"That's okay. Do you mind if I come in? I need to tell you something important." He turned to face me, his expression quite bored looking, along with the tone in his voice.

"Do... Do I know you?" I asked.

"Sorry. I'm Ben Kirstein." He held out his hand for me to shake but my mind was focused on something else.

Kirstein.

Jean's last name.

I snapped back to reality and looked at him, who was looking a little confused. I smiled and shook his hand. "Sorry, you have the same last name as my-"

"I'm well aware." He smiled slightly.

"...W-Well anyway I'm-"

"Armin Arlert. Well... Jaeger I guess. I know, my fathers spoke about you alot." He continued smiling.

I cocked my head slightly and squinted my eyes in confusion.

"This is what I came to talk to you about. You might want to sit down for this."

I lead him inside and sat him on the couch, as I sat opposite to him.

"So... Are you..." I trailed off.

"Jean and Marco's son? Yes."

"Oh my god. So..." I searched for words to say, being shocked by the situation. Jean and Marco had a son!?

"Let me explain everything. Jean and Marco adopted me when I was 13, about 6 years ago. They were great parents, and would always tell me stories about their best friends, you and Eren, but when I asked what happened to you, they would always tell me that mistakes were made and you drifted apart.

One day last year after school, I was waiting hours after school had finished for Jean and Marco to pick me up, but they didn't come. I was called to the school office and they told me they were missing. I was 18 at the time. While they were missing I decided to be a little nosy and have a look in their room for some clues or something on their disappearance. Lucky for me I happened to find a journal.

In the latest journal entries it said something about my parents getting strange texts and calls, all threatening. There were also notes about Marco being depressed and cutting himself, which made me a bit uncomfortable. The last entry that was there was a will, saying... Obviously private things I can't exactly discuss with people, but one of them said I could take the house off them and their belongings when they died. A few weeks later, they were found dead at their old house, in very gruesome ways...

After being alone, I decided to go through their room and throw out things, trying to let go of them. It's pretty painful to have a set of parents who died when you were young, then get replacements that also die, especially if you keep their belongings as reminders of their death.

Anyway, about a week later I started to get depressed, as the realisation of my parents being dead again began to really sink in. I felt like I needed to talk to someone but I didn't have friends or family... Then I remembered the stories about you guys. I went through Jean and Marco's phone and found your number, but it didnt go through. So I decided to try your address instead...

I'm not really here to talk about my feelings to be honest, I dealt with that on my own. I'm okay now, so it doesn't matter anymore. I'm mostly here because I want to know if you might know anything about the murder. I had a look at the abusive texts on Marco's phone which often said your name; like 'I'm a friend of Armin's' or 'so you're just like the Jaeger's'. I was a little confused and was hoping you could clarify some things..." Ben explained.

"Do you... Have the texts with you?" I asked.

He handed me a phone. I had a look and each message was very threatening, and was enough to drive a guy crazy. No wonder Marco cut.

'Why would you kiss your bestfriend? Are you trying to ruin his relationship and yours too? Are you trying to hurt others feelings? Stop being a selfish pig.'

How Ymir knew about these things made me confused, but I wasn't really thinking about that. I was more feeling sad for Marco, and how he had to deal with all that because of me. Why would Ymir want to target Jean and Marco?

"Do you know anything about this?" Ben asked hesitantly.

I told him everything I knew and suspected. Ymir must've targetted Jean and Marco to hurt me.

"Why did you guys stop talking in the first place?"

"We were invited to Jean's birthday and while we were drunk, Eren slept with Jean and I slept with Marco... At the time, I didn't know I had slept with Marco but I knew about Eren and Jean, because I walked in on it. A few days later Marco called me to his house alone, where he explained to me that we had slept together. I was comforting him and thats when he kissed me and Jean walked in. After that things were awkward, and they quit their job at my cafe. We just... lost contact." I sighed.

"Oh..." Ben breathed. After a few moments of silence he spoke up again. "So, where did you say Eren was?"

"He's gone to get revenge from Ymir, despite my objections. The idiot is going to get himself killed!! He took the house keys and garage keys so I can't get my car."

"I have a car." Ben suggested.

"But I don't know the address."

"You said it was sent as a facebook message right?" Ben asked, taking out Marco's phone.

"Well yeah but..." I trailed off as Ben went on Marco's facebook page. He went to messages and there was the sent message, with the address.

"Oh my god, your a genius!!" I gasped.

"Well, I need to repay you."

"For what?" I looked at him.

"You told me everything I needed to know, and that made alot more sense for me. Not only that but it made me feel better to know more about my fathers." Ben smiled. "I'm going to help you."

"W-What!? No you can't I don't want to put you in danger like that!" I shook my head.

"Well I want to. And I have the address and car remember? So I have to go." He smirked.

I was going to say something but footsteps from behind stopped me. Ben and I both looked to see Petra walk downstairs.

"What is going-" She began, but stopped when she saw Ben. She coughed slightly and looked at me, then back to him. "W-Who's this?" She asked.

"It's a long story. Don't worry." I sighed.

"Is he family though?" She asked.

"You can ask me yourself you know, I'm right here." Ben rolled his eyes.

"S-Sorry." Petra mumbled, looking down. "Can you guys just keep it down, I've been trying to put Ethan to sleep for the last hour and he's finally asleep."

"Ethan?" Ben asked.

"My son." Petra replied.

"Son!?" He yelled.

"SH!!" Petra hissed. "Yes, my son!"

"But... How old are you?"

"16... It was a mistake okay, don't get into my buisness." She grumbled.

"We have to go somewhere okay? So you don't have to worry about us. We will be back soon." I said, dragging Ben out of the room before anything could happen.

"16 with a kid!?" Ben hissed as we approached his car.

"Yeah I'm not too pleased about it either." I mumbled.

---

these chapers are long hehe praise me

3 more chapters left

i wrote them all already hehe but just a warning I havent edited them so oops but im gunna stick to the usual and will publish daily

HAH EREN YOU FUCKFACE im sorry i had to add that i just couldnt resist

~Biffleinator

Falling (SEQUEL TO 'THE SECRETS WITHIN')Where stories live. Discover now