Indefinitely - Armin X Reader

Chapter 32 | Multiple Flares

"It's nothing! I promise!" Armin assured quickly, and I did the same.

"I'm alright." I murmured with a smile.

"I'm impressed someone actually answered our distress signal." Reiner mused.

"Well, I wasn't that far away. That and the horses." She smiled. Her sweetness was a needed breath of fresh air.

"A lot of people wouldn't have risked the trip over here." Reined continued on to say. "You're as noble as the steeds you tame - we're all in your debt."

"It was nothing!" Christa replied kindly, wiping tears from her eyes. "I'm just glad you're all okay. What would we do without you?"

The boys all stared at her, and I joined them. 

She's so lovely... 

My thoughts were broken off when I saw the way Armin was looking at her, and I frowned softly. 

"Well, hey, I suppose we better all join the formation." The petite blond suggested, and I nodded. 

"I'm betting they'll order a retreat any minute now. I'm glad to be alive, but heading back after only an hour or so isn't something to be proud of." Jean remarked.

"Is anyone else curious about why she was heading away from the command squad now?" I asked, and Christa looked at me curiously. 

"She?"

A loud crack suddenly echoed through the landscape around us and we turned and saw green smoke in the sky to our left. 

"Green smoke?" I mumbled shakily, devastated not to be heading home.

"Looks like we're not heading back after all." Armin muttered. "Just changing course."

"Yeah, but, that doesn't make sense!" I half yelled. "Why aren't we going home when this mission has been a complete disaster!"

"What the hell? Is Erwin out of his mind?" Jean groaned in unison. "Every one of us had the authority to call the mission a fail, so why is no one speaking up? Is the command too far ahead to see the signals?"

"Is he stupid or some shit?" I exclaimed. "This is suicide!"

"Possibly." Armin stated simply. "Either way, I think our course is clear." Armin shot off a green signal. "He must know something we don't."

Damn, Christa really has all the boys wrapped around her finger... as well as Armin... is there anything I can even do?

"You know, Armin, your eyes look really nice today. They're as clear and beautiful as the sky." I said softy so only he could hear, and I tried to sound as careless as possible, but my face nevertheless turned slightly red, but not as much as the flushed blonde beside me. 

"R-Really?" He mumbled, looking at me in shock.

"Yeah." I said grinning, and I leant over to ruffle his hair, to which he blushed even more.

"T-thanks, I guess."

---

"Are you kidding me!" Jean exclaimed. "Are we on a sight seeing tour now or what? How much further do they want us to stray off course? This is ridiculous!"

We were riding towards a large forest of trees, leaving the cursed open plains behind us. On open ground, fighting titans was more difficult than ever with less places to hide and barely anything to grapple with, while in the trees however, it would be a different story. It reminded me fondly of our training days. But on this mission, the thought of fighting any more titans, or even the Female titan in any situation wasn't something to celebrate.