Thirteen Years | P. Galliard

14

** This chapter, and probably the next, will be some filler. We all know dark times are looming over so before we start with all of that, I want some lighter topics, fluff, and comedic relief.

Note: I know we don't get the exact age of Porco. I know it's probably very close to Eren, but I just made him 20. It's the easiest number for me to remember. Also, this chapter is a tad short. I try to get to at least 2000 words, but I came up short with this one. I just liked how I ended this so, sorry for the shortish chapter.

--

A small smile crept to your lips as you watched the man you loved whilst sitting on his small porch. The porch had seen better days, the old rock of the steps now splitting and cracking from years of weathering and use. But yet, you sat, consumed by the contentment that was your lover from afar. The man cheered and laughed as he ran in the street, seemingly playing like a small child would. The small brunette girl that sat upon his shoulders, yanking at his hair as she giggled and screamed, made you chuckle. A sandy blonde haired boy her age joined them as well, chasing them around.

You remembered a time where you would do the same, play Titan and run around the streets all day with your friends. Most of those friends were Titans themselves now, some normal Eldians, and others passed on. The thought made your smile falter, but it quickly returned with the loud call of your name. "(L/n) look!" The brunette had successfully accomplished bringing the older man down; although, you thought Porco may have let her win. She now sat on his back, claiming her victory while further squishing him.

"A potential Armor Titan that can actually bring Porco down," you mused with a laugh. "Color me impressed." Porco couldn't help but laugh at your statement, the small implication of it alone brought him to laughter. His laughter made the girl who sat atop him faulter until she eventually fell back, earning even more giggling and laughter.

The blonde man stood up from the ground, chuckling as he brushed his now dirt ridden clothes off. "Falco helped," he added. "He wrapped around my legs like a leech and didn't let go." His voice held pure happiness, not a singular ounce of worry or guilt laced within his words. He was happy. The emotion could be seen from not only his features but his eyes as well. The forever swirling hazel of thoughts and doubts now clear as day as he walked over to you. His once white shirt was stained with dirt and grass, and his pants littered with the same.

The two children continued on with their playing; however, whooping and hollering even after Porco had stepped over to you. You, unfortunately, heard his knees pop as he bent down to join you on the step you rested on. This earned a look from you, to which he scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I didn't think an old man like you could play so hard," you teased.

"Old man?" He asked rhetorically with a smile, "jeez- I'm only 20. I'm not that old." He added, now fully turning his attention onto you, rather than the children that kept playing. "I just miss being a kid..." He voice began to trail off before he let out a sigh, "we never really got to play that much. But when we did, all we used to do was beat the hell out of each other and called it playing Titans." You chuckled at the thought before he continued, "what do you remember from when we were kids?"

The young man had never really thought about his childhood much. Most of his childish memories he had completely repressed as he tried to forget his sibling was ever gone. Marcel was always at the forefront of those memories, as he was the ringleader of most activities - troublesome or not. Thoughts either repressed or utterly stripped from him, he didn't have much chance to make fond memories.

"I remember I used to hate you when we were little." Your comment made him scrunch his brows in confusion, watching as the gears turned in his mind to figure out why. "You and Marcel were the only kids I knew during candidate training, and you were the biggest asshole there," you quipped. "You made it a point to embarrass me everyday. I remember you tripped me while we were running and I fell flat on my face," you spoke with a laugh.

The memories finally started coming back to him as you recounted them, laughing along with you and he listened to you continue. "The day you warmed up to me was the day I got kicked out actually. I cracked Reiner in the nose and apparently you thought that was the coolest thing."

"Reiner, I wouldn't-" a feminine voice spoke warily but went unnoticed. The blonde had already made up his mind. The small boy let out a loud huff as he made his way over to you, his boots thumping in the ground as he did.

"You tried to make me look bad!" The male's voice rang through the yard, catching everyone's attention who was there. His voice carried to your ear, and a burning anger made it's way to your stomach without hesitation. You knew the boy spoke to you and you alone, following the situation from training. The anger that washed over you only glowing brighter as he continued on. "You don't deserve to be here."

His voice kept getting closer and closer until it finally maintained a consistent volume. You felt your body turn around and reer back; an autopilot sensation taking over as anger took the center stage. A sickly crack made your mind stop whirling and your breath hitch within your throat. Knuckles now bruised and trickles of blood dripped down from broken skin, staining the ground with each drop. But the blood that poured from the boy, who was now hunched over, made your eyes wide. His pale hands covered his nose with a loud cry, blood and tears mixing as they flooded down. 

You thought as though you should feel something, anything, even the slightest inkling of remorse. But you didn't. The blood frightened you, but you stood firm as you towered over the boy who cowered on the ground, sobs racking his body. "You don't either, you're weaker than me."

"It still is," he spoke with a laugh. A short pause came between the both of you as the laughter died down, "they shouldn't have kicked you out." His voice was soft and low, his eyes connecting with yours as he continued. "You were a terror with a gun, you were the best shot there if I remember correctly."

"That didn't mean much to them, Pock, you know that," you hummed with defeat. "I wasn't fast, or strong, I wasn't the best fighter, I was absolute shit at strategy. Everything I did was average, besides shooting. And what's the use of a gun after you can shift?" You let a small sigh escape your lips as your thoughts began to grow a mind of their own. Twisting and twirling, dipping and diving within the caverns of your mind. You didn't like thinking about what could have been, or should have been. Doing that enough during his absence made your mind quite sick of the thoughts such as this one.

Your eyes fluttered over to the children who still remained to play. A childish essence you yearned to have return to you as well, but was completely forgotten with age and responsibilities. Your eyes fixated on their yellow arm bands, and you let out a small breath. Yellow was a significant color, a candidate, to which juxtaposed your own. "We don't mean much to any of them," you mumbled. Your voice was quiet, as though you tried to speak to only yourself. "I'm glad I got kicked out. You want to know why?" Your question posed to Porco, trying to repress the thought before, your eyes flickering back over to look into his own.

A small 'why' escaped your lover's lips before you continued on. "I would have never gotten the chance to say I love you." His lips pulled into a smile at your words, as did yours. "And I wouldn't be able to see the side of you that I fell in love with. I would only see the side you want others to see." Your words struck a chord deep inside him, making even the cells that made him who he was warm with joy. You felt his strong arm wrap around you and pull you in, the smell of dirt and the sweetness of grass engulfing you.

The sickly sweet smell of lingering smoke stuck to his skin and his clothes, only becoming more apparent as he placed a kiss on your forehead. It was a distinct smell you quickly grew accustomed to, and grew to relate to the man quickly. Leaning into his embrace, you closed your eyes in bliss. "I would love you in any reality, (Y/n), Warrior or not."