Indefinitely - Armin X Reader

Chapter 39 | Aftermath

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When I awoke, the room was bathed in the light of the afternoon sun.

The heat was slightly uncomfortable, pressing down on my chest and trapping my legs, almost leaving me immobile aside from my upper half. I could see dust particles floating lazily through the air, contrasted against light of the sun coming in through the window. Distantly, I realized that I had been placed in a bed, the sheets resting over me creating a sheen of sweat that stuck to my legs and made my face irritated. I shifted around softly, trying to free my body from it's suffocating burrow under the blankets before I felt it - an overwhelming, stabbing pain in my thigh that shot up my spine and dissipated along my nerves as it realized itself, sending my body into agony.

Ah, I forgot about that. Wait holy shit I'm alive.

I shut my eyes as a weak groan escaped my lips, gritting my teeth, forcing myself to work through the pain. It sounded weak and broken, voice croaky and almost absent, however the pain had started to subside slightly as I grew more and more conscious. I remembered being trapped, my body crushed by rumble and timber, thrown around in the air by the Female Titan's movements. I remembered the terror, the panic, and the blinding agony that had taken over my body, only barely curbed by the adrenaline flooding my system.

Annie.

Ignoring the pain, I sat up sharply, sucking air through my teeth as I still felt the ache in my leg. Placing my hands behind me for support, I looked wildly around the room, searching for a familiar face, any kind of presence, an indication of what the earlier battle had caused, or how it had ended.

What happened to Annie?

Looking around frantically, I caught sight of a blond mop of hair rested on the bedsheets near my legs, half keeping my legs underneath the covers. Despite my harsh movement, the blond didn't stir. He lay still, breathing steadily, chest rising and falling as he snored softly.

He must be exhausted.

I smiled weakly at the sight of Armin resting as close to me as he could, head nestled in the crook of his arm with his nose slightly scrunched, other arm extended out towards where my own hand was previously lying. I wondered what he was dreaming of; maybe he was dreaming over the ocean, as his expression was peaceful. The sun was just out of his eyes, lighting up his hair. He was sitting on a chair that was pulled as close to my bed as he could get it, legs tucked underneath, and somehow even though he had zero control of his form, he still looked dainty and perfect. Obviously he wasn't feeling the warmth of the sun as he continued to slumber, ignorant of the heat, or maybe it was only affecting me as I was under the sheets.

As gently as I could, I shuffled backwards, pulling my legs out from their prison while trying not to disturb Armin. He deserved to rest after the horrible days we'd had that seemed to fall one day after the other, leaving no time to process anything or even rest. Once I was free from the covers, I turned and hung my legs over the side of the bed, examining my wound. The fabric of the pants I was wearing had been ripped above my thigh so whoever had dressed my wound had easier access, and it seemed like that while I'd been asleep, someone had changed my shirt to one of my more comfortable sleeping shirts. My wound had been tightly wrapped, making sure that no blood would escape; enough to stop some of the pain but not cut off the circulation in my leg. It appeared that the piece of wood had been removed by a nurse, and I sighed; it would be okay. The pain was a little more bearable now, but I guessed that I'd always had a slightly higher pain tolerance than others.

I snapped my head up as I recalled Eren and Mikasa.

Oh fuck, are they okay? Why wouldn't they be here?