I
TO YOU, A GIRL FROM THE PAST
"If you had to choose between saving humanity, or your friends, which would you choose?"
The young boy had been waiting for something exciting to happen - for his life to be thrown for a loop with something fantastic instead of his usual dazing above the walls - but he wasn't expecting such a weird question from his friend.
"Uh... Where's this coming from?" He asked, his eyes slowly coming down to focus on the young girl. She appeared so suddenly, yet it didn't surprise him too much. She was always one to appear out of the blue.
She was silent, hunched over to look at her reflection from the stream below.
"I'm not sure. It just came to mind and I couldn't pick one. Guess I came to you to help me out." She shrugged, suddenly leaning her head back to look up at the sky.
He quirked a brow, looking at her for a prolonged second before following your attention onto the sky. "I'd save the one most precious to me." He answered - not a second thought behind it. "But... If I was in that scenario, I'd find a way around it."
The girl let out a sigh. Of course, he'd believe that he could prevent both of them. That was just the type of person he was, huh?
"I'd save the world... And I would never let the one I care for die."
She blinked slowly, bringing her attention down to the grass. "You make it sound easy."
"What? You think I wouldn't be able to do it!?" He was frustrated now, gripping onto his red scarf as he defended his honor.
"I didn't say that, I bet you could do whatever you wanted if you tried..." That was the problem - there was a big difference between her and her friend. While he remained bold and determined, it seemed her motivation and drive faltered more and more each day.
"But I... Wouldn't be able to do that no matter how many chances I get. A death can change so many things, some deaths are important. How does someone know if something they see as good... Is actually something that leads to horrible things?"
She was losing her friend's understanding, his mouth falling open and eyes squinting as he looked at her, trying to grasp an idea of what she was getting at. That question of here seemed to be getting a whole lot more serious, less of something she just thought up and more of something that she'd been thinking of for a while.
"If there's someone you care about, there's no damn way their death is important! I don't care how much it changes things!"
The girl wished she could take his words lightly, that they were just some childish hopes - but they stuck to her.
"I get it... Thanks for answering, Eren."
That question had stuck with the brunette for a while, even when he went out for firewood, or helped his mom clean dishes and put clothes up to dry - the question lingered in his mind.
Saving the world or saving the one you hold dearest...
He'd always dreamed about being a soldier of humanity, one that people would recognize and cheer his name for being a hero, but for the ones he loved... Then humanity would have to start finding out a way to help themselves.
It was a memory from the far past, one he wished he forget - yet it stuck like a leech. It was a childish question, one challenging a naive mind to test whether or not they were in over their heads.
Would his answer differ now? People change after twelve years. Only natural as a result of growing older - so then why was it that he found his answer never differed?
"I'm starting to think you've always known how things would turn out."
He wasn't aware he spoke those words aloud - he hadn't meant to - nor was he aware of it until someone beside him pointed it out.
"Who knew how it would turn out? All of a sudden you're a know it all aren't cha' Eren?" The brown-haired person made themselves known, yet Eren hadn't even spared them a glance.
The only thing that filled his mind was a girl he once knew, a girl from the past.
. . .
There was a difference between being alone and feeling lonely, when you sat outside reading a book of fairytales your mother bought you, you didn't feel lonely despite being by yourself. Or when you'd walk down the street to fetch your mother groceries, you didn't feel lonely.
However, when you took the time to look up and see the people around you, smiling faces of friends getting along and children walking down the path with their parents holding their hands - you felt lonely.
You always read it in those fairytale books, friends getting along so well it almost seemed unrealistic. You would go home and ask your mother to accompany you - to take a walk down the street but she was sick in bed. No matter how much you plead, she couldn't do as you wish. Neither could you ask your father to fulfill those wishes, always away and busy at work to provide for his wife and daughter. Only was it when you realize there was nobody there for you like there were for others - did you realize you were lonely.
Even as you sat by your mother, caring for her instead of her caring for you - did you realize that you were jealous of others.
This time, as you walked down the street - you took notice of all of it. Happy faces, drunken faces, everybody you walked past was happy.
Except for one boy, one with yellow hair and a blue sweater over his white shirt. He was crying, despite not even knowing who he was you wondered what could've happened to make someone cry so carelessly in public. Instead of taking the bag of groceries straight home like you usually did, you took a detour.
The boy didn't take notice of you, not until your show came into his peripheral vision - in which he finally looked up with a startled gasp. He had been expecting a group of boys, not a desolate girl with an equally desolate stare.
Reasonably, he was surprised. You were someone he'd seen before - roaming the streets alone or reading some book. He didn't take the time to find you and observe, but he'd definitely seen you around.
"What happened to you?" You mumbled, it was embarrassing to approach a stranger and point it out to them that they were crying - so you tried wording your question just a little differently. You weren't sure if it even worked since he was so quick to wipe his tears away.
"Who are you?" he asked, avoiding your own question as he lowered his head.
"... [Firstname]." You may mumble shifting to settle yourself beside him, placing your bag of groceries to your right - since he was at your left. You shifted your eyes toward his lap, a book that he'd been reading before. "I'm guessing that book was sad?" It was a joke, something you'd thought up. It wasn't a book you'd read before, not like you went out of your way to read many - but it piqued your interest.
He blinked, once, twice, before peering down at his lap. "Oh... Um.." He sniffled, bringing his hands up to grab the book. "I guess it would make some people sad..." He mumbled, "The boy is supposed to protect the girl he loves, and every time she dies, he has to relive the same life again to save her."
You leaned in as close as you could without being weird - getting a peak at the cover. A boy with similar colored hair to you - but his eyes teal. Your stare was prolonged, falling toward the author's name.
"... Sounds cool, I should read it one day." You smiled, backing away from the boy. He turned to look at you, gaze switching from your face to the book in his hands repeatedly before he spoke.
"You can borrow this book!" He offered, his eyes were shiny with excitement instead of glossy with tears from just a moment prior.
You craned your head back, startled by his sudden excitement as you blinked the shock away. "Ah.. Would you really let me?" You asked, almost hoping that he'd take it back. You only said you would read it sometime because you didn't know how else to respond - but now that he offered, you felt obligated to.
"Uh-huh! We can meet up again at this spot so you can tell me how you liked it!" His excitement didn't let up as he lifted his hands, offering the book to you - which you hesitantly took into your own hands. "I'm usually sitting here, anyway... You can come to me whenever!"
Even if you were only borrowing it, you felt the need to pay him back in a way. That's what your father would always tell you, anyway. Don't let yourself be indebted to somebody, it could go for a book too...
So with a sheepish smile, you turned your body to your left, where your bag of groceries lay. Reaching your hand inside, you grabbed onto a piece of sweet bread - one you originally bought for yourself, by itself, it cost just about everything you had. So why was it that you held your hand out and offered it to that nameless stranger? You weren't quite sure.
"Ah... You don't have to give me anything!" He shook his head, initially declining the offer. So the best thing to do was split it into two - although they were similar in size, you'd given him the slightly bigger piece. That time, he was less hesitant to take it.
With a shy smile and bright eyes, he took it. He hadn't even told you why he was crying, nor what his name was - but you left for home that day with a borrowed book in your hand, and him with crumbs littered on his cheeks accompanied by a wide smile.
Though his name wasn't a secret for long, just as he'd said before, he was at that same spot, sitting down with a different book - yet a solemn look still present on his face. When you sat by him, his face lit up in recognition.
"I didn't tell you my name yesterday!" He pointed out, something he didn't have to say - seeing as you remembered it quite clearly - but you didn't comment on it. Instead, you let him continue to speak, introducing himself as "Armin."
The secret of what caused him to cry the first time you met wasn't kept secret for long, either. Although the times you'd meet with him at the same spot were inconsistent - sometimes every day or other times every other day, you made the conscious effort to visit him. Never once would you find him surrounded by a group of boys, it was a new sight. Yet there was a nagging thought in the back or your mind, telling you that you'd seen it once before.
But you hadn't, you were sure of it. If you had, you would've remembered the fight you got yourself into after. You hadn't thought twice before you kicked the back of the first boy's legs, causing them to go weak so he'd fall over - grabbing onto the second one's shirt for support which only caused the both of them to fall. You only grabbed a fistful of the remaining boy's hair to drag him onto the floor with his friends.
It was sudden, so sudden Armin barely had enough time to get onto his feet by the time the three of them were piled onto one another - their complaints and groans falling onto deaf ears as you reached your hand out Armin.
"I finished your book!"
His attention lingered on the boys for a second longer before he looked toward you, blinking slowly to process what happened within a matter of seconds before he offered you a sheepish smile.
"Uh... Did you - did you like it?" He asked, slowly inching himself away from his bullies, turning the corner as you trailed behind him.
"I did! Actually, it reminded me of something."
".. Though I can't remember what it was now."
. . .
ANOTHER SPRING BREAK = ANOTHER BOOK STARTED
(its actually been a year since i uploaded my kny fanfic omg)
mc is the same age as armin, so she wont be having adult love interests, thats way to common in aot ffs and i hate it. also, mc isnt the most attractive human being everyone falls to her feet swooning n shit, thats also very common but if u guys know me u know i like to build up to that 😋
i also lowkey got this book planned out instead of just doin whatever like how i just love to do 🙄
there r some parts from the aot2 game i included in this i just love that game ok
ANYWAY IF UR READING THIS TY!!
ily and have a good day