"fragile Heart" [Eremin Hanahaki]

you'll never know, dear

A.N, sorry for the long wait. I have yet to get used to this app lol. But thanks for your review!

Also, this chapter gets a little graphical near the end because... Well... Armin is sick and is near death so....

Other wise, Enjoy!!

Berthold was madly in love with Annie.

That was very obvious from his memories. Memories that show he was very sick near the end of his life. Coughing up red rose petals whenever he was in human form.

At first, when Armin got those memories, he thought it was a lucid dream but now he knows better. Berthold had the curse of Freyja too.

(Of course he had. Who can forget the way he looked at Annie?)

That's where Armin found himself next, when their latest lead to Eren turned out to be a False one that sent Armin in a wild goose chase around Kralova district.

Annies hardened crystal was glowing under the dim lights of her 'cell'. It made Armin's heart break at the sight all over again. They never knew why Annie did that to herself.

Armin kneeled down and put a small Rose bunch under Annies hardened shell. Red roses, the same kind of flower that tortured Berthold on his last days.

All that crossed his mind was "why?"

What did they ever do to Freyja?

What did Armin ever do that granted him this curse?

Unrequited love wasn't rare. He knew it. So why did something this common had to be the end for the Colossal?

==================

"~Armin~"

Just five more minutes.

"~Armin, Hange is calling you~"

Armin sighed loudly. He forced his eyes to open and stay open. He met Mikasa, and the perfect way she contained her emotions when she saw how pale Armin's face was. "Hange wants to talk to you."

how did she get into my room? Armin wondered. But then, he remembered he had passed out on a coach in HQ.

"I'll give you a few minutes but Hange said it was urgent." Mikasa said as a matter of fact before she started to walk towards the wooden double door.

Armin's fingers grabbed the hem of her sleeve, gently pushing her back with no force. "Don't go." Armin pleaded, not looking up from the carpeted floor.

"Armin, are you alright?" she asked, sitting down again and putting a gentle hand in his shaking fist.

"I'm not." he said and shook his head. "Hange said not to tell anyone but I can't--" Armin swallowed hard. He let go of her sleeve and rested the palm of his hands against his eyes. Trying desperately to stop the tears.

"I love Eren."

Finally, he said it outloud.

"I'm in love with Eren. He-- he is my motivation to take a breath on a hard day. He's the reason I keep fighting-- I-- I can't do this anymore!!"

Armin couldn't stop the hiccup that broke through his barrier. It was ok, this was Mikasa. Just Mikasa.

Mikasa bit her lip. She lowered her head and drew a deep breath. "I know." she hummed. "I know."

"The Flowers will kill me." Armin said all of a sudden, before the reality of those words could bring him down again.

Mikasa narrowed her eyes. Armin offered no further explanation so Mikasa demanded it herself. "What do you mean?"