These Things to Remember

"Man, that was a rough day of training," Connie groaned, flopping onto his bunk in exhaustion. "I think I emptied a gallon of sweat onto that training field. Do you think Shadis was trying to kill us?"

"He's like that every single day, so I don't know why you aren't used to it yet," Jean replied darkly, quickly swiping the hem of his shirt across his forehead.

"The first few weeks were the worst," Armin piped up where he was on the top of his bunk. The cadet lay on his back, arms outstretched in the air while he flipped an old, ragged hat in his fingers. "I think we've all gotten better, though."

"Well, maybe not Connie," Reiner murmured from where he sat, casting a glance and a quick smirk at the other cadet.

"I'm sorry not all of us were graced with the wall of muscle that is your body, Reiner," Connie retorted before pulling himself upright and focusing on Armin. "Hey, I've noticed you always keep that hat next to your bunk, Armin. Whose was it?"

The blonde stopped rotating the hat, eyes sliding over to meet Connie's before he answered solemnly, "It was my grandfather's. He was sent on the Recovery Mission and gave it to me before he left." The cadet looked curious for a moment and inquired, "How did you know it belonged to someone before me?"

Connie shrugged and let his gaze drop to the floor. "You can just tell sometimes. I'm sure everyone here as a little keepsake, something to remember their old lives by. There probably aren't many who have something that wasn't given to them by someone special."

Everyone else in the room was quiet, save for coughing as someone cleared their throat. After a moment or two, Connie spoke, "Sorry I brought it up. I was just curious, that's all."

"It's alright," Armin replied softly and the thick silence coated the room once more.

Connie looked back and forth between the melancholy faces before declaring, "I have a shirt from my little sister."

The rest of the group sent the cadet bewildered glances, and Bertholdt inquired, "Your sister?"

"Yeah," Connie admitted, laughing nervously. "She found out I was heading off to join the cadets and learn how to fight the Titans… Okay, she thought I was going to fight the Titans, but I'm still joining the Military Police." The cadet smiled, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Anyway, when she found out, she wanted to give me something to remember her by and well, I got a shirt. It's pink, too."

A few of them snickered at the red faced cadet, and Connie shrugged, looking up at Armin and saying, "Alright, we're even now. Everyone else probably has something to remember, too. Not saying I want to begin a festival of sob stories," he added quickly.

"Yes, I've heard Marco's is a real tear jerker," Reiner announced, earning an indignant cry from the younger man. "We'll be curled up on the floor tonight with tear soaked blankets as we all hold Marco close."

"W-What?" Marco protested, growing alarmed as all the attention was suddenly directed on him. "What are you guys talking about?"

Armin turned his grandfather's hat over in his hands once more, smiling a fraction.

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: I feel terrible whenever I write about their training days… Not because those semi-happy times are gone (okay, that's part of the reason), but mostly because I always forget to write Marco in there… *sigh*