Annie was thankful for her friends, she really was, but having them surround her like the secret service was not fun. She knew it was because they didn't want Mikasa interacting with her, but it was a bit much. If Mikasa were to come up to her, Annie would just tell her to fuck off and keep walking. Mikasa was the least of her worries at the moment, however. Right now, Annie was paranoid that the wrong people had heard their argument last Friday.

Annie knew that she was rather loud while arguing with Mikasa and she was sure people's attention was pulled their way. Luckily, no one was sending weird side glances or talking under their breath around her. Annie allowed herself to somewhat relax for the moment. It wasn't like she cared about what people would think about her being pregnant; it was more so that she didn't want her coach finding out, especially since it was so close to the final games before the championships. Once those games were over, then Annie could care less about what anyone thought.

Thinking she was hiding it well, Annie kept these worries to herself. She wasn't one to voice her issues or want to talk about them, but once she sat down for lunch, all three of her friends started probing her for answers.

"Annie, come on. What's wrong?" Reiner gently patted her back. No response.

"You know we're here for you, Annie. Just let us help you more if you need it." Bert gave her a worried stare. Still no response.

"Hey, don't take this incident so harshly, Annie. It was just a little argument! You'll eventually get it all cleared up," Ymir said while grabbing Annie's nose to get her attention. This got a response.

"Agh! Fucking hell!"

Ymir grabbed her side after Annie landed a sharp elbow jab there. She took in gentle breaths and decided to choose her next words wisely.

"Well, at least I got our Annie back to normal," she said before laying her head down on the table, whimpering as everything ached.

Annie shook her head and knew she needed to talk about it. She couldn't leave her friends guessing as to what she was going to do next or keep hitting them when she got too annoyed. Ymir deserved it, though. She already knew how Annie got when it came to her nose. She pushed her pride aside and allowed herself to finally speak about the situation.

"I'm just worried that my coach is going to find out I'm pregnant and that I'd lose all my potential scholarships. I was rather loud when arguing with Mikasa, and I'm pretty sure at least SOMEONE knows... I don't care if people find out after my soccer season ends because by then I'll have my spot secured at wherever I want to go. I'm just... worried everything is going to crumble before me."

It went quiet for a split second before the three hopped back on to comfort Annie.

"Oh come on, Annie. Do you really think someone is going to spread a rumor about you and Mikasa? They're probably too fucking scared it'll get traced back to them. You're fine, and if someone tries to open their mouth, I'll beat them till they can't remember."

Reiner made his statement with a little demonstration of his large fist slamming into his lunch. Annie rolled her eyes immediately at this yet still allowed a slight smile to slip.

"Yeah, honestly. I think they're more afraid of you than Mikasa anyway. Nearly everyone saw you kick Connie full force in the hallway. If anyone overheard your argument with Mikasa, they're gonna keep that to themselves. They ain't trying to get their shit rocked."

Ymir managed to sit up once more, the pain finally shimmering away into a small ache. She decided not to do anything else that would set Annie off, which her ribs were thankful for.

"Also, if anything, random parents were the ones who heard it. I'm sure they're not going to go out of their way to report it. You'll be fine, Annie. Just relax."

Bertholdt ended the string of calming messages toward Annie and she couldn't help but feel some weight lifted off her shoulders. She'd allow herself just a moment of peace, knowing it would do her some good.

"I suppose you're all right. I shouldn't be worried... Thank you, guys."

"No problem, Annie. So, I must ask. Who gets to be the child's godparent? I personally think it should be me, because-"

"It's Ymir. If you want to fight her on that, then go ahead, Reiner."

"Heck yeah!" Ymir stuck her tongue out at Reiner.

"Annie, that's so unfair! Ymir keeps taking everything from me! At least name the baby after me if it's a boy!"

"Name a child after you? That's like setting my kid up for failure. He's going to get bullied by everyone. Honestly, he'll probably get bullied by Ymir's kids too."

"Mmmhmm! And I'll make sure they do it, too!"

"Oh, whatever."

Reiner sat back and crossed his arms as the two women began laughing. Bertholdt was a little late but joined in as well, just wanting to feel included in the conversation.

"So, Annie, I'm assuming it's too early to know the gender, but what are you leaning towards? If you've given it some thought that, is."

Annie stopped laughing and turned all her attention towards Bert's question, actually giving it a little thought before coming to a conclusion.

"Well, I don't care what I get, if I'm being honest. I just hope that they're not a hassle to take care of. Although, I think I'll do just fine considering I grew up with Reiner."

"Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Reiner, you know exactly what I mean. You were such an asshole to grow up around, especially when Porco would pick on you. You would let it affect your attitude and you'd ruin everyone's day. That's why I ended up kicking your face in when we were younger."

Reiner winced at the memory of Annie brutally stomping on his face. It left him with a broken nose, busted lip, and a few broken teeth. He learned his lesson though; never again would he get on Annie's bad side.

"Moving on from how you would brutally attack Reiner when y'all were younger, can we talk about how all of us are gonna have a niece or nephew on the way? We literally have a baby being born into the friend group. They're gonna be like a member for life. I don't know about you guys, but we gotta throw them a welcoming party."

"No, wait, you're right, Ymir. This is history in the making. This baby is now ingrained into our friend group's legacy. We definitely have to throw them a welcoming party."

"Reiner, Ymir, you do realize that's just called a baby shower, right?"

Annie shook her head at the idiots in her friend group, but couldn't help but feel relaxed now that everything was calming down. She didn't talk much for the rest of lunch, but Annie did listen closely to their arguments about who would be the best aunt or uncle. Honestly, she was sure that each of them would be the best. They all cared about her deeply, and Annie knew that care would transfer over to her child. She set a hand over her stomach and let out a relaxed sigh.

"Maybe this isn't going to be so bad after all..."

Annie went on with the rest of her day without another worry. Her friends had done an amazing job at pushing away her negative thoughts and she was grateful for it. However, she did need to argue with them a bit after school. Reiner and Bert wanted Ymir to tag along with Annie at her soccer practice. Annie told them to fuck off because it would only cause suspicion to those around them. Thankfully, that seemed to get through their stupid little heads, leaving Annie on her own until after practice.

Since she had a slight argument with her friends, she was tardy for practice. To try and hop straight into practice, Annie changed ahead of time and showed up fully ready to participate. Her coach sent a slight glare her way but didn't say anything. She was told to start out with a few laps around the field then go ahead and join everyone else. Annie had no objections and went straight to running. She knew that if it were under different circumstances, her coach would've made her run ten laps and do squats till her legs gave out. The only reason she wasn't stuck doing so was because of their recent victory.

It was no secret that Annie would get treated better during practice if she won the previous game for the team. The majority didn't pay any mind to it; they were just glad to have their team win. There were, however, some people that held a grudge against Annie for it. They hated that Annie got special treatment just because she scored more goals than others. Annie was just playing the sport like everyone else, so why should she be held to higher regard? The Omega wasn't oblivious to it either. She knew some people didn't like that she got special treatment. She also knew it was Hitch above everyone else that had major issues with her.

Annie was fine with it, she really didn't care. All she cared about was making sure Hitch kept her nose out of certain things. The insults and backhanded compliments didn't bug her one bit; Annie knew that she was just a bitch. However, if Hitch started overstepping her boundaries and went into her personal life, then there would be some issues.

The Omega finished up her final lap and began jogging back to practice. She wasted no time hopping into drills and working with everyone as a perfect unit. Everything was going fine until Hitch kicked the ball a little too hard in Annie's direction. It didn't bug Annie much, so she accepted the ball gracefully before passing it onto another teammate. She did take note of it, however, knowing that Hitch did it to throw her off. Annie didn't give any visible reaction, unwilling to let Hitch get the upper hand.

When the ball came around yet again, Hitch purposely kicked it higher. Annie turned her body at the last moment and allowed the ball to hit her back. She winced and dropped to the floor as pain coursed through her body. The Omega scrunched up her face in pain and closed her eyes as everything ran its course.

"Oh, look. The star player can't handle a little hit from a soccer ball! Maybe don't show up late to practice. I'm sure it'll help you gain some of that pain tolerance back."

"Hitch! Start running up and down the bleachers right now! Annie, come here for a moment… Someone needs to speak with you! You have five minutes!"

Hitch rolled her eyes and jumped over Annie then ran towards the bleachers. That little action irritated the blonde, but she stayed still until Hitch was gone. She then ever so slowly began to sit up and turn her attention towards her coach's voice. Immediately, her eyes widened because Mikasa was right there, waiting patiently for Annie to walk over. Annie internally screamed but pulled herself off the ground, dusting herself off, and walking over. Maybe she should've allowed Ymir to watch her practice. Mikasa wouldn't have set foot on the field if Ymir was there, but it wasn't a big issue; she'd just tell Mikasa to go away, and if she didn't listen, then Reiner would be on her ass.

"What do you want, Mikasa? I told you on Friday that I didn't want anything to do with you. Why are you here? I'm going to tell Reiner-"

Mikasa grabbed Annie's wrist and tugged her away behind the bleachers. She looked around her, making sure no one was nearby, and let out a tired sigh.

"Okay, I'm getting right to the issue at hand, Annie. I'm sorry for being such an impulsive Alpha that doesn't think things through all the way. But… I'm going to get better at it, okay? I just need you to deal with me and be patient. I'm smart, just not smart enough when it comes to being a sire and other life skills. You don't owe me anything. I just want to be there with you every step of the way for our child, so please just… Give me another chance and don't leave me out."

The Alpha grabbed Annie's hands while looking into her icy blue eyes. She waited patiently for Annie's answer, waiting for everything to either be fixed or stay the same. Annie felt herself caving in as she saw Mikasa's eyes filling with remorse. She wanted to keep her foot down and tell her to fuck off, but Annie didn't have it in her anymore. Mikasa may have been insufferable with her impulsive choices and words, but she did promise to work on it because she wanted to be there for their child. So, Annie was going to hold her accountable for what she said, and if she didn't go through with it… Annie would drop her again.

"…Fine, Mikasa. I accept your apology… But I swear to God, the next time you fuck this up, I'm never going to talk to you again. You can't keep fucking up, so you better stay true to your word, and… I'll do my part too… I'll make sure to try and be patient with you, alright?"

"Alright… Thank you for accepting my apology. ...Here comes my next request… I know you don't want any type of romantic relationship with me anymore, but… I still want to try and have one with you, Annie, no matter how long it'll take. I want us to be together, and I'm willing to go through anything to try and make this work with you."

Annie's face scrunched up into a sour expression. She didn't think something like a romantic relationship would work between them. They were already struggling with speaking to each other as it was; how would they even manage an actual relationship? She wanted to tell Mikasa no, she really did, but she knew that part of her wished for that relationship with the Alpha. Being the only one who actually thinks about the bigger picture between them, Annie made her decision. She was iffy about everything but knew it would hopefully work out for them.

"We… We can pursue a relationship with each other, but we're taking everything slow. If you want to put a label on us, we're not a couple. We're just dating and talking with each other. From there, we'll slowly work our way up. Like I said before, Mikasa… Our child comes first before anything, so don't get caught up in whatever our relationship is."

Mikasa didn't vocally respond. She just nodded along to Annie's words and continued to stand there awkwardly. She wasn't sure about what to do now. Yes, they may have made up and decided on what their relationship was, but Mikasa felt as if she hugged Annie or touched her in a way that was inappropriate. So, she opted out of doing anything other than standing there with Annie. Annie noticed this and decided to lean up and peck Mikasa's lips.

"I'll text you later, okay? Now I have to return to practice, and I'm sure you need to start heading over to your own too."

The Alpha felt herself smile slightly from Annie's little ounce of affection. Maybe everything would work out and be okay now. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Annie's forehead before taking her leave. Annie took in a deep breath as she watched Mikasa walk away, then made her way back to practice. She walked out from under the bleachers and paused as she saw Hitch run down them with something in her hand. Annie wouldn't have cared at first, but when Hitch winked then smirked at her, she felt her blood run cold.

Annie waited until everyone had left the locker rooms to confront Hitch. If she did know something, then Annie needed to deal with it right away, no questions asked. She slammed her hand against Hitch's locker, causing the taller girl to flinch, step back, and glance down at Annie. However, that's when a devilish smirk made its way back to her face. Annie wanted to smack that stupid expression off of Hitch's bitchy face. She held back, though. Right now, it was only questioning time.

"What did you hear, Hitch, and how much of it did you hear? Don't beat around the bush, either. I'm not here to fucking play around!"

"What do you mean? I was just running the bleachers like Coach told me to, Annie. You're honestly overthinking every little thing when it comes to me. I'm starting to think you're obsessed with me, anyway. I'm trying to head home. I need to get a full rest for tomorrow. We have a big game, you know."

Hitch looked into Annie's eyes and smiled before picking up her duffle bag, preparing to leave. Annie studied her closely, looking for any trace of lying in Hitch's tone. Her gut didn't trust it one bit, but she knew that it wasn't ideal to keep questioning her. If Hitch really didn't know anything about her and Mikasa, then Annie wouldn't give her a reason to think that there was. Annie glared at her one last time before walking away to grab her own things.

"Y'know, I thought you were getting fat… I'm just surprised that you're still capable of playing at your full potential while being pregnant."

Annie stopped in her tracks and didn't turn around. She shook with anger. She wanted to murder Hitch at this very moment, to leave her face stomped in to the point nobody would recognize her anymore. Every ounce of willpower she had left went into holding herself back, leaving her with a shaky voice to respond to Hitch.

"What do you want, Hitch? You obviously wouldn't make this a big deal if you weren't trying to get at something. Cut the shit. I don't want any surprises out of you. This is serious."

A significant pause occurred between them.

"I want you to sit out of tomorrow's game. Tell the coach you rolled your ankle or something. I really don't care what the excuse is. I just want to finally play and not sit half of the fucking game out. You already have schools contacting you about scholarships, while I haven't had a chance at all! You better do as I say, or else I'll tell Coach that you're pregnant, and I think we both know they won't allow you to participate. Also, don't even try and say they won't believe me. I have audio recordings of you and Mikasa talking about it. Next time, pick a more private area. Now, I really don't have all day to wait around and wait for your answer. Just know that if you don't comply, then I'll show our coach."

With that, Hitch walked away without another word, leaving Annie on the verge of a major meltdown. She caught herself though, knowing it wouldn't be good for the baby, and decided to take a seat, thinking over what she should do. Obviously, she was going to sit the next game out, but she couldn't miss all of them. Annie placed a hand on her stomach and let out an exhausted sigh. She really couldn't catch a break lately.

"You're not even here yet, and you're causing so many issues for me..."

She mumbled while she rubbed her stomach. Usually, in moments like these, she couldn't stand being around other people, but... Annie needed some extra comfort. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick message to Mikasa.

To: Mikasa Ackerman

Hey, my soccer practice just ended... Do you want to come over to my house? We still have a few more things to talk about for the baby... I may also just want to be around you... Get back to me as soon as you can.

Not even a full minute passed by before she received Mikasa's reply.

From: Mikasa Ackerman

Sounds like a plan. I'm stuck talking to my coach for a few minutes because I was late, but I'll make sure to head straight over afterward. See you soon, Annie... 3

Annie felt herself raise a brow at Mikasa's little heart emoji. She found it funny and extremely out of character for her. It was also cute as hell, but Annie wouldn't ever admit that out loud. With her plans for tonight set in stone, Annie locked her phone and proceeded to go home.