A/N: Hope you enjoy, leave a review if you can, and if you have any ideas for me - or some corrections - let me know!

(Armin P.O.V)

I managed to push myself up and onto my feet again, but I still hurt from the events. Eren and Mikasa weren't here to help me today, but I didn't really want them to. It wasn't like I was worth protecting anyway. Not when I did nothing worth protecting. Not like my mother or father…

…or my brother.

I took a breath, feeling my chest give a dull ache from where I'd been hit, then pushed off from the wall. Steadily, I made my way back home.

I didn't get to swallow down the pain before someone saw me, however.

"Armin!"

I closed my eyes. That voice was too familiar.

I turned around to see an older blonde running up to me worriedly. "Aren't you supposed to be at the market, Mihael?"

He grumbled slightly before wiping the dirt off of my face. "What happened?"

"Nothing…"

"Armin," he warned, "don't you lie to your brother. I will get mom and dad involved."

I sighed heavily. "Just some older kids. They beat me up when I started talking about what was outside the wall. About going to see for myself. They called me heretic."

Mihael growled angrily as he fixed my shirt. "Don't listen to them, you hear me! They're nothing but sheep, conformists, nothing but useless. They have no minds of their own, not like you or me. Just keep believing what you want and keep your head held high."

He then hugged me close. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you."

I shook my head. "Don't be. You couldn't have done anything. The garrison would have said something if you'd done something to them."

He scoffed, looking back into my eyes. "The garrison are nothing more than pigs, Armin."

"Pigs with weapons." I reminded him.

He scoffed again as he stood up. "Like they know how to use them properly." He then held out his hand. "Let's go home. I'm making fish tonight."

I got excited about this. "Salmon?!"

He grinned. "Your favourite."

I grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards home. "Let's get going then! I'm starved!"

The older blonde chuckled and followed happily.

I'd always loved and respected Mihael. Out of everyone in our family he took care of us the most. He cooked, cleaned, did the yard work, gardened, and he provided for us. Whatever money he made he saved up for himself and us. It wasn't much, but each week on a specific day he went to the square to play his guitar and more than a few people awarded him with applause and coin. Sometimes people would join in and make jokes or stories to go along with the music, but most times it was just him. It earned him more than a few looks from everyone in Shiganshina.

But then… it could just be his looks altogether.

My poor father. His boys looked nothing like him. Both myself and Mihael were fair skinned and thin like our mother. I didn't walk with the same grace as Mihael, but we both shared a similar smile that lit up the room. The only thing of our father's that we shared with him was our courage. Well… Mihael had more courage than I did, definitely. But I wasn't as afraid of things as I used to be. Plus, I wasn't afraid to speak my mind anymore. But Mihael always stood up for what he believed in, even if the garrison got in his way a few times. Lucky him though, the soldiers mistook him for a female one too many times so he usually got off scot free. He used it to his advantage, but more than a few soldiers knew the truth about him now.

It didn't really stop them from trying their way though.

I was ten, but I wasn't dumb. I knew what the soldiers wanted from my brother and I didn't like it one bit. He wasn't a toy for them to play with, and he wasn't a whore that jumped into bed with the first person who asked. He deserved more respect than that. Sadly, it wasn't something he could help. He was fair, he was thin, and he had a proud stride to him that only invited more attention. My mother and father used to say that he'd rule the world. I didn't understand it until I saw how much influence he had around town. I sometimes wondered if I'd ever have that same effect.

Fat chance. Not when I was so scared of everything around me. Mihael could strut, but I clomped around ungracefully and childlike. Yes, I was a child… but I didn't like being one.

What I wouldn't give to be taken seriously.

We made it to our street when a new voice came out of nowhere.

"Hey, Mello!" The sultry voice spoke up. "Haven't seen you in a while."

Mihael grumbled. "Yesterday was considered 'a while' to you, Jim?"

A tall, semi-muscular teen dropped in from the sky. Whipping his brown hair from his face after he landed. "Twenty four hours feels like twenty four days, lovie. Especially when you coop yourself up in that home of yours."

"That's what happens when you have a mother, father, grandfather, and three siblings to feed. Especially when one of the family is missing an arm."

"Your da is fine! That old bastard could survive anything. Besides, isn't the doc working to get him a new arm?"

"Grisha can't get the materials for a while yet, and the science is going to take a bit to get working correctly." Mihael informed.

"Oh please," the soldier replied, "we both know he's getting that arm soon. You're just worrying too much about the negatives."

"No, I'm worried about what it will do to my father's health." The blonde growled angrily. "If they infect him we have nothing to help with that. Not to mention we don't know what the arm will do once it's put into place. It would work, or make matters worse. If that's the case, I have to be around and take care of things."

My brother patted my back and we began to walk away from the soldier. But, of course, he wasn't done yet.

"Come on, Mello! Come have a drink with us! You work yourself too hard! They'll be fine without you for one night!"

The blonde chuckled. "I'd sooner drink with the fishermen than with you! The sailors have more manners than you or your league ever will!"

With that, we were gone.

I asked Mihael about him but he shrugged it off, saying he was nothing but scum. I didn't ask anything further, knowing it would just make him more angry.

Mihael had hated the soldiers for a long while now. Not necessarily all of them, but the ones that did nothing at all for the good of mankind. The ones that were outside the wall and helping to rediscover old human settlements were the ones he respected. Any others he was not fond of. And I could see why, especially with that Jim character looking up and down my brother like he was a pig ready for slaughter. Honestly, I believed the sailors did have more manners than most of the soldiers put together.

We got to our home and we walked in to find Eren and his father there helping out our father.

I immediately ran to Eren and he welcomed me with a hug. "Good to see you're still alive, Armin! I was scared to let you go home on your own."

"Indeed." His father replied, still focussed on his work. "We would have walked you home had you waited a bit longer."

"That's alright." I said quietly. "I was going to meet Mihael in the market anyway. But, err…"

Eren got angry. "But you got jumped again, didn't you? Those bloody…!"

"It's okay, Eren. I'm fine." I reassured. "Just a bit bruised."

"Nothing your favourite dinner can't help." Mihael commented happily, turning to Grisha. "We have plenty. Would you and Eren like to stay and eat?"

"The boy cooks the best salmon!" My father replied. "I swear it!"

"We'd love to stay." Grisha replied. "I'll be here a bit longer anyhow with this arm not acting as it should."

"Should I got let mom know?" Eren asked his father.

"Yes, and bring me my kit as well. I have a feeling I'm at a breakthrough with this prosthetic."

The brunette nodded before grabbing my hand. "Come on! I'm not going alone!"

"Like I'd be able to help you if you get beat up too!" I slightly joked.

"Oh shut it! I did alright last time!" He exclaimed as he pulled me out the door.

"Yeah, because Mikasa got involved after you got hit!"

"Shut up!"

I giggled at him before waving back at my father and brother. I'd be back soon, but I had a habit of making sure they were alright before I left. They usually were, but I was never certain.

Our run turned into a walk and Eren started to ask questions.

"So did your brother beat them up, or did he arrive after?"

"Had he been there to help I wouldn't be hurting as much." I reasoned to him. "Then again… I think he'd embarrass me if he knocked them out."

"You're lucky to have him." He complimented. "I'd kill for an older brother. One that agreed with me and my decisions."

"You're still thinking about joining the corps?" I asked worriedly. "But what about your parents? What would they think?"

He shrugged. "Why do you think I'm not telling them? Maybe when I reach the proper age for the cadets I'll tell them, but only after I've signed up."

"You think your mother won't notice you zipping around on the gear?" I teased. "Or when you go home covered in titan blood?"

"You know it doesn't work like that!" He exclaimed as he pushed me playfully. "I mean I'd run off and join then send a letter home. After that, I think I'd give them a few years before going home and explaining what I'd done and why I did it. I don't feel like getting yelled at so early into my career as a soldier."

"But which group would you join? The garrison, the military police brigade…?"

"Survey Corps." He said proudly.

"What?!" I nearly yelled, stopping in my tracks. "Eren, that's suicide! Didn't you see what those titans did to my father!?"

"But we get to leave the wall, Armin. A dream we've had since… ever! Have you forgotten?!"

"No, but I don't exactly want my head torn off by a titan as an excuse to see what's beyond the wall. There's got to be more options than that."

"Well, for the moment, it's my only option. But relax. It won't be for another two years at the very least! We'll have tons of time to figure this out!"

I didn't like how cheery he was about it… but I guess he was right. We had months to find a way out. Years. Even my brother was looking to find a way out, however much he denied it. But who could resist the call of what was unknown? Especially when it was so close to us?

I really hope we could leave soon. Even in titan infested lands, it had to be better than this glorified cage we lived in now.

Later That Night

"Mihael, why do all those people look at you like that?" I asked innocently, climbing into bed.

The older blonde looked up from his writing. "What do you mean?"

I cuddled into my blanket. "Why do they look at you all creepy like that? It's annoying, and you always turn them down, but they keep doing it."

He only shrugged. "I haven't a clue. They're all hormone crazed idiots. That's all I can tell you."

"But… you aren't female. Shouldn't they not like you then?"

This time he chuckled. "You really don't understand it quite yet but it isn't always boy and girl, Armin. Sometimes a boy can like a boy, and a girl can like a girl."

"I already get that." I huffed out, sitting up. "But the soldiers always talk about how that kind of thing is wrong and should be abolished, but yet they go after you. It doesn't make sense."

"Hypocrites, Armin. They're nothing more than hypocrites. They say one thing and do the other. It's rather pathetic. But don't worry about it too much. I'm not."

"Well that's 'cause you never worry about anything. You've always been stronger than me. But I always ask questions. People tell me it's annoying, but I can't help it. The world is too fascinating for me not to question it. So then… why should I be punished for it?"

I noticed as I was talking Mihael got very quiet. Like he'd been distracted by a thought. He snapped out of it quickly enough, but I could tell when something was bugging him. He would go quiet and not say a word, but he'd still force a grin out. He did that a lot. Forcing smiles and grins past his true emotions. He did that a lot to save us the worry, but I could always tell when he was upset. Call it a bond between brothers, but maybe it was because I'd always analyzed people.

I did that a lot nowadays.

He got up from his seat, forcing a grin to me. "You should go to bed. You're coming with me to the square tomorrow and I need you up bright and early for that."

I nodded, not forcing the matter to him, and cuddled into my blanket again. Mihael happily tucking me in then placing a kiss on my forehead.

He was a good brother.

He snuffed out the flame on the candle that lit up our room and he crawled into bed as well. But I had one more question before I fell asleep.

"Mihael? Is there anyone you like?"

He turned to look at me. "What do you mean?"

"Do you like anyone? Like how Momma likes Da?"

He grinned slightly before rolling back over. "Can't say that I do. But I don't really need anyone. I couldn't afford time for them anyhow."

I hummed at this before going silent. I couldn't see his face to determine if he was lying to me, but it didn't sound like Mihael had anyone he liked. Not like I had Eren. Then again… I didn't really know what Eren felt about me. I knew we were friends, but other than that nothing.

I suppose I'd never really know.

Oh well. Just another something to add to the list of common things me and my brother shared.

Elsewhere

"Ready to hit the town tomorrow, Matt?" Light asked me.

I grumbled. "When you give me some sleep. I had to run laps today, remember?"

"Because you set a live bird into the commander's office." He reminded me. "You're lucky he didn't shave your head for that."

I chuckled at that. "Like he'd touch my gorgeous hair! Not with everything I've learned to defend it!"

The brunette sighed. "You know, I don't get you. You graduated top of the class, are an expert with the sword, and have never had an issue with your gear due to your tampering with it, yet you chose to be part of the Garrison!? The military police would kill for you!"

I shrugged. "Yeah, but it's boring. Standing around and doing nothing for that fat arse king. I think I can make a difference in the Garrison. Like you!"

I could just feel the eye roll. "Fine then, don't tell me the truth."

"That is the truth, Light!" I exclaimed as I rolled over onto my back. "I want to make a difference! The garrison needs real soldiers, not those current pigs! I'm willing to be a real soldier! Besides, I heard Shiganshina is nice this time of year."

The brunette merely huffed as he laid down on his bed. "I'm going to regret training you, aren't I?"

I weakly punched his arm. "Love you too, bro!"

A mere growl was his response.