation. They had done it!

We can do this!

***

“Did you see the point Sasha made?” said Connie excitedly. “She just took it and BAM! Into the hoop!”

“Well, considering your girlfriend’s height, of course she was able to make it into the hoop with little problem.” Said Jean.

“We’re…we’re not…” sputtered Connie. “We’re just friends! And even if she IS tall, she was surrounded by other tall girls too!”

“Annie did a great pass as well,” Armin felt himself say before he could stop himself.

“She and Mikasa really do work well together.” Hannah said, admiration in her tone. “They just completed a complicated pass that was at least MBA worthy!”

Armin could feel his heart swell with pride. He had taught Annie and Mikasa that tactic, and the fact that they had done that in front of so many people. I feel like a proud mother at her kid’s first-grade recital!

“They practiced a whole lot, you have no idea.” Eren pointed out. “GO MARIA!” he screamed practically in his ear, making him flinch. Eren really did have a loud voice sometimes, which was stemmed from being a rowdy kid since they were young. But he was grateful for that, because cheer-wise, they were always heard.

“But wait- why does the point counter say two points instead of one?” asked Mina.

“That’s because Sasha made it in the two pointer area” Marco answered for her. “See, it all depends on where you are in the court and how you conduct it. If you make it from the five feet from the basket and make the shot all net, meaning it doesn’t touch the hoop and then repeat it while going to the three point line-that’s over there…” (he motioned over to the spot), “...and continue shooting, you can make what’s called an all-net three-pointer. Pretty cool huh?”

“Hah, Sina has no match against our girls,” boasted Jean. “It’s a sure victory.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that” said Ymir quietly. Everybody looked at her.

“What?” asked Jean, looking a bit annoyed. “Are you saying you don’t trust Mikasa?”

“Ymir’s got a point,” he felt himself say. He bent over in his seat to look closely below. “In fact, aside from our girls, there are two people who I’m beginning to notice more and more.”

“What d’you mean?” asked Eren. “You mean the one in pigtails and the other one?” Jean, Connie, Marco, Mina, and Hannah were bent over their seats like him now, and were trying to look through the opponent players.

“Oh, you mean Sina’s #1 and #3?” asked Hannah. “I remembered one of them took the ball from Annie in the beginning.”

“Yeah.”

“Holy geez she reminds me of Mikasa!” exclaimed Connie. “Look at how strong she is!”

Below, they saw Sina’s #1 dribble the ball and dodge with great speed through Mikasa, who was right at her tail. But this other girl, she was…good. When Mikasa came up to her right side, the girl took off in the opposite and whirled her way around until he had made ground closer to the hoop. With baited breath and apprehension they watched in almost slow motion, their #1 sprint forward after receiving the ball from #3, then bounce off the floor over the heads of Nifa and Historia to throw a point into the hoop in a near dunk.

The loud cheers and callings from Sina’s side of the bleachers nearly deafened their ears, and Armin could practically taste the frustration from their girls faces. He saw Annie share a distraught look with Mikasa before the pair looked at Sina’s #1 and #3 high-fiving one another.

“Dammit!” said Jean. “How’d they do that? Not even Mikasa was able to get the ball from her!”

“Neither was Annie!” exclaimed Mina nervously. “Who is that girl?”

“Mikarin.” Said Ymir darkly.

“Huh, Mikarin? Is that her name? How do you know that?” asked Eren.

“I found it out by accident when I met her in the bathroom.” explained Ymir. “It’s kinda funny when you think about it. You meet so many interesting characters in bathrooms without realizing it.”

Yes. Thought Armin. He knew that only too well. The bathrooms used to be his least favorite place around the school, given that that was the area where many of his past bullies had decided to hang out and sometimes smoke, using it like their headquarters. Because of that, he often times was forced to use the toilet during class time where he knew nobody was there, or (much to his nervousness), attempt to sneak into the faculty one. “So uh…her name is almost like Mikasa’s. How weird is that?”

"Definitely weird, bro,” agreed Eren.

“Yeah, I opened the door to the bathroom and saw their #3 talking to her and say her name” continued Ymir. “But the moment they saw me, they went quiet. I swear that the moment I just looked at her, that Mikarin girl seem to look at me like I was an alien.”

“Funny, I thought I was the only,” admitted Connie slyly.

While Ymir was attempting to thump a dodging Connie who was laughing maniacally, Armin felt Eren lean closer to him as though to whisper, and he obliged, leaning in as well. “You know…she really does look like Mikasa now that Connie mentioned it.” Eren confessed.

“Yeah. It’s…almost scary actually. It’s like they were sisters or something.” He admitted softly. “Say Eren, had Mikasa ever, you know…said anything to you about her having other family members?”

He felt Eren ponder a bit in thinking, and then his eyes lit up a bit in remembrance. “You know what? I remember back in first grade I heard Mikasa say something about having another family relation. Something about an aunt or something.” Suddenly, Eren turned to him, teal eyes blazing, “Wait! Do you think-?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know. I never asked Mikasa. I’d always assumed she had no other family before you guys, so I didn’t bother asking.”

“I do remember!” Eren admitted. “I remembered in first grade! Remember when all three of us had gone to Sea World and when we saw this one Asian couple pass by with some kid and asked if they were related to her?”

“Wow, I guess I was racist without even realizing it,” Armin said, feeling himself turn red. “But yeah, I do remember.”

Eren continued, “I remember her saying that she did have an aunt. Her name was in Japanese. It was like Tachi-something.”

“Tachibana?” he supplied helpfully. “Then that would make her Mikasa’s mother’s sister!”

“Yeah, something like that.” He agreed.

“If Mikasa had another family, wouldn’t they have taken her?” he pointed out. “I mean…not that I wanted it to happen but wouldn’t in any other circ*mstance, the closest family member would take their biological relation?” He saw Nifa make a successful pass over to Historia before aiming it to the hoop. It missed, bouncing off to get caught by an opponent, and he could see Historia wince in defeat.

“Yeah, on any other occasion, they would’ve,” admitted Eren. “But I heard from Dad that due to money circ*mstances or something like that, they couldn’t take her in. It is pretty expensive to raise a kid in Japan, so I don’t think they would have argued against my dad taking her in when they knew she would be better well supported in a U.S. household. Also adding on to that, I think dad said something about how ‘he owed Dr. Ackerman a favor’ since they had been friends for a long time in college. Taking Mikasa in was probably his way of honoring his memory. After that, I guess they sort of lost contact. Dad hasn’t heard from them since.”

“Wow. You’re dad is so cool,” Was all Armin could say in awe, and it made Eren glow. Not once had it ever crossed his mind that Mikasa could have had another side of her family. Without thinking, he shook his head absently as if clearing those thoughts, and payed attention to what was happening below.

He could see that both teams were fighting tirelessly against each other. Looking ahead at the digital score, he saw it read:

SINA: 4

MARIA: 5

“Hey, we’re winning!” said Eren excitedly. “Hey Arm’- Annie has the ball!”

Armin didn’t need Eren to point it out. His eyes had been on Annie for quite some time now. Yes, he had been paying attention to the other players, but with Annie’s pale blonde hair and pale complexion, it was hard not to spot her against the brown-tiled court. He watched as Annie performed yet another fantastic pass, this time to Nifa, who took it and did a pass back once Annie was closer to the end of the court.

He had never been good at sports and never took any interest in joining one, despite Eren’s constant nagging in the past on how he’d come up with the game tactics. But seeing Annie down there so alive with energy and dodging and weaving her way through…well, this was quite an exception. He felt he could watch Annie move around for hours and would never tire from it.

Wow, I really am hopelessly love-struck, aren’t I? He thought in both amusem*nt and irritation with himself.

But then, something made his smile falter. His eyes had adjusted of their own accord towards Sina’s #3 who was now trailing Annie now, the latter suddenly aware and concerned over her speed and movement. Armin could see it was difficult to move around her given how her area of free space was getting smaller and smaller…

He knew it was going to happen before it did. Sina’s #3 with pigtails managed to snatch the ball from Annie after much maneuvering, and she was now dribbling it with rigor on the opposite side. He and Eren groaned at the same time. They saw Mikarin positioning herself on the opposite end, most unfortunately at a position where their girls had not yet reached. With trepidation, he saw her make contact with the ball that was passed to her, then turn around to face the hoop, arms with the ball raised over her head ready to take aim while Mikasa raced forward to intercept…

A score for Sina.

St. Sina’s cheers erupted in the gym with the band giving a brief play of their trumpets and drums along with Go Sina! Unicorns Unite! from their cheering squad. He heard Jean curse under his breath and Hannah gave a disgruntled sound. He knew Hannah was probably the most fretful of them all, tied to the stands instead of being down among her teammates to help. He could tell with the occasional twitch of her toe as though aching to play.

“Dammit that was two points!” said Ymir angrily.

“Don’t worry, Maria can get more of those” stated Marco confidently. “We won’t go down without a fight!”

“I hope you don’t mean they’re going down to begin with.” Said a new voice.

Everybody turned, and at once, Hannah squealed in elation.

Franz Kefka had arrived and he swept Hannah up in a hug, giving a wide smile in his kind face. “I hope you can forgive me, Hannah,” he said a little embarrassed. “I had to take my brother to piano lessons and by the time I got back, my mom had left, so I was unable to make it to the game on time. See, my mom had forgotten that I told her on Wednesday that I would need her to drive me up here. By the way, how’s your leg? I’m so happy to see you’re making progress!”

“Thanks Franz, I’ve been going through physical therapy so I’ve been making great progress! And don’t worry about being late!” she replied, dazzling smile on her face that could melt an ice cube. “Sit down! I’ll tell you all that happened so far!”

While Franz sat down and was hearing Hannah’s commentary of the game so far, Armin took to watching the game conspire. He felt just as happy as Hannah when he saw another successful throw by Annie after Sasha took her center position. This time, Pigtails wasn’t able to outsmart her, and Annie had managed to score from a respectable distance. Overjoyed, he was one of the few who cheered loudest of all besides Eren, waving his poster madly.

“YEAH, ANNIE!”

He must have been exceptionally loud. That, or Annie chose at that moment to actually look out into the stands, eyes roving over, until they were on his. She gave a smile, and he returned one, accompanying a victoriously raised fist and a soaring heart. When half-time arrived, he could see the score:

Sina: 10

Maria: 12.

Then they were switching players, and Armin was left watching the perspiring back of Annie sit in between Sasha and Mikasa in the bench as she took grateful sips of water from her bottle. He could see her face shining with a rosiness in her pale complexion, and he found he quite liked seeing the nape of her neck with loose strands of blonde hair darkened with sweat. He could feel a swooping in his chest, and he was quite startled to come to the realization he was checking her out.

Wow Armin, REAL classy. You’re totally checking her out like some kind of shy schoolgirl, aren’t you? His brain helpfully supplied for him. He felt his cheeks go red at the thought that he had found Annie looking hot with her hair loose and looking slightly out of breath. No, no! I can’t think about that right now! He pleaded to his brain. I need to think of Annie and the others competing against the other team!

It also didn’t help how every once in a while he would have a thumping in his chest every time she sneaked a look up at him whenever she had the chance.

--------------

By the third quarter, Armin had to admit that things were beginning to look a bit troublesome for Maria.

All this time, he had watched as Maria would make a number of fantastic saves, but no matter how much they got ahead, Sina made sure to do the same, locking them in a never ending battle of hot potato. But then it had really made a turn when Historia had made a foul, giving Sina the perfect opportunity to make a shot. They had also managed to steal the ball again, and he found Mikarin and Pigtail working in tandem. They almost reminded him of Annie and Mikasa at times, with the way they simply understood one another without dialogue. By the end of the third quarter, his heart sank as the score now read:

Sina: 26

Maria: 23

“Sina can’t take the lead!” wailed Mina, “They’re so good! It’s that #1 and #3!”

“Yeah,” agreed Jean darkly. “That Mikarin really is strong. But she’s still no match for our Mikasa!”

“And Annie has done amazing passes and scores too,” commented Hannah. “You really were right in choosing Annie for the team, Armin. She’s done amazing!”

“Yeah, but how is Maria going to be able to make those points to catch up with Sina?” said Franz next to her. “This is the third quarter, right? That means they would need to make at least four more points to surpass them!”

Armin didn’t want to have to think about that. He couldn’t think of that possibility of Maria losing this match. He wanted the girl’s team to reach victory. They had to!

In that moment, he realized his sentiment on the game wasn’t about a simple team victory, but on seeing the victory becauseofAnnie. He wanted Annie to experience victory.

Wanting to see her smile, wanting to see her sparkling teeth and joy over having done what she would never have dreamed of doing. He had dragged her to join the team with the promises that she would do great, able to do anything if she could put her mind to it, and right now, there was nothing in the world he wanted more than to see those eyes which had been deadened for so long, sparkle up at him, finding happiness that all her efforts of practice, all their times together, helping one another both in court and after school were all worth it and leading up to this one moment.

And then a daring and nearly suicidal thought reached his mind in his moment of high passion in the form of a promise:

‘If St. Maria wins tonight, I will without fail, ask Annie out to Homecoming’ he finalized in his mind.

He felt gladdened when Nifa managed to make a pass at Mikasa who then had managed to make a successful shoot. The next shot had been from Mikasa, and the score now read Sina: 26; Maria: 25.

Two more shots. If they could just make two more shots, and hold them off, they would win. He was at the edge of his seat now, biting his lip and darting terrified glances up at the scoreboard and timer to see fifteen minutes left. Just fifteen. Please: Mikasa, Annie, Sasha, Nifa, Historia. Please score.

“C’mon Maria!” prayed Eren, almost in a prayer, bouncing up in his seat and looking just like him. “C’mon!”

They had done rather well in the first quarter, coming up in the lead, but as Annie had noticed, their opponents had also gotten better. For three quarters, they had battled with Sina like a pattern where they would score, then Sina would manage to take it and score as well. It was almost like a yo-yo: One point for them, then one point for Sina.

But it was by the third quarter that Sina had caught up ahead of the game. They were making more points, and it was getting harder to face off against them. Mikasa had truly been a miracle of stamina, keeping the other team at bay and fighting off as many girls. She would act as Mikasa’s shadow, and could always feel their #3 right at her heels. Though Annie was a new addition to the team, she made up for it with speed and stamina that rivaled Mikasa’s, and she’d known that the other girls knew she was a threat. A threat for all three quarters as she and Mikasa scored to make the points. Historia was small and easily maneuverable through the tall girls and she worked best with Nifa who was great at receives and dribbling. But as they started again after half-time, Annie could not remember either being tailed by their #3 any more than she had.

She could feel the beads of sweat slide down the side of her face, but she was too focused on the game to care. It was as though everybody in the stands who was cheering, was put on mute. She and Mikasa had completed yet another successful pass and was this time making their way with Historia and Sasha in front of them. She could see the sweat on their faces, making them shine in the blaring light overhead.

They’re tired, just like I am. But we can’t give up now!

A whistle was blown from the referee, startling her and she felt her heart sped up in consternation. The match hadn’t been over, had it?

No. A foul was committed from Sina’s #5. They were given a free shot, and Mikasa was in possession of the ball in the free throw line. Mikasa was a good shot and luckily managed to make it in, making the score tied. She heard Nifa hiss a “yes!” through her teeth, and Sasha clap her on the back. Though all of it was short-lived. They had to make other points. Just because they were tied now, didn’t mean that they were out of the danger zone. The last thing they wanted was overtime that would make them play longer.

“Timeout!” called Mikasa to the referee.

Surprised, Annie and the rest of the girls moved to a beckoning Mikasa, they stood hunched together in a circle, reminding her when Reiner and the rest of the guys were called over to decide a new football strategy. They had thirty seconds’ worth of time out according to the rules, and Mikasa wasted no time.

“We need to distract those two,” said Mikasa. None of them looked over to see which of their opponents she was referring to. Sina’s #1 and #3 worked in tandem and had been the most threatening out of all the other opponents. “Now I need you guys to trust me.” Said Mikasa, looking at each of them in turn. “I want Historia to be the one to start off with the ball this time.”

Historia gave a Mikasa a bewildered look, and it looked as though she was going to protest against the idea. Annie knew why. Putting Historia in the front and with no defense while she was easily the shortest, was nothing closer than suicide.

“Armin used to tell me this tactic. Remember our formation? Historia is the one on front and she will pass it to Nifa who then will pass it to Sasha. Sasha will then pass it to me. Annie, you will be the one to score.”

Annie could feel her insides quiver. “W-what?”

“I will receive the ball and give it to you when you will already be making your way to the other end of the court on the left. I can’t score this time. I’ve been a threat so much to them by scoring that they will have their eyes on me. Their #1 is too fast, and this has to be completed in the span it takes them to move forward. Historia, I need you to look like you’re going to take the ball all the way to the end of the court without passing. Once our long distance formation broadens, Historia will be able to pass them over the girls to Nifa and Nifa, in turn to Sasha. Sasha, being the tallest, will pass it to me and by this time, you…” she said, addressing her, “will have enough speed to make it in.”

Her, determine the final score? Annie could feel her heart drop and insides squirm unpleasantly. It was a lot to shoulder, and some semblance of her old shy self was creeping back to her. Mikasa and all the others were relying on her. It all came down to whether she would make it in. I can’t do it! I don’t think I can!

In a panic, her eyes were drawn on reflex in the stands and before she knew it, was staring up at the face of him. In one second, her eyes had latched onto his painted face. He was looking right at their group and seemingly speaking low to Eren. But then, his eyes caught hers.

It was as if the nervousness she had before was slowly ebbing away. Armin was here. He had been watching her-she knew it. His eyes spelt out the word ‘worry’ in his face, and something about made her mind seem clearer. And in that moment, her agenda no longer became whether she could or could not do that maneuver Mikasa demanded of her, but whether she trusted herself…and trusted his plan.

He gave a nod to her and she mimicked him, determination now in her eyes.

“Got it.” She told Mikasa. “Let’s do this.”

Coach Bryzenska was adjusting her glasses, and gave them a nod to the counter, notifying them of the little time they had left to score, but Annie could distantly recall her pacing and trying to calm herself. Even coaches would get nervous, she told herself reassuringly.

Historia was in possession of the ball now, and to Mikasa’s expectancy, three of their opponents had bought the bait and made their way towards Historia, attempting to steal the ball by blocking three of her four sides. Would Historia be able to complete the pass?

Yes, she did. Nifa took it and made off in the right direction, right where Mikasa would be and just as she predicted, Mikarin high tailed it to Mikasa’s side wanting to block her. Annie almost sighed in relief. Mikarin was nowhere near her now. This would give her a chance to make it easier to shoot. With a single nod to Sasha, Nifa threw it to her and the latter caught it high and sent it three feet far from Mikasa’s position.

Sina’s opponent, surprised, and expecting to intercept reached her hand to grab it…

Mikasa hurled away from Mikarin and the other girl’s head whipped back in alarm finding the Asian girl long gone and her hand with the ball in the split second before passing it to her.

Annie bolted toward the end of the court, and had #3 in her vision. Her mind played a flashback of the first time the girl had stolen the ball from her where she’d turned to her side and reached with her right hand to knock it out of her hand. This time, She was not going to let it happen again.

Like requested, she sprinted to the far end of the court, her peripheral vision reading the orange timer counting down twenty seconds.

Ten seconds.

If they could make this basket in the span of ten seconds, they would win the game.

Through slow motion, she saw the ball zooming perpendicular to her, a perfect throw by Mikasa as she caught it in her hand, then dodged #3’s feeble grab…

Seven seconds.

Heart hammering through her brain, she could feel all her surroundings dissolve as she bounded forward, dodging an opponent, then jumping with all her might to throw her weight forward to throw the ball into the basket…

Three seconds.

It came sailing…

Two seconds.

It hit the hoop’s side, and due to the propulsion of the ball at which it was hurled, had spun around like top to ultimately sink through the net. A dead ball, it bounce echoed just as the timer blared to zero.

They had scored.

The gym roared.

Cheers of St. Maria’s victory was coursing throughout the gym, and there were screams and chants that she couldn’t make out through the noise, though she knew they were all for them. Drums were going ballistic and people had stood up to clap adding on to the noise.

Her mind was numb and she could neither think nor say anything, even when Sasha swung her around screaming “We won, we won!” through the confusion, or when Mikasa joined in to give both of them a big bear hug and nearly lifting them off the ground. She could see Hannah’s arms thrown up wildly over her head and cheering with an ecstatic Franz. Connie, Jean, Marco, and Mina were doing some kind of war dance. Nifa and Historia were jumping up and down in euphoria, and Historia had gone right over to Ymir to kiss her on her now blushing red face. Ymir swung her round in her arms, lips still on her girlfriend’s, uncaring to everybody else.

As some people from their school spilled onto the court and hoisting some of their players and screaming excitedly, Annie could feel as if her heart would break with emotion. She had done it.

No.

We had done it, she told herself.

She found Armin and it felt as though her heart would burst out of her chest, even faster than when she had been moving in the court. He was looking at her, grinning so widely it was likely to split his face in half. Slowly, and as if he was suddenly very much shy, came closer, taking her arms and winding his fingers against hers slowly, all while keeping contact with her own smiling face, beaded with sweat. She vaguely thought of pushing him off, about to make a joke how he should wait until she had washed up before hugging him and transferring her sweat on him. But he didn’t look like he cared in the slightest, and neither did she for that matter. Like Mikasa, he swept her up into the warmest and tightest embrace she had ever been given, and she felt the wet paint on his face mix with her own sweat, the smell of sea breeze- his very own scent-engulf her nostrils.

He pulled back for a moment, now eyes looking solemnly all around her face. She could sense Mikasa, Eren, and everybody else’s gazes on the pair of them even through the wild crowd. But Annie had eyes only for one person.

“Annie, do you want to go to Homecoming with me?”

He said it in such whispered tones, that if weren’t for the fact that their faces were so close together, it would’ve fallen on deaf ears.

“Yes,” she breathed back at him, giving the biggest grin she had given in years. And they kissed right there, in the eye of storm of cheering people.

Chapter 25: Dress Shopping...Historia to the Rescue!

Chapter Text

The euphoria of St. Maria beating St. Sina in the basketball match lasted for nearly an entire week, and it seemed it was all Eren and everybody who had been there at the match was talking about it through the halls, in between classes, and lunch. Armin himself was in high spirits. The school newspaper had went into exceptional detailed the events leading to their victory; how the girls had made that amazing play against the killer duo from Sina, how they had been worried over losing in the third quarter, and of course, how each of the girls worked together as a team. And now they weren’t just talking about Mikasa, but Annie as well.

For someone like Annie who was used to being elusive save for her reputation as the Ice Queen, he assumed it felt all the more surreal to her when a fellow student would approach her now as well to offer their congrats, expressing amazement. Annie, he would notice, would reply with a simple thanks and a somewhat stony face. To outsiders, it looked like she was serious and didn’t give it a second thought, but Armin knew better; the way her lips would twitch meant she was hiding a smile and her eyes widened not in anger, but to contain pride. In English class when Reiner gave Annie a huge glomp proclaiming in his obnoxiously loud booming voice that their little Annie was all grown up and he was so proud of her, he and Eren had to make an effort to stifle their giggles when she retaliated with a swift kick to his shin. Though when she turned around to glare at them, they had to remain poker faced. After all, she was still the venerable Ice Queen whether they wanted to admit it or not.

Annie didn’t know how to describe this new feeling. It was a very different sensation. People had known her as the notorious Judo master who would beat you as soon as you looked at her funny, but now, people were knowing her as the hero of St. Maria who aided in their victory against the prestigious St. Sina.

Hannah, now being granted the opportunity to walk in her cast, was now able to show up to their practices to watch. Franz was always with her to keep her company, so whenever she needed something, he would always jump up in enthusiasm to tend to her every whim even if it was just a glass of water or a tissue from the bathroom. And while Annie would have found the whole thing a bit ridiculous before for his overprotectiveness, she instead felt it to be endearing because it almost reminded her of a similar situation with a certain someone.

She had managed to call her father and detail the events of the basketball game when he had called in from rehabilitation several days later. She could sense his curiosity as he asked her multiple questions of how she maneuvered through the other team, and would gasp out in surprise and reply with how she had always been strong.

“So it was you and this ‘Mikaela’ girl that took on those two girls?” asked her father, astounded.

“Mikasa,” pointed out Annie, “and yeah, we made a three pointer while they were surrounding us. But all the girls on our team helped one another and they were really good!”

“Still, Annie, you overcame all that,” he said, and by his tone, she could tell he was beaming with pride. It made her also proud as well, hearing it from her own father. For the weeks that he had been faithfully attending counseling and calling her, she had noticed such a change in his personality, that it was almost alarming. No longer was he the dad that was angry and taciturn, but now he was cheerful and enthusiastic, and she couldn’t wait to see him.

“And how is he?” asked her father out of the blue.

“Who-?” she asked puzzled.

“That boy you’re staying with, Armin.”

“Oh!” she felt like an idiot asking who he was referring to. “He’s been super helpful and he and Mr. Arlert have been really hospitable to me. In fact, today, Mr. Arlert said that he and his company have reached the three million mark of how many customers they’ve served and just recently had a party! And Armin and I have helped each other with schoolwork. His friends- Eren, I told you about, and Mikasa from the basketball team.”

“So what happens when his friends are too busy to come hang out with you two? Do you just study together or hang out? And what happens when Mr. Arlert isn’t around?”

The politely curious tone of her father made her falter in answering. It was a weird thing for a parent to be asking that type of question. How exactly could she respond? It wasn’t as if what she and Armin were doing was inappropriate or forbidden. They’d hug and hold hands, yes, but sometimes when they were alone, say, on the couch at night, she would unconsciously lean on him, or maybe his hand would brush along her back during an intermission…

And kiss...

Oh yes, they would kiss.

In the beginning, Annie would have assumed that a timid guy like Armin, who had had zero experience in dating, would be substandard in the acts of anything related to kissing. But every time he would sweep her off her feet-quite literally at times, or meeting her lips with his own, and leaving her breathless, she had realized she had a different view of Armin than what she initially thought. The first time they had French kissed, had been an accident. They had been watching 27 Dresses, leaning against each other’s shoulders at the time. She couldn’t remember how it started; they had been talking about something nonsensical, something maybe about the movie’s cliché comedy romance, when they both leaned in simultaneously and kissed.

About a minute in to the kiss, a pocket of surprise escaped her when the smooth wet muscle that was his tongue probed the inside of her mouth. It was a brief moment; she remembered opening her eyes at the exact same time Armin had drew back, his face colored to a deep red.

“I-I accidentally-I’ didn’t mean to-!” he started to say, but to her own surprise, she only felt compelled to push his face closer to hers, only eager to feel his mouth against hers much more than before. Feeling his tongue against hers, that gentle friction as his hands skimmed across her back, pulling her closer…

“Hello, Annie?”

Annie nearly dropped the receiver she had been balancing between her head and shoulder as her father pulled her back from reality. “I uh...sorry dad, what were you saying?” She could feel a chuckle on the other side coming from her dad.

“It’s alright Annie, I only asked what you and Armin do together, but it’s obvious that you’re a bit hesitant in answering.”

She was thankful that they were on the phone, so her dad wouldn’t see her face which had turned pink. “No-no it’s not like that! We’re not like that!” she stuttered, tripping over her words. “I mean, we’re going out and stuff and…and maybe kiss, but we don’t do stuff that’s…you know..!”

To her surprise, she heard a choking sound coming from the other end, and she momentarily panicked thinking he was having some kind of attack before she realized he had been laughing.

“Annie, dear, there’s no need to feel embarrassed about that! I mean, it’s good that you both feel happy, and from what you told me about Armin, he doesn’t seem like the type to take advantage of you. It’s normal to do date and do stuff like this. You’re in high school, and although I am a bit wary about you both potentially taking it too far, I think I’ve taught you enough to know to take care of yourself. You both are not adults yet, so I wouldn’t want you to end up hurting one another if it comes down to that. Just be cautious and wise. I don’t want to think about anybody trying to take advantage of you.”

She couldn’t think of anything else to reply to her father. She nodded silently and then realized he would be unable to see her. “Y-yes dad. We always act our age and…and don’t worry about us, we don’t do anything inappropriate and…and he never takes advantage of me!”

Actually, her mind supplied, hadn’t it been the other way?

“Alright, alright, I see, Annie-bear. So…” His voice trailed off and Annie heard a voice coming from the other side of the phone and then her dad’s voice as he seemed to be answering before coming back to the phone. “…ah I’m so sorry Annie, I’m going to have to cut our chat short. The nurse just came in to tell me that it was time for the group session.”

“That’s alright dad, I have to go as well. I hope everything is going smoothly where you’re at. And don’t worry about me, I’m doing great, so…you should just worry about you and help in recovering. It’s great that you’ve made it this far!”

“I’m proud of you, Annie.”

She felt something shift in her, like a sudden breath of wind reaching her nostrils hearing his silent yet clear voice. “Proud of what?”

“Proud of you for being my daughter. Proud of you that even though I’ve been such a bad father to you and…and I know you’ve been trying hard these few months with school and dealing with…with this.”

For the next few seconds, Annie didn’t know what to say hearing her father’s words so solemnly echo through the phone to her. She could feel a lightness in her stomach which was a stark contrast to the heavy-weighted sensation she had been feeling months ago. “Th-thank you dad” was all she would say. All she could say.

”Well, Annie, I hope you and your friend and his grandfather are doing well. You make sure that you help them as well. I hope to see all of you very soon.”

“Yes dad” she replied, and to her surprise, found herself smiling. “I’ll help them any way I can!”

“That’s my Lil’ warrior!” said Mr. Leonhart fondly. “Well, have to go, take care!”

“See you dad, you too!”

After detailing the conversation to Armin, she was in even lighter spirits. It was as though a heavy weight she had been carrying had reduced considerably. Armin and his grandfather of course, were ecstatic, saying that the treatments seemed to be doing wonders and praising his self-control and determination. Her father had truly changed. Whatever they were doing at rehab was certainly helping her father’s condition.

“Did he say how much longer he’d be there?” Armin asked.

“I dunno, he didn’t say, only to ‘hope to see all of you very soon.’ Though, I don’t know how long that is in rehab time.”

Armin seemed to look thoughtful. “I wish…”

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s not important-It’s stupid really.” His face looked a bit flustered as he looked away, taking her aback. Whenever he’d put that face, it was usually when he was about to say something deep or breach a sensitive topic.

She smirked, turning his chin with her thumb and forefinger so he was forced to look at her. “What’s stupid? I don’t think it will be, coming from a guy who’s the smartest in his class. C’mon tell me.”

“I-it’s nothing Annie, honest-!” But catching the humored yet studying look of her grey eyes, he halted. A blush had formed, wounding its way through his cheeks and neck and his eyes looked elsewhere. “I just…I just wish he wouldn’t come soon.” When he caught her looking surprised, he hastily added. “I mean- it’s not that I don’t want him to get better, it’s just…you being here, it…it doesn’t feel lonely anymore and…I wish you could stay forever.”

Now Annie could feel herself blushing like a tomato. They’d kissed many times and done all the cute and cuddly stuff that couples would do. And yet…his straightforward answer sent butterflies in her chest and a happy thought soared through her brain hearing that. I’m not the only one who thinks that!

“I…wish the same thing too” she confessed.

Armin’s blue eyes widened looking back at her. And then he smiled. Smiled like a thousand sun rays were filling the sky. He gently cupped her face and delivered a kiss one on each side of her cheeks, stunning her into a frozen statue. With his head still in front of her face, now it was his turn to sport a smirk in the corner of his mouth. “Annie, you’re blushing like a tomato! Though, it makes you look adorable” he teased.

Oh god, he was turning just like Reiner. She raised her arm to ruffle the top of his blond hair. “S-shut up, no I’m not!”

Her worries about her father, basketball, and school grades had slowly diminished, but it had taken several days for her to realize that she had acquired a much larger problem.

She had no idea how to prepare for Homecoming.

At this rate, I’m going to be the only girl going to Homecoming that won’t be ready! Wait-no Annie, THINK! What do girls usually wear? A dress, right? So all I need is a dress!

How she was going to get a dress, she had no idea. It suddenly dawned on her how lost and ignorant she had been these past few years with anything girly related. She was sure she probably owned a dress or two in her flat, but since her father wasn’t there, there was no way to get in. And anyway, what she owned would probably not fit her.

Oh god, what am I going to do?

Her nerves jangled whenever she heard any people asking out another to the dance at school. All the way along the halls she could hear girls chatting excitedly about what make up they would put on, exchanging pictures of their dresses, and if they had been asked out. The voices of those girls followed her down the halls, in between classes, and even in the girl’s bathroom.

And then of course, in the basketball team as well. Mina was confiding in Sasha what dress would better suit her, and if she had even searched for a dress yet.

“I thought I’d go get a new one seeing as I grew several inches more, so I guess I should be looking for one” she answered. “The last one, I had accidentally spilled orange juice and it ended up staining permanently.”

“Are you going, Hannah?” asked Nifa towards the stands at the red head girl perched on the edge of the bleachers.

Hannah smiled. “Wouldn’t miss it! Franz was trying to convince me to go, saying he didn’t care about the dancing and stuff. He said, even if I broke my leg, it would still be fun with me.”

“He really is the sweetest thing” chuckled Nifa. “I got mine like a month ago, so I should be fine.” Annie grew uncomfortable with the way all the girls were making the dance into a big deal. It was like St. Sina all over again. What was she going to? What places could she go to? She wanted to ask someone. Someone with good advice and who wouldn’t look at her funny.

She approached Hannah. “Err, Hannah, do you…do you mind if I talk to you in private?”

“Of course, what is it Annie? Are you feeling alright? You look a bit nervous.”

She took a deep breath. “Do you…do you know how to look good?” Hannah looked perplexed, so she articulated further. “I mean…what I mean is…do you know where I can find a good dress for the dance coming up? I…I’ve never done this before so…I don’t know how to look good or what to put on to make myself look good.”

It might have been her eyes, but Hannah looked less surprised about her question and more pleased. “Annie, you’re going to Homecoming?”

“Well, I mean…yeah. Armin he…” she trailed off, feeling herself blushing about the end of the Sina match.

Hannah looked delighted, her mouth forming a perfect ‘o’ shape.“Whoa really? Did Armin ask you out? When?”

“Just after the match. He asked me in the crowd after we won against Sina.”

Hannah’s smile brightened, and she shook both of her shouders in a playful way excitedly, “That is so sweet! And how did you feel?”

Annie could feel herself get embarrassed, talking about this sort of thing with another girl. “I uh…I said okay and…it was a bit overwhelming…?”

Hannah laughed. “That’s perfectly understandable! So what were you planning on wearing?”

Annie felt hopeless, “That’s just it- I…I don’t know what to put on! I’ve never been to any dance, so I don’t know what to expect. I was hoping you could tell me, seeing as you’re going as well.” Hannah looked thoughtful. “Well, you could try looking at the dresses they have on sale in the store." For some reason, Hannah was sounding unusually loud when saying this, like she was tryig to attract attention.

“So what’s this about a new dress?”

Annie whipped her head back in alarm to find Sasha, Mikasa, and Historia standing there, arms crossed. They didn’t look angry though, just mildly curious.

“How-how long were you standing behind me?” she said, acutely aware of her face feeling hot.

“Long enough.” Replied Mikasa.

“We were wondering why you looked so nervous during practice, but now we know” stated Sasha.

“I’m not nervous” she lied. “I was just asking Hannah names of places where you could buy dresses.”

“She doesn’t have a dress for Homecoming” said Hannah, “So I was recommending her places to buy them.”

“OooOO you don’t have a dress either?” bubbled Sasha in high spirits. “Why don’t we go dress shopping together?”

Annie’s eyes widened. “W-what?”

“Actually, that sounds like a great idea!” said Hannah. “In fact, why don’t we all go together?”

“W-wait are…are you sure?” asked Annie. “I’ve never-“

“I agree,” said Historia, oblivious to her splutters of protest. “It’ll make dressing up and shopping so much more fun! In fact, let’s get other people to join. Mikasa, will you be joining us?”

“That sounds like a good idea.” She answered.

***

Mikasa informed Eren that they would be home a little later than usual and wouldn’t come back until six, stating that they were going to hang out at Historia’s house for a little basketball party. Annie texted Armin not to worry and that she was going to be home a little later than usual. There was a very subtle way in which Armin texted her back, telling her to enjoy herself and relax with a happy face emoticon that made her believe he knew where they were going exactly.

So at four o’clock when they finally left the gym to get washed up and change, she found herself following Mikasa, Historia, Sasha, Hannah, and Ymir. Ymir (most likely invited by Historia), was the only one of them with a license, so she skidded to a stop with a black compact Subaru car, beckoning them all inside with a nod of her head. They got in and although there were seats they had to share for the lack of space and Ymir might have gone over the speed limit or skidded a bit in turns, Annie felt it wasn’t so bad.

“Alright Babe, you want me to pick you up at six thirty?” called Ymir when all of them got out into the crosswalk in front of the parking lot. “Text me when you guys’r finished!”

Historia blew a kiss “Thanks, Yimmi, see you, and have fun with Bert and Reiner!”

“Wait, wasn’t Ymir going to come too?” Asked Sasha after the freckle-haired girl sped off.

“She said she needed to get together with Reiner and Bert to ask their opinion on something” answered Historia. It could have been the light, but Annie could have sworn she saw the faintest blush on her rosy face.

They entered through the double doors where the gentle humming of people echoes around them, indicating they had stepped into a place where lots of people gathered.

The place was so big! She had been here before as a kid, but seeing it again after so long, the long three story building with various shops lit up detailing what was inside seemed like it was straight from a Barbie universe.

“Hey they added a new Panda Express!” said Sasha excitedly, pointing to the food court.

“There’s also a new sports fitness store,” said Mikasa calmly, looking to the left. “Guys, we came in here to get a dress!” reminded Hannah, laughing. “We can look at that later!”

As they walked along the hallways, staring at every shop along the way, it was then that Annie was struck with a sudden terrible thought, while she was surrounded in this vast expanse of shopping mall paraphernalia- she hadn’t brought any money.

She didn’t have a job yet, simply relying on going to high school. All her expenses had been paid for by her dad, and she used to ask her father for some money, but it was always stuff about lunch money or other utilities, never about stuff like a new dress, or make up. This was not how she wanted this day to turn out. This was more embarrassing than her bad report card, or more embarrassing than her father yelling at her. Here she was, in a mall, agreeing to go looking for a dress when she knew perfectly well she hadn’t brought even a few bills.

“Annie, are you alright?”

She looked up to find Mikasa and looking at her in concern. No…all of them were looking at her in concern.

“I-it’s nothing,” she lied, arranging her face to look indifferent. “So…where is this new dress place?” she added, to change the subject.

“Oh, yeah, it’s this way” called Historia. They continued on their way.

They finally reached the store, and Annie’s heart plummeted as they entered. Inside, it looked just like a perfect Barbie doll house; all the dresses of different sizes and colors arranged nicely and ordered, according to types and occasions. “All Occasion Dresses” read one next to a rack of them. “Prom Dresses” read another. Annie couldn’t help but feel a jolt of uneasiness looking at them. Next year, they’d all be seniors in high school, which meant she’d go to prom and pick one of these dresses-

“OOoh this one looks snazzy!” said Sasha behind her. Evidently, the maroon-haired girl was looking at one of the dance occasion dresses which happened to have a brown rhinestone edging at the hem of the straps. “That looks nice,” agreed Mikasa, “but I think a different color would suit you.”

“What do you mean?” she asked. “I agree,” agreed Hannah, walking over with her crutches, “since your skin is tan, you have to go with something that matches more your outlook. I think a bright yellow or orange would make you jump out and be conspicuous.”

“What about this?” asked Historia, holding up a cute pink dress at eye-level and admiring herself in front of a full length mirror. “Ymir always said pink suited me.”

“I think an emerald green color suits you Hannah!”

-“Really, you think so?”

It looked as though they had so much experience dealing with this sort of thing. Even Mikasa, she could see, was enjoying herself. She busied herself going a bit farther away from the chatty group to browse around a set of other dresses. They weren’t bad at all, in fact, through all the rainbow of dress colors, she found one prettier than the previous, and she begun to feel a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach every time she looked at the price tag. She doubted she’d be able to afford even the least flashiest dress in the store.

Then, there was one that caught her eyes; the second to last dress hanging. A bright blue one with golden yellow thread circling the chest and waist forming a ribbon interlaced pattern. Against her better judgement, she took the dress from the rack to see it up close. Even with her little knowledge of dresses, she knew that it was well-made. It wasn’t the flashiest dress in the store and its design was simple, but it had this fresh and honest quality about it that seemed to bring out her attention. Yet the reason it called out to her was due to the arrangement of the colors that made her relaxed. The colors seemed…familiar, in an odd sort of way, though she couldn’t place why. In that instant, she knew with some distinct feeling that if she could go with any dress in the store, she would choose this one.

“Hey Annie, have you found any you liked?”

Mikasa had come up next to her, and in her hands was a black dress that looked nice with some red glitter.

“Well, not…not really-

“OooO that’s a nice dress, Annie!”

“I love the color, I think it really looks nice, you should try it on!” She was alarmed now. Her, try on the dress? She had never tried anything in front of someone before, and now she wasn’t sure what to say to get them to change their minds. Should she excuse herself for the bathroom, or refuse, saying it would be too big?

And yet… there was a small part of her brain that was becoming stronger with desire for an urge to try it on. Why not, Annie? What’s the harm in doing it? “Okay, let me go into the changing room.”

As she was in the changing room, putting on the dress took some time, and she could hear the others trying to fit into theirs. Mikasa offered to help Hannah put on her dress since she had a broken leg, and she could hear the two even two stalls down, trying to fit it through her head.

Without looking at herself, she slipped on the dress to find it suitably fitting her. The smooth gauze texture of the fabric felt smooth and slippery against her skin and she set the spaghetti straps on her shoulders. The dress ended a little higher than the height of her knees, so it was neither too short nor too long.

The front part might have shown a bit more cleavage than what she was used to, but she knew it was not so much as to garner reaction. In fact, it was pretty modest, and not tight after zipping the back. The bottom part of the dress gave room for her stride, so it wouldn’t hinder at all how she’d walk.

Then she stepped out of the changing room.

Sasha was already out there with a bright neon orange dress, and Historia who was wearing the bright pink dress. Both were looking at each other in the mirror. “You’re right Sasha, the hem does look a little long, I think I should probably-

And then their heads turned towards her, and whatever conversation they had before, seemed to fade as they stared at her.

“Oh my god Annie, that looks amazing!” blurted Sasha. “You…you…you look just like a princess!”

Annie could feel herself reddening, not used to this kind of attention. “I err…tried it on...”

“It fits you just right! You look so pretty!” agreed Historia, beaming.

“It really does suit you! Bright blue really is your color Annie!” said Hannah who appeared behind her with Mikasa. Mikasa, she could see, was looking as though she was agreeing. “I think the blue color is really nice and fits you.”

Annie stood there in front of the mirror gazing at herself. Like a Disney princess in a bright blue dress. It was much more beautiful than she realized; the soft texture of the fabric felt soft against her skin, accentuating her figure that was both beautiful and yet alluring. She could hardly believe she was staring back at herself. At this new girl that looked so much different than what she looked like before. If she could go like this to the dance, she felt she’d be the happiest girl there.

But then, within five seconds the sheer happiness that had been lit within her was snuffed out like a candle, and her expression grew somber as she returned to reality. She couldn’t afford this dress.

“Yeah it looks kinda nice,” she said, trying not to sound dejected.

"Wait, why're you putting it back?" asked Sasha alarmed. "It looked so good on you!"

“I...I can’t wear this." she replied in a small voice and trying to appear disintereted. "I…I don’t have any money.” She turned around to go back to the changing room, when to her surprise, found it blocked by a cross-armed Historia, looking up at her in an appraised look.

“Really now, do you think you can get away with that?” she said in a somewhat indignant voice. “Is this what you were afraid of this whole time?”

Annie was too stunned to protest. Historia didn’t look angry at all. In fact, all the rest of the girls didn’t look surprised. What was she talking about? What was going on?

“I don’t get what you’re saying!” said Annie, feeling frustration and just a bit embarrassed. “I didn’t bring money for a dress!”

“Annie, cut in Historia. We know that you didn’t have money on you.”

“We know about your father’s condition and the fact that you wouldn’t be able to go to your apartment to get any dresses and stuff, so we formed of a plan to get you one!”

Now she was seriously confused. “What? What do you mean forming a plan?” she asked.

“A plan to help you get a dress for Homecoming!” chimed in Sasha. “Mikasa told us about how it had been bothering you, but you have to give props to Historia for coming up with the plan.”

“A plan with what?” she looked back and forth to their bemused expressions, “I don’t have any money and there’s no way you’re…you’re spending money on me to get a dress!” she added shakily. You must be out of your mind!” The thought that she’d be treated as a charity case was almost unbearable to her.

“And that’s where you’re wrong, little missy,” stated Historia looking up at her in a boss-like voice. “If you think we’re going to have you leaving the store empty-handed when there’s a perfectly good dress her for you, you’re sorely mistaken. Walking out of a Reiss store empty-handed is simply not done!”

Annie was taken aback with her sudden authoritative voice. She must have been some kind of princess in a previous life to give off that confident look.

This time, Historia sighed. “Why do you think I led you to shop here?” she asked.

She shrugged, “I don’t know.”

“In case you didn’t realize, this store is named “Queen Reiss”, she said as if stating the obvious. “This shop and the company affiliated with its products actually used to belong to my mother, Alma Reiss who was the CEO. She owned many other stores before marrying my dad and passed away four years after I was born, so my dad is the one who actually owns it.”

Annie stared. “Wait- you’re not actually going to-?”

“Well, did you really think we’d drag you here to the store knowing you had been faced with problems and come home empty-handed?”

Annie flushed with embarrassment and yet…warmth. These girls… despite many hardships Annie might have given along the way when on the team, they still showed their support to her, even off the court. No matter how many times Annie had been with Reiner, Bertoldt, Ymir, or even her father…she had never felt the impact of compassion until now. Fully aware, they had gone out of their way for helping someone like her out all for the sake of simply wanting to help, not expecting anything else in return.

“Annie, you’re going to go with Armin-and not just that, I’m going to be the one that’s going to turn you into a princess for Homecoming!”

"Are you...are crying Annie?

"No Sasha, I just...got something in my eye!"

***

“What do you think of this?”

Armin was holding up a neon yellow suit he had procured from one of the shelves and held it eye level for Eren to see. In lieu of Homecoming tomorrow, they had decided-at the last minute (mostly on Eren’s part), that they go shopping for new ties and suits.

“You look like a daffodil” Eren responded with a snort.

“Well, what have you come up with Buster Brown?”

“Err…”

“Exactly.”

“Look,” protested Eren, and he took a crisp collared dress shirt from the rack. “You’re going about it the wrong way. You need something that makes you stand out more.”

“But I thought people told me yellow suited me.”

“It does, but it’s just…too much.” Sighed Eren. “What you need is something more…” and then, his eyes caught on to a deep blue collared shirt. “Look, try this on!”

He regarded the shirt Eren was holding up. “Is it at least my size?”

Eren looked at the tag, “oh wait sorry, I gave you a large size. Here, this one’s smaller.”

Eren managed to find a black shirt with a malachite green vest to go with it, so the pair of them went to the changing rooms to try theirs on, bringing several other pieces of clothing as well to try. Since the store was vast and they were the only two people, they felt free to talk to one another.

“What d’you think the girls are doing right now?” Eren asked. “I didn’t know Historia was having a basketball party at her mansion. Wish she’d invite us.”

“Why?” he asked, amused; then teased, “It’s a get-together basketball party for the girls only. Is there anybody you like on the team?”

“That’s not it! Remember for her fifteenth birthday we went there and she had a ping pong table and a turbo air hockey in the playroom?”

“How could I forget?” he shook his head, laughing at the memory as he slipped his shirt over. “The way you and Jean were at it challenging each other by slamming the puck so hard with it bounced off the table so much, people had to duck every time? No wonder her butler refused to come in the playroom to drop off the drinks.”

He heard Eren give a snort from the stall next to him. “Haha, but I still beat him, remember? He almost was about to dunk a cup of Sprite over my head when Mikasa stopped him.”

“Oh yeah, I remember! She sent him a death glare and he backed off.” He finished. He heard a click resounding through the room and heard Eren came out. He buttoned his top collar and exited also, finding Eren in the black suit he had chosen over the mirror, but he looked up at him when he appeared.

“Wow, that looks pretty good on you, Arm' ” Eren admitted, looking up and down his suit. But I think a white vest would be better accompany the blue shirt.”

“Hmm, you think so?” he looked at himself in the mirror. “You know…I think you’re right. It makes it blend more.”

Eren sighed next to him, “I honestly don’t know why Jean’s always picking fights with me, though. Seriously, why does he act weird during practice?”

Armin forced himself to remain a straight face. Yes, Jean was always acting weird. Though he didn’t have much experience with romance, as an observant person with a mastery of speech and debate, he knew more than anyone that Jean’s antics with Eren increased and got “weirder” whenever Mikasa was in the vicinity. It was nothing more than jealousy. He thought back to the time when they were sitting high up at the bleachers alone, watching the boys’ basketball team below…

(Flashback)

Hey Armin, can I ask you something?"

“What is it, ‘kasa?” he asked.

“I was wondering: for Homecoming, is it absolutely necessary to match with your partner?”

At first, hearing her question, he didn’t understand what she was saying. “Well, no not really, it’s not like Prom, from what I heard. I mean, some couples do it to- wait…are you going with anyone?”

He looked at her, surprised. Though half her face was hidden under her red scarf while she was turned away, it was her sudden shyness and two red blotches on her cheeks that made him realize that Mikasa was blushing.

“Really?” he asked, careful though not to raise his voice high. “With who?”

She didn’t answer but her gaze was drawn downwards to the boys who were doing position passes at each other. He followed her sight to find it zoomed in on Jean, standing on the far end of the court and passing the ball to Marco. His jaw dropped.

“J...Jean?”

This seemed to make her even more embarrassed, and she stuttered a bit. “L-look, I know he’s not the brightest guy, and well…he and Eren butt heads a lot, but…”

“Mikasa,” he cut in, putting a hand on her shoulder, “It’s alright, you don’t have to be ashamed of liking someone. I appreciate you telling me this. Have you told Eren yet?”

“No, he’ll find out in Homecoming. I honestly don’t want to have to deal with them arguing before it’s even started. I already take care of two kids, and that’s enough with me.”

“Hey! I’m not THAT childish!” he said turning indignantly, but then found Mikasa chuckling instead.

“ Thanks Armin, I’m glad you understand, I just…wasn’t sure about what to put on.”

“I do have one question, though,” he asked with some curiosity, “Who asked who, and what do you see in him?”

Mikasa gave a thin smile, “Jean was the one to ask, obviously.”

“Obviously,” he agreed.

“He asked me the day before yesterday after practice. It was really quite funny. I honestly thought he was going to be in tears at the end of it, but he managed to get out what he’d meant to say. As for the ‘why’ part…I don’t know. Call it strange sense, but there’s something about Jean that I like.”

“Well, fair enough. So I’m going with Annie, you’re going with Jean. Do you know who Eren’s going with?”

“I don’t think he’s invested in romance. Besides, I don’t think he’d tell us anyway.”

“True.”

(End of flashback)

"Don't know why he's weird." Armin lied. "By the way, Eren, why are you getting a new suit? Don’t you have one already from last year?”

“Well, I grew several inches over the summer and the color was kind of fading. Plus, I have to get black since it matches Mikaela’s dress and-oops! I mean…it matches my pants!”

Armin did a double take. Wait…what? Had he heard Eren correctly? “Whoa, whoa, whoa, Eren…Did you…did you just say ‘Mikarin?”

“What? I didn't say anything! Yes-no-I mean…” Eren looked like a deer in the headlights. He fidgeted, nearly dropping the vests to hang them back in place and turned his head. “That’s not…”

“You’re pairing up with Mikarin? Mikarin as in Mikarin Tachibanafrom St. Sina High!?”

“I…I…”

“Eren! Are you going out with Mikarin?” he asked firmly, trying to hide his smile. He spun Eren around so he was forced to look at him. “Tell me the truth.”

It was easy for Eren to crack under the pressure. His lips were pursed and his eyes jumped around towards the exit. “Okay, fine! You got me! It happened after the match in St. Sina!”

“Explain the circ*mstances.”

“Well, you see. When our team won against Sina, all of us came down to congratulate, yeah? So then while I was down there, I um…confused her for Mikasa and…and I hugged her from behind.”

Against his better judgement, he burst out laughing, thankful that they were the only two guys in the changing room. “You did what?”

“I know, I know, it was stupid! They looked so similar from behind, so I went up behind her and told her ‘good job, Mikasa!”

“Then what happened?” he asked, before he could help himself. “Well…she turned around super quick with this weird look on her face, and then I stepped back and was all ‘wait, you’re not Mikasa!’ and I said sorry and was about to leave, when I realized she really did look like Mikasa, so I just kept staring at her. Well anyway, I realized I must have sounded like a creep, so I started to excuse myself, but she wanted to know my name.”

“And that’s how you became her date to Homecoming?!”

“Not at first!- and stop looking at me like that!- we started talking some more, and she seemed really interested and we both started talking, and I told her how Mikasa looks a lot like her.” Eren was twirling a bit of thread as he was saying it, but he could tell from his shifty eyes that he was being bashful telling the whole story.

“She was also interested in Mikasa as well, but she asked me about a bunch of random things; like if I played basketball, or if I had a girlfriend…all that. She was really cool and strong in the game, and I told her I wished I could be half as athletic as her. She was really flattered by that. In the end, we exchanged numbers and started texting one another. Eventually I told her Homecoming was up, and somehow…I asked if she wanted to come- as friends!” He added the last bit hastily.

Armin hadn’t realized his mouth was open through this entire ordeal. “Did you…did you realize you unwittingly asked out Sina’s basketball ace, our school nemesis?”

“I mean…I wasn’t thinking about that…I kinda forgot about that! All I was thinking about was talking and getting to know her!”

Armin face palmed, shaking his head, “oh boy, Eren. Even though I know you since Kinder, you still manage to surprise me.”

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Eren protested. “You asked out Annie right after the game if I recall!”

“Yeah,” he sighed, and letting out his breath in snort, “That I did. But this is so sudden! Not that it matters, but does Mikasa know by any chance that you asked out her arch nemesis from another school?”

“No, I want to surprise her.” And there was a devious smile coming from Eren, “You're the only one who knows.”

“Eren, I don't think that's a good idea, inviting Mikasa's rival to…“ But he stopped, remembering when Mikasa hid away the fact that she had invited Jean. He had to exercise self-control not to burst out laughing. One thing was for sure…both were going to be hell of a lot surprised at one another’s dates tomorrow.

And what does that make me? The keeper of secrets, or the middle man? Should he tell Mikasa?

Nahsaid the mischievous side of his conscience. Let them sort it out.

“Do you think I should tell Mikasa though or something?” asked Eren seriously.

“Nah, it’ll be okay,” he lied, face turning to hide his smile. “She doesn’t have to know…

Chapter 26: Homecoming Dance...A Love to Remember

Chapter Text

Annie was immensely grateful for Historia’s Good Samaritan act with providing her a dress, but she had no idea the dress was only the first part of her patronage. Around midday on Friday, it was walking through the sleek and shiny doors of the Reiss mansion and through Historia’s large chamber room where she realized she walked into a sort of trap. One woman in her twenties, introducing herself as Zara was hired by none other than Historia to help with make-up and hair.

More specifically, Annie’s face and hair.

“Y-you hired someone? Why? I-I-” she could find no words to say. It was as if every part of her body was turning red in embarrassment. She was about to back away when she realized that her exit was blocked by the rest of the girls, and anyway, it seemed unlikely they would let her go. They had all been suspicious from the moment they picked her up from the front of her apartment building. Nifa, Sasha, Mikasa, Hannah, and Mina, not to mention Historia herself, were looking quite proud, and unusually happy. She had assumed they were happy because they were going to her mansion, but what they were really happy about, was the fact that they were about to provide her with some kind of five star make-over for the dance.

“Trust us, Annie, she knows what she’s doing,” Historia confided loudly. “I’ve hired her as my personal hairdresser for occasions like this, and let me tell you, she’ll leave you looking like a princess.”

“But-but…” she stuttered, feeling her face fluster to a darker red “I thank you for the dress, but I don’t have any money for-“

“What are you talking about, who said anything about money?” Historia queried, with a look that looked lightly indignant. Historia took her hand, dragging her forward to a short backed chair and vanity, and Annie felt like a dog being put in a show. “You don’t have to pay for anything, silly. Just sit back and let her do her thing.”

“B-but I-“

“Annie, shut up.” Advised Hannah, though not unkind at all. They were all smiling. Even Mikasa’s mouth she could see, was curved in the corner of her mouth.

“Annie, don’t worry,” Mikasa confided. “It was Historia’s idea to do this. She said she doesn’t expect anything in return. We all just wanted you to have a chance to go dancing.”

“Yeah, we’ve never seen you in any of the dances,” piped up Mina. “So look at this as an opportunity to make up for all the times you were never at one.”

She didn’t know what to say. Once again, they had done what she’d never expected them to do. They had all gone out of their way to help her even when she had been difficult. A part of her wanted to sink into the floor, flustered at all the attention they were giving her. Another part of her wanted to jump for joy and hug them all at once, but she didn’t think she’d be able to stand.

“Guys, I…I don’t know what to say…” No, she wouldn’t cry.

“Oh, don’t worry about it Annie, what are friends for?” said Historia sweetly.

“Don’t worry miss, I’ll have you ready and to the ball in no time,” Zara, the make-up and hairdresser assured. She pulled her sienna-colored hair back into a high ponytail, and pulled up her short sleeves. “We’ll make the boy you’re meeting have eyes for nobody but you.”

“Call me if you need anything!” called Historia through the doorway, ushering out the rest of the girls who waved good-bye at her. “My room is two rooms down from where you came, we’ll be in there fixing ourselves up so we don’t distract you or Zara.”

“Bye Annie, don’t worry, we’ll be practically next door, so meet us when you’re done!” said Mikasa.

“O-okay.” she smiled nervously. The door closed, and outside, she could hear the echo of the girls chatter going down the hall, but the room with her and Zara was empty.

“Is this your first time to a dance?” asked Zara from over her head.

“Yes.” She said shyly. Zara beamed.

“Oh, when I was your age, I loved to dress up and go dancing. Just the feeling of getting ready is special. You dress nicely, and suddenly every person in the room has their eyes on you…that’s why I became a cosmetics profession, see.”

“Oh.” she answered politely, but she could feel her embarrassment ebbing away. “They make me kind of nervous. I…I don’t go out a lot.”

Zara smiled again, showing white teeth, “oh, that’s perfectly understandable. I felt the same with my first dance, so don’t worry, you have nothing to feel worried about. You’re going with friends, so you’ll definitely have fun! But first, what we need to do…

***

Annie could feel the rest of her embarrassment and anxiety disappear already five minutes in to the procession. Zara was a cheerful and sweet woman. While parting her lemon colored strands with a comb and dampening it until it shone, she talked about her times in high school and what she liked and disliked. Annie found Zara was actually a very shy person during her school years, and rarely talked with others. It was only when she found her dream profession did she decide to take speaking classes on how to best talk with others. Annie was genuinely surprised. She would never have assumed a cheerful talkative person like Zara would have once been antisocial.

“...And I honestly was lost, trying to talk with people.” Zara finished, as she curled Annie’s hair with a curl ironer before pining it up. “But my parents were very supportive, and they knew it was something that I wanted to be- a professional make-up and hair styler.”

“You’re very brave,” she commented truthfully. “Even when you were scared, you never gave up.”

“Thank you, dear! And I really do love my job, so it was what kept me going. If you find something in life you want to be a part of, don’t be afraid to pursue it- ah there we go, just about done, Sweety!”

Annie felt her put the last finishing touches in her hair, and supporting it with a few bobby pins. She was dying to see what Zara had made for her, but they weren’t done yet. They still had to get her make-up done, which she wasn’t sure how long it was going to be. She already felt pretty even when he didn’t know what her hair looked like. By feeling alone, it felt like Zara had done a high bun in her hair, but with multiple loose wavy strands around her. She also felt there were woven braids on the sides of her head, all leading to the back where it was tied back. She was immensely grateful that her hair wasn’t pulled back tightly. It was firm enough, yet loose enough to the point where he knew she wouldn’t be feeling her skull tightened.

“Wow honey, you should see yourself after I’m done with your face! Luckily, you have your dress on under, so you won’t have problems of messing up your hair.” Zara laid out a large case with what Annie saw, was multiple make-up brands. Maybelline, Revlon, MAC, Lancôme…

“I personally prefer Lancôme since the ingredients they use are all natural and help your skin a TON, but I guess it all depends on the person using it. You see this here, (he pointed to a bottle with some silver liquid inside), this is what you’d call a Youth Activating Concentrate, you roll this under your eyes and it helps get rid of crow’s feet.”

She was then forced to sit still and close her eyes as she felt the creams and foundation applied to her skin. Since she was very fair skinned, her foundation and make up applicator needed to match. This took a lot longer than Annie would have suspected it to be. But once the stuff was lightly dabbed on, it felt weird. Her skin felt heavy, a foreign feeling having never thought about make up, but at the same time, it felt cleansing on her skin.

As Zara dabbed the last of the eyeshadow on, it was around four in the evening, still light outside when she finally announced they were done. More than happy yet a little sad it was over, she slipped on her matching heels (not too high nor too low) and eagerly looked for the nearest mirror.

“My, you look stunning!” said Zara excitedly. “Look how beautiful you look!”

Anne found the full-length mirror on the side of the room and started towards it, heart pumping unusually fast with a thrill. Holding a deep breath, she walked forward…then looked up.

Her jaw dropped.

Had she not known she went through a make-over, she would have asked which movie star had taken her place in front of the mirror. Her hair was elegantly set up in an updo bun, but interwoven with multiple braids on either side near her ears. Due to the magic of Zara’s trade, her hair had a shiny quality to it, like it was gelled and styled to look voluminous. And her face- she could detect no mistake! Her eyes were outlined, but not excessively so with eyeliner, and her naturally long eyelashes were darkened and smoky eyeshadow which made her bright blue-grey eyes stand out in the sea of her white skin. Her pink lips looked the same shade as the petals of a hibiscus flower.

She looked so in awe with her transformation, that she couldn’t say anything. Good bye was the old Annie, replaced with this beautiful new her.

“Oh don’t just stand there- show your friends!” Zara laughed. “I’m sure they’re waiting for you, dying to see how you look!”

After a million thank you’s to a pleased Zara, Annie wasted no time in darting out the door, nearly tripping on her heels to find Historia’s room.

Like her, they stopped whatever they were doing, gawking at her up and down. Historia had a smug, proud expression on her face, like a mother proud of her son’s first grade recital. Hannah and Sasha whooped, Mina complimented every angle of her dress, remarking of its beautiful color and comparing her get-up to that of Nicole Kidman. Mikasa attired in a bright red dress that would have been the same color as her scarf, gave her a small smile and nod.

“Wait till Armin sees you.” Mikasa remarked, smile definitely evident in her face.

“Thanks Mikasa, you look great too. Jean will definitely have eyes for you.” Mikasa gave a rare smile.

And that was it. They were finished. After a dozen or so more thank-you’s, this time to Historia, they made their way to the van that would take them straight to the school. Annie’s heart was thumping wildly more than ever. She was going to see Armin, like this. Not as Annie, the awkward girl who used to beat him up, but as a new Annie. She couldn’t wait to see Armin either, and all the time through the car ride, she hardly could listen to Hannah and Nifa’s conversation, nor Sasha’s promises of raiding the kitchen with Connie.

“By the way Historia, why didn’t Ymir come with us to your house?” asked Mina.

“Oh, she said she wanted to fix herself up,” said Historia, a corner of her mouth betraying the hint of a smile. “She was going to get ready with Bert and Reiner at her house. She’ll probably meet us at the entrance near the gate. Now when we get there, let’s wow everybody!”

There was a cheer inside the van, and Annie felt compelled to join in the noise.

Back at the school, the boys were waiting outside the campus.

“They’re late!” came Eren’s disgruntled voice. “And Mikarin’s still driving!”

“The girls should be here any minute, relax,” coaxed Armin, but who was anxious as well.Then, he grew alarmed. “By the way, Eren- did you say Mikarin was driving? Why are you texting her then?!”

“Relax, I’m not!” huffed Eren, regretfully putting his phone away after checking for the umpteenth time. “I’m just checking in case she arrives on campus and can’t find us! I want her to get here before Mikasa gets here so she doesn’t see her!”

“So she doesn’t see who?” came a familiar drawling voice. Jean had come back. After excusing himself to the bathroom (probably to check if his tie was perfect to Mikasa), Armin got a good look at what he was wearing. A black vest with a red tie tucked in. His hair was gelled back to look stylish, and quite frankly, Armin thought the result looked rather nice. He hoped Mikasa would thinks so, too.

“None of your business, Kirstein!” said Eren impatiently. “Besides, why’re you waiting out here?”

“Oh come on, Jaeger. Is it against the rules, or what?” grumbled Jean impatiently. “Also, what brings you here, Armin?”

“I’m waiting for Annie.”

Jean looked deadpanned, and it suddenly struck him he hadn’t told the others about his relationship with her. He honestly thought holding hands and hanging out with her in public had garnered enough attention to lead others to believe they were together. Eren was right. Jean was sometimes too thick to understand.

“N-no way-“ he said, awestruck.

“Yes way.” He iterated.

“So…” and now Jean was looking spellbound. “Wait… you mean all what Connie said that one day at lunch, turned out to actually be true?”

“Yeah.” He said as simply an answer.

Jean looked still. “Whoa.” Was all he could say.

“Whoa.” Agreed Eren.

There was a pause in which Jean was left staring back at the deserted parking lot too, lost in thought. After a few awkward moments, he finally spoke. “So uhh…what brought you two together?”

Eren looked relaxed for once, probably due to the fact that Jean’s attention wasn’t invested in finding who his secret date was anymore. Armin thought for a moment, wondering if he should answer. His love life starting with Annie had been one hell of a joyride, one that had taken him completely by surprise. It had been months since he had begun to feel something more, yet it felt like years. No. It was years.

“Since several years ago,” he said, as if realizing something for the first time. Yes it had been years ago, but he hadn’t yet known what those feelings were. Annie had been watching him for some time, bullying him.

But it hadn’t taken long for him to notice he too, was staring back. The truth was, he had always found her fascinating to study. The idiot in him had probably liked her then.

“Geez, Armin, and what made you confess to her in the first place?” said Jean, “A few years can make a guy go crazy, keeping that in. I mean, I can sort of understand why you kept it secret. Annie’s the freakin’ Ice Queen of St. Maria, with a heart of ice.”

“No she isn’t!” he found himself defending. This garneed an awestruck Jean silent.

“She’s not the cold-hearted person people make her out to be.” He doesn’t know why he’s feeling passionate saying this out loud, but something in him felt unable to hear others talking about her like that. “I-I don’t think…no- I know she’s not like that at all!” he counters. “I used to believe she was scary as well…scary and unapproachable. But she’s more than that. All the time I was with her, I learned how morein common we had we had with each other…” his mind reached back to a time when he'd met Annie in the small of that closet. Had seen her up close, had seen her eyes show the briefest moments of vulnerability. The brief moments her crystal shell had cracked, revealing who she was. She was a person with feelings. A person with dreams. Dreams of a better future, dreams of someone caring for her, loving her…

He realized he truly did love her.

“Annie is…special” w as all he finished.

Eren smiled, looking out into the distance. Jean whistled. “I guess our Aryan Coconut really is in love.”

“I told you not to call me that!”

“No, only I’m allowed to say that.” Came a voice behind them.

Armin’s head whipped around to find a beautiful girl with a Roman nose standing feet away from them. She was wearing a bright blue dress and her lemon blonde hair set in braided bun, making the rest of her figure look imposing. Annie. Annie Leonhardt.

Armin’s jaw dropped.

For a while, neither of them spoke. They simply stared across from each other, admiring each other’s looks. Annie had on a little smile, but he could see that he was blushing, even under the exquisitely applied eyeliner that made her stormy blue-grey eyes jump out twice as much. He couldn’t imagine she could turn up here looking so…

“Y-you’re…” he stuttered. “You…you look…beautiful…”

To his credit, she blushed even more, trying to arrange her face to a more serious look. Next to him, he could swear Eren was hiding a small smile, and Jean looked like he was struck by lightning.

“I…had help.” She explained, gesturing rather unnecessarily to herself. “Historia she…”

But she didn’t finish her sentence, because he chose at that moment to close the distance between them to take her hands in his. She looked off to the side momentarily bashful, but met his gaze. “You…you look nice too.” He found himself laughing, and she gave a small smile in return.

“W-wow very nice, you look-” Jean commented but stopped mid-sentence as he looked past them. They all turned their heads in the direction and were immediately bombarded by colorful dresses.

The girls had arrived.

Sasha had on a neon orange dress, which in all aspects, matched her tan skin. Historia had on a light pink dress. She looked like a lily flower (boy, was Ymir going to go crazy). Mina had on a white dress that brought out her pale skin and brunette hair. Nifa’s dress was leafy green and flowing, and Hannah’s dress was turquois, set with interwoven chains. One of her legs even had fancy shoes, though the heels were short considering her cast. Mikasa was at the front of the pack with Historia. She was wearing a deep red dress that almost ended at the same height as her knees and with matching heels to go with it. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Armin thought she resembled Ada Wong from Resident Evil. She wasn’t wearing her scarf but a small glittering silver chain instead and with earrings. Earrings! Never had Armin realized she had got her ears pierced since she avoided wearing any type of jewelry. Perhaps that was what made Jean stare at her in the same way he himself had been staring at Annie.

“Mikasa, did you get your ears pierced?” Jean asked in a hushed voice.

Mikasa nodded, a small red tint grazing her cheeks. “Got them yesterday.”

“Well, how’s the party going?” asked Mina, to all them. “I just met the rest of the girls here, so I was worried it was a bit late.”

“Oh, by the way,” said Jean to Mina, though still staring at Mikasa, “Marco said he was looking for you. I think he went to the bathroom or something.”

“Really? Thanks!” she flashed a smile over her head, heading in the direction of the bathrooms.

“Wow, you guys look very nice,” commented Eren. “How’d you get here, anyway?”

“Oh, by van,” commented Nifa offhandedly.

“Girl’s night,” agreed Hannah. “We hung around Historia’s house and we got ourselves ready. She said she wanted to surprise everybody here."

“I texted Ymir like fifteen minutes ago,” said Historia, looking at her phone. “I wonder if she’s here or-

“Hey Princess! Looking for me?” they were surprised by the presence of Ymir as her arms swept Historia off her feet and twirled. She had on the same attire as one of the guys. Black pants, black velvet vest, and crisp white shirt. She looked like a cross between a butler and a waiter at a fancy restaurant.

“Ymiiiir!” Historia pouted, turning her head to look at her, but laughing. “Warn me next time you do something like that! Also, I’ve been waiting for you, like, forever!”

“Awww, but if I warn you, it wouldn't have been much fun, babe!” she chuckled, hugging her from behind. Then her face arranged to look apologetic. “And I’m so sorry, I wasn’t able to make it. I hitched a ride with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumbass along the way here.”

“Who?” asked Eren nonplussed.

“She means Bertoldt and Reiner” Annie supplied from the corner of her mouth.

“You look dashing!” said Historia impressed. “That look really does suit you!” said Historia beaming.

Ymir flashed a devilish smile, “thought so too. But- you look something else.”

“Okay, okay, we get it you're gay for each other, can we just leave and go inside?” said Jean impatiently to all of them.

“Funny, Jean, I didn’t know you were waiting for someone.” Came Eren’s teasing voice.

“Haha, Jaeger, but in case you didn’t know…” and he moved next to Mikasa. “We’re together for the dance.”

It took a total of five seconds for Eren to understand. “What?”

“Mikasa and I,” explained Jean. “are together.”

“WHAT-YOU AND HIM?"

“Yes, Eren.” Said Mikasa patiently, but with some hint of finality. “Me and Jean.”

Eren’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, putting his hands up. “I don’t believe this! You…you…”

“What’s going on?” said a deep voice.

Hannah shrieked ecstatically, “Franz!”

Armin saw them embrace, oblivious to the turmoil around them which was Jean and Eren glaring daggers at each other. “Hannah, that dress looks so beautiful on you!” he said. Hannah blushed as red as a tomato. “Let’s come inside, you must be tired of standing. Do you need any help?”

“Oh Franz, I’m glad you asked!” With a farewell over their shoulder, they walked off, and Armin watched them go with a smile. They were still the purest lovey-dovey couple in his eyes. He turned his attention to Nifa who also stared after them then at Eren and Jean nervously.

“H-Hey Historia, Sasha, Ymir, you wanna come inside?”

They all agreed simultaneously, ducking for cover. “See you Armin, Annie!” she called. Armin waved, now turning his attention back to Eren, looking sour.

“What do you mean, that’s not the point?!” he yelled at Jean. “I won’t have you doing something weird to my sister!”

Armin groaned. He exchanged a glance at Annie and they both rolled their eyes simultaneously.

“Funny Jaeger, I don’t remember asking you for permission to ask Mikasa!”

“Mikasa, I can’t believe you let Horseface take you to the dance! He’s such a wuss!”

“Eren, I told you to stop calling him that.” Said Mikasa, beginning to lose her patience. Jean looked at her, touched, that she was defending him. “Jean is not like that at all. He’s mature and-

“I don’t want to hear it! I-" To Armin's horror, he turned his attention to him. "Arm’, help me out here!”

“No way.” He answered immediately. “I’m not getting in the middle of this.”

“Oh come on, I thought you were my wingman!" then he turned to the other blonde. "Annie!”

“I’m with Armin.” She answered with a glare.

“Eren, that’s immature behavior you know.” Said Mikasa, with a superior air. “You can’t tell someone they can’t date a person just because you don’t like them. That’s not how it works!”

“Yeah, sing it, sister.” Said a girl’s voice behind them.

They all looked who the stranger was, and Eren’s foul face suddenly upturned into a smile. “Mikarin!”

Mikarin was wearing a black dress, which matched Eren’s attire as well. And her pale skin, the same as Mikasa’s, stood out against the silky black cloth. She had on eyeliner which accentuated her eyes quite nicely, and a delicate golden chain around her neck. She looked a bit like Mikasa’s twin sister.

Mikasa’s face changed to one of suspicion and then recognition. “Wait- are you-?”

Eren huffed. “I invited her.”

“Excuse me?” she blinked. “Eren, she comes from St. Sina.”

“So?” he countered, batting his eyes in mock innocence.

“And you must be Mikasa.” Said Mikarin slowly. “I remember you from the match.”

“Eren, she comes from a different school. What is she doing here?” said Mikasa, looking back and forth between her brother and the rival girl.

“Isn’t it clear?” asked Eren with an obvious tone. “She’s my date!”

“Eren, you’re not serious! I can’t believe you’re fraternizing with the enemy!”

“Y-yeah!” Jean agreed weakly, clearly trying to get on Mikasa’s good side.

“So what if she’s from another school?” argued Eren, “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You’re not allowed to go out with her!” specified Mikasa, “She could be trying to spy on our school!”

“Like I’d need to do that.” Muttered Mikarin. She and Eren started to hold hands.

“I won’t allow this relationship to continue I- Armin! Help me out here!”

“I-I…” he was lost for words, and quite frankly, getting scared for his life. “I…I think you’re taking this a bit too far Mikasa…”

“Oh, am I?” she retorted.

“Don’t talk to Armin like that!” defended Eren indignantly, “He didn’t do anything!”

“Yeah!” said Jean again.

“Then Annie!” said Mikasa, grasping at straws.

“I’m with Armin.” She blurted.

“Mikasa, that’s immature, you know,” said Eren methodically, mimicking her from before with a curve of smile and an air of superiority. “You can’t tell someone they can’t date a person just because you don’t like them. That’s not how it works.”

“Excuse me?”

Armin gulped and turned to Annie. “Want to go inside?”

Her answer was automatic. “I’d love to.”

The pair made their slowly towards the exit, leaving Mikasa, Eren, Mikarin, and a confused and flustered Jean. But they didn’t worry since they were clearly too occupied to notice them escape. Even through the outside hallways they could still hear their voices further back.

He turned to her, still holding her hand which was pleasantly warm. “Glad we got out of that.” He commented. “Mikasa can get scary when mad.”

“I bet.” She agreed with a laugh, but she turned her head all the same down the hallway absently, though they were nowhere to be seen. “But are they going to be okay?”

“They’ll be fine.” He answered off-handedly, making Annie giggle. “Those friends of mine…”

The gym was packed inside, and Armin could feel adrenaline rush to him as he took in the sight of so many people. The music was blaring loudly, though not loudly enough to mask the cheers and screams of people excited. On one side of the large gym was a long table lined with its usual snacks. (Sasha and Connie were together in that corner). There were some tables set up on that side as well as outside, with many people sitting down. But a large portion of the people could be found on the dance floor where a DJ was on an elevated platform and putting music.

Since Annie had said she never went to any dances, he focused on her face. He could see she looked nervously around her, the prospect of so many people in such a small place overwhelming. He wound a hand around her shoulder squeezed her in comfort against him. “Don’t worry, it’s alright.”

“I know, I’m not scared or anything.” She huffed, though he could see she was happy with his contact. “It’s just…I never realized so many people went to these.”

“Yeah, it can get kind of hectic,” he agreed.

Reiner and Bertoldt approached them. They had on matching dressing shirts, Reiner with a red tie, Bertoldt with a yellow one that reminded him distinctly of Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street. Their faces were plastered with awe as they stared at Annie.

“N-no way…” said Reiner, shaking his head.

“Yes way.” Said Annie deadpanned. Armin stiffened a bit, still not used to having Reiner, his former bully, around.

“You-you look amazing,” said a shy Bertoldt. Reiner whistled.

“Wow, who’d have thought Tinkerbell would look this good?” he remarked, dodging a fist from Annie. “But seriously- you do look amazing. Like the amazing Tinkerbell.”

“I’m thrilled, Reiner.” She said in a hollow voice. “Call me that again, and I won’t miss this time.”

“W-we’ll be leaving now,” said a flustered Bertoldt, trying to pull a cackling Reiner away from harm’s reach. “Bye Armin, by Annie! You guys look amazing! We’ll be leaving now!”

“More like to go make-out or something.” She said, under her breath once they left. Armin chuckled.

Eren, Mikarin, Mikasa, and Jean managed to meet up with them, as well as their usual slew of friends. Eren and Mikasa, he could see, still looked a little disgruntled, but there was something dignified about them, like they had decided to accept the inevitable. Eren kept shooting glances at Jean who returned them- but only when Mikasa wasn’t looking. He doubted she would notice anyway, given she and Mikarin were having a stare down contest.

“I’m glad I’m not there,” Annie joked.

“Same.” He agreed. He saw Sasha, Connie, Mina, and Marco in the dance floor, and the music had now changed to Caravan Palace’s “Lone Digger”. “Oooh I LOVE this song! Let’s go dance!” he exclaimed. Annie agreed wholeheartedly.

As the music blasted its way around the large hall, they managed to weave their way through the crowd and meet the others somewhere in the dance floor. Eren and Mikarin were there. So was Mikasa and Jean. He, Eren, and Connie were now having a competition to see who could dish out the coolest moves in tune to the electro swing music. Mikasa and Mikarin were watching their respective dates but were also moving to the beat, and even their expressions seemed to soften.

Armin himself felt quite daring and joined Eren along. Annie stayed by Mikasa shyly.

“How’s everything?” yelled Mikasa over the music to her.

“It’s awesome!” she yelled back. “By the way, how’s Jean?”

As a way of answer, she glanced back at Jean who was still in competition. She gave a fond smile. “He’s quite charming. He’s also gotten much nicer with Eren.”

I bet, since he knows Eren’s with someone other than Mikasa. She thought.

“I believe we have met before.” Mikarin next to her held out a hand, and Annie took it. “I’m Mikarin. You’re that girl who had been playing against my teammate at the game.”

“I’m Annie. Pleased to meet you too,” replied Annie politely, shaking her hand. “You both were very formidable.”

Mikarin held a polite observant look. “Well, Annie, let it be known that the next time we meet on the court, we’ll have the upper hand. You two are formidable as well.” Mikasa’s eyes narrowed a bit at that, but she didn’t say anything. They exchanged looks as if to say we’ll be ready.

When the song transitioned to another Caravan Palace song “Black Betty”, Armin this time, took Annie by the hand, and they all started twirling around and shuffling.

It didn’t matter if they didn’t get the right moves down or if they were out of beat because all they cared about, was each other. Several years into the future, whether they’d be in college, married, or seniors, they would always, always remember this point in time where they’d have each other.

At last, he and Annie were both spent, sweaty, and thirsty from dancing after an hour and a half later, so they agreed to go to the snack table to get some refreshments. Along the way, they saw Hannah and Franz, still hand in hand and talking in a part of the lounging area. Bert and Reiner were near the bathrooms, and he could swear he saw a co*cky Reiner deliver a kiss to a flushed Bert when nobody was looking.

Once they got snacks, they stopped short when they caught sight of their teachers, Professor Levi and Dr. Hange hanging out by the sidelines, in their usual attire. They had obviously been here from the orders of Principal Erwin to watch and make sure all the students were behaving themselves. They watched in humor Levi looking disgruntled when an unsuspecting student accidentally dropped some grapes unto the floor. Armin was willing to believe the only reason he wasn’t rushing forth to scold said students was because Hange was giggling and holding him back with a phrase of "nonsense!" He could swear he heard a muttered, "but it’s going to cause such a mess!" from Mr. Ackerman.

“Heeeeey, how’s my favorite student?” sang Hange once she caught sight of them. “Mr. Ackerman and I are here making sure everything’s a-okay! By the way, Annie, Armin, you guys look quite dashing!”

“Thanks Dr. Hange,” he said happily. “Me and Annie were just dancing and decided to get a breath of air.”

“Music is very great.” Annie supplied. “What about you two?”

“Oh, we’re doing just splendid!”cackled a cheery Hange, holding an arm around Mr. Ackerman. “Levi and I were just out front, making sure everything was in order. But Levi the Vampire really wanted to stay out there instead of in here!”

Mr. Ackerman looked like a disgruntled fourth grader who hadn’t been invited to a birthday party. He was staring straight ahead with that same bored expression he had come to associate with class time, occasionally looking murderous when one student dropped bread crumbs. He wondered why Hange hadn’t noticed, but then again, he knew Hange had a way to handle and get under Mr. Ackerman’ skin and get away with it better than any other person he knew. Even Principal Erwin.

“It’s not that, it’s just that the gym inside is hot.” Said Mr. Ackerman monotonously. “I can’t imagine how many brats it takes to make the temperature go this high. It’s like being inside an oven.” Hange ruffled his hair affectionately.

“Awww, you lil’ minion!” she crooned. “You say the most adorable things!”

“Hange, I swear to god-!“

“W-we’ll be leaving now!” said Armin hastily. “Thank you, bye!” They left the duo who were bickering like an old married couple to make their way towards the backside of the gym.

“You know, Mr. Ackerman is right” admitted Annie. “It is getting hot. Also, harder to breath.”

He gave her a smile. “That can be arranged.”

He took her hand, and she obliged, both already deciding to go somewhere outside- preferably private.

Since there were barely anybody, they didn’t feel the need to go far. There was a lone table on the side and they sat down. Annie, he noticed, was shivering slightly in the cool crisp autumn air. He took his jacket off and put it over her, hugging her close. She looked at him, surprised.

“I-I just thought you looked cold.” He explained, other hand grasping the back of his neck nervously. Why, oh why was his heart suddenly picking up? “I-is that okay?”

Annie gave a small smile. With her other hand, she brought it around his shoulder, also pulling him close. A blush was forming its way from her cheeks down to her neck. “A-anything’s okay, as long as it’s with you. I mean-! What I meant to say was-!“

He smiled at her and chuckled. “I know.” She returned the smile, leaning against him. He rested his head on top of hers, taking in the smell of her sweet perfume. She smelled like a fresh garden even when they had been dancing for a while.

They stayed like that for some time. And even though it wasn’t romantic in the sense that their view was a rickety parking lot instead of a sweeping Italian landscape, or a quarter moon instead of a new moon, Armin felt very much that he’d always remember this time.

They both jumped rather comically with the sound of a phone notification. On cue, they both checked their respective phones, remarking it was probably one of their friends. After all, it could have been Eren asking where in the world they were. Armin felt rather annoyed at the distraction, but then he noticed it hadn’t come from his phone. He looked up at Annie, and to his surprise, found her staring at the screen. A stunned look on her face.

“What’s up?” he asked, concerned.

Instead of answering, she merely tilted the phone up for him to read. A quick observation revealed the message was from her dad. He looked back at her.

“Is he-?”

And then he read the rest of the message. Rehab had been very good. He was expected to come home one week from today. He looked at her equally excited face.

“One week!” Annie exclaimed excitedly. “He’s doing great and they said he’d be back here in one week!”

Armin felt his heart swoop with joy. “That’s fantastic!” and then felt compelled to take Annie into a big bear hug. “I’m glad he’s been doing great. I know how eager you’ve been to see him again!”

“Yeah!”

They looked at each other, and through the darkness, only lit by a few lights, he could see her eyes sparking as magically as her dress. “We should announce it to the others!”

They bounded their way back into the gym, their eyes scanning the large colorful dresses for a familiar deep red dress or ivory black vest. They did manage to spot them- but not with each other. Since the dance was hallway through the night, the music had evolved into a less energetic, but nevertheless hip beat. The dance floor was considerably less crowded than before, and he was able to spot Mikasa and…Jean?

Jean and Mikasa actually looked like they were enjoying themselves. So did Eren and the Mikasa doppelganger. “Actually, let’s tell them after,” said Annie, looking fondly at the couples. “There’s no hurry.”

Armin couldn't agreed more, then had an idea. “Hey- let’s join them on the dance floor!”

They followed through, but Armin was beginning to notice Annie looked a little reluctant. They were in the middle of the dance floor when the music had decided to switch. Now, it was playing through Oberhofer’s version of “All Through the Night”, which was a considerably slower dance. It also was implied to be romantic. Annie looked nervous, causing him to stop. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.

“It’s just…” she looked like she was struggling to say something, “I just don’t know how to dance.”

“What? You’re kidding!” he said. “I saw you dance before and you did just fine!”

“Th-that’s different!” she protested, “I…I don’t know how I should dance to this.”

He looked at her face, nervously casting around the room as if some people watching, would point her out. He took her hand and chose to look up at her startling eyes which were riveted unto his own. “Don’t worry Annie, there’s no need to feel like that. I’m not that great at it either, so…we could try.” He added in an assuring tone. When her eyes searched his, they seemed to change.

Trust. He thought. They looked trusting. His heart raced with happiness.

He took her hand, the other guided towards her back and her hand brushed against his shoulder to place it on top. Then, meeting eyes, they started.

She was a little shaky at first, but through the song, they progressed, moving in tune to the music while Oberhofer’s quivering voice. They were soon able to read each other’s movements, and Annie, he found, was no longer concerned about the people around her. There were hardly any people in the dance floor at this point, but Armin was too busy paying attention to Annie to care. The people around them all evaporated into a multi-colored collage as they waltzed around, twirling here and there. Annie, he could see, was smiling.

Towards the ending half of the song where they were together again, he noticed the lack of gap between them. Their heads were so close together, and he could see his blush reflected on her shining cheeks. She saw his eyes as well, sparkling, free, and deep as the ocean, and full of life as she had always remembered. As long as she was with those eyes, her own sky blue-grey ones would as well.

Their foreheads together, it seemed like the music was muted for effect.

“Annie…” he said quietly, grateful that Annie could hear him even through the music. “I…I want to say…I’m glad that you came...Thank you. And...and you look especially beautiful tonight.” Her cheeks tinted, and she looked bashfully away.

“Armin… it should be me who’s thankful…after everything you’ve done for me, my life has changed because of it. You, all of your friends, my dad…”

Her voice trailed away, but Armin didn’t care. They were both inching forward, eyes searching each other. Annie's eyes which had been on his, had now settled to his lips then up to his eyes with shy expectancy. Armin leaned forward, the scent of her perfume reaching his nostrils as they both leaned in, about to kiss...

At that very exact moment, they broke away in unison by a loud Eren who had suddenly appeared in the vicinity, unsuspecting of what was going to occur.

ARMIN! YOU NEVER TOLD ME MIKASA WAS ASKED BY JEAAAN!” he yelled.

A few seconds later, Mikasa's voice rang out: “ARMIN! YOU NEVER TOLD ME EREN TOLD YOU HE’D BEEN WITH MIKARIN!!!”

Armin closed his eyes, extremely put off, as was Annie.

He gave a stressful smile and face palmed.

Oh God, why is it always me?

THE END