The war had already ended, yet the memories of it lingered in Porco's mind even as he stared out the window of the train he was sitting in. It was the last week of September, but the warmth and beauty of the day were still intoxicating. The landscape reminded him of home, with its familiar woodlands and pastures crisscrossing the fields. They would journey through the little villages and farmsteads, then face the meadows again. Just three months earlier, the areas Porco could see were covered in dust and barbed wires, and the tanks crawled slowly across the battlefields, trampling anything stumbling in their way. Gunshots and agonic screams louder than thunder, the stench of rotting corpses and blood.

Brother. His brother was one of those rotting corpses left in the field. Those three months ago on a cursed day, Porco and his soldiers were advancing through one of the warzones. It was a sloppy forest, despite it raining a week ago. And it was definitely suspiciously tranquil, compared to the rest of the days in the war. With Marcel - his dear brother -, and Reiner walking in front, Porco was slowly walking behind with Bertholdt and Colt guns in their hands, keeping an eye on their back formation. Yet, nothing has changed. No shootings, no enemies spawning on their way.

'Zeke's team should be just outside the swamp, I think we're close,' Reiner said in a hushed tone, both hands clutching a map tightly. His hands were trembling from the stress he'd been carrying for two days straight, due to insomnia and seeing so many of his allies dying right in front of his eyes.

'You really sure it's the right road?' Porco spoke up with a speck of cynicism in his voice, just loud enough for two men in front to hear, 'Without a doubt, we're going around in circles.' We would have been out of this shithole hours ago if it hadn't been for you.'

Reiner simply rolled his eyes and moved forward with his lips pierced together, his gaze darting from the map to the unending forest's horizon.

'Porco, stop it. We were on the right track; all we needed to do was circle the old bunkers just in case.' Marcel quickly jumped into the conversation before his younger brother's attitude would escalate further. They weren't playing soldiers as kids anymore - they were adults, warriors who needed to work together throughout the war. A real war. 'Hold on, this looks suspicious…'

He slowed his pace and began examining the moist ground for traces. Although the grass had reached their calves, he could see their footprints, and none of their group members had left them. Reiner was walking around aimlessly when he came across a strange yellow circle with a button on t-

'Reiner! Mine is near you!' Marcel yelled, but seeing how his comrade became confused and stepped in close proximity to the landmine, he sprinted over to the guy with the map and shoved him to the side.

The rest of the time seemed to move in slow motion in Porco's widened eyes. Reiner tripped and fell into a bog with a loud splash, accompanied with a detonation of an anti-personnel landmine Marcel tripped on.

Porco sank back into his seat and listened for a moment how the conductor informed the passengers about the next station approaching. But the soldier still couldn't move the thoughts away. That moment… that moment always returned in his nightmares. How Marcel gave that millisecond look at him before the exploded landmine has shattered his body into pieces. How his brother's blood landed on Porco's skin and uniform and, even when he tried to wash the red stains as quickly as possible, the imbrues got stuck on his uniform permanently. Just like that sight which didn't stop haunting him for months.

The soldier looked at his comrade sitting on the opposite side of him and frowned with disgust. Because of you, Reiner… because of you I'm returning home alone.

"You'll pay for what you did." Porco grumbled and waited for the other to respond, but he did not.

Porco, to be fair, seemed to be doing much better than Reiner. Despite the fact that the months had almost pushed him to alcoholism and the nightmares had driven him insane, he managed to keep himself clean and eat enough.

"I'm sorry." Reiner muttered, his weary eyes apathetically fixed on the scenery outside the window. They didn't seem to have any joy of life left in them, and the man appeared to be suffering from more than simply insomnia and nightmares.

"Just sorry? You'll continue justifying Marcel's death with your lack of sleep and just give me those pathetic apologies?"

"I'm not justifying his death. I wish I would've been the one who had to pay for my own mistake." Reiner crossed his arms over his broad chest and then looked at the other. "But you know what Bert said before - take care of the living ones before you mourn the dead. And you definitely have someone dear to care for."

Porco's intent stare lingered away from the comrade back to the fields outside the window. It was hard to accept the fact that Reiner was right. Someone dear. There was someone dear he was so eager to see after constant sights of dead corpses and endless war zones. He missed her. He wanted to hear her warm voice calling him Pokko that could overthrow the memories of explosions and civilians screaming in terror. To smell and feel her, to trace his rough fingertips across her petite body and tender skin and forget the feeling of holding those fingers on the shotgun's triggers. And he just wanted to see her, those dreamy eyes and beaming grin that always greeted him, so he could forget about Marcel's last moments before the explosion and Bertholdt being crushed alive under the tank.

Some older captains and generals were talking about how women tend to be cheating while their lovers are in the war for more than a few months but Porco brushed their words away. His Pieck wasn't like that. He knew that she's the most loyal person out there and now, she'll be waiting for him in the train station, probably with Annie - her friend - by her side, and when their eyes will meet, Pieck will call him Pokko loudly all across the train station, jump into his arms a-

"Liberio! "

Both men looked at each other after hearing the conductor informing them about their destination getting closer and then got up to start packing their bags. Finally, he'll meet Pieck after those ten months, which felt like years. They'll hug and kiss, then go to his parents' house to greet them before heading to the church to pray for Marcel's soul and finally plan the wedding…

"Oi, about Annie." Porco buttoned his uniform, avoiding looking at the blood stain right near the button. "Could you tell her about Bertholdt? You're still closer to her than I am."

Reiner zipped his bag and stared at it before nodding slowly.

"Will do."

The train had finally come to a halt after only a few minutes. Just when the conductor opened the doors and Reiner was the first one to step out, the soldiers were greeted by clapping and cheerful greetings. Gabi, of course, was the loudest cheerleader - the small brunette dashed to the train's entry, screaming her cousin's name, and then leapt on Reiner. Porco followed him out the door and stood aside, squinting as the sun rays caught his eyes. There were a lot of people there: the Braun family, the Grices, the Yeagers... Porco waved to them, but his gaze was searching intently for her. And he noticed her approaching him, holding something in her hands near her chest, covered in linen sheets. The man was surprised that Pieck didn't run to him for a hug he first expected but he quickly brushed it off - she looked very tired but the smile was as big as ever. That's when he felt how his heart started melting at it - his Pieck was waiting for him and delighted to see him as much as he did to her.

" Piku…" Porco dropped his backpack and pulled his fiancé into a gentle bear hug. He wanted to tell her so many things, to repeat fifty times how he missed her and wanted to hold her in his arms since the first day he left. But the lump on his throat couldn't let him talk more without bursting into tears.

" Pokko, I missed you so much. Gosh, you have no idea how hard it was without you." Pieck spoke up in a soft but trembling voice - no doubt she was also ready to cry any second. With her left hand, she gently hugged her soldier back. " When you didn't write me a letter for three months, I thought you… you…"

" Shhh. I'm sorry I couldn't write to you. But don't worry, I'm completely okay right now… no need to say a word." He pecked her lips, her neck and then buried his nose in her wavy hair. She had that familiar smell of snowdrops he missed so much, except it felt so much sweeter than the last time he was able to hold her this way. He wanted to squeeze her in his embrace, to attack her softly with the kisses all over her face and neck, but that thing in her hand was getting in the way.

"Pokko…"

"Shh. don't say a word." Porco whispered and tried to pull her just a big closer to himself until that thing in her hands just… bumped his stomach? "What do you have there?"

"I was willing to tell you about it. This little miracle," Pieck stepped back just a little bit when her fiance let go of her. She smiled at him sweetly, looking at him with her dark tear-stained eyes before moving the cloth to the side. Layer by layer she revealed a… little baby's face. "He came into this life just a month ago… and now he finally met his papa, his war hero." She said but when Porco remained staring at the little boy as if he saw an alien, she laughed softly and added. "Pokko, it's your son, you're his hero."

She moved the baby forward and the man took him carefully without even waiting for her to tell him to do so. The boy was so light and fragile in Porco's strong arm and he used the chance to inspect the little one. He had short strands of jet black hair peeking from under a white bonnet, chipmunk-like round cheeks, and a small upturned nose, just like a small version of Porco's. The young father remained staring at the little boy, in complete awe and surprise, holding him with such care that he was terrified of making any false movement that might cause the baby discomfort.

" I didn't even know I was pregnant until three months in… the last months and after he was born was hard to live through, but your mom helped us so much when I was at work… but now, everything will be easier for us, us three." She watched both males lovingly, seeing how Porco slowly moved from his shocked phase - with one hand he tried to touch the tiny hand of the little one who quickly grabbed Porco's finger and squeezed it tightly in his little grasp. He was a little Galliard, there was no doubt.

"Pieck… did you name him?" the man asked quietly and finally looked up from the boy, locking his eyes with his lover.

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind it. I know how much you adore your brother so I called him Marcel. Our little Marcel."

"Little Marcel…" Porco whispered out the name he thought he'd never call out again. He looked down at the baby again and brought him up closer to his face, trying to hold in any tears, but when Marcel cooed softly and opened his hazel eyes, the man couldn't help but start sobbing. He brought the baby closer to his face, his palm carefully cradling the back of the baby's head, and placed his cheek against Marcel's chipmunk-like one. The boy wriggled his small hands and clutched his father's collar, cooing and murmuring into his skin, but when the father began crying quietly, the boy's forehead wrinkled and the cooing was replaced with whining and tears.

"Naww, Pock, you'll be such a good papa to him," Pieck stepped closer to her soldier and the little one and wiped the tears from the man's cheeks. Father and son, two stubborn fellows with soft souls - she loved them both with her dear life. Little Marcel was September's miracle, a little happy accident that her soulmate accepted with open arms. "You'll have to keep your tears away for a bit, dear, Braun's family is about to meet our boy." she added quietly, seeing a few people going towards them.

But at this point, Porco didn't care what they would think of him right now. All he cared about was Pieck and their little miracle - their little Marcel who would soon complete in his mourning heart.

((A/N So this little oneshot was based on the drawing that I drew (IG: kimyouanno). I hope this written piece wasn't too bad - I'm not very fonded with WW1, WW2 (I researched landmines for this crap), and I barely write romance. It's my first time writing Porco as the MC and writing him romantically and in a cheesy way... heck, everything was out of my comfort zone! Besides, I wrote it in a day and a half (most of it in the train, ironically) and it was pretty fast for a slow non-romantic writer that I am.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this sloppy writing, at least a little bit. I didn't proof read 'cause I'm tired and have some important stuff to do but... yeah.. have a good day/night!