Shorter Than Me

19 Ecyn

I wake up with the worst headache I've ever felt. I haven't even moved and I can already hear each and every heartbeat like a scream inside my ear. Each pulse sends a wave of pain through my brain. I don't want to move.

Barely a minute after I wake up, I hear a knock on the door. The sound amplifies in my ears and explodes before my closed eyes. I cringe in pain. I hear the door open.

"Guiin. Get up." It's... Ackerman.

I open my eyes. Mikasa is still asleep. It must be earlier than normal. That adding to the fact that I went to bed late last night gives me less hours of sleep than normal.

What happened last night? I remember Ackerman shooting at me and then the first few questions but then... I have no idea what questions they asked. And worse, I don't remember what answers I gave.

"Be outside in five minutes." His voice sounds different, but I'm in too much pain to think about it.

I hear the door close and try to force myself out of bed.

I waste one minute getting up. Then it takes a minute to get my clothes. It takes two minutes to get into them and then another half minute putting my shoes on the wrong feet, taking them off, and putting them on the correct feet. I try to hurry down the hall and I pray to the Walls that Ackerman won't kill me.

He's right outside, glaring at me when I walk out. I only get a glimpse of him before colors fly across my vision and my headache amplifies from the light. I shut my eyes.

"You're late," he speculates.

"I have a headache," I groan.

"Obviously." I open my eyes a little to look at him. I think I see an amused expression on his face, but I'm squinting too hard to tell. "Open your eyes," he orders.

"It hurts."

"Open your eyes, Guiin."

I open my eyes to see him kneeling on the ground in front of me. He has something in his hands. When he shows it to me, I see a ring. "Will you marry me?"

Hahahahaha no!!!!!!! Of course not!

"I don't have to take orders from you. I'm the same rank as you."

"I'm your squad leader and I've been a captain much longer than you have. Open your eyes."

I want to obey him, but I don't want to experience the pain. I force my eyes open and my headache intensifies.

"Deal with the pain."

I want to roll my eyes, but I decide not to.

"I'm leaving for a day so you're going to be in charge of my squad." He starts walking to where the maneuver gear is. "They probably didn't teach you to be a leader in training so I have to now. Everyone will be training like we did when you were sick." He gives me a glare that makes it seem like he's blaming me for my sickness. "You don't know what happened, so I'm telling you now."

That was quite possibly one of the longest amounts of time I've heard him talk. He opens the door and walks in. I follow him.

He didn't open the door for her! X(

We get maneuver gear and are heading to the forest a minute later. My eyes have adjusted more to the light, but my headache still distracts me from his next words. "We were on horses in the formation for part of it, then in the air. It was just like an expedition so there were smoke signals. Do you have any questions?"

I rub my temple with a couple fingers, not able to fully concentrate on his words. "Where are you going?" He left one time before and no one knew where he went.

I glance away from his glare. "That's none of your business."

"Is it the same place as last time?"

"That's none of your business, Guiin." His voice seems tighter and more angry-like, so I decide I probably went too far with the questions.

Stupid headache! I can't think straight.

He tells me some more things, like about the fake titans and our position in the formation. When we go back, everyone is just heading to breakfast. Ackerman walks to the stables and I walk inside the dining hall.

The sound enters my ears and decides an explosion would be a nice idea. The light doesn't hurt anymore, but the sound is even more painful than that was. I glance around for Eren and them. I get my food and sit at the table.

It feels like my brain is tightening harder and harder, while still pulsing every second. I can't focus on the words anyone is saying for a minute or two.

"Are you alright, Ecyn?" Eren asks.

I nod. "There was a Captain Party for me last night. They got me drunk." I don't see whether they're sympathetic or not. They should be.

"I heard there's a new rule for the top ten in training," Jean announces.

"What do you mean?" Armin asks.

"You know how the top ten would have the chance to join the Military Police, right?" He pauses. "They changed it. Now a random five of them have to join the Scouts."

"Really?" Eren says. He takes a bite of food, eyes still on Jean.

"Yeah. The rest still have a choice, but in a month, we'll be getting at least five new cadets from the top ten."

"Why did they want to change it?" Mikasa asks.

"To control Eren even more? Because they recognize that we're dying off? Because they see some kind of hope in the Scouts now? I don't know."

"Is it just a rumor or is it reliable?" I say.

"It's a reliable rumor... Captain." Jean hesitates a little.

"Oh... you don't have to call me Captain... Just call me Ecyn." I don't want to stop being their friend.

"Captain Levi would probably kill us if he heard us calling you that," Eren speculates.

"Then call me Captain Ecyn. My first name," I insist.

"Whatever you say, Captain Ecyn." Jean smirks.

I roll my eyes. "Thanks."

So I was going to end the chapter after four parts, but then I thought that wasn't really fair... I guess. You've waited over two weeks and if a tiny chapter is what you waited for, I want it to be bigger than tiny...

But anyway, you deserve a longish chapter. Thanks for the almost 10K reads. :D