Hey guys I just wanted to say that I wasn't actually going to continue this because I didn't think anyone was reading it but thanks to coolpotato101 for reviewing and telling me that they are enjoying the story. It really made my day so I went home and just started typing non stop until I finished this chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 4: Brakes

December 15th Saturday

It's 6 am on a Saturday and everyone in the orphanage was asleep. Except big bad Eren. He was wide awake getting dressed quietly so that he wouldn't wake anyone up. He put on pants, his white t-shirt, his black leather jacket and then his shoes. He grabbed his wallet and was about to go out the door when he heard a quiet voice behind him.

"Where you going right now?" whispered Armin, rubbing his eyes as he just woke up. Eren cursed under his breath and turned around to face him. "Nothing bud, just going... for a walk" Eren tried to keep a straight face and keep his composure. Armin saw right through him.

"Hmm going for a walk on the weekend at 6am. That doesn't sound like king Eren to me. Usually you are the last one to wake up out of all of us." Armin said with a smirk.

Eren rolled his eyes and snapped back, "I'm not king Eren, I'm just Eren and this is none of your business so just go back to bed." Armin stifled a laugh so that he wouldn't wake up the others, he seemed to have a new boost of confidence when talking to Eren, and said, "You're take Mr. Pyxis' advice on getting her a present aren't you?"

Eren face palmed and tried to hide his blush, "Yea so who cares. I'm just trying to be a nice person to her ok. Is that so bad? Plus I don't even know if she likes me like that. What if she's fake like all the other girls at that school." Armin shook his head, "Don't worry I'm pretty sure she's different." I've never seen Eren care about anyone or even attempt to make a friend. Why does he suddenly want to befriend Mikasa. I mean, I shouldn't complain because she has made him a nicer person. Eren would have never even talked to me if he wasn't in a good mood yesterday. Hmm if she means so much to him then I better hope he doesn't mess this up.

"Do you think you need help with...picking out a gift for her?" Armin asked shyly, his confidence running thin and half expecting Eren to snap at him more harshly this time.

Eren sighed and met Armin's gaze, the kid seemed to be scared when he asked and Eren couldn't tell why, "Sure bud, I don't really know what to get her so I would gladly take any advice." Armin's face turned into a smile, "I think I have the perfect Idea" and he went to get dressed and leave.

Eren chuckled and waited at the door for him.

XXXXX

December 17th Monday

Armin is waiting at the door for Eren to finish brushing his teeth so they could go to school together. Armin was checking his backpack to make sure he had everything. Pencils check, Paper check, Homework check. After he put away his homework he checked to see if he had his prized possession, His favorite graphic novel.

He pulled it out of his backpack and was admiring the artwork when suddenly someone grabbed it from his hands. It was one of the older boys in the orphanage, his name was Thomas. "What's this we got here. Is this a nerd book?" Thomas said tauntingly. "Hey give it back." Armin said trying to grab it but Thomas simply held his hand to his face without much effort to keep him back.

Thomas laughed and started flipping through the pages of the comic. "This looks completely stupid, how do you read these." He said mockingly. Armin was used to getting picked on by Thomas and usually tried to ignore him but this was one of his favorite possessions and they had very few personal possessions at the orphanage.

"Plz give it back, Thomas, Plz." Armin begged, tears were starting to form in his eyes. Thomas laughed some more and simply said, "Make me."

"Ok"

Thomas felt a hand hit him in the back of the head and the graphic novel get taken from his hands. He turned around with fire in his eyes until he met Eren's stone cold face. Thomas slowly backed up and held his hands in a defensive position, "Woah H-hey Eren, Um...what's hap…" "Get out of here bud." Eren said coldly cutting him off. Thomas nodded and ran away.

Eren would always see the guys picking on Armin or some of the younger kids even but would never join them or butt in. He liked to keep to himself and not get involved. That explains why Armin had a shocked face on him when Eren stood up for him. Eren turns to Armin and hands him the graphic novel. "Are you ready to get going." it was more of a statement than a question.

Armin just slowly nodded and put the graphic novel away carefully in his backpack and followed Eren out the door.

XXXXX

Eren and Armin walked to school talking about all kinds of things on their way to school. It was as if they've been friends forever. "Yeahh, Mr. Levi is the worst."

"I totally agree but Mrs. Hanji is such a cool teacher."

"I could agree to that too."

The whole time they were talking Eren couldn't help but notice that Armin kept looking around kind of suspiciously, like he was expecting something to happen. Eren just seemed to brush it off.

They turned the corner and were met with three guys that were dressed in sagging jeans, a thin jacket, and backwards hats. Eren didn't think much of it as he was going to continue to walk past them to get to school but Armin seemed to freeze up.

The three kids snickered and gave Armin a death glare, "Hey, long time no see little buddy, how was your weekend." one of the boys started with a hint of venom in their breath. Eren stopped walking and the boys all turned their attention to him. "You can get out of here man. We just want a couple of minutes alone with are good friend here."

Eren had his stone face on again and looked all three kids up and down, sizing them up. "Yea me and my FRIEND here are gonna keep going." Eren said putting extra emphasis on friend. Armin looked at him shocked and so did the other boys.

"Wait you're actually friends with this loser?" Another of the boys said. Eren nooded not showing any emotion. He tried to grab Armin and pull him away from the other guys. "Hey hey hey look man, don't try to defend this twerp."

Eren ignored him and continued to walk towards school with Armin in front of him until one of the kids threw a punch at him. The punch landed square with Eren's jaw and the kid had a smile spread across his face. Eren slowly touched where he hit him and moved his eyes to meet the kid's eyes that hit him. Eren had an evil grin show up on his face. The three guys gulped and his smile fell.

Eren cocked back his hand and uppercutted the first kid in the jaw sending him flying back a few feet. The next boy charged Eren and Eren quickly got lower than him, picking him up in the process and throwing him to the ground. The last kid took this time to jump on Eren's back and try to throw him to the floor. Eren quickly dodged him and kicked him in the stomach. All the boys groaned while on the floor and whimpered. Eren spit out a bit of blood from when he was first punched and went over to Armin. "Alright let's get going to class." Eren said as if nothing happened. Armin looked stunned and snapped out of it, "Eren I'm so sorry. I thought that if I walked with you to school that they wouldn't even try to attack me but…"

Eren held up his hand to stop Armin from talking anymore, "Look bud, I'm fine, they got one lousy punch in. I'm always down for a fight but tell me next time that these guys are bullying you that way I'm prepared to kick their asses." Armin nodded slowly still not believing that Eren was acting so nonchalant about this.

They started to walk to school again.

What they didn't know was that a girl named Annie saw the whole thing. Annie was another one of Ymir's girls. Hmm is this the same guy that Mikasa is talking too? Ymir is going to want this information.

XXXXX

December 21 Friday

This has been going on for a week. Mikasa wakes up everyday a little happier because school isn't that bad when she looks forward to lunch everyday now. Her and Eren always meet up at the roof and talk for the whole lunch period. They learned a lot about each other. Eren learned that Mikasa, is a straight 'A' student, Like he couldn't have guessed that, She likes Twenty One Pilots as her favorite band, her favorite show is Gravity Falls, her favorite season is Christmas, and that she has a mom and no dad.

Mikasa learned that Eren, is a martial arts student, loves Eminem as his favorite rapper, favorite show is also Gravity Falls, favorite season is also Christmas, but no matter how hard she pushed he would not tell her a thing about his family.

The lunch bell rang and all the students left their classes to go to lunch. Mikasa was going to head straight to the stairs to go to the roof when a girl stopped her. "Hey Mikasa. So are you going to go see him again." the girl said. It was a girl named Sasha. Mikasa didn't know much about her except that she was in her fourth period class. "What are you talking about Sasha?" Mikasa said questioningly. Sasha just gave her a knowing smile, "Everyone has heard that you're hanging out with the bad boy, Eren. Is he cute, cool, dreamy, out of this world?!" Mikasa just put her hand to Sasha's face and said, "We don't talk like that. We are simply 'acquaintances'."

While the two girls talked Annie caught whiff of their conversation. She eavesdropped on them in hopes of figuring out what she was going to do.

Sasha looked her up and down and said, "The whole school doesn't think you guys are just 'acquaintances'. He doesn't talk to anyone else, you know that right. You're the only girl he talks to. Everyone else that tries to talk to him he just ignores. Like Ymir is frustrated with it." Mikasa gives a little smile and says "Really, Ymir likes him?" Sasha laughs and replies, "Who wouldn't. He's nothing like we have at this school." Mikasa rolled her eyes.

"Look, Sasha, I got to go. We'll continue this conversation later." Mikasa hurried out the door of the class before Sasha could protest.

While Mikasa ran away Annie followed her.

XXXXX

There was snow on top of the roof already. Eren was waiting at the rooftop for a little over 5 minutes now. He was beginning to wonder if Mikasa will ever come. He decided that since today was the last day of school before winter break happened, that he would give Mikasa the gift he got her the previous week. They've gotten pretty close and Eren was actually nervous. He was holding the present in his hands hoping that it would be perfect.

The roof's door opened, "Hey Eren sorry I'm late." Eren turned around with the present behind his back. "Hey Mikasa what took you so long?" Mikasa blushed thinking about how Sasha thought they were a couple. "Oh nothing just some people wanted to talk about somethings."

Annie was on the other side of the roof's door putting her ear to the side of it. She followed Mikasa all the way up to the roof. She needed to think quickly on how to ruin this since Ymir liked Eren.

As they talked Eren kept fidgeting with the present behind his back. He was trying to figure out the perfect time to give it to her.

Annie peaked through the door to see more of what was going on and she saw a tiny box behind Eren's back. It was unmistakably a Christmas gift for Mikasa. She couldn't let him give it to her or those two will for sure end up together then.

"So are you going to go to the Christmas parade this Christmas." Mikasa asked. "I didn't even know that you guys had one. What day is it exactly?" Eren asked back. Mikasa smiled because now she knew that he might be interested in the topic. She's been meaning to ask him to go with her to the parade. "It's December 23rd. The day before Christmas Eve."

Eren gave it some thought and finally said, "I got nothing to do that day so yea, I think I would go." Mikasa's face lit up and she said, "Really because I was thinking…"

"Hey Mikasa, are you finished trying to mess with that new kids heart. Sasha wants to know that way after you break his heart then she could come in and be his rebound. You know just like the plan…Oh I didn't know you were still up here." Annie said innocently as she opened the door to the roof.

Eren immediately looked at Mikasa for an explanation. Mikasa was speechless trying to process what was happening. And Annie just looked like she let the cat out of the bag. "My bad Mikasa. I thought you already finished breaking his heart. Should I tell Sasha that you failed?" Annie said with a saddening face.

Eren felt his heart break because the whole time he was waiting for Mikasa to say something to disprove this.

"Eren, I don't know what she's talking about…" pleaded Mikasa

"Come on Mikasa, don't try to play it off. We failed it's fine. Let's just leave before you hurt anymore than you have to." Annie said. Eren felt tears coming to his eyes and wouldn't let himself cry in front of anyone. He wouldn't let them take his dignity too. He dropped the present and left the roof in a hurry.

"Wait Eren! I don't have anything to do with this." Mikasa called after him. Annie blocked her path and said "Don't you think you hurt him enough." Annie started to have a smile spread across her face. "Mikasa looked at her in disbelief and pushed her aside. She ran down the steps all the way to the ground floor as Annie laughed at her. She looked around and couldn't find Eren anywhere.

Eren was already gone by the time she reached the ground. He was already off of school grounds. He would not break down in front of anyone. He would not give her the satisfaction of seeing him cry. I knew it. She's just like all the other girls. Fake. Of course she wouldn't like me. I'm a 'delinquent' to her. That's all she'll ever see me as.

Mikasa hung her head and went all the way back up to the roof. She got up there and began to cry. She found the roof to become her comfort zone but part of that was because Eren was here. She finally looked up from her tears and saw a little box wrapped poorly. She reached over to it and grabbed it. On it, it said 'To Mikasa From Eren'

She opened it at once and saw inside was a red scarf and a card. The card read 'So you can keep yourself warm even when I'm not there to keep you company. Hope you like it.' A tear fell on the card. Her one chance at a real friend and Annie had to ruin it in 2 minutes. If only she had talked and told him how she was lying she could have gotten him to believe her but she was too shocked to even say anything.

She put the scarf around her neck and said into it, "I'm going to make it up to you Eren. I promise."

Thank you guys for reading and I know this chapter was kind of all over the place but I really wanted to get Armin in the mix because in my head he's going to play a really important part later on. Please leave a review because that does encourage me to keep writing.