By the time morning had finally arrived, Armin had awoken at his usual hour. The sun beams had just started shining through the window, creating a warm, soft glow throughout the room. Carefully, he sat up fully, stretching the sleep from his muscles as he groaned out softly, giving a loud yawn. He then moved to gently move Mikasa off of him, tucking her neatly into their bed while fluffing her pillows just how she liked. He then leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek, whispering a gentle good morning to her while she still snoozed deeply. Armin then made his way across the room, dressing himself in a baggy shirt and some old pants he had packed, figuring that he would tend to the messier chores for the day.
Slowly, Armin moved to fix his bed head using the reflection on the window, before he opened the door to the bedroom and made his way out. Quickly though.. he was met with Hange, who stood in the doorway with a cold stare lingering on her face. Hange forced a smile on her lips, her eye twitching a bit as she leaned her posture over Armins slightly. She chuckled slightly, feeling her jaw clench.
"Quite the night you two had... eh?" She forced out between her teeth.
"Uhm..." Armin was caught off guard, feeling his entire face flush as he backed away from her slightly, shutting the door behind him to hopefully allow Mikasa to rest unbothered.
"W.. we just slept... like we always do..." He tried to brush it off, even though it was clear as day she had heard at least some of last night.
"Oh don't bullshit me!! I heard every little thing!! You forget how thin these walls are eh? Do you realize how much damage you could have caused?! Not only to me mentally but you forget that she's HEAVILY pregnant.. with a child that isn't yours might I add! Surely you can't be this stupid Arlert!!" Hange rambled aggressively, pointing to the door and motioning her words with her hands.
Armin felt his face drop at her sudden interrogation, groaning out in embarrassment as he continued to lean against the door of the bedroom. He moved to brush his hair out of his face, swallowing his embarrassment as best as he could.
"M.. Mikasa wanted it I assure you!! I didn't do anything she didn't feel comfortable doing!!" He finally spoke up.
"And furthermore!! I.. what? Mikasa started this?" Hange paused for a moment, staring at Armin in disbelief before she turned her head towards the closed door. She was surprised...knowing Mikasa, she knew how much that girl loved Eren. Hange might even argue to an unhealthy degree.
So to hear that Mikasa started it...at first Hange almost didn't believe Armin. But she also knew he was never one to lie. If it had been Jean standing there instead, she absolutely wouldn't have believed him. But...this was Armin. The realization hit Hange hard, as she slightly leaned back against the kitchen counter, crossing her arms.
"I sure hope you both realize how Eren is going to feel when he finds out..." She commented darkly.
"Yeah... I've already prepared for the ass beating I'm going to get.. but please... let's just save the lecture for another time.. this is all a lot on her... and if we bombard her with too much she's going to lose it... it's already hard enough with the baby..." Armin pleaded, attempting to keep his voice quiet as he listened to her, motioning his hands to silently gesture for her to quiet her tone.
"She's exhausted... and she just needs someone who will make her feel loved in such a hard time... it's hard enough to get words out of her... imagine how she'll be when you're bombarding her with your judgments." He added worriedly. Hange fell silent, pondering her thoughts.
It didn't take long for Mikasa to wake shortly after the two's discussion. She had wanted nothing more than to sleep in, but the baby's persistent, hard kicking had continued waking her every time she started to nod off again. With a defeated groan, Mikasa sat up and stretched, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she groggily looked at the window, trying to piece together what time it might be. She looked down softly, recalling last night's activities as she felt some warmth reach her cheeks. Her mind was truthfully still a mess...but she found herself not regretting last night. As much as she felt like she should.
Slowly, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and used the nightstand to help herself up. With a soft, breathless groan, she forced her heavy body up, her lower back almost instantly aching. She grimaced slightly, making her way over to the dresser and grabbing her hairbrush, working through the tangles and small knots that had formed in her long hair from last night's sleep.
Once she had finished brushing her hair, she put on some clean clothes, her dark purple cardigan, white top, and dark gray long skirt which reached down to her ankles. While Mikasa often preferred her favorite outfit with the pink cardigan, she had a few other nice ones she picked out for herself when she and Eren first came here.
After she was dressed, Mikasa looked towards the nightstand. Her eyes fell on the scarf...and she debated on wearing it or not. She approached it, moving much slower, growing exhausted from the heavy weight of the baby she was carrying. Once she reached it, she went to pick it up...but she stopped.
Part of her was so used to wrapping it around herself...but the other part...didn't want it on. Sighing softly, she chose to leave it behind. If it bothered her too much...she could always come back in the room and get it. But somehow...she doubted that she would.
She placed a hand on her lower back which had been aching immensely, and made her way into the kitchen. As soon as she came out, she noticed Armin's flushed expression and Hange's odd face, which could only be described as mentally disturbed. Blinking, she couldn't help but ask what this comical situation was about.
"Everything okay, you two?" She asked softly, going over to the kitchen counter to make some tea in the kettle.
Armin immediately froze when Mikasa walked out, his cheeks flushing a warmer pink as he moved to pinch the bridge of his nose, noticing Hange's shifting face in the corner of his eye.
"Oh, we're just fine. Just was asking Armin here what the commotion was all about." Hange spoke through her smile, brushing a hand through her messy hair as she sighed heavily, feeling her eye twitch again as she attempted to hold back her own need to call out what she had heard.
Armin didn't respond, looking to Hange with a shocked expression, realizing just how smoothly she had slipped out her knowledge of their previous night's events.
"Seems like you two were in a lot of danger. Considering how loud you must have been. I had to consider checking in on you two... but decided against it. Glad you both are okay." Hange continued, leaning back and looking at Armin with a smirk, crossing her arms as she watched his face shift more into his shock.
Mikasa froze in place, her cheeks turning pink as she seemed to turn into a deer caught in headlights, as she stared blankly down at the kettle. After several seconds, the kettle started whistling, snapping Mikasa out of it. She shook her head, and lifted it off the hot surface, turning the stove off.
"Things...are just complicated right now. No..that's bullshit. They're a mess. I wish I could just snap my fingers and set things right and make sense of it all...but it's too late for that." She finally spoke, pouring herself some tea.
"I wish things were as simple as slicing a titan's nape...I told Eren he should have used thicker wood for these walls" She admitted with a comically annoyed expression as she sat down in the living room, exhaling sharply.
Hange couldn't help but scoff for a moment at Mikasa's comment, shaking her head slightly.
"You and me both. But with how complicated things have gotten now... there's no chance I can leave you two morally alone to handle anything that might come your way."
Armin darted his glance between the two of them, clearly finding no comedy in such a situation. Finally, he slouched his posture in defeat, moving to turn his focus onto Mikasa. He noticed how much she had been slouching recently, and how much lower her belly had gotten seemingly within hours. Slowly, he walked to her side, standing close to her and allowing her to lean her heavy weight against him. The sweet smell of tea lingered in the air, which provided a sense of comfort for him, as his hand carefully reached down to rub her lower back.
"I'm all for following your heart. But please be safe about it. Don't let the wrong people find out about any of this... you never know how they'll twist reality to gain something." Hange instructed sternly, shooting the two of them a firm glare.
Hange turned her glance towards Armin for a moment, blinking softly as she studied the look on his face, realizing the immense care he had for her. It was a nice change, not seeing Mikasa bend over backward for someone who barely provided the same for her.
"I don't know the details of it all. And I suppose I should have questioned it a lot more back when things were simpler... but I do know that Armin has a deep care for you. I wouldn't let that go to waste. He dropped everything in Marley as soon as he read your name, and hasn't even considered returning or speaking to us ever since...he kept you hidden and kept you safe. Eren however... didn't look into who I stood with. He didn't consider that I could have easily turned against all three of you and massacred you both. He happily spilled your location to me, trusting that I would do the right thing. Armin here... left without a trace, and didn't say a word about your whereabouts. He knew you were a criminal under scout law, and he knew that you could be hung for all of this. So.. he kept his silence and designated everything to you. It's just something I would consider while you work through this."
Mikasa took Hange's words to heart, thinking it over in her head. She was...surprised Eren so carelessly gave her location. Of course, she trusted Hange but...it just seemed so risky. It was a detail she hadn't really considered before now. She set her cup down, pondering over her thoughts as her choice seemed to steer closer and closer to Armin. Her deep thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she felt a small pain in her abdomen, causing her to wince, grimacing slightly.
She had been experiencing these false contractions since last month, and she remembered how much it panicked Armin the first time he witnessed them happening. And judging by the look on his face now, she could see that hadn't changed.
"I'm alright Armin...it's just those..practice ones again.." She assured him, trying to steady her breathing. She had studied pregnancy in the books they had and knew that starting with the seventh month, the mother usually experienced a series of 'false contractions' and all it meant was her body was preparing for real labor...though she had been experiencing them rather frequently as of late.
Armin felt his heart drop to his gut as she felt her tension beneath his hand, noticing the pained expression on her face. Immediately, he moved to grab her hand, carefully sitting down beside her. Her reassurances didn't seem to help much, as he knew that she would say such a thing even if she was bleeding out before him. His glance turned towards Hange as his brows furrowed in his worry, his eyes pleading for her to find some sort of logic to these odd false contractions. He didn't seem to believe the books as much, especially with how frequent they were.
Hange noticed his glance, frowning a bit at the pleading look in his eye. She continued to realize more and more just how uneducated Armin was when it came to pregnancy, and she knew that his endless love for her had fogged up his ability to apply logic to conflicts like this, something he had been so good at before. This unknowing knowledge was a scary reality for Armin, and his inability to find the known within the unknown had practically crushed him. She carefully stood to her feet, walking over to Mikasa's side, kneeling in front of her. Hange then reached her hand out and placed it over her swollen abdomen. Hange then carefully applied pressure to her abdomen, cocking a brow as she hummed in her focus.
"You said you were 8 months along right? How often do you get these contractions? And how far back were you getting them?" Hange questioned, looking up at Mikasa for a proper answer, keeping her tone soft as she continued to work through her biological knowledge.
"I'm gonna say...since a month ago...I did some reading and everything I was able to research just said it was normal, that my body was preparing...itself for labor." Mikasa winced mid-sentence, her abdomen tensing up again as she grimaced, before releasing a shaky exhale, attempting to breathe through the pain.
"They haven't been too frequent until recently..maybe once every few days...every week?" She looked to Armin for confirmation, hoping she was remembering correctly. She took several deep breaths, squeezing Armin's hand a bit tightly. She seemed to be handling the pain well, though that was expected from Mikasa.
"They seem...random, honestly." She admitted between her somewhat heavy panting.
Hange leaned back slightly, moving to stand to her feet before she turned her head towards Armin. Her eyes seemed reassuring, but there was a sense of concern laced within them. Something had worried her enough to have to remain silent for a moment, finding her words as she rested one of her hands in her pockets.
"While it is normal, it means that you are far enough along to where your body recognizes how close you are to delivery. That being said, you need to be extremely cautious moving forward. Especially given your... nightly activities."
"Will she be okay? We didn't... hurt anything did we?" Armin finally spoke after a brief moment of silence, his voice blurting out more frantically as he squeezed Mikasa's hand in response. Naturally, he moved to lean against her gently, a look of guilt falling over his features as he frowned.
"Other than mentally traumatizing me... I don't think you two did any damage. Likely, you did her some good what with everything going on. Mikasa likely would have felt that something was wrong." Hange replied reassuringly, clearly disinterested in providing any more details than she had to. It had already been enough to have to hear them consummate their love the night before, now she had to be the one to reassure Armin through topics that she should not have to educate him on.
"The best thing I suggest is to take it easy and keep an eye out for anything irregular."
Armin heaved a sigh of relief, falling silent once more as he turned towards Mikasa once more. He shot her an apologetic glance, before nodding slightly towards Hange.
"I'll make any preparations needed... chop some extra wood and stay ahead of the chores. If needed, I can head to town while you stay with her, and I'll pick up some extra bedding and clothing for the baby.. in case of an emergency." He said softly.
Mikasa picked up on the anxiety in Armin's voice, feeling some of her own start to surface. She looked down at her belly, as the realization of how much their lives were about to change started to sink in. She then looked up at Hange.
"I...really appreciate you staying and helping Hange...I don't think I said that before...but even if I did...thank you.." She said softly, feeling an overwhelming amount of gratitude. Hange's eyes slightly softened, before looking away slightly.
"If it had been any other of my comrades, I wouldn't be doing this much...but...I care about you three...well...you two. And I'm not about to leave you both alone during this" She assured.
The next month seemed to practically fly by, feeling more like a few days rather than four weeks. In that time, some changes occurred to the cabin's property. To spare Hange from having to hear anymore...nightly activities...Armin had a smaller cabin built right behind the main cabin. An extra stable was built as well so all three horses had shelter. Despite having her own place to sleep though, Hange spent most of her days with Armin and Mikasa. The closer Mikasa was getting, the more on edge both Armin and Hange had become.
What didn't help with the tension at all was that not only had Mikasa passed her due date, she was a week overdue. This caused natural concern from Hange and Armin, and at this point, it was a waiting game. With a colder season arriving, it had become increasingly cloudy as more thunderstorms occurred. It was afternoon, and something in the air just felt...off. Mikasa was inside, getting as much rest as she could with how close she was to giving birth. She was exhausted during this last week, though she put on a strong face. She was resting on one of the couches, listening to the soft crackling of the fireplace. She was wearing her warm pink cardigan, and had a mostly empty cup of tea sat on the table in front of her.
As time went on, Armin's concern had grown more as more time had passed since Mikasa's due date. Armin had entirely lost his ability to sleep, and he had pushed his own needs aside to ensure that he was prepared for anything to happen. Other than the cabin as well as some much-needed chores, Armin would make sure that he was not far from Mikasa for more than an hour at most. He had clung to her harder than even he would like to admit, and his heart had only drawn closer and closer to her the more time they had spent together. It had been a bit of an obsession, but it was something he had promised to dedicate himself to. He and Hange had settled into the main cabin for the afternoon in hopes of riding out the cool afternoon storms that usually happened around this hour. Armin remained beside Mikasa, holding her hand carefully as he allowed his head to remain lowered. His glance remained locked forward, while his mind continued to race through his deep thoughts.
Outside the cabin, the sound of approaching thundering hooves could be heard as a dark bay stallion galloped across the hills, heading for the cabin with a hooded rider, approaching closer and closer from the distance.
Hange remained posted by the window, watching the clouds roll in from the horizon as she carefully blinked away the exhaustion from her eye. She reached her hand up, rubbing some of the bags from her eye, taking a moment to fixate on the hills scattered across the horizon. At first, nothing seemed to catch her eye, just the typical surrounding paradise that their cabin had been in. However... she noticed something racing along the path, making its way towards the cabin. They still had a good distance to go, but Hange seemed to have a rightful concern about who it might be. She narrowed her eye, turning her head towards Armin, who had already been looking towards her, sensing the unease in the air. "Armin, you might want to go look out."
Armin silently nodded, moving to stand to his feet. He then leaned down, planting a gentle kiss on Mikasa's cheek. He then shot her a small reassuring smile before pulling away.
"I'll just be a few minutes, okay Mikasa? Hange will stay in here with you." He whispered to her before he walked over to Hange's side again. The two then silently nodded to each other, before Hange moved to pull a weapon she had hidden in her long coat, before firmly planting it in Armin's hand. Armin looked down on it, then shot Hange an odd glance, clearly distrusting her judgment on the situation. Mikasa watched the two, suddenly becoming more alert and tense, sitting up slightly.
"At the very least, it'll stun whoever we are dealing with. For the sake of me and Mikasa, at least take it with you." Hange sternly instructed, opening the front door before nodding to her comrade.
"Lock the door behind me.. don't open it for anyone but me." Armin responded firmly, moving to make his way out the door.
Carefully, he ensured the gun handed to him was loaded, cocking back its safety before dropping it limply at his side as his fingers remained grasped onto it tightly. As soon as he heard Hange lock the door behind him, Armin walked to the entrance of the property, focusing his glance towards the approaching rider. He narrowed his eyes, tightening his free hand into a fist as his heart pounded heavily through his ears.
Mikasa could sense the unease in the air as well, she sat up a bit more, feeling the need to stay on alert despite not being in any condition to fight or do anything really. She kept her eyes trained on Hange, hoping she would be able to get a clear view of whatever was out there.
Eventually, the horse came into full view and stopped in front of the cabin. The hooded rider gripped the reins and finally looked up to reveal his face. There was a strong gust of wind, pushing his hood off and revealing the mane of dark brown hair and emerald green eyes. Eren frowned, his eyes checking out the property quickly as if to ensure everything was still standing. His eyes then fell onto Armin.
If Hange hadn't told him about Armin's departure, he would have been surprised. Instead, he simply frowned down at his old childhood friend.
"So Hange was telling the truth..." He spoke quietly.
Hange kept watch at the front window, narrowing her glance as the familiar rider rode up to the edge of the property. She felt an anger rise deep within her, as her frown grew across her lips. Carefully, she turned her back towards the nearby wall, hiding herself from Eren's sight as she kept an eye trained on the duo. Immediately, she could sense the overgrowing tension between the two of them, listening as thunder clashed in the approaching storm nearby.
"What are you doing here, Eren?" Armin's words had a sting to them as he spat out viciously, narrowing his glance as he remained standing firmly in his position.
His grip on the gun tightened slightly, but it remained firmly planted at his side, a slight tremble in his hands.. almost as if he was fighting the urge to strike out toward him immediately. His glance was less than welcoming, as his hardened eyes continued to stare daggers through Eren's hard exterior, clenching his jaw as he attempted to keep his silence.
"I was going to ask you the very same thing." Eren spat back, picking up the tension between them instantly. He glared, dismounting his horse and facing Armin.
"I found out from Hange that Mikasa sent for you...but still, part of me wondered if you even made it here" Eren admitted. He frowned, getting a strange feeling in his gut. Something was off with how Armin was acting. He came off...protective.
Like a mother grizzly bear protecting her cubs...no...it was more like a father protecting his family. It was such a powerful tension, that Eren wasn't sure he was even going to get past Armin without a fight.
"Hange...who's out there? Is Armin okay?" Mikasa asked inside, her tone growing urgent and worried when she could see Hange trying to conceal herself behind the wall.
She didn't have to look out the window herself to know something was wrong and whatever visitor they had was not a welcomed one. And despite the most obvious answer being in the back of her head, she tried to deny it. Hange turned towards Mikasa, silently frowning down at her as she attempted to rapidly make up some sort of lie to keep her calm. Quickly though, she was drawn to the conclusion that Mikasa would be able to pick apart any lie she had thrown at her... and she was far too smart for her own good. She kept her back against the wall, shaking her head a bit as a somber expression fell over her features.
"Eren's back... and I don't know if Armin will be okay," Hange replied honestly, preparing to catch Mikasa if she had rushed up to try and help. Mikasa froze, her expression shifting to a mixture of shock and horror. She knew no reality didn't end in those two ripping into each other...either as humans or titans.
"I locked the door, and you are to stay right where you are. We are handling it." Hange saw Mikasa's urgent expression, growing worried. She knew the poor girl was in no condition to aid in this type of conflict.
"Eren...?" Stubbornly, Mikasa gripped the arm of the couch, pushing herself up with a grunt of effort, moving surprisingly fast despite her heavy round belly.
She had to see him. Part of her missed him, but an even bigger part of her was...frustrated, angry even. She wanted to face him...demand why he left her, and why he suddenly decided to show up now. No...she needed to confront him.
"Mikasa wrote me a letter not long after you had left her. I abandoned my post and came to help her after you decided to neglect your family." Outside, Armin kept his answers vague, narrowing his eyes as anger continued to spit violently through his words.
A newfound hatred had surfaced in between them, and Armin had been less than welcoming of Eren's return. He had made it bitterly obvious the relationship between him, and his loyalty to Mikasa had proven to be stronger than any sort of friendship between them. Years of tension had come down to this, and the shift in the air had only caused it to grow heavier between them.
"What are you doing here, Eren?" Armin repeated his question firmly, allowing the gentle gust of wind to flow through his blonde hair.
Eren stared at Armin, allowing the question to linger in the tense air for several seconds.
"I live here, Armin. And I've come back after having to...handle some things. It's that simple. My question...is why do you seem so determined to not let me in my own home? Where's Mikasa?" Eren asked, his tone coming off almost demanding as the tension grew.
Armin grew more and more angry, clearly despising Eren and his sudden belief that everyone here owed him something, especially after all this time. He stepped closer to Eren, positioning himself in between the door and him. He knew that he didn't have much of a chance against Eren when it came to hand-to-hand combat.. but he knew how to distract him just enough for the two inside to be able to figure out a plan.
"You have no right to excuse your actions and manipulate me into believing that you were doing this all for some bigger purpose!! You lost that privilege when you left Mikasa to handle your child all alone. You lost that when you shattered her heart completely, so don't you dare speak on this like you have any sort of redemption." Armin wasn't going to play into his games, raising the gun before he moved to point it, ensuring its end had remained aimed just in between his eyes.
Inside, Hange wasted no time gently restraining Mikasa, going off of pure faith that her current state would make her weak enough to not be able to escape her grasp. She glared at her as she looked towards the window again, making sure Eren hadn't seen the sudden movements within the house.
"Mikasa.. whatever you are planning... you aren't going to be able to do it in your condition. Let Armin handle it..." Hange insisted as Mikasa started to fight against her grasp, though she wasn't able to physically do much with how heavily pregnant she was at this point. So instead, she resorted to reasoning.
"They're going to murder each other if we leave them alone out there, Hange! If I show myself, Eren won't hurt anyone...and neither should Armin. You need to let me out there...!" She pleaded urgently, the creeping anxiety of losing one of them...losing Armin...was starting to take effect.
Hange hesitated, at first refusing to let Mikasa go. She would be damned if she let her be hurt, but as Mikasa spoke...some of her reasoning did make sense. Even though Eren and Armin were on the brink of killing each other, they both did care about Mikasa...Armin for certain...and Eren...to some degree. Neither would risk her well being...or the baby's. At least...Hange hoped Eren wouldn't. Hesitantly, she slowly released her grasp on Mikasa.
"God you're stubborn...at least let me help you up.." She gave in, gently taking Mikasa's hand. Outside, the tension only seemed to increase.
"You sure have a lot to say on matters that aren't your business, Armin. I'm not sure what Mikasa told you, but I promise I didn't abandon her. And if you lower your weapon, I'm more than happy to explain my reasoning. I admit...my letter to her was far too vague and I should have told her I was leaving face-to-face...but I guess..I'm too much of a coward" Eren pondered on his reasoning, not seeming all that intimidated by the weapon aimed at him, his usual cocky self.
"You lost my sympathy when you faked your death, promising Mikasa a calm and peaceful life... only to abandon her just because you felt the need to play out some sick plan of yours. You're a coward, but the letter wasn't what determined that for me." Armin spat out coldly, narrowing his eyes as he steadied his aim, placing his finger over the trigger.
"EREN!" Mikasa's cry was suddenly heard, breaking the tension briefly as she pushed the door open, rushing out before stopping, being slightly held back by Hange. Eren froze at the sight of Mikasa, no longer looking at Armin.
"Mikasa... get inside. The last thing I need is for you to get up from your rest." Armin demanded, dropping the weapon momentarily, his eyes also shifting over to her in worry.
"Nice to see you Eren.. heard you had quite a blast after I had left Paradis. Didn't quite fit to my side of the deal, now did you?" Hange greeted, with a heavy hint of sarcasm and annoyance.
Eren didn't seem to notice Hange or hear her words, staring at Mikasa. He held...an almost pathetic look on his face. Something about the sight of her seemed to make the normally cocky, nonchalant man... practically crumble to his feet.
"Mikasa...I'm..." he studied her, seeing just how far along she was. He wasn't too late...but more so, he noticed other things. Her face...which would have normally been filled with great relief to see him...held a cold, almost disappointed expression. And there was something else...the absence of the maroon scarf that normally was wrapped around her neck.
"W...Where's your scarf...?" Eren asked, realizing it may have not been the best question, but the shock of not seeing it on her was enough to force the question out into the open.
Mikasa had a brief moment of almost feeling bad for his depressed tone, but then she quickly glared darkly again. Slowly, she walked down the porch steps and approached Eren. She walked past Armin and stopped directly in front of Eren. She stared up at him, her face expressing a mixture of defeat, disappointment, and sorrow. It was an expression Eren had never quite seen on her face before.
"Why did you come back...?" She asked, her voice coming out broken, tired, with a hint of frustration.
It was not a question Eren was expecting...if anything he expected her to ask why he left...or expressed her relief in his return. But instead...she almost seemed...pissed off that he was back. Part of it stung, but the other part...Eren understood fully.
"I'm...so sorry Mikasa. I know I left you..but please...if you'd give me the chance...I can explain..." Eren pleaded, his voice cracking as that normally nonchalant and cocky attitude seemed to be completely replaced by a pitiful man ready to break at Mikasa's feet. Mikasa kept her frown, not saying anything else.
Armin remained silent as the two continued to talk, moving to slowly walk to Mikasa's side, standing protectively beside her as he continued to stare daggers through him. His eyes remained trained on Eren, watching as his face shifted pathetically to a man who had actual sympathy for her. Armin didn't give in to his game and was glad to see Mikasa wasn't falling for it either. He felt his stomach churn uneasily at the sight, feeling a sickness fall over him as he watched Eren continue to plead like a lost little boy, totally avoiding everything he assumed was done during his time apart from Mikasa. He stood tall, heaving a shaky sigh as he attempted to collect himself. Slowly, he parted his lips to speak but was immediately interrupted by Hange.
"Don't believe a word he has to say, Mikasa. I've had intel tell me that he massacred Marley as soon as I had left to come find you. He left simply to destroy the lives of others. He never let go of the war... you don't want a murderer to father your children." Hange snapped, allowing her words to broadcast a bit louder this time, ensuring that Eren had heard her for the second time, narrowing her eye as she watched him carefully.
"With all due respect, commander...this is between me and my wife." Eren's tone seemed to change in an instant like it was an on-and-off switch.
"No Eren. It's between all of us" Mikasa cut him off, glaring a bit more firmly. Eren immediately grew timid again, quieting down. Mikasa exhaled, collecting her thoughts.
"I'll let you explain yourself...but...things aren't going to be the same..." Mikasa warned him, she wasn't ready to tell him everything quite yet...she knew that if she did, it was likely he wouldn't tell them everything out of bitterness. And she had to know why....why did he leave...but even more so...why did he return? Right before the arrival of their child as well...his timing was...irritating.
"I understand. I'm not here to plead for your forgiveness...I know that's too much to ask. I just...want a chance to be heard out." Eren replied simply. Mikasa exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Let's talk inside.." She decided finally, staying near Armin as the group started to make their way inside.
Hange remained in the back of the group, keeping her eye fixated on Eren as she moved to pull her weapon from her long coat, narrowing her glance as she clenched her jaw. When they had entered, Hange moved to shut the door behind them, locking it before leaning her frame against it. Her cold stare remained locked on him, but she decided to keep her silence, allowing Mikasa's voice to be heard.. especially after such a long time of holding her tongue towards him. Although she was not fond of hearing Eren out.. she knew that this quarrel between the three of them had been something that needed to be addressed, especially considering all Eren had done in the span of these few months.
Armin carefully led Mikasa to the opposite side of Eren, maintaining his position in between them as he continued glaring daggers through his old friend. It had taken all of his power to maintain his composure, as rage fumed through him like a raging wildfire that had sparked deep in his chest. He swore he could feel the burning sensation deep within him, causing him to tense slightly as he grabbed Mikasa's hand firmly.
As Mikasa started to go through the door frame, Mikasa suddenly winced as she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She groaned out a bit louder than she wanted, leaning against Armin and gripping onto the doorframe. It didn't....seem like the real thing...but it was admittedly getting difficult to tell the closer she got.
Armin's focus seemed to shift towards her when he felt her lean against him, his head turning to look down at her. His angry glance shifted to a worried expression as he frowned softly, moving to hold her close to him, silently reassuring her as he rubbed her back carefully while she worked through her pain.
"You came at quite an awful time, Eren. If you had any involvement in this whole thing, you'd know that she is in no condition to hear your pathetic excuse." He spat at Eren, staying near Mikasa protectively, recognizing clearly before Eren the vulnerable state she was in.
"Honestly...I was worried I would come back too late..." Eren admitted it was clear he was also struggling to keep his composure.
He watched how protective and caring Armin seemed, and how Mikasa seemed to lean into him for support instead of Eren. It made him sick, and something just felt so...different about how they behaved around each other. Trying to push those thoughts back, he sat down and kept his eyes on Mikasa.
"Normally you would be too late...the baby was supposed to arrive a week ago..." Mikasa replied a bit breathlessly, before composing herself, the pain subsiding. She quietly sat down beside Armin on the couch, across from Eren and Hange who sat on the other one. Mikasa leaned against Armin weakly and took a moment to catch her breath. Her hand softly caressed her swollen belly, which felt...slightly tighter and more tense than usual...as she grimaced a bit again. These small pains were a bit more persistent than usual...but they were extremely mild so she didn't worry too much at the moment. She exhaled before finally looking at Eren.
"Explain." She said simply. Eren hesitated for a second, but then looked down, unable to look her in the eye before finally speaking.
"When you told me that we were having a baby...I panicked. Not because I didn't want a child with you, or because I didn't feel ready to be a father...but it was because...I didn't want our child growing up in a world inhabited by titans. And war. I also didn't want our child to be forced to grow up without a dad...because in three years, I'll be dead. No child should have to lose their parent so young...it was a fate both you and I, and even Armin suffered...and I'll be damned if our son or daughter has to go through that same trauma." Eren began.
"I knew..the only way to prevent that...was to finish this. Carry out my plans, see it through...and in it all..ensure some type of future where our child doesn't have to grow up without a father...and doesn't have to grow up with knowledge of war and titans.." he explained.
Mikasa frowned, remaining quiet as her attention was a bit split. It was on his words, but also on the increasingly persistent contractions that made her genuinely start to wonder if her baby was finally coming...or at least in the process of starting to.
Armin's hands fell upon Mikasa's abdomen, feeling as if it would tighten each time she grimaced, causing his heart to drop into his twisted stomach. His focus remained fixated on Mikasa, clearly not giving in to the poison Eren continued to spew. The only thing keeping him from chiming in was his concern for Mikasa, recognizing that this had been the longest she had faced these contractions since she had passed her due date. After a while of processing Erens words, Armin's glance slowly turned to glare at Eren.
"You risked orphaning your son or daughter.. to make sure that they didn't get orphaned... that doesn't make a lot of sense." Armin chimed in after his long silence, finally deciding to dig at the holes hidden within his words.
"Other than you being a pathetic excuse for a husband and father, your reasoning for all of this is pretty flawed, and we can easily see through it Eren. No matter how much you sprinkle it on... the facts remain."
Hange nodded in agreement but held off speaking her own opinion as she turned her head towards Mikasa, cocking a brow as she fully recognized her pain. Her hardened expression widened a bit, carefully watching her gestures as she remained silent. To avoid a sudden outbreak of panic, she decided against going to her aid, allowing Armin to keep an eye on her. She turned her attention towards Eren once more, guarding his movements very carefully as he continued to speak.
Eren remained silent, realizing Armin wasn't going to let him get off with simple excuses. He sighed, looking down.
"It may not make a lot of sense to you, but I assure you that I only had the best intentions for our child. Mikasa...you lost your parents young. And then you and I lost my mother only a year later. If I just lay down and take this curse...our child will lose their father when they're only three years old. You don't want them to experience that, do you?" Eren asked. Mikasa frowned, taking a much-needed breath before speaking. Her hand had been subconsciously slowly caressing her swollen belly, in an attempt to soothe any pains she was having.
"Eren...it doesn't make any sense. How are your plans going to prevent that from happening? You said it yourself...even you can't rid the power of the titans from this world...so what's your plan?" She asked.
She was rather good at masking her pain, though the subtle beads of sweat under her bangs were an obvious indicator to Hange and Armin.
"At the very least, put a stop to the human threat. This place may seem peaceful now...but it won't remain that way forever. Unless I take care of our enemies. As far as the titan power...I can't say. Merely because I can't promise anything." Eren explained.
Mikasa stared at him, hating the vagueness of his plans. She looked down, trying to understand it...but before she had much time to do that, Eren continued.
"Mikasa...at the end of the day...it was selfish of both of us to run away from Marley that night. By doing that, we jeopardized everything. You had a choice that night...and you chose to abandon your comrades...for me" He suddenly accused. His shift in tone brought a newfound tension, at this point, you could cut it with a knife.
Mikasa froze at his words, feeling her hands beginning to shake. Armin glanced at Mikasa worriedly, before suddenly feeling that anger boiling up again to the surface. The mere fact Eren had the nerve to attempt to manipulate her...after everything he had already done... made Armin sick.
"That's enough, Eren!" He snapped protectively, breaking the silence as he turned his glare onto Eren as he leaned forward slightly, using all of his strength to fight against lunging forward at this man he no longer saw as his friend. Eren frowned, seeing the closeness between them...and this new protective nature of Armin's had reached Eren's limits.
"You two...have gotten awfully close since I've been gone. Maybe...I shouldn't have come back..." Eren began coldly.
Mikasa remained silent, feeling her anxiety start to swell as she looked up at him once more.
"It's...it's not like that..." She said, her voice unable to mask the shakiness in it.
"Funny...isn't that just what you used to say about us when questioned?" Eren interrogated, his cold and nonchalant tone returning now. Mikasa froze, flinching slightly as she looked down.
"Or maybe...was running away with me just an excuse to abandon your mission? And inviting Armin here was just an excuse to abandon me...?" Eren questioned harshly, allowing this newfound jealousy to cloud his judgment. Mikasa's breathing hitched in her throat at these words, looking at him with a hurt expression, as tears welled up in her eyes.
Armin suddenly glared dangerously, especially at the word 'abandoned' and he suddenly stood up from the couch, towering over Eren with threatening gestures. He had suddenly become blinded with rage, an anger that he never felt before, and suddenly he no longer recognized this man sitting in front of him. He hadn't for a while now...but this just cemented it for him.
"EREN! How could you say that to her?! YOU abandoned Mikasa!" He yelled, his voice rising to an angry screech as he was about to raise his fist.
"Armin, stop!" Hange's voice suddenly snapped, cracking the air like a whip and managing to stop both of them from further altercation. At this, they didn't understand why Hange suddenly yelled, but Armin's eyes instantly fell on Mikasa.
Mikasa was slightly doubled over, her hand gripping the side of her swollen belly as she grimaced painfully, attempting to breathe through the extremely sudden contraction. Armin had been so focused on Eren, that he didn't even notice it.
"Save it for now. I think we have a bigger concern at the moment..." Hange told them both firmly, keeping her worried eyes on Mikasa as she rode out the pain, which seemed to be the most intense one yet.
As soon as it sunk in, Armin rushed to Mikasa's side again, kneeling in front of her as he reached for her hand, grasping it in both of his. His eyes darted between her face and her tensing abdomen as he felt his breath hitch in his throat, causing him to audibly gasp out as his hands squeezed hers carefully.
"Easy Mikasa... deep breaths...That's it..." Armin instructed softly, his tone of voice switching as if it was night and day, his once aggressive voice now soft and shaky with his anxiety as his reality began to crash down on him.
Mikasa took several deep breaths, practically panting before shaking her head as the pain subsided. She exhaled, growing increasingly frustrated with this baby never quite deciding when to arrive.
"I'm fine...I just need to rest.." She assured Armin, her tone gentle as she struggled to steady it, keeping her hand on her swollen belly.
Eren watched her with sudden worry, he hesitantly reached his hand out...but seeing Mikasa lean further against Armin and squeezing his hand... somehow made Eren feel out of place. Like it wasn't appropriate for him to support her. Not that it was after how he just spoke to her anyway. He frowned, watching the two with an obvious irritation.
Mikasa exhaled sharply, caressing her belly slowly and gently rocking herself while remaining in Armin's embrace. She finally looked back at Eren.
"You still haven't answered my first question...why are you back?" She asked.
"I came back so that you wouldn't have to deliver our child alone..." Eren replied vaguely.
"And after?" Mikasa pressed impatiently.
"I planned to go back and finish my plans. But I...didn't feel right not coming back for this." He replied. Mikasa glared weakly, before looking down.
"Do what you want, Eren. It's all you do these days." She finally said, a hint of bitterness in her tone. As hurt as she was, her focus was quickly shifting to the baby and she was losing patience with Eren. Eren didn't say anything back, but he seemed to be slightly relieved he could stay.
"Help me up, Armin...? I really...need to lay down.." Mikasa admitted, unable to keep up this mask for much longer, her tone turning softer when she turned back to Armin.
Armin carefully nodded in response but kept his eye trained on her as he gently ran his thumb over her knuckles, while his free hand gently caressed her abdomen as it continued to tense up. He remained silent as he allowed Mikasa her moment to speak, watching her as his own worry remained laced within his features, as he felt the sting of emotion pull at his tight chest.
"Here Mikasa... grab my arm..." Armin instructed as he wrapped her arm around his, carefully pulling her up to her feet. Mikasa groaned a bit breathlessly, never quite getting used to the heaviness. Armin then carefully leaned her against him and walked her towards the bed.
When they had reached the doorway, Armin paused for a moment, looking back at Eren as his eyes hardened again, his brows furrowing.
"Don't push your welcome here, Eren. We can handle helping Mikasa have our baby without you here." Armin blurted out, at first not recognizing the fatal mistake he had made. Eren froze, glaring dangerously at Armin but remained in place, his first impulse was to immediately rush over and beat the ever-loving shit out of his friend, who had grown extremely cocky out of seemingly nowhere. But he restrained himself, not just at his worries for Mikasa's condition, but at noticing Hange's glare. Armin simply turned his back to him as he led Mikasa off towards the bed, carefully laying her down against the pillows.
"There... much better... just lay your head back and relax," Armin whispered to Mikasa, sitting beside her on the bed as he gently got a rag and a bowl of cool water, dabbing her forehead and any part of her face that seemed overheated from the pain. Mikasa did as Armin instructed, trusting him fully as she laid back in the bed. She panted softly, placing a hand on her swollen belly as she attempted to gather her thoughts, which were racing rapidly. However, she found herself only able to handle one thing at a time. She waited for the pain to subside, which seemed to be taking a little bit longer each time, before asking the most obvious question.
"Our baby..."?" She asked him, with a slight eyebrow raise, surprised that this was blurted out by Armin. Though she didn't appear mad.
Armin continued to observe Mikasa, gently wetting the rag in a nearby bowl of water he had collected the night before. He then wrung it out, before moving to gently dab the cool rag on her face, noticing how her skin had flushed slightly from her pain, as her entire face had grown warm. At first, the question confused Armin, causing him to cock a brow right back at her before realization struck him like a rock to the back of the head. At first, a paleness fell over his face, and his eyes widened as he froze entirely in his place. Had he said that to Eren? When did he get so stupid to just spit shit out like that? No... Armin recognized immediately what this was. For once, after years of being considered the weak link amongst them, Armin knew he had control over a situation that Eren had entirely thrown himself into. Now, he had the advantage over him, and deep in his heart he knew that which had formed this new confidence within him. He blinked slightly, focusing his blue eyes onto Mikasa's as his hand gently reached down to caress her cheek.
"I'm sorry Mikasa... that seemed to have just blurted out of my mouth... I didn't mean to offend you, darling..." Armin responded quietly, lowering his head in guilt, before quickly realizing his mistake again, causing his entire face to flush slightly.
"Sorry... my mind is in shambles from all of this... I can't censor myself like I normally do.."
Mikasa pondered for a few minutes, before giving a sad smile.
"At the end of the day Armin, you've been the one taking care of me. You've been here. This child...they recognize your voice more than Eren's...every time you're around, they kick like crazy..." She confessed, gently caressing her swollen belly.
"I...thought I'd be happy to see Eren...despite everything. But all I could feel was anger...frustration...I just...I don't know what to think Armin. I don't...know if I want Eren to be a part of our child's life..." she admitted sadly.
In the living room, Eren clenched his fist, tensing and looking down. "Hange...what's going on between them? I have a right to know..." He asked, his voice seething.
Hange remained silent for a moment, turning her head away from him as she scoffed harshly. She held back her laughter, looking towards the two of them in the open bedroom door, feeling a cocky smirk fall upon her face. She was met with the opportunity to finally have Eren taste a bit of his own medicine, to play his games. She snickered coldly, allowing her eye to lock onto Erens, noticing the anger fuming within him, which had only caused her smirk to grow.
"You believe you have a right to know? Then ask Armin yourself. Don't think I'll drop to my knees at your disposal for information again, you've broken my trust.. now you're on your own." She snapped between clenched teeth, snickering softly as she moved to post herself just outside the bedroom door.
"Just know... you aren't worth shit to both of them anymore. Not even Mikasa will follow your sad excuses." She coldly added. Eren frowned at Hange, but then another question seemed to come to the surface.
"Where has Armin been sleeping?" He suddenly asked. Hange frowned at his question, her eye shifted to the bedroom but she chose not to verbally answer.
Eren cringed slightly...he didn't need a verbal answer to piece it together. Finally, he sighed heavily and exited the cabin, somewhat slamming the front door on his way out. He stood outside near the cabin as the rain poured, a million thoughts racing in his head. When did it all get so screwed up?
Inside the bedroom, Armin listened to Mikasa, blinking a few times as he realized just how much his presence not only mattered to her.. but mattered to the child as well. It was a sudden realization he hadn't quite thought about, especially with his focus drawn entirely on Mikasa and her well-being as they made their way through the pregnancy. She had been right though... Armin was the one that the child would recognize, and it had set a clear path for him and Mikasa moving forward. It was the path he had wanted, and yearned for after all these years... but how would Eren react to this? It wasn't going to exactly run as smoothly by him, despite how much happier it would make Mikasa and the child. He heaved a heavy sigh, hearing the slamming door before turning his head towards the bedroom doorway, noticing how Hange was now the only one standing in the living room with that familiar smirk plastered across her face.
"Mikasa... you are smarter than you give yourself credit for. In the end, you make the best decision not only for you but for our child as well. Hange was right.. you don't want some cold-blooded killer as the father to your kids.. especially when he came in so suddenly believing that he could manipulate you into just agreeing to his plans. You are finding the freedom to part from him, and it's scary I know... but keep moving forward, make the choice that your gut tells you to choose." Armin explained softly as he moved to place his hand on her swollen abdomen, carefully caressing it as his eyes studied it for a moment, noticing that familiar shift in its roundness when the baby kicked.
A smile perked at his lips, and his head turned towards her again. "You know I will stand with you either way. And fight not only for you... but for this child. It won't be my blood... but they won't know any difference, that I promise you."