CinderArmin
SUMMARY: Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful boy named Armin who wanted nothing more than to go to the ball and dance with the princess. Too bad his foster-family doesn't consider him muscular enough to go. But maybe with a little help from a certain disgruntled fairy godmother, Armin's dreams can come true. Armin x Annie, Levi x Mikasa.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: You know, I probably couldn't even tell you why I did this.
A long time ago in a kingdom ruled by a man with perfect eyebrows, lived a family. To the random outsider, it was a happy family with a happy, if strict father and three happy sons.
However, not all was happy in the Shadis household.
The youngest of the sons—a beautiful boy named Armin—wasn't as happy as his two brothers, Eren and Jean. You see, Armin wasn't born to the Shadis family. Armin used to live with his grandfather in a tiny cottage on the edge of town. However, when his grandfather died, Armin was quickly adopted by Keith Shadis, who made it his duty to ensure that Armin had an upbringing worthy of a soldier.
Armin soon found out that he wasn't made for the military life. He was a weak child, prone to illness when the weather got too cold. He preferred the company of books to his loud, rambunctious brothers.
"Armin!" The younger of the two, Eren, used to say. "We're going training today."
"You have to come," chimed in the elder, a handsome lad named Jean. "You need to become stronger."
And every time, Armin would try to back out but fail, due to his foster father's incredible hearing and clear disapproval of anything that didn't build muscle.
So Armin would try his hardest. He'd carry bags of grain on his shoulders as he hiked up mountains, but later collapse from exhaustion. He'd stand under waterfalls, but later lay in bed all day with a terrible cold. Eren and Jean soon gave up on him.
On the eve of Armin's 16th birthday, a ball was held in the castle. Jean and Eren received their invitations in the mail within days of it being announced, but Armin—though eagerly awaiting his—never got one.
"You can't go," said Shadis. "You don't have enough muscle. You have to stay at home and build more."
Jean nodded in agreement. "I've already helped you a lot, Armin. You need to learn on your own."
"B-but," sputtered Armin. "I've always wanted to go to the muscle ball. I know I don't have muscles and I hate working out, but I hear the princess is going to be there."
At this, Eren's eyes narrowed. "I like the princess, Armin. You know that."
Shadis shook his head. "Armin, you're not going to the ball and that's final. And while you're at home, I want you to clean the equipment. You can't work out with dirty equipment." Grabbing Jean and Eren by the scruff of their collars, he dragged the boys out to their wagon and departed, leaving a weeping Armin on the floor.
"All I've ever wanted was to meet the princess!" He sobbed.
"Really?" Asked a voice.
Armin's head shot up. "Who's there?"
A beautiful girl with dark hair walked out of the shadows. She was clad in a white sports bra and matching bicycle shorts, her perfectly tone stomach reflecting the dim light of the candles.
"Who are you?" Asked Armin.
The intruder spun a sparkling dumbell around her index finger. "I'm your fairy godmother."
"Do you have a name?"
"Lots," she said. "Though, it's usually whatever combination of profanity people can think of when I'm pining them down and there's two seconds on the clock left. But, you can call me Mikasa."
"What are you doing here, Mikasa?"
Mikasa quirked a brow. "I'm here to grant you a wish, Armin."
"But why?" Armin gazed at his fairy godmother through a film of tears.
Mikasa grimaced. Even when crying, the boy was still unnaturally beautiful. "Because," she said, as if that passed for an acceptable answer.
Armin was about to press for more, but looking at her muscular arms, he decided not to.
"What do you want to wish for?" Mikasa asked.
"I want to go to the muscle ball," said Armin immediately.
"Really?"
"Really," replied Armin.
"That's it?" Mikasa shrugged. "Simple enough." And with that, she waved her sparkling dumbell and with a shower of light, two body-builders appeared. "Reiner. Bert. We have some work to do."
The blonde pulled out a fatsuit, while the taller one sighed and began misting Armin's body with water.
When it was all done, Armin was clad in a suit that made him look far more muscular than he actually was. A sweatband decorated his blonde hair and fancy running shoes adorned his feet. "Couldn't you have given me actual muscles?"
"Hun, we need to have something to work with," said Mikasa. "I did my best, okay?"
Armin gave an experimental twirl in front of a mirror that Bert had provided. "I look so strong."
Reiner choked on his laughter. Mikasa elbowed him in the stomach.
"What about my ride?"
"Can't you drive?" Mikasa asked.
"No."
Mikasa waved the dumbell again. This time, a wagon appeared outside. Opening the window, Mikasa shouted, "Connie! I have a favour to ask."
Connie sighed. "Yeah, yeah, someone else needs a ride to a ball."
"There's your ride," said Mikasa, jutting a finger over her shoulder at the wagon. Before Armin could run off, she grabbed him by the shoulder. "Make sure you're back before midnight. The fatsuit will deflate by then."
Armin nodded, eyes wide.
"Oh, and take this." Mikasa handed Armin a sweatband. "I had to use magic to make it small enough for your hand. It'll tie the whole outfit together."
"Thank you!" Armin said cheerily, climbing into the wagon. "Thank you all!"
After he left, Reiner turned to Mikasa. "Aren't you going to the ball?"
Mikasa glared. "What's your point?"
"You could have taken him as your plus-one instead of having to use magic to create a new invitation."
"But it's so much more fun this way," said Mikasa with an evil grin reminiscent of mass murderers.
When Armin had reached the ball—courtesy of one Connie Springer and possibly fairy-godmother-Mikasa—he was astounded by the sheer size of the place. Tapestries depicting muscular figures fighting giants with their bare hands adorned the walls, while stained glass made the domed room seem like a church. Long tables were lined up against the sides, providing a large area in which people were dancing. If Armin had looked close enough, he would have seen his disgruntled brothers dancing with one another, unable to find partners.
At the back of the room sat the most influential family in the land. Erwin Smith, with his perfect eyebrows and handsome features, was the sort of man whose countenance demanded respect. Even his daughter, Annie, possessed a similar disposition, though harsher. She seemed almost apathetic, as if your respect, though necessary, wouldn't move her at all. His eldest son, Levi, on the other hand, exuded a false laziness that usually fooled people into thinking he was dim or slow-witted, when in fact, he was unusually intelligent.
Armin walked slowly in the middle of the room, as slow as his fake-muscle-suit would allow him to move. As he walked, he felt the crowd part and whisper to themselves. Who was this strangely beautiful boy with the strangely beautiful muscles? Why hadn't anyone seen him before?
Annie—who'd already become bored with tonight's turn of events—leaned forward to access the newcomer. She felt a rare smile on her face. Standing up from her ornate chair, she made her way down the steps to greet the boy.
"Hello," said Armin with a sweeping gesture.
Annie nodded in acknowledgement.
"Care to dance?" He asked.
Annie offered her his hand.
And despite Armin's lack of coordination when it came to anything remotely physical, he was a wonderful dancer. It was a bit of a strange talent that his foster family simply assumed was genetics. In fact, it wasn't a strange thing for them to wonder if Armin simply waltzed out of the womb or that the first steps he'd taken were a prelude to the cha-cha.
"You're a really good dancer," commented Annie admiringly.
"Thank you," said Armin. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a girl with dark hair all clad in white. It was his fairy godmother.
She was dancing with the prince, who seemed to be quite smitten with her. However, she was gesticulating wildly in Armin's direction and pointing at Annie. Oddly enough, nobody noticed this peculiar behaviour.
"Oh!" Armin said aloud. Annie gave him a confused look. "You have beautiful eyes," said Armin.
Annie blinked once. Twice. And she narrowed her eyes.
Armin looked over Annie's shoulder. Mikasa gave him a thumbs-up and turned her attention back to Levi, who looked to be apologizing for accidentally trampling on her toes. Needless to say, Levi had been so lost in Mikasa's eyes, he'd stopped thinking and promptly forgot how to move his body.
"You're really cheesy," said Annie.
"But it's true," argued Armin.
"I hope you realize that just because you compliment me on my eyes doesn't mean I'm automatically going to be charmed by you."
Armin started sweating. He looked to Mikasa for help, but she was making out with the prince; the couple was poorly concealed behind a potted plant. He wiped his forehead with the sweatband.
"I'm sorry if I offended you," he said.
Annie's expression softened fractionally. "Whatever."
"But I do respect a lot of the work you've done!"
Annie arched a brow.
Armin took this as a sign to continue. "Like, how you've worked with the royal army and assisted your father in devising new tactics. I really admire that."
Annie blinked. "I'm surprised you know all of that."
Armin shrugged. "I pay a lot of attention to people I like."
And even though Annie had sworn off boys (and probably girls, though Mikasa might beg to differ if she had the chance), she felt her heart swell a little and she grew just the teeniest bit breathless.
"You're a really kind person, Princess Annie," said Armin.
"You can just call me Annie."
"Well, you're a really kind person, Annie."
And if she had enough time to, Annie would have asked for the boy's name and maybe even for another dance. However, at that very moment, the clock struck twelve.
Armin grew pale.
"What's the matter?" Annie asked.
"I have to go," said Armin, already feeling his muscles start to deflate. "I need to leave."
"Why?"
"I'm sorry," sputtered Armin. "It was nice talking to you, it really was! I just have to go, now." Feeling like he was wading through quicksand, Armin ran as fast as he could, Annie right behind him.
"Wait!" Annie called. "I don't even know your name!"
Unfortunately, Armin had chosen to wipe the sweat from his face at that very moment and hadn't hurt Annie's plea. As he climbed into Connie's wagon, his sweatband got caught on a splinter of wood sticking out. He pulled the band off and let it fall to the ground as the cart peeled away.
Annie walked over to where Armin had left the sweatband. She picked it up and studied the little bit of blue cloth. "I'm going to find you," she whispered. "I swear I will."
"I can probably help you with that," said a mysterious voice behind her.
Annie turned around. The source of the voice was a beautiful girl with dark hair wearing a white gown that probably wasn't supposed to be that disheveled.
"You can?" Annie asked. "I mean, not that I care or anything. It'd just be easier if I didn't have to do it alone."
"Yeah," Mikasa said. "I can help. But in exchange, you have to help me and your brother."
"How?"
Mikasa held out her hand. "Tell me where your dad hid the keys to his chastity belt and you've got yourself a deal."
"Deal."
Reviews are greatly appreciated! Part II will be coming soon :)