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The Titans were pouring in through the hole in the wall and humanity was under siege once again. You and the other recruits were positioned in the corner of the wall, hanging over the side in an attempt to attract the Titans, as part of Armin's plan. The plan was to distract the Titans so Titan Eren could plug the wall, trapping the Titans already inside and preventing any more from getting through. You were dangling dangerously close to the massive group of Titans below you; one wrong move and it was over. You made sure to secure yourself tightly to the wall to prevent yourself from falling. Armin hung beside you, and a little further up was Jean. This was one of the times that the Titans had managed to strike fear in your heart. You were dangling right before death and in a single second, one wrong move, it could all end for you.

Right there and then.

You tightly shut your eyes in an attempt to block the fear.

"______?" a soft voice called out to you.

You opened your eyes and turned your head to meet calm sky blue eyes. Armin, being the shy boy he always was, was surprisingly calm even with hovering a few meters from death. He looked into your eyes and smiled warmly at you, calming your nerves instantaneously. You smiled back at him and returned to keeping your focus on distracting the Titans. You caught Armin lowering himself to the level you were at and hung beside you, grasping your hand softly. A crimson blush spread across your cheeks as you looked at his smiling features once again.

"It'll be alright. I'm not very strong but I'll protect you with my life…I promise," he said timidly while still putting on a brave face. As he made his promise, he placed his right hand over his heart and you blushed profusely.

Your mouth gaped slightly at his words but you nodded in gratitude, returning the salute.

"Thank you, Armin," you replied quietly.

A roar from the Titans below you interrupted your moment and your scowl at them made it evident. The wall you were clinging to suddenly shook. An almighty thudding could be felt and heard as you and Armin held onto the cables for dear life. Two larger Titans had began to wander away from the group you had below you.

You lowered yourself down a little further to grab the attention of the Titans that were drifting away.

"HEY! UP HERE!" you called out to the mindless beasts.

The two Titans that had begun to move in the direction of Eren, Rico, Mikasa and the other soldiers, hadn't paid you any mind and continued to walk away. Your eyes grew wide in panic and you felt a bead of sweat roll down your forehead.

"HEY!" you yelled again and once again receiving no response from the wandering Titans. You pulled yourself back up and onto the surface of the wall and began your chase.

"Cadet ______! Stop!"

"_______!!"

"Wait!"

You ignored them.

You weren't giving into fear this time.

You were stronger than that.

You thought about trying to take them both out while they were distracted. It was a risky move but you were running out of options. Hearing the footsteps of some other recruits behind, you glanced over your shoulder and saw the familiar golden hair of Armin running alongside you. He flashed you his signature smile and you felt your heart skip a beat. Looking over your opposite shoulder you noticed Jean and some of the other recruits you graduated with were following closely behind you. Turning back to face the direction you were heading, you permitted yourself a small smile in gratitude. Jean had caught up with you and turned to face you.

"What's the plan?" he questioned you.

"It's our job to keep the Titans away from Eren while he plugs the wall with the boulder. We either turn them back or kill them. They haven't been responding to any efforts we've made so far to grab their attention so they may posses some sort of intelligence. So the option to kill them is looking pretty promising," you answered Jean.

"Good. I could use some target practice." His cocky grin had reappeared on his face and you chuckled at him. You ran along the top of the wall and in pursuit of the Titans who were gaining on the area where Eren was. You yelled and did everything in your power to catch the attention of the wandering Titans but they didn't seem to respond. You prepared to fire your cable into the closest Titan and drew your swords.

"Armin?" You turned around to face the short boy who looked at you in question.

"Shall we?" You cocked your head in the direction of the Titans. He gave you a nervous smile and the two of you split off from the rest of the group who kept the chase on the second Titan. Gaining ground on the smaller Titan, you leapt off the wall and began to swing towards the beast, Armin following closely behind you. The two of you jumped from wall to wall and flew fast, the gas leaving a fuming trail behind the two of you. Armin had managed to lock onto the shoulder of the Titan and quickly flew past you. He landed on the shoulder of the beast and tried to swing at the nape of the neck but was shaken off when the Titan suddenly picked up speed. You did the same and flew faster in hopes of catching him in time. You were a spilt second away from him and just managed to catch the small boy before he smashed into the cold, hard gravel. The two of you rolled along the ground, with your arms locked securely around his tiny frame. You felt his own arms wrapped around your torso and clutching at your jacket. His face was buried in the crook of your neck and you could feel his frightened breaths on your skin. The two of you finally came to a stop and lay there for a moment for the two of you to catch your breath.

Armin finally broke away from your neck and lifted his gaze to yours. He was straddling you and your hands rested at his hips to which he didn't seem to mind.

"A-are you alright, Armin?" you asked, your voice drenched in concern.

He nodded briskly before moving his face closer to yours suddenly. You felt your breath hitch in your throat. His eyes were locked onto yours and he was leaning closer to your lips. His hand brushed a lock of stray hair away from your face and your heart rate had picked up its pace. Your eyes fluttered shut and you could feel his warm breath on your lips.

"Y-you're hurt…"

What? Your eyes flew open and you could now see him wiping away some blood from a cut on your forehead that he was examining. You repressed a groan of annoyance in your throat and let him wipe the blood away with his sleeve.

"It's just a scratch, Armin. I'll live," you said to him trying not to sound irritated.

After he was satisfied with cleaning the wound, the two of you remembered that you had a Titan to chase. You quickly pulled yourself up from underneath him, pulling him up with you, despite his small protest. You fired your 3DM Gear once again and took off after the Titan, half-forgetting about Armin. You were more focused on destroying the monster. You picked up speed and flew after it, securing a cable onto the nape of its neck. The cable pulled you closer and closer until you were mere feet away from slicing the neck.

Then it happened.

A reckless recruit had stolen your window of opportunity and disobeyed the first rule of using the 3DM Gear.

Maintain a safe distance between users at all times.

The recruit had sliced the nape of the Titan, killing it. You had no time to react and it was virtually impossible to stop yourself from crashing into the beast while in mid-air. Your body collided with the collapsing Titan as it fell onto a house and crushing it underneath its weight. You back collided with the ground as you watched the debris come toppling down. You felt the weight of the building pushing down on you, trapping you incidentally. Your legs were weighed down by multiples beams of wood and as the debris came crashing down on top of you, you felt something skewer through your left leg.

You screamed. The pain was overwhelming. The tears came running down your cheeks as the debris of the house trapped your lower half. You were lying on your back and trying to push off the large beams of wood the lay across your hips. The effort was futile as you weren't strong enough. It was useless. You were trapped and helpless. You grunted and tried to block out the pain in your leg. The defeated Titan was disintegrating but that made no difference to the situation you were in. You continued to try and pull yourself out but that only resulted in more pain.

"______!" A desperate voice called out to you.

You managed to lift your bleeding head and saw Armin frantically flying towards you. He was so focused on helping you, he forgot all about his concern with landing properly while using the gear. His landing was sloppy, stumbled and downright scared. He half fell towards the ground and threw his swords aside, tears running down the side of his face. His eyes were wide in fear and his hands immediately went to help you push the beams off your small figure. He pulled with all his might but it did no good. The tears on his face were endless now.

"J-Just hold on! I'm going to get you out of there!! I promise!" he screamed as he refused to give up. His teeth were clenched and he grunted and groaned with the pain of having to lift so much weight. You helped him push the wood off but no avail. It was simply too much for him and you. You were starting to lose consciousness.

"Please hold on, ______! W-We're almost…there!! I swear! Please stay awake!" Armin was frantic to get you out now. You managed to nod your head but even that was a lot of effort. Your breathing was more laboured now and your head was spinning from the amount of blood loss.

"JEAN!! ANNIE! SOMEONE! HELP! Armin screamed, desperate for someone to help him. His tears were flowing now as you struggled to stay awake.

A thundering stomp shook the ground and you saw the Titan that Jean and the others had chased was now heading towards the two of you now. Its mindless face was drawn into a frightening smile as it bared its huge teeth. Armin's eyes widened in fear at the sight of it. It was moving faster as it spotted the two of you down below. Armin was panicking and frantically trying to push the debris off of you.

"Come on!! Move, you damn thing!!" His pleas were getting more erratic and hasty as you remained trapped.

"Armin, just get out of here! It's no use! Please! Just leave me here!" you yelled at him, tears now rolling down your cheeks.

"There's no way in hell that I'm leaving you!" he turned his head to you and yelled back. His pupils were dilated in panic.

"If you don't go, we'll both die!"

"I'M NOT LEAVING YOU TO DIE! I PROMISED YOU I WOULD PROTECT YOU!" His small hands were still locked around the beam of wood holding you down, trying to pull it off.

He was now throwing his body at the debris, a desperate yet once again futile attempt made. He was full on sobbing with each attempt he made. His desire to free you just made you cry more now. The Titan was getting closer and Armin stood up and reached for his swords that he threw aside before. Pointing them straight at the Titan, his eyes glowed in anger.

"If you come near her…" was all you could hear. Armin was different from his usual calm demeanour. He would usually be so afraid to go into battle but now, he was like a completely different person. You eyes widened in fear as he was ready to charge the massive monster.

Suddenly, the Titan stopped dead in its tracks. The two of you could see Titan steam pouring out from the nape of the Titan and the beast fell. With an almighty crash Armin and you watched it slowly disintegrate and evaporate into nothing. Two figures came flying towards you and Armin ran back to your side, comforting your aching head with his soft hands.

"What happened here, short stack?" Connie Springer's usual cockiness was glowing until he saw you buried underneath massive debris.

"Shit! Save the jokes for later, Connie!" Jean Kirschtein's strong hands quickly went to help lift the debris off you as Connie and Armin did the same. The three of them managed to pull the large beam of wood off you and Jean and Connie held it up enough for Armin to help you pull yourself out. Grunts of pain and agony filled the air as Jean muttered a harsh 'hurry up' as his grip was slipping. Armin tightly secured his hands around your waist and pulled you out as gently as he could. Once you were free, Jean and Connie quickly dropped the beam and ran over to you. Your leg had been impaled with a short, thin metal pole. You were afraid to move it but it had to come out sooner or later. You'd rather get it out now than have to deal with the pain while scaling the wall.

"Crap…this looks bad…" Jean muttered and gently patted your knee. Your white pants were stained with crimson blood and the ugly pole was sticking out. Even though your entire leg was in pain from being skewered, you could also tell that your ankle was broken.

Armin's arms were still wrapped tightly around you and you rested in between his legs with your head against his chest. You could hear his rapidly beating heartbeat and watched a tear of relief roll down his cheek. Jean firmly gripped the pole and looked at you with reassurance.

"On three. Okay? Connie, you brace her leg, I'll pull it out." His voice was genuinely soft. Connie nodded and placed his rough hands on your stinging leg and held it down. You winced from the pain but bit your lip in an attempt to block the pain from your mind.

"Okay…I'm ready." You replied with a shakiness in your voice. You felt Armin's grip tighten around you and you gripped his hands. He took your hands in his own and held them tightly.

"1…" Jean ripped the pole from your leg and you screamed. Your hands that were grasping Armin's hands flew to grasp your leg. The hole left from the impalement was large and horrified you. You looked at Jean with a terrified look as did Armin and Connie.

"What happened to 2 and 3?!" you yelled at Jean, still not believing what just happened.

"Yeah, what happened to 2 and 3?!" Armin and Connie yelled at him in unison, mouths agape.

"…2, 3. You thought it was coming on 3 so you were expecting the pain then. So I switched it. And look at that. It's all over," Jean explained as he ripped a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around your leg. Armin pulled you back towards him and whispered sweet words of reassurance and soothing in your ear. You began to relax in his arms, blushing all the while as he did so. Armin tilted your body to the side so he could look at you warmly. Despite the current situation the four of you were in, he was still smiling and you swore you could see the hit of a blush on his features.

Armin and Jean both helped you up and the three boys prepared to help you back to the wall. You were in no condition to fight. Armin lifted you onto his back and the four of you began to fly back. You tightly wrapped your arms around Armin's neck and rested your head on his back. Armin was trying to fly as gently as he could. It was a lot harder to control the 3DMG equipment with you on his back. The four of you managed to fight off one Titan on the whole venture back to the wall and finally managed to scale it without injuring you further.

"_______? Please be alright..." Armin's soft voice appeared in your ear again as Jean lifted you from his back and began to carry you towards the infirmary within the barracks. A small area was set up for the injured and Jean managed to find a spare bed for you. A nurse quickly attended you and shooed the two boys away from you. Before you slipped into unconsciousness, you caught Armin's concerned look staring intently into your eyes.

--

As you opened your eyes, the light of the room hurt your vision. You brought a hand to your head and rubbed your eyes open. You began to sit up in the bed but stopped when an ungodly pain surged through your leg. You pulled the sheets back to reveal your leg wrapped from top to bottom in bandages and your ankle in a brace. A large but faint red stain was evident on your left leg as you remembered how it had happened. You were crushed beneath debris and Armin, Jean and Connie had come to save you.

Armin.

The boy was so courageous that day. He was willing to give his life to protect you.

"He kept his promise…" you whispered to yourself.

As you stretched your arm muscles, you heard a soft moan coming from the right side of your bed. You turned your gaze to spot a sleeping Armin resting his head on his arms which were rested on the side of your bed. You smiled appreciatively and ran your fingers through his soft blonde hair. Stopping every so often to rub his cheek, you managed to elicit a content moan from him. His hair was incredibly soft and you continued to run your hands through it. You had no clue as to how long he had been there, let alone how long you had been in the infirmary. Your hands softly grasped his and rubbed them softly. He stirred slightly in his sleep and eventually opened his eyes to reveal those beautiful sky blue orbs which you loved so much. He slowly lifted his head, slightly in shock and relief at the same time. Shock from being discovered that he had practically fallen asleep in your lap and relief that you were alive. He sat up quickly and gently threw his arms around around you in an embrace to which you gladly returned. The two of you sat like that for a while before he pulled back slightly and watched you with his blue eyes.

"What happened while I was out? How long was out for?"

"You've been sleeping for about 4 days now. Eren managed to plug the wall with the large rock. For the first time in history, humanity took back land from the Titans." Armin looked at you lovingly and smiled warmly.

Humanity won a battle agains the Titans? This was news. You smiled brightly and almost squealed in delight.

"How are you feeling?" His usual concerned voice was back.

"I don't know to be honest. But…alive. I'm alive. Thanks to you, Jean and Connie."

"I wasn't able to do anything…I wasn't strong enough to protect you…"

"What are you talking about, Armin? You were willing to give your life for mine. That's not 'nothing'. You saved me." You bore your eyes into his and cupped his cheek with your hand.

He tried to protest back but was already having trouble comprehending the fact that you were slowly pulling his face closer to yours. He gave in and allowed you to pull him closer to you, eventually meeting his lips with your own. He kissed you back just as timidly. His hand flew to the back of your head and took initiative to take the lead, pulling you closer. He sat himself on the edge of your bed and your hands floated onto his shoulders. He began to kiss you more passionately, letting his shy hands tangle themselves in your hair. You draped your arms around his neck and held him there. He was an exceptionally good kisser when he finally warmed up to you. The two of you spent the next few minutes in each other's embrace, sharing kisses and letting the other know that you loved them. Armin finally gained the courage to wrap his arm around your waist and snake his hand up the back of your shirt, feeling each scar you had gained over the years. You felt tears brimming in your eyes as his hand came across a recent one which was deep, yet he did not pull away. Instead he was tracing it lovingly as he moved to kiss your neck softly. A tear escaped from your eye and ran down your cheek. Armin noticed the glimmering tear and quickly kissed it away.

"What's wrong? D-Did I hurt y-" He was panicking again. You silenced him with a kiss to the lips. He was caught by surprise but the kiss ended as quickly as it had begun.

"No…You just…make me so happy, Armin. I love you!" You threw your arms around him and kissed him once again to which he gladly accepted and responded just as passionately.

"I love you too, ______," he whispered against your lips.

--

For the next 3 weeks, you were out of commission and spent those days in the hospital recuperating. You had gained yet another scar on your leg, the largest one yet. For those weeks, Armin visited you everyday, bringing you flowers for your bedside table and bringing you books to read while you passed the time. He kissed you everyday and told you that he loved you over and over again as you did the same.

Everyday you thought the same thought.

Armin Arlert, the shy, timid cadet who had promised to protect you with his life…had kept his promise.