Chapter Thirty- Four 

Unrequited 

It was finally the end of the month.

If I accept that captain position I must be trained and ready, I did want to have a family by the time I became captain. If I was captain right now and start a family... It would be bad, to be pregnant while on a mission. Fucking hell if you asked me. 

     "What's up?" Hange popped up from behind me. 

She was helping me make dresses for this upcoming ball and I was helping Armin out, he was in my room as well, and my door was open for those to enter as they pleased while I was making dresses.

     "What's up?" I snorted and pointed to the poor kid at the corner of the room flipping through my designs. "I don't know maybe you should question him."

Hange noticed Armin with a panicked expression on his face, he didn't even notice that Hange arrived. 

     "Athena, what if she doesn't like any of these dresses?" Armin groaned and finally looked up to see Hange walking towards him. "Oh, hi Hange!" 

     "What's going on here?" Hange leaned over to look at the designs on the notebook. "What the hell is this?" 

     "Customer requested a skin color dress who am I to tell them no?" I reasoned and pulled out the dress she was referring to. "I'll be applying the rhinestones after I'm done with Natalia's dress.

     "Natalia's going? Oh?" Hange's eyes widened as she nudged Armin. "What? You finally scooped her up?" 

      "Shut up," Armin groaned running his hand through his hair. "I want to ask her out this time properly, I have everything set up and planned I just need Athena to finish her dress." 

     "Then what do you mean by dresses?" Hange frowned and turned to me. 

     "This little devil spawn made me design 5 different dresses and ALSO make them," I glared at Armin as I walked over to the dress rack and took out the 5 dresses. "None of them worked until I made the 6th design he finally said yes but now he's having second thoughts and the fucking ball is tomorrow I cannot and will not pull an all-nighter just to design another dress. It's impossible!" 

     "Sorry," Armin muttered shamefully looking at the ground. "I just want everything to be perfect and I don't know anything about dresses-"

     "And I do!" I insisted as Hange looked over the dresses with loving eyes I swear I could see tiny hearts appearing in her pupils. "Hange, take one of these dresses off my hands." 

     "I'm glad we're the same size," Hange smiled and took the red dress. "You good if I need altercations?"

     "Of course, a lot of people in the village actually have similar measurements so it's not so hard to alter." I smiled. "I'm not sure what dress to take." 

     "This one," Hange points to one of the other 5 dresses. "It's pretty and makes you look kind, definitely different from battle." 

Armin stood up with a huge sigh, he looked at the dress in my hands. "I agree, anything looks good on you but this one looks really great." He shot me a small smile before staring at Natalia's dress by the table. "I hope she likes this."

     "I know she will, she's not picky and she'll like anything that comes from you as long as it comes from the heart." I placed the dresses back on the rack and walked over to the green dress I was currently working on. 

     "But what if she doesn't want a green dress? What if it's too long? Not too long? What if she thinks it looks unflattering." He began to worry causing me to blink hysterically, god this boy was really interesting when it came to someone he truly liked. I've never seen him worry this bad, it's getting a bit annoying I just wish he'd shut up and let me work my magic.

     "Sounds like you're trying to insult my skills," I crossed my arms and stared at him.

     "No! That's not what I meant!" Armin whined and walked towards me engulfing me in a hug. "Thank for you the dress, I'm sorry for worrying I will repay you-"

     "Armin, if you don't leave this room and get ready for tonight I won't have the dress finished," I warned as I pulled away from the hug. "Be a good brother and set the goddamn thing up." 

He pouted before nodding and leaving my room, that kid was seriously so emotional when it came to Natalia I hope I don't have to deal with this again.

I remember when he first came to me after I made 3 dresses he started to cry because he didn't feel that the dresses looked right and he felt bad. I wanted to kill him. Really kill him.

But he's my brother, it was cute to see he cared for someone romantically but he was still a devil spawn. 

     "Are we going to talk about it?" Hange spoke up after closing the door to my room, I looked at her confused as to why she would close the door but she walked over to take a seat on the balcony.

     "About what?" I frowned and took a seat across from her. 

     "The elephant in the room." Hange sighed. 

I had filled her in like two weeks ago about the predicament I was in, I was afraid to tell her since dating the captain was almost never heard of here. 

     "So after just spending time with him for like what? 2 months? You like him." Hange snorted. "I knew it," 

     "Huh?" I looked at her with widened eyes. "What do you mean?" 

     "I never seen you get along with him like this compared to other guys you talked with before." Hange explained and started helping me work on Natalia's dress. "When did you develop your crush? Oh please tell!"

I looked at her with raised eyebrows before I turn my attention to my bed, she caught my drift and looked over to gasp. "Y'all fucked?"

     "No!" I swatted my hands and shook my head. "We had a deeper talk on my bed, I was able to connect with him on a more personal level and I just-" I turned back to Hange with a frown. "I knew he needed someone to be there for him and I knew I wanted that person to be me."

     "You think you can just fix the trauma?" Hange snorted leaning back in her chair. "Honestly, I'm shocked to even know that you managed to get him out of his shell for a bit but Athena... Don't get your hopes up, he's a really hurt guy and it takes more than just a talk to get shit out of him. I know because I helped train the fucker." 

     "I'm not saying I'm going to just magically help him erase the trauma," I sighed and deadpanned at her. "It's not healthy to just keep your thoughts inside of yourself and he's alone, I genuinely care about him okay? I know we bicker a lot of the time but I do care about him. He has a lot to work on when it also comes to attitude but that's just who he is and I don't expect him to treat everyone with respect but it does hurt me when he speaks to me in a bad tone. Hange-" I stared at him and sat up straight. "It takes time, everything takes time but it doesn't matter anymore... He doesn't like me, he rejected me when I asked him on a date basically. It's been a couple of weeks since then and he still hasn't talked to me the way he used to. I'm pretty sure he's uninterested and I ruined our friendship, it won't happen again so that's why I don't care about the situation."

     "Athena..." Hange frowned and got up to walk next to me, she embraced me in a side hug and caressed my hair. "Don't be sad-"

     "I'm not sad, just disappointed." I countered.

     "But it really seemed like you truly liked him and for the shit you put up with? I even had to kick myself out so I don't take it personally." She replied and pulled away to look at me. "I'm so sorry he hurt you like that-"

     "He didn't hurt me, I'm disappointed in myself not him." I corrected and looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "He has every right to not want me, I'm not going to force him to feel the same way- I just- I'm disappointed in myself because even if I keep getting rejected I still continue to have this undying hope that maybe someday- Just someday! I'll find someone for me. Y'know?"

     "Someone to spend the rest of your life with and start a family, yes I know." Hange nodded. "It could be me just saying-"

     "Hange," I rolled my eyes and stood up. "If I could marry you, we'd be at the church right now." I snorted and rested my arms on my balcony staring at the training grounds. "Too bad you have a huge crush on Moblit-"

     "I DO NOT!" Hange shrieked and playfully punched my arm.

     "I heard him talking some interesting things about you," I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

     "Leave me alone!" Hange groaned as she walked back into my room to finish the dresses. "Come and help me finish these." 

     "Fine," I snickered as I walked back into the room and helped her with the dresses. 

This upcoming ball I'll look for another bachelor, I still need to find someone to marry and I need to find him quickly. 

I really wanted to have kids, I just wanted a family. 

At first I couldn't think about having kids but my family is already so small with my missing parents no relatives. I just have my brother. It's time I start creating my family, I want one.

Okay, it's no big deal.

Over A.L.

Over Levi.

Time to start fresh.