Armin…

Armin didn't want to get up. He just wanted to sleep.

Armin…!

"I don't wanna…" Armin mumbled back.

Armin!

He finally snapped awake and found himself on the ground. "Wha-huh?"

When his vision refocused, he saw Christa's face.

"C…Christa…?"

Christa looked relieved. "You're awake!" she said gladly.

Armin felt his face heat up. "Y…yeah…"

He sat up and saw Eren to his left and Mikasa to his right. "…hi."

"Head butting Eren is always a bad idea," Mikasa stated, "because he's so hard-headed."

Eren glared daggers at her. "Am not!"

"You knocked Armin unconscious. Your head is a dangerous weapon."

"He hit me-!"

"And look what happened."

Armin sighed and held his head. "You two…"

"Oh, I brought some ice," Christa said, grabbing a cloth filled with ice and pressing it to his forehead. "Better?"

"…yeah…"

Sad to say, but this was as close to a conversation with Christa Armin's ever had, since she'd been supposedly avoiding him. Why the sudden kindness, he didn't know. It was her nature to help the weak.

"Armin, did you hear me?"

Armin's eyes snapped to Christa's. "What?"

Christa chuckled. "You're still out of it, huh?"

"Y…yeah…"

Christa stood up and held out her hand. "Here, let's take you to the infirmary to make sure you're okay to keep working."

"He's fine," Eren muttered, "you guys are overreacting."

"Actually," Armin said as he allowed Christa to pull him up, "knocking someone unconscious is a sure sign of a concussion."

Christa's eyes widened. "Oh no! Are you alright? Can you see straight? What day is it?"

Armin laughed. "I'm fine, yes I can, and it's Wednesday."

"Actually, it's Tuesday," Mikasa said, "not Wednesday."

At that, Christa grabbed Armin's hand and proceeded to pull him to the infirmary. "We need to make sure you're alright!"

Armin's face flushed, but he forced his legs to walk with her. "Christa I'm fine-!"

And suddenly, Armin tripped over thin air.

"Whoa—!" Armin cried as he fell, taking Christa down with him.

"Ow…"Christa moaned as Armin sat up on his hands and knees.

And there was Christa's face.

"…hi…" Christa whispered, her nose brushing his.

Armin's face got even redder. "H-hi…"

There was an awkward silence as the two lay there alone. Mikasa and Eren had disappeared and everyone else was still at lunch, leaving the hall from the dorms to the infirmary deserted. Here was the chance he'd been dreaming of—he accidentally trips, Christa happens to be there, they're sprawled awkwardly on the floor, they lock eyes, and then they kiss.

He never thought it would actually happen.

Christa's fluttered closed, and Armin made his choice, refusing to screw it up like he had a few moments ago. He leaned down—

—and was immediately drop-kicked by Cain.

"Goddammit," Cain cursed, "how come only you get your happy ending? I embarrassed you in front of everyone yesterday!"

"Cain—!" Christa shouted as he kicked Armin again.

"It's not my fault I have better luck with girls," Armin coughed, "Whereas Mikasa pretty much hates you—"

"Shut up!" Cain shouted as he kicked him again, "It's your fault! You made me look bad in front of Mikasa—!"

Armin has had enough of this. "You made me look bad in front of the entire regiment! You have no right to say that to me! I thought Christa hated me!"

Christa scrambled over to Armin and began helping him up. "Armin, about that—"

"And yet you still win!" Cain interrupted, "How?!"

At that, Armin laughed out loud. "Depressing how someone like me beat you, huh?"

Cain sneered. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch," he muttered as he grabbed Armin by the shirt and brought his face to his. "You stupid punk—!"

Armin suddenly had a flashback of his childhood, where he'd be picked on by everyone else. Eren and Mikasa had to constantly protect him, day by day, because he literally had no one else to depend on.

Cain seemed to read his mind. "Your bodyguards aren't here," he growled, grinning sadistically. "So then I can—"

"Don't count your chickens…before they hatch," Armin chuckled.

Then, in one swift motion, he swung his leg forward, kicking Cain in the balls.

Cain squealed and let go of Armin, and the blonde scrambled out o reach. Meanwhile, Christa looked like she was keeping back tears.

"C-Christa—! W-what is it?" Armin asked, alarmed as he cautiously approached her.

And then she began to laugh.

"Y…you just…" Christa held her stomach and continued to giggle uncontrollably.

Now Armin was just confused. "H-huh?"

He had always thought Christa a nice girl, and never had he ever thought that she'd laugh at someone else's misery…

…but it did benefit him…

Christa got a hold of herself and held out her hand to him. "Come on," she said, smiling, "now we really need to get you to the infirmary."

Deciding not to question his luck, Armin grabbed her hand and smiled back. "Yeah…"

"You say that a lot when you're nervous, huh?" Christa asked as they continued their way to the infirmary, hand in hand.

Armin was about to say otherwise, but realized it was true. "Yeah…" when he realized he said it again he elaborated, "I guess it's like my go to word if I have nothing else to say."

"That and 'I like turtles.'"

Armin's face heated up. "T-t-that was one time! And you had approached me after avoiding me for—!"

"I honestly thought you were avoiding me," Christa admitted sheepishly, "so I figured I'd just stay out of your way."

Armin's eyebrows shot up. "…oh…well, that wasn't it at all. What made you think that?"

Christa shrugged. "I dunno," she responded, "but Ymir convinced me to talk about it with Mikasa—it was her idea to train with her, and she thought of it when she saw you and Eren walking out of her room."

Memories of the rat and the awkward situation that it caused made Armin's face heat up again.

"Why were you even in there?" Christa asked as they reached the infirmary.

"I…it's a long story," Armin replied, hesitantly scratching his head, "I'll tell you later."

Christa nodded, as if she was satisfied with that answer. "Okay then. Promise?"

Armin nodded. "Promise."

With that, they walked into the infirmary, hand in hand.

For those of those who either don't know or haven't noticed, Cain is indeed the same Cain from "Paradise Lost" a Canon Divergence fic I'm doing as well. Other random people from there might appear, but I'll give enough introduction so you don't have to read the other fic-but be warned, there WILL be jokes referencing it to some degree...so read it.

You know what? Just read all my stories :P

Views are cookies from Albertson's (freaking amazing omg) but Reviews are homemade! (They may be bad, but it's the thought that counts :D)