This is super long… a bunch of trio fluff but a lot of platonic eremin. I'm super tired so yeah enjoy :)

Armin double checked all of his straps, making sure they were on in the correct places, and that all of them were securely strapped around his body. He was about to go on a practice mission with his usual squad, which consisted of himself, Eren, Mikasa, Jean, Sasha, Connie, and a few other people. This time, they would go without the guidance of Commander Erwin, for he wanted to see how well the newbies could be without his assistance.

Armin had faith in himself, he knew that the territory they were practicing in only had a small number of titans roaming around, making it much safer compared to the edges of the forests.

Although he wasn't as strong as his fellow soldiers, his intelligence cancelled out his lack of strength, or so people have told him.

As Armin looked one final time, he felt satisfied that his straps were all in the right places. He proceeded into the hall, and into another room where everyone else was getting their ODM gear on. As he was was putting on his gear, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He looked to his left, to see Eren with a confident smile plastered across his face.

"This is gonna be too easy. You almost ready?" Eren asked, already having his gear on.

"Uh, yeah, let me just finish putting this on." Armin responds, having trouble connecting the straps from behind. Eren rolled his eyes, before swatting the blonde's hands away, and skillfully strapping Armin in himself. Armin gave him a small smile to say 'thank you', and soon after they both left to go meet up with Commander Erwin, who had instructions on how the mission was to play out.

Once everyone was outside, Commander Erwin stood in front of the soldiers, his loud steps making everyone aware that he was about to speak. Everyone showed the standardized salute, giving the higher up respect.

"Soldiers, today you will be going on a mission near the West Side outside the walls. You will be without the help of me, and Levi's squad. I expect all of you to show your greatest performances, along with the success of the mission. Everyone will get on their horses and travel in the diamond formation we showed you earlier today. You will practice using your signals when a titan appears. Keep riding until you reach the end of the field, and at that point you can turn around and head back here. I have great faith in all of you. With that being said, you all can begin your mission." Erwin finished, giving a salute before walking away from the group.

The soldiers lingered for a solid second, before going towards their horses. Once on their horses, they proceeded outside the walls and into the real world. Even though they'd been outside the walls on multiple occasions, it still felt like a new experience each time they went on an expedition. Almost like starting a new chapter in a book, no matter how long you've been reading it, each chapter opens up millions of possibilities with limitless endings.

Eren, Mikasa and Armin opted to stay on the east side of the formation, not wanting to stay too away from each other if something were to happen. As they rode, the breeze pushed Armin's hair ever so slightly behind his shoulders. If he ignored the fact that the only reason he was able to feel the breeze was because of the man eating creatures that they had to practice killing day after day to make sure they'd survive in this world… he would say that he'd been having a pretty pleasant time.

They continued to ride, no titans had yet to show up. This was a pretty good mission so far. As long as things stayed this calm, they'd be able to go back and report a successful mission to Commander Erwin. Armin looked over at Eren, who had been looking in front of himself the entire ride.

"Do you think things will stay this calm?" Armin asked, almost sounding hopeful. Eren looked towards Armin once the blonde had gotten his attention. He thought for a moment, unsure of how to respond to the question.

"I hope so. Things have been going pretty smooth so far. What do you think Mikasa?" Eren turned to the raven haired girl, who had been paying attention to the conversation.

"Anything that comes in our way will be avoided, there's no point in hoping for nothing to happen." She answers in a monotone voice, not looking towards neither of the boys.

Eren and Armin knew she was right, but they couldn't help but have at least some hope for humanity. The calmer things were, the calmer the army of soldiers could be.

They continued riding for a short time, making small conversation once and awhile. There were few Titan run-ins on the west side of the formation, but other then that things couldn't have been going any more smoothly, especially for a mission without the commander or captain.

These happy thoughts were soon put to a stop, as Armin looked to his right with widened eyes. Three titans were approaching, and by the looks of it at least one of them was an abnormal. Eren and Mikasa seemed to have noticed too, for they looked at each other in brief shock.

The trio looked at each other and nodded, spoken communication unnecessary for the next planned action. Simultaneously, all three teens shot up a green flare, indicating that titans were coming towards them. Armin had almost forgotten about the abnormal, and quickly shot a black flare in the sky, waiting for the other cadets to make their moves.

Soon after, multiple flares were shot in the West direction, meaning that the entire formation was to move.

Eren stared at the titans, his eyebrows arching. He wasn't going to just run away. He could handle three measly titans! He growled as he went more towards the right, coming closer to the titans. Mikasa and Armin stared at him with wide eyes, wondering what the brunette was thinking.

"Eren, what are you doing?!" Armin yelled, questioning his best friends actions.

"How can we resolve anything if all we do is avoid the titans! They'll never be stopped until we kill them all!" Eren defended, his anger for the titans only increasing.

"This is supposed to be a practice mission! The whole point is to avoid the titans! Not attack them!" Armin was having a hard time dealing with Eren's actions. He looked over at Mikasa, who was glaring in Eren's general direction.

"Eren! Just follow the orders Commander Erwin gave us! You might get hurt!" Mikasa tried not to show it, but she was worried for her brother. He was the only family she had left, and she didn't want him to get hurt, especially when they're on a practice mission and not even a real one.

"We can handle it! Come on guys!" Eren encouraged his fellow soldiers to follow. Once the titans were in range, Eren used his ODM gear to fly off of his horse, and be pulled towards the man eating monsters.

As Eren's hook made its way into one of the titan's arms, Armin look towards his left, and immediately realized that the formation was already out of position. They were supposed to be way over west, but it seems that the other cadets didn't feel the need to wait for them. The blonde looked back towards the titans, and realized that Eren had already vanished further east, exactly where the titans were.

"Mikasa, what are we-!" He cuts himself off, Mikasa's actions giving him the answer to his question he never finished asking. He watched the girl jump off her horse, and shoot a hook at one of the titan's face. She flew past him, making the blonde glare internally. Why can't his friends think things through once in awhile?

He watched them fight the titans for a short while, mentally thinking of what to do. He was met with two options, either to stay in the formation or go with his friends in battle.

If he didn't go with them, they'd be left all by themselves, and possibly without their horses. They might get eaten, and nobody would ever hear from them again. They'd only be known as one of the thousands of soldiers who had died in battle.

If he did go with them, he'd risk himself getting injured, along with the chance of getting killed. He knew he wasn't physically strong, that fact was obvious. But what if they did need his help?

No, there's no way. He's always needed their help, not the other way around. How could they possibly need him? He was just a weak useless soldier, the words "Titan Food" were practically written in big bold letters on his forehead.

As he looked closer towards his best friends, he noticed a terrible situation. His eyes widened, as he realized that his friend's were in need of assistance. They had managed to have taken down two of the titans, which was pretty impressive in his book. However, they seemed to not be able to kill the abnormal just yet, as it had Eren's body in its large fist. Armin watched Mikasa swing around the titan, trying to attack all of its weak points. But as the titan made irregular movements, it kept throwing her off. The titan seemed to not even care about her actions, and only focused on the titan shifter in its hand.

Armin squinted his eyes, and he was hit with a small realization. It was an abnormal, sometimes they tend to ignore one person, but go after someone else, no matter how far away or close they were. Armin observes the titan, just to justify his realization. After a few moments, Armin realized what he needed to do… or at least try to do.

The blonde made a sharp right turn, and picked up speed on his horse as he rode towards the abnormal. If Mikasa and Eren weren't able to handle the situation, what was Armin able to do? Ever since he became friends with them, he's always felt inferior when it came to brute strength. Armin tried to ignore these negatives thoughts popping into his head, and tried to focus on a tactic.

Maybe if he didn't go for the wrist, and instead the inner elbow, it would be easier? He didn't want to get too close to the titan's hands, in fear of getting grabbed, and in fear of accidentally slicing Eren instead of the wrist. After he'd sliced the elbow, he'd then try to communicate to Mikasa to slice the nape while the target was distracted.

That seemed like a pretty solid plan, especially for one that he had to think of on the spot. He decided to put his plan into action, as he shot a hook into the titan's arm that was holding Eren. He jumped off of his horse, and swiftly raced through the air, going as fast as he could to gain enough speed.

While going as fast as he was, he was still able to make eye contact with Eren for a brief moment. The brunette looked shocked as he saw his best friend fly through the air, right in front of him.

Armin got his blades out, and with all the strength he could muster, he sliced off the joint connecting the wrist and arm together. The body part fell, Eren's landing being softened by the titan's now decapitated hand.

Armin felt proud of himself, he had finally done something to help his friends. Although the titan wasn't actually killed yet, he was honored to say he was about to be a part of the small victory.

The confidence the blonde had quickly disappeared, as he realized where he was going, the ground. He didn't know how to land… this was gonna hurt. Still having the swords in his hands, he held up his arms to protect his face as he fell towards the ground.

As he landed, he was met with a stinging pain on his right cheek. He landed with a grunt, as one of his swords tips found its way to Armin's cheek, and made a clean cut right underneath his eye. He rolled on the ground, his gear breaking off due to the harsh impact. He eventually stopped, and quickly sat up.

He was met with everyone's eyes staring at him, including the titan's. He arched his eyebrows and ignored the pain in his cheek, as he yelled to Mikasa, who looked just as shocked as Eren was.

"Mikasa! Go for the nape now! While it's distracted!" He ordered, his voice cracking as he met Mikasa's eyes. She made a subtle nod and growled, before doing what was instructed by her friend.

She made a swift and quick kill, getting rid of the abnormal once and for all. She landed skillfully, before running up to Eren, who was now out of the titan's hand and on the ground.

"Are you alright, Eren?" She asked worriedly, holding out her hand for him to grab. He accepted it, and used her help to pull himself up to stand. He dusted off his uniform while mumbling a simple 'yes', before his eyes widened when he realized what he just happened.

"Armin! You ok?" Eren ran up to Armin, who was on his knees with his hand covering his cut cheek. He looked up and met Eren's eyes, as the brunette kneeled next to him, putting a hand on the small teen's shoulder.

"Yeah I'm fine, just a scratch." Armin replied, not wanting to worry his friend. The blonde sat up and wiped his cheek, trying to get rid of the blood that quickly ran down his face.

"Armin, I've never seen you do that before! That- that was amazing!" Eren smiled widely, his grip on his friend's shoulder tightening.

"It's wasn't anything impressive… Mikasa did kill it after all. But thanks." Armin himself was impressed he was able to do any damage to the titan in the first place, let alone save Eren. But compared to every other soldier, that was nothing. The brunette's eyebrows arched at the blonde's response, making Armin raise a questioning eyebrow.

"What do you mean? You just saved my life! I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't came in." Eren said, turning more towards Armin. Armin shifted his gaze to the ground, not used to all the praise and attention.

Mikasa put her hand on the top of his head, making him jump before looking into her eyes.

"Thank you, Armin." She was subtle with her gratitude, but words, especially her words, went a long way. Armin's eyes widened ever so slightly when she spoke, before he nodded his head at her.

Armin looked towards his gear, which was now broken and tangled in itself. The blades and canisters had fallen out, although they weren't nearly as damaged as the ODM gear that was laying in pieces a couple of yards away from him.

Great.

Mikasa lifted her hand, and looked around the terrain. After a few shorts moments, she spoken aloud to gain the attention of the two near her.

"The horses are gone." She stated, looking into the distance. Armin and Eren looked at each other, before looking around. She was right, all three of their horses had vanished during their battle against the titans.

"Sorry about that, I would've watched them for you, but I had to leave them behind to get to you guys." Armin apologized, looking at both Mikasa and Eren.

"It's alright, I'd rather lose the horses than lose Eren." Mikasa said, not needing the blonde's apology. Eren looked towards Armin, who had continued to try and wipe the blood off of his face with the sleeve of his jacket.

"You're bleeding pretty badly… we should probably head back to get that patched up." Eren concluded, looking at the gash on his best friend's figure. Armin rolled his eyes after Eren spoke, standing up in the process.

"I'm fine, it's just a little scratch it's not that big of a deal." Armin tried to persuade, looking down at his sleeve. There was a good amount of blood, but he's seen much, and he means much worse than just a little cut. People have lost limbs, there was no reason to make a big deal out of a little cut. He's seen so much blood come out people, it could fill a pool… whatever that was.

"Yeah, but it could get infected! And you could get sick, and if you're sick that means that you could get some sort of disease or something!" Eren yelled, sounding angry yet worried at the same time. Armin sighed, realizing that he had forgotten how overprotective Eren could be, especially when he or Mikasa got hurt. Armin decided to give into Eren's exaggerated thoughts, because of the fact that he knew two things.

One, was that Eren needed to be needed. Kinda like how humanity needs someone to exterminate all of the titans, Eren would be that someone. This has especially shown before the attack of Wall Maria, when Armin had been bullied. Eren enjoyed the feeling of defending someone who needed it, hence why he always helped Armin out.

Two, was that Eren didn't like to need someone. He liked to be independant and on his own. He's always hated it when Mikasa had saved him from an attacker, or when someone would nurse him back to health. And lately, everyone's been keeping a close eye on Eren, making sure he wasn't hurt in any way, shape, or form. Eren almost felt like everyone had been babying him, and he's been more than pissed off about it.

Armin concluded that Eren needed to blow off some steam, but not in 'angry' way. No, this was more like 'taking care of others to not feel like I'm some fragile object that has no purpose'. And trust him, Armin understood and knows what that feels like. To feel useless, and to hate it when everyone wants to protect you.

So, against his better judgement, he let Eren have control of his minor injury, that wouldn't be even considered an injury to some people. Armin knows what he's getting into, he knows that he's going to get babied because of the stupidest reasons, he knows that none of this would make sense to the average person. But he didn't care. The sooner Eren had his little episode, the sooner they could move on to something else.

"You're right, we should head back. But how? Without our horses, we can't really go anywhere unless we use our ODM gear. And I don't know if you've noticed, but mine's kinda broken." Armin pointed towards his gear, causing Eren to rub his hand against his chin. The teen thought for a moment, before putting a fist against his palm.

"I'll just carry you then. Connie did it, so I don't think it'll be that hard." Eren said, standing up from the ground. Mikasa walked towards the two, having a stern look on her face.

"Are we leaving?" She asked, looking from Armin to Eren. Eren nodded, as he tightened his gear to make sure it wouldn't slip off.

"Yeah, I'm gonna carry Armin since his gear is broken." Mikasa nodded at Eren's statement, looking around and finding Armin's broken gear that was on the grass, its pieces scattered around the area.

"Ok… how do I do this?" Eren mumbles to himself, thinking of his next actions.

Should he just… pick him up? But how? He couldn't carry him princess style, he has to use his arms and hands to shoot the rope and hook and to direct his ODM gear. He can't go on either sides of his body, cause the canisters and blades are there. And he definitely can't go on his back, after all that's where the ODM gear is in the first place. So… his front?

"Ok, this is gonna be kinda weird… how did Connie do it?" Eren asked Armin, who was looking towards the direction where they had came from.

"He… well I… I kinda just grabbed onto his neck and tucked into him. It was a spur of the moment thing I kinda forget." Armin finished, the awkwardness levels of the conversation were rising as he spoke. Armin has a faint blush on his cheeks, not knowing why this became very nerve racking.

"Ok… how about you just go on my front. You know, face me." Eren explained, pointing at his upper body.

Armin sighed, his predicaments coming true. If being carried like a baby wasn't babying, then he didn't know what babying was. He pushed his hair away from his forehead in awkwardness, trying to think of a better solution. But of course, he couldn't find one.

"Y-yeah, that's fine. They should've taught us how to do this back in training, huh?" Armin tried to joke, unsure of the burnette's reaction. Eren chuckled a bit and nodded, before standing directly in front of the blonde.

Without any words, Eren picked Armin up right underneath his bottom, holding him exactly like someone would hold an infant. The smaller one of the two awkwardly wrapped his arms and legs around his friend's upper body, trying his hardest to not make eye contact. Armin would be lying if he said he wasn't completely embarrassed at what he was doing. He was just glad the only two that would know about it would be Eren and Mikasa.

Eren made an evil smirk, and bounced Armin up, making the latter grip him tighter due to the spasmodic action.

"Eren, don't ever do that again." Armin demanded, trying to sound mad. If anything, he was more humiliated than mad. It was bad enough he was being carried around like a baby, the last thing he needs is to he bounced up and down too. Eren only snickered, before turning towards a tree.

"Hold on tight, okay? Oh! And make sure you keep your hand on your cheek. I remember Hanje saying stuff about pressure and blood and what not." Eren said, as he brought out the swords connecting to the gear.

"Yeah, if you hold pressure against an open cut or wound, it'll decrease the rate of blood flow." Armin fully explained, doing what he was told. He tightened his legs and one arm, and the other held the side of his face that was injured. Eren hummed in acknowledgment, before steadying himself into position.

"Here we go!" And with that, they shot into the air, and soon followed by Mikasa.

The ride wasn't as awkward as Armin had thought it would of been, given the circumstances. He had eventually found a comfortable position where he could relax, and just close his eyes.

It was kind of soothing, the wind blowing through his hair, being held up and feeling weightless, and the comfort of his best friend. Eren was always warm, so the brunette's heated skin against the chill of the wind was perfect.

They eventually made it back, and as they walked in they were greeted by Commander Erwin, who was talking to another soldier. What was awkward about it, was the fact that Eren still had Armin wrapped around his waist, and never told Armin he could get off yet.

"I see you're all back. Where is everyone else?" Erwin asked, looking past the trio and towards the gates, not seeing any horses or people walking in.

"Funny story…"

"Eren went after some titans and Armin got hurt and broke his gear. We lost our horses and came back here as soon as we could." Mikasa stayed bluntly, not being one to keep any secrets from the higher ranks. Eren gave Mikasa an annoyed look, before gazing at Erwin, who was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"The whole point of this mission was to avoid the titans, cadet. I'm surprised you didn't do as well as I expected." Erwin said, sounding disappointed. The last comment made Eren's eyebrows arch in anger, before speaking to the taller male.

"We did just fine! Besides, the more titans we kill, the less of them there'll be. Instead of avoiding the titans, maybe we should destroy them, before they destroy humanity!" Eren almost sounded like he was yelling, make Armin and Mikasa look at him with an all too knowing look.

"Eren… you shouldn't yell at the Commander." Armin scolded, trying his hardest so only Eren could hear. He was heard by Erwin, as he had sighed in recognition.

"No no, it's fine, Arlert, he makes a valid point. Are you alright, Ackerman told me that you've been injured? Did something happen to your leg?" The Commander asked, gesturing towards the way Eren was carrying him. He was about to protest, before Eren spoke up.

"Yes! He hurt his leg and got a cut on his face. It seemed pretty serious when we were outside. Can I bring him to the infirmary?" Eren asked, hoping Armin wouldn't speak against his lie.

"Of course, we wouldn't want an injured soldier going on missions. I hope you get better in time for our next expedition, cadet." Commander Erwin spoke. He walked away when he was called over by another superior, leaving the trio behind.

"Eren! Why would you lie like that?" Armin questioned, swatting Eren's shoulder.

"Relax! He wouldn't of taken it seriously if nothing had happened except that cut on your cheek."

"So you admit that the cut isn't a big deal!"

"No, it is! He just wouldn't understand!"

"Understand what? That you over exaggerate my injuries?"

"I am not over exaggerating! It's very serious and we need to take care of it right away! Mikasa, can you get my gear off for me?" Eren turned towards his adopted sister, who had stayed quiet the entire time while the two boys bickered.

Mikasa nodded, and complied with what she had been asked. She took the ODM gear, blades, and canisters off her brother, and set them to the side. She watched as Eren bounced Armin up once more, making the blonde shocked, and then ticked off at the sudden movement.

"Stop doing that! We can go to the infirmary, alright?" Armin looked Eren in the eyes, and the brunette put a weird expression on his face.

"You do realize that I never asked for your permission, right? We are going, whether you say we are or not." Eren decided, and started to walk away from the raven haired girl with Armin in his arms. She went the opposite direction, and carried hers and Eren's gear away.

Armin groaned at Eren's response, holding on slightly tighter than before, due to the steps his friend was taking.

"Whatever. You're not gonna put me down anytime soon I suppose?" Armin asked, having small smile of embarrassment on his face.

"Well, I can't. I told Erwin you hurt your leg, and if he sees you walking around he'll know something's up." Eren replied, continuing to walk to his destination.

"This is ridiculous…" Armin mumbled, rolling his eyes. He didn't even have to look up to see all of the other soldiers giving him and Eren strange looks. This was beyond embarrassing, this was ridiculing.

Eren ignored Armin's comment, and continued walking. They made it to the infirmary soon enough, and as they entered they were greeted by a couple of nurses, who had crowded them with questions. And of course, as every question was asked, Eren's patience slowly disappeared.

Eren was able to shake off the nurses, claiming he knew what to do and that he didn't need their help. He had found an empty room with a small bed inside, and walked in without any words being spoken. He shut the door and walked towards the bed, before carefully setting Armin down on the mattress. The brunette pulled up a chair, and sat right in front of his best friend. He noticed how Armin still had his hand over his cheek, and that the blonde looked at the hard wooden floor with downcasted and tired eyes.

Eren gently took Armin's hand away from his cheek so he could examine the wound. He wasn't nearly as skilled with medical practice as his father was, but he had enough basic knowledge that he felt comfortable enough with handling his friend's injury.

"There's some disinfectant and other supplies over there." Armin spoke in a quiet voice, as he pointed towards cabinets in the far right corner. Eren noticed Armin's small voice, and quickly got the supplies he needed before questioning him.

"Okay… you wanna tell me why you sound so sad?" Eren asked, as he opened a small bottle, which he presumed was the disinfectant the blonde had mentioned before.

"It's… it's nothing. I can do this myself you know." Armin stated, lightly blushing as he spoke. Eren looked at him, with slight anger but mostly protection.

"No, I got it." He got a cotton ball, and put some of the green-blue liquid on it.

He brought it up to Armin's cheek, which caused the blonde to hiss and pull his face back.

"Sorry! Sorry. Just put up with it for a little." Eren apologized, bringing the cotton ball back to the cut.

He continued to clean the wound in silence. At some point, he had brought his other hand to the other side of Armin's head, his fingers in the blonde locks as he continued to clean the minor injury. While Eren has his eyes fixed on the cut, Armin's gaze was in his lap.

Armin felt ashamed. The one time he managed to hurt a titan, and of course he got hurt as well. And he didn't even kill it! He simply chopped the arm off, while Mikasa killed it. He didn't deserve the attention Eren was giving him. He felt frustrated with himself, along with the whole situation.

He didn't feel himself do it, but tears made their way down his cheeks, right where Eren's hand was.

"Armin? Armin what's wrong?" Eren pulled the cotton ball away and put it down, all while keeping his other hand in the blonde's hair. Armin's eyebrows arched, as he kept his gaze fixed on his white pants and dark leather straps.

"People are dying Eren…" Armin started speaking quietly, trying to control his voice. Eren looked at him with questioning eyes, not understanding what the blonde was trying to prove. Armin looked up with an emotional expression and met Eren's eyes, making Eren surprised, not used to seeing the calm blonde angry.

"People are dying! People are losing their lives out there! They're losing limbs and organs, their losing people they care about, they're losing land and animals and everything they know and love! How can you just sit here and not care about this!" Armin yelled, more tears of frustration rolling down his face.

"Armin, what are you talking about? Why are you saying this?" Eren was confused. Why was Armin so upset?

"You're just sitting here, acting like some dumbass cut is worse than getting your arm chopped off! Just last week, about a dozen of people died. And you just sat there and said nothing! But no, the minute I get so much as a paper cut, it's the end of the world! Why? Is it because I'm so weak, you think I'd die if I get a scratch?" Armin questioned Eren angrily, tears still streaming down his face. Before Eren could respond, Armin had a quick change of emotion, as all of the anger was wiped off his face, and quickly turned into regret.

"God, I am such an idiotic baby… Why am I crying?... Eren I'm sorry… I didn't… crap…" Armin couldn't tell if he was talking to himself, or the teen sitting in front of him.

Eren didn't know what to say. He was aware that he was protective when it came to Armin's safety, but it's not because he was weak. It's never been because he was weak. He was aware that Armin didn't have the biggest muscles, but he always thought that Armin was mentally strong, which is something not a lot of people were. The blonde never knew his self worth, and it made Eren want to punch a wall each time Armin had claimed he was worthless, or that he only got in the way.

"Armin, you got hurt because of me. You saved me from that titan. When I saw you rolling on the ground, your gear flying off and blood coming out of your face… I don't know I just felt weird. I care about everyone that gets hurt, you know that. But if I see you, or Mikasa get hurt because of me, I can't just sit back and relax." Eren took both hands and put them on Armin's shoulders. The blonde looked into Eren's eyes as he continued to speak.

"You're not weak, and you're not a baby. You are one of the smartest people I know, you're definitely more mature than half of the people here, but most importantly you're my best friend. Please… please just let me look out for you." Eren finished talking, and looked Armin directly in the eyes. He subconsciously rubbed his thumbs along the bones of his friend's shoulders, which had caused some of his tension to disappear.

Armin continued to cry, although this time the tears were both of sadness and happiness. The blonde leaned forward, and without warning wrapped his arms around Eren's neck, causing the latter to let go of Armin's shoulders.

"Armin…" Eren slowly wrapped his arms around his best friend, who was shaking in his tiny form.

"I don't want to be a burden anymore. I'm tired of getting in your way. I don't want to distract you, Mikasa or anyone else from something bigger, just because I get hurt. I can't keep doing this to you…" Armin continued to cry, all while self deprecating himself.

Eren held him tighter towards his chest, hoping to seize the small teen's erratic shaking. The brunette ran his hands slowly up Armin's body in a soothing manner, all while whispering reassuring things in his ear.

This lasted for a while, both of them hugging and holding each other tightly, almost as if they thought that if they didn't, the other would disappear. Armin's shaking died down, but the tears still remained.

"You are not a burden. You're not distracting anyone. I swear to God, Armin. If you say anything like this again I will slap you." Eren threatened, pulling back slightly. He watched as Armin gently wiped his face, being careful of his cut.

"But-"

"But nothing, Armin. You're so fucking important, you don't even realize it. Promise me you'll never say shit like this again." Eren tightened his hand that was in Armin's hair, making sure the blonde was paying attention.

Armin stared at Eren, trying to detect if the brunette was saying all of this out of pity. But he knew Eren, he wouldn't say that unless he meant it. This made Armin tear up even more, surprised at the fact that Eren thought he was… important.

"Promise." Armin made a small smile as he spoke. He couldn't tell what he was feeling, he knew he wasn't sad. Happy? No, he knew what that felt like, and this wasn't it. Hope? Maybe.

Eren smiled at Armin's response. He took his hand out of the blonde's hair, and opened a bandage. He titled Armin's head slightly to the side, and gently placed it over the wound. He ran his thumb over the bandage, and let his hand stay on the teen's face.

Armin gently put his hand over Eren's, the last of his tears running down his cheeks. He squeezed Eren's hand, sending a non-verbal 'thank you' to the brunette.

Suddenly, there was the sound of an opening door, making both boys look towards the entrance of the room. Mikasa slowly walked in, closing the door behind her.

"Armin, are you feeling better?" She asked, walking towards him. Armin looked towards Eren, and Mikasa watched as they both smiled at each other, almost like they were communicating.

"Yeah, much better. Thanks for the concern." Armin looked up at Mikasa, who had a subtle smile on her face. She sat down next to the blonde, who still had Eren's hand against his own.

She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled, making the latter smile back. All three teens looked at one another, spoken communication still not being necessary.

"Thanks guys." Eren and Mikasa turned towards Armin, who's gaze was on his lap once more.

He remembered a certain time, where he thought nobody cared. He thought nobody loved him, he thought he was alone and would always be alone in this human hating world. But once he has met Eren, and then Mikasa, they made his realize that he wasn't alone. People did care, and they would always be there for him no matter what.

"Thanks for… caring…" Armin looked up at both of his friends, who had widened their eyes at the small teen's gratitude.

"Of course Armin, we're always gonna be here for you." Eren told him, tightening his grip on Armin's face.

"Don't think for more than a second that we'd ever leave your side." Mikasa also tightened her grip, causing Armin to look at both of them with a happy grin.

"Same to you guys." Armin said, nothing but hopefulness in his voice.

All three teens sat in that room for only God knows how long. But none of them seemed to care about how long they stayed in there, the company of one another brought back happy memories of their childhood. How they would sit together in somewhat of a doggy pile, Armin reading to them while the other two would sit quietly and listen. It was moments like these that they wish they could cherish forever. And in some ways, they do.

I'm supposed to be working on a bunch of other stories lol

Tell me what you think so yeah love you guys bye!