/Author's Note: Just to let all readers know, this will contain spoilers from the manga, specifically pertaining to Armin, and the lifetime of Titan Shifters.
Armin Alert, our blonde little cinnamon bun, was sitting in a bedroom, all by himself. He laid down on the bed, tired of the day he had been apart of. He heaved a heavy sigh. His small frame was a little too small for the bed, it seemed like a giant compared to his body. Armin looked up at the ceiling, bare and white. He couldn't shake this little exhaustion he had been having for the past few days. Maybe it was his body being used to his new Titan powers. He hasn't used them, however. Not since he had gotten them almost two weeks ago. He remembered the pain of the heat when he had jumped and sacrificed himself so Eren could rip Bertolt from the skeleton of the Colossal Titan. He remembered the relief, the happiness he had felt when he woke up, not really dead. He frowned, though, sad because of what it meant. They had chosen him. Over another. Over Captain Erwin. People often muttered and sometimes even told him right to his face that Erwin should've survived and he should've died. He had to deal with stuff like this, but he didn't let it show, how such insults made him feel. He kept to himself, even distancing himself from his best friends Eren and Mikasa the past few days. Just two days ago, he had finally seen it. The ocean. Now, he knew he could simply walk to the ocean. In less than a few hours with his Titan form. He enjoyed this peace, and reveled in the fact that for once, he didn't really have to feel fear for at least a couple of days. Yet something was bothering him. He didn't know what.
"Might as well just sleep it off..." He sighed and turned, laying his head on the pillow. He closed his eyes, and after just a few minutes, sleep washed over him. He began to dream.
In his dream, there is a house right next to the water, on a stable cliff. Alone. Armin is in the water, standing, looking at it. He frowns, unhappy that he is wet. He gets out of the water, and shakes. It cold and dark, since its night time in this dream. Its strangely so vivid and real. Armin smiles and sighs, and walks into the house. On the inside, its a beautiful place, walls of light blue and such a comfortable carpet, with furniture made of some great fur. He hears a small little cranky yell, like a baby's. He raises an eyebrow, curious, and walks up the steps to the second floor, and walks down a hallway made of a dark shade of brown wood. He opens the door where the sound is coming from, and walks into a baby's room. Walls of cute pink and a bunch of blankets and dolls and toys designed for a baby. He walks up to a crib in the middle of the room. In it, lays a baby girl, an infant, in a pink onesie, a cute face, blonde hair, and a roman nose. Armin smiles, but the baby is fussy. He puts his hand in the crib, and the baby opens its beautiful blue eyes, like crystal water. He smiles, as the little girl smiles, toothless, and giggles happily and wraps her entire palm around Armin's big finger. She cooes and pulls on it, and plays with it, as Armin smiles and plays with her, letting her lead his finger all around the air pointlessly. He hears a voice behind him.
"Welcome home..." A woman wraps her arms around Armin's waist, making him smile even more, put he keeps his eyes on the baby. The woman places her head on Armin's shoulder.
"Hun... How's our daughter doing?" She asked. Armin tried to open his mouth to speak, but he couldn't. He would've replied in earnest, admitting he had no idea. He sighed as the baby finally let go, and he turned to face his wife and the mother of his child... Only to find Annie. Annie Leonhardt. The Female Titan. He gasped, surprised by her smiling and peaceful face, her eyes full of love and warmth. He took a step back. She should've been deep underground... Encased in crystal. Then, darkness hit him once more, and he snapped awake. It was morning, and he groaned. Work. But he stayed in bed. He shook his head and chuckled to himself. No way she would like you now... Not after what you've done to her. He thought to himself. He smiled. Although her smiling and having such a warm look in her eyes... Wouldn't mind waking up to that every day... He chuckled and sat up, stretching before he got out of bed to start the day. He squeezed into the tight jeans that all Survey Corps Members wore. He fit into his shirt, buttoning it up quickly. He then sighed, as he sat down and started messing with his boots.
"Ugh... I hate boots. Takes so long to put on..." He complained, and after about a whole minute, he finally tied the knots and stood up. He walked out of his bedroom, walking down a small hallway. He turned a corner and pushed open another door, entering the mess hall. He sighed as he got in line, looking around at the members of the military sitting around eating breakfast. He got his food, and sat down where he normally sat down every morning. The scouts had been using this facility for a short time while they recuperate from the long battle. They had been living with the Military Police for almost a week now. He ate his breakfast, a simple meal of eggs and milk. He sighed and began to eat, when Eren and Mikasa sat next to him. He smiled at the appearance of his friends.
"Hey Armin." Eren said, as he began to eat as well, and Mikasa just gave a simple nod before she dug into her own food. Armin was the first one done, and waited for his friends to finish.
"Hey... Eren? Do you think you could give me some advice on the titan powers, or something?" Armin asked. Eren sighed and handed his tray to Mikasa, whom took all of their trays to the garbage for them. When she came back to sit down, she slipped her hand into Eren's. Ever since they found out about the lifespan of titan shifters, and how a shifter would just die after a certain amount of time passed, Mikasa and Eren had grown extremely closer. Mikasa practically never left his side now.
"Yeah... Uhhh... Its a lot like having a bigger body... And controlling it is kinda like lumbering around. It'll probably be hard for you, being the biggest Titan..." Eren chuckled, and him and Mikasa stood up.
"Alright... Well me and Mikasa are gonna go ahead and head out to go do something she's been wanting to do. Walk around a forest." Eren chuckled and rolled his eyes, while Mikasa blushed and softly punched him in the arm. Armin chuckled and nodded. He watched them go, waving. He couldn't help but think they were such a cute, however predictable, amazing couple. His mind drifted elsewhere, back to the dream he had last night. He remembered Annie, and her loving smile. He couldn't stop himself from blushing a little, as he imagined her standing next to him, holding a baby in her arms, cuddling on some couch, just spending time together. He sighed, and shook his head, telling himself she couldn't feel the same way after what he had done to her. Yet, as he left the mess hall, and continued to go throughout the usual activities he did during the day, there was only one real thing on his mind. Her. Throughout the entire day, his mind couldn't let Annie slip past it from that moment on. Eventually, it got late, and he went back to his bedroom. He sat on his bed, and crossed his arms. He struggled with the boots, and managed to get them off. He laid back on his bed, and placed his hands under his head. He stared at the ceiling, just as he had done last night. Annie... I want... I really want that dream... To be real... He began to feel some sort of... Ache. A longing, really. Something had snapped in him last night. He tossed and turned, his mind unable to leave her. Her smile, her beautiful eyes, her infuriating yet cute hair when it was let down. Armin sighed. There was only one real way to fix this issue. He'd need to address the problem, head on. He sat up, and tied his boots back on, and walked out of his room. Unknowingly, the very last time...
Armin walked all the way to her. He was walking down the steps to where the cell that she was imprisoned in was. He finally got down there, and looked past the bars. A large, huge crystal lay in the middle of the room. And in it, lay the Female Titan. Annie. It wasn't his first time down here, as Armin sometimes visited her when he had free time, always desiring to know what caused her to be... What made her the way she was? Armin sometimes spent hours on the question. However, tonight, he was fixated on one thing. Breaking her free. He had only one way of doing so, yet he was sure it would work. He had planned on it all the way here. He opened the door via the key he had simply borrowed from the guard upstairs. Whom was passed out. Night shifts are always the laziest... He chuckled. He than felt the outside of the crystal, and smiled. It was surprisingly light, similar to Titans themselves. He began to push it out of the door way, managing to get through, since it had been the way the thing entered the cell. He then pushed it upstairs, past the sleeping guard. He went slow, taking five, eight, ten, no twelve minutes just to actually get up the stairs. He slipped up to the exit, and onto the streets. He smiled, and began to push the crystal down alleyways, twisting and turning back roads where he was sure no one would spot him. He reached the wall after a solid fifteen minutes. He took a breather. Although the crystal was light, it still felt like pushing a body around. Probably Annie's body, was Armin's guess. He than looked up at the wall, and smirked. He bit his hand, and lightning came down and striked Armin, transforming him into... The Collosal Titan. Except this one was rather tiny, only just shorter than his normal titan form by a little bit, but Armin set the crystal down on the top, and began to climb over the wall. He than grabbed the crystal, and started walking away from the wall, heading towards Wall Maria, although his destination was even farther.
Armin in his Titan form finally reached the sand of the beach, and the ocean stretched out before him. He set down Annie's crystal, and began to squeeze it in his hands. It took a lot of force, yet cracks began to appear, fractures showing. He growled, and slammed his fists down onto the crystal, finally making it break. He collapsed, his form spent up on the walk, and the breaking of the crystal. Annie lay, no longer encased in crystal, on the sand, unconscious. Armin stumbled over to her and sighed, getting to his knees, panting and sweaty and exhausted from his powers. Annie breathed normally, her eyes closed, her hair loose down to her shoulders, and in her face, just as she hated. Armin smiled, and brushed the hair out of Annie's face, but her hand snapped up and grabbed his wrist. Annie's eyes opened, and she looked directly at Armin.
"... Armin..." She muttered, recognizing him.
"What... What am I doing outside the crystal? Why are you here?" She asked, sitting up and looking around, seeing the beach and ocean at night. Armin smiled.
"I freed you... I... I didn't want you to be stuck in a crystal all your life... Or miss out on what could happen, on what you could do." Armin told her. Annie looked at him and rolled her eyes.
"... I'm the Female Titan. There's not much I can do anymore, being one of society's most wanted criminals..." She sighed, crossing her arms.
"And why would you care, anyway? Don't you want me locked up like the rest of them?" She threw at him. Armin sat down, looking down at the ground, ashamed.
"I'm really sorry, Annie... I didn't want you to be what everyone was saying you were. I really wanted... You to not be the Female Titan." He said.
"... So I really am a bad person to you?" She looked at him, and he lifted his head to look back. He smiled
"No... Actually, you're a good person, to me, Annie. Even though you know what you did... You still came. You're still nice... And I really do want you to be free. Which is why... I'm gonna be buying you a house, in the farmland, away from everything. The most remote part in the walls, the last place anyone would look for someone like us." He smiled. She raised an eyebrow, but also stood up.
"... You're going to buy a house for me, where I'll just live... Peacefully, for the rest of my days?" She didn't buy it. He nodded, smiled, and grabbed her hand. She frowned, but didn't pull away. He giggled and started dragging her towards the water. She shook her head, getting nervous.
"Come on, Annie. Come see the water. Its so lovely! I promise you'll like it!" He chuckled, stepping his feet into the water. Annie shook her head, but as Armin dragged her, she didn't argue, stepping her own feet into the water, after untying her shoes when Armin let her go. She sighed, and stepped into the cold water. She walked out to where Armin was, knee deep in the water. He smiled, and kept going. She looked away, but kept following him.
"... Is there a point to all this?" She asked. He shook his head.
"Nope." He chuckled, and walked past waist deep, and started going deeper. Annie paused, and Armin turned around. She was frowning at him.
"What... What are you doing with my feelings again? Huh? What is it this time? Is this your elaborate plan to have fun? To torture my feelings with all this kindness, when later on you'll backstab me, you'll just turn me right back over to them?" She demanded. He frowned, sighed, and walked back.
"I promise Annie... There's no plan. I just want you to have fun, have a good time with whatever you have left... I know about how long Titan Shifters live..." He whispered, softly, in front of her. Her eyes widened for a moment, but closed, looking down with sadness. Armin took ahold of her hands.
"How long do you have left to live?" Armin asked her, his question burning. Annie sighed.
"... When I went under, I had almost a year and a half left..." She admitted. He took a deep breath. She placed her head on his shoulder. He moved his hand to the back of her head. They stood there, in the water, for a little while. Eventually, Annie lifted her head to Armin. Her expression was as normal as always, but her eyes held pain, and longing behind them. Armin smiled at her.
"... Annie... I want to give you the best year and a half you could possibly ever have..." He placed his hands on her hips, as she places her hands on his shoulder.
"... You can try, Arlert." She smiled softly, and leaned in, as did Armin, and they both locked lips, kissing for the first time, standing in the ocean...
A few days later, they moved into a small house in the country side. It was a small, remote piece of land. A one story, tiny house with just a kitchen, a living room, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Annie and Armin sat in chairs, talking about the living arrangements.
"You will be cooking. I'm a terrible cook." Annie looked at Armin. He chuckled and shrugged.
"I'll try my best. But sleeping... We have two bedrooms, but..." He blushed and looked down. Annie smiled, although she felt her cheeks redden with heat as well, she took ahold of his hand.
"... We'll try it out for one night. Just a test run. It can't be that bad, right?" She chuckled. Armin nodded, still embarrassed. They sighed, and Armin headed into the kitchen to make dinner. Annie went into the bathroom to clean up. At dinner, they sat at the dinner table next to each other, and smiled, eating the same food.
"Wow. This is actually really good Armin." Annie commented with a mouth full of fish. Armin blushed and shrugged.
"I tried my best." He giggled. When dinner was finished, he got up and took both of their dishes to the kitchen, but Annie came with him, and they washed dishes together. Armin smirked, and tossed a little soapy water at Annie, splashing her wet. She growled, yet playfully smirked as well, and started barraging him with soap buds, making him laugh as he tried his best to get her, throwing soap as well. She laughed, getting wet at a much lesser pace, and soon, Armin was drenched while Annie was just damp. He sighed, shaking water out of his blonde hair. Annie smirked, and tussled with his hair.
"Looks like we won't need showers tonight." Armin sighed. Annie smiled.
"Nope! More free time." She chuckled, and went to the living room to pick a book out of Armin's collection, and laid down on the couch. Armin dried off and laid with her, both of them laying together on the couch.
"Annie... Did... Did you ever like me, back in our cadet days?" He asked, as she sighed.
"... I found you cute... But your speech, when you defended Eren, even at the cost of your own life, that was really the moment I saw you... As something more serious, I guess. I couldn't stop thinking about you... You were really brave, Armin... Yet, here you are. Are you just... Okay with leaving Eren and Mikasa behind?" She asked, looking up at him. He smiled.
"Eren and Mikasa have each other... I think they're going to be fine. I'll miss them, but I wouldn't choose to be anywhere else, but here with you, Annie." He leaned down and kissed her cheek, making her cheeks light up pink, and her turn away. He chuckled, and kissed her neck too, but she slapped his shoulder, with a small chuckle. He smiled and cuddled with her, both of them reading from the same book.
Eventually, they both decided to call it quits, and go to bed. They both entered the same bedroom, and crawled in the same bed. They looked at each other, their bodies awkwardly positioned not to touch the other.
"Ummm... I don't think this is working..." Armin whispered.
"I know... Maybe you should... Get closer?" She shrugged. He shifted just a bit closer, but that made her roll her eyes, and she moved until she was hugging him, her head laying on his chest. They blushed, but dealt with it. Then, they sighed and shook their heads. They swapped places, Armin placing his head on her chest and wrapping his arms around her. She smiled and put her chin on his head.
"Much better." She took a deep breath, and Armin agreed with a nod, his eyes closed. They eventually drifted off to sleep, in each others arms.
For weeks, it stayed the same. Armin and Annie smiling, having fun as they played with each other, ate their meals together, sat outside in the warmth, slept together. Until one night...
Annie sighed. She was freshening up in the bathroom. Armin had been out for the day getting stuff, while she stayed at the house. Luckily, the land they lived on was a mine of food, which basically made them rich, and almost never hungry. She had been frustrated since he said he'd be gone even later today. She missed him dearly when he left. He had just gotten home fifteen minutes ago, and demanded some time to set something up. She took a deep breath, and finally exited the bathroom, only to gasp in awe. The living room has lit up by candle light only, and a newly invented music box, something expensive and brand new to the market, sat on a small table stand. Armin smirked, in a nice, yet simple outfit. He turned on the box, sound beginning to emit, a peaceful and nice song. Annie wore but a simple no sleeve dress. Armin clasped his hands with her own. She gasped and just looked around, surprised. She was baffled.
"Armin... What is all this?" She asked. Armin smiled and twirled her around suddenly.
"I've been wanting to dance with you for a long time. I finally found a way to do it..." He placed both hands on each of her sides, and she placed her hands on his side, then his shoulder.
"I... I can't really dance..." She muttered. Armin just smiled.
"Nonsense! Dancing isn't about whether or not someone can or can't, its how you can take anyone, and forge them into a dancer." He chuckled, and began to slowly dance with her, taking her step by step, literally, and guiding her through a small dance. She was amazed he could do that, that he even knew how to dance. She smiled, and placed her head on his shoulder, as they danced around, listening to music. She smiled, and when the song finally reached its end, she was kissing him, and they continued to dance for another five minutes, with no noise, but their own breaths. She walked him back to the bedroom, and they tossed themselves on the bed, and sighed, panting with each breath. Annie looked at Armin. He looked back, and a loving warmth, just as he had seen from his dream, glittered in her eyes, just below the surface... She reached over to him, and began to kiss him, dragging him fully into bed...
Armin hid behind the couch. He began to sweat nervously. It had been a few months now, his life with Annie.
"Please oh dear God please let it be a good day..." The door to their bedroom opened, and the floor creaked as Annie stepped out, her hair unraveled... And her belly much larger than ever before. Armin whimpered a little. She immediately turned in his direction. She growled, low and monstrous.
"... Hun... I heard you..." She muttered, Armin clamping his hand over his mouth, as she walked forward. He was terrified. Over her pregnancy, Annie had been prone to incredible mood swings which didn't exactly work out well for Armin. Suddenly, her hands grabbed the sides of his face. She was on the couch. He gasped.
"Now now, sweety..." He chuckled nervously. She growled loudly.
"I... Want you to cuddle with me!" She yelled, and pulled him up into her arms, crushing his head, as she held him in a locked position. He whimpered and struggled to get free, unable to do so, as darkness hit and he passed out...
Another few months passed, until the day finally came. Their child would be born. Annie was sitting in a hospital bed, as doctors and nurses helped all around her, as she screamed in pain. Armin was sitting there. She held his hand, although she had already fractured three bones in his palm. She panted, sweat, and screamed, as she labored for this child to be born. She looked at Armin.
"Never again... Please?" She begged, as she practically roared and arched her back, as the baby finally came. Another bone snapped in Armin's hand. The doctors gave the baby girl to Annie, and she smiled down at the newborn baby, who was asleep, seemingly unfazed by the torture her mother had just went through for her. Armin looked at the tired Annie. She handed the baby over to him, as she started sniffing, on the verge of tears. Armin looked down at the baby. His daughter. He couldn't handle it. He started crying, smiling, as his tears of joy streamed down his face. He looked at Annie, and they held the baby together.
"... Well... It was a girl... So we know our name." Annie smiled. Armin kissed her cheek, and then the baby's forehead.
"Avalon. Avalon Xaria Arlert." Armin chuckled, naming their daughter.
A few weeks later, Armin and Annie hold their daughter Avalon at home. Annie didn't stand her baby fat, so she worked it off easily, her regime extreme and difficult. Now, as they lay on the couch, Armin smiles and kisses Annie's cheek. Annie didn't really react though. He looks at her, worried.
"... Annie? You okay?" He asked. She sighed, not looking at him.
"Yeah... I'm doing fine..." She muttered. She got up, and handed the baby to Armin. He took Avalon, and stood up, but Annie walked towards the door. Armin looked after her.
"Annie... Annie, what's wrong!?" He called out, as she slammed the door. Avalon was asleep, cutely sucking on her own thumb. Armin quickly ran out after her. Annie was running away, and he could see tears starting to fly from her cheeks. He gasped, and dread filled him. Armin ran after Annie, and soon, Annie collapsed. Armin shook his head, tears starting to form. He finally got over to her, and she was sobbing. She looked up at him.
"Today... Today is the day I was turned... Today is the day I die..." Annie said to him, her voice full of pain and sorrow. Armin got down, and cradled her.
"No... Please... Not today..." The tears began to really flow. He held Annie, who held Avalon.
"You should take the baby and go... I don't want you to see me like this..." Annie sobbed. Armin shook his head.
"No... Listen to me Annie... Look at your daughter... She needs her mother... Oh, please... Don't go..." He whispered, holding his beloved. Annie trembled.
"Any minute now... I'm going... To die..." She whispered. Armin shook his head. He refused to believe it. He didn't want to believe it. Then... He felt Annie's breathing slow down. He trembled. He shook, deep, with a pain he had never felt before. It was like he could feel her dying in his arms. Eren's memories from his father... What the marleans had always told the shifters... They had a certain amount of time. To have their power. To live. Armin couldn't accept it. His lungs went into overtime. His eyes blurred, as tears of sadness fogged up his vision. Annie stopped. Everything stopped. For just a small moment, everything was peaceful. He remembered his dream. He remembered everything up to that very moment. They had finally found peace. He felt really at peace. Not with the house, or with the land, but with her. She was his peace. And she was gone... Until he heard her voice again.
"Armin?... Armin... I... Oh my god..." Annie whispered, seeming perfectly healthy, although very emotionally wrecked. Armin laughed, and smiled, as he picked the woman he loved up, and kissed her. Annie smiled, and they twirled around in the air, laughing and crying, as Avalon woke up, and giggled along with them. Armin and Annie stopped, tears streaming down their faces, and smiled at each other.
"They were lies... There was no timer..." Armin whispered. Annie nodded, and kissed Avalon's forehead, making the child smile even brighter, the first blonde tufts of hair on her head forming with her beautiful blue eyes, and roman nose. Armin looked at them, love in his eyes.
"She'll grow up to look exactly like you... Beautiful and amazing in every way..." He told her. Annie just chuckled.
"I hope shes like you. Smart and an unparalleled lover..." She chuckled. They locked their lips, making Avalon pout that the attention wasn't on her. Both parents chuckled, and cooed and played with their daughter until she calmed down, and walked home, hand in hand. Simply loving each other...