"Mikasa, stop it!"
"Why?"
"You're getting me wet!"
"You're in a pool. You're meant to get wet."
"Yeah but I don't want you to splash me!"
The girl merely ignored him, and splashed him again. "When's Armin getting here?"
Eren groaned and fell back. Mikasa had invited him round her house that day, because her paddling pool had been set up the previous afternoon, after she'd been sent home from Eren's. "Mum's picking him up soon. I told her to make sure he brings his swimming stuff."
"Good." Mikasa sent another splash in Eren's direction. Eren protested loudly again, before deciding that if he really wanted Mikasa to stop, he had to give her a taste of her own medicine, and sent some water her way. She responded with larger splashes.
The two of them continued their little water fight, hitting the grass the pool had been set up on more than each other, shrieking and laughing so loudly they didn't hear the doorbell ring, and had no idea that it had done so until Mikasa's mother waved at them from the kitchen window, Eren's mother at her side. Eren leapt out of the pool and ran to her, Mikasa following, her pace slower.
"Mum, what are you doing here?!" Eren asked, almost slipping on the tiled floor.
"Mikasa's mother invited me round for a drink, is that not allowed?" his mum replied, eyeing the trial of dirty water he'd left behind him.
"No!" Eren told her sternly. "You're meant to be getting Armin."
She chuckled. "I did get Armin."
"He's in the living room," Mikasa's mother stated, taking two glasses from the highest shelf in the cupboard she had reached into. "Dry yourselves off before going in."
Mikasa nodded, and Eren grunted, which earned him a dirty look from his mother. Regardless, the two grabbed the towels they'd dumped on Mikasa's table, and dried themselves off slightly, before hurrying into the other room.
"Armin!" Eren yelled. "We're swimming today! Are you ready?"
"Oh, uh," Armin jumped a little when Eren called out, "not really. I don't want to go swimming. I'll just stay here."
Mikasa shook her head. "Armin, that's not allowed."
His pale eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "It's not?"
"No." Mikasa's tone was commanding. "Now, go get changed."
"But, uh," Armin looked down.
"No buts. Get changed." Eren wanted to laugh at how strict and motherly Mikasa sounded, but he didn't, because he was worried Armin would think he was laughing at him and get upset. He didn't want to upset Armin again, not after how much trouble he'd gotten in for doing it yesterday. "We'll meet you outside."
The two already kitted out for swimming turned and left the room, hurrying back to the pool. The water barely came up past their knees, but when they sat down, it felt a lot deeper. They decided not to splash each other until Armin joined them, because otherwise the water level would drop even further. The heat was dropping somewhat, but it was still reasonably warm, and the two were thankful for the water. They though Armin would be too, but soon found that theory disproved.
"Armin, what are you wearing armbands for?" Eren laughed. "They're for babies!"
The blond just stared at the ground. "I can't swim," he mumbled.
"You don't need to swim! It's not deep!"
"Yeah, but I'm littler than you, so there's more water!"
"Are you going to come and play or not?" Mikasa asked, staring at him. He shivered slightly before nodding.
Almost the second he stepped into the pool he was bombarded with splashes to his face. He shrieked loudly, and attempted to shield himself, but slipped instead, landing sharply on his backside. His expression was one of utter horror.
"Armin, are you okay?" Eren asked, instantly stopping his splashing. Armin nodded, his face pale and his eyes wide.
"He's just scared of the water," Mikasa decided, sitting down, "aren't you Armin?"
"Not really," Armin's voice was light, "I just don't want to drown."
Eren was about to say that Armin didn't need to be scared, because he wouldn't drown, when Mikasa pounced and pulled him further under the water. He struggled and flailed against her grip for a while, but ended up completely submerged for at least a second. Then he was back up again, coughing and spluttering and crying.
"There." Mikasa folded her arms.
"There?!" Eren asked, panicked and confused.
Mikasa rolled her eyes. "Armin, are you dead?"
The boy shook his head, but didn't answer due to the fact he was still coughing.
Smiling, Mikasa said, "Then there's no need to be scared of drowning, is there?"
Author's Note: fun fact: half of the things that have happened to armin so far in this fic happened to me at least a billionn times during my childhood basicaly what im trying to say is that i am armin and its not fun.