Jaw

Chapter 13

Training with just Porco was, to put it kindly, subpar. Silena had thought him skilled when they were both children, but time and complacency had worn away what experience either of them had. They were helpless without Zeke.

In the days that followed his and Pieck's sudden departure, the pair only got through a few minutes of training before calling it quits. And, as Silena continued fashioning spearheads and other weapon parts from household items, it became increasingly apparent that she had no idea how weapons worked. It wasn't as though anyone in the Internment Zone could help with that problem. Any Eldian who didn't want to be brutally murdered had a safe lack of knowledge on weaponry. Silena didn't blame them.

She didn't have a best friend to rant to, and things with her mother were still precarious at best, so for as long as she could convince him to stay with her, Silena wailed out her frustrations on Porco. They spent as many hours as Silena could wring out of him, in that silly little lot which both of them hated, hitting each other in a show of symbiotic rage and trying not to hurt themselves on the uneven concrete.

"This sucks!" Porco shouted. He was drenched in sweat as was Silena, thanks to the impending hot months. It was sweltering even at dusk. They stood a respectable distance from one another, having been grappling just moments ago. "Can we go home already?"

But Silena was determined. For what, she didn't know, but it was that primal rage (at the heat, perhaps?) that allowed her to throw herself at her childhood friend with reckless abandon.

She brought the both of them down with an ugly thud and pinned Porco beneath her. He didn't try to wriggle out of the anaconda grip her thighs held around his middle, nor did he wrench his hands out of her grip above his head. He simply glared at her with those piercing blue eyes. Silena was uncomfortable within seconds. He'd given her that look many times before, but it was out of character for him to allow himself to be held down like that.

"Do you give up?" She asked.

"I never even challenged you, Lehmann. Will you get off me so I can go home?"

With a scoff, Silena let go of his hands and lifted herself off him. Before he could stand up again, Silena ruffled his ever-perfect hair out of place. Porco let out a groan, but didn't snap at her as he slicked it back into place.

He was being weirdly docile– was this some sort of heat stroke?

She was about to ask, her mouth already open to form the question, when a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her up off the ground. Silena let out an angry shriek as she was hoisted over her friend's muscular shoulder.

"Porco! What in the Nine are you doing!" Silena snapped. He held her legs to his chest but she desperately tried to knee him anyways.

She could almost hear the shit-eating grin in his voice. "What? The Female or Armored Titan could get the Warhammer into this position easily. What're you gonna do if you ever have to fight Leonhardt or fuckin' Braun?"

"Why would I want to fight either of them?" She shot back, wriggling in his grip. He didn't even budge. "And on what Earth is this someone's first reflex while fighting?"

Silena moved with his shoulders as he shrugged. "That's not my problem. You're the one who's upside down."

True, but irrelevant. "Put me down Porco or I swear—"

"What? You'll do what?"

Actually, she didn't know. And Silena figured he could tell that from her silence.

"Beg for it," he said.

Silena's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Ask nicely and I'll let you go."