Unity

Chapter Seven

The sun's rays had slowly began to set, so Mikasa, Eren, and I had all decided to go makes a fire again to stay warm in the cool of the night. Our pit was relatively small now, because we burnt through most of the wood during the night we made the bonfire. Eren got the lighter from his back pocket and lit the bottom of the pit, and soon it had spread and reflected off of our cold bodies.

"Why the fuck is it so cold tonight?" Eren cursed more and rubbed the cloth on his ripped sweatshirt onto his skin, in attempt to be warmer. Mikasa sat monotonously and put her nearly-blue hands in front of the fire. "Aren't you cold, Armin?"

"Just a bit," Eren's arms curled against his shoulders and he hugged himself tightly. I seated myself a few feet from the fire that had warmed my face quickly. Mikasa lay down and rested her hands over her face.

"You guys should try to sleep. We have school tomorrow." Her body turned towards the side away from us, and even though I couldn't see her face, I knew that her eyes were shut by the way that her whole body seemed more relaxed.

Eren yawned and outstretched his arms.

"Come here," my reluctance hadn't won this battle, and I'm glad it didn't, because the heat radiating off of Eren's body was warmer than any fire's.

"You're so warm." Eren grabbed both of my hands and interlocked all of our fingers.

"Maybe that's because for the first time in 15 years, my heart is beating and my feelings aren't all just rage." The moon's smile reflected mine, and I knew Eren could feel it, too, because his pessimism about the cold evolved into happiness.

Silence blew through the air for a while before it was broken by a response.

"Are you still cold?" I waited another moment for Eren to think of something.

"No, because you're warm, too." It wasn't long before Eren's head fell peacefully onto my shoulder, and he was zonked out. My eyes, too, came to a close, and that night was like the one before, but less resistant.

Sunrise hit me with an unexpected flash coming from Mikasa's shiny-dark eyes.

"It's time to get ready, Eren," she tugged on Eren's sleeve until her eyes met my blue ones. "and Armin." My hands were wrapped around Eren's torso, and they were not when I had fallen asleep, at least that I remember.

"Hi, Mikasa," Mikasa tucked a bundle of black hair-strands out of her face and smiled lightly at me.

"Hi, Armin." She stared down hopelessly at Eren's sleeping body. "Do you think you can wake him up?" My gaze focused on Eren's face, and how it appeared as if every muscle in it was completely paralyzed.

"I don't know, but I'll try." My hands reached out to where Eren's hands were. One of the was still tightly attached to mine.

"Eren, it's time to get ready for school," his body shifted slowly and slightly towards the side. "Come on, Eren." I lightly shook his shoulders and squeezed his hand that was latched onto mine. It seemed to be the only tensed muscle in him at the moment.

"Armin," one of his eyes opened, revealing his golden one. Highly-compressed and fine quality shone through his eyelid before it opened all the way. "Hey."

"It's time for school." Eren's green eye opened a bit after, and they both fixed on Mikasa.

"Damnit." He stood and threw off his hoodie and slipped into his sneakers. "By the way, Mikasa, when's the next time we're going to wash our clothes? It's been two weeks." She shook her head and wiped off the mud from her shoes.

"We don't have the money to do that right now. We spent the rest of it on food, remember?" As he cracked his neck, Eren groaned.

"I'll try to find a job."