Chapter 4: I Always Knew

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story.


I try my best to unwind

There's nothing on my mind but you

-I Always Knew, The Vaccines


Over the first week that Jean had started working at the Sina Country Club, he had to say, things had been pretty good. Sure, he ended up being the last to roll out of bed on the first day of operations but aside from that, the schedule had been fairly easy to adjust to.

He had to admit though, the employees were something he needed a little more time adjusting to.

- SIX DAYS AGO –

"Kirstein!"

Jean accidentally swallowed a mouthful of breakfast without chewing as his back jolted straight on instinct.

"Yes, sir?"

Sir? What am I, a soldier?

Levi narrowed his eyes for a second at the title. "Breakfast is over. Time you cleaned up your station. The stables have been untouched since Mike lost all feeling in his groin last season."

Jean stood up with furrowed brows.

"Isn't it a bit too early, though? Don't we have at least another two hours before we actually open, sir?" he checked his watch to make sure.

"Glad to know you're on schedule, Kirstein. At least you know exactly how much time you have to make sure that shit-hole turns spotless." He disappeared for a minute and came back with a rake and a few other cleaning supplies which he then shoved into the taller man's arms. "You'll be needing these as well." And with that, the supervisor left.

Jean shrugged and made his way out of the dining hall, not noticing the gazes of absolute horror from the rest of the staff.

It's just the stables. Did this before back in the academy, couldn't be any different now, he thought. I should probably put in some hay as well.

He stopped in front of the stables to put on the mask and gloves that had come with the supplies Levi had given him and opened the door.

Smells horrible. Nothing new here.

He opened the door to the first stall.

And almost threw up right there.

No turning back now, Jean. He gulped as he entered and met his inevitably shitty fate. You brought this upon yourself.

Later that night Jean took longer in the shower than Levi.

-FIVE DAYS AGO-

"Steady there, Buchwald." Jean murmured to the horse he had recently become more acquainted with.

His last session had just ended just a few minutes ago and being the responsible person that he was Jean opted to brush out the manes of the horses before letting them back in their newly cleaned stables.

"Hey, Jean." Eren's voice popped out of nowhere. Jean only nodded and hummed in reply.

"You having fun at your family reunion?"

Eren barely dodged the horse brush thrown his way with a laugh.

"GODDAMIT EREN I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL KILL YOU IN YOUR SLEEP."

-FOUR DAYS AGO-

"Shut up, Potato Girl." Jean deadpanned to the brunette behind him. Apparently he got himself into another stupid argument with the girl (this time they got into the age-old PlayStation versus XBox argument; a completely common topic but still leading to a stupid debate, nonetheless). Jean had already made the move to walk away as means to end their debate, but Sasha didn't really take the hint.

"Not unless you admit that I won, Horse-face!" she yelled as they entered the dorm common room.

Connie's shaven head popped out from the couch.

"You two have pet names for each other already? Talk about going steady."

Jean and Sasha turned to him, argument momentarily forgotten.

"SHUT THE HELL UP CONNIE."

-THREE DAYS AGO-

"Argh fucking shit." Jean cursed as he cut himself with the knife he was holding. Much to his surprise, chores were also assigned to each staff member for every night. Tonight he was assigned to help out Petra in the kitchen for dinner.

Levi shot him a look, shamelessly wearing a bandana and a frilly apron as he entered the kitchen. "And you, shitty fuck, watch your language." He went over to the cupboards to get some tableware before going into the dining room.

Jean turned to Petra. "Didn't he just curse himself?"

Levi's voice boomed from the dining hall. "If you're gonna curse, at least do it in proper grammar!"

Petra let out a giggle. Jean raised a brow. "I honestly don't know what you see in him, Petra."

The woman sighed. "Sometimes I don't either. But he can be really sweet if he wants to be. And he used to live on the streets, you know. Can you cut him a little bit of slack for having such a foul mouth?"

Jean was slightly taken aback by the revelation but nodded. "Fine. I guess that explains the sailor mouth. Does that explain the OCD as well?"

"Oh no, he had that OCD even when he was a street urchin."

"Huh?"

"Instead of finding missing merch in a grocery store, the place would end up spotless. Well, of course, that was to cover up for the actual stuff that he stole to make ends meet. "

"Wait, what?"

-TWO DAYS AGO-

"So does anyone want to watch a DVD with me?" Hanji asked as everyone filed in the common room after dinner.

"Sure. Why not?" Jean said, oblivious to everyone fleeing the common room and heading straight into their bedrooms.

"Yay!" the bespectacled woman put the disc in the player and hit Play.

In five minutes, Jean's expression turned from moderately bored to downright horrified.

"JESUS CHRIST WHAT IS HE DOING WITH THAT?"

-ONE DAY AGO-

His last session had already ended and he had another half hour before lunch time. But apparently, instead of sneaking in some time for a much needed nap, Jean opted to watch Sasha do some drills on the boards. He had also opted to use the next half hour to strike a nerve in her.

"Wow, bull's-eye again. Not bad for a Potato Girl."

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Will you ever drop that?"

His face remained blank as he answered. "Probably not, no."

She grabbed another arrow from her quiver. "If you don't want me to neuter you, Horse-face, I suggest you stop calling me that."

Jean scoffed. "Like hell you wou-"

He got cut off mid-sentence by the sound of rushed footsteps and by an arrow suddenly within dangerous proximity of his groin.

"Call me that again. I dare you."

If the arrowhead a hair's width close to puncturing his loins didn't scare him, the deathly serious yet calm tone in her voice did.

"Okay, okay. I'm done! I swear!" He backed away into a nearby tree, wincing as the back of his head struck something sharp. Damn, even the trees are trying to kill me here, huh?

She pulled back her bow and smiled. "Great!" She laughed and stretched her back a bit. "Anyways, I promised I'd help out Petra for lunch. See ya!"

He watched as she gathered her arrows from the target board before skipping happily into the direction of the dorms.

What the actual fuck.

He had just witnessed her personality flip 180 degrees and flip back to its original self for a full 360.

I should consider getting Eren to do some psychological tests on her or something. There's no way a mood swing like that could be healthy for her.

-END FLASHBACK-

Needless to say, Jean's first week at the club had been rather... eventful.

(That is, if you consider recurrent mental scarring, getting insulted on a daily basis and nearly losing his manhood as eventful. But alas, eventfulness is in the eye of the beholder. Oh well.)

The threat of emasculation aside, Jean really did have a good time. Meals were consistently good and his new coworkers were pretty easy to get along with. His roommate Thomas was pretty cool, and Hannah and the rest of the girls were incredibly nice as well. Even his patrons -though most of them being either wealthy men at least twice his age or teenage children of said men- weren't the least bit rude and obnoxious as he had expected them to be.

What made everything better and all the more relieving was the fact that his parents hadn't bothered to call him. Not once. Not even a voicemail. For that span of time, Jean finally felt free from it all and could finally spend his time peacefully. (Or at least as peaceful as it could get with his new co-workers.)

He could only hope and pray that it would stay that way for the next three months.


Sasha was in the middle of waxing her bowstring when she heard a knock on her door.

"Who goes there?"

"It's me, Sasha." Despite being muffled by the door, Sasha immediately recognized Connie's voice.

"Oh you can come in, Con; I'm not changing or anything."

The buzz-cut had opened the door in reply. "The briefing is gonna start anytime soon, Sash."

"What, already? Hold on." the brunette closed the canister of beeswax and placed it on her nightstand before hanging her bow on the hooks above her bed. She turned to Connie.

"I need to change, bro."

Connie, immediately getting the unspoken memo to leave made his way out the door.

"About time you did. You smell like death."

Sasha scoffed. "At least I shower every day. Unlike you."

"And I don't have to. 'Nother perk of shaving off all my hair."

"Not everyone can pull off Lord Voldemort, Connie."

She smirked as he froze. I win.

"Just the shut the hell up and get changed."

As soon as the door shut behind him, Sasha replaced her sodden uniform polo shirt with a tank top. She stole a glance at the mirror and adjusted her ponytail.

Maybe it's too cold for something like this?

Without thinking any further, she grabbed a jacket from her drawer and shrugged it on before opening the door.

"I'm good. Let's go."

Connie eyed her for a minute before leading the way to the stairs down the common room.

At first she thought she was only imagining it, but by the third time Connie looked at her as if she was about to have a seizure on the spot, Sasha shot him a look.

"What's up with you?"

The boy pursed his lips together before meeting her gaze. "I hate to break it to you, Sash, but... isn't that Berthold's?"

She froze in her tracks.

How could I forget?


Sasha had never been a fan of parties. Sure, free food and a good time with friends had always been things she welcomed with open arms. But when it came down to it, the thought of being in a room with at least fifty sweaty (and not to mention, completely wasted) bodies wasn't really on her list of favorite things to do on a weekend.

So there she was, sitting on the steps of the back porch of God-knows-whose dorm, doing her best to block out the apparent noise they dared to call music that blasted from inside.

It was the night before graduation, and after surviving the academic holocaust they called Finals and the declaration of graduates, they all took it upon themselves to party the whole night away. It was all light and casual for the first few hours until suddenly, someone came in with booze and spiked the punch bowl to ensure everyone gets plastered and, before they knew it, the whole place had turned no better than the underground bar near the campus. Couples had already begun disappearing into the bedrooms and some had even started making out on the dance floor, some random guy showed up and took up position as DJ and blasted away. And soon enough, the place had gone chaotic.

Sasha had escaped into the back porch before things had gotten too out of hand. Being the good friend she was, she had chosen to stay and patiently wait for any one of her party animal friends to come out or look for her so she could finally go home.

When did I assign myself to be everyone's nanny anyways? She grumbled.

The door behind her opened and was soon followed by a voice.

"Sasha?"

The brunette turned to the voice and did nothing to suppress the smile that began to form upon seeing whose it was.

"Oh, it's just you, Berthold." She patted to the empty space beside her as invitation and the boy gratefully occupied it. He nodded to the door behind them.

"You're not gonna join the others?"

"And by that, you mean get completely inebriated?" she quipped with a smile. She let out a laugh. "I'd rather pass." she met his sideways glance. "You?"

Berthold merely shook his head with a smile of his own. "You know I'm not into that kind of stuff." He tilted his chin to look at the sky above them.

Sasha followed suit, taking in the black sky already inked with constellations. "Wow. Beautiful night."

"Yeah."

She stole another glance at the boy beside her with a smile before looking back up.

She loved moments like this, when it was just the two of them in their own little world. She had seen Annie leave a few hours ago just before the booze had started to kick in, leaving Berthold in the not-so-capable hands of Reiner.

"So, what now?" Berthold suddenly said, turning to her.

"Well, we could always just sit here until the music dies down so we can go home or wait till one of our friends passes out and we have to bring them back to their dorm." she said, turning to him. "Whichever comes first, at least."

"No, not that. I mean," he sighed. "What now?"

When she cocked her head to the sided he took it as a sign to continue.

"When we were in middle school, we talked about getting into the high school we wanted. When we were in high school, we talked about getting into the university we wanted. For the past three years, we've been doing nothing but endlessly studying and cramming and stressing over exams and passing. And now we're graduating tomorrow. Just...what the hell are we supposed to do now?"

Instead of gracing his question with an answer Sasha merely narrowed his eyes at him. "You only talk this much when you're either drunk or tired. Which one is it?"

"Well, that punch Reiner gave me earlier did taste a little funny."

Her brows rose to her hairline in a mix of surprise and amusement as she nodded. "I see. But I'm gonna humor you anyways." She pursed her lips in thought before continuing. "The thing is, Bert, you make it sound like we're at the finishing line. Truth be told, school is just the beginning. Guess as soon as we get the diploma, we're just gonna have to make our own choices and carve our own paths. You know what I mean?"

He rested his hand atop her head. "Yes. And one day I'll take the path on becoming an astronaut." She laughed when he ruffled her hair.

"Just how much 'punch' did you drink exactly?" She air-quoted.

He removed his hand from her head to count with his fingers. "Not sure. I lost count after three cups?"

Sasha let out something between a scoff and a laugh.

"You're hopeless."

He raised his hands in defense. "Hey, I'm still sober enough to know what I'm doing."

"Good. There's no way I can carry you back to your dorm once you've passed out."

"Reiner can take me back," he argued lightly.

"Do you honestly think he can help you back when he's completely plastered himself?"

"Hmm. Fair enough."

They spent the next few moments in comfortable silence.

Well it was comfortable for Berthold, anyway. Sasha on the other hand tried her best not to blush and fidget in her seat. Just a few nights ago she had promised Connie she would finally confess to Berthold before graduation. Judging by their current position, now seemed absolutely perfect.

She looked up to gaze at the stars above them. Maybe I should? How do I even tell him?

All thoughts of confessing however, and maybe even all thoughts in general, were cut off when she let out a loud sneeze.

"Achoo!"

Berthold turned to her instantly. "You alright?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. "Just a little cold."

That's what I get for sitting outside in the middle of the middle of the night. She grumbled to herself.

She heard unzipping of a zipper and the rustling of fabric before feeling an article of clothing drape over her shoulders.

"Here, take my jacket. You shouldn't be getting sick the night before graduation."

She tried her best to ignore how her heart jumped around in her ribcage and fit her arms through the sleeves. With a grateful smile, she turned to him. "Thank you."

Those were the last words she said before her breath lodged itself in her throat.

Their faces were merely inches away yet they did nothing to break eye contact.

Any closer we could...

.

.

.

She was too busy in her own thoughts to notice he was already leaning in as well.

.

.

.

"Berthold I…"

.

.

.

Her train of thought was sent to an abrupt and screeching halt when a resounding crash and the shattering if glass echoed from inside the dorm.

Berthold jumped to his feet. "I think it's time I should get Reiner." He stole a worried glance through the window. "And by the looks of things, you should get Connie as well."

Sasha staggered to get up but he had already opened the door. "Wait. Your jacket!"

"You can give it tomorrow!" He called out over his shoulder.

And with that he was gone. The rest of the night had been much of a blur for her.

Luckily enough, the ceremony was in the afternoon, which gave plenty of time for majority of the graduating class to get over their inevitable hangovers and for Sasha to properly launder Berthold's jacket and put it in a paper bag.

She wasn't sure if he had forgotten about the jacket, or if he just didn't get the chance to properly approach her about it. But sadly for her, he had already disappeared to God-knows-where with his parents and with Reiner right after the ceremony.

It's okay, I'll just hold on to it for the night and give it back to him soon.

Being the scatterbrain that she was, Sasha herself also forgot about giving it back to him and 'for the night' ended up being for four years. Oh well.


"Sasha?"

The brunette was broken out of her stupor. "Oh. Sorry, Con. I just... spaced out, I guess."

Connie all but sighed in return. "Listen Sash, I'm not gonna hold it against you. Just thought you should know." He grabbed her hand and dragged her along to continue their pace. "Don't you think you should get rid of that thing, though? Or at least give it back to him?"

Sasha exhaled her discomfort. "Yeah but... I just want to hold on to it for a little bit longer, ya know? At least until I can start getting over him?"

It's the only thing I have left of him. Just let me have it for a bit longer.

He eyed her skeptically, as if he had read her mind. "Whatever you say."

She plastered a smile on her face and punched his shoulder playfully.

"Don't worry, Con. That day will come soon enough."

As they made their way through the glass doors, Sasha could only wish it could've sounded more convincing.


The common room was already abuzz when Jean entered. Seeing that most seats on the couches had already been occupied, he took his own spot somewhere in the middle of the crowd that had formed behind the sofas, giving his co-workers the occasional half-hearted wave.

Jean looked around, taking note that some had even begun to sit on the carpet in front of the fireplace and sweat-dropped.

This looks more like a family gathering than a staff briefing.

"Alright. Everyone, settle down." Levi's gruff voice called out. He didn't shout, and judging by how everyone immediately stopped talking, he didn't really have to. With a nod he continued.

"Alright." He cleared his throat as if signaling the briefing had begun. "As Shitty Glasses over here may have already spread around," he turned to glare at Hanji who all but beamed in return. "I'm here to put the rumors to an end by saying yes, Petra and I are getting married."

Everyone burst out into cheers, the noise being much louder than before the briefing started. From where he was standing, Jean noticed Petra stepping forward and joining her fiancé."

"Now, now." She chided in the tone a mother would use in talking to her children.

"Did you knock her up?" a voice drawled out from the back.

Definitely Connie, Jean thought.

The buzz-cut was answered with a one-fingered salute from Levi and a smiling death glare from Petra.

Satisfied that he had shrunk and cowered away, Petra continued their announcement with a less deadly smile.

"Anyways, you're all invited, of course, and the ceremony will be held right here in the club because it's practically like home to us."

"Or maybe because we're too broke to book anywhere else." Levi muttered under his breath. Petra elbowed him in the ribs with a pout.

He met her glance, unfazed by her blow, and turned back to the rest of the staff.

"Anyway, now that we got that aside, Director Erwin here just arrived from HQ with a few things he'd like to say."

Jean watched a tall blond man step in front.

So that's Director Erwin.

He cleared his throat. "Good evening, everyone."

He was responded by the staff collectively. "Glad to know you're all present. As many of you have already heard, Dot Pixis has been trying to settle things at HQ regarding new additions to our Martial Arts program. I'm here to personally tell you that our request has been granted. Starting next week we will be offering Muay Thai, Mixed Martial Arts and Krav Maga into our services."

Everyone clapped. Connie had stopped cowering in his corner and raised his hand.

"Yes umm…Connie, was it?"

The buzz-cut nodded. "You said we'll start with the new additions to the Martial Arts program by next week, right? Does that mean you already hired instructors?"

Erwin smiled. "I was getting to that, actually. And yes, we already hired instructors. We have a female coach for Muay Thai and two male instructors for MMA and Krav Maga. I'm assuming there's still space in the women's quarters?"

At this, a girl whose name Jean had remembered to be Mina spoke up. "Actually the bed beside mine is still empty. I wouldn't mind having a new roommate," she said with a smile.

The director nodded. "And for the men's?" He turned to Armin.

"If I'm not mistaken, there's an empty room down the hall beside mine and Eren's."

"Alright. The instructors will arrive next Saturday. Be sure to extend to them your welcome."

Levi spoke up. "Yes, and by then the rooms should be damn spotless. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir!" everyone answered in unison.

Jean noticed the smallest of smiles pull on the corners of the older man's mouth. "Glad to know. Meeting adjourned."

And with that the crowd evaporated. Petra and a few others disappeared into the kitchen to make dinner. Erwin had gone to Hanji and, much to Jean's surprise, had also given her a kiss. Everyone else had gone to their respective groups of friends, chattering away at the latest gossip with the club.

Jean had been sketching when he was called for the briefing and accidentally brought his pad and pencil with him on the way to the lobby. With a sigh, he occupied an empty spot on the couch before flipping the sketchpad over to his most recent creation.

Not long after he had fully submerged himself to his sketching, Sasha had occupied the space beside him.

"Didn't know you were an artist."

"Well, taking up Fine Arts in college does that to you."

"So you took up Art when your dad was breathing down your neck for you to inherit the family business. Were you trying to get him to disown you?"

"That was the point." he didn't really intend to make it sound like such a deadpan, but she laughed nonetheless.

They didn't say much after that. Their silence was mixed in with the chatter from the rest of the staff and with the scratching of lead on paper as Jean continued sketching.

"Can I see your other works, Jean?"

Without another word he shut his sketch book. "Here."

He didn't bother looking at her reactions as he flipped the pages. It wasn't because he was arrogant or anything. Nervous, maybe? Embarrassed?

She surprised him, however, when she gasped. "This is beautiful, Jean."

He turned to her, eyes disbelieving. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "Yeah." He watched as she flipped past a few more pages before smiling. "This self-portrait you made is pretty good as well."

"Self-portrait?"

"This." She showed him the current page she was on. It was one with a sketch of a horse.

Their gazes met for a split second before she burst out laughing.

"Goddamit Sasha." He said with a defeated sigh.

"Sorry, I had to," she replied with a grin as she held back more laughter.

Whenever someone would call him Horse-face he would've thrown a comeback or something. Punched them in the gut. Done anything to salvage his pride.

But just this once he let his pride to fend for itself as he chuckled with her.


Krista grumbled as she leaned her full weight on the plush seat of her family's SUV. She didn't really understand the point of her family owning so many cars if only two of them were going to be used on a regular basis. If anything, all the vehicles that were stowed away in their garage had been a total waste of money.

Much like this trip, a snide voice in her grumbled.

She had been oh-so content in dreamland just half an hour ago until her mother unceremoniously woke her up and told her to get dressed.

"We're going somewhere for the next two weeks," she told her over breakfast. "A little vacation couldn't do us any harm now, right?" She said with a smile that seemed a bit forced to Krista. Sadly, she had already been forced into the vehicle before she could mention anything about it.

"Can you at least tell me where we're going, Mother?"

The older woman merely handed her a flier. Krista took it into her hands. Her eyes only managed to scan over the address when she suddenly felt her bag vibrate on her lap. Being careful not to be within the line of sight of her mother's peripheral vision, she grabbed her phone from her purse and turned it on. She smiled at the message that showed on her screen.

Good morning to you. Did you sleep well?

Krista quickly typed in her reply.

Top of the morning to you as well. And no, I wish I could say yes.

And do you mind giving me a book rec?

Why is that?

Sure. Any specific genre you might want?

Mother dearest got me out of bed. We've been travelling for over half an hour now.

Umm anything will be fine? Most of the time I read John Green but now I wanna try something new.

May I ask where are you headed?

Hmm...something not so romantic then? There's Maze Runner if you want a bit of dystopian adventure. Divergent is great as well and there's also a bit of romance in it.

Somewhere south of the state? Not sure with the address on the flier.

I've already read Divergent actually, the whole series. Loved it. I haven't read Maze Runner yet but I've seen the movie so I got the Glade slang down. That's the one right?

Any idea how long you'll be stranded in that vehicle?

And yep. The book is better, though. Trust me on that.

She lowered her phone and met her mother's gaze through the driver's mirror.

"Mother, how much longer will we be travelling?"

"Another four hours or so, dear."

"Okay."

She turned back to her phone.

4+ hours.

And I already trust your opinion. Don't worry about it.

Glad to know :)

And four hours huh? I guess that leaves plenty of time to talk then?

She couldn't help but smile as she texted back. Charming as ever.

Yes, yes it does.


Okay. Steady your breathing.

Sasha drew in a breath, fingers tense and curled around the arrow's shaft and knuckles barely grazing the fletching as she drew it back against the bowstring.

One.

.

.

.

Two.

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.

.

"Sasha?"

On instinct, she pointed her arrow at the source of the voice. "Armin?"

The blonde had awkwardly backed behind the tree and gave her a wave. Sasha lowered her bow with a sigh.

"When are you people gonna learn not to sneak up on me when I'm holding a deadly weapon? Honestly."

Armin let out a nervous chuckle. "Sorry about that. Anyway, I'm here to give you your sched for this week. I forgot to go to you during breakfast."

"Oh, good. Anything new?"

He took out his clipboard (Had he always had that? Sasha thought.) and flipped past the top pages.

"You can come out from behind there, you know," she said with a teasing smile.

Armin flushed. "Oh, right." Cheeks still visibly red (but strategically hidden behind his clipboard), he walked toward her.

"Umm, let's see... Well, your morning schedules with Flegel Reeves are still up. But in the afternoon your 1:00 to 2:00 slot is gonna be filled for the next two weeks. The client…" he flipped to the next page on his clipboard. "…has no experience with archery whatsoever. Never touched a bow in her life," he said as he looked back up at her.

"What, seriously? I'm gonna have to start from scratch with her?"

"I guess so, if that's how you're supposed to start with Greenies."

Sasha cocked her head to the side. "Greenies?"

"I mean, newbies. I meant to say newbies."

She nodded skeptically at him. "Okaay." she shook her head with a sigh. "Any reason why she suddenly wanted to try out archery?"

Armin shrugged. "Not sure. From what I can tell through the phone, she should be nearing her forties or something. Apparently, she's trying to try out everything here for the next couple of weeks, except maybe the Martial Arts programs. Hanji and I are having a hard enough time juggling her schedule with the other patrons'."

"Must be having a midlife crisis." She muttered.

He nodded in agreement. "Most definitely."

"Anything else I need to know?"

"Well, not really. I could just remind you to help Mina clean out the room for the new instructor but I'm guessing you already knew that."

She nodded. "Yep."

"Well, in that case I'll be off. See ya, Sasha."

"Yeah, I'll be seeing you."

As soon as Armin was out of sight, Sasha loaded her arrow again.

What the hell is a Greenie? She thought as her nose wrinkled in confusion.

With another breath, she pulled the arrow against the string, completely focused on her breathing and heart beat.

One more time.

One.

.

.

.

Two.

.

.

.

Suddenly a baritone voice joined her own in her conscience.

.

.

.

'You should definitely join the tournament Sasha.'

'I don't think I'm qualified for that kind of competition.'

'You're more than qualified. You can do it, I believe in you. Just believe in yourself as well.'

.

.

.

'Thank you, Berthold.'

.

.

.

She accidentally released as her eyes widened. The arrow had hit the target board just a few inches away from the center but Sasha knew she got distracted again. She let out a depressed groan.

Not again.

Without another thought she reloaded her bow.

Goddamit, Berthold.


Armin yawned as he entered the office, exhausted from going all around club grounds to brief and remind the instructors on their new addition.

He really didn't expect ending up working at a country club of all places, but somehow the job description just fit him perfectly. Organized, accurate at note-taking, willing to work with others and responsible with paperwork.

Now that's a job meant for someone who's built like a daffodil.

It's not all that time-consuming once he got used to documentation, and that left plenty of time for him to talk to his new found... friend.

Ever since he snuck in his phone number in the handkerchief he gave her, he never thought they'd be as close as they were now. Hell, he didn't even think a cheap trick like that would even work. Now, as they spent the last week conversing about everything and nothing through texts and even video chatting that one time...he had to admit that he had fallen for the blonde girl. Rather hard, he might add. He wasn't sure if it was her looks or her gentle nature or how she seems to listen to what he has to say with such interest, but either way, he was glad to have met her.

Was he going tell her though?

.

.

.

No. Most definitely not.

.

.

.

Well, not yet at least.

It's not that he doesn't want to tell her. Every fiber in his being is begging him to do just that but a more rational part in him managed to convince him to wait until the right time.

And besides, a girl like her? With a guy like him?

Yeah, chances are extremely slim. Definitely never gonna happen.

The vibration in his pocket snapped Armin out of his thoughts. He took his phone out of his pocket and peered at the message that showed itself on his screen.

I'm gonna have to leave now Armin. I'll talk to you soon Shuck-face

He sighed, both at the goodbye and at the apparent usage of novel slang but nonetheless typed a reply.

Alright. I'll be seeing ya, Shank.

He hit Send and shoved his phone back into his jeans.

"Hey there, kiddo." a familiar voice said.

Armin looked up to see Hanji's head peeping from the doorway.

"Oh. Hey, Hanji. Anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually," she said as she entered the file room.

"Mrs. Lenz is gonna arrive anytime soon. Usually, I'd be the one to show around guests once they've settled in their hotel room but Erwin-" she bit her lip and let out a nervous chuckle. "I mean, Director Smith and I have matters to discuss on the newly added Martial Arts programs. You don't mind filling in for me, don't you?"

Armin nodded. "Sure thing. She'll be in the Main Lobby?"

Hanji nodded and walked over to him to ruffle his hair. "Thanks a bunch. I'll make sure to make it up to you." She offered a backhanded wave before leaving the file room.

Armin sighed and grabbed his clipboard before leaving as well.

He made his way to the main lobby, making sure to flip the pages of his clipboard to the sheet that contained the Lenz schedule.

He finally reached the glass doors and made his way to a blonde woman who was standing by the reception and checking in with Mina. She met his glance with a cock of her head. Armin tucked his clipboard under his arm. One perk of staying in the same staff with the same people for years was that you didn't always have to use words to communicate. He formed his hands like how a kid would charade binoculars to show makeshift glasses, and then formed an 'X' with his arms with a shake of his head.

Hanji's not available.

The raven-haired girl nodded and immediately turned to her client. "Ma'am I believe your escort is here," she said with a smile directed towards him. Armin smiled back and nodded gratefully in return as the woman turned to him.

The boy cleared his throat with a fist against his mouth before giving her his business smile and offering her his hand.

"Nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Lenz. I'm Armin and I'll be your guide for today."

The woman smiled politely in return and shook his hand.

"May I ask what happened to Miss Zoe?" she said as their hands met and released.

"Oh, she's currently having a meeting. I'll be filling in for her today, if that's alright."

"But of course." She smiled coyly again.

Armin fought the urge to smile wider. She's so nice.

"Glad to know." He glanced at his clipboard. "If you'll follow me, Ma'am, I can lead you to our first lesson after you've-"

"Oh no, it's not me who'll be availing club services."

He cocked his head to the side, obviously confused.

"Huh?"

"My daughter will be doing that." She turned to a smaller blonde girl who was sitting on one of the Main Lobby couches and gestured for her to come over. "Krista, darling. Come, come."

Armin's eyes widened. Krista?! There's no way.

He watched as the girl stood up from the couch and made her way over to them. As soon as she made her spot beside her mother and glanced at him, he was sure the look on her face mirrored his.

"This is my daughter, Krista, and she'll be the one availing of club services."

Armin nodded, partly in understanding and partly to make sure his jaw wouldn't drop any further than it already had and offered his hand.

He let his business smile mask the sheer terror he felt.

Dear god, why did this happen to me?

Krista shook it, eyes still noticeably wide for apparent shock.

He held her hand in his a second too long and hoped her mother didn't notice.

As if on cue she clapped her hands. "Well then! Just give us a minute to settle in our room and we'll be off!" She chirped. She grabbed her daughter by the wrist and dragged her to the direction of the elevator, bellhop with luggage right behind them. Armin only stared.

It wasn't until when the doors were about to close that he saw and read the look on Krista's face. Apparently, the non-essentiality for words to communicate applied between him and Krista as well.

We need to talk.

Armin nodded just as the doors closed.

Definitely.


As soon as the door of her hotel room closed behind the bellhop, Krista let out a sigh.

Her mother beside her turned to her with a quirked brow in maternal intuition. "You know that boy?"

She frantically shook her head. "Nope. Just thought we looked an awful lot alike is all."

Krista inwardly winced. Wow, great cover up Krista. Just wow.

Helena tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "Now that you mention it, the two of you do look like twins from a few angles. Blonde hair, blue eyes and all."

The younger blonde inwardly sighed in relief. Oh, thank god.

"Krista, dear, I suggest you change in to something more comfortable. You'll be taking your lessons anytime now."

As she went over to the duffel bag her mother had graciously packed for her (and still not sure how she managed to do so without her knowing), a thought shoved its way into her mind.

"Wait, Mother. If I'll be the one outside, what will you be doing?"

"Well, I heard a friend that the spa here is one of the best in the state and that they're offering a special on seaweed wrap this month." She looked away as if guilty.

Krista's jaw dropped as her head had gone through the neck hole of her shirt. "You're no fair, Mother!"

The older woman merely giggled as she walked up to her daughter and motioned for her to sit on the stool in front of the vanity. She suddenly disappeared, probably to get something.

Krista merely stared at her reflection as her mother returned with a comb and a hair tie on her wrist.

She had begun to run the comb through her daughter's hair when she spoke. "I know that the kind of… position I put you in is really unfair on your part, Krista. And I know that I've told you this so many times but this is for the good of our family." She set the comb on the vanity and begun to braid her daughter's hair as Krista's eyes casted downwards. "And I guess I don't really deserve the title of Best Mom in the World, mug be damned." She tied up the end of the braid and placed her hands on Krista's shoulders, prompting her to meet her gaze through the mirror. "But for the week I want you to forget about it and have a little time for yourself. I know how much you like your alone time, and considering how suffocating I was for the past months I guess you'd want it now more than ever."

Krista nodded, still unsure on how to reply.

She didn't really understand what prompted her mother to suddenly be so…considerate of her when it came to the engagement. The past months she had been a control freak over the wedding preparations, almost downright forceful when taking her to a dress fitting or another with a somewhat cold aura. But despite that, she was always a doting kind of mother, always keeping close watch of whatever she did. So why the sudden niceness? Didn't she just shove her into a marriage a few months ago?

Honestly, don't even get her started on how her mother reacted when she came home late that night she was at the café with Armin.

And speaking of Armin…just what were the chances that he just happened to work at the country club her mother wanted her to go to? And as their tour guide, nonetheless?

And moreover, just how was she going to tell him that she was engaged? Just casually tell him? Not tell him at all?

And why did telling him bother her so much anyways?

Her mother's voice brought her out of her thoughts and back to the ground.

"You don't mind, do you? My appointment's still at three, so I'm hoping you'll be alright?"

Krista nodded, just realizing that her mother had been speaking to her while she was still wandering in the crevices of her own mind. She stood up and swept the braid over her shoulder before giving her mother a hug.

"Thank you Mother… I really appreciate it."

She released from the embrace and made her way to the door. She sighed as soon as she was in the elevator.

Staying here can't be that bad, right?

As soon as the elevator doors opened to reveal Armin patiently waiting for her where she left him, she smiled.

Yep. Definitely not too bad.


"Are you at the location I told you to be?"

"Yes. The ride better have been worth it, Patrick. Are you sure he's here?"

"Positive. Just keep your eyes opened. He'll show up eventually."


Krista smiled as Armin gracefully led her to her next lesson. She was grateful that the tour hadn't been as awkward as she thought it would have been, and the air in his presence, though silent, was light, almost comforting even.

"Mind explaining how you found out where I worked?" Armin finally asked Krista with a teasing smile as they made their way out a pair of glass doors.

"Mind explaining how you found out where my mom planned to take me?" The girl countered. She paused to take a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and the smell of wild grass and flowers from a nearby courtyard. She turned back to Armin who had a look of exaggerated offense on his face.

"You make it look like I'm the stalker here. You're the one who just oh-so happened to be vacationing at my workplace which is, by the way, in the middle of nowhere."

She scowled at him, only to have him laugh in reply. He raised his hands up in mock surrender. "I kid, I kid."

The scowl was instantly replaced with a smile. If anything, she was smiling because she was glad that the casual tone in most of their online conversations also materialized in the ones they had in real life. She didn't really expect much from a walk to an archery instructor.

"Is archery hard?" Krista suddenly asked, a rush of anxiety unexpectedly washing over her at the prospect of learning a potentially lethal skill.

He turned to her with a thoughtful look. "Let's just say that it's nothing like you'd play on Wii. But believe me, Sasha's a good coach. I'm pretty sure she can shape up a Greenie like you in no time. And equestrian is a lot harder. Be glad you didn't have that as your first lesson here. You'll be having that after archery, though."

He suddenly stopped walking and Krista followed suit. She looked around to see that they were in a large, empty clearing, save for half a dozen or so target boards lined up perfectly on one side and the brunette girl leaning against one of the trees.

"Sasha!"

The girl turned to the sound of Armin's voice and beamed. Krista watched as Armin waved back and nodded to her as they walked over closer to her.

"Hey, Armin." Sasha said with a smile. Krista froze as she turned to her. "This the new student you told me about? Doesn't seem like she's in her forties to me."

The boy let out a nervous chuckle. "Oh that was a misunderstanding. She was actually planning for her daughter." He said as he nodded to the blonde beside him. "And forty or not, she's still a Greenie-" he faked a cough. "I mean, newbie to archery, so you still have to start from scratch." Krista muffled her laughter with a fist, gulping back a smile when Armin turned to her with a look that said I blame you for that. "I'll be off now. I'll escort you to your next lesson after your session with Sasha's done." He said as he swapped glances from her to Sasha.

She watched his back disappear into the clearing. Sasha suddenly clapped her hands.

"Well, I guess we should get started."

Krista watched her disappear for a moment and return with a bow. She handed it over to her, and she stiffened slightly upon glancing at the unfamiliar weight in her hands.

"Thank you." The blonde said as she looked up to meet the other girl's gaze with a smile.

From that angle she had a better view of Sasha's face. And in the few seconds that they held their gaze, she immediately noticed the taller girl's eyes. They were the richest shade of chocolate brown with small flecks of gold and hazel.

Krista felt a tug of familiarity, but she couldn't really put her finger on why and from where.

Now, as Sasha had begun teaching her basics of positioning, from footwork to how to grip the bow and arrow, Krista racked her mind for any stock memory of her instructor as she did as she was instructed.

I seriously feel like I've seen this girl before…

"Krista?" the blonde was snapped out of her thoughts. "I told you to stand back for a bit. I'm gonna demonstrate how to shoot."

She nodded and shuffled a few steps back. From behind, she watched the girl take a stance and rather than taking notes on the current subject at hand like she should have, Krista's attention was still elsewhere.

Even her voice sounds familiar now that I think about it.

She tried matching it to something in her memory… and suddenly a loud voice cried in her head.

I object!

Krista's eyes widened. There's no way.

So apparently the country club where Armin was working also happened to be where her apparent lifesaver was working as well?

What was going on with all these coincidences?

Krista shook her head. Maybe I'm wrong, she thought as she brushed away the idea and turned her full attention to her instructor.

As if on cue with her thoughts, Sasha spoke. "Did you get that?"

The blonde slowly shook her head as she snuck a glance at the arrow that impaled one of the target boards. "Not completely. I can't seem to grip the arrow against the string properly yet." (That was partly true and not a cover up for not paying much attention. Krista blamed her tiny hands for that.)

"Don't worry; it's like that for every beginner." Sasha replied.

Krista managed a nod and tried her best to listen as she mimicked Sasha's positioning.

"Make sure you keep your footwork like that. Now when you grip the arrow…"

The other girl's voice had already faded away as her earlier thought started to sink in deeper and deeper.

Partly from complete curiosity, and partly to silence that annoying voice in her head so she could finally get her session over with, Krista gave in to her gut and lowered her bow.

"Hey, Coach?" she started, not yet completely sure if they were on a first name basis.

The brunette lowered her bow as well and turned to her curiously. "Hm? Something the matter?"

"Listen this is gonna sound kinda weird but…" she let out a sigh. "Did you attend a wedding at St. Rose Cathedral recently by any chance?"

Sasha nodded back slowly. Much too slowly for Krista's taste. "You can say that." She said as she looked away. Suddenly feeling impatient and tired of beating around the bush Krista blurted out.

"Please tell me you were the girl who objected that day? Honestly, the familiarity is killing me and I just got too curious for my own good."

Sasha stepped back slightly, but it didn't escape Krista's sight.

The blonde sighed again, immediately regretting the outburst. "Sorry. I didn't mean to impose or anything. You don't have to answer if you weren't her."

Her coach surprised her, however, when she nodded. "Yeah. That was me."

Krista sighed once more, but this time out of relief.

"I'm glad. At least I spared myself from the humiliation." She paused to look at the other girl whose expression was currently unreadable.

"Listen, I wanted to thank you for that. You're a lifesaver. Honestly."

Sasha's expression had changed from blank to confused until she suddenly laughed. "Oh my god. I thought you were gonna curse my existence or something!" She let her laughter die down before continuing. "You weren't really up for that wedding either, huh?"

Either?

Krista brushed the thought away with a shake of her head. "Definitely not," she replied lightheartedly. "But if you want to keep your existence curse free, Coach, I suggest you don't mention this conversation if my mother passes by."

The brunette nodded with a smile. "Definitely. And no need to be so formal, Krista, you can call me by my first name. I'm pretty sure anyone who dubbed me their hero is pretty much my friend."

Friend, huh?

Krista liked the idea a lot. The only real friend she had was Ymir. And Armin as well, now that she thought about it.

Sasha cocked her head toward the target boards. "We best get back to the lesson. We have 45 minutes left."

Krista nodded and began to take her position, this time a lot more focused than she was a few moments ago.

Sasha had been so patient with her in those forty-five minutes, softly pointing out if she needed to straighten or bend her arm a little or more, or if her feet needed to be a little farther apart.

Krista thought she had already gotten that hang of it. That was until she tried pulling the arrow back on the string.

"You need to make it go all the way, Krista." Sasha commented from behind her, obviously staying clear from her in case anything happened.

The blonde tried pulling it back even further, arrow still not completely straight in her grip.

"Okay, now, steady your breathing, like what I told you. Good. Now, I want you to release the arrow when you exhale."

When she released, the arrow barely hit the target and instead bounced off it and landed on the grass.

Krista winced. Way to go, Artemis. She lowered her bow.

Sasha put a hand on her shoulder. "The first shot isn't always perfect." She smiled before she went forward to retrieve the arrow and reappeared in front of her student who was still glumly looking at the ground.

"Here," she handed over the arrow to her and nodded back to the targets.

Krista took it in her hands and took the position to draw again, this time making sure to ignore the slight pain in her fingers.

"Krista, word of advice, don't just focus on the target. Focus on what you're doing first. The path to the target will follow soon after."

The blonde nodded. She released after two breaths.

The arrow hit the target, a little off to the right. It wasn't a bull's-eye but it was still a hit. She smiled and turned to her instructor who was smiling even wider.

"Nice shot."

The remaining half hour was spent emptying Krista's quiver under the afternoon sun. (Well, more like Sasha's. Either way, by the time they were finished the thing was empty.) Only half managed to actually hit the target board, which was perfectly fine by her.

They collapsed under the shade of the tree, the two panting heavily both from the heat and from exhaustion.

"You did good." Sasha said. Every word was punctuated with a gasp for air.

That's what she gets for chasing after every arrow.

Krista managed a smile and nod. "Yeah. By the looks of things I might have a chance of joining the Hunger Games or something," she said, turning to her.

Sasha had already gotten her breath back and had replaced her pants for quieter inhales and exhales. "Don't get too cocky there, Krista. Those were just the basics."

Krista nodded. "And speaking of Hunger Games… has anyone ever told you that you're an awful lot like Katniss Everdeen? I don't know, brown hair and deadly bow skills?"

Suddenly, the brunette groaned. "I get that all the time. Especially when the movie came out my best friend wouldn't shut up about it! Everyone kept telling me to cosplay Katniss or go as her for Halloween or something." She threw her hands up for emphasis. Krista only laughed. "Oh and don't even get me started on Armin! That was literally the first thing he said to me when I first started to work here. And I was stupid enough to have my hair in a braid that day! Honestly. "

Krista giggled again.

That really seems like something he would do, she thought as she let her head lean on the bark. She heard footsteps and turned to it only to end up smiling wider. Huh. Speak of the devil.

The blonde boy was making his way towards them with a wave. Krista waved back at him before standing up.

She stretched the kinks in her back for a few moments before turning to her coach. "I have equestrian next, Sasha, so I better get going."

Sasha immediately paled. "Equestrian? Wait, I don't think that's a good idea, Krista!"

Krista cocked her head to the side but the brunette had clamped her mouth shut when the other blond was less than three feet away from them.

Did she have a fear of horses or something? The blonde shook her head again as Armin arrived.

The smile on his face was bright. "You ready?"

She nodded. "Yeah." She turned to Sasha. "See you tomorrow, Sasha." She turned back to Armin with another nod.

Armin nodded back, stepped to her side, and led the way past the clearing and onto a cobblestone path.

"I'm really sorry you had to have your lessons so close together. We had a really hard time juggling your schedule with the other patrons'," Armin said apologetically.

"It's alright. Sasha was nice enough to finish five minutes early so I could catch my breath."

Or at least so that she could catch hers. But that was beside the point.

He nodded. "That's a relief. Equestrian is rather... difficult."

"Really?"

"Well, at least from what I heard. Hanji would come back to the file room to tell me that every first timer would comment about how hard it was to control a horse or something. It can't be helped, I guess. Equestrian is mostly for competition. But then again, we just changed coaches so I guess he'd go easy on you. Let's just hope the horses will."

"No need to worry about that, animals seem to like me." The girl said. "Well most of them anyways. That back alley cat still seems to have it out for me."

Beside her, Armin let out a chuckle, and Krista felt something flutter inside her chest as she laughed with him.

Their laughter died down just as they arrived at another field. It was significantly bigger than the clearing she took archery in. It had a short wooden fence around it and, not to mention, was a lot less empty. Krista could see a large structure by the side that she assumed to be the stables and a few wooden structures stacked beside it, things she would have yet to learn about.

Leaning on the gate of the fence was a young man, most likely her instructor. He was fairly tall and… had a familiar shade of ash brown for his hair.

She froze.

No wonder Sasha didn't want me to go here.

Krista was both glad and frustrated that Armin escorted her all the way to him.

If she had been alone she would've run the opposite direction in a heartbeat.


"Hello? Patrick, it's Helena."

"Ah, yes. Are my suspicions correct?"

"Spot on. Will you be coming here to pick him up?"

"Sadly, no. I've a full schedule for the next month and the month after."

"Hm. I thought you would've wanted to drag him back as soon as you've confirmed where he was."

"No, let him have his fun. He has only less than three months before I do that after all."


Jean ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. He was mounted on Buchwald and after letting Krista pick which horse she wanted to mount, he had started the lesson with barely audible murmurs.

Well, at least not before helping her up on her horse. With her short stature, she had a difficult time and Jean had helped her own by the waist to which he looked away and escaped from by walking towards his own horse.

He began by instructing her how to pull on the reigns, to which she easily complied without even looking at him. He'd point out some small errors in her handling, and she would nod and immediately correct them by herself as her gaze remained steady on the grass in front of her.

In short, the whole session was downright fucking awkward.

Apparently, she didn't really have much trouble with her horse as she was completely able to control it with a simple tug on the reigns.

"Looks like Harriet here really likes you."

Krista nodded but didn't meet his gaze. "Yeah." She stroked its mane before looking up to meet his gaze.

"Listen, Jean…I swear I didn't know that you were here and Mother just-"

Jean raised a hand as if to stop her.

"Look, Krista, let's just not talk about that. The wedding's still at least another two months from now, so please. Right now, we're just teacher and student, and maybe even friends. Sounds good?"

She nodded and smiled as if relieved. "Yeah. Sounds great." The horse under her whinnied as if agreeing to their conversation.

The two shared a brief fit of laughter before Jean cleared his throat.

"Okay, now that we got that aside, I might as well make you do a few laps around the field with Harriet. You seem to be a natural."


Sasha leaned her back against the bark of the tree in the archery field as the electric guitar riffs of Pierce the Veil's Bulletproof Love in her earphones faded away into the soft piano intro of a certain song Sasha remembered vividly. Too vividly. She gently set her head against the tree's trunk as unwanted memories began to flood in.

.

.

.

It was prom night and Sasha only sat down while couples flooded the dance floor as Faithfully by Journey softly blared from the speakers. She was surprised, however, when a certain raven-haired boy started walking towards her.

He stopped in front of her and gave her a smile. "Hey."

She smiled back. "Hey."

"I just came here to say that you look beautiful tonight. Would you like to dance?"

Is this really happening? This can't be real.

Sasha nodded. "Of course."

.

.

.

When the song had neared its end, the two still in each other's arms, Berthold smiled down at her. "I knew I wouldn't be able to leave without giving my best girl friend a dance."

The guitar riffs had ended. Sasha slowly backed away from his grasp and faked a smile. "Of course. I appreciate it, Berthold."

He patted the top of her head with a laugh. "Anything for you, Sasha."

.

.

.

Sasha let out a frustrated sigh and changed the song.

Not again.


So where are you right now?

Having dinner at the restaurant here. Food's pretty good.

Why thank you. I'll make sure to let Hannah and the others know.

Who's Hannah? Someone I should know about?

Armin's fingers practically fumbled over the touch screen of his phone as he typed in his reply.

Nope. Just a co-worker. Jealous are we?

Armin swallowed as her reply took too long to send, suddenly regretting his most recent reply. Maybe I overstepped a boundary or two?

It was Friday night, marking the end of the first half of Krista's stay at the Sina Country Club. Hanji had taken over for him when Tuesday came around, much to his dismay, but that didn't stop their texts from coming around full force. That also left him with the chance to serve her meals every now and then when he would take up on the waiting staff at the restaurant. Ah, was he a lucky bastard.

A full five minutes passed.

Maybe I am :P Anyways what are you up to?

If Armin's heartbeat had slowed down as he waited for her response, it had quickened and beat twice its normal pace upon reading it.

"Armin, where do you want me to put these?" Jean's voice suddenly said from behind him.

The blond turned to his taller friend who looked rather annoyed at the moment as he carried a box filled with old files. "On the top shelf. Sorry for putting you up to this Jean."

The other boy grunted as he lifted the box up a shelf that was at his eye level. "No problem. I'm just kind of annoyed that you're just standing there, texting."

Armin let out a nervous laugh. "Sorry about that." He didn't really seem sorry as he turned back to his phone.

I'm reorganizing stuff in the file room. Busy work.

"You know, you should at least mention that you have a friend helping you out."

The blond jumped at the voice. "Jean! It's rude to read other people's texts, ya know!"

"Yeah, but it's also rude to not credit your friends to look cool in front of a girl." Jean went back to his upright position. "And Krista, huh? Didn't know you had it in you to make a move so fast."

Armin flushed. "No, it's not like that! I swear!"

Jean only smirked. "Nice try, Armin. But any guy who's smiling like an idiot while texting is obviously texting the girl he likes. Have to admit, you do fast work."

The other boy shook his head. "Actually… I've known her for a week or two now."

Jean visibly seemed interested and nudged him with his elbow. "Now, how did that happen?"

"I bumped into her while I was getting coffee after going to the bookstore. Literally. She ran head first into me and offered to replace my drink after she noticed that I spilled it. Then I gave her my number and…" he gestured to his phone. "You can see how that turned out."

"Okay, the coffee and the bookstore thing I expected, you're a bigger klutz than you are a nerd. No offense."

"None taken, nerd's a compliment."

"Whatever. But the number thing?" Jean let out a chuckle. "Who are you and what have you done to Armin?"

Armin chuckled as well. "Heh. Funny, that's exactly what Eren said when I told him about it." He took a once over at his office. "I think we're just about done here. Let's head back?"

The taller boy nodded. "Yeah. Dinner's about to start any time now."

The Main Lobby was quiet when they entered, save for the faint clinking of utensils from the restaurant and soft chattering from the staff. Armin could see Levi and Hanji checking up on Mina and Samuel at the reception, and a few other guests sitting on the couches- on their gadgets, taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi. He didn't expect two of those guests to be Helena and Krista Lenz.

And he certainly didn't expect actually running into them.

"Good evening, Mrs. Lenz." Armin greeted, mostly out of habit for protocol.

The woman smiled, her daughter with her head bowed down. Feeling a little shy, huh? "Good evening to you as well."

"Enjoying you stay so far, ma'am?" the blond started, common hotel staff etiquette.

Mrs. Lenz nodded. "Yes. And I also have to commend you for organizing my daughter's schedule. Thanks to you, Krista here got to spend some quality time with her fiancé."

Armin's head cocked to side, purely confused. "Fiancé? I could've sworn I booked her sessions to be private…" He snuck a glance at the younger blonde behind her who still had her head down.

"Oh no, don't be silly. So, Jean, did you enjoy spending time with Krista? I'm pretty sure there'll be more of that once you're married, no?"

Armin turned to Jean, who looked like he was about to say something, but whatever he had planned to say had been cut short by Levi's voice.

"Kirstein! Get over here!"

The said boy winced and cursed under his breath.

"I guess I'll have to see what Levi wants to do with me. If you'll excuse me…"

He turned to leave, but not before giving Armin an apologetic look.

A phone rang, and Mrs. Lenz immediately reached inside of her purse. "Ah, I have to take this one. If you'll excuse me…" She walked a clear distance away as she pressed the phone to her ear.

That left Armin alone with Krista. The girl had looked away and refused to meet his gaze with her chin still attached to her collarbone.

The boy bit his lip. "Krista, are you engaged to Jean?" His chest tightened as he asked.

When she didn't respond, Armin asked again, voice straining out of his throat as he felt his chest tighten even more.

"Krista. Are you engaged to Jean?"

When she nodded he couldn't take anymore.

"Well, I hope that goes well for you." He almost spat out as his voice shook.

Those were the last words he said before he walked away, something cracking inside of him as if he had dropped it in front of her only to have her step on it.

Armin quickened his pace until he was practically sprinting his way out the main building and inside the dorms. He had accidentally bumped into Eren along the way. "Armin? What's wrong?" The blond heard the brunet say followed by a rush of footsteps behind him.

Sad to say, he had already locked the door behind him before his question was answered.

Armin launched himself straight into bed, ignoring Eren's insistent knocking and calls. He waited for a few minutes for the noise to stop before he let out a sigh.

The first time he met her was purely by chance. The way his number-in-hankie trick had worked was just sheer dumb luck and meeting her again for a second time was just pure coincidence. So maybe the chance that she was single was just pushing it?

He slammed his face into his pillow and groaned.

Maybe. I guess I was pushing it. A girl like that and still single? Armin let out scoff. As if.

But still, did she forget to tell him? Shouldn't something as big as that be something you say the first time you meet?

For some reason Armin's inner voice droned up to a falsetto.

Hi, my name's Krista, I'm twenty-two years old. I recently graduated from Stohess University, my hobbies include reading and watching anime. And by the way, just so you know, I'm already engaged, so better not fall in love with me, okay?

Armin sighed. Okay, maybe that was kind of too straightforward sounding, and not to mention, kind of ridiculous. But honestly.

Why didn't she ever bring it up?

Did she honestly just forget or was she playing with him the whole time?

Tired and frustrated (and not to mention not being in the mood to answer his own questions), he slammed his head to his pillow a second time before willing himself to a dreamless sleep.


Eren sighed as he dropped his hand from knocking on the door.

What the hell got into him?

Mikasa had suddenly burst in through the front door and ran over to him. "Eren! I saw everything! What happened?"

The boy shrugged. "No idea. You should've seen the look on Armin's face, though. He looked like he was about to cry."

The girl frowned. "I hope he's alright." She spared a glance at the door and sighed. "And knowing Armin he probably slept it off. It's probably best if we leave him alone."

"Mikasa, he locked the door, where the hell do you expect me to sleep?"

"My room." She says without even hesitating. Or blinking. Almost as if she had the whole situation planned out.

Eren gave her a skeptical glance. "You sure?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah. Sasha wouldn't mind."

"Alright then." Eren made a move to walk towards the stairs, Mikasa not too far behind him. He stepped aside to let her through first like the gentleman his mother raised him to be and followed afterwards behind her. He winced as the stairs creaked beneath his feet. "I don't get how you girls get used to that."

"Well, it gets easier to ignore every once in a while."

Eren raised his brows in agreement as they reached the second floor and let her lead the way to her room. He opened the door for her -to which she nodded gratefully- and followed her inside.


Mikasa stared at the ceiling as she lay in bed. Sasha still had yet to return and it was almost lights out. With a sigh, she rolled to her side to watch Eren's sleeping form.

His face was peaceful as his chest rose in a slow but steady rhythm. The girl took note of the way his eyelashes were long enough to lightly graze over his cheekbones and how his lips parted a little as he snored lightly. It was strange really; to see him so relaxed. Most of the time his brows would be furrowed in a look of concentration when he worked on his research grant in the infirmary or he'd have a feral grin on his face when pulling pranks on everyone to monitor their stress levels to add to his research.

Mikasa let her eyes wander over to the brunet's hair which had completely covered his forehead and let out a small sigh. It shined against the pale moonlight that streamed through her window and looked incredibly soft. She wanted to run her fingers through it so much.

She would've been able to if only he was sleeping beside her instead of on the floor.


Sasha brushed some brown fringe away from her eyes and wiped away a small sheen of sweat that had begun to form on her brow. She was currently in Mina's room, fulfilling Levi's order to have her help the raven clean up the room for the new instructor after dinner.

"You didn't really have to do this, ya know." Mina said as she dusted the inside of the drawer beside the empty bed next to hers.

Sasha shook her head as she made the bed. "Well, Levi put me on duty with this so I obviously couldn't ditch if I wanted to." She tucked the sheets in the corners before standing upright.

Mina let out a sigh. "Well, you do have a point there. But we could always just do it tomorrow or something."

"Nonsense. If we did this tomorrow we would have less time for the movie marathon."

The brunette folded a blanket and set it over the head of the bed. "And I really don't mind anyway. Orders are orders. Better we do this now, too, before we forget." She fluffed a few pillows and tossed them on top of the blanket. "And besides, a lot has been on my mind lately. Just thought I could do this to get my mind off things, ya know?"

The other girl suddenly smirked. "And by things, do you mean a guy?"

Well, she would be lying if she said no. Sasha nodded slowly.

"You can say that." She shook her head. "It's kind of just up in the air and all up in my head, I guess."

Mina's jaw dropped.

"Spill! It's Jean isn't it?"

"What? No! What on earth makes you think that?"

The raven-haired girl giggled. "Anyone with a pair eyes can see that the two of you have been spending an awful lot of time lately. Always together every break and free time and 'just friends'? Nope, not buying it."

It's not like we do couple stuff. Most of the time we're at each other's throats or something.

"Need I remind you that Connie is there as well? Honestly." She wiped her hands on her jeans and sat on the newly made bed. "And for your information, it isn't Jean." She looked around the room one last time.

Mina's smile fell slightly as she shrugged. "Shame. I mean, he might not be on your mind, but you sure seem to be on his. Why else would he always be looking at you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," Mina said as she looked away, obviously hiding a smile. "We're pretty much done here, Sasha. You can go on ahead. I can manage by myself."

Unconvinced and slightly irked at the other girl's attempt to change the topic, Sasha chucked a pillow at Mina before going out the door.

"What the hell, Sasha!"

"Love you too, Mina!" Sasha called over her shoulder with a laugh as she closed the door.

The brunette let out a sigh. At least she didn't pry about Berthold. Word gets around fast.

She let out another sigh as she made her way downstairs.

It'd been almost a week since the wedding, yet she still couldn't bring it in herself to stop thinking about him. When Connie pointed out that she had accidentally brought Berthold's jacket with her to the country club, he'd been on her mind since.

She'd hear a song and somehow its lyrics would lead back to him. She'd be doing her usual warm up drills or doing chores around the dorms and suddenly, the most random memory with him would visualize in her head. She'd be lying in bed and he'd be the last thing she'd think of before she drifted off to sleep only to have him as the first thing on her mind when she woke up.

He was on her mind so often, she just wished she could forget everything. Forget about how he'd pat the top of her head if he wanted to show affection. Or forget about the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled. Or how his eyes seemed to sparkle when he laughed. Or maybe even forget about the time he'd encouraged her to join that city-wide archery tournament which led her to become State Champion for three years running.

Just forget all the big things he'd done and stupid little things in between and forget about loving him altogether.

But no. Her subconscious kept betraying her. Every. Single. Time.

Every day, he'd just somehow worm his way into her thoughts and stay there. It had been far too frustrating for her every time it happened, and she had long given up trying to force him out when he'd barge his way into her mind and allowed herself to drown in bitter recollection.

The only times she didn't think about him was when she was teaching archery to her students and when she was with Connie or Jean.

Connie had always been her best friend, and naturally, he was the first to know everything. He was the first to know about her feelings for Berthold, the first (and pretty much the only) person to receive all her gushing and squealing about her moments with said boy and the first (and once again the only) one she called when Berthold told her about his proposal plan and once again on the night her…plan failed and ended up spending her whole afternoon with Jean.

And Jean?

She couldn't put her finger on it but somehow he was the kind of presence that distracted her. Even if his words were as blunt as her arrows were sharp (and boy they were), they just had this effect on her that made her toss all the sad and serious aside for a bit and enjoy the conversation. She had a feeling deep in her gut that maybe it was like that because it was from him, because the words were coming out of his mouth, the same gut feeling that had made her time with him at the café feel so right and had had her sleep peacefully the night of the wedding.

Or maybe it was because he would insult her on such a regular basis that her infuriation would distract her from any other thoughts and would make her think fast for a good comeback.

Whichever it was, it was a distraction that she desperately needed, and one she looked forward to everyday.

Jean had suddenly become a constant in her life, which was weird considering that she had known most of her friends and co-workers for over two years (and not to mention Connie for almost two decades) and she had only known Jean for barely two weeks.

She really didn't get how he got into the picture so fast, but either way she was thankful that he did.

With a small skip off the last step of the stairs, she made her way over to the couch in the common room to find that Jean had been sitting there, sketchpad open on his lap and pencil in hand. He was alone, she noted as she remembered everyone going straight to their rooms after dinner.

"Hey."

He looked up from his work. "Potato Girl."

Sasha groaned. "I pretty much threatened to mutilate you yet you still won't stop calling me that?"

He smirked. "It's become a habit. No stopping me now."

She rolled her eyes as she made her way to sit beside him. "So how was your day?"

He closed his sketchpad and set it beside him. "Awkward as fuck." He answered with a shake of his head, to which she snorted and chuckled. He suddenly turned to her. "You?"

She stretched and made herself comfortable on her spot before answering. "Well, you can say that I made a friend out of my newest student."

There really was no need for her to address the elephant in the room by name.

"You do realize you're teaching the girl I'm getting forcibly hitched to, right?"

Sasha scoffed. "Of course I knew. I always knew. I'd recognize anyone that blonde who isn't Armin."

He shot her a quizzical look before chuckling, and she let out a small laugh of her own.

"She thanked me, you know."

His eyes narrowed at her. "I'm pretty sure that's what all students do after every session."

"No. I mean, Krista actually recognized me from the wedding."

His brows rose up to his hairline. "And she thanked you for objecting?"

She nodded and let out another laugh. "The two of you are so against it, it's almost hilarious. "

"Yeah it's gonna be like those ugly sweaters your grandma would knit you for Christmas."

Sasha cocked her head to the side. "Huh?"

"It makes you feel uncomfortable and the only reason you agreed to keep it was so that your parents wouldn't get mad at you for being insensitive." Jean supplied. "And the only time you'd show it in public is when your parents are with you so you'd look like a nice guy."

"But don't kids usually like it when their grandma makes something for them?" The brunette asked.

"Well, yeah. But it's not really all that likable when your parents shove it down your throat and make you wear it the next day."

She let out a something between a snort and a chuckle at the perfectly accurate analogy. "You really hate it with a passion, huh?"

"Do you mean the ugly sweater or the marriage? 'Coz honestly, I hate both equally."

"And the parents?"

"If you must know, I'm only doing this for my mom 'coz I hate to disappoint her. It's my dad that I loathe with enough fiery passion to keep you warm during the winter."

"Huh. There's one thing I don't get though."

"Hm?"

"Why not give it a chance? Seriously."

"Didn't I explain it to you the first time we met?"

She shook her head. "No, not that part. I mean come on, Jean. How are you not in love with her?"

He shot her a look. "The hell are you talking about?"

"Come on. Don't play stupid with me. Sure, she's kinda short, but she's really pretty. And she's really nice as well. I mean, you yourself called her a goddess. How are you not interested? Most guys wouldn't hesitate if they found out they'd be getting married to a girl like that."

"You're running your mouth again, Sasha." He flicked her forehead before shaking his head. "Honestly."

She pouted and lightly pressed her fingers to where he hit her. "Well? Are you gonna answer me or what?"

Jean sighed. "It's just…" he sighed again. "It's just kinda hard to explain."

"Hm. Is there someone else you like, then?" She didn't get why her heart skipped a beat when she asked.

"Not really. I had a thing for Mikasa back in high school but apart from that, nothing."

Sasha perked up in interest. "Wait. You had a crush on my roommate?"

"Well, yeah. I would follow her around like a blood hound and did all sorts of stupid things just to get her to notice me. Hell, I even joined the all the clubs she was in."

"Does the Sina Country Club count as one of them?" Sasha asked.

He shook his head. "Nah. I got over it a while back in college. Nowadays, I'm just patiently waiting for the day Eren gets his head out of his ass and finally realizes his feelings for her." Sasha nodded in agreement. Anyone with a pair of eyes can see the girl's feelings for the green-eyed boy. It was Eren who had yet to realize his own feelings for Mikasa and hers for him.

"Seriously, though. Imagine how stupid it would be if I was still pining for her until now," Jean abruptly said, effectively making Sasha drop her smile.

She felt her heart clench in her chest and let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah. Totally stupid."

Jean suddenly waved his hands frantically in front of her. "Oh god. Sorry, Sasha. I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright." She cut him off. "It's alright," she said again as she moved her line of vision to the clenched pair of hands on her lap.

It was totally stupid. Just what kind of girl would be stupid enough to still be in love with the same guy even after he got married? Stupid enough to think that objecting at his wedding would actually change his mind? Stupid enough to still have him on her mind everyday even until now?

Just what kind of girl would be so stupid to keep hurting herself the way she was now?

"Hey, no one's rushing you to get over him that fast, Sasha."

Sasha tilted her chin up to look at him. "I had seven years to get over him, Jean." She let out a sigh. "Seven years. That's more than half a decade. A little overdue, don't you think?"

"Hey, things like that take time."

She shot him a look that said, Are you serious? But opted for "You don't say?" instead.

Jean raised his hands in mock innocence. "Hey, just quoting what my best friend Marco told me." He dropped his hands to his lap as soon as she dropped her look.

He suddenly chuckled. "Would you believe me if I told you it took me three years to get over Mikasa?"

She pursed her lips. "Yeah, I guess."

"See, no rush. Kind of like how I teach my students how to control their horse the first time. You obviously can't expect to do it right away. And obviously, you're gonna get hurt." At this, Sasha snorted. "Just make sure you do it at your own pace and it'll happen eventually. Okay?"

Sasha felt herself lighten and nodded with a smile. "Okay."


Jean sighed and stretched as he got himself out of bed. Seeing his roommate Thomas was still fast asleep, he walked out of the room as quietly as possible.

Upon closing the door behind him, he began to smile as memories of the night before had begun flooding in.

After giving her some well-needed advice, the two of them had spent the rest of their free time together, lounging, talking and joking the night away just as they did that day at the café. He didn't understand how conversation could flow so easily between the two of them and though he really didn't care, her laughter had now become a constant sound to his ears, even if it was a snort or a full fit of giggles.

She could at anything he mused, from some AutoCorrect typo she'd make on her phone to terrible jokes Connie would try to crack when they ate dinner.

(Who even laughs at 'What do you get when you put bread in your shoes? You get loafers!'? Honestly.)

She even laughed at his own comebacks when he got into another squabble with Eren.

(He was being a blunt and crass asshole, not funny. That didn't stop her from falling off the couch and onto the floor in a burst of laughter a couple nights ago, though.)

Even when they first met, she had laughed at his deadpan sense of humor. Most of his dialogue involved a curse word or two yet she still chuckled lightly.

He noticed that her nose crinkled when she smiled. Her cheeks also turned pink, and after a particularly long fit of laughter, she'd always end up being breathless. And he absolutely had no idea how he managed to pick up on something as small and as insignificant as that, but his subconscious betrayed him and probably wouldn't let him forget about it soon.

(He would know; he tried.)

Her laughter reminded him of wind chimes or small bells. Light, airy and somehow, sounded the same yet sounded different every time he heard it. With the slight chance of him going insane if he heard it way too often.

In any case, possible insanity triggers aside, it still gave a weird, warm feeling inside his chest that he couldn't explain.

A weird, warm feeling that he actually kinda liked.

.

.

.

Wait.

.

.

.

What?

He shoved the errant thought into the deeper recesses of his mind before it could explore any further.

He definitely needed some coffee. Like right now. Before he lost any more of his sanity.

But of course, when he went down to get some, (coffee or sanity, that was what he wasn't so sure of,) the girl who had been wandering his thoughts since he woke up was also ever-so-coincidentally wandering around the kitchen as well, bending over to get something in one of the lower cupboards.

He almost jumped when she went back to an upright position and turned to him.

Her eyes were still half-closed from sleep, and there was a small dried-up trail of drool on her chin but something was different. Her hair was down.

The thought that her hair was always in a ponytail had never occurred to him but now... he never thought she could look so pretty with her hair out of it.

Wait. What? Jean, get a fucking grip!

"Good morning, Jean," she said with a drowsy smile.

"G-good morning."

Why the hell did I stutter?

"You're up early," he said as she made her way to the table to set a bowl and spoon along with a box of corn flakes.

"I could say the same for you." He watched as she made her way to the fridge door and grabbed a carton of milk. "But if you must know, I love getting first pick for breakfast on the weekends."

Oh yeah. Forgot that Petra doesn't have to be on kitchen duty on Saturday and Sunday.

"Anything good?"

"Well, the place is always stocked up nicely, so yeah, you can say that." She set the carton on the table and wandered over to the overhead cupboards.

Jean watched as she looked like she was rummaging the cabinet, but when he looked at her tip-toed feet, he chuckled.

"Need some help?"

Sasha shook her head. "I almost got it." She reached up again, almost jumping to reach for whatever it was she needed.

Jean chuckled again as he walked over to her. "What is it you need?"

She visibly deflated and pouted, but her cheeks were noticeably pink form embarrassment. "A mug."

Jean looked back up to the cabinet and reached it with ease. He handed it over to her with a smirk.

"Here ya go."

She squinted. "Yeah yeah. Thank you, Horse-face."

He didn't get why he felt something in his chest jump in place as her fingers brushed against his when he handed her the mug. Especially after she had just insulted him.

What the hell, Jean? Get a grip!

"Do you wanna join me?" Sasha suddenly said.

Jean managed a nod. "Yeah, sure." He grabbed a mug for himself and took out a bowl and a spoon from the lower cupboards as well.

"Got any plans for the day?" She asked as she sat down. "Oh, and I started the coffee maker if you don't mind. It's not as good as Petra's, but it's still pretty decent if I do say so myself." She nodded to the coffee pot on the counter.

The equestrian instructor shook his head as he followed after her. "Nothing much. I'll probably just slack off for the day or finish up my sketches or something." He took a seat beside her and grabbed the box of cereal upon seeing she had already filled her bowl with corn flakes and milk. He poured some of the box's contents in his bowl before setting it down and turning to her. "You?"

She swallowed a mouthful of cereal before answering. "I got an Injustice: Gods Among Us tournament and with Connie, Eren and the rest of the guys. Gotta defend my title, ya know?" She helped her spoon to another serving as he poured some milk into his bowl. "And after that, we're just gonna have a movie marathon with everyone else. Wanna join?"

"Yeah, sure."

The coffee maker beeped and both made a move to get up. "Allow me. You already started the pot, Sasha." The girl nodded back to him and sat back down. "Thanks, Jean." She said with a smile. Somehow, the sun's rays had decided to pour in through the windows and cast all around her. With that lighting and her hair down with that smile of hers, she almost looked…ethereal.

Jean nodded back and swallowed a lump he hadn't known had formed in his throat before getting back to the coffee pot. He had his back turned to her as he asked, "What movies are you planning to watch?"

"Well, Eren's been insisting we watch Pacific Rim and that we make a drinking game out of it or something, so we got that on the list. Hanji got a couple horror movies as well so we'll be watching those, too." Jean nodded as he got the pot from the maker and headed back to the table. He poured her cup before filling his and sat himself down.

Sasha suddenly clapped her hands. "Oh, and I think Thomas brought along his copy of Inception, so we'll definitely be watching that."

He nodded again and took a sip from his coffee. His eyes widened.

Holy fuck, this is good.

"So, do you like it?"

"Yeah. What did you put in this brew?"

"A little something called love."

Jean squinted at her. She grinned. "Kidding. I put a few drops of vanilla in there and a dash of cinnamon."

The boy nodded as he took another sip. Nothing like Petra's, but still pretty damn good.

Jean opted to look away from her only to see Armin already leaving his room. Their gazes met for a split second before Armin looked away and quickened his pace outside.

Jean immediately turned back to Sasha. "I have to do something for a bit. Think you'll be alright by yourself?"

"Yeah sure. Don't take too long, though. I might finish your food for you."

He rolled his eyes and returned the grin she gave him before standing up to catch up to Armin.

When he was already outside, Jean called out his name.

"Armin!"

Jean wasn't sure if Armin didn't hear him or just plain ignored him and tried again. "Armin!"

Realizing the blond was doing the latter, Jean sprinted towards him and heaved in a sigh. "Armin, can you just listen to me for a sec?"

Armin turned to him with wide eyes full of panic and hands raised up as if in proving his innocence. "I didn't mean to hit on Krista, I swear! Please don't trample me with all the horses in the stables!" he squeaked out.

Jean just stared in confusion before shaking his head. "What? Why the hell would I do that? Look, Armin I-"

The blond immediately raised a hand and plastered on a smile that Jean knew was faked. "No, Jean. No need to explain yourself to me. I'm really sorry if I caused any confusion and to be honest, I'm happy for the both of you." He swallowed and shifted to walk away. "Tell Krista I said sorry as well and that I wish her the best."

Jean sighed and blurted out. "It's an arranged marriage, Armin."

Armin stopped in his tracks and turned back to Jean so fast his hair whooshed around to his face. "What?"

"You heard me. I'm only getting forced to marry her to save our family business. Didn't Eren tell you about it?"

He watched as the blond froze, then suddenly flushed to a very noticeable shade of red. He seriously forgot? And to think the kid was a genius.

"Oh my god. I'm such an idiot." The blond muttered.

Jean only shook his head. "Nah, don't you worry about it." He walked over closer to him with his fist raised up. "So we're good?"

Armin nodded and bumped his own fist to his before sighing. "God. I'm really gonna have to apologize to her as well."

"You're damn right you do. But a piece of advice?" He took Armin's nod as a sign to continue. "If I were you, I'd make the most out of what little time I have with her before it's too late. Two and a half months is actually pretty short if you think about it."

Armin nodded again, but slowly. Silence lapsed for a few seconds until the blond asked.

"Hey, Jean?"

"Hmm?"

"I could say the same for you with Sasha." And with that, the blond had walked in the direction of the main building. Jean's eyes widened as he felt his ears burn.

"What do you mean by that? Oi! Armin!"

Jean swore he heard the shorter boy laugh as he gave a back-handed wave. "You'll realize it soon enough!"

Before Jean could pry any further, Armin had already disappeared into the main building leaving him with his ears a noticeable shade of red.

Just what the hell is he talking about?

With a shake of his head, he headed back to the lodging.

Sasha had already finished her coffee when he had returned to the dining room. "About time you got back here. Your coffee was getting cold, so I had to drink it. You don't mind do you?"

He managed a nod and walked over to the counter to get the coffee pot.

"You alright? What was it you had to Armin about?"

"Remember how I met you and took you out to coffee the day of my wedding?" He asked as he walked towards the table and refilled his mug.

Sasha nodded. "Yeah, of course."

Jean let out a sigh as he set the pot on the table. "I forgot to tell you about it last night but… let's just say Krista actually went through the same thing. But with Armin."

The brunette's jaw dropped. "Seriously? Does Armin even know about the engagement?"

"He did. Just last night, actually. I had to clear things with him before he holds a grudge against me or worse, sinks into depression."

Sasha nodded in understanding. "He must really like her, huh? I mean, when he first led Krista to her session with me, I'd never seen him smile so much. Seriously, they acted like they were best friends or something, but I didn't expect Armin's feelings to be that deep."

"Me neither. I've never seen Krista so happy either. Before she freaked out when she saw me that day, I'd never seen her smile so wide, even with the whole goddess thing going around with her." He took a seat and finished his now cold bowl of cereal.

"So what did you tell Armin?"

"Told him to make a move before it was too late. Knowing the iron-hand future-monster-in-law has, he better make the most of the last two and a half months Krista has before she's totally unavailable," he said through a mouthful of cereal. He swallowed and took a gulp from the glass of water Sasha had been nice enough to get for him while he was gone.

Sasha wrinkled her nose. "Didn't your mom ever tell you not to talk with your mouth full?" She rolled her eyes. "Anyways, what did Armin say?"

I could say the same for you with Sasha.

Jean almost choked on his drink and promptly swallowed it as he set the glass back on the table.

He cleared his throat and hoped she didn't notice his internal panic.

"Nothing in particular."


Sasha sighed as she waxed her bowstring for the second time that month. Usually, she would just wax it every other week, but with the latest addition to her schedule her bow had been overused. Finished and happy with her handiwork, she hung her bow back on its hooks above her bed and closed the canister of beeswax before wiping her hands on her jeans.

They had just finished watching the last of the movies for their marathon a little over half an hour ago, leaving them plenty of time to clean up after the empty bags of chips they had strewn all over the floor (and not to mention the puddle of soda Connie, Eren and Hanji had snorted while watching The Interview). She smiled fondly at how everyone had a great time with each other. Even Jean had joined along and shared a few laughs after trying his hand at challenging Sasha of her title with the video game tournament (she had won, of course. She was absolutely merciless when using Harley Quinn). She snuck a glance at the wall clock as she set the beeswax on her nightstand.

The briefing was about to start any minute now and she shrugged on a jacket she grabbed from her drawer before going out the door.

She was met with a certain buzz-cut who was leaning on the banister of the second floor. "You ready?" he asked upon seeing her.

Sasha nodded. Connie narrowed his eyes at her. "You're wearing it again, Sash."

She looked down at the gray jacket she had on and looked back up at her best friend with a guilty smile followed by a sheepish laugh.

"Heh. My bad."

The buzz-cut only rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair. "Sure."

She winced at the sarcasm in his tone, but said nothing. "Anyways, I need to use the bathroom. You go on ahead."

Sasha managed a nod as he left. Once his body was out of sight, Sasha let out a sigh.

Nothing wrong with keeping it, right? I mean, sure, I do look like a girl keeping her ex-boyfriend's jacket, but he was never my boyfriend anyway, so maybe it doesn't count?

Sasha realized that she was still standing in place and snuck a glance over the banister and at the ground floor.

Realizing that the briefing was going to start at any second, she continued her pace down the stairs and into the common room. She glanced at the crowd for a split second and spotted a head of ash-brown hair.

With an easy smile, she stepped up to Jean and stood beside him. "Hey. What did I miss?"

He gave her a half-smile and nodded to where everyone was facing. She noticed three people making their way up front. From where she was standing she could hear Levi groan. "Jaeger, I swear to God I'll put you on bathroom duty for the rest of your life if you don't settle down."

Sasha was about to laugh, but as soon as the three had arrived up front and faced the crowd, she could've sworn her blood stopped flowing.

Right in front of her were three people she hadn't expected (or even wanted) to see.

"Alright, everyone. I'd like you to extend a welcome to the new additions to our staff. Meet our new instructors, Reiner Braun, Annie Leonhart and Berthold Hoover."


A/N: As promised, Chapter 4! I cannot begin to excuse how late this is. Thank you though, to everyone and anyone who waited patiently for this. Special thanks to my friends Kei and Sab and not to mention hewhowatchestheworldburn for beta reading this chapter. If your into RWBY and Code Geass, make sure to check out his stuff! Now I was thinking about this for a while but I've killed you enough with the semi hiatus. So here's a sneak peak for Chapter 5!


"Dude how much more dense can you get?"

"Seriously a brick wall can pick up the signs better than you!"

"Yeah, your overall density rivals that of Osmium!"

"...You're not really helping, Armin."

.

.

.

"I'm telling you to let it go, Sasha."

"I'm not singing Frozen songs, Jean."

.

.

.

"Do you know what iris flowers symbolize?"

When the girl only shook her head he took it as a sign to continue.

"Most of the time they're used as congratulatory gifts for weddings. Other times they're given for good luck. But most of all they stand for a promise. A promise for companionship and...love. Their true meaning though is..." the boy looked away and flushed a few shades of red.

"I'm willing to risk everything for love."


Yeah, I suck at previews. Hopefully I'll get this done in a month or so. Thanks again to everyone who followed and favorited! Make sure to drop a review if you have the time!

till next time (^o^)V

edgeofmyemotions