Against The Tide

Chapter Two: Promise

Armin and Mikasa retired inside the little cabin just in time to beat a sudden rainstorm. The sky had turned gray, and the rain began to fall quickly. It transformed from a drizzle to a full-on downpour very fast. Given the season though, the rain was quite common. The grass quickly became slick, and long streams of rainwater ran down from the roof of the cabin. Before going inside, Armin had left his mount inside the vacant stall next to Mikasa's mare, both horses protected and sheltered from the unpleasant weather. As Armin and Mikasa entered the cabin, Armin took a second to take in the interior of the little home.

The hardwood floors were newer looking, a cozy brown color and the wooden cabin walls were only slightly lighter. There was a little seating area with two dark brown couches facing each other, with a coffee table sitting between them, all of it sitting on a lavar Kerman patterned rug. There was also a large stone fireplace that sat against the wall, just behind this seating area, facing the armrests and sides of the couches. On the opposite side of the seating area, closer to the front door and window was a desk with a chair, and a tall shelf filled with dozens of thick, hardcover books. Most of them seemed to be books on hunting, fishing, herbs, wildlife, and topics like that. There were rather pretty scone lights mounted on the wall, spaced out to provide enough lighting in the room. They were lit by flame, appearing like a more modern candle. To the left of the large front room, was the kitchen area. There were a few dark wooden counters, a sink on one of them, an icebox fridge, and a black stove and oven. Apart from little accents, like a bread box, a barrel for rubbish, and a tea kettle, the only other part was a circular wooden table with a couple of chairs surrounding it. It became evident just like Paradis, that this country lacked the electricity Marley had, but did have indoor plumbing.

There were two doors on the wall that connected the living room and kitchen. One was closer to the kitchen area, and it led into a bathroom with a bath, shower, and all the other needed furniture. The other was closer to the fireplace and led into the bedroom. The bedroom had a king-sized bed with a dark brown comforter, pillows, and a headboard. There were two bedside tables on either side with lanterns on each one, a wardrobe on the opposite side of the room, and a window seat in the large window on the left side of the room. There was a similar rug in the bedroom as there was in the living room. Lastly, there was a square door on the floor right between the living room and kitchen, likely leading to a cellar for storage. Once Armin had taken the cozy little home in, he noticed Mikasa leaning against him a bit heavily.

"T..thank you, Armin.." Mikasa said quietly, as she felt an overwhelming sense of relief and comfort.

Knowing she wouldn't be sleeping alone in this cabin, knowing someone she trusted and loved would be right by her side...it made her feel like she could finally relax. After all, while normally Mikasa was more than capable of defending herself, being pregnant limited what she could do. And the isolation of a cabin, which was a good two miles from the nearest town. Mikasa had been plagued with nightmares and anxiety on top of everything as well, this reminding her a lot of her parent's living situation. Only her parents had each other, they weren't alone. Not...that it matters much in the end, given how they died. But still...having someone here with Mikasa, especially someone she knew and trusted, brought great relief to the young veteran. With Armin here, she felt safer. Almost as if her unborn baby was happy to have someone here too, Mikasa could feel a small kick in her abdomen as she placed her hand on it gently.

Once inside the bedroom, Mikasa sat down on the soft bed, feeling exhausted as she leaned back against the pillows, allowing herself to relax for the first time in a while. Armin had stuck close to her side while they had walked into the cabin and settled into bed. As he continued to gently hold her arm, guiding her carefully towards the room, Armin couldn't help but notice the comfortable structure of the small home. It was well-maintained and perfectly hidden. Despite his opinions of him, Armin couldn't help but praise Eren for providing such a wonderful home for the family..despite the fact he decided to leave. Armin's glare hardened, he couldn't understand it. Why build this home, this life...just to leave after Mikasa told him she was pregnant? Armin's blue eyes shifted over to Mikasa as she settled into the pillows. Armin gave her a warm smile, gently reaching his hand out to grasp hers carefully, ensuring his presence. His eyes fell on her swollen belly again, his brow furrowing in worry.

"How far along are you, Mikasa?" He asked, realizing he hadn't thought to question that yet. Mikasa looked down softly, caressing her swollen stomach before answering.

"About six months...Eren left...the morning after I told him so..." She replied quietly. Armin frowned worriedly, she was over halfway through her pregnancy already. How long had she waited before she reached out for his help? He wanted to ask, as he had many more questions but he could easily recognize how exhausted she was, and so for now he withheld any more questions, not wanting to overwhelm Mikasa.