theluckyshot chapter 11 . Apr 18 – Recruiters are usually veteran Non-Commissioned Officers with years of experience and multiple combat tours. Often times people don't understand (and greatly underestimate) what the psychology of truly having to fight for one's life does to a person. In an actual fight I would bet on a veteran Marine NCO over an MMA fighter any day of the week (unless that MMA fighter also served – and was cognizant enough to forget all his MMA training for the duration).

maesde chapter 11 . Apr 18 – Thank you! I will continue the modern military AU, but not right now. Maybe next chapter… I'm still trying to gauge interest. I'm fascinated by the Mikasa/Annie dynamic, so don't worry, it will always be there. They're almost opposites, aren't they? Except for the stoic/quiet thing.

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PROMPT: The New OVA. It was pretty cool seeing everyone pair off into couples like they did. Sasha/Connie, Armin/Annie, and two scenes of Eren/Mikasa just wondering what the heck was going on with everybody else.

TITLE: Bring Me The Disco King

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If response to the last chapter was any indication, I might try my main-line story and some of my back-log of prompts for a bit. I haven't forgotten you guys!

"Well, Jean's off to rob the officer's supply closet and get himself kicked out of the one-oh-fourth," said a dulcet monotone voice, "Here. I got you this."

Armin set his book down, rolling from his side to his back, to find Annie carrying a tray, on it resting a silver coffee press and a pair of porcelain mugs. Her face held the same bored, dull look that served to mask her emotions from all but those who knew her best. Armin liked to think she counted him among that group, which, to the best of his knowledge, had no one else at all.

In that respect, they weren't terribly dissimilar. No one knew what really went on inside his head either, but unlike him, at least Annie had let someone else in whether she knew it or not. Not even Eren could see the person, the wheels within wheels, behind the act Armin put on for everyone, an act so pervasive that even he himself believed the lie most of the time. Mikasa had a much better grasp of his personality than anyone else and even she did not know the fullest extent of exactly how devious he could be. She was comfortable leaving well enough alone, he supposed, especially since it had always turned out to her advantage.

Of course, always having a plan operating behind the scenes came with its own unique set of issues, namely the collateral damage that was now staring him in the face with brilliant but disinterested crystalline eyes. He turned away from the girl in guilt, doing his level best to shroud the emotion in overt cheerfulness mixed with a small amount of feigned disappointment. But not too much of the latter... He didn't want her running off to make amends.

"Thank you Annie, very much," he said, "But I don't drink coffee."

"I know," she replied, setting the tray down on a low table beside the bed. "That's why I got us tea. Don't let the press fool you. I just didn't want you drinking the leaves."

She took a seat next to him and began pouring the drink into the two cups. One was left black. To the other she added a teaspoon of honey and a half-measure of cream, just how he always took it. Armin could not recall ever telling her how he took his tea, in fact he was quite sure he had never told anyone. That's the most romantic way you could possibly tell someone that you've been watching them. Clever girl.

"Thank you, Annie," he said, gratefully accepting the cup, "I didn't know you drank tea."

"I don't," she said as she took a sip, "But there was only one pot."

And that's when the guilt really began to set in. Annie made it a point to be sparse will her emotional displays, be it anger, which he had only ever seen direct towards Reiner, or affection, which to the best of his knowledge she only shard with him, to compassion, also something he'd only ever seen around him. To waste such a thing now, when he didn't really deserve it rubbed him the wrong way. It tore at him such that no matter how many protective layers of fabricated happiness he threw up, some small amount of inner anguish managed to taint his features, like blood spotting through a freshly applied bandage.

"Are you having trouble drinking your tea, Armin?" she asked him, still deadpan and utterly honest, "The pain seems to be getting to you."

"Well, uh..." He fumbled for words, not knowing exactly how to answer. His mental gymnastics had only just begun to catch up with him. The truth of the matter was that, technically, yes, he was having trouble drinking because he couldn't get the leverage he needed to sit up properly with his legs bound and bandaged. But that wasn't the entire story. He didn't want any help, on the assumption she asking as a prelude to offering it, and that wasn't even the reason he wasn't drinking his tea, anyway.

Before he could finish formulating a reply, Annie snaked a hand behind his back, pushing the boy forward into a proper sitting position. With her other hand, she retrieved a pillow, fluffed it against the bed, and placed it behind his back. That allowed him to reach his tea without having to tilt it so far back that it poured over his face.

"There, Armie, isn't that better?" she asked in an even tone.

"Yes, thank-" The blonde boy did a double take so hard, he almost sprained his neck. Did she really just call me 'Armie'?

The girl remained completely expressionless as he locked his gaze to hers, but there was definitely something in her eyes. They seemed to say, 'Did you really think you could bullshit me, Arlert?' or alternately, something as simple as 'Gotcha'.

"How long have you known?" he asked, downing his tea and sinking back into the pillows.

"Known what?" she asked, still as deadpan as ever, "What could a simple girl like me know, my dearest Armie-Poo?"

The effect of her delivery combined with her choice in words grated at his soul.

"Annie... You win."

"I know," she said with a light shrug and a sip of tea. "I figured it out just after you fell. You're such a coward sometimes. Do you know how worried I was then?"

"I was hurt then!" he said, "Like really hurt. I wasn't faking that part, so please don't be upset."

"Fine, but from your point of view, you still let me believe you'd broken both your legs," she huffed, "It almost hurts that you think I'm as gullible as Kirschtein."

"I would have told you," he mumbled.

Lies.

"You wouldn't have had to," she replied.

Truth.

He looked down in defeat, not knowing what to say.

"We would have figured it out," she continued, "As soon as you were back on your feet in a week for training. Bones don't heal that fast. Or were you just going to use this as an excuse to drop out of the military?"

He saw her eyes widen ever so slightly from her heavily lidded stare.

Hope?

Armin struggled under the weight of confusion. "No-"

He noticed the way her chin dipped ever so slightly and her vision narrowed. It was almost imperceptible, but he caught it.

Disappointment.

He swallowed hard, unwilling to believe that the girl who had been so quietly supportive of him had actually been pining for his failure this entire time. It just wasn't possible, was it? No, she wanted him to quit for the same reason she wanted to join the Military Police.

Fear.

"I was going to be back on my feet after Jean got this contest out of his system," he finished, "And we'd all have a good laugh about it later."

"Still, of all people, Armin," she said as she topped off his tea, "You should know you can't fool me."

"So how'd you figure it out?" he asked. He took the calculated risk of placing his free hand over hers. He felt rewarded when she didn't move away. "You're not going to tell me something cryptic like 'I'm in your head' or something like that, are you?"

"I am," she said, "But that's not how I figured it out. Armin, you fell on only one leg. Don't you think putting a cast on both legswas overdoing it?"

Please don't forget to give me the pleasure of reading your reviews.

Also, I'm asking for another round of prompts. A good place to leave those for me is in with a review.

The Modern Military story... I need more feedback.