Restaurant 4pm
"My birthday isn't today." Lunes chuckles hesitantly, scratching the back of her neck. "I know! I know! But... think of this as an early birthday gift!" Y/n opens her mouth, not finding any words as she just nods and voices apathetically, "Okay, thanks."
Lunes smiles, shoving the two kids forward. "Come on, come on, we should be just in time!"
The interior is rich with brown and red, dim lights are scattered around with tables and booths full of chatter, and high-quality black suits and silk dresses.
Y/n gulps, a hefty weight finding purchase on her shoulders. It screams at her that she doesn't deserve such an expensive thing at such a mature, youthful age. It must cost so much, even if it is an early birthday gift.
Pouting, Lunes doesn't spot who she's looking for at the table front and center. "Okay sweets, to the middle table," Lunes commands, forcing the two forward.
It's a stout rectangular table covered in glass, underneath the glass is deep brown wood. The chairs complement it, though there are six of them. Too many for just the three. Y/n sits in the middle, next to Armin and across from her mom.
Y/n watches her e/c hues dart across the room. Y/n clears her throat. "Are you okay, mama?" Lunes catches her daughter's sight, smiling tenderly and folding her hands on the table. "Yes, yes, sweet baby. Thank you for- Oh, sweet Gods they're here!" Y/n and Armin look at each other from Lunes's keen reaction before their gazes find the restaurant doors.
It's a heavenly sight, to say the least. Carla smiles at the hostess, her white flowy dress sways as she walks. Accompanying her summer dress are white flats and a black belt cinching her waist with two sparkly white butterfly clips in her hair, keeping two front strands back. Her pale skin is glowing as she finds Lunes's gaze. A relieved and pleased sigh leaves Lunes, her chin resting on her palm.
There are two others, Eren and Mikasa. Eren cleaned up nicely. He's wearing a black pressed jacket and pants with a white dress shirt underneath and black, freshly polished shoes. His hair is tied back into a slick bun and his face seems to have been shaved with hints of highlighter and concealer on his cheeks, eyes, and nose, making him look ethereal.
Mikasa. Mikasa Ackerman, on the other hand, is a breathtaking woman. She's in a short, deep red dress with black high heels, making her impossibly taller. Her hair is down, but there's a black hair tie on her wrist. She must have just put it down from her cute, tiny ponytail. She's wearing small hints of pink blush with a rosy lip tint. That lip shade reminded Y/n of a certain night with the ravenette. Inhaling, Y/n picks her jaw off of the ground, flitting her eyes away from the three, and instead, at her mother.
"Mom, are they the reason why we're here?" At her title, Lunes glances at Y/n for a second, answering her and then gazing back at the brunette walking over. "Y/n, again, birthday shit, now calm down."
Y/n wanted to shout at her mother's lovesick eyes, yet she bites her tongue, leaning back against the stupidly expensive chair in her school uniform. Why couldn't she change like them?
Armin, on the other hand, is continuing to stare at the three walking over, specifically that tall brunette with a gorgeous face. He shouldn't be, of course, but he's too enraptured not to ogle. He is still head over heels for this man, his crush since the beginning of time. And he's never hated himself more.
Lunes stands up, brushing her chair back. And it's only now that Y/n realizes her mother is wearing a stupid black flowy dress similar to Carla- She even has a white belt and black flats with white butterfly earrings that dangle from her ear lobes. How did Y/n not notice?
It's now that Y/n truly questions her mom's intent.
"Hello, Lunes." "Hello, Carla."
There is a period of content silence until Eren clears his throat. "O-oh right... Mikasa sit next to Y/n. Eren, next to Lunes." Eren sighs at the already-known seating arrangements. Begrudgingly, he sits across from Armin. He freezes, his slouching position straightening as he seems the person he's screwed over most.
Armin seems to notice a slight quirk to the corner of his lips. Y/n inhales as Mikasa takes long strides to sit down next to her, meeting her side by side, and she still has respect for Y/n to ask permission to sit next to her. And in a split second, Y/n is spitting out, "Y-yes, of course." Mikasa smiles at her, watching as something passes through Y/n's eyes. Mikasa shuffles closer to the table, unintentionally bringing her chair closer to Y/n.
As everyone settles, a woman with wavy black hair and fair skin stands in front of them with six menus in hand. "Hello everyone, I'll be your server today. Can I get you anything to drink?" She is short and has beautiful wavy black hair, clad in grey pants and a white shirt for waiters. She has no makeup on, besides mascara.
Yelena said she liked mascara. It'd run down Y/n's cheeks, smearing it was Yelena's favorite. Uttering filthy words of, "Wow, my pretty girl looks so good covered in her own cum and tears." Y/n was caught in a spider web that forced her to watch the prettier girl be better than her. She had to keep her eyes on Pieck or else she wouldn't know what to do.
"Yes, my daughter and I will have water. Everyone else?" Y/n didn't complain nor make a sound of acknowledgment. She never liked a lot of drinks at restaurants. She loved their water though. Not to mention, it was so fucking affordable, free. And Y/n would do anything to keep herself the cheapest thing to afford.
Carla hummed. "A beer please." Eren choked on his own saliva, eyes searching his mother's. "Mom-" "A beer and two waters, anything else?" Peick was writing things down on her tiny wad of paper. Mikasa cleared her throat. "Yes, would it be okay if I had coffee?" Peick hummed, smiling at the woman. Y/n's blood boiled and hurt. She wishes to be in Pieck's position. Maybe she wouldn't have messed everything up. Maybe-
Y/n stops herself, squeezes her eyes shut, and covers her face in her worried hands.
Eren notices Y/n but doesn't say anything because if her attention isn't on him and the concealer covering his bruise, he can't complain. "I'll also have a water, please!" Armin says, and Eren sputters, "Same!" Almost shrieking, he gulps feeling so many eyes on him.
The waitress chuckles. "Four waters, one coffee, and one beer coming right up." Once Peick is gone, Lunes shuffles closer to Carla, further away from her daughter. She glances at the decorated menu Carla's flipped open. "Ooo~ Pasta seems good." Carla snorts. "That's a salad." Lunes freezes in disbelief. "How?" "Well-" "I'm sorry to interrupt, but are you sure about this restaurant?" Carla and Lunes peek up from the menu, looking at Mikasa. She had the menu open to the last page, desserts costing more than fifty bucks for one slice of cheesecake.
Carla is the one to speak, reaching over to grab Mikasa's hands, squeezing them so tightly like a caring mother. The one Mikasa wanted. "Yes, sweetheart. It's our treat, okay?" Carla gestures to Lunes and Y/n scowls at her mother. The mother who had to switch jobs because she couldn't wake up from lack of sleep, the mother who was broken once she left her family, her mother who had mental breakdowns to her child about lack of money, and her mother who would never accept help unless she could return every cent given to her.
That mother is who she had to grow up with. That's the mother she had to help even if she was just five.
"You have money for this?" Y/n didn't realize she said anything until her mother finally looked at her. Truly looked at her, and she wished she didn't. "Y/n, we aren't poor, alright? Just calm down." Y/n shakily inhaled, loudly exhaling. Eren's eyes were on her, Mikasa's, Armin's, Carla's- Oh Gods, Carla gazed at her with so much pity. "Right, um, I'll go clean up." She stood up with a squeak of her chair. She almost ran to the restrooms, after a time staking walk to find them.
Lunes gulped, gaze feebly sinking to her lap. She felt like a little child who said 'I hate you' to her father for getting her a stupid expensive toy car for Christmas instead of a stupidly expensive toy doll. "Um..." Carla took her eyes away from Y/n's retreating form. "Mikasa, could you check on Y/n, please?" Mikasa nodded, getting up silently to follow Y/n.
That left the four at the table, though instead of the blonde and brunette butting into the adult's business, they decided to start their own conversation.
"I don't mean to impose but-" "Impose?" Eren freezes at Armin's question. "Yeah?" He thought Armin would yell at him like earlier today, yet he didn't hear his meaningful yelling, instead, Eren heard Armin's light chuckle. "Since when did you use big words?" Eren blushes, rubbing the back of his neck and glimpsing at Armin. "Since... Now?" Armin nods, squishing his lips into a side smile. "Well, you aren't imposing, she is your friend after all." "Yeah, with a killer punch." Armin snickers, whispering a confirming reply before he glances at the adults making sure they aren't paying attention; Carla rubbing Lunes's back. "I heard from Ymir that... Y/n may be burnt out or something... I don't know, sounds weird for her." Eren hums, resting his elbows on the table, hands folded together.
"Yeah, but she has been a bit off, hasn't she?" Armin's brows furrow. "Kind of, but that only started now." Eren shakes his head, confusion in his eyes. "No, Y/n has been like this ever since last year." "Okay but that's-" "A long time, yeah," Eren interrupts, continuing, "I mean, maybe she's just angry, but..." Eren lowers his voice. "I think compared to the amount of pressure from her mom and everyone else for so long, it's a pretty short time." Armin's face drops. "Can't believe you knew before me." Eren's face pales, and he reaches forward to grasp Armin's hands. "No, no, you're a good friend, she's just very similar to me, excluding her personality... And baking skills... And grades, and a lot more things." Armin's face softens. "Thanks, 'Ren."
It was like sugar falling from his lips, trapping Eren in like quicksand.
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