Friend or Foe... (AoT Reader Insert)

Chapter 46: What Happened To The You I Knew?

If I had to recall the moments in which my breath was taken away, there are three times which stick out in particular.

The first would be the day I had joined the Cadet Corps.

Time had passed slowly and the Commander's 'entrance ceremony' hadn't made it any better. He went along berating almost every person who stood on the field. There were a few exceptions to the rule, but I didn't really care about them.

There was one person who caught my interest, but she never even spared me a second glance. Not that I was paying attention or anything...

Who was I kidding? Of course I was paying attention. Why else would I have been searching for a glance if not for the fact that she had peaked my interest.

By the time we were allowed to turn in for the night, I was... in a bad mood.

Dinner was rowdy, that much was obvious, but it seemed that Eren's little spiel about 'killing Titans' annoyed me back then as much as it did now. I guess it was because I didn't find his vow to be... realistic. Especially not for a teenage boy who was barely older than myself.

At the time, we had decided on a truce. I mean, it was understandable. We had only just met! I knew better than to start a fight with someone I barely knew.

I remember distinctly searching the room for her as the mess hall began to empty, but I guess she had already left. I was frustrated and distracted by the time I had finally left the mess hall. Someone walking into me did not make it any better.

Up until that point, I think the word I would've used to describe how I felt towards her would be intrigue. She just seemed different. Not in a bad way, of course, but in a way I just couldn't describe. Not even to this day. It was almost as though her mere presence demanded attention.

But the moment my eyes met hers, I think that's the moment intrigue turned to infatuation. Just like that, it seemed like the air in my lungs had been thoroughly removed.

The second time I had found myself at a loss of breath, I was lying down defeated on the floor.

Sparring matches were nothing out of the ordinary. By that point, it was a standard part of training. I remember the day specifically though.

I had paired up with Connie while she was paired up with Floch.

Our two pairs were sparring quite close to each other. I guess some part of me subconsciously wanted to impress her, but it's debatable whether or not it was actually 'subconscious'. In almost no time at all I somehow found myself opposite to her, running at her with full speed and a wooden dagger in my hand.

I didn't particularly notice it back then, though I guess I did since I remember it so clearly, but she had run her fingers through her hair. All of a sudden, she wasn't the same person she was just moments before.

She had disarmed and pinned me to the floor faster than I'd like to admit.

Her face was so close to mine back then. I guess that's why I remember the way her eyes looked so clearly.

They were focused; looking a lot fiercer than when our eyes just casually met out of the blue.

Even so, I couldn't help but stare.

For the second time in my life, I found myself gasping for air (literally and metaphorically) under the stare of none other than her.

The third time which comes to mind when I think of moments that had taken my breath away would probably be the day when the people who had broken the walls exposed themselves. The day in which Reiner, Bertholdt, Ymir and (Y/n) left the walls.