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Keith Shadis, though he would never have dreamed of saying so, had high hopes for the 104th Cadet Corps. It was from the ranks of these young people that the soldiers capable of securing victory for humanity would emerge. Among them were children who could go on to achieve great things if they worked hard enough.
But as the man looked out over the dozing group, who might as well have been half-dead, his faith wavered slightly.
"When a titan comes crashing through the walls of your house in the middle of the night, they won’t care how sleepy you are!” he snapped at the teenagers.
Armin merely nodded dutifully. He, too, would have preferred to wander through the sweet fields of dreams, but he was trying to stay alert, unlike most of his companions.
"It doesn’t matter to me anyway, because I’m not going to be a Scout…” he heard Jean grumble from behind him.
Armin swept his gaze over the other cadets as if conducting a quick roll call, when his eyes fell on one figure.
He almost didn’t recognise Annie.
The quiet, aloof girl was sitting at the foot of a tree, her back against its trunk, her hood pulled over her head as she dozed peacefully.
Almost every single one of the other cadets claimed that Annie Leonhart was the most terrifying creature they’d ever had to deal with, but Armin didn’t agree. Although he’d only known the girl for five months, he didn’t find her frightening at all. Rather, she seemed mysterious and reserved. And talented. And… pretty.
The twelve-year-old boy shook his head. This wasn’t the time to be thinking about that! Who knew what task lay ahead of them?
"Today’s task is simple: you have to survive a night in the forest!” the commander explained, at which the children groaned in unison. "You’ll be split into pairs; everyone will get a knife, a torch, some food and a sleeping bag, so you’ll be well looked after!”
"Tsk, this really won’t be difficult,” Ymir waved her hand dismissively, „especially if I get to be with my little Christa!” She put his arm round the short, blonde girl from the side. "Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the wild animals!" declared the tall, freckled girl.
"No, I’ll protect you!" Christa grinned at the other girl.
"You’re in luck, because even with the random allocation, the two of you ended up in the same team," Shadis remarked, glancing at the two teenage girls, whereupon they threw their arms round each other’s necks and began cheering. "Right then, I’ll announce the rest of the pairs!"
Armin listened attentively. Of his friends, Eren was paired with Marco, Jean with Mikasa (much to the boy’s delight), Connie with Sasha, and Bertholdt with Reiner.
"Leonhart, wake up!" the boy suddenly heard in the commander’s voice, whereupon his gaze immediately drifted to Annie, who was still fast asleep.
"What is iiiiit…?" the girl mumbled groggily as she slowly opened her eyes, then, realising where she was, sat up straight at once. "I mean to say: yes, sir?"
Armin had to stifle a chuckle. The girl was just like a little kitten. This little interlude had just revealed a much… more human side of him to Annie. He might well be invincible in the arena, but he was still just a thirteen-year-old girl with her own weaknesses. And surely she had her own goals and dreams too. Armin was very curious about them. He’d always been drawn to mysterious things; he wanted to know the answer to everything. And… that was why he wanted to get to know Annie better.
Surely it’s just because you see the sadness that surrounds her, the sadness she tries to hide behind her steely exterior. Because you want to help her.
And… because she’s likeable
.
It’s no big deal if you find someone likeable, is it…?
"Arlert, on the other hand, is wide awake – take a leaf out of his book!" continued Shadis, pointing at Armin. "He’ll be your partner tonight!"
For some reason, a strange, tingling sensation settled in Armin’s stomach. A sort of… joy washed over him as Annie walked towards him and stopped beside him. As he took in the girl’s appearance in an instant, he hoped she was only looking so bored because she was sleepy. But he didn’t rule out the possibility that she simply wasn’t pleased to have ended up in the same team as him. After all, who would want to work alongside the scrawny, weak Armin Arlert?
Little did he know that wasn’t the case at all.
---------
Annie had been walking silently alongside Armin through the dark, dense forest for quite some time. They had to tread carefully along the path winding up the hill, as even one wrong move would have been enough to send them tumbling down the steep slope. Although she considered herself very, very reserved, and didn’t care in the slightest if someone found her boring because she didn’t say anything, Annie now found herself wishing she could think of a topic to bring up.
Because, for some reason, she was very keen to know what Armin Arlert thought of her.
For as long as she could remember, she’d always looked down on girls who swooned over a boy, (for example, back when they were training at Marley and Pieck couldn’t stop gushing about Porco, or a couple of her current female cadet classmates who chattered and giggled about boys before bedtime), and now she didn’t feel any better than them.
She, too, had become just another pathetic little girl among the many.
One evening, the girls played such a ‘wonderful’ game – guessing what sort of boy would suit each of the girls present – and Sasha and Mina pictured a lad for Annie who was as sturdy as a two-door wardrobe and could knock anyone down with one hand.
In contrast, the lad Annie had set her sights on was barely taller than her, so scrawny the wind could have blown him away, and on the training field he was usually the one getting beaten up.
But she didn’t mind. Because, apart from all that, this boy had something that was far stronger than anyone else’s. His thirst for knowledge. His perseverance. His sense of justice. And his kindness.
And those big, round, blue eyes made even Annie Leonhart’s knees go weak.
To tell the truth, Annie had first seen Armin two years ago, after that great tragedy (in which she herself had played a part…), in that house where those who had been left destitute were gathered. Even then, she couldn’t take her eyes off the little boy with the golden hair, and now the situation hadn’t changed one since then.
Except that now she’d had the chance to get to know the boy, even if only from a distance, as an observer. Not completely, of course, but enough to fall head over heels for him.
She’d really done it now. She was developing feelings for an Eldian from the island.
The boy’s origins weren’t a huge problem because Annie hated the people of Paradis Island. That wasn’t the case at all, as she was perhaps the only one among the Warriors who hadn’t swallowed that dreadful propaganda that the islanders were born of the Devil’s blood. But because, as things stood, there wasn’t the slightest chance that she and Armin would ever be a couple. In the end, the boy would be regarded as her enemy anyway. And Armin would surely hate her for what she’d done. He’d see her as a monster.
Because that’s exactly what she was.
Suddenly, a cry snapped her out of her thoughts, which were surging like the sea. Without a moment’s hesitation, the girl rushed after Armin and, at the very last moment, grabbed the boy’s arm before he could slip into the abyss. Annie realised with a start that both their lanterns were rolling rapidly down the hill, leaving only endless darkness in their wake. Hers must have slipped from her hand because she’d been concentrating too hard on saving Armin. But she could dwell on that later; for now, the main thing was that the boy was unharmed. With a sharp tug, she pulled Armin back onto the path.
"Thank you, Annie!" the boy said gratefully. "I’m so sorry we’ve lost our lanterns because of me! I reckon it would have been better if you’d just let me fall…"
"For all the clever you are, you can say such daft things sometimes," Annie snapped. "You’re worth far more than a couple of damned lanterns, though."
"Well… thanks," Armin laughed weakly. Annie would have loved to see his face, but that wasn’t possible because, as it happened, she couldn’t even see as far as her own nose. "Mhm… but now that we’ve got no light, we’ll have to come up with something so we can carry on safely along this path…" the boy continued, and Annie could already picture the expression that went with this sentence. He must be furrowing his brow right now, and raising his index finger to his chin… "I’ve actually got an idea" when does Armin Arlert ever not have an idea? "Ah, but wait, that’s stupid! Forget it!"
"It would be stupid if you’d been thinking we should catch fireflies and ask them to lead us to the clearing; that would indeed be utter nonsense, but knowing you, that’s probably not what you had in mind" Annie said sarcastically, at which Armin burst out laughing heartily.
"Annie, I didn’t even know you had a sense of humour!"
Annie, since the boy had no chance of seeing her face, allowed herself a faint smile. She’d managed to make Armin laugh. Why did that feel so good?
"Well, I wouldn’t go that far..." she replied at last. "Right, out with it – what’s your idea?"
"Well… I was thinking that to stop this accident from happening again, and to stop either of us – that is, me – from falling in there, because as it is, we can’t see a thing, so we wouldn’t even be able to catch each other, so… er…" Armin explained in a slightly trembling voice "it might help if we held hands… Of course, it might be a daft idea, because then we’d both fall in, so–"
"But we wouldn’t both fall in if one of us put a foot down in time and saved the other," Annie interrupted the boy. "That’s not a bad idea at all, Armin."
Then she thought it through more carefully. She and Armin would be walking hand in hand through the woods. It would be just like one of those sappy, romantic stories Christa had shared with the others around a campfire.
Her face began to flush.
"Come on, give me your hand!" she said, steeling her voice to hide her girlish embarrassment.
In the darkness, she somehow found the boy’s arm and slipped her hand into his. Although Armin was by no means a giant, his hand was still much larger than her own. Even though every cadet’s hands were already calloused, the boy’s palm was somehow soft and warm.
"Shall we carry on?" she asked the boy, who, after nodding in agreement, took the first step.
---------
Although the night was bitterly cold, Armin felt as warm as if he’d been thrown into a furnace.
He was strolling hand in hand with Annie! With Annie Leonhart herself, who could send boys soaring into the air even when they merely cast a glance her way.
He considered it nothing short of a miracle that she’d said yes to his daft idea.
His stomach was doing somersaults worse than before a test.
But why on earth? What is this feeling?
Annie was a very short girl (though her femininity was already beginning to blossom in spite of that…), so her hand was quite tiny too. It was almost lost in his own.
For the first time, the thought occurred to him that Annie was actually quite cute.
There was still a silence between them, but somehow it was a more pleasant sort of silence now.
They continued on their way like this until a faint light began to glimmer from behind the trees.
They emerged into the clearing.
And the sky…
Against the August night’s backdrop, the host of stars sparkled like countless precious stones.
"It’s… so beautiful…" Annie marvelled beside him, still holding his hand.
Her face, brought to life by the dazzling sight, was etched forever into Armin’s mind. So human, so ordinary, and yet, at the same time, so special…
:It’s true, today’s the peak of the great meteor shower!" Armin gushed. "Shall we go and have a look? We could lay our sleeping bags down here and spend the night here, and then we could watch the shooting stars! Tonight’s our best chance of seeing as many as possible!"
Annie thought the boy’s enthusiasm was very sweet. She was glad that it hadn’t died out in him yet. Because in herself, that flame had gone out a long time ago.
"All right!"
The very next minute, they were both lying in their sleeping bags under the open sky. They hadn’t seen a single star streak across the sky yet, but Armin kept insisting that they just needed to be patient, whilst enthusiastically pointing out the various constellations to her. Annie was curious about one thing.
"Tell me, Armin…" she asked. "How do you know so much about astronomy?"
"From… my parents," the boy’s voice trembled slightly. "They were very clever, and even more curious than that. They had lots of theories, and they even built many instruments. Among them was the telescope. I remember we used to look at celestial bodies very often, and every year we’d go out to the outskirts of town to watch the shooting stars."
Armin’s voice was brimming with love and admiration, but also with bitterness. Annie’s heart sank as she realised the boy was speaking of his parents in the past tense. She knew that Armin had grown up in Shiganshina. Had his parents died when the Wall Maria fell?
A lump formed in the girl’s throat. So many innocent people had perished simply because a country always craves more power and is constantly on the lookout for scapegoats...
Suddenly, she began to hate herself even more.
"And… what happened to them?" the question slipped out of Annie’s mouth, but she immediately regretted it. The other cadets might think of her as a callous little girl, but she certainly didn’t want to appear that way in Armin’s eyes. "I don’t want to pry into painful matters. I’m sorry! Just pretend I never asked!"
"It’s all right," Armin smiled gently at her. "Mum and Dad’s “crime” was their thirst for knowledge, their curiosity. They built a hot-air balloon and wanted to travel beyond the walls to see the world outside. They never came back," he said, his voice tinged with sadness. "My grandfather explained it to me by saying, “They broke the rules, so they were punished.” It was only later that I realised the Military Police had taken them away. They were killed, simply because they didn’t believe the tales they were trying to feed us," he said solemnly. "They taught me to stand up for what I believe in, because it’s better to give my life for my faith than to live cowering in fear. I want to help humanity, and I want to uncover the truth behind the world. I want to go beyond these walls!"
Annie’s eyes widened to the size of small plates. It was unimaginable that this boy was still capable of believing in anything after so many losses.
"You’re determined, Armin," she said admiringly. "And… your parents would surely be proud of you for carrying on their way of thinking. You’re not letting their memory go to waste."
She thought these were the most appropriate words in this situation. She didn’t want to simply say ‘I’m sorry’ (though she was terribly sorry). She thought it was an empty phrase, and she didn’t want Armin to think she was feeling pity for him.
"Well, I’m trying…" the boy said, running his fingers through his hair in embarrassment. Why on earth had he blushed at the girl’s praise? "And you, Annie? What are you fighting for?" he asked hesitantly.
"Me?" the girl replied, flustered. "I don’t have grand ideals like you do. I have no passion. My goal is simple: I just want to live in peace with my father and secure a better life for the two of us. Yes, it’s a selfish goal." That was only half the truth. Yes, she longed for a peaceful life. But she couldn’t bring herself to say that her father (though he had later begged her forgiveness) had simply handed her over to the army for the sake of his own well-being. Annie considered herself a very rational person, which is why she hated it when an emotion and its cause could not be fathomed. If her father had caused her so much suffering, why couldn’t she hate him? If he had asked her for forgiveness, why couldn’t she love him? The two thoughts were contradictory. Attachment was perhaps the thing that came closest to this feeling. And speaking of feelings… her feelings for Armin weren’t logical either. But she knew they were based solely on pure love and attraction.
"I don’t think that’s selfish at all, Annie," Armin declared firmly. "You’re much more than you give yourself credit for."
"Naive boy," Annie thought to herself. "One day you’ll come to hate me."
At that very moment, a comet streaked across the sky, leaving a long, bright trail in its wake. And then another followed. And yet another.
"Annie! It’s begun!" Arnin cheered. "Quick, make a wish!"
And Annie did make a wish, knowing full well it was utterly impossible.
----------
862
Annie was woken by the loud cry of a child. She sat up in bed, feeling dazed. She would have liked to sleep a little longer, but life wasn’t that simple.
She’d had a nap sometime around mid-afternoon, and judging by the golden rays filtering through the curtains, it must be nearly sunset now.
Armin wasn’t beside her. Yet the crib was by no means empty: little Amelia was already wide awake and was busy proving that, although she was the youngest in the family, she still had the strongest lungs in the house.
Annie sprang to her feet with a weary smile and took the one-month-old baby girl into her arms. Little Amelia calmed down at this, and immediately clutched the hem of her mother’s top with both hands.
"Oh, so that’s all it is, little one…" she whispered affectionately.
"Annie!" she heard her husband’s voice from the kitchen, accompanied by the unmistakable sizzle of oil. Her husband must be cooking dinner. "Is everything all right? Are you all right? And is Ami all right too? Can I help?"
Annie’s heart began to melt. How could anyone be so infinitely kind and devoted?
"It’s all right!’ she said. "I’m fine! And Ami’s just hungry! Isn’t she?" she said to the baby, stroking her little cheek. Her eyes were Armin’s, but he thought she’d taken after her mother more in her facial features.
Sitting back down on the bed, she unbuttoned her blouse so she could nurse her tiny little girl. As she held little Amelia, tears began to roll down her cheeks without her meaning to. After the birth of all three of her children (and even during her pregnancies), her heart had overflowed with love.
As soon as Amelia had finished, Annie gently cradled the baby and set off towards the kitchen.
Pausing in the doorway, she was greeted by the sweetest sight in the world.
Armin was busily pottering about at the gas hob, whilst two little blond children clung to both his legs, and even their snow-white cat, Whipped Cream, was sauntering about around them.
“When will it be ready, Daddy?” three-year-old Aurora nagged her father.
"Just a few more minutes, sweetheart," replied Armin with boundless patience.
"But you said that just now!" said the little girl indignantly. "You’re so slow!"
"Hey, I’m not!" the young man laughed.
Meanwhile, one-year-and-four-month-old Alexander was also getting impatient. He couldn’t speak yet, but that didn’t stop him from tugging insistently at his father’s trousers. The little boy had recently taken his first steps and was already standing quite steadily on his own two feet.
A smile played on Annie’s lips. She could see how tousled her husband’s hair was, how slumped his shoulders were, and when she looked down at the children, the young woman also noticed the dark circles under his eyes. And yet, despite all this, he spoke so kindly to the children, he was so patient with them… That was one of the reasons she’d fallen in love with Armin. Because of his devotion, because he fought tirelessly for what he loved.
Annie felt like a young girl in love every time she glanced at the him, even though they’d been together for eight years, five of them as a married couple. Armin was incredibly handsome; his features had undoubtedly become more masculine than in his teenage years – though his face was still sweet and youthful – and his slight build had given way to a stronger, more muscular one.
Armin turned round completely, and his face literally lit up.
"Hi, darling! And hi, little Amelia!"
"Mummyyy!" Aurora rushed over to her mother. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes, sweetheart," Annie said, crouching down so she could stroke her eldest daughter’s golden-blonde hair with one hand, whilst gently holding Amelia in her other arm. "I’ve had a rest."
"But of course you had to wake Mama up!" Aurora gave her little sister an accusing look; the baby just blinked wide-eyed, then her face broke into a broad smile and she took her sister’s equally tiny hand in her own. "But I can’t be angry with you!" Aurora smiled too. "You’re the cutest little baby in the world!"
At this, Alexander let out a sound as if he wanted to protest. His face resembled Armin's a lot.
"All right, Alex, you’re just as cute as she is!" Aurora said, turning round to look at her little brother.
Alexander let go of Armin’s leg and set off with slightly wobbly steps towards his mum and siblings.
"Yes, come on then, you’re doing really well!" Annie praised her little boy.
Armin watched with a comically bewildered expression as even Whipped Cream left him behind.
"Well, everyone’s turned their backs on me!" Armin feigned indignation, still pottering about at the gas hob. "Doesn’t anyone love me any more?"
"Of course they do, Papa, we love you very much!" said Aurora enthusiastically, stroking Alexander’s head as he came over. "And we love you very much too, Mama!" Aurora turned back to her mother.
Annie’s eyes welled up with tears despite. She’d once been certain that this would never be hers: a loving marriage to the love of her life, three sweet little children snuggling up to her, and even a cat… She’d believed she would have to leave this world at the tender age of twenty-two. But the greatest dream of her life had come true: that terrible curse had been broken.
She and Armin looked into each other’s eyes. Her husband flashed her the same sweet smile that had made her knees tremble even as a little girl. It wasn’t easy with three such small children, especially as they were both still so young. They were very tired, and yet they felt full of life. It seemed as though happiness was making the hardships bearable.
"And we love you very much too, kids…" whispered Annie.
Once evening had fallen, they read the children their bedtime story and kissed them goodnight, lulling them to sleep. They waited a little while, and when it seemed the little ones were sleeping peacefully, they embraced each other in the kitchen. They made the most of every opportunity like this when they could be alone together.
"Well, Annie," Armin whispered into his wife’s ear, "this is going to be a special night."
"Why?" asked the young woman cheerfully. "Have you come up with some new naughty idea we should try out?"
"Not this time, for a change," Armin chuckled. "Although you’re usually the one with the best ideas for naughty activities, darling…" he added cheekily, whereupon he received a gentle nudge on the shoulder from his beloved. "Tonight’s the peak of the meteor shower!" He pushed Annie away slightly so he could look her in the eye.
"Really?" Annie exclaimed in surprise. "Then we’ll have to go and watch it."
“Absolutely!” said Armin excitedly. “But… we’ll only see most of the stars after midnight…”
“Then we’ll have to find something to do to pass the time until then…” replied Annie mysteriously. “Provided the little ones don’t wake up.”
"I hope they’ll be good children and give their parents some space," Armin laughed, and with that he scooped up his beloved and carried her all the way to the living room, to the sofa...
By some great miracle, the children were being very considerate at that moment, so neither Amelia nor Alexander was competing to see who could cry the loudest, and Aurora didn’t rush into their room claiming that the curtains had come to life.
As a result, the couple were able to enjoy a very pleasant and long lovemaking. After having a shower (together, of course), they changed into their pyjamas, but put on thick jumpers as well, since by mid-August the weather had already turned quite chilly at night.
As they slipped out into the garden hand in hand, they felt like two mischievous little children. They spread the blanket out on the grass, and within moments they were marvelling at the endless multitude of stars, sparkling like diamonds against the dark blanket of night. Their house was situated on the very outskirts of the town, so light pollution was minimal. The soothing song of the crickets drifted gently through the air.
And the stars had already begun to play, darting across the sky as swiftly as a thought.
"It occurred to me that it was exactly fifteen years ago that we first looked at the stars together…" Armin sighed lovingly. "We were so young back then! I never thought we’d get to experience this again…’"
"Neither did I…" Annie said. "I thought I’d never experience another night as peaceful as that."
“And look at us now!” laughed the boy. “Here we are, husband and wife, exhausted, perhaps, but happier than ever!” He squeezed his wife’s hand. As if it were still as delicate and small as when he’d first held it fifteen years ago… "Annie…" he turned to her, and she looked up at him. "What did you wish for back then?" he asked hesitantly.
Annie swallowed hard before she could answer.
"That… that you wouldn’t hate me once you found out what I really am. Because that would have killed me, Armin."
“My Annie…” Armin stroked his beloved’s cheek, his eyes wide. “You shouldn’t have wished for that. Because I would never have hated you. Never. Instead, I just fell madly in love with you,” he smiled sweetly. “But my old wish came true too.”
"And what was that?"
"To watch the shooting stars with you again.
With that, he kissed the girl deeply and slowly, and the sky" or perhaps the entire universe – simply marvelled at their love.