AN: Hey y'all. Ugh. The side of my head is throbbing like crazy, so yeah. I guess academics (I know it's summer and all, but we still have so many make-up classes and advance studying to do), watching anime, and writing this fic has taken its toll on me. But hey, no worries, 'cause I'm still alive and kicking. Anyway, this is loosely based on the AoT episode 2 OVA.

Song inspiration for this chapter? "Out of My League" by Stephen Speaks.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. In an alternate universe, maybe.

Chapter Nine

"Jean, Armin, take a seat."

They did what they were told. Armin looked at Jean, and he seemed as confused as he was as to why they were called. There were three people in the room with them: Commander Erwin, Squad Leader Hange, and Lance Corporal Levi were all sitting before them, but wearing different expressions. One was serious, the other interested, while the last was looking bored as usual.

Armin cleared his throat, waiting.

"You're probably wondering why we summoned you here," said Erwin, "and the reason is simple -- we need both of you to answer some questions."

"An interrogation?" said Jean, confused.

"You could call it that," replied Hange. "But this more like a fact-checking, if you ask me. You see, something major is about to happen, and we need you two to be properly prepared."

"What is it?" asked Armin.

She looked at the Commander, who nodded for her to continue. "Well, it was decided that a trial would be held in order to decide Annie Leonhardt's fate, and we figured the two of you would probably be called upon to stand as witnesses."

Jean shook his head. "I don't get it. Aren't the Survey Corps currently in hold of her?"

The Commander said, "That's true. But that is only a temporary set up. The Military Police apparently wants custody over the Female Titan, and with what happened to Stohess, the higher-ups can't help but to heed their request."

"Dammit," muttered Jean, clenching his fist.

"There's no point getting all worked up about it," said Levi. "We're lucky enough to have a trial. What we need to do now is to make sure the two of you don't screw up and ruin our chances. I want that Female Titan, if you still hadn't noticed."

Armin felt cold. Levi's eyes had a dangerous glint in them, and he knew why; Annie had killed his whole squad, and he wants his revenge. He couldn't blame him for that, but he still can't help but fear for Annie's safety. Military Police or Survey Corps, it doesn't really matter where she ends up, since both wanted her dead.

"Jean, let's start with you," said Hange. She pulled out a sheet from the pile of papers next to her. "What do you know about Annie?"

"Nothing much, really," he answered. "We were never close -- hell, she probably doesn't even consider me as a friend. The only real interaction I had with her was during the cook-off, and even then she only joined up with me because Armin apparently asked her to."

"Is it true?" asked Hange, turning her goggled eyes on him.

"Yes, but--" replied Armin, but she cut him off by immediately talking back with Jean.

Armin sighed. He listened as Jean recalled the event, and he saw himself going back to that time, too.

They were visiting Trost again, but this time, it wasn't for a day off. They were tasked to get a layout of the whole town, and they were split into groups of threes to make the assignment faster and easier.

Armin was with Jean and Annie. The three of them rode on their horses in silence, going around town while marking notes on a map they were given. They decided to let him handle it, as he was the most efficient when it came to navigation and memorization. Also, it wasn't like they had any other choice -- Annie hated maps, while Jean did not have the patience to understand them.

As they passed by one of the residential areas, a short, chubby woman stepped out of her house, smiling widely. They stopped, and Armin saw Jean stiffen.

"Jean-bo," said the woman. "I knew you would visit!"

The woman walked up to them. "Are you allowed to stay? I cooked your favorite. I made omelet everyday, just in case you arrived, and now you have."

Jean looked down. "You didn't have to, Mom."

His mother turned to them. "Are these friends of yours?"

"Hello, Mrs. Kirchstein, it's nice to meet you," said Armin, smiling.

She beamed at him. "My, I hope my Jean is doing fine. I know he's slightly troubled, but he's okay, believe me. I hope you continue being friends with him."

Armin nodded. "We will. You don't have to worry about him."

"We have to go," said Jean, annoyed. "We're only here for training."

"Oh," said his mother, and her face fell. "Can you wait? I'll just get the food --"

"We have no time," replied Jean, and he moved his horse forward, not looking back.

Armin and Annie followed behind him. Armin glanced back and saw Mrs. Kirchstein still standing there, a sad look over her features.

"What did you do that for, Jean?" he asked. "Your mother was --"

"It's none of your business," he replied gruffly.

"But she's your mother," he reminded him. "I'd be glad to see my mom, if I were you."

"Then who don't you go and visit her then?" said Jean angrily.

"I would, if she were still alive."

Jean opened his mouth, then promptly closed it. Armin rode past him, so he was in the front, and he saw Annie come up next to him. They were silent for a while until she spoke.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Jean's an insensitive bastard."

"I can hear you, you know!" said Jean from behind them. "I'm sorry, Armin."

He smiled at him. "It's okay. And sorry, too. You were right, it wasn't my business."

Jean nodded. They reached the street where the cadets were supposed to meet, and they hopped down from their horses. As he waited for the others to arrive, Armin sat under the shade of a nearby tree, thinking about his parents. What would they think of him if they saw him now? Would they be proud, because he was doing something to reach his dreams, or would they be worried that he wouldn't come back to them alive? He liked to imagine that they would be both. Armin could see his mother's relieved smile very clearly.

He heard someone flop down on the ground next to him. Annie was gazing at the walls, which looked very far from where they were. Her hair was all tangled, probably messed up by the wind hitting her face while she was riding, but it still made him breathless. He seemed to be having those moments a lot lately -- being taken away by the mere sight of her. It was a weird feeling, but pleasant too at the same time.

They did not say anything to each other. She seemed to sense his initial discomfort, and she didn't force herself into his solitude. They simply sat there, their shoulders brushing, and Armin felt his eyes drooping…

"Apologize to her!"

Armin jerked awake. He hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep. He searched for the sound of the voice and found Connie -- who was the one who had shouted -- and Sasha facing off against Jean, who looked really pissed. Annie was still sitting beside him, watching the fight unfold.

"What happened?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "Dunno. I wasn't really paying attention until they started yelling at each other."

They looked on as Commander Pixis suddenly arrived and tried to put a stop to it. But it was obvious that Sasha and Jean weren't going to back down at any moment, so the Commander presented a solution.

"How about we decide this with an old-fashioned cook-off?" he said, grinning. "Ahh, yes. That would be perfect! Tomorrow night, you two will face each other in front of the whole class in an ultimate showdown of delicacies. Go form a group, and give me the best dish you could whip up!"

With that, the Commander left. It wasn't a surprise when Sasha gained Connie and Reiner's aid. Vowing to defeat him, Sasha and her group waltzed off, leaving Jean alone to look for team mates.

Armin felt bad for Jean. He walked up to his friend, putting his hand to his shoulder. Jean turned aroun to look at him. Armin glanced at Annie before saying, "Don't worry, Jean, we'll help you."

Annie was incredulous. "What? Why would we do that?"

"We are part of his group in the first place," he responded. "It's our duty."

Annie did not look convinced. She crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.

"Come on, Annie," he pleaded. "It would be fun."

She sighed, relenting. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

They worked hard that day, sharing ideas on how to create the best dish. They all agreed that meat would be the best option, and they ventured into the forest to hunt for the infamous colossal boar. However that plan didn't go well for them -- Sasha's team had captured the boar before they can.

The three of them watched along with the other recruits as Sasha paraded the boar around town, confidently announcing their upcoming victory.

Desperate, Jean told them his plan to steal some meat from the storeroom that night.

Armin was horrified. "What? I can't do that! I'm not good at these kinds of things, Jean. I can't even stop myself from giggling with too much excitement when Eren, Mikasa and I played hide and seek when we were children --"

He noticed Annie suppressing a laugh.

"We'll get caught," he said. He was ranting now. "I'm sorry, but I can't do it!"

Armin turned tail and ran. He ran up the steep stairs and with too much panic, tripped and fell -- he screamed louder than what could be considered dignified.

Armin spent the night in the infirmary. His leg was broken, so he told Jean, who was sitting next to his bed, that he couldn't continue anymore.

"I'm sorry," he concluded.

"I'm out, too," announced Annie.

"What?" said Jean. "But I thought you wanted to join the Military Police?"

"I do," she replied. "But it's not worth it."

Armin felt bad again. He wanted to help Jean, he really did, but aside from the fact that he wouldn't be able to properly assist him with a broken leg, Sasha and her team had all the advantage: meat, skill, and cooperation. There was just no way they could win.

The next day, Armin went out of the infirmary even if he hadn't't fully recovered yet. He decided to go to the competition and at least give Jean some much needed moral support. On his way to the venue, he bumped into Annie, who looked like she was in a hurry.

"Armin?" she said, surprised. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"I'm here to help Jean," he replied.

"Idiot."

"How about you?"

"I was going to visit you. But I guess now I have no choice but to join you, huh?"

He smiled at her. "Yup."

She sighed, and they made their way to the kitchens, where they found Jean sitting by the counter, looking glum. He looked up when they entered, raising his eyebrows.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"To help you, of course," said Armin. "Now what do we do?"

An hour later, they found themselves presenting the strangest dish ever: a simple, homemade omelet. Pixis looked shocked when they served it before him, but he smiled after taking a bite. Armin could see him enjoying it, though he doubted whether it was better than the pork Sasha's group had made. So he was pleasantly surprised when the Commander declared Jean the winner, stating that Sasha had been blinded by her confidence in meat, whatever the hell that meant.

Still, the night ended pretty well, if he might say so himself. As the cadets all gathered around to share what was left of the boar, Armin found himself going to Annie, who was telling Mina to go on and get her food. Once her friend was gone, she turned to him.

"So we won," she said flatly.

"We won," he confirmed. "Although it was Jean who did all the work."

She looked at Jean, who was patting the back of an upset-looking Sasha. "You're right. We were just there for display."

He laughed. "You're a pretty display."

Annie raised her eyebrows at him. Armin realized what he had said, and it made him blush fiercely. Trying to salvage the situation, he quickly said, "Um, did you know that --"

"Seriously, Arlert? You always give trivias in the most awkward moments."

"Sorry."

"It's fine," she said, smiling slightly. She looked up and saw a streak of light cross the night sky.

He saw it, too. "Make a wish."

"Huh?" she said.

"They say shooting stars grant wishes," he explained.

"Oh," she said. "What did you wish for, then?"

Armin smiled mysteriously. Annie simply scoffed, but she didn't push him. They stood there, side by side, as the sounds of laughter and singing swirled around them.

Armin now thought back on his wish that day. It was simple really -- all he wanted was for that night to get a little longer. Why he had wished for that, he did not know. All he knew was that he thought of Annie as someone way out of his league, and spending time with her was just so surreal that he wanted it to last for a while.

In hindsight, his wish did come true. They spent time together -- happy times -- but like he wished, it was only for a while. He should have asked for forever, he thought with regret.