It was a tired old game, one that Armin was more than familiar with. The bullies come, see his girly face and physique, and they have a heyday. It was nothing new. He was accustomed to trudging home with a bloody nose or a split lip. At some point, it just became commonplace. No longer did he run crying to his grandfather, who was too old to really do anything about it other than patch the poor boy up. He did that himself now, going straight to the bathroom and taking the first aid kit from under the sink. It was a lonely existence, but one he was capable of handling. It wasn't worth the hassle of fighting back, so he simply took it.
He never dreamed that someone would stand up for him. He wasn't worth the time or the pain involved in the inevitable fight that would follow, and he was aware of that. There was no sense in tricking himself into thinking that anyone would care. He didn't look at passerby with begging eyes, didn't draw attention to himself. Why make their decision to walk away any harder? Armin hadn't earned their protection, and he didn't expect it. The strong prey on the weak, that was just the world he lived in.
So when the kicks suddenly stopped coming one day, it was quite a surprise. The kids that picked on him usually persisted until he was unconscious, or they thought he was, or something else grabbed their attention. Looking up tentatively, for who knew what they had planned, he was shocked to find all of the bullies currently engaged in fighting with another boy. He vaguely recognized the chocolatey locks, the passionate green eyes that seemed to glow eerily as the boy fought. Perhaps they shared a class? Regardless, the boy was fighting on his behalf, something no one had done before.
Armin wished he could will his limbs to move, to assist the boy, but he was frozen. From shock, maybe, or perhaps fear. Who knew; The boy might have been planning to have a go at Armin once he'd gotten rid of all of the others. He was making quick work of it too, several of the group already having fled, only a couple of persistent boys and a girl left. But, once he'd proven he wasn't scared to hit a girl, they too stomped off, leaving Armin alone with the new presence, watching the boy's chest rise and fall heavily as he panted. He saw the girl's head swivel back around, sending a particularly nasty glare their way before she disappeared around a corner.
After calming his breaths, the boy leaned over, offering Armin a hand, which he hesitantly took, letting the other boy heft him up onto his feet, albeit shakily. He was given a gentle pat down, wincing when unfamiliar hands brushed over fresh and old bruises alike. But he wasn't broken anywhere, which seemed enough for the relative stranger.
"You alright?" He asked at last, dusting off Armin's pants where dirt had gathered.
"Y-Yes." He squeaked, backing up a bit, unused to the attention. The boy only smiled, sticking his hand out. Armin looked at it warily.
"I'm Eren. We're in the same homeroom, and we have a few classes together." He supplied. Armin finally took his hand, shaking it softly.
"Armin." He mumbled, retracting from Eren quickly. "Thank you." He added, almost as an afterthought. It was rude, he knew, but he'd never had anyone step in before, so he wasn't used to thanking his savior.
"No problem. Does that happen often?" Eren asked, receiving a nod. "Like, daily?" He prompted.
"Yeah. But I'm used to it, don't worry." Armin said sadly, looking for his book bag, which he found a few feet away from where he'd been jumped, his books strewn about. He sighed, beginning the process of collecting his belongings.
"That's not very comforting. Have you talked to a teacher about it?" Eren asked, following on his heels, picking some of the books off of the ground.
"It won't do much good. At most, they'll get suspended for a while, then come back, twice as angry." Armin reasoned, shoving the books Eren handed him into his bag. "I can handle them like this. If they were bearing an actual grudge though?"
Eren huffed, grabbing a small pile of pens from the grass, straightening them out before handing them off to the blonde.
"Where do you live?" He asked, Armin's body going rigid.
"U-Um..." He stuttered. Eren must have caught on to his hesitance.
"I'm only asking to see if we live close to each other. If we do, then I can walk home with you." He explained quickly, helping Armin shoulder his bag. Armin thought about it for a while. On the one hand, this boy could simply be playing nice to get some info out of him. He could be the newest inductee into the group of kids that relished in beating him up, and this was some sort of rite of passage. On the other hand, he could be a new friend, something Armin hadn't had since he'd hit puberty and it became apparent that he wasn't going to lose his more feminine looks any time soon. And, if that day's fight had anything to say on the matter, Eren would be a good friend to have.
"...I live in the Shiganshina district." He offered. This earned him a grin from the other boy, who hiked his own bag up on his shoulder.
"Great! It's settled then, let's go!" Eren interjected, clapping a hand against Armin's shoulder, which made him yelp. "Oh, sorry, you're probably sore, huh? I wasn't thinking. I do that a lot; not thinking. Sorry in advance." He laughed, and Armin felt his lips pulling into a soft smile as well.
"That's alright... I think too much, so it balances out." He offered, falling into step beside Eren. The brunette grinned.
"Yeah, you're always reading whenever I see you. You must be a mini expert about so many things!" He exclaimed suddenly, Armin jumping at the loudness of the boy's voice.
"Um, yeah, I guess. There's always more to learn though. It's impossible to know everything about anything. That's why reading never gets boring." He explained, turning a corner.
"That's a cool way of thinking. I'm terrible at reading, so I don't do much of it beyond what's required. Even then, my book projects are abysmal. I bet you get top marks on yours, huh?" Eren wondered, and Armin blushed.
"Sometimes." He admitted. "There's this girl that sometimes does a little better than me. I don't remember her name though."
"Is it Mikasa, by chance?" Eren inquired, and Armin nodded.
"Yes, that's her!" He affirmed. "How'd you know?"
"That's my sister. She never boasts about her grades, but you can totally see her smug little look underneath the scarf. Pisses me off. So it's great when you beat her, cause she comes home totally crestfallen. Actually, that kind of sucks, cause she's really intolerant with me, and, hate to say it, she's handed me my ass plenty of times. She's pretty scary." Eren trailed, a small shiver racking his frame. "But she's nice enough. I bet the two of you would get along." He added. Armin didn't reply. He didn't tend to get along with anyone. Not that he was a rude boy, he just didn't hold people's attention. Whenever he thought he'd made a new friend, it always turned out that they just wanted to copy his homework, or get help on a project. After that, they'd mysteriously lose his number, or their phone, and were always busy when he wanted to see them, until, eventually, he just gave up and returned to his solitary life.
The only friend he could really claim was Marco Bodt, who he'd met in elementary school. Unfortunately, the freckled boy had moved to Trost, and it was hard to keep in contact. They did occasionally Skype, but Marco was kept pretty busy by his boyfriend, and Armin didn't like to interrupt.
"Anyway, I can start walking home with you after school every day, if you want. We're heading the same direction in the first place, and it might get those douchenozzles to back off. And if they don't, I'll just kick their faces in for you. Sound good?" He asked, smiling toothily in Armin's direction. The blonde was stunned for a moment, just staring at the other boy like he'd grown an extra row of teeth and pointy ears. He hadn't, but he might as well have. That sounded an awful lot like an offer of companionship. Did that mean that Eren wanted to be friends?
"If you want to copy off of my homework, or you want help with your book project, just say so. I'll let you. You don't have to go out of your way like this." Armin muttered. The other boy frowned, his brows knitting. "I'd rather not get my hopes up."
"Huh? No, I was just wondering if you want to walk home together. I'm not trying to con you or anything. Help on book reports would be a super awesome bonus though. I swear, I don't even know what I'm reading half the time. But you don't have to help if you don't want to. Don't you know how the friend thing works? There's no 'you owe me this because I did that.'" Eren mused, and Armin's eyes started to feel a little glassy.
"You want... To be friends?" Armin tried, the word sounding foreign on his tongue.
"Well, yeah, that's kind of what I was getting at, I guess. I've noticed you kind of keep to yourself, and, honestly, I'm kind of the same. Actually, I'm just hard to get along with. I end up picking fights even when I don't mean to. So, yeah, it'd be nice to have a friend that isn't my sister." Eren decided, grinning again. Armin processed the information, then smiled brightly.
"Okay! Friends!" He agreed, sticking his hand out and shaking Eren's again, as if they'd just met. Eren laughed, nodding.
"Yeah, great." Eren mused. "About time..." He mumbled quietly, almost to himself.
"About time?" Armin prompted.
"Yes. I've been trying to talk to you forever, but you always kind of ignore me." He explained, dragging his feet a bit.
"What? When did I do that?" Armin wondered, trying to think back to a time Eren had spoken to him.
"I've tried a few times, even in the past month or so. You weren't really rude, you just kind of shuffled away and hid your face in a book. I get it though, you don't get a lot of people that talk to you."
"Oh, wow, I'm so sorry, I didn't even realise!" Armin groaned, running a hand down his face.
"It's alright, I got my chance today. And we're friends now, right?" Eren offered. Armin smiled, nodding.
"Right!" He confirmed, coming to a halt.
"Uh... why did you stop walking?" Eren asked. Armin giggled.
"This is my house." He replied, pointing over his shoulder. Eren looked up at the structure, noting how old and totally haunted it looked, all broken shutters and chipping paint, the lawn growing a little too tall, the bright green grass coming up to about the middle of his calf.
"Oh, um..."
"It's not as scary as it looks, I promise. Anyway, thanks for helping me earlier, and walking me home. See you tomorrow?" Armin hoped, smiling shyly.
"Yeah, for sure. But..." Eren began, and Armin's face fell. Here it came. It had been too good to be true. "Can I have your number? Sorry if it seems a little sudden, but I'm not really sure when is a good time to ask, so I figured..." Armin cut him off, taking his phone out of his pocket, opening a new contact then handing it to the brunette.
"Here, fill in your info, and I'll text you so you have my number." Armin offered.
"Ugh, I hate stupid smartphones and their impossible touch screens... How do you even..." Eren grumbled, but set to work putting his name and number into the phone. "There." He finished, handing it back. Armin opened a new message, sending a 'hi' to the new number. A buzzing sounded from Eren's pocket, and he pulled his own phone out, a decrepit and battered flip phone that looked to be on its last limb.
"I got it, thanks. How do you spell your name?" He asked, and Armin spelled it aloud. "Alright, well, see you!" Eren called, waving as he continued down the sidewalk, Armin walking up the path to his house. He managed to close the door before he slid to the ground, a huge smile plastered over his face. He'd made a friend. He'd gotten his number. He was cute.
Armin blushed as he thought that, but he wouldn't deny it. Eren had everything that Armin found attractive; A masculine form, but not overly built muscles, bright eyes, dark hair, a nice smile, and, even better, an apparently good personality. Maybe he was a little star struck because the boy had saved him, just maybe. But there was no denying that he was Armin's type.
"What's got your panties all in knots, you blushing virgin?" A voice called from the stairs, and Armin whipped his head in the direction of the voice, his eyes falling on his companion, and he sighed.
"Hello Levi." He replied, standing up and walking over to the stairs where Levi sat. "Isn't it kind of risky for you to be out here? What if grandpa sees you?" He wondered. Levi scoffed, hopping up onto his shoulder with ease.
"The old fart is out, shitwiffer. How was your day?" He demanded. Armin winced as the small creature pulled at his hair. What Levi was, he had yet to figure out. His best guess was a fairy, considering how small the man was. The little wings protruding from his shoulders helped with that theory too. But his foul mouth made it a little hard for Armin to imagine him dancing around with other fairies, covered in sparkling fairy dust. The wings were like bird wings anyway, so he wasn't pixie-perfect. When Armin had brought the theory up, he'd gotten quite the chewing out, then he'd watched black and white wings fly right out the window. Levi came back a few minutes later, covered in snow and cursing the elements, but he'd made his point.
"It was alright. I think I made a friend." Armin replied, trudging up the stairs to his room, setting his bag down.
"Oh yeah? Are they as much of a pansy as you?" Levi wondered. Armin rolled his eyes. The little man meant well, he just had a harsh way of putting it.
"No. He helped me out today, actually. He fought off those kids that always pick on me." He offered, watching Levi's face to see if his emotion changed at all. It didn't.
"Not bad. But you could take care of them yourself, fuckface." Levi reminded him sharply. Armin sighed, sitting on his bed.
"It's not worth the trouble Levi. I'd rather save that for a time when I really need it." He trailed, earning a huff from the smaller.
"Whatever. How's the self esteem?" Levi asked, fluttering in front of Armin's face and tugging on his bangs.
"Hmm... Well... I only got beat up once today, and then someone helped me, and I even got his number, so I'd say I'm at about 45%." Armin decided, blowing a puff of air that shocked the little man enough that he backed off. This, of course, did not go unpunished, and Armin's nose was promptly flicked.
"That's more than usual. You must like this shitty brat." Levi mused, perching on Armin's head.
"I guess I do, yeah." Armin agreed, taking his phone out and unlocking it. He scrolled through his contact list, which was painfully short, until he landed on the newest entry. Levi leaned over the crown of his head, hands fisting a few hairs to anchor himself while he looked as well.
"Eren Jaeger?" He read, sitting back again. "Just the name pisses me off. Sounds like an abrasive fuck." He commented. Armin could feel him messing with his hair, but he chose to ignore it, knowing Levi would just say something rude if he asked about it.
"The only abrasive one is you." He mumbled, staring down at the name. He felt a sharp tug, and yelped.
"What was that, pigshit?" Levi demanded, but Armin remained silent. "That's what I thought." He returned to the more gentle tousling of Armin's hair. They were quiet for a bit, Levi still messing with the blonde locks, Armin staring at the screen. "You know phones don't text for you, right brat?" Levi prompted, and Armin sighed.
"I know. I don't know what I could say though." He admitted.
"Tell him you want to suck his dick. I bet he'd come over." Levi replied.
"Levi!" Armin groaned, swatting him off of his head. Levi caught himself easily with his wings, landing on Armin's shoulder instead. Armin groaned,burying his face in his arms. Then he remembered that the smaller had been playing with his hair, and he brought a hand up to touch the area. "What were you even doing..." He felt around, his fingers feeling a certain texture, and he paused. "...Did you really braid my hair?" He asked, and Levi looked at him, just as bored looking as ever.
"Problem, cunt trumpet?" Levi inquired, his voice icy and dangerous. Armin shut his mouth, shaking his head. "Didn't think so. I'm not done either, so don't move your head, fucker." He commanded, hopping up to the crown of his head again. Armin sighed, holding still while Levi worked. He knew better than to interrupt when the dark haired creature was doing something he deemed important.
He, however, did flinch when his phone vibrated in his hand, a loud tone playing to alert him of a text.
"Holy shit, you got a text buttcrotch. Who's it from? Gramps?" Levi asked, leaning over to see as well.
"No, it's from... Eren..." Armin whispered, opening the text. He ignored whatever obscenity Levi muttered in favor of reading the words.
hey can I come over? Mika is in one of her moods I think you scored better than her on a test. plz
Armin smiled, turning his phone to have access to the full keyboard. He was quick when it came to texting, despite how rarely he did it.
Sure, I don't mind. Right now?
He hit send, and waited for a reply. It came about a minute later.
yes plz I like my balls where they are. leaving now
Armin laughed, standing up. His room was clean, but he hopped down the stairs and picked up the living room as well, unsure of where Eren would want to be when he arrived.
"Hey, asswipe, are you listening to me?" Levi shouted, now fluttering next to Armin's head.
"Huh? Oh, no, I'm sorry. What did you say?" He wondered, fluffing a pillow before putting it back on the couch. Levi's brow twitched.
"I said: What if I don't want this pig fucker over? Don't I get a say?" He demanded. Armin rolled his eyes, straightening up his games and DVDs, placing them back in their slots on the shelves.
"No, you don't. Now, if you aren't going to help me pick stuff up, then go away. And please, Levi, please, don't scare him off. I haven't had a friend in ages." Armin begged. Levi seemed fine at first, but eventually his expression crumbled and he sighed, flying off to retrieve a cloth to do some dusting. Whether his soft spot was for Armin or for cleaning, the blonde would never know. Maybe it was both. Regardless, he was thankful for it as his familiar returned, wiping down any surfaces he came into contact with.
Seemingly too soon, there was frantic knocking at the door, and Armin dropped the plastic cup he'd been about to take to the kitchen. Levi groaned, flying off into the kitchen, already muttering about not liking the cockgobbler, for he knocked obnoxiously. Armin fidgeted with his clothes, grabbing the cup and tossing it into the sink as he passed. When he opened the door, he was met with the sight of Eren, his cheeks a little flushed, as if he'd run.
"A-Are you alright?" Armin wondered, welcoming the other boy in.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just... I don't know, I guess I got a little paranoid. It felt kind of like I was being followed. Maybe I'm just scared Mikasa is going to tail me or something. She's particularly wrathful tonight. You must have beat her hardcore for her to be this testy." He laughed, taking his shoes off at the door when he noticed that Armin was in only socks. Armin blushed, closing the door.
"Which class was it? I got some bonus points on my arithmetic test..." He tried, and Eren nodded.
"Yeah, it was math. She didn't get the bonus question, and she made a mistake in her work on one of the questions, so she got 99. I wish I could get 99 on anything." Eren muttered, following Armin into the living room. "You were right, by the way. It's less creepy on the inside." He added. Armin giggled, sitting on the couch.
"It's just an old house. But Levi keeps it super clean most of the time, so..." He began.
"Levi?" Eren wondered, and Armin's lips sealed shut. He'd already messed up. How could he explain that one?
"U-Uh, yeah. He's my, um... My... Cousin! Yeah! He comes to stay over pretty frequently, and he's a neat freak, so..." He blurted.
"Oh, sounds nice. Mikasa makes me clean my own stuff up, and it can really be a hassle. Your cousin sounds great." Eren offered, and Armin frowned.
"Not really... He's got a foul mouth, and he pulls my hair, and calls me names, and makes me scrub the toilet for hours on end, and-OW!" He yelped, rubbing the back of his head, looking down to see the plastic cup he'd tossed into the sink laying on the floor. He glared in the direction of the kitchen, almost daring Levi to come out.
"Are you okay?" Eren exclaimed, looking from the cup to Armin.
"Yeah, fine, sorry." He assured, turning back around. Eren didn't look convinced.
"Is someone else here?" He wondered.
"No, just us." Armin replied, looking pointedly towards the sink.
"Then... Are you sure this place isn't haunted, because a cup just flew into your head, and..." Eren began, Armin sighing.
"Just ignore it, please." Armin requested.
"...Alright." Eren agreed, much to his companion's surprise. That wasn't something Armin could have let go, but if Eren could, all the better.
"So, what would you like to do?" Armin inquired, turning to face Eren.
"I'd like to ask you why your hair is braided, but I'm going to guess that's also a 'just ignore it'." He said. Armin's cheeks flushed, hand quickly finding the braid and twisting the hair between fingers.
"Oh my gosh, I forgot!" He groaned, making a mental note to whine at Levi later so the little man couldn't sleep. It was his only form of retaliation. "Levi braided it earlier." He tried to explain.
"So Levi was here?" Eren asked. Armin nodded. "And he cleaned, braided your hair, then left in the two hours between you getting home and me coming over?" Armin wanted to face palm, but refrained in favor of simply shrugging.
"He's a weird guy." He supplied, falling quiet. He wanted to undo the braid, but that would be dangerous without a mirror to see what he was doing. Heaven knows Levi probably anticipated him undoing it and had rigged it so the hair would tangle if he tried. The little man had ways.
"Well, it looks nice." Eren commented. Armin's heart seemed to stop for a second, then picked up in pace considerably. He heard a scoff from the kitchen, and obviously Eren did too, for the boy turned his head in that direction. "Okay, seriously, are you sure he left? I think there's someone in your kitchen..." He trailed, standing up in heading in that direction. Armin panicked, stumbling after him.
"N-No, that was me!" He called, managing to capture Eren's attention again.
"Unless you're a ventriloquist, I really doubt that, Armin." Eren quipped, crossing his arms over his chest. Armin bit his bottom lip, not sure how to proceed.
"I-I am?" He tried. Eren looking at him in disbelief.
"Prove it then." The brunette commanded, and Armin swallowed. He could only hope Levi would help him out. He opened his mouth, and, thankfully, the small man caught on.
"Proof enough for you, ass goblin?" Levi called, and Armin groaned. Eren quirked a brow, looking towards the blonde now. "The fuck are you looking at, you sniveling shitsnort?" He demanded, Eren's eyes widening. Before he could shut himself up, Armin yelled.
"Levi!" He cried, quickly covering his mouth. That was stupid.
"I thought you said he left." Eren said, smirking smugly.
"U-Um, yeah, the thing is..." Armin began, trying to figure some way out of this situation. He was interrupted though, as the ground began to shake, gently at first, but with increasing force. A yelp made its way from his throat as he fell to the ground, unable to stand. But nothing else in the house seemed disturbed, the furniture still in place, even the glass plates on the shelves were perfectly fine. But the ground had trembled violently enough that both Eren and Armin were on the floor, nursing whatever they fell on. All things considered, Armin was starting to think...
"Armin!" Levi's voice called urgently, the familiar flitting to his side and tugging on his hair to get him up. "It's a fucking witch, get your ass up, you don't have time to roll around with your cocksucker boyfriend!" He spat harshly. Armin stood, rubbing at his shoulder.
"What the hell is that?" Eren demanded from the ground, his eyes falling on Levi. Armin whined, biting his lip.
"Not a what, you partial abortion, who. The name's Levi, and you're currently on my shit list, seeing as you brought a giant skinless cunt with you." He snapped, tugging Armin towards the door by his hair. Armin sighed, turning just before he opened the door.
"Sorry Eren, I'll explain when I get back, promise." He called, slipping through the doorway. As soon as he did, he turned on Levi, plucking him out of the air and holding his arms down with his fingers.
"What did I say, Levi! I said not to scare him off! And what's the first thing you do?" He demanded, flinging the little man when he bit into the hand that had been holding him.
"He brought a fucking witch with him! Sorry to break up your fag fest, but you've got work to do." Levi retorted, pointing to the back yard. Armin groaned, jogging around the side of the building. When he rounded the corner, he realised that she was probably in the small forest behind his house. That was a good idea; it would keep them from the prying eyes of neighbors. But, as he came to the clearing where she was waiting, he cried out in fear. Levi hadn't been kidding when he said skinless. The girl before him, though small in stature, was enough to wind him with her mere appearance. She looked red and white, no skin to cover her muscles. Yet blonde hair fell over her eyes and ears, nearly touching her shoulders. Her blue eyes were light in color, icier than even Levi's, and it made Armin shudder visibly.
"W-Wha-" Armin began, but Levi quickly drew him out of it, hovering in front of his face.
"No time, cumguzzler. Make a wish." He commanded. Armin bit his lips, wracking his brain for something appropriate.
"U-Um..." He stuttered, eyes training on the form that was beginning to walk towards him. He shuddered, unable to tear his eyes away from the musculature before him, a sudden appreciation for skin welling up in his mind.
"ARMIN!" Levi shouted, gaining the blonde's attention again.
"U-Uh, I wish..." Armin tried again, but drew a blank. What did he wish? He could only groan as another voice called his name, Eren coming through the trees and freezing in shock.
"Eren, get out of here!" Armin cried, yelping as a fist connected with his cheek. He fell, looking up at the witch in horror. It was too late. She had Levi in one of her hands, and no amount of him biting at her fleshless fingers could make her release him. He grunted with exertion anyway, still trying. Her eyes flashed upwards, falling on Eren, and she began walking towards him. Armin froze, watching in horror as she approached, Eren too startled to run. That was it!
"I wish I could protect Eren!" He cried, and he immediately felt a warmth surround him, his clothes dissolving into something of a uniform, one he was used to seeing at this point. White shirt and pants, with a tan colored half-jacket, and a pair of dark brown boots. He tried not to look at the dark brown skirt-thing around his hips. It definitely wasn't a skirt. Nope. At least he had a cool green cape, emblazoned with two wings, black and white, just like Levi's. It was pretty badass. The witch turned, obviously having heard his cry, (and he was glowing a bit), as his weapons formed. He'd never met another person like him, though Levi had shown him visions of a few that had come before him. Each had their own unique weapon and uniform, so mastery of the weapon relied entirely upon the person. There was no one to teach them how to use it.
Armin's weapon was unlike anything he'd seen before, and Levi concurred. The main offense was two long, flat blades, much like machetes. But the unique part was the wires that he could shoot out by pulling a trigger on the handle of the blades. The first few times, these had proved more a hindrance than anything, catapulting him into walls or trees as he struggled to control them. But, with a bit of practise, they'd become an asset, allowing him to maneuver around in the air, much like he was in flight. The magic propelling his wires and agility didn't hurt either. It gave him an edge, making him fast and hard to hit, not to mention the surprise factor.
Before she had a chance to react, Armin anchored into a tree, letting the wire pull him forward. He cut precisely, nicking off the fingers holding Levi. The witch let out a bestial cry, trying to snag the wire as Armin went by. She missed, and Armin landed carefully next to Eren. Levi quickly flew over, landing on the stunned brunette's shoulder. Eren paid him no mind, staring openly at Armin instead.
"Go get her, cumslut." Levi barked, and Armin rolled his eyes, shooting his grapple out again. "But be careful, she can harden her body." He warned right before Armin shot forward, using his momentum to take a slice at her arm. Just as Levi had mentioned, she hardened her body, and his blades recoiled. With a small growl, he shucked the now dull blades, quickly switching them out for a new set, which were stored in large holders attached at his hips. He stared at her, hanging from the top of a tree by the anchor that was still attached, allowing him a moment to think. He watched her movements, trying to see a weakness.
The blonde leapt from the tree, landing behind her. She anticipated this, naturally spinning on her heel to defend herself, but Armin quickly slid to her other side, taking another swing. She howled again, Armin backing off. He'd figured it out. She could harden her body, but only in certain places. That meant that, if he was fast enough, he could strike before she had the chance. He grappled to a branch across from her, letting it pull him towards her. This was a stupid move, and he knew. But she didn't. In the last second, he sent the other grapple out, hooking directly into her shoulder, the force of the wire pulling her toward him. His blades were ready, and she fell before him as he sliced at her legs and shoulders. He could already see her body healing itself, but she had the same weak spots as a normal human. He backed off again, moving in again quickly in hopes of getting to her while she was down. But she'd apparently recovered enough to use her arms again, and she caught the wire, tugging it down while Armin was in mid air. He hit the ground with a thump, groaning as he was winded and unable to move for a moment.
"Hey you scumsucking roadwhore! Bitch move there!" Levi yelled, gaining her attention long enough for Armin to roll back onto his feet. The witch seemed to regret her decision to pay the little man any attention, as she tried to stumble to her feet as well, toppling back over; Her Achilles tendons still hadn't fully repaired themselves. Armin took his chance, shooting the anchor with more care, out of her reach. It propelled him forward, and again he changed direction. She expected it this time, and turned to the opposite side, But Armin had anticipated that, and changed direction again, quickly bringing his blades down. He felt them sink in, and heard the body drop. But when he looked, she was still alive, albeit battered. Her body was steaming, skin reforming over muscle. He panted, sheathing the blades and holstering the handles. He kept his guard up; It wouldn't be the first time he'd been faked out. Levi came to his side, landing on his shoulder.
"Not bad, fucknugget. She's out, you can relax." Levi announced, patting Armin's cheek with his small hand. Armin sighed, his shoulders falling a bit as he fell out of his fighting posture. He looked down at the girl, now a recognizable human. And recognize her he did; She was the girl that had been among the bullies picking on him earlier in the day, the one that had glared at Eren. He frowned at the knowledge that she was a classmate. Now that they knew of each other, it wouldn't be safe for him to let her go. She could attack him at school, when he didn't have Levi to help him transform, and he'd be vulnerable. Witches didn't need familiars to use their powers. But what else could he do? He didn't feel right taking someone's life, especially someone as young as he was.
He jumped back with a start when she opened her eyes, glaring up at him coldly. He was about to draw his weapons again, but she was gone, disappeared in a puff of steam. Levi sighed.
"You shitwad, you let her get away!" He accused, tugging at a blonde lock harshly.
"Ow, Levi, that hurts! What was I supposed to do?" Armin demanded, swatting at his companion.
"Not let her escape, that's for sure, asshat!" Levi barked. The blonde gave in, simply shrugging his shoulders.
"Sorry." He offered lamely, turning to go back into the house. It was getting dark outside, and his grandpa was probably going to be home soon, if he wasn't already. But he jumped when he saw Eren, sitting on the ground, staring at him in awe. He'd nearly forgotten the other boy was there. He had some explaining to do. After trudging over, he helped the brunette to his feet, making sure he could hold his own weight up before releasing him.
"Eren?" He cooed softly, waving a hand in front of the stunned boy. The green eyes blinked rapidly, looking at Armin. "Hey." The blonde greeted softly, his brows creasing in worry when his friend seemed unresponsive. Eren blinked some more, looking Armin up and down as if seeing him for the first time.
"You..." He began, his breath hitching.
"Yes?" Armin prompted.
"You're wearing a skirt." Eren managed, biting his lip. Armin's eyes widened, then he scoffed.
"Is that really the first thing you want to say?" He wondered.
"He's a fucking magical girl, you douchemonger, of course he's wearing a skirt." Levi added.
"It's not a skirt!" Armin shrieked, tugging at the brown fabric in question.
"Then what is it?" Eren wondered.
"I-It's, um..." Armin trailed, thinking about it.
"A skirt." Levi replied.
"A SASH!" Armin shouted, crossing his arms over his chest. Eren chuckled, tugging at one of the straps across Armin's thigh, throwing the other boy's balance off.
"And what are these for?" He asked, giving the strap on his hip a tug this time.
"They help me use the grappling hooks. Why are you asking mundane questions. Aren't you freaked out? I'm a freaking magical boy, and you watched me fight a skinless girl in a forest behind my house. I have a fairy too." Armin reminded him, pointing at Levi.
"I'm NOT a fucking fairy, shitstain. And you're a magical girl." Levi specified.
"I'm not a girl!" Armin groaned, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm.
"I never said you were. I said you were a magical girl, get it right, shitfuck." Levi huffed. Armin just sighed, fed up with his life at that point.
"Anyway, yeah, I'm weird. Aren't you concerned?" He asked, returning his attention to Eren. The other boy shrugged.
"I think I'm in shock. But that's badass dude! You kicked ass and took names!" He exclaimed.
"Actually, I don't know her name. But she goes to our school. Which means, Levi, you're going to have to start coming to school with me. Hope you like riding in my book bag." Armin quipped. He elected to drown out the small man's string of curses, looking to Eren instead. "Anyway... Um... Maybe you should stay with me tonight? She might be nearby, waiting for you to leave... Or I could walk you home, I guess." He offered. Eren shook his head, taking Armin's hands in his.
"No way, I want to stay! I have so many questions to ask you!" He exclaimed, turning and tugging the blonde behind him. Levi noticed his missing audience, and quickly caught up.
"Hey, douchecanoes, were you just going to leave me?" Levi inquired. Armin stuck his tongue out, then yelped as he tripped, the heels of his boots disappearing along with the rest of his uniform.
"Levi!" He cried, Eren just barely managing to catch him by the hand he was still holding.
"You alright?" The brunette asked, setting Armin back on his feet.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I'm used to it." Armin stuttered, glaring in his familiar's direction before his cheeks flushed from how close Eren was. He still considered the boy attractive. It was quiet for a while, then Levi broke the silence.
"Are you homofucks just going to stare at each other all night, or are we going to go inside?" He demanded, both of the boys in question making eeping noises and walking quickly away, as if walking faster could get them away from the awkwardness. But Eren didn't let go of his hand. Armin led him inside, checking to see if the light upstairs was on. It was, meaning his grandfather was home.
"Grandpa?" He called, hearing a noise of affirmation. "I have a friend over. I hope that's alright!"
"Should I make extra dinner?" Was the response.
"Yes please!" Armin replied, pulling Eren up into his room. "Thank you." He added before he closed his door. He walked over to his bed, flopping down and relaxing into the plush, scooting over when Eren came to sit as well. After trying to sit upright for a few seconds, he opted to lay next to the blonde instead, shoulder to shoulder.
"So, if you can do that, why do you let those assholes bully you?" Eren asked, turning his head to look at Armin.
"Well, if I did, they'd all know about it, which would be a lot more trouble than it's worth." He explained, shrugging.
"Fair enough. But that doesn't mean I can't fight them. They'll have to get through me." Eren announced. Armin sighed.
"You don't need to do that." He murmured. Eren snapped his head over, silently demanding eye contact that Armin couldn't avoid giving.
"I know I don't. I want to. You saved my ass tonight, I can return the favor. Just because I said you didn't owe me doesn't mean that we can't help each other out. That's what friends do." He pointed out. Armin blushed, unused to such passion, and simply nodded.
"A-Alright, thanks." He mumbled, looking back to the ceiling. They fell into silence again, then Levi groaned.
"Fuck. Armin is gaga for you, shitpickle!" He screeched, Armin quickly sitting up and swatting at him, his whole face going red.
"Levi!" He moaned, covering his heated skin with his hands.
"Sorry asslicker. It was getting too awkward. I speak only the truth." He shrugged, landing on the headboard. Armin couldn't even look to the other side of the bed, burying his face further into his hands as he tried to bite back tears. He'd finally made a friend, and here was Levi, scaring him off. He nearly jumped off the bed when he felt something a bit wet against his cheek, his hands falling away so he could see exactly what it was.
He was surprised to find Eren's face, lips still a bit puckered from kissing his cheek. If he wasn't red before, he definitely was now.
"I-I, um, I mean... I-I..." He stuttered incoherently, earning a small smile and another kiss to the cheek.
"I like you too." Eren offered quietly, his hand brushing against Armin's pale fingers. "So I hope you'll cuddle with me tonight. I'm a little traumatized." He explained, sighing dramatically. Armin bit his lip, turning his hand upward to hold the other boy's.
"T-That could be arranged. But only because we don't have any shock blankets." He replied, hesitantly pressing a kiss of his own against tanned skin. They heard a groan, courtesy of Levi.
"Shit, get a fucking room you ass monkeys!" He groaned.
"This is my room, Levi. Feel free to go torture some other poor soul for a while." Armin snarked, letting Eren pull him close, wrapping his arms around the broad shoulders. Levi could only grumble, flying into the closet and shutting the door behind him. Armin giggled, letting his head fall into the crook of Eren's neck.
"So, um..." He began, looking up into shining emerald eyes.
"So?" The brunette questioned, grinning toothily.
"Are we, um..." Armin trailed, too scared to say the words for fear that he was wrong. If he was, it would be a disaster.
"Dating?" Eren supplied easily, earning an 'eep' from the blonde before him.
"U-Uh, yeah." Armin agreed, nodding slowly. Eren shrugged, placing another kiss to the other cheek before speaking.
"I'd like that." He said, and Armin let a smile split his lips. That was good news.
"Yeah, I'd like that too." He agreed, tossing a pillow at the closet door as he heard Levi start to say something. This, of course, only earned him an even angrier Levi.
"Still here, fuckwads!" He called, ignored by both boys in favor of lacing fingers shyly.
A/N: Sorry it's so late, sweetie. I meant to fill it right after you sent it, but then JeanMarco week and me getting sick happened, so I just now got to it. But it's long, so I hope that helps a little! I was actually a little wary of this prompt, seeing as I don't very much like magical girl animes, aside from Cardcaptor Sakura. I never fell into the Madoka Magica fandom. But when I added Levi, I suddenly started liking the story a lot more. I know that they're supposed to be cute animals, but a mini flying Levi was just too precious for me to pass up. I absolutely adore him.
I used the female titan as the witch, for lack of a better opponent. She was human sized though, because I doubt Armin could take her on by himself, magic or not. She was tough for even the duo of Levi and Mikasa! But he could maybe handle a smaller sized one, if he had the element of surprise on his side. She wasn't expecting him to be an actually decent fighter, after all!
Alright, off I go, into the world of sleep now. Thank you for the prompt, and I hope you liked it! And thanks for reading, anyone who did. You guys are great!
KuroRiya
九六りや