This is the story I've been wanting to write for quite some time. Armin is an Omega, Eren is an Alpha. But there is a twist to their relationship, and I've also played with conventions with the types of many other characters as I'm sure you'll see in time.

It's been a pretty long while since I've last written from first person point of view, but it was a very interesting experience. The the point of view character will change with every chapter, mostly alternating between Armin and Eren, but don't be surprised if you see Mikasa or Jean's point of view once in a while as well.

As always, special thanks goes to ShadowFaeyre for beta-reading, encouragement and for listening to my woes about this thing.

I cannot remember when I first realised I was special.

I suppose it was almost given to me in my mother's milk, in the voices speaking over my cradle; in the apples given to me for free by the people visiting the marketplace I was passing through, in the words "Eat this, you'll need more nourishment if you hope to have healthy children", "Armin is such a bright boy, let's hope his children inherit some of that intellect" and "Whom do you think Armin will choose as a mate?"

(Back then I could still walk safely on the streets of Shiganshina, without the fear of being mocked, taunted or hurt.)

The last of those phrases become considerably rarer after I met Eren. It seems so long ago now; I can hardly remember a time when he wasn't a constant, powerful, magnetic presence in my life. I met Eren through his father, Dr. Grisha Jaeger, our town physician. Dr. Jaeger had come to my house to check up on my family's health, although I remember him paying the most attention to me. He had brought Eren with him that day, but I can't be sure if it was simply because he wanted his son to have a friend his age, because he hoped the two of us would one day become a pair or to simply show Eren the routine processes of his work. Dr. Jaeger was far more competent as a doctor than would be expected from the town physician of such a small border district as Shiganshina, as he would later very much prove, and many hoped Eren would grow to inherit his father's occupation. Likewise, as a young and healthy Alpha boy, Eren was expected to marry and sire children to then pass the doctor's skills forward to, when the time came.

Alpha and Omega, the holiest of unions. Naturally people were hoping it would come to pass between the two of us, perhaps before we'd even met, but definitely afterwards.

I cannot recall much from that day, except that I didn't really care for the prodding and poking the process of medical check-up entailed, and I remember that I was very embarrassed that Eren witnessed all of that because I was in my underwear nearly the whole time. I wasn't used to the presence of other children, and my parents had always been very attentive to see that my clothes were as decent as possible when I left our small house, so being nearly naked in the presence of a boy my age was something new for me. I also do not know what it was about me that day that left Eren not only tolerating but even seeking out my presence, when he generally didn't get along with the other children in the district. I don't know if it was something I had said or done, or just something he had decided on or had been convinced by someone else to do, but he kept coming back and over the next few months we started to be together much more than apart.

We climbed trees, played hide and seek, I would share with him the apples the townspeople granted me, we would sleep over at each other's houses.

(It all seems so long time ago now…)

One day then, when I was perhaps five or six, I said goodbye to Eren at the door of my house just before sundown as he prepared to head home for the night. He waved all the way to the corner where he had to turn, a huge smile on his face as always, and I waved back even after he'd gone, before coming back inside and closing the door behind me.

My mother was by the sink, washing the dishes, my father writing something or the other at the kitchen table. After I'd stepped further inside, Mum turned to talk to me over her shoulder as she kept drying the plate. I took it as a subtle invitation to come and help her, as my parents had always been very insistent that I help around the house as much as possible. "For your future's sake. You'll understand when you're older." They would always say.

Mum smiled and nodded at my behaviour, silently telling me I'd done the right thing, before handing me a clean towel to dry the plates with. As she passed me the first one from the bucket of clear water, she said: "You and Eren seem to be getting along well."

"Yes, Mum." I murmured, not entirely sure how to respond. Surely she didn't think I was spending too much time with Eren? Because I wasn't sure if I could keep away from him, or keep him away from me, even if I tried. A life with a friend in it was just so much more superior to a life without one, and I wasn't particularly keen on going back to the past.

Mum was smiling though, so that eased my worries some. At least she didn't seem to be mad. "He's the son of a doctor too. He'll make a fine husband for you one day."

I let out a soft laugh. "Mum, Eren is my friend. I'm not going to marry him."

Mum seemed surprised at that, but composed herself as she handed me another plate. "Well, I suppose that's fine, but there aren't very many Alpha boys your age around here. And Eren would be a very safe choice for you, dear. You already get along well, and he will be able to provide for you and your children once he grows up. If he won't do we might have to try and find you a husband from outside of Shiganshina and I doubt anyone here, least of all your father and I, would like it if you had to leave Shiganshina…"

Now it was my turn to be surprised. I hadn't had a clue my parents had been thinking about this type of a future for me without saying anything about it to me. I didn't think I wanted to be a housewife whose only purpose was to take care of children. I wanted to travel, to see the world outside the Walls my grandfather had told me about. If my parents were under the misconception all I wanted out of life was to find a good husband, I felt it my duty to correct them immediately.

"Mum, I don't think I want to get married at all, or have children. Or at least, that's not all I want to do."

My mother turned to me in such a hurry that she dropped the plate in her hands. Even my generally quiet father stood up from the table as Mum grabbed my shoulders and kneeled down to my level, meeting my eyes with a serious look on her face.

"Don't ever," she hissed, almost panting, her face pale. "ever say that again Armin. You will change your mind as you'll grow older, but if someone has heard you by then no one will want you anymore when that time comes."

I looked over to my father, who had the same shell-shocked look on his face my mother carried, but as usual, he didn't say what was on his mind. But I understood that they were upset, even if I couldn't quite comprehend why, so I merely nodded, silently promising them I wouldn't mention not wanting to marry again.

That, however, only lasted until they started talking more about the outside world amongst themselves, and with my grandfather. I wasn't even supposed to know about it, but I'd woken up one night when I'd heard them talking downstairs. I'd quietly peeked down the stairs, and seen the three of them sitting around the table, hunched over a large book, talking in hushed voices. However, a joy I had never seen before seemed to radiate from all their faces, so I had realised this was something special. Curious, I had listened to their conversation, heard about my parents' plans to go to the outside world soon. It all sounded so thrilling. But at the same time, unfair. If my parents wanted to leave the Walls against all the rules, why couldn't I stay unwed? Why couldn't I go with them to the outside? With a mixture or bitterness and curiosity twirling inside me, I'd stayed in my guard place until Grandpa had left. He'd put the thick book underneath the wooden sofa, which had a lid where people sat on it so that we could use its inside as storage space. He said something about my parents needing it more than he right now. I didn't stay to watch him and my parents say their goodbyes and instead rushed back to bed so as not to be caught, keeping firmly in mind where the mystery book was hidden.

The next day, my parents left for work as usual, knowing I was going to be seeing Eren and would therefore be safe by myself. As soon as they were gone, I took the book from under the lid, and replaced the pillows on it just in case someone came back home before me. Then I left to meet with Eren by the river, holding the tome tight against my chest all the way there. No one would think it unusual for me to be carrying a book, but I had to be careful that no one would see the title. Regardless, I wanted to show it to Eren. I didn't even think about why I wanted to share this with him as badly as I did. But I wanted to and would tell him about my parents' plans and the outside world itself. I was also going to tell him about how I didn't want to just be another Omega birth-giver but go to the outside world just like my parents were going to. I could only hope he would understand. But I wanted him to know.

"The outside world? But talking about that or owning books about that is strictly forbidden! The Military Police will catch you if you're not careful!" Eren ranted as I told him about the book, but it sounded almost recited, as if was just repeating the words someone else had told him numbers of times until they'd finally stuck. And despite his words, he eagerly flipped through the book with me, learning all we could about the burning water, the mountains of ice, the fields of sand, and most of all, the vast body of water known as the "sea", which was supposed to cover most of the world and be all salt water as well!

"But that can't be right!" Eren exclaimed, green eyes wide as I read over that particular part. "Salt is highly valuable, the merchants would've used it all up in an instant!"

"According to this, the sea is so enormous that it can't be depleted of salt!"

"Wow…it still sounds impossible though."

"Well, the world out there must be far vaster than the inside of these Walls!" I then looked around myself to make sure no one was listening or walking nearby. I lowered my voice and whispered over to Eren. "Can you keep two secrets?"

"Two whole more, besides all this? Sure I guess, but I wonder where all of this is coming from all of a sudden."

I checked one more time for eavesdroppers. "My Mum and Dad are apparently going to the outside world soon."

Eren's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

I nodded. "I heard them talking about it with Grandpa last night. That's also when I saw this book. But don't tell anyone, I don't think they want me to know yet."

"Okay." Eren nodded as well. "What's the other secret?"

"Eren…I think I want to go with them." He opened his mouth to say something, but I beat him to it. "Not right now, I mean. I think I may be too young still. But someday. I don't…" I took a deep breath, preparing myself for Eren's possible reaction. Would he understand, or would he try and talk me out of feeling like this, like my parents? "I don't want to just be someone's mate. I want to live my life and see the world before I get married and have children."

Eren looked right at me. His eyes were wide, but he didn't look shocked or angry. In fact, he looked more…excited than anything. Before I could react, he had reached over for my hand and pulled it between us. "Then I will come with you. We'll go together." A grin spread over his face, so large I was afraid it hurt. "To be honest, I don't think I want to be a doctor like Dad, even though people say I should. I don't want to live the rest of my life inside these Walls, not knowing anything about what else could be out there! So Armin…do you think you'd mind if I came along?"

Now my face spread into a smile as well. "I would love to go together with you, Eren!"

"Then, it's a promise!" Eren held up his right hand, pinkie stuck out. I took my own hand out from where he was still holding it and laced my right pinkie with his as a sign of our promise.

...

Soon afterwards, my parents disappeared. My grandfather took me in, and he told me they'd gone to the outside world like they'd planned (I strongly suspect he had known I'd been eavesdropping that night – that may even be why he'd left the book behind), but I wasn't so sure. They'd left so suddenly, without even saying goodbye. One night they were there and the next morning they just weren't. I had no idea how they could've crossed Wall Maria either. It might be that the Military Police had somehow found out about their plans and had captured them, effortlessly, under the wraps, without anyone being the wiser. I never found out what had truly transpired, but I would never see my parents again. I preferred not to try and figure out how they'd gone. I wasn't sure which sounded worse: dying from being eaten by a Titan or at the hands of other humans, all because of a dream.

My parents' disappearance also held other consequences, these related directly to me. In a small town like Shinganshina, it was always a bit hard to keep anything a secret, so the rumours of my parents going to the outside world began to spread after a while, though I do not know from which source they got these rumours. Their sudden disappearance, as well as their foolishness to chase such a dream that was so certain to end in death, scared the people and started to turn them against my parents, as if they were afraid that if they dared to speak one good word about them they would end up with whatever fate my parents had suffered as well. This attitude also slowly began to extend towards our whole family – my grandfather and I. The adults of Shiganshina still saw me as a ray of hope for our little district, trusting that the children I would one day carry might bring the town into a brighter future with their strength and smarts, so they mostly simply whispered things behind my back, worrying about how much of my parents' "heresy" had been passed down to me.

The other kids weren't so kind, however, as they rarely are. It was around this time that I first started to get harassed, and the name "Heretic" began to stick. At this point, the older, bigger boys weren't yet as rough as they later would be, most likely because it would still have looked bad in the adults' eyes if they hurt me. They would mostly push me, either against the houses or the streets, as well as call me names. "I'd rather be a heretic than stay ignorant my whole life." I would say. Sometimes they'd kick me just a little, usually when I spoke back like that. But they always avoided hitting me and left my face alone, making sure not to leave bruises where they would have been the easiest for the whole world to see.

The only one who seemed not to turn against my family was Eren, and by extension his family. Whenever Eren would find me being pushed around, he would rush over to help me, even rather foolishly at times. He often wasn't able to win against the other boys, because they usually attacked as a group and there was just one of him, but he never stopped coming to my aid, even when I begged him not to, saying that they'd leave me alone once they got bored with me. But I suppose it went against Eren's very nature to stay out of it when an Omega was being hurt. As we grew, he honestly began to act more and more like he was already my Alpha, protecting me and seeming to understand how I was feeling at any time without me actually saying anything. Since my parents' disappearance, he did his best to keep my mind off of it and comfort me when I needed comfort. He was in general very attentive to me and my feelings, despite being so rough with nearly everyone else. He would take me to the river or to the farming areas when I didn't want to be around people and listen to their whispers, he held me when I felt like crying and played with me like normal when I needed my mind to be taken off from everything that was happening around me. I wasn't sure how he could always tell what I wanted, because according to everything I'd learned, Alphas weren't supposed to be able to sense Omegas' emotions and wants until we would be a little older and the pheromones would start to activate. Whatever it was that helped him know these things, it made life a lot easier for me during some of the hardest months of my life so far at that time. And despite my words of not wanting to be just some Alpha's mate, being cared for like this made me feel rather warm in my chest.

One late summer day, when the two of us were hanging under a large tree near the windmills and farming fields just outside Shiganshina, Eren must've sensed I was in an appropriate mood for him to talk to me seriously, because he queried: "Armin…with all that has happened, do you still want to go outside the Walls? Because I wouldn't mind if you wanted to take back your promise…"

I hugged my knees to my chest, but in all honesty didn't have to think about my answer. I had been thinking about it for a while myself, ever since my parents had left, but in spite of that… "No, I do still want to go. Perhaps now even more than before. I want to know if…if what is out there was worth it for my parents to die in order to see it."

Eren seemed to hesitate for a bit, before he said: "I'm sure it is, but…what if it isn't?"

I shrugged sadly. "At least I'll know then, right? It's better than living on as ignorant."

However, a few months after that, things got considerably worse, this time affecting the whole district of Shiganshina. No one knew where it had come or sprouted from, but a terrible illness began to spread around the town. We soon became completely cut off from the rest of the world so that the illness wouldn't spread. We were all trapped in Shiganshina, seemingly doomed to lose our lives with no way to escape. The symptoms of this strange new illness included a high fever and the break of strange, disgusting splotches all over the skin. People in Shiganshina started talking of it as a curse from God, because it seemed like everyone who caught it was doomed and that almost everyone was doomed to catch it.

It was only a matter of time before I caught it as well. I had never been as healthy or strong as the people of Shiganshina would've hoped for me to be, after all.

I don't remember much about those days of being trapped in my own body. It seems like all through that time I was in some kind of a dream-hazed state, too weak to do anything but lie in bed as the fever caused my body to sweat and tremble at the same time. Then, during one of my clearer moments, I remember that Eren was there. He held my hand, even if he must've known it could be dangerous. He had so far escaped the illness, having always been the picture of health, so he should've stayed away from the sick ones to be able to avoid catching it in the future as well. I can't remember if I voiced these thoughts, but I do remember that then Eren's father was there as well. He was holding a strange sort of tube that seemed to have a needle at its end. He raised my arm from the bed, and Eren hurried to take my other hand instead. I felt something stinging my arm, and realised Dr. Jaeger had put the needle of the tube into my arm.

I must've passed out sometime afterwards, because I hardly remember anything from then on. But slowly, clarity began returning to me. Life began to triumph over death and my health started to return to me. Eren still came over, and sometimes I was even lucid enough to hold a conversation with him. I was still fairly weak, but sometime afterwards Dr. Jaeger visited again and assured both my grandfather and I that I would be fine. Eren talked to me about what had happened outside while I'd been trapped in bed; about how his father had come up with a miraculous new cure called a "vaccination" that he had also used on me and that had been able to cure nearly everyone already ill as well as prevent it from spreading onto the ones still healthy. It sounded almost too good to be true, but me being alive was enough proof that this cure did indeed work. After all, if a frail person like me could be saved with it, the stronger ones surely would triumph over the illness as well.

Even after my fever went down, I still had to stay in bed for a while longer for I had lost quite a bit of weight and was still very pale and frail from my illness. Dr. Jaeger came over every once in a while to check me over. These days he would no longer bring Eren along to observe. We were growing and it would soon be indecent for Eren to see me without anything on. Dr. Jaeger would check my heartbeat and my weight, send me to the loo to get a urine sample and took some blood from me. He would later test them back at his house by using some powders and flame in ways Eren had told me about but I didn't really understand.

Then one day, just a few after we'd seen him last, he came again. He excused himself to talk to my grandfather for a while. They went outside the house and spoke in hushed voices, so I couldn't make out what they were saying. When they came back, Dr. Jaeger said to me: "Armin, I'm going to give you a drink that will put you to sleep for a while. I need to make sure of something and it might not feel very nice so it's probably better if you're not awake. Do not worry, you will wake up when it'll be over, and I'm sure I'm just worried for nothing. But I need to make sure everything is all right, that there are no further consequences caused by your illness. This is all very standard, so can you be brave for me and drink?"

I hesitated. "Is Grandpa all right with it?"

"Yes, we were talking about it just now."

"All right then…"

He gave me the drink which tasted sweet, but somehow not in the way you want it to, and I soon, indeed, fell asleep. I do not know what had transpired while I slept, but afterwards my lower back hurt just a little. I must've woken up earlier than Dr. Jaeger had expected me to, for I heard him and my grandfather talking right by my bed. Even through my drowsiness, there was one word I was able to make out from their conversation.

"Infertile".

I'd seen the word before in some of the medical books of Dr. Jaeger's that Eren would sometimes show me when I visited his house. It meant that a person would not be able to have children. It didn't take long for it to dawn on me that they were talking about me. That one of the "further consequences" Dr. Jaeger had been talking about was that my body had been so badly affected by the illness that it was unlikely that I would ever be able to have children. Although I had never wanted to be just someone's breeding cow, dread spread all over my body, almost immobilising me. An infertile Omega. Who had even heard of such a thing? Omegas' very purpose in life, our core nature, as everyone said, was to carry and care for children. Words that could be associated with an infertile Omega would be those such as "useless", "inadequate" and "waste of space and resources".

A burden.

As I said, in a small district like Shiganshina the news and the rumours spread fast. By the time I was ready to get out of bed and get back in the streets, everyone seemed to know what my illness had done to my body. I do not know where they once more had got this information from, as I am sure neither Dr. Jaeger nor my grandfather hadn't said a word, but they knew regardless. What little hope they had held for me anymore had disappeared and what had come to replace it was open resentment. The words "Heretic" and "Barren" now became permanently attached to me, amongst both adults and children alike. No more kind words or gestures were offered. Some even said that my and my parents' heresy was surely what God had punished us for with this epidemic. They hated me for having brought their hopes up and then squashing them. Most likely many thought it would've been better if the illness had just killed me off, since then they would've no longer had to waste food on me. Sometimes I wished I would've died as well. People would've mourned for me so deeply, I would've died a saint's death instead of lived a life where I would be of no use to anyone.

Once more, Eren came to my aid and was the only one who didn't turn against me. He was my only light in the world. He would take me away from the city again and keep me company, especially when my mind went to some of its darkest places. He would insist me to tell more about the outside world and to remember our dream, no matter what anyone said. He would talk about the Scouting Legion and how he planned on joining them in their battle against the Titans that were holding us all captive inside these Walls like livestock. In the meantime, he would be allowed to go outside and see the world that we both dreamed of. The world my parents had once dreamed of. (A part of me was grateful they hadn't lived long enough to see their son, whom they'd held such high hopes for, become barren.)

That dream became my only source of hope now, along with Eren, who was a part of that dream. I swore to myself, to my parents wherever they were and to Eren that I would one day see that world all of us had had hopes for. That I would one day live in that world, no matter what it took.

After all, what else can an infertile Omega do but die as honourably as possible as the food for the Titans?