Chapter Fourteen
Our Origin

"Erwin was definitely really stiff,  he can't move his hips for shit!" Hange giggled as we got out of class. "Moblit probably would do better." 

"Yeah?" I chuckled. "Hange, you will never see me in those classes again." 

"Oh come on! You looked pretty good all snuggled up with Levi!" Hange pouted. "Please!"

"You basically fed me to the wolves! I almost died in there with how much eye contact I had to keep with the captain!" I groaned. "And the fucked up part is that I didn't mind it so much after some time!"

"He looked different for sure, like he's danced before and I swear I've never seen him dance before in my life." Hange placed her hands on her hips in thought. 

"Same, I personally don't think he was stiff." I hummed. 

"Maybe he's just a natural, he memorizes the moves really quickly I noticed, Erwin had more trouble." Hange chuckled.

"Yeah, he's not a bad dance partner but it's not like he actually enjoyed dancing with me. Won't see him anytime soon." I snorted. 

We walked towards my house once again and we worked on the dresses, if we weren't working or taking dance classes we would be working on those dang dresses. 

I was getting paid to make them for customers but Hange and Natalia gets theirs free, I was hoping at this ball Armin and Natalia would confess. Too soon? Not sure, I mean they could have different crushes on other people so I'm not sure if they're going as friends? Or? Who knows, all I know is that 

Young love is so cute, I wish I was able to experience some love like they had. A childhood love. The only thing I remember when I was kid was buying Armin bread with the small money I had but some guy just stole it from his hands. I was enraged and I wanted to take them down but he was a whole 20 years older it seemed, I think I was like 8? 

I was chasing the guy because of the anger but then a little kid who looked as short as me swooped in and stole the bread back, he was cute but he looked like he was in a war with himself. He looked around 10 or 12? 

He gave me the bread back with a glare before he went after the man, I noticed other men chasing after him and I felt bad. No one has ever did that for me or my brother. 

I was mesmerized by how quick he was and I wish I was as strong and quick like him. I think I fell in love. Stupid feelings for a stupid kid. 

"What are you thinking about?" Hange spoke up as she held up one dress and hung it on a rack implying that it was finished thank god.

"Just about a few things," I smiled softly. "Okay, we have 2 down and 3 more left to go." 

"See? How hard was this? We have 6 hours left of the day before dinner." Hange cheered. "And all the other dresses need is small details! We'll be finished in no time!"

I nodded as I begin working on the next dress, my hands were good to work for another hour but then I think I'd want a break. I fixed the next dress added a few more details like a few flower petal patches at the bottom. 

"You know, I was really thinking about it recently and I remember when we first met it was crazy." Hange chuckled. "You were just like Captain Levi, strong and quick but you had a horrible attitude about things." 

"Oh really?" I snorted. "Yeah, like I would ever be similar to that man." 

"It's true! I swear, you guys were very hard to talk with but with a little bit of care and love you both fit right in. You guys are one of our best soldiers, including me and Erwin of course." Hange argued. "Remember when we first trained? You had me on the ground and I was about to quit!"

"Yeah," I smiled softly. "I must've really been hard to along with then?" 

"I like this version of you better, not only did you break out of your shell but I think ever since Armin joined you've been a bit less aggressive." She replied sewing the dress she was working on.

"I guess," I shrugged. "It's nice to have friends in the corps." 

"I was really shocked to see you rejected the MPs, you scored first in your class!" She exclaimed and stopped sewing turning to me. "I almost left because I didn't want to feel the pain of losing you, but you always seem to shock me." 

"Yeah," I chuckled. "I was even shocked myself, I didn't even think I'd enjoy being in your presence."

"I knew you loved me!" She cheered. "From the first day we met!"

How could I forget? 

***

"I don't like the attitude you keep giving me, you accepted and that means you need to respect me." Hange grunted on the ground holding her arm in pain. "And try not to beat your teacher up on the first day, will ya?"

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms walking away. "Not my fault you're pretty slow." 

"Slow? I'm going e-easy on you!" She scoffed and stood up dusting herself off. "God, I might need Ackerman to train you at this point." 

She came at me trying to disarm me but I crouched and she moved past me, I grip onto her arm and pull her back and push her on the floor. 

"Because you can't train me?" I scoffed. "I thought I was here to train with a real partner." 

"You are!" She pulled her legs behind mine pushing me to the ground next to her and she got on me straddling me pinning my arms to the floor. "I'm going to train you but if you activate your kill instinct we are going to get nowhere! This is about trusting each other too! If you don't learn to trust me then what's the point of being partners?"

She flipped me on my back and I was in pain from the pull of my arms, I was getting tired of working with her. She's annoying and nitpicks on every move I make, this was a terrible idea!

"I don't want to trust you," I grumbled and flipped over with all my strength knocking her to the floor. "I don't need anything from you! I don't want anything from you! This was a mistake!" 

"H-Hey, no need to get all mad!" Hange flinched as she crawled on her back. "I'll quit! I'll leave you alone!"

The fear that was raising in her eyes suddenly switched something in me, I didn't want to be like that. That same fear was in the eyes of... Armin. I hated that look, I hated how weaker people gave me that look whenever I fought them. I wasn't a monster, I didn't want to purposely torment others. It was hard to fight on my own, it was hard to have no one to lean on. I had to take care of Armin when our parents died and I had no help, I also had to take care of his friends as well. I was supposed to be here to help, what happened to the original mission?

"No." I sighed and shook my head, I reached my hand out to help her up. "Stay." 

Stay. Please. I don't want to be alone anymore, I wanted to feel cared for. For once, I just want to be a kid and enjoy life before having to attend to my responsibilities. 

Hange let out a small smile before taking my hand and pulling me into a hug, I didn't notice I started crying and I held her back tighter. 

"Please don't give up on me." I stammered. "I"m sorry." 

"It's okay, Arlert." Hange sighed stroking my hair. "We all go through it, it's okay."