Annie never realized the way purple looked on her. She always thought she was too pale for those sorts of blues, pinks. But, no. As she looked in the mirror, she found that the hyacinth brought out the pink in her cheeks, the blue in her eyes, and the red of her lips.
A simple white dress with very little shape hung from her shoulders. With daylilies in her hands, Annie felt her heart race.
I love him.
She felt a lightness in her step that was practically unfamiliar. As if she were floating by, ignorant to the glares and scornful eyes around her. All she could see were his. Soft, wise, gentle. Blue as the ocean he'd talked so much about.
"I do."
"I do."
Annie could feel his lips against hers, and she reveled in the feeling.
But, within a moment it shattered. The world around her was crumbling into pieces, pulling fragments of the world around her bit by bit.
"How could anyone love a monster like you?" The world was spinning.
People started falling down into blackness. "She's stupid. Doesn't she know better?"
"I could never love someone with that much blood on her hands."
Annie shot forward in her bed, pulled back by rough chains on her wrists. She could hear her daughter crying. A dream, or a nightmare, she wasn't sure.
She reached down into her crib and lifted the infant, holding her close to her chest.
There were things in life much more cruel than a dream.
She didn't want to believe it, but she could feel the ache in her chest as once again.
Abigail lay in her arms as she fed, and Annie squeezed her close. There wasn't a lot of milk, and she knew Abigail would continue to be hungry.
Armin had been bringing milk supplements to make sure she wasn't completely lacking in nutrients, but, she was still so small.
Her hands were soft, Annie realized as her thumb was being squeezed to death.
Strong little tike. She thought, letting herself give a soft smile.
For the first time in what felt like years, she was alone. Well, as alone as she could get. Out of her eye sight there were at least two guards at all time, waiting for the time she was sure to break out and attempt to slaughter them. How much they actually believed she was going to do that in her situation, she didn't even know.
The solitude was always welcome, something she embraced from an early age. But as it drew on that morning, she couldn't help but feel anxious. Everything, down to her newborn daughter, was far too calm. Though only moments ago, Abigail made sure no one else would be getting a nap that morning. Her lungs were certainly strong.
Abigail. The name sat right with her. Classic, pretty. Saying it brought an easy smile to her weary face, though she hadn't seen the one that had given it to her in hours. Annie couldn't help but wonder, how long had that name been in his mind?
You were always the one to look toward the future, blondie.
She certainly doubted his mind was currently on the happy future he'd imagined almost two years ago. Not when he was so stuck on the idea that it was all a carefully planned deception on Annie's part, anyway. She couldn't blame him, though.
Understanding him didn't make his words hurt any less.
Urrghh. Her stomach growled, making her groan along with it. Annie slumped back against the pillows, clutching her baby close, and messing up the braid in her hair. With the baby asleep, and no one coming to her for questions or, dare she say, food, all Annie could do was stare at the damp dungeon walls and be left with her own thoughts.
Annie had come to realize that being left with her thoughts was a dangerous thing. She thought back to the first night of her odd freedom, with everything happening so fast, and how so much of it was a painful, bloody blur. Shouts of confused members of the military all morphed together in her memory, with perhaps the exception of Hanji and her old roommate. To her credit, Hitch seemed to be the only one with any semblance of joy at her return. Somehow, it didn't bring her much comfort. He still barely looks at me.
"You made me fall in love with you and you brought her into this world without a care in the world. You didn't care who you dragged into this. As long as you could go home."
Annie took in a deep breath, but it did little to settle the nausea she felt at the memory. His voice was so clear, she could almost hear the crack again. There were few things she hated more than the sound of Armin's voice right as he'd begun to cry. The fact that she caused it this time only made it worse.
Maybe you're right, she thought, staring numbly up at the ceiling. I already committed murder, who knows what else I would have done to get home. But,
She closed her eyes, taking in another deep breath. It was all painfully real. You and I.
Annie snapped her eyes open again at the sound of footsteps drawing closer to her cell. Part of her was thankful, as it stopped her mind from drifting into the pit of self loathing that was becoming all too common.
She found herself sorely disappointed when she took a wiff, and couldn't find even the smallest hint of food. Instead, Hange appeared at her cell, with a small grin on her face, and several other members of the SC trailing behind her. At her side, as well, was Annie's former roommate.
"This really is a dreadful place to be kept waiting." The chuckle she received was comforting. She didn't like the eerie sounds of heels on concrete. But seeing the quirk in Hanji's lips gave her a strange sense of ease. "But I suppose it could have been much worse."
"I can only imagine," Annie began, sitting up in bed, her baby clutched close to her chest. "that you're a little disappointed that you didn't get to put me in the iron maiden."
The curdling laugh that rolled from Hanji's throat caused the hairs on the back of Annie's neck to stand on end. Whatever ease she had felt before, quickly vanished.
With her glasses pushed up into her bangs, Hanji walked into the cell, motioning for Hitch and a couple other subordinates to follow her. The first thing Annie noticed was a heavy pair of handcuffs in one of the soldiers hands. She could feel her stomach sink at the sight.
"It's spring, you know?" The older woman commented, taking out a set of keys from her pant pocket. "You came out at a beautiful time of year! Your eyes are going to be hurting, though."
Annie stiffened, though the chains around her were momentarily freed. Her once sleeping daughter stirred against her chest, as if she was pushing to get away.
"Good morning, cutie!" Hanji reached toward Abigail, and Annie was quick to retract. The glare on her face sent visible chills up the spines of Hanji's subordinates, all of whom were quick to back away. With the exception of Hitch, and Hanji herself, of course, who knit her brow. "Oh, I'm not going to hurt an infant, Annie. Especially one with such adorable round cheeks! Hitch?"
The other girl stepped to Annie's side, putting out her arms and motioning for Annie to hand the baby over.
You can't be so selfish, Annie thought as her grip on the infant loosened. Not anymore. Not with her.
With heavy reluctance and a weak poker face, Annie handed Abigail over to Hitch. She felt the harsh cold of the handcuffs while her arms were still well and warm.
She didn't fight it, nor could she speak up. Annie knew what was coming, and she was only surprised it took so long. She couldn't help but wonder what methods of interrogation they'd use on her. Looking at her fussy daughter, she was hopeful they'd at least spare her the physical bits. As if it would be of any use. The moment they unchained her from the bed and her feet hit the floor, Annie felt woozy. She nearly fell back onto the bed, were it not for Hanji's quick grab.
"While all of your superficial wounds seem to have vanished, I guess your muscles and bones are still adjusting. Well, if Eren's any example, I'm sure it's only a matter of time…" Hanji conversed mainly with herself, her mind churning through every bit of information.
They still have him? I guess I'm not the only who failed in my mission.
Then again, you two failed the moment you got Marco killed.
Her two former, for lack of a better term, comrades crossed her mind little those last few days before she crystallized. For the better. The more Annie thought of the two boys, the angrier she got. Even then, she could feel her fists ball and crack despite the chains and her shaky steps through the dark halls.
She was abruptly, yet thankfully brought out of her thoughts when another wave of nausea hit her. This time, brought on by the blinding light of the morning sun.
Her eyes were quick to squeeze shut, and she barely held back her gasp.
"What did you expect after sleeping for 18 months?" Hanji quipped, snickering as Annie's eyes slowly began to adjust to the sudden change. When she could finally see what was in front of her, Annie was greeted by clear blue skies over a castle courtyard.
The only thing she could conclude was that they were still in the confines of the inner wall, most likely Stohess. She took comfort in the somewhat familiar surroundings. A memory stuck out to her that she could have sworn happened just the day before.
Standing in a similar courtyard, hearing the voices of people like Marlowe and Boris chat on about things she found herself more interested in then she would have liked. She remembered Hitch's laugh, her own distant stare, on the last day before…
Two pairs of hands grabbed her forearms tight, making it so she could barely move.
"Protocol. You understand, don't you?"
"...Yeah." Annie furrowed her brow, keeping her gaze on the ground as they walked across the courtyard to a small wooden door that could easily be missed. Her cuffed wrists began to chafe. Their grips on her arms were merciless, as if she could do much in her current state.
Annie's understanding in their treatment melted into frustration the longer she was kept away from Abigail. The pain in her wrists and forearms she could take. The anxiety of being away from her newborn, after everything, felt so much worse.
The wooden door opened into a small, damp corridor. A dungeon possibly much older than the one she was being kept in. They walked slowly down the stairs, and down the hall she could hear voices becoming louder and louder. The corridor lead into a row of doors. Perhaps old offices or holding cells, Annie guessed.
It didn't take long for her to figure out the reason for the change in location. They could have easily interrogated her in the dungeon she was being kept, but it wasn't good enough. Not small enough, and not nearly further enough underground. They still think I can transform, huh…
Did he come up with the idea this time as well?
She ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach, trying her best to get the image of his eyes that day out of her head. Blue and piercing. Accusing, betrayed, hurt. Reading her like an open book.
Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest when Hanji opened a door near the end of the corridor, and she met those very blue eyes.
He was quick, almost too quick, to avert his gaze after holding it for so long.
Now I really do feel sick, blondie.
"Take a seat," A voice spoke through her daze, with the hands that held her now pushing her shoulders down till she was planted in a rather uncomfortable wooden chair. It was then she looked across the table to see the origin of the voice. The man slumped forward, a glare on his face that seemed ingrained in his tired eyes.
Captain Levi Ackerman. The last time Annie saw him, the blood of his comrades was still so fresh on her hands. His icy stare let her know perfectly well how he still felt. Hanji sat beside him, leaning forward with folded hands. And behind them, next to Armin (still refusing to look at her,) was another familiar face that she didn't expect to see.
His two toned hair was longer, and his face a little more mature. She doubted the nearly 18 year old Jean was there voluntarily. What happened to the SC that put you guys in power already?
"You have a funny way of avoiding severe punishment, you know that?" Levi's tone was surprisingly steady, and subtly harsh as he watched Annie's wrists be chained to the table.
Though his cold stare indicated he expected her to speak, Annie remained indignantly silent. Her eyes flicked up, noting how Armin's head stayed down.
"Oy," Levi snapped his fingers in her face, bringing her attention forward.
"I have nothing to say."
Levi clicked his teeth. Whatever annoyance he felt, Annie could hardly empathise. For her part, she felt overwhelmingly numb.
The man looked above her head at a subordinate standing at the door, and motioned for him to bring something in. Cocking an eyebrow, Annie looked over her shoulder, immediately going wide eyed.
If a tray of breakfast was their bargaining chip, it's working beautifully-
" Ugh- " The cuffs and chains around her wrist immediately stopped her short when she lunged toward the food. Annie was almost surprised at the near inhuman snarl that came out of her throat. A glass cutting glare morphed on her face as she lifted her head up to meet Levi's cocked brows.
"You could shove your face in it," He deadpanned, reaching over to grab a slice of toast off the tray. "but that would just be painful to watch."
The sound of her stomach growling made the atmosphere in the room thicken. Her sullen glare only deepened. She knew the unsettling amount of comfort she'd felt was too good to last.
"That's fine. Not like I need nutrients to feed my baby and keep her alive or anything."
"That's not the real issue here."
"What would be more important than a child's life, Captain?"
Her stone face did little to hide the bite in her tone. Without a second word, Levi stood up and removed a key from his pocket, making his way over to Annie's side of the table.
She felt her heart rate spike. The thought of getting to eat finally brought her into a daze, one that was promptly broken the moment Levi let her out of her handcuffs.
"AGH-" She felt her head slam against the table, her cheek pressed hard against the wood. Levi had her arm twisted back, his grip iron tight as she was barely able to struggle.
"If I were you, Leonhardt," He spoke, giving her arm another agonizing twist. "I'd make sure to let my captors know how lucky I feel, and how truly generous they've been in not lobbing off my goddamn head on sight. Don't you agree?"
She took in a sharp breath, trying her best to quell her own pathetic whimpers and embarrassment at being so helpless. Annie couldn't even pull her gaze up to look at Armin. Is he as angry as I am?
Levi gave her arm another twist, but didn't say a word. The calm and dissonance of his face as he watched her hold in a cry was enough to make her bite it back out of pure spite.
"...Hm. You're really not making this any fun." He released her arm, and stepped back. Before he reached his seat, he tossed a spoon onto the table, and shocked a heavily breathing Annie back to attention with the sound of metal against hard wood. "Don't eat too fast."
Her icy glare went unnoticed as he sat back down, and Annie focused on calming her nerves and trying not to scarf down the entire bowl of what looked like oatmeal. If I was at full strength, she thought, I wonder if he would have dared…
"Do you know where you are, Annie?" Hanji spoke, letting her bad cop partner take rest for a moment as he calmed his tranquil fury down. For a moment, Annie was too focused on the food to even answer.
When she did, it was curt. "Stohess. Inner walls"
"Really hasn't changed much, huh? Though I will say, the damage you caused cost us tremendously in repairs." Hanji let out a sigh, pushing her glasses back up as Annie kept her eyes cast down. "To think, so much of that could have been avoided if you just gave up and came with us. Eren clearly had the upper hand, what with how he was throwing you against those buildings like a rag doll. Even when you were cornered...tell me, Annie, what's your home like? You seemed so determined to get back there."
She lifted up her head, glaring at the woman seated across from her. "It's pretty shitty, to tell you the truth. Is this your round about way of asking me to spill on every little detail of my mission and purpose? Why the titans are here? Why we were here?"
"Oh, no. I wouldn't go that far yet. Neither of us are stupid, Annie. Nor are the boys in the room, yeah?" She flashed Annie with an almost unsettling smile. "It just interests me how desperate you are to get out of these walls. Just like we are. Tell me, did you always have the idea or playing on heartstrings? Certainly, a baby isn't guilty of the sins of her mother, after all."
Not like that fact will change how I know she'll be treated.
"No, but she wasn't exactly planned. What happened the other day was just as much a surprise to me as it was to you guys." despite herself, her eyes found their way to Armin, who looked increasingly uncomfortable.
"I'm a selfish, shit excuse for a human being, but I would never bring a child into this world on the basis of my own personal protection." She looked back down, face softening at the image of the infant sleeping in her arms. "I didn't exactly think it was possible, anyway. Believe it or not, there are certain aspects of the nature of titans like myself that I understand just as little as you do."
"Hm. Armin!" Hanji turned around in her chair, eyebrows raised as the fidgeting boy was brought to attention. "You saw her before she transformed that day. Anything noticeable?"
Annie could see him swallow whatever was caught in his throat. She remembered it clearly. Waking up that morning, disheveled and queasy as she reluctantly got out of bed. In her night clothes, she stood sideways toward the mirror, and stared at the sight of a small bump that couldn't be ignored. Something out of place on her usually flat, muscular abdomen.
Pushing back the bile climbing up her throat, she'd grabbed the hoodie off her desk chair and slipped it on over her head. To her relief, Annie could barely see what was under it. Surely, with the exception of the only other person who knew, no one else would notice. Not even someone with the sharpest of eyes. Not even him.
Armin shook his head. "The only thing of note was the ring on her finger."
To her own frustration, Annie couldn't read his face. Nothing more than confliction being fought back fiercely.
"So you didn't know?"
" If I did know," She spoke carefully, calmly, trying her best to not make herself sound more despicable than she must have already. "I was a little more than certain that she wouldn't survive another transformation and battle."
It was Levi's turn to speak, with his mouth hidden under his folded hands.
"Congratulations, you've taught us all a thing or two about fucking without caution. You don't seem like anything more than an icy bitch to me. Who was it? One of the other two traitors? Reiner and Bertholdt. Must'a been close with them."
The insinuation alone was enough to make her gag.
"Oh, please ," Her face contorted into obvious disgust. She spoke up so suddenly even to her own self. Her cool demeanor already long past expired. The thought of one of them even coming close to touching her made her stomach churn much like it did back then. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Armin bite back a snicker. Beat. Annie swallowed the lump in her throat. "Give me some credit."
Levi furrowed his brow, but for the first time that evening she heard Jean speak up.
"I believe her. Those two were always around each other, but rarely ever with Annie. I...never got the impression you were friends with them."
Jean stared right at her, and for a moment Annie felt a familiar knot in her stomach. The same knot that tugged at her whenever Marco's eyes appeared in her mind. Wide, full of terror and tears, pleading for the life he probably knew he was about to lose. Thanks to her, on the order of a boy he no doubt saw as a friend.
She wondered if Jean knew of Marco's fate. If so, he was doing a good job of not stabbing her right there.
"My mission was mine alone. I never wanted anything to do with either of them." And they were the ones who had been training for that mission longer. Incompetent, that's the word I would use.
With a sigh, Levi nodded his head as Hanji mentally crossed the two out.
As the two deliberated, Annie took a spoonful of oatmeal. The bland taste didn't bother her too much. It was all her stomach could take at that point. It was almost delicious, distracting her enough so that she didn't immediately notice the two staring rather intently at her.
"You're not helping yourself or anyone by trying to protect him, you know."
Annie kept her eyes downcast, despite feeling Levi's glare. Nothing could help the increasingly red hue of her cheeks. Despite herself, she peaked up, just barely meeting with Armin.
Her heart started racing. He looked far passed anxious.
I'm sorry.
"I'm not protecting anyone…" She looked toward her interrogators again, trying her best to keep a poker face. "I just don't think it's any of your business."
"I suppose it's also not our business that you murdered over two dozen of our comrades in cold blood?"
Annie took in a sharp breath, eyebrows furrowed. Even so, she forced a small smile on her face. A twitch at the corner of her lips. Cold blood…
"I suppose there's no way around it. I'm simply a cold hearted killer. One who failed her mission. What use am I in this world?" Her fist balled around the spoon in her hand, her eyes became wide. A faux innocence she both mastered and failed. "You should know I'm also quite fragile, Captain. My neck is small. I'm sure my execution will be a clean one, with my head flying off with one swing of the axe."
A suffocating silence filled the room. For her part, Annie couldn't tell if her words were meant to mock or an almost honest request. It's how she'd prefer it. Off with her head in one fell swoop. No pain. Blindfolded, only darkness. And a promise her daughter would be safe.
My daughter . The thought of Abigail was enough to break her composure. A little girl growing up in a cruel world, caged and surrounded by those who no doubt held resentment. Motherless. It all sounded far too familiar. Despite the company, her eyes started to well up. No , she thought. Execution was the easy way out. I deserve to live with this-
"MMPH-"
In a split second, her jaw was throbbing.
She had no time to look up before Levi's fist collided with her other cheek. A tooth flew out just as fast.
"C-Captain!" A voice shouted, one that made her heart race.
"What's wrong, Arlert?" Levi grabbed Annie by the hair, his other hand clutching tightly at the collar of her nightgown. "Her fragile face will recover, after all."
Annie found herself looking into the man's tired grey eyes, shaking as she couldn't even find the strength to fight back. The unmistakable taste of blood hit her tongue, and she couldn't tell whether it was from her mouth or her nose.
Her bruised cheek swelled, making it too painful to talk. Though her pained grunts were more than obvious.
"...Fragile. Hm." Finally, Levi set her down. Or rather, roughly pushed her back into her seat. She leaned forward, clutching her churning stomach as she closed her eyes, willing away the pain. "Get her back to her cell. We can't move forward without approval."
Though breathing heavily, she looked up at him with raised brows. That's all you're asking?
Hanji nodded, and hopped up to Annie, once again handcuffing her and with a surprising amount of gentleness helped her up from her seat.
"You understand, don't you Annie?" She asked, trying to stand the other girl up straight. "That cutie still needs you, and we may too. If you cooperate, of course!" There was a glint in her stare that sent a shiver up Annie's spine. "I'm sure your team player points can only go up from here, yes?"
Annie didn't even try to answer. She looked away, pushing down whatever was trying to come up her throat.
"Armin!" Hanji turned toward her subordinate, who quickly stood at attention. It almost came as a shock to Annie. She hadn't realized how tall he'd gotten. "Lead my team in this all important mission of taking her back to her cell for me, please? Levi and I have some things to discuss. Jean, you're dismissed for the night."
"Thank god. My legs were starting to fall asleep." Jean stretched his arms up, yawning before quickly walking through the door. He paused, however, only briefly as he passed by his former classmate. There was a look in his eyes Annie couldn't quite recognize. Maturity. And rage. Plenty to go around.
Annie closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Now she really was going to be sick. Especially as Armin stepped up, taking Hanji's place by Annie's side.
Unlike Jean, he didn't look at her. His gaze was ahead, with hardened brows and eerily perfect posture. Yet as she continued to stare at him, her heart almost skipped a beat. His blue eyes were the same. Her favorite, that small hint of hope still present, even as he refused to look at her. She wanted to reach out, despite the handcuffs. Feel his hands, feel him . Were his hands still as warm as the last time he held her? His touch as gentle?
Did his thoughts still turn to her during those almost two years she was asleep? Or was it nothing but regret and hatred?
Standing next to him, she couldn't help but feel a strange, almost misplaced sense of comfort. It was the effect he always had on her, afterall.
"I can take it from here."
They stopped at the edge of the prison corridor, with Armin's subordinates stiffening.
For her part, Annie was still shocked at the idea that he even had subordinates. As if he wasn't barely seventeen years old. Veteran, squad leader, strategist. And now a father. I haven't made things any easier for you, have I?
"Sir, are you sure it's safe-?"
Armin looked back at them, smiling as sincere as he could while still trying to maintain his air of authority. "It's one hallway underground. I can handle walking a chained up, weakened prisoner, don't you think?"
She watched as the soldiers wordlessly answered him. Nodding their heads, they slowly turned around and shut the door behind them.
The silence wasn't long, but she felt every second of it. He stood close to her in that cramped corridor, reaching deep into his pocket as Annie waited for him to say something. Anything.
Or to grace her with a look or two after everything that happened in that interrogation room. The air was stifling. With how observant she knew he was, Annie couldn't help but wonder if he could read how downright scared she was in there.
"He...he really hit you hard, didn't he?" The sound of Armin's casual tone of voice was a shock, but not as much as the goosebumps she felt when he put a hand on her cheek, tipping her chin up to face him.
You….really have grown. His face was so close, Annie practically feel his breath on her nose. Her face burned as she wondered what he could be doing, entertaining the thought of him pressing his lips against hers, perhaps saying he forgave her…
These hopes were dashed when she saw what he had brought out from his pocket. A handkerchief, clean yet slightly dampened.
"Lean your head back a bit."
Annie closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath as he began to wipe away the drying blood from her nose. "I'm- I didn't know that would happen. It wasn't planned. I'm sorry."
She furrowed her brow, opening her eyes to a sullen Armin. His touch was gentle, especially as he went over her still swollen cheeks.
"Why would you apologize to me? I'm sure it's nothing compared to what they'd do if Abigail wasn't around." The mention of their daughter seemed to soften him. "I suppose it's what I deserve, wouldn't you agree?"
He paused. With a deep breath, he momentarily took the cloth off her face.
"I...I don't hate you, Annie." He looked puzzled, as if he was shocked that those words left his lips. "You aren't a bad person. Your actions, yes, but you…"
Annie could hear her heart pounding out of her chest as their closeness started to hit her. Even more than that, his words. His voice. Despite everything, she found the smallest of smiles creep up on her lips.
"After everything, I can still be a good person for you I guess, Tiger-" She bit her lip, cheeks growing hot as his old nickname slipped. It was strange. For a moment she could have sworn he perked up. "...sorry."
"Don't be." He finally continued to clean the blood off her face. "Also, they were right about something in there. You shouldn't be protecting me."
She cocked an eyebrow, the smile dropping. "I'm not protecting anyone. I said that already."
"Annie…" He sighed, finishing up what he was doing. "I know what you're doing. Besides, they trust me. If they know I'm her father, it might give her a better chance. Maybe even give you a better chance."
"I don't want you to be seen a traitor."
"I won't be." He clutched her forearm as they made their way back to her cell. "Just, keep that in mind next time it's brought up."
Annie looked forward, practically ignoring his words. Hell, he knew she could be stubborn. There was a time where he loved her for it.
As they approached her cell, she could hear the sounds of her daughter waking up. The easiest way to return the smile to her face. She started to relax as Armin unlocked the door, knowing on the other side was her baby in the arms of someone she at least could trust to not hurt her.
Of course, it was a day of surprises already. When Annie saw the woman holding her baby, her stomach sank as old memories of fierce competition came into her mind.
"She's a quiet little thing. At least compared to who I usually deal with." Raven hair atop ivory skin. A red scarf draped around her neck, and a smile on her lips.
"Oh, Mika I didn't expect you to beat us here." Armin approached her, and kissed her cheek. The color drained from Annie's face. Especially as she noticed something different about the girl.
From what she remembered, Mikasa Ackerman never had to hide a stomach.
"You...what are you doing here?" Her tone sounded far more biting than she had intended. After all, the last time Annie and Mikasa were face to face, the latter was cutting off the formers fingers before kicking her off a wall. Truly a beast .
"Babysitting." Her glare was familiar. Annie had matched it many times. "Armin, I told you to be careful. Did you try at all to be cautious?"
"M-Mikasa, please!" His face was beet red. Mikasa handed Abigail off to him, and the casual brush of their hands and easy smiles around each other sent shivers up Annie's spine.
"I don't think you're one to talk in this situation, Ackerman." She made her way to her bed, and the two women found themselves in a familiar lock of scowls. Please don't tell me that's…
Armin handed the baby to Annie, not noticing the discomfort and anxiety on her face. And it seemed the crowd would only grow bigger.
"Mama!" A little boys voice could be heard running down the hall among the distant protest of prison guards. "Mamaaaaaa!"
It wasn't long before the owner of the voice bounced into the room and right into the arms of a waiting Mikasa.
Annie clutched Abby close, sinking down into her pillows, completely lost in all of the sudden commotion. How long have I been gone again?
"Excuse me, I believe I told you not to follow me, sir." It was odd hearing such a playful tone from Mikasa Ackerman of all people. "Have you been good?"
He shook his head, and wrapped his little arms around her neck.
With the same raven hair and ivory skin, the resemblance was striking. Though he couldn't have even been two yet. Eyebrows furrowed, Annie tried to find the other resemblance. The way Armin smiled, she couldn't help but feel downright queasy.
She would quickly find that her dread and anxiety were as pointless as they were silly when the obvious answer to her questions found his way into her cell as well.
"P-Peter Jaeger, when did you become such an amazing runner?!" Eren Jaeger, older and maturing. His presence did nothing for her turning stomach. There she sat, completely compromised as the original object of her mission, the reason she was sent off for the slaughter, played with his toddler son and kissed his love with a strange amount of passion.
Her former friend didn't seem to notice her immediately. She was beyond grateful.
"I swear, if I was anything like this as a kid…"
"You were, Eren. You were much worse."
Annie could hear Armin laugh. Something that made her breath catch.
"This is a very inappropriate place for a family gathering!" He teased, pushing on Eren's shoulder. The jarring shift in mood began to swing back, however, as Eren turned to see the prisoner in the cell.
She was already uncomfortable and awkward. Annie didn't realize just how bad it could get.
Another suffocating silence. She wasn't sure how many she could take in one day. Abigail, of course, ended the silence with her own cries.
"She's probably hungry," Armin said quietly. Peter squirmed from Eren's arms and took off to the bed, much to Eren's dismay.
"Peter come on, leave the girl alone."
Yet, he didn't. His bright green eyes were staring up at her. The toddler's eyes drifted to the bundle in her arms, and Annie quietly moved the blanket to show Abigail's face to Peter.
His hand moved to touch the baby's cheek. Nervous at first, Annie decided to let him.
Abigail squirmed, her watery eyes shutting tight at first before relaxing against the little boys touch.
"...Mine!"
"Oh no, I know that look. Eren, your son is claiming the baby as his."
"Why are you telling me?"
"I'm not letting a Jaeger take my daughter!"
"Well excuse- Wait, your daughter?!"
"He really is blind."
The confusion and frustration on Eren's face was matched only by the confusion on Annie's. The three were so casual in the presence of someone who was admittedly an enemy, who they personally brought down. A toddler at their side, with Mikasa expecting another one.
Forget another time, she felt like she stepped into a new world.
"Mikasa, did you know?!"
"Of course I knew. As if Armin could get something like that passed me." She lifted Peter up on her hip, and had a hard time keeping her smile back as Eren combed his fingers through his hair. "I was less concerned with her treatment of him, as opposed to you. She didn't beat him every day. Though my concerns were far from...unfounded."
He furrowed his brow, momentarily directing a glare at Annie. For a split second, she saw the rage and passion she knew from the Eren Jaeger of two years ago. His green eyes flashed at her with a vengeance. Yet, she saw something else.
Sadness? Empathy? Mourning for the loss of a former friend.
It was hard not to be hurt. Though she had to admit, it stung less than the anger and pain she caused of a certain someone else.
That someone slumped down on the bed next to her, letting his finger be squeezed by the fussy infant.
"You- you guys should go. Abigail needs to eat, and...I bet the commander wants to know where you are."
"Yeah." Eren and Mikasa stood up, looking to the other for guidance on how to end the increasingly awkward encounter.
It was Mikasa who spoke up.
"Armin. Come see us later. We miss you." She smiled at him, before taking Eren's hand and leading him out of the cell, their son still resting on her hip.
"..." Annie took in a deep breath, closing her eyes for the moment, if only to clear her head and relax her nerves. She could feel Abigail squirm in the blanket, and pulled down the collar of her nightgown as she had so many times the past couple days, giving Abby what she needed as best as she could.
She looked up, and saw something she hadn't expected; blue eyes meeting hers. Armin, not turned away, but with increasingly red cheeks as their gazes lingered.
He turned his head, in time to miss the upturned corner of her lip.
He was blushing just as he did the first time their eyes ever locked, lingered, across a training ground in Trost what seemed like so many years ago.
A/N:
WOW I REALLY AM SO SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT. Though I'm sure anyone who's in college and taken finals understands. They really kill the writing mojo. I do hope you enjoy! Comments questions and the like encouraged. 3
-Katie