A/N: Hello~ People of the internet! Let me explain where this all comes from before I get bricks thrown at my head. XD The idea came up in my head after seeing the new movie, and after trying for weeks to make it go away, I couldn't get rid of it. I wrote it down to get it out of my head, talked to some friends about it who then told me to put it up, and... Tada? X'D Don't hate meh man! This is also a present. I recently got 8,000+ page views on DA recently and I wanted to say thank you! This is a very quick present, as you can tell. I don't have much for a summary or title, but I put lots of work into this. ^^ So thank you 8,000 page views and thanks for reading! Please leave a review and tell me if you want me to continue! I do have ideas for more chapters, so let me know. ^^
Sixty seconds. The clock ticked down.
Eren's gold eyes shifted to three panels away. His sister was astride it, hands clenched together into fists, a fighting stance ready, but her eyes were on him. Those big, black eyes shifted to the cornucopia, and then back to him before shaking her head.
She was telling him no, don't go after the weapons. Only go for the packs a few feet away. They were the things that could contain elements they needed to survive. That's what they needed.
Fifty seconds.
His eyes shifted to the two people blocking his path from her: Sasha Blouse and Connie Springer, the two from District Five. The girl was weak for food, so there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she'd eventually die of starvation. She wasn't overly strong or overly pretty, so sponsors wouldn't bang down the games door to help her at a given notice. Her score from training had been an eight, so she wasn't weak, but she obviously wasn't a threat.
The other, Connie, was small. His score in training had been a five, and since the beginning, he had been taking this thing for a joke. He was acting like it was just a child's game and eventually his mother would call him home for dinner after he "died." He wasn't strong, and his tactics in fighting were poor. Sasha was more of a threat than him. However, they were already infamous for being friends since birth. People favored them together, hoping they'd make it to the end and one would win ceremoniously.
Forty seconds.
To Eren's left were three of the strongest out of them all, besides Mikasa. The one closest to him, Annie Leonheart, had gotten a ten in training. She was strong, but with her sour disposition, she didn't win people over easily. The man standing next to her was Bertholdt Fubar. He was incredibly tall, and popular with the ladies, though he didn't care for any of them. It was obvious who he was trying to win over, and that was Annie.
They both came from District Two, meaning that they were careers, so the two were both threats to everyone else. They were strong, and Bertholdt was incredibly tall, a good six foot four. Sponsors had been lining up for them since the beginning. They seemed more wanting of the sponsors just so they could survive, however. While others truly thought it a game, they knew otherwise.
Thirty seconds. His heart began to pound harder within his chest.
To Bertholdt's left was Reiner Brown. He came from District one, another career, and while he was the second tallest out of the twenty four tributes, he was unbelievably strong. He had muscles to boot and one would think he was on a steroid if he hadn't been tested beforehand. Girls loved him too, and he was more willing to accept the affection from them than others. He'd kiss to the crowds or wink into cameras, but that was it.
The other girl from District One was Christa Renz, the last of the careers. She was off near the back of the cornucopia, just barely peeking into Eren's view. Since day one, everyone agreed that she was beautiful. People loved her for her cuteness and overly goddess-like appearance. While she had that to back her up, like Connie, she was small, and very weak. She was a fast runner, however, and could easily slip out of any sticky situation.
Fifteen seconds.
However, she had a tool to use for her advantage, one she never really bargained for. The girl standing next to her was Ymir. Oddly enough, her last name had never been mentioned. She'd gotten a ten as well. She was from District Three, and besides being talented with a throwing knife, the only other quality that separated her from the others was her obsession with Christa.
She was infatuated with her. She'd stuck close by her side since they met, but at a dinner, she made it obvious how protective of her she became. She simply stated, "I don't care what happens to me. You can torture and kill me for all I care, but if you touch Christa, I'll murder you." She wasn't fooling around; whether it was her tactic or not, she was adamant about protecting her.
Ten seconds.
Behind the cornucopia, he assumed was two others that had caught his attention: Marco Bott and Jean Kirstein. Jean and Eren had but heads a few times, Jean simply stating he couldn't wait to kill Eren in the arena and Eren saying not if he shoved Jean's head up his own ass, Mikasa being one person to separate them, and Marco being the other. Marco was good at heart, but not the best of fighters. While he got a nine for his abilities to dodge, he was too kind of a person to take anyone's life. Jean, however, Eren would argue about.
Five seconds.
Eren's eyes scanned some more for the other tribute that had peeked his interest in the beginning. The boy from District Twelve, Armin Arlert, was nowhere to be spotted. He must have been on the other side of the metal beast between him. The boy had gotten an eleven, just like him and Mikasa. He was small, weak, and not attractive to many eyes (though some mistook him for another female tribute on the beginning), but he was smart. Very smart.
Four seconds.
Eren had tried talking to him at one point, but the boy was enraptured in trying to make a fire. When Eren offered to help him, the blond haired boy simply gave him the cold shoulder and ignored him. He wasn't very talkative, but obviously he was worth something if he got an eleven; for what, though, Eren was unaware.
Three seconds. His heart gave an unpleasant lurch.
Eren looked to the nearest pack. Should he go for that, or risk running closer to grab something with better potential?
Two seconds.
It didn't matter. Eren may have been good at hunting, but that was it. He was nothing to the capital, and nothing he would stay. Mikasa, however, was important. She was strong, smart, and overly gifted in many subjects, because of her Asian descent. She would survive and make a better life for herself and people in District Four.
Even if they were the only two left, Eren would take his own life before she would get the chance to stop him. It had been his plan from the beginning. Protect her life and risk his own.
One second.
He wasn't going to lose anyone else. She was too important to him.
The buzzer sounded.
With every ounce of courage and strength he had, Eren bolted for the nearest pack. He grabbed it, chucked it over his shoulder, and looked for his sister. Mikasa had done the same thing, but she had encountered a small issue. One of the men went after the same one, and now she was fighting him for it, fighting, and losing. He had his hands wrapped around her throat, and no matter how many hits of her elbow she threw into his ribs, he refused to let go.
Eren jumped in without another thought. Mikasa lurched forward, bending over so his head was low for Eren to yank back. When his face was in view, Eren sent the palm of his hand into his nose, breaking it and shoving it back into his skull. Did it kill the man? He wasn't sure. Did it get him off of Mikasa? Hell yeah, it did.
"Go!" Mikasa screeched, voice harsh and raspy from the struggle. She pushed at her brothers shoulders, making him move forward and away from the battlefield behind them. Eren made sure to hold her hand, noticing her stumble. She hadn't gotten the chance to catch her breath, but it wasn't a good time to try. They needed to be miles away from this area within minutes. If not, they'd end up dead.
He slung the pack she managed to grab over his own shoulders so she wouldn't need to carry it as they ran. They burst past the narrow brush, narrowly avoiding a tree before they continued to run. The rough terrain of trees and bushes, a thick, dense forest, made it harder to run, leaving them panting for air, but they didn't stop. They couldn't stop. How could they when someone easily could have been behind them?
Eren looked back at his sister to make sure she was alright. Besides being out of breath, at some point, though Eren didn't know when, she had managed to pick up a bow and a pack of arrows. It must have been in the struggle with that man. He must have had it and she took it from him. He considered this a good thing. They had a weapon now, a good one too. They could use it for long range kills if it came down to it.
Eren looked back ahead to make sure he was running around trees and not through them. As he did, a figure appeared out from a bush, staggering as he entered the area and obviously out of breath. Eren didn't have time to stop himself, and even if he did, Mikasa would become a human whip in his hands and send him forward again. He collided into the person, a hard knock of their skulls sounding out and the two falling to the forest floor. Being out of breath was one thing, but getting it knocked out of you when you didn't have any to begin with was another thing entirely.
Mikasa had fallen to the ground when they had, leaving the three gasping and panting for air that their bodies screamed out for. After what felt like forever, after the realization finally hit him like a ton of bricks or the person he had run into, Eren's head shot up, eyeing who it was that they had run into. His gold eyes fell directly onto the boy he had previous been looking for, Armin Arlert. Besides the bloody nose and a couple of scratches on his cheeks from possibly running through the forest, the boy was completely unscathed. It was like coincidence that the boy looked up at him at the same time, blue eyes widening in surprise and utter fear. An odd sound passed between his lips, a sound between a whimper and a squeak.
Their first victim or their first and last murderer?
Mikasa looked up upon hearing the sound, and when seeing Armin, she clenched her teeth and pulled at the bow wrapped around her body. She pulled an arrow out of its sheath before Eren had the time to grab her hand, and as she clicked it in place and pulled it back, Eren held his arms out in front of the offending weapon to stop her.
"No, don't!" He cried. The arrow was sent flying, but landed a mere inch from the younger boy's hand. He screeched with horror and backed away, but Eren grabbed him by the base of his leg and held him still while giving Mikasa back the arrow she shot. Armin cried again, yanking on his leg for freedom, but Eren's grip was vice. Soon, Eren reached up and pulled at his arms, helping him to his feet. Armin was too afraid to move, but when Eren grabbed at his and Mikasa's hands and started moving forward, he was forced into running behind him.
"Just keep running!" He commanded, still out of breath. The two did as told, following close behind him with hands still locked together. Armin was beginning to slow down, being one not good at physical anything, and also because of the bloody nose he received when he ran into Eren. Eren noticed it all by the way the boy began to slack and stumble behind them and he knew he couldn't keep running forever. They needed a place to hide, and soon.
Eren's eyes scanned the area around them. Nothing but trees and bushes as far as his eyes could see. None would be adequate cover, but they had no choice. If they kept running and ran into danger, they'd be completely fatigued and wouldn't be able to fight anyone. They had to stop, if only for a few minutes.
Eren slowed to a stop near a pine tree with branches low to the ground. Mikasa and Armin were a panting mess, both of them falling over their knees to catch their breath, but Eren corrected that by lifting them up and pushing them over to the tree. He cupped his hands together, telling them to climb, and they did. Mikasa went first, having only enough energy left to get up into the first few branches. Armin went next with the help of Mikasa pulling on his arms and Eren pushing on his waist and legs to get him up. When Eren climbed in, the two helped him, pulling him most of the way and getting him out of sight. He then shuffled up higher, the two following behind.
When they were at least ten to fifteen feet off of the ground, they finally stopped. Mikasa and Eren lay against a couple of branches close together, providing enough support for their bodies. Armin rested against the trunk of the tree, his head hanging backwards as he tried catching his breath. The three settled into the quiet silence of the forest, the only sound being an occasional bird chirping or their heavy breathing. Eventually, the three were able to relax, but not by much with a new found tributes sitting a few inches from them.
Armin was already fidgeting, scooting further into the trunk with nowhere to run or hide. He had no weapons; the only thing he had was a pack on his back. Obviously he had the same idea as the two siblings had been given by their mentor. That or it was very obvious. The only weapon around was in Mikasa's grasp, and Armin already knew that Eren was strong enough to kill him with bare hands by the amount of running and dragging he did. He was at a loss, so he'd either die or fight his way out of this, which he knew was for naught.
Eren's eyes flickered over to him, and Armin frantically looked around at the branches, hoping one would be sturdy enough to climb on. His chances were slim, and as Eren sat up and a hand lifted in his direction, he saw those slim chances fade away all too quickly. He raised his arms up, covering his head in defense and waiting for the finale blow to end his life, but it never came.
"I just want to make sure nothing is broken." He heard Eren speak. He dared to peek out from his arms, to see Eren's hand still in the air and Mikasa still lying on her comfortable branches. He lowered his arms, allowing Eren to reach forward and brush his fingers against the bridge of his nose. Besides the bruise and the sting upon the contact, nothing felt broken or out of place. It seemed that all that happened was a good knock to his nose. The blood flow had stopped by now, just leaving the remains of it on his upper and lowers lips, plus his chin, which Eren gently wiped away.
"No... Everything seems fine." Eren mumbled, pressing down on his nose once again and receiving a hiss in response. "Sorry about that."
"I-It's okay..." Armin stuttered out, trying to back away from the older boy's touch. Eren's hand retreated, knowing that he was pushing on the rickety bridge between the two. He shouldn't have pushed his luck too much, especially not now.
"Eren has a hard skull." Mikasa suddenly announced, her voice still quiet to avoid anyone finding them.
"Mikasa, shut up," Eren looked over his shoulder and sneered. The sight of the two bickering siblings brought a small smile on Armin's lips. Small, but still there. Eren sighed and turned his attention back to Armin. "Ignore her," He grumbled out.
Mikasa sat up from her branch and sighed. Breathing returned to normal, she shucked the pack off of her back and opened it up.
"What are you doing?" Eren asked.
"We should really check and see what we have." She mentioned while pulling out a flask. She opened it up to see what was inside, only to find nothing. Following close behind was a small medical kit. Inside of it were band aids, ace wraps, and antibiotic creams. This was an instant relief to them, knowing they'd be able to keep themselves alive against any exposure the elements had to offer.
Armin and Eren exchanged looks with each other before doing the same thing. Eren pulled out a heavy sleeping bag; small, but heavy. It would keep them warm at night when it got too cold and lighting a fire wasn't an option. Next was a roll of wire, for what, he didn't know. They'd probably figure out something for it eventually. He also had a flask, but once again, there was no water. However, there was a spile inside of the bag, which they could use to get water out of trees.
This could be something that might just keep them alive.
Eren sighed before looking over to Armin. He had a small roll of bread in his pack, wrapped in some plastic to keep it fresh. He had a good few feet of rope which would come in handy. There was that, a flask that was also empty, and a small bottle of tablets.
"What are those?" Eren leaned over a little and asked. Armin jumped in place as if he had been deep in thought and Eren broke it. He looked back at the small vile before shaking his head.
"Iodine pills," He answered.
"What do those do?" Eren continued.
"They purify water of bacteria... And things like that." He answered before unwrapping the bread. The smell of it hit the three quickly, and Eren already felt his stomach grumble in approval.
"You shouldn't eat that now." Mikasa mentioned. "Save it for emergencies. If you're starving in a few days, you'll be grateful you did it." He explained.
"Right..." Armin mumbled before wrapping up the bread. "And if I could find some herbs and spices, I could make it a pretty good meal." He added. When looking up, he noticed the odd look on both of the siblings faces. Mikasa looked like she was smiling more than confused, but Eren looked like he was a deer caught in headlights. "What...?"
"You really earned that eleven; didn't you?" Mikasa asked. Armin flushed a deep shade of red as he pushed the bread, pills, and rope back into his backpack.
"N-No, not really, they were too kind with that number, that's all." He excused, avoiding their stares. Eren frowned and rested a scraped hand on the boy's boney shoulder.
"Armin, they don't do that. Their numbers are based on true talent and skills. You earned that eleven." He said with a stern, but tepid tone. Armin's ears flushed as well as he pulled out from his grip. He hoisted his backpack back onto his back and readjusted himself on the tree branch.
"Right, well um... I-I should go." He stuttered and tried climbing out of the branch.
"Already...? But..." Eren's frown was instantly disconcerting to both Mikasa and Armin, but Mikasa was quick to pick up where he left off.
"We can feed you if that's what it takes." She stated flatly. Armin stopped with his stomach against the branch and his feet dangling in midair. He seemed rather surprised by the fact, but neither he nor Eren knew where she was going with this. "Eren can hunt, so it won't be a problem, and we could really use someone as smart as you." She continued.
"We have medicine too. If we work together, I think we can last out here pretty long without needing to take anyone's lives." Armin looked away for a moment, the words sinking into his mind. The deal was a good one, a very good one. Smarts he had, but physically he was nowhere. He knew that, everyone knew that.
If Eren could hunt, he wouldn't have to worry about starving to death. Mikasa had medicine, so exposure wasn't something he needed to worry about terribly. He had purification tablets, so he had good, clean water whenever he found it. Together they'd make a pretty good team, but that was the issue.
Armin had come into this game with one thing in mind; he'd either die from someone's hands, or he'd walk out of there while everyone else died on their own. He'd have no blood on his hands. Being in an alliance, if he were to mess up, Mikasa's or Eren's deaths would be on his hands. He couldn't stand it if that happened.
"It's that or starve." Eren mumbled while shrugging his shoulders. Armin huffed before pulling himself back up into the tree branch and leaning against the trunk of the tree.
"So is that a yes?" Mikasa asked. Armin looked down into his lap and nodded his head.
"Yeah, just don't kill me in my sleep." He muttered.
"I could say the same to you." Eren said and playfully shoved at his shoulders. Armin tried to hold back his laughter, but ended up managing a smile and a quiet chuckle. When the silence settled, the cannons began to go off. The silence in the air, at first pleasant, then became tense, bone crushing even.
One cannon, two cannons, three, and so on. The three stayed quiet, counting each cannon until the sound disappeared. More silence followed until Mikasa finally broke it.
"Eight cannons..." She mumbled. Armin mumbled something under his breath, too quiet for the others to hear before letting out a heavy sigh.
"That leaves us sixteen other tributes." Eren groaned and dropped his head into his hands.
"Normally there are a lot more dead..." Armin whimpered dejectedly. "This isn't going to be easy."
"We'll just hide," Eren suggested.
"What about hunting?" Armin asked.
"We'll do it early in the morning, say three or four. By then, the other tributes will be trying to get rest, and nocturnal animals will be out." Eren said. Now it was Armin's turn to smile.
"Someone else earned their eleven, didn't they?" He asked sarcastically. Eren chuckled to himself at the comment.
"If only he used that brain in school." Mikasa commented quickly.
"Shut up, Mikasa!" Eren snapped. Mikasa smiled, but remained quiet like Eren told her to.
"So... What are we going to do for food and water?" Armin asked, breaking the tension of annoyance between the siblings.
"I've got a spile, so we can get water from some trees. For now we can wait on food. We don't want to attract any unwanted attention." Eren said. Armin nodded his head in understanding. "Do you know which trees we can use this for?" Eren asked while pointing to said item.
"Birch trees preferably." Armin answered.
"This is already working out well." Mikasa mumbled. "We'll do that later tonight."
"What about a fire? Shouldn't we make one to keep warm?" Armin asked. The two teens shook their heads.
"Others will follow the smoke. It's too bright and being here would be like making a signal for moths to follow." Eren explained.
"So I guess everything is going to be done early in the morning, right?" Armin guessed. The two nodded their heads, and with a sigh escaping him, the area fell quiet again, but not for long. After a few minutes of quiet, of Eren fiddling with the string of his jacket, Mikasa tightening the sting on her bow, and Armin trying to get a better seat in the tree, the sound of a frantic voice could be heard.
Immediately on alert, the three adjusted themselves in the thick pine tree for better hiding. The voice grew louder, revealing the obvious panic in the feminine tone, and the sound of heavy footsteps soon followed. Eren took the bow and some arrows that Mikasa handed him and clipped them together, looking for some opening in the tree to shoot from. When he found a clearing, two girls came into view, the ones he had been previously speculating before.
"Ymir, please stop!" It was Christa, and by the sound of her voice, she was out of breath and desperate. The person pulling her along, Ymir, finally stopped as instructed. Eren did a double take with her, wondering if his eyes had deceived him, but they hadn't. What he had seen was right.
Ymir was marred with flesh wounds from head to toe. She had a particularly large and deep one going across her forehead, another down her waist, and one more deep from her elbow to her wrist. She was bleeding out, staggering, and obviously dizzy, but her hands were tightly clasped around two things: her throwing knife, and Christa's hand.
"We need to stop! You're bleeding out and we need to cover those before they get infected!" Christa cried, pulling on her uninjured arm in a means to get the girl to listen. Ymir was looking about frantically, eyes wide and alert and completely oblivious to the blood drenching her face. "Please, Ymir, just stop for a minute!"
"And get jumped? Fuck no." She hissed. Even her voice sounded rough. She must have gone through hell, by whatever means, to keep Christa safe. "We need to hide."
"We need medicine!" Christa argued.
Eren lowered his bow and arrow. He couldn't do it.
He couldn't take away the life of someone so unsuspecting. He couldn't hurt the two girls. One was already on the seat of death, the other weak and only hoping for a miracle. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.
"Eren," Mikasa whispered.
"I can't; it's not fair." He answered in another whisper.
"Of course it isn't. This is a cruel world, Eren." His sister came back with. "The strong overpower the weak-"
"And why do we have to follow that rule?" Eren asked, his voice showing his irritation.
"Um..." Armin mumbled. The two focused on him, their argument falling short. "I-If you don't mind, I have an idea." He spoke up, but his voice was so quiet that the two had to strain their ears to hear him.
"What is it?" Eren asked.
"We have medicine; maybe we can find a middle ground with them?" Armin suggested.
"Hell no," Mikasa hissed.
"You did it with me though. I saw how Ymir fights; her aim is deadly. If we get her on our side, maybe she can protect us?" Armin continued to explain.
The idea made a lot of sense. Ymir had a precise aim, her kill rate at ninety-six percent, making her a lethal weapon. If she were protecting them, they wouldn't have to take in too many worries, but what would happen if she turned on them?
"It's too risky." Mikasa said.
"Eren said so himself that it wasn't fair. Let's make it fair. Let's give the capital something to worry about." Armin suggested. Mikasa looked back out to the two girls, cursing under her breath. Ymir really was in a bad spot, and if they didn't do anything, she'd die. While that was the object of these games, Mikasa didn't want that on her conscience.
Plus, if they were to help her, Ymir would then owe them. They could take that favor whenever they pleased. Mikasa sighed to herself before looking over to her brother. He seemed to be deep in thought as well.
"What do you think, Eren?" She asked him. A few moments of silence passed between the three before Eren finally answered.
"Let's help them." He said. Mikasa looked back at Armin, as if to confirm the plan. When he nodded his head, the teen gave an irritated sigh. "Hey...!" Eren called out, momentarily spooking Mikasa and Armin.
Ymir was immediately on guard, raising her knife up and pushing Christa behind her and into a tree to protect her. Christa squeaked on impact, but Ymir considered the small sting of pain better than what she was going through.
"Where the fuck are you?" Ymir questioned, her voice an animalistic growl. The three teens looked at each other one more time before continuing on with their plan.
"Relax, we don't want to fight!" Eren yelled. Ymir kept shifting her gaze, looking around for the voice that seemed to be coming out of thin air. "We just want to help!"
"Bullshit!" Ymir came back with.
"We have medicine! We can help you, but only if you let us!" Mikasa spoke up. At some point, Mikasa had taken the bow and arrows back from Eren, aiming for Ymir in case she tried to pull any funny tricks. She was prepared, but the question was, who was faster, Ymir and her knife, or Mikasa and her arrows?
At the mention of medicine, Christa's blue eyes flickered to life, hope evident on her face as he pushed at Ymir's back.
"They have medicine, Ymir! They can help!" She cried, trying to pry herself free from the taller girl's tough grasp.
"Yeah, they'll help us to an early grave." Ymir spit back.
"We're only trying to help!" Armin added.
"Ymir, stop this! If they've got medicine then they can save your life!" Christa finally broke free from Ymir and pulled on her uninjured arm, trying to get the girl to follow her, but Ymir wouldn't budge.
"I'm not going to be in debt to someone; not here for sure." Ymir hissed.
"You don't have a choice, Ymir!" Christa cried. She pulled at Ymir's shoulders, yanking her gaze down to her own and giving her the most pleading, mournfully scarring look she could muster up. "Please, Ymir, please..." She whimpered, her big eyes going wider.
Ymir scowled, her frown disdainful, but Christa's adorable pout had her heart melting. She whined deep within her throat, showing her true hate for the idea, but Christa's gaze didn't lighten up. Her hands were sturdy and strong on her shoulders and the warm touch wasn't helping either. After a few seconds of that adorable pout, Ymir finally gave in.
"Fine..." She hissed bitterly. "But only for you..." She added. Christa's smile was too bright for words and her eyes lit up with happiness.
"Thank you," She said and hugged her friend, one Ymir returned reluctantly. Once done, she turned back to no particular direction and called out to the teens. "We'll take your help!" She called out.
"Put your weapon down and I'll come out!" Eren yelled.
"Eren-" Mikasa began.
"It's alright. That's the only weapon she has. I'll be fine." Eren assured.
"Are you sure?" Armin asked quietly. Eren nodded his head as his answer, his eyes following the bickering girls as Christa convinced Ymir to drop her knife. Ymir did, tossing it into the ground to stand up straight in the dirt. When seeing this, Eren grabbed the medical kit Mikasa had and began his decent from the tree.
The two girls were quick to pinpoint Eren once they heard him climbing down, and Ymir's shoulders tensed. She kept looking down at the knife imbedded into the Earth, trying to think of some way to pick it up, but Christa had a firm grip on her hands to stop her from doing so. Eren continued to climb down until the last branch, but by this point, Christa and Ymir could see him in the thin brush. Unarmed and hanging off the branch, Christa released Ymir's hands and walked up to Eren.
"Thank you for the help, four." She said, her smile never leaving her lips. "We owe you one."
"It's Eren, and not a problem." Eren corrected, trying his best to smile as Ymir walked up to him too. "My sister is up there too, plus Armin from District Twelve." He said. Ymir was paying too much attention to the med kit in his hands to care what he was talking about.
"Whatever, can I have that now?" Ymir asked and tried taking it from Eren's hands. Eren yanked it back, quickly getting a death glare from Ymir.
"You're sitting ducks out there. Come up here, that way you can hide." Eren suggested. Ymir rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue, as if she couldn't believe she was really agreeing to any of this. Eren held out a hand to her, hoping to help the injured teen up into the tree, but the girl slapped his hand away and started climbing on her own. With his hand hanging in the air, Eren directed it to Christa, who gratefully took it and let him help her up.
"Don't take her too seriously. She's a nice person, I promise." Christa assured as Eren held her up to his chest.
"Is she always like that?" Eren asked as he began climbing as well.
"No, I think she's just scared. She's never this tense and I think she's just trying to hide it."
"I'm not out of fucking ear shot." Ymir growled down at the two. Christa giggled and Eren tried to hide the playful smirk on his lips, but to no prevail. The three of them climbed up the pine tree, joining Armin and Mikasa, who still had her weapons in hand. Ymir instantly backed away to the farthest possible branch, but there wasn't much she could do before Christa was pulling her right back into place. "Let's get one thing straight: I'm not going to be all goody, goody friends with you because you're helping me." Ymir announced.
"And we don't expect you to be. We just want to help, that's all." Armin decided not to mention the part about how she would owe them something for this. He'd call her out on that later when the time was necessary. Instead, he watched as Eren opened up the med kit and pulled out various items, such as ace wrap and antibiotic cream. Silence fell on the small group of teens before Christa finally chose to break it.
She held out her hand firmly, locking it in place as she eyed Armin who was sitting on the branch in front of her. When he looked up at that waiting hand, Christa reached out and grabbed at his own, only to shake it vigorously.
"I'm Christa; it's really nice to meet you!" She greeted in her usual chirpy mood. Armin laughed softly and returned the handshake with as much strength as he could muster up, but he couldn't possibly match her enthusiasm.
"I'm Armin. It's nice to meet you too." He said. Christa then directed her attention over to Mikasa, whose attention was spent watching Ymir like a hawk while Eren patched her up.
"It's nice to meet you too. You must be Eren's sister, right?" She asked.
"Yes, I'm Mikasa." She greeted quietly, her black eyes flickering over to the blond girl before looking back to Ymir.
"That's right. You're the girl who volunteered to be a tribute. You said you wanted to be here for Eren." Christa recalled from all of the footage she had seen of Mikasa and Eren.
"That's right," Mikasa confirmed, the smallest of blushes forming on her cheeks.
"That's so sweet of you!" Christa gleamed with a special sparkle in her eyes.
"Just marry me already..." Ymir mumbled to herself, though it was loud enough to pick up on. Eren finished with the bandages around her arm and moved to her head to put some antibiotic cream on it, but not before cleaning away the profuse amount of blood on her face with his jacket sleeve. "You know, for a sister, you don't look much like Eren." Ymir rudely noted.
"Ymir," Christa growled lowly at her.
"Nah, that's alright. She's adopted, that's why." Eren said with a chuckle. Mikasa remained silent.
"When did you meet her?" Christa asked.
"I was about eight years old. My father was a doctor at the time and he had been called to her place to check up on her mother. I wanted to go to work with him, so one day he let me. When we got there..." Eren trailed off, eyes falling to his adopted sister to see if she was alright reliving these painful memories. When there was no negative response from her, Eren continued. "Peacekeepers killed her parents..."
"That's awful..." Christa said, her voice dropping down to a whisper, like it was a secret. "I'm sorry to hear about that, for the both of you."
"Now I feel like an ass for bringing that up." Ymir scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"It's okay..." Eren tied the bandage tightly around her head, making sure the gauze would stay in place.
"If anything good came out of it, it was me getting to meet Eren." Mikasa suddenly murmured. Eren sent a soft smile her way, glad to know that she wasn't mad at him for bringing up her past like it was an everyday topic to discus.
"I think everyone has suffered something from them. It's nothing new." Eren continued. Ymir growled at him when pressure to her side was applied, which he quickly apologized for. "If I don't do that, it's going to keep bleeding."
"Let me do it then. She'll bite your head off if you keep going." Christa suggested. Eren nodded his head and jumped down a branch so Christa could take his place. Ymir practically jumped out of the tree branch when Christa began applying pressure, but true to her word, Ymir stayed quiet and took up clawing at the tree to avoid digging her nails into anything else. Eren stifled a laugh at the sight, finding it funny how Ymir, the girl who had such a standoff personality like Annie, could suddenly show an emotion that lacked hostility. He looked over to his sister and Armin to see if they shared the same ideas, but he was wrong.
While Mikasa normally didn't show a lot of emotion to begin with, kind of like right now, Armin was having a hard time willing away the frown on his lips. His big, blue eyes seemed bigger and even glassy, like he was fighting back tears that threatened to surface. Sitting on a lower branch helped hide the sadness on his face, but Eren wasn't blind to it.
"Armin, what's wrong?" Eren asked as he climbed down to sit on the branch Armin was on. Armin, who was once again startled out of his thoughts by Eren and looked up at him as if he hadn't expected the boy to talk to him. He quickly looked away from Eren and cleared his throat, but Eren already saw past his scheme.
"N-Nothing, I uh..." Armin stopped when hearing his own voice. The pain was evident and he knew by now that he wasn't fooling anyone. "... M-My family was killed by Peacekeepers too." He admitted weakly. Eren saw the stray tear slip past his eye and slide down his pale cheek, but Armin only turned his face away to try and hide it.
When that didn't work, Eren gently cupped one of his cheeks into his hand, the wet tear clearing a path on his slightly dirty hand. He used little force to get Armin to look at him, the blonde's attention falling flat when Eren reached up with his other hand and wiped away the tear. The blush was obvious within seconds, but Eren didn't let on that he knew about it. When the tear was gone, he pulled his hand away and set it back by his side on the tree. Armin looked away again, his eyes still wide and the blush spreading thicker on his cheeks, but it was all out if embarrassment.
"I don't know if it will make you feel better or not, but my mom was killed by them too..." Eren murmured, his face still too close to Armin's own for comfort.
"Really...?" Armin asked. The look in Eren's gold eyes was hard to read, because he did look upset, but there was a haze that settled over it. Armin had seen this looked before. It was an old wound, one that did massive damage to his mental state and never really healed. The pain was still there, but so was the awareness of acceptance.
Armin had seen this look on his grandfather after his parents were killed. He wore it most of the time around Armin, but the boy had never turned a blind eye. He could hear the old man's pain-filled sobs at night and see the swollen eyes at dawn. When he was taken from Armin as well, he had experienced the same thing. Had Eren just accepted everything for what it was worth? When Eren nodded his head, Armin accepted that as his answered.
"What about your dad?" Christa broke the silence and asked.
"Taken away for interrogating. I haven't seen him since." Eren explained, but his eyes were still on Armin. "I just accepted the thought that he's dead."
"When did that happen?" Armin dared to ask. The answer he got made him hate himself for ever asking the question in the first place.
"When I was nine," Eren's eyes finally drifted away from Armin to find his sister.
"So you've been on your own ever since?" Christa asked, mouth hanging open and eyes glassy like she was about to cry as well.
"Yep, just Mikasa and I."
"Jeez, Christa, what the fuck did we walk into, some kind of group therapy?" Ymir suddenly asked out loud. Eren and Armin laughed it off, finding the idea funny, but Mikasa was her usual, stoic self. "Come on; let's get out of here already." Ymir scoffed and said, her legs swinging over the tree branch.
Christa quickly sent them a worried glance, silently telling the three that she needed help, that Ymir was in no condition to go, that she was in no condition to go. That much was obvious.
"Ymir, cut the tough girl act for five minutes and sit your ass down." Eren commanded. Ymir wasn't happy with the tone of his voice or the command from someone she considered short (Ymir being as inches taller than him). It showed by the angry look on her face, and by the fact that she quickly climbed over to Eren, injuries and all, and faced him with that angry face.
"What was that?" She asked with a hiss.
"You're injured, you've got nothing but a knife, we've got food, water, and medicine; do the math yourself." The brunette continued, not fazed by Ymir's overbearing aura of hatred. "Just sit back and relax for a bit. It's not like any of us are going anywhere or doing anything any time soon." Christa stood up and climbed over to them, but remained on her own branch, fearing the one the three were sitting and standing on would give out if any more weight was added to it.
"Please, Ymir. I want to rest for a while." She pleaded, her eyes getting big again and her blond hair falling past her shoulders to frame her face better. Ymir instantly choked up at the sight of her, a small whine similar to a puppy leaving her. No one could resist Christa's cute face no matter how much they tried; even Armin would admit that he'd say yes to her even though it wasn't his offer. After a silent minute of this (silent minus Ymir's pitiful whimpers and Christa's begging), Ymir finally caved.
"Fine, but only for you," She grumbled in defeat. Christa smiled brightly at her and tossed her arms around the girl's shoulders for a hug, to which Ymir only groaned and begged for the young girl to marry her. The two boys chuckled to themselves and Mikasa slowly leaned down over the branches to look at everyone.
"How about you guys get some rest? I'll stay up and be on watch for a bit." Mikasa suggested.
"Are you sure?" Armin asked.
"Yes, I know Eren didn't sleep well last night and Ymir could use the rest." Eren's sister explained.
"Ain't gonna happen," Ymir growled and crossed her arms over her chest. Eren rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue.
"Whatever. Do what you want, I'm getting sleep." Eren said and pulled the sleeping back from his pack.
"Is it okay if I can do that? I-I didn't sleep much last night either." Armin asked, eyes downcast in embarrassment.
"Of course," Mikasa answered, a smile gracing her thin, but pink lips. Armin smiled in return and looked around in the tree they were in to find a good spot to sleep in, and saw that Eren already found his. He climbed up a few feet to where the branches weren't as thick, but closely knitted together. He had already set up his sleeping bag and climbed in, making soft snoring sounds in an attempt to make the others laugh and break the tense atmosphere. For Ymir, it didn't work, but for everyone else, a few small chuckles left them. Eren rolled over onto his stomach and looked through the cracks in the branches, watching as Christa and Ymir settled down on the lower branches, as Mikasa perched herself on one to scout out anything that threatened them, and as Armin continued looking for a good spot to sleep in.
"Hey, Armin, come sleep up here with me." He called down to him. Armin looked up past the pine needles and twigs in his face, sending Eren a rather confused look that implied that the boy was crazy.
"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice showing his skepticism.
"Yeah, it's really warm and there's still room in it." Eren explained. Armin looked over to Eren's sister who was scouting out the area. He wanted to ask if it was alright with her, to make sure she wouldn't mind him sleeping with her brother, but Eren was already speaking up before he could. "Are you coming or what?" The brunette asked. Armin fidgeted in place from embarrassment for a moment before answering.
"S-Sure," He quietly stuttered and began climbing up. Eren watched with mild curiosity as Armin joined him on the closely knit branches and slipped beside him in the sleeping bag. Armin tried not to touch the older boy, but with such a lack of space, it was impossible. The best the two could do in such a tiny space was lay on their sides with their knees and feet brushing together and their chests a mere inch apart.
Armin tried not to look up at Eren, already feeling the boy's golden stare burning the front of his skull, but it was nearly impossible as well. Eren's hot breath was fanning across his scalp, warming him in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. He must have been eleven when he stopped sleeping in the same bed as his parents, and that was because they made him his own room and said he'd want the privacy eventually. Armin got it as he got older, but that didn't mean he didn't crave the old attention of comfort. That comfort was the same as this: the close contact, the warm breath, the body heat.
It was now that Armin noticed something unusual about Eren. It wasn't too serious, but he noticed the heat radiating off of him like a fire. He was really warm, and even through their loose fitting jackets he could feel Eren's warmth seeping into his own bones. He couldn't resist the temptation of reaching up and touching Eren's forehead, to which the boy quickly questioned the action.
"What are you doing?" He asked, but he didn't back away.
"I-I'm sorry, it's just that, I was wondering if you had a fever." Armin questioned.
"No, why?" Eren asked.
"But you're so warm." Armin argued. A small smirk tugged at Eren's lips, a huff of a laugh leaving him as he sighed.
"Yeah," He agreed.
"Eren is his own personal, little space heater." Mikasa explained from where she sat. "He's always had a high body temperature. His dad didn't even know why that was."
"She's just saying that I'm hot." Eren teased, his smirk widening. Armin laughed at the joke, but he couldn't wipe the surprised look off of his face. "So if you wanna snuggle on me, you can. I have no arguments against it." Eren intentionally rolled onto his back, bringing Armin with him and having the boy lay fully on his body. Armin practically squeaked in response, the sound not going unnoticed by Eren, who only chuckled and wrapped his arms around Armin.
"That goes for everybody here. I am a free snuggle if anyone needs it." Eren said while looking down at the three girls below them. "What about you, Ymir? There's room for one more person. Wanna join us? You look like a snuggler," Eren continued to tease.
Ymir simply answered with a click of her tongue and a wave of her hand to dismiss the invitation. Christa was staring up at the two, smiling widely and laughing at the sight. Her cute look didn't go unnoticed by Ymir, however.
"You want to join us, Christa?" Eren asked. He got the response he was expecting, which was for Ymir to pull Christa into her arms and then flip the teen off with her middle finger. Eren laughed at the sight of it, hearing Armin chuckle on top of him.
"Go to sleep up there, Eren." Mikasa demanded. Eren looked to Armin before mocking the girl below them and sticking his tongue out in her direction. Armin laughed again, trying to keep his voice down so they didn't get caught by his sister. Little did they know that she heard everything from them, even down to the tiniest of whispers. "I mean it; don't make me come up there." She raised her voice to show how serious she was.
"Uh oh..." Eren mumbled and then started making loud and obnoxious snoring sounds to compensate for his lack of sleep. Armin couldn't resist laughing, but he buried his face into Eren's jacket to hide it. Finally, when Eren stopped with the jokes of his sleep and actually tried to do it, the whole area became silent.
Armin closed his eyes and left his head resting on Eren's chest, the heat seeping into his bones and warming him to the core, even though it was chilly. Sleep overtook Eren quickly enough and it had Armin balancing on the edges of reality and dreams. He could faintly hear Christa whispering to Ymir, but only faintly. Eren's heartbeat was a lullaby all on its own, loud and comforting, pulling him into the depths of darkness and bidding him sleep.
A/N: Like I said, please leave a review and tell me what you think. ^^