A/N: First I'd like to start off by saying I don't usually do these. (Author's notes, I mean) But I feel like I should say thank you to all of you who have taken the time to follow my story and read the first two chapters. Thank you! After a year of writing mostly academic essays for classes I have fallen out of the groove of creative writing and some of it is a little bit rocky. I am working on my writing style with each chapter and would really appreciate constructive criticism or even a nice little message/review telling me if you're enjoying the story or not. This will help me decide if I will continue it. Also I'll add in the obvious disclaimer (that I also put in the fic's summary) I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. Again, thank you for reading! Please review if you get the chance.
Café Maria was bustling as usual. A small blonde girl with a kind smile stood behind the register, taking the order of each new customer that came. Her eyes lit up when Armin was next in line.
"Hey you! I haven't seen you in forever." The small blonde stated.
"Krista I was in here two days ago." Armin responded with a bright smile.
"Well it feels like it's been forever." Krista looked beyond Armin to the pair that stood behind them. "Who's behind you? Are they your friends?"
"Oh yes, I'm so sorry I almost forgot. This is Eren and Mikasa." Motioning to each individual respectively.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both!" The blonde girl's mood was infectious. Mikasa gave small nod and Armin could've sworn that he saw Eren's lips begin to twitch upward to form the ghosting of a smile. "Anywho, will it be the usual, Armin?"
"You know me too well!" After paying for his drink Armin set out to find an empty table.
"And what'll you have, Mikasa?"
"I'll just take a bottle of water and Eren will have a black coffee." The brunet male stared ahead blankly as Krista typed in their order. Mikasa paid and pulled Eren along until they met up with Armin at the table. A few minutes later another short woman with an equally bright demeanor greeted the trio with their beverages.
Armin sipped at his coffee while Eren continued to zone out until Mikasa gave him a shard jab to his side.
A few tables over a small man sat gazing into his own cup of coffee with a perpetual scowl upon his face. Mikasa couldn't place where she knew him from but something about him felt so familiar. Moments passed and she brushed it off and returned her attention to her current company.
Not much conservation ensued as the trio downed their beverages. It was Armin who finally broke the silence, murmuring about how they should all get going if they wanted to make the group gathering on time. Mikasa and Eren obliged his statement and the three friends set off once again.
Twenty minutes later Eren found himself seated in a small room full of mismatched furniture. He sank into the cushions of a worn blue couch. Truthfully, the room gave off a cozy vibe. Next to the blue couch was a plaid love seat with half of the stuffing in the back cushion puffing out while the rest of the lopsided circle was filled with an array of folding chairs. Somewhere off on a little wooden table there was incense burning which gave the whole room an even earthier vibe. Posters of old musicians and hopeful slogans were plastered haphazardly on three of the walls save for one that was filled with photographs of people.
Armin sat in the middle of Mikasa and Eren on the couch. More people were now filing into the room. A male with two-toned hair sat in the plaid love seat alone while everyone else opted for one of the folding chairs.
A blonde girl with a blank expression and pointed nose stared at the ground a few feet ahead of her while a taller girl with a tan took the seat next to her with a scowl that appeared to be permanent etched into her features. The last two people that Eren noticed was boy who was almost bald and a girl who rushed in after him with a large cup of French fries. Everyone sat in an uncomfortable silence as a woman with dated glasses and modern tan trench coat entered the room in a bustle.
"Good afternoons my little ducklings!" The eccentric woman chirped. "I see we have some new friends today!" A few quiet hellos were exchanged before the woman approached the new comers.
"And who might you be? Will you be joining our flock?!" The woman had approached Eren with an inquisitive look.
It was Armin who spoke up, "Ms. Hanji, these are my friends Eren and Mikasa. They have recently lost their parents in a terrible accident and I suggested that they come to this group with me to try and cope with their loss."
Hanji smiled and introduced herself. "Hello there, Eren! Mikasa! My name is Dr. Hanji Zoe. Certified psychiatrist and counselor. But you can call me Ms. Hanji or just Hanji if you prefer."
"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Hanji." Mikasa replied.
"Oh please, don't call me doctor! It's much too formal. In fact, from now on, all of you should simply refer to me as just Hanji." Hanji's excessive positive energy was a stark contrast to the dismal group that sat around her.
"Enough chit chat for now. Let's pick up where we left off. Now you two," Hanji plopped down carelessly into a chair and motioned to Eren and Mikasa. "you two don't have to speak today if you don't want to. I will expect everyone else to update the group on how you've been coping since we last gathered. Oh! And please introduce yourselves. We have guests after all! Jean, how about you start."
The male with the two-toned hair let out a sigh and straightened in his seat. "Hello my name is Jean. Last Wednesday was the sixth month anniversary of the day the pair of soldiers had shown up on my doorstep and notified me that my boyfriend had died in battle." Tears began to spill out of Jean's eyes as he clutched his palms in one another. "I tried to keep busy that day. Ya know, so I wouldn't think about it. But everywhere I went reminded me of him. It's like everything I saw that day was intentionally put in my path to force me to think about how he is no longer with me. If there is a God out there, which I have trouble believing there is, but if he or she is really out there I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive them for taking him away from me."
"This is good. Get all your feelings out Jean!" Hanji encouraged. It might have been her obscurely high energy levels or the simple fact that the woman was eccentric to start but Eren found her encouragement to be even more discomforting than Jean's crying that resembled something of a strangled barn animal.
"Alright Jean seems as if he needs to cool down, Annie, Why don't you share next?"
The blonde girl with the pointed nose looked up and snorted. "I have nothing to share."
"Last week you told us that you had an appointment to visit your father. How did that go?"
"It was shitty. How else would it have gone? He rambled on for an hour saying 'Daddy will always love you' and 'You can't trust anybody but Daddy' or 'Annie I'll come for you when I get out, I promise!' Absolute bull shit." Annie went back to starring blankly at the ground.
Hanji tried to press her further, "Well that's a start! At least you guys talked."
"I wish I hadn't gone to see him. It was a waste of time. He's still as delusional as ever."
"At least you still have parents." Everyone in the room froze and looked over to the source of the words that were just uttered. Eren suddenly found many unfamiliar gazes and a few scowls focused in on him. No matter, he continued. "At least your Dad is still alive to tell you that he loves you. Stop acting like a child and just accept his love."
Annie's blank stare turned into a venomous glare. "You better shut your fucking mouth. I have no desire to accept the love of a man who ruined my life."
"It's your own damn fault that your life sucks. You have to choose to be happy. You have to choose to fight!"
"Oh really?! Then let's trade Dads. I'll take your six feet underground maggot food of a father over my old pedophile pops any day." Annie was shouting now.
Eren was up from the couch and about to cross the room before Mikasa was right behind him, pulling him back down and chastising him.
"You're just going to sit here and let her talk about our father like that? Mikasa they took you in and loved you. And you're going to let this stupid bitch spit on his grave?!"
"Eren calm down!" his sister scolded.
Seeing that things were starting to get a little messy, Hanji finally grabbed the reins and steered the conversation in a less physical direction.
"Okay, Ymir how about you share next!"
A tanned girl with dark hair shifted in her seat. Her seemingly perpetual scowl softened when she spoke. Her voice was a bit deeper than the average females but was somewhat comforting to listen to. "I still have no contact with Historia." Ymir had a wistful tone to her voice. "If I can't find any leads in the next few weeks, I'm going to pack up and start again at the next town."
"I'm glad to hear you are persevering! Sasha, you next!"
A mouthful of French fries began to move in synch with muffled sounds.
"Can you please repeat that?" Hanji asked.
The almost bald guy intervened, "She said that she hasn't binged and purged in a week and a half now." The girl mumbled some more. "Oh, and that she's not binging right now. She just over slept and missed out on lunch so she picked up some French fries at the nearest place and rushed over here."
"Excellent Sasha! You have made so much progress since you've started attending our weekly gatherings. And Connie I'm absolutely positive that your support has helped her tremendously!" Hanji was beaming. "Alright, lastly Armin how about you tell us about how you're coping with the loss of your grandfather."
"Well I visited the cemetery the other day and it was the first time I've ever gone without breaking down into tears. So I'd say that's an accomplishment." Armin smiled as he continued. "I found a bunch of his old journals and books the other day and I've been reading through them and really trying to appreciate the legacy he left behind and the wonderful life that he lived. I feel like reading his journals has really helped me cope with the loss. It feels like he's still with me in a weird way I suppose." Armin was twiddling his fingers as he finished up his update.
"Another excellent improvement!" Hanji shuffled through her bag and pulled out some flyers. "Now it appears that our time has come to an end but before you all leave I have something to give to you. Some old friends of mine recently opened up a dance studio down the street from here and asked me if I could do a little publicity. They told me that if you presented them with this flyer upon arrival that the first four lessons would be free! Dancing is an excellent way to express your self and stay in shape. It might even help some of you through your struggles." Hanji was now passing out the flyers to each individual. "I highly encourage all of you to at least check out the studio. The studio head's name is Levi Rivaille and he would be thrilled to know that I sent you."
Everyone began to shuffle out the room. Eren and Annie exchanged heated glances once more while Armin scanned over the flyer.
"Hey guys," He said to his friends. "I think I'm going to sign up for some classes."
"Armin that sounds like an excellent idea. Eren and I will join you."
Eren stopped glaring daggers long enough to turn his incredulous gaze towards his sister. "I don't think so."
Upon his immediate refusal a swift kick was delivered to his shin. Eren hissed in pain as Mikasa shot daggers of her own straight back him.
The trio had made it back outside and we're walking back to their respective homes when Eren piped up again.
"What is the studio even called?"
Armin perked up at his change of heart and pulled out his flyer. "It says here that the studio is named 'Wings of Freedom'. I think it'll be a lot of fun. They have a lot of different dance styles listed here. Including partner dancing!" Armin kept rambling until they approached the point in which they would have to split up. A few good byes were exchanged and Eren and Mikasa walked again in a comfortable silence until they reached the house. As they reached the front door Mikasa stopped her brother.
"Just give it a chance."
"Give what a chance? The group or the dance classes. Because frankly, I don't want anything to do with either of them."
"Do it for Armin. I haven't seen him this happy in weeks." Mikasa fumbled with keys for a brief moment and then unlocked the door, leading the way inside.
"I'll think about it." Eren responded. He trudged to his room and locked the door. First it was attending some stupid grieving group and now they wanted him to sign up for dance classes. Absolutely ridiculous.
Yet even with all of his aversions to both of the activities, there was some strange nagging voice in the back of Eren's head that told him to give them each a shot. 'At least it'll be a distraction for the time being.' Eren thought.
Out in the kitchen Mikasa was scanning the flyer debating what classes she might enjoy when she heard a knock at the door.