HOPE YOU ENJOY

PLEASE VOTE

Side Note: They've all aged up a year, Mikasa is now fourteen and everyone else is a year older than the last chapter. 

*****************************************

"Have I killed someone?" Mikasa asked as she glanced to Armin why they took a break in the woods during their extra odm gear training. The rest of the class deciding to train hand to hand combat instead but Armin wanted to try and improve his odm skills a little more and asked Mikasa for help. 

"It's a strange question but during that test, when they tried kidnapped Christa .. the look in your eyes. I've seen it in a murderers eyes before" Armin guilty admitted, rubbing his arm and feeling bad he was asking like this. 

"Will you no longer be my friend if I was?" Mikasa asked back, running a hand throw her short hair. She ended up cutting it on the night of their first day in training. She got use to Levi being the only to ever touch her hair beside herself. Than she started noticing that many were staring at her over her rare beauty. She felt like she was the only prey in a cage full of lions. 

She felt bad because when Jean spoke "That black hair of yours is very beautiful" with a blush over his cheeks, it was the reason to think over a hair cut. She new she looked different but her hair was special, she didn't want cheap compliments ruining the memories she had with Levi and Furlan. Asking if Eren would mind helping her to cut it since he helps cut Armin hair sometimes and Eren agreed her having long hair would over get in the way of training. Of course, this made Jean start to have a rivalry with Eren. 

"I'll always be your friend, we're stuck together forever now" Armin promised determined to not give up on her or walk away. He knew how lonely she secretly was and wanted her to be able to trust others enough to stay in her life even for a short time. 

"I was ten when I killed someone, I don't regret it. I was curious and snuck out, searching for my brother and my special someone. I took care not to be seen by anyone and I even tried using the alleys for once but that's how I found my special someone. He was dealing with a fight, I stayed hidden away watching but someone played dirty .. they held a gun at him to distract him long enough for the other person to hit him hard making him fall to the ground. They were going to shoot him and before I knew it, I had blood on my hands. I don't remember much of it, I just knew one might I silently watched and next I stood in horror. Blood covering might clothes and hands, a knife left in the gun back .. the one I saved was in shock for a bit as well before he moved in action as the last guy he was fighting with went to attack me. My special someone took him down with ease before rushing over to me" Mikasa spoke her story, looking to her hands like she could still see the dull red over them and yet she felt no guilt over taking the life. She only felt relief that Levi was safe, alive and untouched by their hands again. 

"I'm sorry, that must have been tough" Armin replied with a sadden frown, his head held low since he couldn't image living through someone like that at just ten. 

"It's fine, I got use to living knowing that I killed someone. I would do it again to save this person and I think they knew it because they tried everything in their power to make sure I won't hold up a weapon against someone again" Mikasa weakly smiled, her hands playing with a twig she picked up. 

"I won't stop being your friend and I'll keep this secret. Sure, you're a little scary but you're just Mikasa in my eyes" Armin smiled kindly, slapping his knee before standing up as Mikasa stared at him.

"Thanks Armin, now let's get back to the main camp area before people think we did a runner" Mikasa sighed, standing up and looking to the tree above them, catching a glimpse at the sky knowing it was getting later. 

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to catch a cold. Not all of us as a scarf like you" Armin joked as they started walking, their odm gear left strapped on but neither moving to use it and rather enjoy the walk back. 

"I really am glad the other's brought up the idea, I like having my shawl close even if I rolled it into a scarf" Mikasa admitted, her hand feeling her scarf and feeling calmer by it. 

"I can tell, whoever gave you it much be important" Armin smiled warmly and Mikasa just gave a fond smile. 

"I bet he's rather mad me though, I was a little mean to him before leaving" Mikasa commented with a slight pout, wondering over Levi. She knew he gained a name for himself, Eren would already pass on any and all rumours involving Captain Levi that his mum hears about before passing them on in her weekly letters. 

Captain Levi, he was a hero to everyone. 

Humanity strongest soldier. 

He was the man who'll bring them all into a better future. 

Damn, he got cocky.. Mikasa was so going to put mud in his boots once more.

"I'm sure he'll be rather worried over you keeping fighting with Annie" Armin grinned as he wiggled his eyebrows while Mikasa glared at the ground a little.

Mikasa didn't get along with Annie much but than again, Annie was a little like her and they both were fighting to protect themselves from future pain. Only made sense they would clash.

"She always starts it" Mikasa argued back like a child making Armin laugh. 

"You don't help either, you two are always so cold and mean to one another. I understand rivalry happens but you two are on another level. It's like neither of you are human, maybe try making friends with her" Armin replied with a caring smile, smiling more at Mikasa disgusted face over the thought of making friends with Annie. 

"I'll pass, on the friends thing with her. Maybe we'll be comrades but friends are pushing it, we're both after the same thing but we also see the world too differently. We're chasing the same future but using different paths" Mikasa sighed as she played with the end of her scarf as Armin gave an understanding nod.

"I can live with you two being comrades" Armin agreed like a proud mother over getting two of her children to get along. 

"She's still a bitch thought" Mikasa commented making Armin choke on air before laughing. 

"Yep, I should have saw that one coming" Armin smirked, shaking his head amused as Mikasa shrugged.

"I still can't believe Shadis forbid me and Annie from ever training together in hand to hand combat. It's the only class we can go full out and let our dislike be sorted. I mean, he stopped us in that one real fight and now we're stuck just unfavourably getting along" Mikasa grumbled as she kicked at the ground a little, Armin feeling like he's listening to a sulking child instead of Mikasa.

"You and Annie almost sent three of the cadets to hospital in simple training, of course he's going to limit you both from doing any real fighting while we're stuck in his care" Armin replied with simple facts making Mikasa roll her eyes over it all.

"If he just allowed Annie and I to fight, we won't have to worry over holding back on others. And anyway, if we had a couple fights in training it would help us get along" Mikasa shot back as she swung her arms a little as she walked making Armin the one to roll his eyes this time.

"All right, whatever you say. We all know you just want an excuse to fight Annie without risk of being kicked out later" Armin sighed, shaking his head like a disappointed parent.

"I just think it's unfair that Jean and Eren can have their rivalry but Annie and I can't. We're both smart and we can understand the other, we'll just have a full on fight and calm down afterwards. Might even become friends like you wanted if we were allowed to fight out our dislikes and disagreements. I mean, Shadis has completely given up on Sasha and Connie, letting them do .. them. Marco and Christa are treated like angels and their failure in training is looked the other way. I just feel like it's unfair I can't just fight Annie to almost close death, she agrees with me. See, we're agreeing on something" Mikasa huffed back as they walked out of the woods, taking notice the rest was cleaning up as well in the distance.

"Of course you and Annie would only agree over wanting to fight one and another" Armin sighed not surprised. 

 "Oh right, how is Eren hot headness coming at night. Is he still angrily grumbling in his sleep?" Mikasa asked as she knew Armin and the other's were getting read to choke Eren in his sleep if he screamed out about Titans one more time when they just want to sleep.

"Urg, don't remind me. He's still as bad as when we first joined up. I swear all the guys in 104th are wired one way or another. Bertholdt sleeps in inhuman ways, I mean .. I don't know how his body can bend in such ways and Reiner admitted that Bertholdt sleeping position can tell us the weather. Connie sleeps with his belly showing, no matter how many times we cover him up he'll have his belly seen within seconds. Reiner can snore the whole barracks down, Marco drools and sleep talks. Jean .. at least me and Jean seem normal. We just sleep .. normally. I mean, I'm told I curl up like a kitten but compared to the others, I'm still normal" Armin ranted out his annoyance and frustration over what he has to deal with while Mikasa listened amused. 

"It's not funny" Armin whined as he glanced to Mikasa who's face was as cold as stone but he knew she was secretly loving this.

"It's a little funny" Mikasa admitted with a smirk.

"How's dealing with Jean crushing on you?" Armin teased making Mikasa roll her eyes. 

"He'll get over it soon, he only thinks he loves me because I'm pretty. Once he seems I'm nothing more than a pretty face, he'll move on" Mikasa sighed making Armin frown.

"Have more credit for yourself Mikasa, you're not that bad. Any guy would be lucky to love you and gain your life back" Armin spoke up like a proud brother with a princess as his sister.

"I'm broken Armin, no one will want me" Mikasa reminded making Armin frown more.