His eyes open, but everything is blurred; his vision won't focus beyond a haze of shapes and colors. His chest hurts, as if something had been pounding into him; and his mouth is strangely wet. Had he puked? The thought crossed his mind, but then his eyes meet Mikasa's own. Something clicks into place. It's not the whole picture, but something becomes clear. Her eyes are awfully bright, and as everything steadily gets sharper, he can pick out the tear tracks on her cheeks and blood around her mouth. That's where his first question lies because how does someone get blood around their mouth and no where else? It certainly hadn't come from her own, and - oh...

"You stopped breathing."

She's trying to keep her voice even and under control, but it still wobbles. She places three fingers on his neck, checking for his pulse. He's clearly awake and semi-coherent, but she needs to feel his heart beat.

"You stopped breathing, Armin," she repeats, and this time her breath hitches. "You collided with the tree, and by the time you hit the ground, you had stopped breathing."

Suddenly she's fumbling, far too sharply for her usually-composed self. The blades she had placed on the grass are thrusted back into her holders, and then she's reaching for Armin's hands, prying him off the ground - but his legs fail him. They're numb, and he can't will movement into his limbs. She decides quickly to place him on her back, and he doesn't complain, or, more accurately, can't complain, because his mind is still in a bit of a haze. However, he soon finds feeling returning to his legs and realizes that his face felt numb because now he can detect blood dribbling down his chin in a thin line.

Mikasa had saved his life. Not only his breath had been knocked out of him when he hit the tree - no, his life had stilled. She wasted no time trying to resuscitate him, regardless of the blood gurgling from his mouth that would mar her own.

Jean would tell him later, much later, how frantic Mikasa had become.

"You wouldn't respond. When she tried finding your pulse, and it wasn't there, she... She lost it. She tried getting you to breathe, switching between pumping your chest and, well, you know..." Here Jean pointed to his mouth, and Armin nodded, ignoring the guy's childish inability to state the action in actual words. "I was called away before she got you back, but right after that the retreat signal was given." He paused and scratched at the back of his head. Suddenly he was refusing to meet Armin's eyes - but the words that came out were not ill-intended. He voice took on a softer, warmer tone. "I thought she only really cared about Eren. Like that, I mean."

He stepped closer to Armin, resting in a bed, and placed a hand upon his shoulder. "If you had seen her, you would have been scared. She... cares about you. A lot. You probably already know that, but it was a shocker to me to see that she cares that much for someone aside from Eren."

An hour later, Mikasa was walking into the room; and Armin was quick to figure out that she didn't intend to leave, regardless if it meant she would sleep in a chair. With a gentle smile, he sat up, leaning against the headrest, and asked his friend to sit next to him. She obliged with a curt nod, and he was reminded of that night, with her awkward movements and uncontrollable tears. Tonight, however, she remained stoic, asking and pestering a little if he were all right or if he needed anything. He waved it all off with a laugh.

A few beats of silence passed between them, but it was far from uncomfortable. He closed his eyes and released a minute sigh, relishing in the comfort. It wouldn't be long before Eren returned, and the peacefulness of the room would surely be overshadowed by his boisterous but concerned questions. His friend had left for dinner, Mikasa insisting that she would stay with Armin as long as he brought back something for her later.

His thoughts stalled when the bed creaked, and then there were warm and comforting arms wrapping around him, burying him within her embrace. The hug was different, more gentle; and he could have attributed her care to his injuries - but he also knew that her nerves weren't frayed and her thoughts were collected.

"I'm relieved you're all right."

He smiled, returning the embrace.

"If you do that again..." Her words stumbled. He could tell, she was poking at a joke, but that wasn't exactly her forte. She sighed in resignation, and he chuckled against her collarbone. "Just don't do that again. You made my heart stop." She tightened her hold one last time before releasing him. "You need to rest," she commented, intending on returning to the chair. He reached for her hand, and her attention darted to the contact. With eyebrows furrowed, her expression was a silent question of "What?"

"Just lay down." Both Armin and Mikasa turned towards the door to find Eren standing there. "We all know you're not going to leave tonight, so why not get the comfort of a bed while you're at it?" Their blond friend laughed, deeply and heartily. Mikasa, on the other hand, blushed lightly, embarrassed at being so easily read.

Needless to say, it was a second surprise for Jean, who visited Armin in the morning to find his back curled against Mikasa, her grip holding him in place.

"Wake them, and I'll kill you, horse-face."

He froze at Eren's voice from behind him. After a beat of silence, he sauntered away, muttering how he was just glad it wasn't Eren.

With Jean gone, Eren entered the room, his mouth ready to burst with giggles, elation blooming in his chest. Both were in rather deep sleep - no way would Mikasa consciously cuddle like that. He heaved a sigh and, plopping down on the empty chair, silently wished he could join them.

Author's Note: I vaguely followed up with some of the ideas from the first chapter, which is why I made this the second chapter instead of a completely new story. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you have enjoyed. This is cross-posted on AO3.