MorningWood

Chapter 8

T/W and tags: Sexual harassment, jealousy, and creampie.

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Armin points down the main road toward a corner on their right, "This way."

Mikasa walks past Armin, ignoring his directions and stepping into a narrow alleyway beside them. "We can cut through here in half the time." Armin's lightheartedness drains away, looking into the sketchy alley, but follows without comment. His stride lengthens until he comfortably passes in front of her.

Eren tags behind the both of them, lackadaisically turning into the alley. He catches notice of a trio of guys about mid-way in the alley, loitering and mumbling something quietly to one another. Armin passes by them without acknowledging them, his posture tense as he keeps his senses trained on them despite being ahead of them.

One of the men drops his hand from the toothpick in his mouth, chewing it to a pulp. He eyes Mikasa up and down, "Eh? What's a fine dame like you doing around here?" His toothpick hand gropes her ass just as she walks past the men.

A loud scream and several thuds sound in near unison. Eren looks up to see all three men sprawled out on the stone in a tangle of limbs. The idiot who groped her with a leg jutting upward out of the pile of bodies at such an odd angle as to only be broken at the knee.

Mikasa dusts herself off with both hands and continues without delaying.

Eren smirks at first, humored by Mikasa's immediate response and by their stupidity. But then rapidly sours as he steps within reach of the men. He stands beside them for a moment, looking down at the assaulter with an irate gloom. A swift kick connects with his abdomen. "Baka... (idiot)." He spits at them. Then continues down the alley, increasing his pace to catch up with Mikasa and Armin.

Armin waits at the end of the backstreet, eyeing the pile of bodies just now collecting themselves from the floor. Mikasa has a band of red over her nose and cheeks. He puts his hand on her shoulder as she catches up to him, a sorrowful expression worn over his face. She says nothing. Eren catches up a moment later, a similar unpleasant look twisted over his features – but with an added inner turmoil against himself. He runs his hand up along her spine from the small of her back, then back down. He lets his arm linger around her waist for a moment, a gentle smile drawn on his lips.

She steps off first, the boys following a step behind as she resumes their business. Quiet minutes pass as they walk through the city. Gradual improvements in the wood and stone works supplant their shortcut through a poorer area of the city into a walled military zone. Destination: Hiziru Military Prep Academy, building 2A, meeting room Fuyō Hibana.

Armin reads the shiny, painted title on the door, hand closing around the handle as he confirms their destination. Eren steps through first, shortly followed by Mikasa and Armin. A row of officers sitting along a long table at the far wall meet their attention. Several other seemingly lower-ranked officers and enlisted personnel are scattered in seating arrangements along the periphery of the room. Their fragmented attention sweeps to the three new faces in the room. A number of gasps and wows follow their entrance.

Eren scowls, already sensing the uselessness of the meeting in advance of anyone actually talking. He takes a seat on the right of the table in the center of the room, shortly followed by Mikasa in the center and Armin on the left. No one says anything for a long minute.

The door opens behind them and several more officers shuffle into the room. Two of them join the trio at the center table, sitting on the flank ends of their table and opening several large notebooks.