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Armin had a very special job to do, and no, it wasn’t being the brain of the team (although that was certainly important). But right now, on the night before they would travel to Shiganshina, his hometown, the place they were going to take back, he felt a duty fall heavily upon his shoulders. Some may say it was unnecessary, but…Armin knew from personal experience that it wasn’t.
Therefore, after he’d untied Sasha and given her the meat portion he’d stashed away for her, Armin went up to Eren and wrapped his arms tightly around his friend’s waist. Eren let out a gasp of confusion, but it quickly melted into a rich, deep laugh— one that made Armin’s heart warm. He hadn’t heard that sound in a while.
“Is it time?” Eren teased.
Armin nodded, not letting go just yet. “Yup.”
“Eh? Time for what?” Jean questioned.
“He does this when he thinks people need it,” Eren replied, and Armin felt his friend squeeze him a bit harder. “He did this all the time when we were kids. He has a sixth sense for it or something.”
A smile came onto Armin’s lips at those words, and after a few more seconds, he left Eren’s arms and headed straight to Mikasa, who’d seemingly been waiting for him. The girl snuggled her head into the crook of his neck, and there was a collective gasp of surprise.
“Woah, I’ve never seen Mikasa like this before!” Sasha cried. “I wanna Armin-hug!”
“Me too!” Conny spoke up.
“In a minute,” Armin hummed. “Mikasa likes long hugs.”
Whispers broke out— mainly about how Armin, of all people, was apparently an ‘Ackerman Wrangler.’ When the two childhood friends finally stepped back, Mikasa had a grateful smile on her face.
“Magic,” Conny whispered conspiratorially. He didn’t dare push Mikasa aside to get to Armin, but he was there the moment she stepped away. Armin could only laugh when Conny embraced him like his life depended on it, holding him tight and rocking them back and forth in a silly manner.
As soon as he was released, Armin was swept up by Sasha, who clung to him similarly. It was a bit tighter, though— and he could feel her trembling. Armin had long ago started to predict when her nerves would hit before a big battle (they were usually in time with his own). He added to the embrace by rubbing her back soothingly, and after about a minute, the shaking had stopped. Sasha let him go, giving him a warm smile.
Then all eyes turned to Jean.
He stared back blandly. It took a moment for him to realize what was going on, and when he did, his face erupted bright red. “Absolutely not!” he protested, crossing his arms. “I’m fine! I don’t need a hug!”
Eren let out an offended gasp, and in seconds he’d popped up at Armin’s side to put an arm around his shoulders. “You take that back!”
“Yeah, come on, man!” Conny snickered. “I feel ten times better now! It really is magic!”
Nodding her head wisely, Sasha added, “It even worked on Mikasa, so we know it can make your grumpy ass happier.”
Jean opened his mouth to deny it, but at that moment, he made eye contact with Mikasa. The raven haired girl was glaring at him. It was so intense that he immediately caved.
Armin brightened up as Jean trudged over to him. The blond held his arms out. It was clearly begrudging, but Jean stepped into them nonetheless and loosely returned the hug. Chuckles spread through the group; Armin ignored them. He knew it was a silly thing he did and that not everyone was comfortable with hugs, but he also knew how much they could help. And maybe he could get Jean to see that, too.
It took a bit longer than Armin expected. Jean didn’t melt into him immediately the way Eren and Mikasa did, nor did he try to soak up the warmth and comfort like a sponge the way Conny and Sasha had.
However, when he did finally give in to rest his chin on top of Armin’s head, everyone stopped their giggling to let out an “aww.”
Whatever spell Jean had fallen into immediately broke, and he backed away, cheeks flushed pink. “Fine, I’ll admit it’s nice,” he grumbled. “Happy?”
Armin beamed. “Very!”
“See, was that so hard?” Conny smirked.
“Yeah, I bet we’ll find him hunting down Armin again later!” Sasha tacked on.
“Shut up!” Jean roared, and while the jokes were still flying about, Armin slipped away. He was almost to the door when his wrist was caught. Blue eyes turned back to see Eren grinning at him.
“Going off to find more people?” he asked.
Armin nodded. “Uhuh!”
“Alright,” Eren chuckled, letting go of Armin’s wrist. “Mikasa and I are gonna head to the stairs outside for a bit. Meet us there when you’re done?”
The blond gave him a mock salute as an affirmative, then continued on his way. As a strategist, he’d planned out his path for the evening. Going to the labs was…worrisome, because one never knew what they’d come across down there. But he’d seen the way their scientist’s shoulders had been tense lately, hiked up in a way that had to hurt. So yes, Armin could cast aside his fears to complete his mission.
“Come in!” was the answer when he knocked on the lab door, followed by a crash and a slew of curses.
Armin’s blue eyes were wide with curiosity when he poked his head around the door. Hange and Moblit were coughing, smoke in the air. Regardless, Hange turned and smiled brightly when they saw who their visitor was.
“Ah, Armin! What can I do for you?” they asked.
The blond returned the expression. “Nothing, but I came to do something for you!” he explained, opening his arms. “I’m on a hug patrol!”
The scientist had three reactions in three seconds: they blinked, teared up, then finally, lunged forward and caught Armin in an embrace that reminded him far too much of his parents.
“Oh, you’re just such a cutie, Armin,” Hange wailed, squeezing him tight. They released him suddenly to squish his cheeks in their hands. “Don’t you ever lose that sweet heart of yours, okay? Moblit!” they shouted. “Come get your hug! It’s mandatory!”
The harried assistant, who had been busy trying to wipe soot off his face, gave an exasperated sigh. And yet, he was giving Armin his own hug just a moment later, holding him firmly and then ruffling blond locks fondly.
The scientists were kind enough to give Armin a rag to dust himself off with before he left. And thus, Armin continued on his way. His next destination was the officer’s quarters, but he took his time getting there. He stopped to hug everyone who would accept it along the way, sometimes getting teary thank you’s. One of the older women even pressed a kiss to his forehead, much to his delight.
When he had almost reached the officer’s quarters, his mind drifted to Historia. He hoped she was well. He hoped she wasn’t anxious. He hoped that he’d be able to give her a hug after all of this, assuming he made it out alive tomorrow.
Armin felt a rush of anxiety begin to flood his heart, but he pushed it down. He had arrived at Commander Erwin’s door, after all, and this was Armin’s mission. He couldn’t let his emotions interfere with it.
The blond knocked gently. There was the sound of a chair scraping against the floor, then footsteps. When the door opened, Armin put on his cheeriest expression.
“Commander Erwin, sir!”
“Arlert,” Erwin nodded. His voice reverberated in that way it always did. It made Armin wish he was half the man his Commander was. “Is there something you need?”
He shook his head. “No, sir. I—“ Armin hesitated. Suddenly, in front of the towering mass of Erwin, he felt silly doing something so trivial. “I’m going around giving hugs, sir. For tomorrow,” he clarified. The Commander didn’t respond. Armin swallowed hard. “So…do you want one?”
All at once, the hard lines on Commander Erwin’s face softened. “I would appreciate that very much, Arlert.”
Armin tried to not show his delight too much. Commander Erwin was big and strong— that meant he probably gave good hugs!
For the first time that night, Armin didn’t have to make the first move. He didn’t have to hold his arms out, beckon Erwin in, or step forward. Instead, Erwin came forward and bent down, wrapping his single arm around Armin and pulling the younger soldier into a warm embrace.
And again, for the first time that night, Armin received a hug rather than gave one.
The anxiety from before was still brewing in his mind. Later, Armin would feel embarrassed by the way he suddenly reached out, clinging to Erwin and balling up portions of the Commander’s jacket in his hands. But it felt good. He felt safe and secure and like for this one moment, things were completely fine. Armin hadn’t felt that way in a long time.
Through the Commander’s shirt, Armin could hear a steady heartbeat. Alive, it sang. But would that still be true tomorrow? Would he ever be able to hug any of these people ever again?
It struck Armin that maybe this hug patrol wasn’t so selfless after all.
When Armin eventually stepped back, he was met with a kind smile and a firm pat on the head. “Are your rounds complete yet, Arlert?”
“No, sir,” Armin shook his head. “I still have to go see Captain Levi— and, and anyone else I bump into, of course.”
Commander Erwin’s expression turned amused. “I see. He is in his quarters right now. Don’t take too long, alright? You need your rest, and I need your mind sharp for tomorrow.”
The blond snapped into a salute. “Yes, Commander!”
With another warm smile, Erwin retreated back into his room.
And instantly, Armin felt his stomach turn. It was time to visit the Captain.
Armin didn’t know if he was able to do this. The idea of hugging his Captain felt…different. Lately he’d been rather…what was the word, flustered? Maybe that was it. He’d felt flustered around Captain Levi. And who wouldn’t be— he was a man of power and courage, a man who didn’t hesitate to get the job done no matter how gruesome. It was intimidating, to say the least.
But deep down, so deep that few knew about it, Armin was stubborn. He preferred to call it determined, but regardless, he knew he couldn’t back down from this. If there was one person who really needed a hug right now (or at any time, really), it was his Captain. And he’d be damned if he backed down from it just because he felt a blush rising in his cheeks.
And so, Armin went. Or, rather, Armin’s feet took him to Captain Levi’s door just a bit further down the hall, and he will never quite remember how they did that. Knocking was a different ordeal. He stared at the door so long that it should’ve just melted away.
Then, in a moment of that fitful stubbornness, Armin lifted his hand and rapped before he could stop himself.
“What?”
Armin swallowed. Maybe he shouldn’t have— no. He was going to do this.
“I-It’s me, sir,” the blond replied, cursing his stammering. “Armin. Is it— is it a bad time? If it is, I can—“
There was a loud sigh. “Come in, Armin.”
Well, here goes nothing. Armin took in a deep breath, then entered.
The Captain’s room was dim. A single candle was lit on the desk where he sat, studiously poring over a map. A crystal clear glass with amber liquid in it was next to the map’s edge.
The door fell shut during Armin’s observations, startling him.
And that’s when a dull silver-blue gaze glided over to look at him. “Did Eren and Jean start another fight?”
A laugh bubbled up out of Armin’s throat unbidden. “No, sir. I’m— I’m here for something else.”
Captain Levi nodded.
“Right,” Armin said, unnecessarily. “I’ve…well, I’ve been doing this thing, uh, going around and giving hugs? I’ve done it since I was a kid because I think it can help when people are stressed, and it’s actually helped a lot of people tonight, I’ve seen it, really, even Jean, and—“ Armin had to pause to breathe sharply. He was rambling.
“Anyway, you’re the last on my list— not because you’re last or anything, not like— no, it’s just, you happen to be the last person I’ve gotten to, so…” Wrap it up, you idiot! “…would you like a hug, Captain?”
Silence. Horrible silence. And then—
“You have dust in your hair.”
Armin’s eyes flickered up, even though he obviously couldn’t see the top of his head. “Oh. I thought I got it all. I was with Hange, and— eh?” he paused when a white cloth was thrown into his face.
Levi’s expression showed nothing out of the ordinary. “Get that filth out of your hair. Then you can get a hug.”
Immediately, the blond’s cheeks burned hotly. “I-I wasn’t— no, I’m giving you a hug, not the other way around. Or, well, I guess it doesn’t really matter either way—“
“Armin,” the Captain interrupted. “The dust.”
“Oh, right, sorry!”
There was another terrible silence as Armin wiped the remaining soot out of his hair. From the looks of the white cloth, it wasn’t much, and yet somehow Captain Levi had managed to see it. It kind of made Armin want to laugh at how much of a stickler for cleanliness his Captain was.
When Armin determined that all of the mess had to be out, he held up the cloth and smiled brightly. “Done!”
Levi nodded. That was another thing that always made Armin nervous— sometimes he couldn’t tell what his Captain was thinking. He was a man of few words, while Armin…well, Armin just rambled on endlessly. Did his Captain find that annoying? Maybe he did, but then a voice that sounded awfully similar to Mikasa’s piped up in the back of his mind asking: why Armin would even care about what his Captain thought of him?
“-min?”
The blond jumped. “Y-Yes, sir?”
The Captain was standing now. When had he done that? “May I have my cloth back?” he asked.
“Oh—!” and Armin handed it over. The second it was gone, his hands fidgeted restlessly. He watched, feet glued to the floor, as Levi folded the cloth up and placed it on top of a pile of other items that needed washing. Armin felt guilty. His Captain was busy…should he offer to wash it for him?
“So.”
Again, Armin was shaken out of his thoughts. Why did they keep running wild like that?
Captain Levi was looking at him expectantly, but he didn’t look…excited. He wasn’t like Eren or Mikasa or Conny or Sasha or even Jean. He wasn’t like Hange, bursting at the seams, or Erwin, kind and warm. If anything, he looked uncomfortable.
“You’re,” Levi stopped himself, nose scrunching up in distaste, and Armin’s breath hitched. “You’re taller than me. Not that that is an achievement—“
“Only by an inch,” Armin cut in, as though that knowledge would somehow help.
“—anyways,” Levi grunted. “I don’t know if because you are taller than me, if you have any sort of…preference about where your arms go.”
Armin blinked. He…hadn’t really thought about that? He just…hugged people. Did Captain Levi not—?
The blond mentally shook his head. He would think about that later.
“I don’t really care,” Armin shrugged. “Whatever makes you comfortable.”
As if. Levi was standing like he was made of stone. Comfort didn’t seem within reach no matter what Armin would do.
After a moment, the Captain nodded. Blue eyes watched as Levi’s arms, almost in slow motion, lowered stiffly from their crossed position. He then put them up, hanging mid-air at his shoulder height.
Oh! That must be Armin’s cue!
The blond didn’t rush forward like he had with some hugs. Levi could be like a skittish horse sometimes— easily spooked. No, instead Armin put on the kindest smile he could and walked forward slowly. And then, the moment he had his arms wrapped around the Captain’s waist, his thoughts began to run wild again.
Because first of all, Captain Levi was tiny. Tinier than Armin had really realized before. But that didn’t mean he was lacking in muscle— Armin could feel it, even though some of Levi’s edges were sharp and bony. He almost felt…fragile, in a sense. And that feeling of fragility only increased when Levi awkwardly linked his hands behind Armin’s neck, slim fingers brushing against the skin there.
Unwittingly, Armin let out a little happy sigh. He snuggled deeper into the embrace, only realizing his mistake when the Captain stiffened up again.
“Sorry, I—“
“It’s…fine. Armin.”
The blond held in a sigh of relief. He should let go. He knew this had already probably been far too long for his Captain’s comfort. But when he tried to back away, Armin found that Levi’s arms had tightened in a vice-like grip.
“Uh…” he thought aloud. “Captain? You can let go now.”
“Oh.” Levi immediately stepped back, back ramrod straight as though they were about to salute. “I didn’t know if—“
“You…” Armin mused out loud, accidentally cutting his Captain off. “You don’t…do hugs, do you?”
Silver blue eyes fell slightly. “I’m not used to them, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Armin felt his heart squeeze painfully. He couldn’t imagine not getting hugs all the time. For him and Eren and Mikasa, touch was just a part of life. As kids, they’d cuddled and held hands and napped under trees together. As teenagers, they’d cried on shoulders, stayed up all night holding each other, rubbed sore necks and shoulders.
Armin couldn’t understand what life was like without that.
“Oh,” he murmured. “I’m sorry, um…maybe you could…get more accustomed to them?” the blond suggested. “With time? They’re really helpful— at least, they are for me. When I’m sad, it’s like a big warm blanket, you know?”
The confusion in Levi’s eyes said that no, he really didn’t know. But before Armin could ramble on any more about the benefits of human contact, Captain Levi had nodded. “I’ll take that into consideration, Armin.”
The way his Captain said his name meant a dismissal. Armin nodded back, a grin tugging at his lips. “Okay. Goodnight, Captain.”
He didn’t get a response, and that was alright. Armin needed to get to the stairs, anyway. He was still feeling the need for a few more hugs himself, and he knew that Mikasa and Eren would be more than willing to provide.
So caught up in his thoughts, Armin never registered the presence that trailed behind him. That night, he talked about the sea, how they had to go there, they must, not knowing that there was a Captain just a bit away behind a stone wall, contemplating this strange blond boy who gave out hugs and dreamed of impossible things.