42.
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CHAPTER FORTY-TWO — Good Ol' Days
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...
-Five Hours After Confrontation: Southwest, Wall Rose-
Bonds of trust were frangible. Fragile and brittle.
Trust, in many ways, is like ice covering a frozen lake. One small, careless action could cause spiderweb cracks along its surface— fissures that slowly chip away until nothing substantial, nothing safe, was left to stand on.
And when it's gone, it's hard to recover from. The ground beneath your feet gives way, and you're left submerged in frigid depths trying to keep your head above water.
Yet, trust is needed in the foundation of any stable, healthy relationship. Be it platonic or romantic.
Trust is inestimable. Priceless. It is precious and delicate and must be handled with care.
This is a fact of life that Rosalie has come to understand wholeheartedly in her short fifteen years of living.
It's why she feels so utterly heartbroken now.
Heartbroken. Betrayed. Stupid. Scared. Enraged.
The amalgamation of negative emotions brewed in her heart, making her chest burn with the coalescence of something nasty. It fizzed in her veins like corrosive, coated her rattled bones like molten metal— waiting for the right strike to give it a proper shape.
Soon, she would be wrath personified. Vengeance in a physical form. Demanding answers to questions that would probably remain unsolved. And it was a bitter pill to swallow, considering the subjects of her ire.
How had she not noticed sooner? Was she simply too naïve? Too trusting? Looking back, it all seemed so obvious that something was amiss. The strange looks. The odd phrasing. The aloof, vague behavior in brushing off inquires of the past.
Each flash of memory was like a bright, red flag poised high in the air. Raising more questions than answers; a majority all revolving around one single word: How?
She could argue. Defend herself and say that there was no merit in suspecting two of her closest friends of something so horrid. But she couldn't. It simply wasn't possible for her to muster enough acquiescence to fool herself into such a delusion— not when the shoe fit oh so perfectly. No. This internal debate could only lead her to where she is now.
Currently a measly foot from the edge of the wall, Rosalie sat stock-still with her knees drawn close to her chest, sorrowful tears streaming down her face unchecked and unrestrained as she stared out into the horizon listlessly.
She had been silent for a while, not saying or making a sound as she stewed in her discontent— a fact that was wearisome to those that now gave her a wide berth. It was no secret to anyone around— especially after her heated row with Hannes and the still-standing superior officers— that thinly subdued rage was bubbling under the surface of her skin, waiting to overflow.
Even Armin, who camped a silent vigil over Mikasa's unconscious form, kept his distance a few feet away as he quietly conversed on occasion with Hannes. But Rosalie couldn't complain. She didn't even blame them for it. In fact, she believed it is the smartest thing for them all to do at the moment. Lest she says something she'd regret.
'Why can't things just stay the same anymore?' She laments, lowering her gaze to eye the ribbon she currently fiddled with. Its white shade had dimmed over the years and the ends were slightly frayed, but miraculously, she had managed to keep it all this time. And the thought has a bitter smile forming on her lips. 'Everything's gotten so complicated since then…'
..
"Here, Rosie, I think this will help." Carla informs as she crouches down to match the girl's height. In her hands, she held out a solid strip of fabric in offering, and its material shimmered delicately in the beam of light shining in through the window.
"A ribbon?" Rosalie questions in soft, rhetorical curiosity as she reaches out to touch the gift with great care. Smiling at how the silky material felt against the pads of her much smaller fingers.
Carla hums in agreement. "You're always brushing your hair out of your eyes— And it's always getting in the way when you and Eren play, right?" She questions, and when Rosalie nods, she motions for the smaller brunette to face the opposite direction. "Here, I'll help you style it. Turn around."
Doing as told, Rosalie's eyes flutter shut and she can't help but sigh pleasantly at the feel of Carla's lithe fingers beginning to tread gently through her hair. A sudden realization, however, quickly comes to mind as soon as the older woman begins to plait the tresses, making her eyes snap wide open. "But wait…! Isn't— Doesn't silk cost a lot of money? I can't accept this—!"
Carla laughs lightly at that. "Don't worry about it, sweetie! A small strip like this isn't worth much." She reassures before adding, "Besides, you should let me spoil you more…! I've always wanted a daughter, and you have such pretty hair…"
"You all do enough for me as it is." Rosalie refutes, her cheeks tinging a light pink at the sentiment. Out of all of the gifts and pretty things that Carla and Grisha had bestowed upon her, this one was by far her favorite.
Heart overflowing with adoration for the older woman behind her, Rosalie finds herself unable to stop the words from tumbling clumsily out of her mouth. "I promise to take care of it, Ma! 'm gonna cherish it forever!"
Carla stills for a second, surprised. Rosalie had never called her that before; never insinuated that she saw her as a maternal figure. And sudden confirmation that she did, warmed Carla's heart immediately.
Grinning fondly, Carla finishes plaiting the girl's hair; neatly tying off the end before reaching up to give the girl's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "You're very welcome, sweetheart."
Rosalie turns her head to look back at the older brunette, dimples on full display as she grins widely in response.
The moment, however, is quickly interrupted as Eren bursts through the door, complaining loudly about the neighborhood bullies as he stomps into the house with an exasperated Armin on his heels.
..
Rosalie shakes her head at the thought of Eren's childhood rambunctiousness. 'Always the troublemaker…' She muses fondly, despite her outward expression falling flat. She'd give anything to go back to those days.
..
"Give it back!"
"I told you already. There's none left 'cause I ate it all! Got it?"
Rosalie fidgets slightly as she glanced around the small marketplace they stood in.
Behind her, men and women of all ages were out and about completing tasks they had set out to do that day. All ignoring the budding argument except for a nearby vendor to her left— whose venomous scowl told her that he wasn't pleased with the boys' continuously rising volume.
"E-Eren…" She calls out, looking away from the man as she places a hand on the boy's arm. "Just let it go. He's already eaten it all, so there's nothing we can do about it now… And your starting to cause a scene…"
Eren glances her way and immediately meets her pleading look with an annoyed gaze. "I can't just let it go, Rosie!" He snaps before turning his attention back to Sven, his glare returning tenfold at the sight of the taller boy's smug expression. "That was three days' worth of food for his family!"
"You've gotta be kidding me…!" Felix suddenly chimes in from where he stood on the sidelines next to Viktor, his voice haughty and filled with mirth. "Those table scraps?"
Sven snickers at the remark. "Quit it, man. I feel bad now." He scolds his friend playfully, a nasty smirk of his own forming on his face as he puts his focus back on Eren. "You should really listen to Rosalie… But hey, if you insist and are fine with vomit, I'll give it back." He adds informatively before hunching over with a fake gag.
"What are you, five years old?!" Rosalie barks in response, hands on her hips as she grimaces at the display.
By this point, she had given up on playing mediator. The three bullies wouldn't listen, and based on previous experiences with them, she knew that Eren would not let such taunts go unchallenged. It was a matter of pride for him now.
Still hunched over with his hands clutching at his stomach in mock illness, Sven grins up at her boyishly; visibly pleased at the reaction garnered on both sides.
Felix and Viktor were laughing; Rosalie, albeit annoyed, was gracing him with her attention; and Eren was thoroughly and irrevocably upset.
"Pay him back for what you took!" Eren roars as he lunges forward, slamming his forehead into Sven's— who stumbles back into a nearby stall in pained surprise.
"Eren!" Rosalie yelps, equally startled as Felix and Viktor— who move to stand next to her as Eren follows through with his first attack by tackling Sven to the ground.
Knowing Carla would be upset if anyone were to get hurt, Rosalie steps forward to pull Eren off. However, before she could get too close, Felix intercepts her, stopping her by grabbing her biceps in a firm hold. "Hey…! Le'me go!"
"Jus' stay out of it, Rosie… Let 'em fight it out." Felix advises with a chortle, "Besides, Mikasa isn't here to help you. You'll only get hurt by interfering now."
"If someone gets hurt or if something gets damaged we'll all be in more trouble than it's worth!" Rosalie retorts, growling under her breath when he refuses to release her. "I said, let me go!" She yells again, no longer caring for the consequences as she slams the back of her head into his nose.
A sickening crack fills the small space between them and Felix recoils slightly with a loud curse, clutching his now bleeding nose with one hand while the other stays firmly wrapped around Rosalie's arm.
"Felix!" Viktor yelps, his hands hovering uselessly in the air— unsure of what to do now that both of his friends were brawling it out with the neighborhood runts.
Rosalie, on the other hand, doesn't care. Instead, she jabs her elbow into Felix's stomach, forcefully shoving him back as she hooks her foot behind his, sweeping his balance away with a firm swipe and sending him crashing down onto the cobblestone street with a grunted umph.
…
"Hey! Knock it off!" The onlooking vendor from earlier yells, watching the two separate scuffles with agitation before turning his attention to a small group of nearby Garrison Soldiers— who were currently playing cards around a wooden crate. "OI! You drunk, good-for-nothing soldiers…! Come and break up this fight!"
Hannes, who was coincidentally one of said soldiers, turns his head and gives the aforementioned brawl an appraising look. He then addresses the stall owner directly, a drunken smile playing on his lips. "Put a sock in it. Can't you see the kids are just foolin' around?"
Peeved, the stall owner scoffs indignantly. "Like hell they're fooling around! Come and stop 'em!"
…
Rosalie, too busy dealing with Felix, fails to notice Viktor— who was much larger than all of the kids involved, both in size and height— decidedly going to Sven's aid first.
Walking over, the rotund boy picks Eren up by the scruff of his collar before hooking his arms underneath the brunet's armpits and forcing him into a firm hold.
Wiping his split lip, Sven takes advantage of the situation and jumps to his feet, punching a struggling Eren in the stomach once he's close enough.
Hearing Eren wheeze in pain, Rosalie's head snaps in his direction. "Eren!" She exclaims but is unable to help him as she's forced to duck out of the way as Felix makes another grab for her.
…
Hannes winces slightly as Rosalie takes a nasty hit to the face; though his concern only lasts so long as she returns it tenfold. Chuckling, he turns back to the vendor with a cavalier grin. "It'll be fine, I'm tellin' ya. Someone will be along who can help more than we can."
"Huh…?!" The vendor exclaims, baffled.
It's at that moment that Mikasa and Armin appear, and their arrival garners the attention of all those close enough to observe the tussle.
Grin growing wider, Hannes shares an amused glance with Hugo— who sat to his right. "Here we go, boys!" He croons jovially, earning boisterous laughter from his inebriated fellows.
…
Leaping from the top of the small set of nearby stairs, Mikasa kicks Sven in the chest, sending him careening back into the stall; winded and discombobulated.
The action is rewarded by raucous laughter from the tipsy soldiers observing from a few feet away.
"It's Mikasa!" Viktor exclaims, eyes growing wide with fear when the girl locks him within her sights.
Pivoting on her heel, Mikasa rounds on him and slams the palm of her hand against his face, temporarily obscuring his vision as well as forcing him silent as she pushes his head back none too gently.
"Mikasa…?! Why are you here?!" Eren questions, exasperated as he breaks free of Viktor's hold.
Mikasa turns to him as she shoves the bully backwards, her face showing nothing but her usual apathy. "Eren, if you don't get home and chop wood, your mother will get angry again."
Her simple, unperturbed warning seems to anger Sven. Jumping up from where he lay sprawled out on the ground, he rushes at her again. "You little—! Don't underestimate me!" He yells, rearing his fist back as he moves to hit the girl.
Before he could get close, however, Rosalie sidles up behind him and hooks her foot around his, tripping him and making him stumble forward— giving Mikasa enough time to duck under his arm.
Felix rejoins the fray at that. "You asked for it!"
Now sidelined, Eren can only watch as the two girls make quick work of the other boys. However, never the one to be shown up, he steps forward to jump in once more. Pausing mid-step when Armin gives a sharp tug to his sleeve.
"Eren…! Let Mikasa and Rosalie handle this!" The blond pleads, his eyes large and imploring.
"Yeah right!" Eren scoffs, harshly shrugging him off before charging headfirst in Viktor's direction before the larger boy could grab Rosalie from behind.
They crash land in a heap against the angry vendor's stall, destroying it completely as the wood gives way under their combined weight.
…
Hannes, Hugo, and the other Garrison Soldiers hoot and holler at the sight; thoroughly entertained as they cheer the young boy on.
"Nice one, Eren!"
"Don't lose to Mikasa and Rosalie!"
Their laughter grows even louder when they see that their goading words have a noticeable effect on the brunet, prompting them to press him further.
However, the lighthearted atmosphere surrounding them is quick to fade when the angered stall owner chucks a glass bottle their way— nearly hitting Hugo in the face as it misses and shatters against the wall behind him, drawing their attention once more.
"The hell 're you doin'?!" Hugo growls as he drunkenly rises from his seat.
The vendor was nonplussed— in fact, he appeared a little smug at the reaction. "I told you to stop the fight, you damn freeloaders!"
"What was that?! Wanna say that again?!"
"Damn straight I will! You're a waste of taxes!"
Sneering, Hugo steps forward as the stall-owner steps out onto the street; both men now a mere three feet away from each other. "You son-of-a—!"
Hannes takes this as a chance to intervene. Rising from his own seat, he steps between the two, placing a consoling hand on his compatriot's shoulders as he holds him back from doing anything stupid. "Don't let it get to you." He advises sagely, grinning to himself as he turns his head to look at the vendor. "It's the truth whether you like it or—!"
Before the blond could finish his sentence or address him further, the vendor lunged forward and punches Hannes square in the face.
Backing up, Hannes recoiled slightly as he reaches up and wipes his now bleeding nose. A wry smile formed on his face as he eyed his now bloody finger. "Heh… That was a pretty good punch for a chump who runs a stall." He comments with light condensation, beginning to bounce in his heels as he raises his fists challengingly.
The vendor smirks at this, and soon enough the two adults are descending into a small skirmish of their own— much to the amused exasperation of those watching.
…
By this point, Rosalie had backed off from the fight to instead watch alongside Armin. Opting to let Eren and Mikasa finish it on their own as she began to nurse a bruised face and bloody knuckles.
As expected, Eren wasn't doing too well against Viktor.
Mikasa on the other hand, continued to reign victorious and without a scratch as she knocked Sven back onto the already destroyed stall. She then rounds on Felix as he approached from behind, flipping him over her shoulder and into the air, sending him crashing to the ground in a heap.
Rosalie sighs, a low whimper escaping her— though it wasn't due to her aching wounds. "We're gonna be in s'much trouble…!" She whines to Armin, who laughs nervously in response.
She then looks over when the supportive shouts of the Garrison Soldiers reach her ears; feeling a small tinge of amusement at the sight of Hannes taking on the vendor of the stall that was destroyed.
"Get 'im! Knock his lights out, Hannes!" A soldier jeers.
"You got this! Don't let that useless turd beat you!" A citizen rallies.
Her attention isn't the only one drawn to the commotion, however, as a passing Commanding Officer happens to pass by.
"Hey, you idiots! What the hell are you doing?! Cut it out!" The older male orders as he rushes onto the scene, forcing Hannes and the vendor apart. His eyes then latch onto the scuffling children.
"Pay him back!" Eren all but screeches, grunting when he's shoved back roughly. "Damn it…!"
Scowling, the Officer blows on a small whistle that hung around his neck. "OI! KNOCK IT OFF!" He roars, beginning to push past bystanders as he marched toward their little corner of the square.
Felix immediately tenses, bug-eyed at the sight of the approaching soldier. "Hey! This is turning pretty serious, you guys!"
Backing away from Mikasa, Sven shakes his head. "Forget it! Let's scram!" He yells and his two friends are happy to oblige as they all turn tail and fled down an adjoining alleyway.
Seeing them beginning to make a break for it, the Garrison Soldier picks up his pace. "WAIT RIGHT THERE!" He orders but goes ignored as the three boys never slow down.
"Wait…!" Eren yells, taking a small step forward as the trio disappears around the corner of the opposing street.
Armin leaps forward and grabs onto Eren's arm to keep him rooted in place. "Eren! I don't care about the bread anymore! Thanks for trying!"
Mikasa nods and dusts herself off. "Eren, we should get back home, too."
Rosalie huffs and begins to slowly back away, her eyes locked with the approaching soldiers. "Well, if we're goin' we better do it now."
Eren shakes his head at the three and pushes Armin away. "Go home without me!" He orders gruffly before taking off after the three bullies.
"Eren…!" Mikasa calls out after him as she and Rosalie move to follow. However, before they could even take a step, the Garrison Officer was on them, gripping their arms in a firm grasp.
"Stop right there!" Her orders as he keeps them in place.
"Eren, wait! Eren…!" Mikasa yells again but is ignored as the brunet rounds the street corner and disappears from view.
..
Rosalie is snapped out of her reverie when Mikasa breezes past as she crawls to the wall's edge. "M-Mikasa…?"
"You shouldn't be moving! We don't know how badly you're injured!" Armin exclaims, panicked as he follows after her.
Raising up on her knees, Mikasa rounds on him, her eyes wide and frantic. "Where is he?!"
Armin swallows thickly at her question and is unable to meet her gaze as he looks down at the tips of his boots. "Eren was taken away. Ymir, too. By Bertolt and Reiner." Mikasa's breath hitches at this, and Armin's voice wavers as he forces his next words out. "Eren, he— He lost to the Armored Titan. It's been five hours since then."
Wide-eyed, Mikasa's shocked gaze alternates between Armin and Rosalie— as if waiting for one of the two to declare that it was just a joke. However, when they don't, her bottom lip begins to tremble. "Is anyone… Is anyone chasing them?" She questions quietly as her eyes fall onto Rosalie's form permanently. "Rosie…?"
Rosalie scowls and looks away with a small shake of her head. Her previous agitation returned tenfold at the reminder.
She can feel Armin's hesitant gaze burrowing into the side of her face, allowing him to answer the question verbally in her stead.
"No…"
"Why not?!" Mikasa demands, cheeks tinting pink with frustration.
"They wouldn't let me." Rosalie replies lowly; her tone bitter and gruff as she looks up to meet Mikasa's steadfast gaze. "Wouldn't even let me have the ODM Gear from a wounded soldier to use to use here and now."
Armin shakes his head, remembering the argument the brunette had with Hannes and a few of the other soldiers hours prior. "That's because they know you'll try to go after them when no one's looking." He rebuffs, unbothered by the scowl she shoots his way.
"Going alone would be suicidal." He stresses— for the umpteenth time— before turning to Mikasa. "All of the horses are on the other side of the wall. In order to rescue Eren, we have to wait for the lifts to come so we can move them. There's nothing we can do."He explains, and at the look of Mikasa's downhearted expression, he continues. "Section Commander Hange and the other officers are too injured to move… To even send out a small scouting party, we're going to need more soldiers than this. Soldiers with experience. Understand?"
Defeated, Mikasa shifts in place and sighs heavily, reaching a hand up to cup at the side of her head with a wince. "Not this again…"
Concerned, Armin leans forward. "Does it hurt somewhere?"
"Is it another migraine, 'kasa?" Rosalie questions quietly in addition.
"No… I must've hit my head pretty hard, but I'm fine." Mikasa answers with a gentle shake of the head, her brows furrowed as she lowers her hand and looks down at her lap thoughtfully. "It's just that… When Eren was taken away by Annie… I chased them right away. And fighting alongside Captain Levi and Rosalie, in the end— In the end, we were able to get him back. But now… It's already been five hours…"
Trailing off, she slowly stands and walks over to collect her scarf— which was previously used as a pillow to support her head. Wrapping it snugly around her neck, she returns to take a seat next to the duo once more, her eyes thoughtful. "Hey, Armin? Rosalie…? Why— Why does Eren always seem to go somewhere far away from us?"
"I've been asking myself the same thing." Rosalie mumbles grumpily and continues to fiddle with the ribbon in her hand.
Armin huffs, and the laugh accompanying it is nearly humorless. "Yeah. Now that you mention it… Eren has always run off on his own, leaving us behind. I guess that's just the way things are meant to happen— For Eren, at least."
Mikasa visibly trembles at the thought, her expression one of hurt as she burrows the lower half of her face into the red fabric of her beloved scarf. "But all I want… Is to be at his side. That's all I ask for…" She murmurs wetly with a soft whine as large tears form in the corners of her eyes.
Rosalie wraps an arm around Mikasa's shoulders, and Armin can only watch pityingly as both girls lean into one another for comfort.
It's around this time that Hannes rejoins their small trio, ration packs clutched tightly in his hands. "Mikasa? So you're up, huh…? I bet you're hungry. Here, eat this." He observes, holding out a packet for her to take.
Once she does, he turns to Armin. "Armin, catch!" He calls out, tossing the cracker-like sustenance to the smaller blond before plopping down in front of the three with a huff, handing Rosalie her portion as he does so.
"As usual, field rations are all there is." He comments before taking a large bite of the cracker. "Hmm… Taste neither good nor bad. Same as always." He muses thoughtfully after a minute of chewing. "Speaking of which, this is the same as always, too. Ever since the good ol' days, you three have been there to clean up the mess of that brat. That's what I call a lousy friendship." Swallowing another bite, he shakes his head. "Sheesh… It's a different time and different place, but you kids are doing the same thing you always have. Am I right?"
Armin chuckles. "The neighborhood bullies and Titans are a little bit different in size."
Grinning, Hannes bobs his head in agreement, expression nothing but fond. "True… The thing is, that brat isn't even all that good at fighting. But no matter if he's going up against three or five, he'll charge in all the same. And by the time Mikasa, Rosie, or the soldiers showed up, he'd been beaten to a pulp every time. And you know… I've never seen him win a fight before, but I've never seen him get beat up and give up either."
He then shifts his body around to face them all better; appearing thoughtful. "Sometimes he's so tenacious that even I think it's scary…! No matter how many times he's knocked over, he gets back up. And that's just the kinda guy that he is…! Do you think he'll get taken away without putting up a fight? Nope. He'll keep resisting as long as he has strength. Even more so when he's up against just two. He'll give 'em hell no matter who he's up against until you or I show up to help. That's how Eren's always been."
"He's always been warped, that's for sure." Rosalie snorts in response, feeling her inner turmoil calming at his perspective. "And he always did have a terrible temper." She hums thoughtfully with a soft smile.
"True. But he grows on you, that's for sure." Hannes conceded with a laugh, reaching over to gently ruffle her hair before looking out over the wall wistfully. "I loved those good ol' days… If you ask Eren, he'd say those days were nothing more than a false peace. But for me, I'm more than happy to be a drunk, useless soldier if it means getting back those plain, ordinary days… I'll do whatever I have to, no matter how long it takes to get there."
He then turns back to them, determination shining in his hazel eyes. "I'm coming, too." He informs firmly, "Without you four together again, I can't bring back the good ol' days."
At his statement, the three teens share a look full of budding resolution. Nodding in unanimous agreement, they begin tearing into their rations with newfound vigor.
They would get Eren back, that was certain. It didn't matter what they would have to do or what they would have to go through. They were going to bring him home.
Whatever it takes.
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