kindness

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He was panting, dirt and grime sticking to his cheeks and forehead. His body had gone from sore and burning to completely numb. The icy wind blew through his soaked hair, and the loud footsteps in front of him began to recede as everyone distanced themselves. Armin glanced up at the sky momentarily; the stars covered by dark clouds, but immediately sucked in a shaky breath. Everything seemed to be spinning, and another urge to revolt rolled through his system. Armin simply swallowed, somehow holding it together, and continued to push onwards. He couldn't afford to fall behind even more. He heaved out, narrowing his eyebrows in concentration. He was so pathetic, and everyone knew it. A mixture of sweat and rain cascaded down from his forehead, dripping off the bridge of his nose. His boots took an off step, and he fell with a splash in the mud. Shadis noticed, unfortunately, his dark eyes gleaming with disapproval. Coughing and choking from the rainwater, Armin slumped. He was grateful Mikasa or Eren hadn't noticed. He hated when they coddled him. All the cadets took notice, and he could see the jokes in their eyes.

Footsteps stopped beside him. "Are you alright?"

He glanced up, breathing heavily. His throat was burning and his vision blurred with a kaleidoscope of greys and greens. Then blonde. His initial thought was that Christa had stopped to aid him, but another squint dismissed that assumption.

"Annie?" he asked, startled. His voice sounded hoarse, shoulders quaking, and he noticed in unjustified resentment how she wasn't trembling from the chill of the rain. Still. She wasn't one to place concern in anyone, and that had already sparked his intrigue. He rarely noticed her, and when he did, she was glowering or scowling. She had only uttered a few words to him, and that had only been because of formalities. Her grey eyes were narrowed in contempt at him, and he looked down in shame. "I'm good," he breathed out, struck by the self loathe he felt. "You should catch up with the others."

She merely scoffed, kneeling beside him. His eyes widened as she pulled his green hood back, scrutinizing his appearance for a few seconds. She clicked her tongue, the annoyance clear in her expression. "Your face is bleeding." Her words came out in puffs of smoke. Her knuckles were dry and cracked, face blanched even more so than usual. Even if she didn't show it, the awful weather was taking a toll on her.

"It is?" He reached up to touch his brow, wincing when he came in contact with the scrape. Blood trailed down his face, covering his eyes. "I hadn't noticed."

Rain continued to pour, and thunder boomed in the background. He startled, catching his breath again before pushing himself from the ground. His uniform, arms, and chin was stained with dirt. A mingle of pain and nausea lurched throughout him, and Annie steadied him with lithe hands before he could slam to the earth again. "You should take better care of yourself," she lectured, familiar scorn drenching into her tone. Below that was unwavering concern, which Armin managed to hear in spite of his fragility.

He appreciated this, and oddly enough, felt special. Annie worried for no one, or at least hid her anxiety well, but the idea still caused Armin's grimace turn to a faint smile. She scowled at him, her voice morphing into a hiss. "What?"

"Annie," he whispered. "You're actually a nice person, aren't you?"

She seemed taken aback, but remained in her stoic stupor with ease. Her widened eyes shot into a glare, and he cringed as their eyes locked into place. A thousand messages could be read in those pale eyes of hers, but she kept them clouded with a blank mask. She began to walk away, her hands falling off his shoulders, and the warmth that had just been there dissipated completely. He looked towards the ground, stifling the sigh that threatened to escape his lips. Look what you did, he thought, watching her tiny form walk further and further ahead of him. Finally, she did stop, her head tilting back to look at him with irritation and confusion. "Well?"

He blinked. "A-are you waiting?"

She rolled her eyes, lips pressing together into a tight line. "If you'd prefer to wallow in the dirt."

A weak smile broke across his face, and he stumbled eagerly to catch up to her. His legs were weak, and his posture surely was terrible, but Annie didn't make any snide comments. She stood there, face blank, but then broke into a light jog as Armin reached her. She lingered at the same pace he did, but Armin knew that wasn't her limit. She had come in first in these laps before, and sometimes second when Mikasa or Reiner got the better hand.

"Don't exert yourself," he heard her mumble distastefully. "And stop gasping for air. Breathe through your nose if you can help it."

He let out a hesitant, shaky breath, slowly his pace slightly and closing his mouth. The dryness in his throat faded slightly, and it helped his composure. Their boots splashed through the rain, and Annie didn't speak again. They fell into a somehow awkward silence, but it was comfortable, if only in a way. She was the first person who didn't seem to pity Armin, or treat him like a joke. She acted as if they were equals, acting upon the same goals and passions. And yet at the same time, she couldn't have cared less.

He thought she was a brilliant mystery.

And kind.

He could never forget that.

A/N: I've been so awful with writing/updating lately. It's taken a while to get back into the flow of things. Not writing for four months made me a little rusty. And since I can't seem to get enough of Annie and Armin, I decided to write this. It's originally part of a different one-shot I was working on, but I decided it didn't work with it and decided to publish this as a stand alone. Hopefully it's good!

Reviews make me happy!