The first family of Grisha Yeager thrived on expectations. Zeke and Verena were raised to meet them. Every step of Verena's childhood was meticulously guided by her parents' vision of what a daughter should be. Her life was discipline and accomplishment, every note of her life was played to perfection. In academics, her name was synonymous with excellence. Verena excelled at everything, but it was never for herself.

In the mess that came with being the perfect daughter of Dina and Grisha, was her older brother, Zeke. The eight-year age gap between them was nothing short of just a number. Their parents treated them as projects but Zeke only ever treated her as the little sister she was. He was her safe space. Zeke was composed and a great counterbalance of what their father was, and when he laughed at her observations, she didn't feel like a puppet dancing for applause.

But peace never lasted long in the first Yeager household.

Every other weekend Dina and Grisha exchanged children, the brother and sister shuttled to the house of the second Yeager family. The air there was warmer, lighter, filled with the sound of Eren, their half-brother, racing through the halls or dragging them into whatever scheme he'd concocted that day. He was chaos incarnate—impulsive, messy, loud. And yet, everyone adored him.

Verena didn't mind Carla. She was kind and patient. When Zeke turned eighteen and was no longer required to visit their father, Verena appreciated Carla trying to make her comfortable. She made room for her, offering invitations to dinners and family outings outside of the weekend requirement. Verena declined, again and again. She didn't truly believe she was wanted and Grisha seemed content to let her drift away. The more she achieved, the more it seemed Grisha's attention fixated on Eren's potential instead of her results.

"She's so talented," Carla would say to Grisha, her voice filled with pride. "Verena's incredible."

But Grisha's gaze would slide to Eren, who was likely in the middle of some wild story or outrageous plan, and he would only nod. "Eren's got so much spirit."

Verena heard what he didn't have the gall to say. And you don't.

And while the visits between Verena and her fathers family were cordial, Dina was not.

Verena wasn't sure who started the war between Fritz and Yeager households. Perhaps it had always been there, long before she was old enough to notice. What she did know was that she and Zeke were often caught in the crossfire. She had long since learned to keep her head down and to deflect when Eren asked why she didn't stay longer.

But things changed the year Verena was fifteen.
It was supposed to be a normal visit. She remembered standing by the front door of Carla's house, a neutral smile fixed on her face as she handed over her duffel bag to Grisha. Eren had bounded down the stairs, his usual whirlwind of energy, and tried to pull her into the kitchen to see some new contraption he and Armin had built.

She never made it to the kitchen.

Dina never pulled away from the curb, instead she exchanged heavy words with Grisha, and it only got worse when Carla tried to bring reason into the conversation. Dina had finally snapped, stepping around the Yeagers and speaking to her daughter. "Let's go, Verena."

That was the last time Verena saw Carla's house. The custody dispute that followed was a storm of court dates and angry conversations between the families. By the time it was over, Dina had won. Verena no longer had to visit her father.

At first, Eren and Armin tried to keep in touch. Eren's texts came in bursts, filled with wild plans and inside jokes. Come on, Verena. It's boring here without you, he wrote once, a string of emojis following as though they could make her respond.

Verena would stare at the screen, her finger hovering over the keyboard, the glow of the message casting long shadows in her darkened room. Her chest tightened at the text. She loved Eren as much as she loved Zeke. But how can she forget the countless times their father picked him over her.

"You should be more like him," her father's voice whispered in her mind. She didn't need to be told outright; she could see it in the way Grisha lit up when Eren shared his big dreams, while her accomplishments were never quite enough.
Instead, she'd close the message and set her phone down, the screen dimming to black.

Armin's texts were different. They arrived with a thoughtfulness that she couldn't quite bring herself to accept from anyone. Hey, Verena. I hope you're doing okay. Let me know if you need anything.

His messages were more infrequent than her brothers; she wasn't sure she liked knowing he had her number. Eren must have thought having his best friend text her to see how sad he was would work on her, allowing herself to at least text someone back. "Eren says hi. He keeps talking about how much you'd love the new hiking trail near the river." Armin's text had come with a photo attached, the trail winding through a forest she vaguely remembered.

She hated the ache that followed. She deleted the photo and set the phone aside without replying. The next message sat unread for weeks. Eventually, they stopped altogether.

Upon entering college, in a town three hours away from home, she finally felt like she could breathe. No brother trailing her every move, no father to remind her of his preference, and no mother, and stepmother, to guide or recommend anything for her to try.

However, the damage was done. Grisha's words were scars and every time she looked in the mirror she saw Eren and by default, their father. Every time she pushed herself harder or second-guessed her choices, she wondered if she was trying to escape Eren or measure up to Grisha. She had friends, passions, and a future she was building brick by brick. This was her life now.

But then, she saw him.

The sound of loud laughter drew her attention, and her steps faltered as her gaze landed on a figure in the distance. Eren stood in the courtyard, his unmistakable energy radiating even from afar. His hair was longer, tied back loosely, and his posture more self-assured, but it was him. The same wildness, the same fire. Her heart sank.

And next to him stood Armin.

He wasn't the scrawny kid she remembered, all sharp angles and oversized clothes. Armin's features had sharpened, his frame lean, and he stood with an ease that seemed almost foreign. The wide blue eyes she used to dismiss as naive stared at her.

Verena's stomach twisted. She hadn't prepared for this—not for Eren, and certainly not for him.

For a moment, he paused, his brow furrowing as if trying to place her. Then recognition flickered across his face, and his lips parted slightly in surprise.

Verena straightened, lifting her chin as she brushed past them. Her steps quickened, and she ignored the familiar knot tightening in her chest.

So much for escaping.




 

Verena Yeager | M.S Mechanical Engineer . 23
You know that I'm no good.

Armin Arlert | B.S Marine Biology . 21
There will come a poet ...

Armin + Verena // Arena
All along there was some invisible string

FEATURING ...!

Zeke Yeager // 31
Eren Yeager // 21
Bertolt Hoover // 23
Mikasa Ackermann // 22
Reiner Braun // 23
Porco Galliard // 23
Pieck Finger // 24
.... and other Attack on Titan characters!

Authors Note:

I am once again making a college universe and finally (held at gun point by thena and hattie) making my AOT debut.

IN ALL HONESTY THOUGH — THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THENA FOR HELPING ME WITH THIS! Appreciate your help IMMENSELY for helping me with a faceclaim and especially the relationship she holds with Eren. This one is for you lovely!! More dedications go out to the watchtower for always being so supportive 🫶🏼 fatalfIaw , goldenveils , gryzons , teabeIl , sealines and everyone else in the server 💘

Please read this fic with caution. Triggers for this include: depictions of violence, alcohol, minor references to drug use, emotional abuse, and other references that align with these behaviors.

I hope you enjoy!!