Indefinitely - Armin X Reader

Chapter 13 | Surprise

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Inside HQ

First Mikasa, then Connie, then Armin and I; we all made to fly towards HQ, running towards the end of the roof closest towards where the titan was walking away. Just before Armin got to the end of the roof, he seemed to remember that he wasn't wearing his gear, as it was now on Mikasa, and he looked at me shyly. I grinned and put one arm around his waist, and the other I hooked under his legs, scooping him up in to my arms, and then ran to the edge of the roof and jumped off with ease. Before this I had sheathed my blades so that I didn't need to worry about my blades getting in the way, so I was just holding my ODM handles, Armin's arms wrapped around my neck.

"Told you I could do it." I teased, his body pressed tightly against mine.

"I know." He murmured, his face slightly red, however he tightened his grip on me. "I trust you not to let me get killed."

I smiled at him. "Same goes." I noticed his eyes were still a little distant. Despite him being able to talk and move around now, it was clear that he was still deeply shaken by the events of today.

I was traveling a little slower due to the extra weight, so Connie and Mikasa were well ahead of me, the latter who was clearing away the titans that were near the muscled titan, but only the ones that weren't in the direction of HQ. As Armin had predicted, the titan was heading straight for the remaining titans. I saw with a rising sense of hope that the titan was heading for HQ due to it having no enemies in any other direction.

"It worked? It worked! Oh, Armin, you genius, I could kiss you!" I cried out, pressing my head against the blonds own, as it was my only way of showing affection due to still being mid air not being able to move my hands freely. Armin started stuttering a few bashful words, flustered at my bold outburst.

"We have a chance now!"

The 'good titan' as I had now dubbed it, had made it all the way to HQ, leaving behind titan corpses in it's wake, the steam creating a trail for myself to follow as Mikasa and Connie were a ways ahead, taking on the role of bodyguards. I noticed two titans peering in a broken window on one of the walls of HQ, and I took a guess that the window must've been broken when Jean and the others attempted to get inside. Worry pierced my chest as I realised all it would take for my friends to be in danger was one grasping hand, but it was immediately relieved when the good titan punch the two titans out of the way, and I was further corrected when I saw some small figures standing on the other side of the hole. I changed my aim from the roof to the broken window, deciding to just regroup with everyone else immediately rather than have to go in from the roof. I increased in speed, untethering my hooks in preparation to land, but just as we were a few metres from the hole, I felt the force behind me disappear as my gas ran out.

With a meter to spare, and yells from both Armin and myself, we managed to land just inside the building, tumbling to the ground, and mere moments after we were joined by Connie and Mikasa, the four of us forming a big heap. Despite the gear pressing up against me and creating more bruises, I couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh in success.

We made it. Most of us... made it.

"Mikasa!" Jean finally burst out, after previously opening and closing his mouth like a fish. "I thought you... you were... am I dreaming?"

"Phew, that was lucky," I remarked, standing up and brushing off my clothes, not paying Jean much attention. "To think that a few more metres and we wouldn't have made it... god." I looked up and saw Jean still staring at Mikasa.