Do you have to go?

Chapter 3

"Do you have to go?" I cried as Marcel sat next to me looking out across the river. I knew the answer, of course, he had to go. I was a Warrior Candidate just a few months before preparing to inherit one of the 9 for the Paradis Island Operation. I always knew the day was coming but I didn't realize it was so soon. 

Marcel is set to leave in the morning. He asked me to meet him by the river that ran through Liberio. I always loved the Liberio River as it is the one thing that does not discriminate between the Internment Zone and the main city. The same water that runs by the dilapidated and crowded homes in the internment zone also runs to the Estates of the Tybur's and other prominent families. It's freedom, it's equality in a way. But right now it's cold, listening to it babble is like eavesdropping on a conversation to distract from the one I'm having right now.

"Of course, I have to go, but you'll be okay. You'll have Porco and Pieck." He said. I could tell that he was choking on his words. He was avoiding eye contact with me. "Annie, Bertholdt, Reiner, and I are the most qualified for this mission. I promise I will take the founder and return a hero. Who knows, maybe we'll be honored like the Tyburs for our heroism and we can even get married!" he forces a smile and looks at me finally. Married? My heart pounded in my ears. I felt my face turn red. What is he talking about?

"Married?" I ask. His smile vanishes.

"Haha, I'm kidding. I'm kidding," his ears turned red and he rubbed the back of his head. My eyes fell on the red armband on his left arm. Porco was so angry when Reiner inherited the armored, we were all surprised. No one expected Reiner to become a warrior, but alas he was.

I can't believe that at one point I was so ready to become a warrior. Now, all I can think about is the fact that Marcel had to eat someone. I knew it had to happen but.

"Right?" I said with a forced laugh and a sniffle. "Kidding. Anyway, we are out past curfew, we should probably head home. Walk with me?" I stood up and brushed the dirt off my skirt. He didn't move for a moment. He was looking at the water. The moon reflected off its surface.

"Sure, just...wait one second," he stood up where were roughly the same height at the time. He would probably have grown to the same height as Porco if he made it. I still had tears on my face from crying. He used the back of his finger to wipe one away and then he just did it. He leaned in and kissed me. 

It was a classic childhood first kiss. A nervous peck. I barely had time to react before it was over. 

"What the hell was that?!?" I exclaimed. I was flustered but at the same time, I was ecstatic. I was a child with a crush who just kissed me! It was the greatest moment of my life! I almost forgot that I was just crying a few minutes ago. 

Marcel looked terrified. "I...uh. I-" He frantically stammered. "I just didn't want to leave without doing that I guess." It was dark out but I could see he was blushing. His hazel eyes were wide.

"Ummmm..okay. Should we head back home?" I asked. 

"Uh. Sure," he said. We walked home in silence but he did hold my hand.

The next day they left. I cried at the port with the Galliards as the boat carrying Annie, Reiner, Bertholdt, and Marcel disappeared into the horizon. 

The next 5 years were the longest 5 years of my life. Porco continued to train for the Beast Titan, Pieck was constantly in experiments and I took care of my grandmother. 

She died 2 years after Marcel left. I was 13. 

The Galliards took me in.

It was at this time that my friendship with Porco progressed. He was reckless and could be sarcastic to others but with me, he was always a gentleman. He was far more sensitive than he let on. He'd talk to me about his brother, how he missed him, how he was his role model. He would also go on for hours about how it should have been him that inherited the armored, how much better he is than Reiner.