In Love With A Monster (Armin X Annie)

~Chapter Seven~

Armin began to pack away his clothes, his head was still rushing. He needed an excuse, a cause. He needed a reason to be allowed permission for a horse so he could go back to the castle. The stables would be on full surveillance from the last time a horse was taken. Armin wandered to the windows, the stables were viable from this view, it looked like there were only a couple of guards on standby.

"Armin?" Eren called. "What are you doing?"

"I just..." Armin knew he had to decide what to say quickly, something to leave the room and have none of them follow him. "I need to go to the toilet."

The boys faces all screwed up, they didn't need or want to know that instead they just waved their arms around, telling him to just leave the room without another word. Luckily, Armin hadn't been in the room for more than 20 minutes and he was so consumed in thought the whole time he hadn't yet taken off any of his attire so it wasn't strange that he left fully clothed in uniform. His odm gear however was dropped off in the armoury where it always stayed, luckily no one was on watch there and it would be easy to grab. On his way down the hall, he heard footsteps approaching, the noise was followed by the sound of things tumbling and hitting the ground. Turning the corner, Armin caught Sasha with bread and potatoes clearly stuffed in her pockets. She didn't even see him, she was too busy picking up all the food she had just dropped.

Armin cleared his throat, she stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at him. Shame was visible on her face.

"Good evening, Armin." She said calmly, she hoped he couldn't see any of the scattered potatoes laying on the ground but you'd have to be a moron not to notice.

"Hungry?" He asked.

Sasha groaned and she went back to picking up her food and stuffing them back into her pockets. "It's our last night in Stohess before we leave, the food will just be laying around once we go, it was begging to just be eaten!"

"It's for the MP's, Sasha." Armin replied.

"Because they don't have enough food?" Sasha huffed. She was a proud scout and wouldn't pick another regiment for the world but sometimes she felt envy of the MP's. Every night they had good full meals while a lot of days the scouts would go without more than a sliver of bread and water. "Please, please, please don't tell captain Levi!" She begged Armin. Levi wasn't pleased the last time Sasha was caught stockpiling food for herself, he revoked her meal privileges for days.

Just then, genius stuck.

"I won't." Armin began and Sasha could feel a wave of relief sweep over her. "If you give me 2 pieces of bread and a potato."

Her mouth dropped, she audibly gasped more than was necessary but to Sasha, her excessive meals were more than necessary. She didn't have much of a choice and gave Armin the bread and potato, off he went to the armoury without another word.

After the armoury, Armin finally made it outside and the stables were in his line of sight. The two on duty there were both MP's, neither of which knew Armin and Armin knew neither. He had an idea, it would be a fairly long shot but if it worked he could go.

He calmly approached the stables and went to go and retrieve a horse when one of the MP's restricted Armin from going any further.

"What's your business at this hour?" One of them asked.

"I have a command from Captain Levi Ackerman, I'm to be given a horse to deliver a message." Armin replied, his exterior was calm and collected but inside his anxiety was at an all time high.

The MP's looked at one another, they both shook their heads. Neither of them heard of an order to give a horse, especially at this hour.

"We haven't heard of this so move along." The second MP said as he waved Armin away.

Armin just shrugged, "You can ask him if you please but at this time he wouldn't be happy - not happy at all. He will be even unhappier if this message isn't delivered but on your head be it." Armin sighed. He turned around and began walking away but in his head began counting the seconds. From the look on both the MP's faces Armin could dictate his plan was about to work.

"Wait!" The MP yelled after him. "Uh- the horse is all yours!"

It was common knowledge amongst MP's that they all had a fear of captain Levi, they would visibly tremble any time he was around.  Armin knew this thanks to Hitch. She told him during one of their conversations that if there was even a chance captain Levi would become angry at them, they would all avoid that possibility.

In the pitch dark of night, Armin had now set off to Utgard castle. She ought to be there, she must. If she wasn't he didn't know what he would do, he was owed this, just one chance to see her, only one. All he had done for her. Stalling the search party, keeping quiet about her ring, and of course, breaking her out in the first place. After a while Utgard was in his sight, Armin slowed his horse down and tied the reins to a nearby post within the ruins. If Annie was able to spot Armins group and hide last time, she would be able to do the same this time too. He made his way into the castle, pushing the door open gently but it didn't matter how quiet he was, he instantly felt an arm curl around his neck from behind and a sharp object being held to his back.

"Make a sound and you're dead." A low voice grumbled.

"Annie?" Armin knew that voice anywhere, it was her.

"Armin?" She asked, she took her hands off him and dropped her weapon. He turned to face her, she barely looked herself. In the dreams she always looked healthy and well, she sounded it too. There was never an indication that there wasn't but what he saw before him was a pale, fragile girl. She looked thin, like she hadn't eaten in days. Her skin was closer to pure white than her natural colour and she barley had enough strength to stand. Before Armin knew it, her feet collapsed underneath her. Armin caught her before she hit the ground and he pressed the back of his hand gently against her forehead. She was burning up.

"Annie, what happened?" His concern was too strong to hide, it was clear on his face.

Annie could see the distress within him too, she just shook her head. She was always like this, she never liked others caring for her. "I'm fine." Even saying that was difficult for her.

She was light in his hands, it felt like she was barely more than air. She was struggling to keep her eyes open at all, her breath was faint. At this point she seriously needed help, it looked like a matter of life or death.

"You need to get help, you need medicine, Annie." Armin was still holding her up with his arms.

Annie didn't like that. She tried to tell him no, she tried to say that she was okay, but her words barely sounded like a faint whisper when they came out her mouth. She tried to push him off her, insisting she could sit up herself but they both knew that she'd just collapse again. Armin instead sat her against the wall and took off his cape to wrap around her.

"Here." Armin took out one of the potatoes Sasha gave him, "You need to eat."

Annie took a look at the potato and then at Armin, "Is this bribery?" It was clear she was still having trouble trusting him.

Armin shook his head, "Can you just eat, please?" Annie could detect the stress in his voice and she took the potato, taking small bites until it was finished.

Armin had so much to ask her, there were so many things he wanted to know but she would never be able to answer them in this state. He needed to get her to safety, somewhere where she would have food, warmth, at least a bed or a pillow to rest her head if only for a night so she could recover.

He knew a place. She would be okay. But Annie wouldn't allow him if she knew, he'd have to do this without her permission. It was for her own good.

Maybe one day, she'd even thank him.