"Hey Armin?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you still want to go beyond the walls?"

"We have important business here, Eren." Armin sighed. "We just solidified Historia's rule by finding the cure. Be patient."

. . .

"Hey Armin."

"Yes I want to go beyond the walls, but we're so busy. Sorry Eren"

. . .

"I'm needed in the capital, I won't be going beyond the walls anytime soon, Eren."

. . .

"You're going to shoot him down again today, aren't you?" Annie folded her paper.

"Don't start this."

. . .

Of course Armin still wanted to travel beyond the walls, into the untamed and unexplored wildernesses, to see the Salt Oceans, Seas of Fire and Ice Rivers. It was his childhood dream. One he would hopefully someday accomplish, but taking care of the disbanded Garrison, Survey Corps and Military Police ate his time. Deciding how to best protect what was left of the walls from the remaining nearby titans, dispatching squads to administer the vaccine and . . .

"Armin."

"I'm busy, Mikasa. The shifters leaders are,"

"I know." Mikasa sat down opposite him, careful of her 3dmg. She was one of the few who still operated with it. "Care to explain why Eren is refusing to talk to anyone?"

"He keeps pestering me about the outside, I just don't have time to go."

"What, you think the Queen wouldn't give you time off if you asked for it?"

"I have duties Mikasa."

"I know, they just don't seem to be the ones you wanted when we were kids."

. . .

"The Corps are officially disbanded." Commander Hange Zoe's voice shook as she uttered the words. "We are no longer required to perform the duties we were created to do. The research has been completed and the only job left is to administer the vaccine, which is apparently a job being kept for the Military Police or what's left of it." She added bitterly. This had been her research, her life, something she had dedicated hours to, spent sleepless nights searching for, and she wouldn't even be hailed as the hero at the end. She may have made the cure but the MP's would deliver it, and that was all that mattered to the populace. "You still have options, however. The Nation still need protection. Titans are no longer our only threat. You can still sign with the army or the Queens Guard." Hange wiped away a tear. "The Corps are no more, and I appreciate the sacrifice each of you were prepared to make. I have only one more thing to tell you. Corporal Arlert will be placed as the head of Armies. He is your first port of call if you want to join with the Armies again. Regardless, I wish you all the best with your future.

"I don't want to remember that." Armin turned onto his side. It was two am and he hadn't slept the night before. "I'm not avoiding my dreams. I will get to the outside someday. I'm just busy now."

. . .

"Armin."

"What, Eren?"

"Look at me."

"I'm busy." Armin scribbled down a few more notes. "I'm trying to sort out the mess that it the former MP."

"Just look."

"Fine." Armin sat up straight, pulling off the glasses the doctors had given him after his last visit.

Eren was wearing his Survey Corps uniform.

It had been five years since they graduated to the Corps, Four since Historia took the throne and two since the cure was found. In the time since Eren last wore the uniform his wrists had begun poking out of the sleeves.

"The Survey Corps was disbanded Lieutenant Jaeger."

"Don't you remember what this symbolises? What it meant when we put it on for the first time? What these wings represent?"

"For the Glory of Humanity." Armin replied in a dull voice. "That's what I'm doing."

"It's the Wings of Freedom, you bastard." Eren leaned over the desk and grabbed a fistful of Armin's shirt.

Not even glancing at Eren's hand Armin met his eyes. "Control yourself Jaeger."

"At least I'm still myself, at least I haven't forgotten my dreams, Commander Arlert."

Armin and Eren didn't speak for a year after that.

. . .

"Are you two going to make up?" Annie sat opposite Armin. She was visiting the capital and this was a habit of theirs, meeting over a few drinks. "I spoke to Mikasa today so I know everything about what happened. Did you know that Eren proposed? They're getting married in the spring."

"Tell them my congratulations." Armin muttered, taking a sip of his whiskey.

"Why the hell are you still so pissed off?" She glared at him. "Anger isn't good for someone in your line of work."

"You don't deal with the idiots I do."

"Don't try changing the subject."

"Whatever, let's try and find Jean."

"Excessive drinking isn't either." She followed him of the door, throwing a few coins on the table. "What are you and Jean-bo up to these days anyway?"

. . .

"The Queen requests your presence." The message boy shook as he stood in front of Armin's desk.

"Tell her I am busy organising her armies supply shipments of the cure."

"She said that this was more important than anything else."

Looking up from his papers Armin locked his eyes with the boy's. "Did she say why?"

"No Sir.

This had better be important, he thought to himself.

. . .

"Ah you're finally here." Historia smiled warmly. They were in her office so obviously this was a confidential meeting. "Close the door."

"Yes Ma'am."

Historia threw Armin a withering glance. "Why do I put up with you?"

"Your armies would starve under anyone else."

"Hmph." Armin's eyes were drawn to the area behind Historia where Ymir stood. "Any idiot could run those supply chains."

"I'd like to see you try."

"She will be." Historia spoke up. "While you are outside the walls."

"Excuse me?"

"She's sending us outside the walls."

Armin spun around to face the new voice. "Jaeger."

"Oh don't be so childish." Historia sighed. "I'm sending you, Mikasa, and Eren on an expedition beyond the walls. The Shifters have asked that Annie joins you, seeing as they don't know much about what lies beyond either."

"I'm sorry but I will have to politely decline this mission." Armin crossed his arms. "There have been riots in –"

"She said that I will be taking care of that." Ymir met his eyes. "You are needed to go exploring beyond the walls. That's what you and Eren always wanted wasn't it? To see the lands beyond the walls?"

"Oh relax Ymir, he's a lost cause. He's already forgotten why we joined the Corps in the first place, and what they stood for." Eren had a sarcastic smirk on his face. "All those ideas and all those books he read, he's forgotten. He has no wanderlust anymore, no desire to discover the world. Just leave him with a desk and paperwork, leave the adventuring to the rest of us."

"You actually think I don't want to go?!" Armin grabbed Eren's shirt and shoved him against the wall. "You think I don't want to learn? I have been doing my job! While you have been out curing titans or helping with research, I have spent almost every single day organising the mess this country calls a military. I want to be out there. I. Want. To. See. The. Friggin. Ocean. That was my dream, that was what my parents died doing. You do not tell me what I do."

"Really? Because you let everyone else do exactly that." Eren grabbed Armin's wrist. "Let go of my shirt."

"I am going to feed you to the first Titan we see." Armin let go of Eren's shirt and turned to Historia. "I will be participating on this expedition, although I take no responsibility for anyone returning alive."

"That's why I'm allowing Annie to join the trip, maybe she can stop you killing each other."

Hi! So this is my first SNK fic (well the first I published). I'm also putting this up on AO3, and I have a rough outline for the rest of the story. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this, please leave a review, they can help inspiration immensely.