Despite his sister's wishes, Marco felt he was far from 'drinking until he pissed ale.' The drink itself wasn't unpleasant, but the fuzzy nature surrounding his thoughts made him nervous and pace himself. He was still on his first mug, half the liquid remaining over the course of the hour or so his friends had gotten themselves settled and enjoyed a meal with the rare inclusion of steak in their stew. The combination left most members of the gathered Scout Regiment in a jovial mood as the mess hall thrummed with singing, laughter, and games played with dice and cups.

Two people caught Marco's attention as the only ones without smiles stuck to their faces. The first was Celine, who sat at the opposite end of the hall with an entire table to herself. A variety of mechanical parts had been scattered at random over the tabletop, Celine's demeanor radiating enough hyperfocus on whatever project she had in hand to make most the soldiers spare her little more than a passing glance followed by shrugs or chuckles of amusement. It came as a relief when Unit Captain Moblit took a seat beside Celine and they started to share a conversation. His sister no longer being alone allowed Marco to shift his focus to the person sitting at his side, who also happened to be the other one not enjoying themselves.

Eren had his elbow propped on the table, head in hand as he glared at the neighboring scene. Mikasa and Ymir had set themselves up some time ago for a series of arm-wrestling matches. Marco had lost count over the number they'd had already, but neither opponent seemed ready to throw in the towel anytime soon. He watched as the muscles in Ymir's bicep bulged, her lips pulling back in frustration as Mikasa narrowed her eyes and forced Ymir's shaking hand to slam against the table. The group of onlookers who'd gathered let out cheers and whistles in celebration as Mikasa received hearty pats on the back.

"Are you alright, Eren?" Marco asked, raising his voice to ensure he could be heard over the commotion.

"What the hell?" Eren said, sounding irritated. "Those two are something else. I feel inadequate knowing I couldn't keep up with either of them."

The comment was so unexpected it caused Marco to break into laughter. "They seem to be having a good time. Even Jean's getting into it – although he'll probably get in trouble for taking bets."

Eren regarded Marco from the corner of his eye as he raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you the one who should be calling him out?"

"A-ah," Marco said. He took a large gulp of ale as his cheeks grew warm. "Can I pretend I didn't see anything?"

"Not from ten feet away," Eren said with a laugh. "Go on, officer – you should reprimand that dumbass before he causes trouble."

Marco chuckled in a nervous fashion. He received a comforting smile from the person across the table.

"Jean's not hurting anyone, Eren," Armin said. "Although … he may lose all his money if he keeps putting so much down on Mikasa to win. She's only winning about half the time, and who knows how things will go once they start getting tired."

Eren dropped his hand with a scoff. "I don't think I've seen Mikasa tired a day in my life. And Ymir is stubborn as hell. I should place a bet that the two of them are going to be there all night."

The space to Armin's left and across from Marco became occupied as Annie took a seat. She placed a bowl of stew on the table, slowly stirring the contents with a spoon.

"Mikasa is going to win," Annie said. "Someone's tuning a guitar where they're passing out food. Ymir will get distracted as soon as the music starts."

Armin sat up, regarding Annie with raised brows. "Really? I never took Ymir as the type to like music."

"She likes to sing," Annie said, blowing the steam from her spoon. "She would sing to herself in the girls' quarters back in the Cadets when she thought no one was around."

Annie's comment sparked an old memory. Marco looked into the middle distance with a smile. "Ah, that's right. I remember Christa- ah, Historia said something like that, too. She used to tell me little things she noticed about everyone all the time."

"Huh," Eren said, drawing Marco's attention. "I didn't know you and Historia were that close."

Marco chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I like to think I'm pretty close with everyone. And Historia spent part of her life growing up on a farm like I did, so we'd talk about that sometimes. I also liked hearing her talk about you guys – it was always something nice, like Jean showing her how to maintain her gear, or the time Armin lent her socks when rain damaged her pack. I miss those conversations."

Marco wondered what it would be like if the empty spot beside Armin was instead filled with Historia's small frame. She would probably be watching Ymir, the food before her forgotten as she'd cheer and blush out of self-consciousness over being too loud.

If Sasha were there, she'd be ignoring everyone entirely while staying glued to the table heavy with baked potatoes, fresh bread, and bowls of stew. Conny would probably be at her side, complaining that she needed to stop stuffing her face while he did the same.

A hand resting over Marco's caused him to snap out of his daze. He met Annie's soft gaze as she leaned across the table with a smile.

"Don't make a sad face like that," she said. "Tomorrow we're taking our first step toward the goal Historia was also reaching toward. I like to think she'd want us to be happy we're so close."

Armin backed the statement with a nod. "I think you're right. I know she'd be really excited for us to patch up the wall and get to see what's beyond."

A light shone behind Annie's eyes as she turned her head. "There are volcanos to the north, then the beach beyond that. I'll make sure you all get to see it."

The only one who didn't appear in awe of Armin's radiant expression from the news was Eren. He regarded the hand still resting over Marco's before rising from his seat.

"Come on, Marco," Eren said. "I want to talk to you about something."

"O-oh!" Marco pulled his hand away and got to his feet. "Sure. It's so loud in here it's sort of hard to hold a conversation, huh?"

"Right," Eren said. He grabbed his mug and made his way toward the door without another word. Marco offered Armin and Annie a more polite parting before grasping his drink and jogging to catch up to Eren.

Eren kept his eyes ahead, making no motion to speak until they stepped outside the mess hall into the dim hallway.

"Can you really be so sure about her?"

Moonlight from the windows exaggerated the lines over Eren's face. "Everything is riding on Annie being on our side now for real. I want to trust her, Marco, but … I don't know who she is. I've never seen her acting so casual. She was like a different person back there. Which one was the act: who Annie was then, or who she is now?"

Eren and Marco rounded a corner. They weren't headed anywhere in particular; dark corridors echoing their footsteps along with the occasional sound of whispers or distant laughter.

"Well …"

Stepping outside they found the rear of the building to be fairly unpopulated. Eren took a seat on the wide stone steps leading down the side of a hill. He leaned back and stretched his legs out with a sigh. Marco planted himself at his side.

"I think Annie was in a lot of pain before," Marco said. He regarded his reflection in the golden liquid within his mug. It was hard to imagine what Annie thought when she saw herself in a mirror. He wondered if she ever had trouble recognizing the person staring back. The thought made his heart sink.

"She was so careful not to give herself away, she pushed every emotion she had as deep as she could. When I talk to her now, she seems lighter; like she's no longer carrying a burden."

"Like she's free," Eren said.

Marco looked up with a start. Eren had lifted his head to gaze at the stars. He seemed pensive, almost as if he envied Annie for being able to gain a sense of freedom.

"It sounds like I still don't know her," Eren said, his voice distant. "Working with a complete stranger on something so important doesn't sit well with me. But how she was acting just now … I guess that was the real Annie, huh?"

Marco leaned his elbows on his knees. The moment was bittersweet; Eren's perception of Annie was finally shifting in a positive direction, but the hint of something sad behind his features caused Marco's stomach to churn.

"She's going to help us, Eren," Marco said, doing his best to sound hopeful. "We're going to get Wall Maria back, and you'll finally be able to see your home again."

Eren was in the middle of taking a sip from his mug, the drink being lowered with a frown as he brought his eyes to Marco.

"Yeah, I guess," Eren said. "I never really thought about that." He reached under his collar, pulling out a key attached to a cord around his neck. It dangled to-and-fro to catch the light. He studied it for a moment with a furrow to his brow.

"This thing used to be such a big deal," Eren finally said. "Then everyone's interest in finding out what my dad had in the basement fell away as soon as Annie was captured. I wonder if there's anything in there we don't already know."

"Oh … that," Marco said. He chuckled out of embarrassment. "You're right, actually; I had completely forgotten about it. What I meant was I thought it would be nice for you to see the place you grew up in again. I know I'd miss Jinae a lot if I wasn't able to visit."

Eren appeared surprised. He tucked the key away with a shrug before taking another drink.

"I guess so," Eren mused. "It's hard for me to think about back then without eventually picturing the day the wall fell. The chance to see Shiganshina like how it used to be would be nice. There isn't much about it that's different from Trost or Calaneth … but it's still home, huh?"

Marco nodded, pleased to see Eren's expression brightening. "You'll show me around when we get there, right?" he asked. "I mean … after the Titans are cleared out and all that. Armin talks all the time about the three of you growing up there, too. I'm sure you guys have lots of good stories."

"Well …" Eren looked away to clear his throat. "A lot of those stories would be me getting into fights. That's probably … most of what I got up to when I was a kid."

"Really?" Marco said. He leaned forward, trying to get a better read on Eren's expression. It wasn't often Eren showed any sign of embarrassment, making it all the more curious. "You were like that even back then?"

"Yeah, yeah … I've always been an asshole," Eren said. He took a drink with a frown. "I couldn't hold back when I caught kids shit-talking the Scouts or Armin and Mikasa. I didn't care that much when it was about me, but something just snapped when it was about that stuff."

Marco smiled when Eren looked back at him. "You seem to be a lot better about that now, though."

"Maybe," Eren said. He propped an elbow on his knee, looking up at the sky again. "I'm still pretty pissed off about Marley and us being a part of some damn war no one even knew about. I hate these walls and feeling like we're being caged here like animals. But … I guess I used to think that if the walls were ever gonna come down, it would only be because of me. Like, I had to be the driving force behind us ever being free since no one else could do it. Now, though ... I don't feel so alone."

Eren closed his eyes with a scoff. "Ymir's an asshole, but I know she has my back. It's stupid how much that helps me feel kinda better." His mouth puckered like he tasted something sour. "And now there's Annie. I still look at her sometimes and think about what happened in that damned forest. How scared I was ... how damn angry I was. How–"

A muscle in Eren's jaw tensed. "... how Mikasa said she cried. And that maybe she was feeling everything I was also feeling. Shit ... And when she was there with me against Reiner and Bertholdt, it made me feel relieved. "

Marco studied the tense nature of Eren's face with a nod. "It sounds like you've always felt like you have to protect everyone on your own. It must be nice not to have to do that anymore."

Eren shrugged again. "I always had Mikasa as backup, but she was … I dunno. She wasn't fighting for anything, just looking out for me. I like feeling like there are people standing beside me instead of behind." He glanced at Marco, a line forming between his brows. "What?"

Marco hadn't realized his eyes had gone wide. He looked away in a nervous fashion. "So … Mikasa was like that back then, too? That's … sort of scary."

Eren laughed, the stiff nature over him melting away. "You're really funny about that sort of stuff. You never got into fights with anybody as a kid, huh?"

"No – not really," Marco said, rubbing the heat rising on the back of his neck. "Other than that … uh, time I apologized to you about … I've never gotten into a fight with anybody."

"Don't – you would lose," Eren said. "I remember seeing you spar in the Cadets and it was pretty sad." He threw back his head in another laugh over Marco's sudden dejection.

"You said before you grew up on a farm, right?" Eren said, his laughter fading. "You suck at fighting, but you're probably better than a lot of us at sowing fields and herding sheep and stuff."

He was aware Eren didn't mean it that way, but Marco couldn't help but feel insulted. "I mean … sowing fields isn't that hard to learn. And we didn't have sheep, we had cattle."

A somber nature fell over Eren as his eyes narrowed. "Huh. I've never seen a cow outside a book."

Marco chuckled into his drink. It took a moment for him to register that Eren's expression hadn't changed.

"Wait – that wasn't a joke?"

"Why would it be a joke?" Eren asked. "That's stupid."

Marco flinched, feeling the sudden urge to rectify the situation. "I mean … It's not a big deal. They're just kinda big, and … cute, I guess?"

Eren hummed. He held out his mug. "Since I've never been to your hometown either, how about we make an agreement to visit them both together? Then I can finally learn what the hell a cow looks like."

The invitation was the last thing Marco was expecting. He slowly lifted his own mug. "R-really? You'd want to see Jinae? It isn't much, though … mostly just farmland and forests."

"Didn't you just hear me say my hometown also wasn't much?" Eren said. "Come on – promise me we'll be let down by each other's hometowns, together."

Marco laughed, the awkward weight lifting from his shoulders. His mug tapped against Eren's with a dull clunk before they tossed back their heads to finish their drinks. He chuckled in amusement when Eren's shoulders shuddered from the alcohol.

"Oi – don't laugh," Eren said, narrowing his eyes. "You're the one who's a mess."

"Huh?" Marco said. He didn't know what to make of the situation when Eren leaned forward.

"You seriously can't feel that?" Eren said. He used his sleeve to wipe Marco's cheek. "Your cup got ale all over your face. You should thank me for making sure you don't go around looking like a drunkard."

Eren lowered his hand. He frowned as he studied Marco's stare. "What?"

Marco leaned forward, pressing his lips against Eren's.

The warmth on his face disappeared as Eren leaned back. Marco opened his eyes to find Eren staring at him as if in shock.

The look on Eren's face had an immediate effect. Marco's cheeks had felt flushed before, but now they felt like they were burning up.

"I …" Marco said, scrambling for words. "Eren … I'm sorry. I wasn't … This is …"

Marco's mug fell down the stairs in his rush to get to his feet. His lips pulled back in a grimace over the alarm still etched over Eren's features.

"I wasn't … I wasn't planning that," Marco said. "I'm sorry. I …"

Silence fell. Marco's heart pounded in his ears as he stared down at Eren; the person who'd grown as close to him as Jean. Although, there had been something different between what Marco felt for Jean and what he felt for Eren. It was something he felt only for Eren. So much else was going on, it was easy not to dwell on what it could be. Now whatever it was had manifested itself in the worst way possible.

He's not … saying anything …

Eren looked away, his mouth drawing into a thin line. Marco's stomach dropped.

"S-sorry," Marco said again. He turned, quickly making his way up the steps. He was torn between being relieved and devastated when Eren didn't call after him as he stepped through the open doors and into Headquarter's quiet back hallway. There was no way he would go back to the mess hall to find the others. He would return to his quarters, sit on his bed, and curse himself for hours over being so stupid.

. . .

"I wasn't … I wasn't planning that."

Marco's retreat toward the building was practically a jog. He was quick enough that if he'd simply lifted his eyes off the ground, he would've caught Annie ducking behind the door's threshold as he hurried past. She watched his dark silhouette disappear down the hallway; Marco never turned to look back.

Annie stared after him for a moment. She slowly shifted to the side, staying within the shadows as she peaked out the threshold. Still standing on the steps was Eren. He gave the building an anxious glance before turning on his heel and slowly making his way down the hillside.

I have good timing, Annie thought. I saved myself from getting rejected. Aren't I lucky?

A familiar feeling saturated her core as she willed all signs of emotion to ebb from her face. She donned the mask she needed to wear for this expedition – the mask she needed to wear until the horrible, aching feeling in her chest finally went away. Logic told her she'd be stuck with it for a while. It was a good thing she was used to it.

Annie gave the quiet slope a final, disinterested glance before turning to walk into the gloom.