Call of the Broken (and Eremin fanfiction)

Reunion

The two of them sat in silence , staring at each other for what felt like an eternity. The world seemed to stop around them as Armin slowly and shakily started to pull his weak body forward. He reached his hands forward and gently placed them on Eren's face.

"Are-are you...real?" he asked in a shaky voice as tears started to crawl down his face. Eren reached his hand up and placed it on Armin's hand, flinching at how bony his fingers were.

"Y-yes." he stammered. Armin let out a sob as he wrapped his arms around Eren's waste and buried his face into his chest. Eren was still in shock as he wrapped his arm around his best friend's shoulder. How was this possible? Seven years. There's no way he could've...for seven years! Eren closed his eyes as tears started flowing down his face. Eren hugged Armin tighter and bent his head forward.

"It's ok, I'm here now."

The Levi squad flew through the trees on their ODM gear, following Eren.

"Damn that brat!" Oruo growled.

"He definitely has guts," Gunther commented.

"Yeah well if those guts get him killed humanity loses a fighting chance," Levi stated. The rest of the squad nodded in agreement.

"Captain down there!" Petra yelled, pointing downwards. They all stopped and looked down where she was pointing. Their eyes widened and Petra gasped as they saw Eren cradling figure in his arms.

"But...that's impossible..."

"All of you, stay up here and keep watch!" Levi commanded as he started to move towards the ground. He hit the floor, barely even flinching, and walked over to Eren. He bent down on his knee.

"Eren, who is that?" Eren turned around, the shock still obvious on his face.

"This is...Armin," he eventually he said in a shaky voice as if he couldn't believe what was happening. "He went missing...seven years ago..." Levi frowned. 

"Let's get going."

Eren took off his jacket and wrapped it around Armin, helping him slip his arms in, before helping him to his feet, his stomach dropped at how light he was. Armin breathed shakily as he tried to stand on his own but his legs kept giving out from under him. After a few attempts, Eren sighed and picked Armin up, cradling him gently as he carried him through the trees. His body so light, he was able to do it effortlessly. Armin looked up at Eren as tears filled his eyes again.

"I'm sorry..." he said weakly. Eren looked down at him and gave him a gentle smile.

"Don't be," he whispered in a soothing tone.

Once they reached the path where the horses were tied up, Eren climbed onto his horse and Eld helped Armin onto the horse behind him. Armin wrapped his arms around Eren's waste and clung onto him as tightly as he could. Eren felt sick at how weak his friend had become. The squad galloped out of the forest and across the field back to Wall Rose.