|𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠e𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞| ᵃʳᵐⁱⁿ ᵃˡᵉʳᵗ

|7| He'll Need Us Again Someday

*Warnings: Language*

-PARADIS, 104th SOUTHERN CADET CORPS TRAINING CAMP-

The day was coming to the end as the sun set along the dry plain. Y/n was ready in her uniform and left her cabin at the time her and Armin agreed earlier. She waited a couple minutes until she saw his blonde bob from a distance. She began walking over as he gave her a smile. She wondered that maybe her interest in Armin is out of guilt and pity, rather than genuine likeness. Either way, it was wrong to have any sort of relationship while she was on her mission, she could put everyone in danger of being found out and she knew this.

They made it down to Mikasa, who was helping Eren get into the harness properly. "Just remember the basic's and you'll be fine," Mikasa told him as she turned to Y/n and Armin. She sent her a smile and continued to help Eren. "No need to try any fancy maneuvers, just focus on your balance, then distribute your weight evenly between the belts on your waist and your legs."

"Try loosening up your stance a little bit," Y/n suggested. "If you're too stiff balancing is going to be a lot harder, and it'll hurt more if you hit the ground." Eren nodded.

"If I can do it, I know you can," Armin added with an encouraging look on his face. Y/n couldn't help but to stare, though she shook herself out of it pretty quickly.

"Okay, a loose but balanced stance," Eren repeated to himself, nodded to himself as he did. "Okay, lets go." Armin hoisted him up by winding up the wires connected to the metal frame and Eren's belt. As soon as his feet were off the ground, he panicked, shouted and face planted. They all quickly ran to unclip him and got him up off the ground.

"All good Eren," Y/n said with an assuring, "we can try again another day."

"Yeah, there's still hope, I know you can get it," Armin told him slinging Eren's arm around his shoulder.

"You're concussed, we'll take you to first aid," Mikasa said sternly as she also slung Eren's arm over her shoulder.

-Dinner-

Eren, Armin, Mikasa and Y/n sat together, despite Y/n usually sitting with her fellow Warriors or Krista and Ymir. Annie sent her a 'what-are-you-doing' look from the other tables as Y/n shook it off. As she sat silently, she overheard all the things people were saying about Eren. He unfortunately heard them all too, but he sat there with his head wrapped in a bandage, too dazed to fight for justice in that moment. But Y/n noticed something, it was very subtle but she knows it all too well. Steam coming from the top of his head, not a lot and from a distance no one would be able to see it, but Y/n was sitting across from him.

"Hey Eren?" she questioned as he hummed in response. "What's your last name again?"

"Oh- Jaeger, why?" Eren answered unbothered. Y/n managed to hide the shocked look on her face. Y/n was fishing for something that related to Marley or something to do with Titan Shifters and she got the last name of her beloved older Warrior, Zeke. Maybe it's a coincidence, she thought, though it's still worth mentioning to the others. I mean, this can't actually be possible, and if it is, then what the fuck.

"Just wondering," she answered as the rest of them began talking about Eren's training. Y/n excused herself a little while after her question as not to seem suspicious. She headed over to the Warriors and sat down.

"Y/n what are you up to?" Bertholdt asked.

"Eren's last name is Jaeger," she said as they all gave each other confused looks.

"As in...?" Annie asked, suggesting Zeke without actually saying anything.

"Yeah that's exactly what I thought too," Y/n answered. "I think he has something to do with why we're here, I think he's important."

"Or do you just want to spend more time with that blondey you've been ogling at all day," Reiner added with a scoff.

"I have not been ogling at him, and it has not been all day, a few hours at most," she answered as she got up to leave again. "Just, consider what I have to say, I might be right." As she walked away she realised she forgot to mention the steam, but she'd do that another day.

The bell rung for dinner to end as Y/n watched Mikasa eat her bread in front of Sasha just as she looked as though she was giving it too her. The look on Sasha's face was priceless. "Come on Sasha!" Y/n shouted out to her, "I'm sure someone's got some crumbs left around there face for you to pick at!" Sasha rolled her eyes as she walked over to Y/n, Mikasa sent her a chuckle as she got up with her also.

Y/n was in a cabin with the both of them, and Annie too but she had already left before them. "So, how'd it go with Eren?"

"He's still determined to kill every titan in the world and become the best solider," Mikasa sighed but it had a sort of happy undertone too it.

"He reminds me of Reiner when we we're younger, all he wanted to do was prove himself worthy for-" Y/n was about to say 'Marley' but hesitated before rethinking. "For retaking our land and becoming a solider."

"So you grew up together?" Sasha asked as she pulled out food from her pocket. Y/n wasn't even bothered by it anymore.

"Uh yeah, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie and I. All in the same village," she told them. That was the story they all had agreed on upon arriving here.

"Oh that's cool," Sasha added. "I'm the only one here from Dauper, how about you Mikasa?"

"Me, Eren and Armin, from Shinganshina but Eren already made that known on the first night," she answered as it was obvious. Y/n felt that familiar wave of guilt over her again, all she wanted was too redo her entire life. Grow up in Paradis instead, without the worry of Marley or having anything to do with them at all. Despite the people having to live in walls, Y/n loved this place more than anything. She felt that people actually liked her for once, and that people respected her. For once in her life, she wasn't a weapon, she was a human being.

-The Next Day-

ODM training began again, Eren being the only one who hadn't passed. Everyone gathered around like a moth to a flame to watch him. Most people were snickering and talking about how embarrassing his fall would be this time around. But as for Y/n, Mikasa and Armin, they watched in the hopes he wouldn't fall on his face for the thousandth time.

As his feet rose from the ground, everyone was in awe. Eren had done it...well only for a couple seconds. He fell and hit the back of his head against the ground. "No, not yet! One more time! I can do it!" he shouted as Shadis walked up to him, staring at his ragdoll like figure dangling from the harness.

"Lower him," Shadis ordered as Eren was lowered, now on all fours in front of him. He shuffled his body up and sat on his heels.

"I'm- finished," Eren mumbled shakily.

"Wagner, please exchange belts with Jaeger," Shadis told the blonde boy who had lowered Eren to the ground. He obliged, switching the belts over with Eren as he tried again. This time, he did it perfectly, with ease too, like he had been doing it his whole life. Eren was in shock. "Your equipment was defective, if given a piece of functional gear, you might not be worthless after all."

It turns out the clasp on his belt was broken. But even while wearing the busted gear, he had done it for a second, and none of the cadets in the crowd let that go unnoticed. The whispering that was once negative from some people, were now in awe of Eren's abilities. Armin nudged Y/n and chuckled, "looks like he didn't need us after all."

"Eh- he'll need us again someday," Y/n answered with a shrug as she turned to the blonde boy.

"And when he does, the three of us will be there," Mikasa added, looking at Y/n specifically.

"So what, have you adopted me into your clique now or something?" Y/n asked sort of confused by the way she was looking at her.

Mikasa gave her a small smile, "I think I like you more than I thought I would." Y/n smiled back as they all turned to Eren who was celebrating his success. But as Y/n scanned over everyone around her, the wave of guilt, but it was a little different this time. Like she was grieving over the fact she would have to leave this place, back to her life of abuse and war. She'd have to betray each and everyone of them. But what if I find another way....

-

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