In Which Araminta Sees an Old Face!
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Flightless Bird ∕ Chapter Seven

𝓣he first time Araminta had ventured beyond the walls, she remembered thinking to herself that under different circumstances—if she wasn't a Scout, and if there weren't man-eating beasts waiting for her around every corner, she might want to spend forever in the rolling fields that waited her.

And although she was still a Scout now, the island was no longer overrun by giant, cannibalistic toddlers. Now, she could comfortably escape into the vast fields and just... forget. Forget that there was an entire world beyond their island that would wanted to eradicate them. Forget that her family was dead. Forget that her boyfriend's life span was shortened—

Araminta guessed she owed her recently discovered love of drawing to Hange. After she started aiding Hange in their experiments and sketching stuff for them, it sort of ignited something in her.

Now, one of her favorite ways to wind down was to ride Jean Jr. out into the rolling hills beyond the wall until they came upon a tree for shade. She'd sit down, back against the trunk of the tree, and sketch the view in front of her. Or sometimes there would be a patch of wildflowers growing near her tree, and she'd draw those...

Her sketchbook was almost full now, even though she'd gotten it only two months ago. On top of her drawings, she occasionally stuffed flowers she picked to press them and preserve them. And then there were letters from Eren she kept in there. Honestly, the book was filled with so much random stuff, now that she thought about it, the fullness of the book really wasn't that surprising.

Today, she picked a nice tree to settle against. And she brought herself a few pieces of bread and some sliced ham so she would be able to spend even more time out there. Jean Jr. was loosely tied to one of the branches, grazing peacefully as Araminta worked.

She got there early, just an hour after the sun rose, and now it was beginning to set, which meant it was probably about time for her to get back. But as she was loading her things back into a knapsack, she heard soft thuds in the distance. She froze, narrowing her eyes as she tried to hone in on the sound. Hoofs.

She turned around and was shocked to see a horse galloping in her direction, but was less shocked when she recognized the rider.

With a soft smile, she leaned back against the tree, and watched as Eren rode up to her. His dark hair was getting so long, dancing in the breeze, and it seemed to glow gold underneath the setting sun. Sometimes, Araminta wondered if Eren had been kissed by the goddess Aphrodite herself when he was born.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked him once he came to a stop and began dismounting his horse.

He shrugged, looping the reins around one of the branches like she had done. "Dunno. I just wanted to come see my girlfriend." He said nonchalantly, then gave his horse an affectionate pat.

Araminta bit back a grin as she watched him reach around the saddle, then reveal a small basket.

"Aaaand I thought we could eat dinner together, and watch the sunset... I heard that's very romantic." He looks rather proud of himself for that idea, beaming at her.

Their bodies moved in perfect tandem, almost like they had done this a million times before—perhaps because they had. Araminta's arms wrapped around Eren's neck, and his came to rest on her waist. Their lips met halfway between the two of them, connecting them for a soft, brief kiss.

As the sun began to fall further and further towards the horizon, and the light began to fade away, Araminta and Eren watched. They sat with their backs against the tree, shoulders pressed together, and ate the little dinner he had brought.

These were Araminta's favorite kinds of moments. The ones where they could pretend they were just two normal teenagers who cared so deeply about each other, and there was no impending world war for them to worry about. They were almost always short-lived moments, but that was fine for Araminta. Those fleeting moments were like a drug, and she was able to get her fix even in small doses.

"Ara?" He called out her name.

"Hm?"

After finishing the meal, they had sat in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the view in front of them and the sound of each other's soft breathing. Araminta tilted her head to look over to him, and her chest warmed at the sight of the golden hour casting itself over Eren.

He gazed back down at her, the ghost of a smile evident in the slight curve of his lips. "You are so beautiful." He whispered.

The warmth in her chest spread to her cheeks. She grinned, then leaned forward to nudge the tip of her nose against his. "You're more beautiful." She replied with a giggle.

Eren didn't respond--not with words, at least.

He leaned in closer to connect their lips together, and unlike the kiss they shared earlier, this one wasn't soft nor brief. If Araminta were to open her eyes, she would have seen the way Eren's dark brows were furrowed together, hyper-focused on the way he hungrily moved his lips against her own. But her eyes were squeezed shut, and instead she focused on the feeling of his rough hand cupping her cheek to hold her close.

With a deep exhale, she kissed him back with just as much passion. In order to get a better angle, she sat up slightly, then shifted her legs around so she straddled his lap—all without breaking the kiss. Now that she was on top of him, she was able to really kiss him. Her fingers entangled themselves in his chocolatey hair, and gave his locks a light tug. She heard a deep groan rise from his chest as she did so.

The position had her long skirt riding up her legs, and Eren took the opportunity to run one of his hands along her bare thigh. The feeling had a shiver trickling down her spine, and goosebumps to erupt in the wake of his fingers. One of her hands detached itself from his hair, and instead traveled to the hem of his shirt.

They'd done this enough times that Araminta was easily able to undo his buttons, and she could feel him doing the same to her blouse. Finally, they broke the kiss for air, and shed themselves of their shirts. The soft breeze of the incoming nightfall felt heavenly against her burning skin.

Even after seeing Eren without his shirt so many times, Araminta still couldn't get over the sight. She pressed one of her palms against the defined muscles of his abdomen, revelling in the way they tensed beneath her touch. He reached out to gingerly trace his fingers up and down her arm, the tender touch a vast contrast to how roughly he kissed her before.

Then he leaned forward to attach his lips to the base of her neck, just below her ear. As she felt his teeth lightly nip at her skin then smooth it over with his tongue, her eyelids fluttered close. She leaned her head back to give him better access, and a soft moan slipped past her lips as he continued his assault.

Once again, she found her fingers lacing themselves together with his blond hair, and—

Her eyes flew open, and she froze.

He must have felt the change in her demeanor, as he pulled away, his dark eyes boring into hers with his eyebrows furrowed together tightly. "You okay?" He asked her.

Araminta stared back at Jean in horror, her swollen lips parted. "I-I--I thought you were Eren..?" She barely managed to get the words out, blinking stupidly at him.

He laughed, and leaned forward to capture her lips in a gentle kiss. "What do you mean? Who's Eren?" He asked her.

"Eren, he's my... He's my Eren..." She tried to reply, and he started to kiss along her neck again. "You know..."

He shook his head as his kisses moved to her collarbone. "Nope, I don't..." His hot breath fanned across her skin as he spoke.

"I don't think I know an Eren."

Araminta was drenched in sweat when she woke up.

She sat bolt upright with a gasp, her chest heaving up and down. Thank god, she thought to herself, as she leaned forward to grip her head in her palms. It was just a dream.

Just a dream.

Her chest, glistening with her own sweat, heaved up and down as she tried to catch her breath and calm herself down. None of it had been real, she had simply dreamt it all up. Was there a possible deeper meaning for the dream? Absolutely. But that didn't matter right now.

"Araminta?"

The present was what mattered. And in the present, Araminta was sitting on a rather lumpy mattress, stripped down to her undergarments, in an unfamiliar room.

Her eyes darted around frantically, and for a moment, she worried she had been caught by the Military Police and thrown in jail.

"Araminta!"

A hand clasped down on her shoulder, and she whipped her head to the side to see none other than her commander, Hange Zoë standing there.

"Oh, Hange. Thank god." Araminta breathed out a sigh of relief. "I thought I was in jail or something."

Hange laughed, then rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "No, not yet. I found you passed out in the stairwell. You're lucky I got to you before the Military Police did." They told Araminta.

The ravenette nodded in understanding. "Good, good..." She was quiet for a moment, trying to process this information, while Hange stared at her expectantly. She was confused, wondering what they were waiting for, but then she remembered what had happened right before she fainted.

Right. Her conversation with Eren.

"He didn't tell me anything." Araminta told them, keeping her gaze trained on the floor. "If that was what you were wondering. I asked him—begged him to tell me, and he didn't."

The words dripped with venom as they slipped past her lips. There was a bitter taste in the back of her throat as she recalled the events.

Hange nodded in understanding. Araminta felt them start to run a hand over her hair—something her mother used to do all those years ago. She relaxed under the touch, and her vision of the floor below her started to become blurry.

"It's okay, Araminta. It's not your fault." Hange said to them in a quiet voice.

It's not your fault. Araminta knew this. The rational part of her brain knew this. But there was a much louder voice, screaming at her from the back of her mind.

It sure feels like it's your fault.

She sniffled, and reached up to wipe away her tears. "Um... How long was I out for?" She decided to change the subject, hoping that would stop the sobs bubbling in her throat from slipping out.

"You slept through the night." Hange replied in a soft voice. Their palm that brushed against her hair froze, and they sucked in a weary breath. "There's something you should know, though..."

Araminta immediately snapped her head to look at her commander. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"Well, shortly after you went to visit Eren, Jaegerists attacked HQ and blew up Commander Zachary's office."

"What?!"

"And then, some other Jaegerists broke Eren out of prison. So we don't know where he is now."

As she took in this new information, Araminta's gaze became unfocused. This was really it, wasn't it? The moment that everything they'd gone through had been building up to was finally here. The beginning of the end, she supposed.

"I'm sorry. I wish I had some insight into what he's planning."

Hange shook their head. "It's okay, Araminta. Really. We're going to figure it out altogether, okay?"

With her lips pulled together, Araminta gave an unconvinced nod.

Her commander suddenly stood up, clasping their hands together with a loud smack. "Now, come on and get dressed! We've got places to be." They announced, and tossed a small stack of folded clothes at her.

Araminta glanced down at her uniform in her hands, then back up at Hange with a skeptical look.

"We're going to get something to eat." They told her, like that was supposed to answer anything. But before Araminta got the chance to protest and ask for some clarification, Hange disappeared out of the room.

And just like that, Araminta was all alone.

All alone.

"HEARD YOU ALMOST GOT ARRESTED YESTERDAY, MIN."

The familiar voice addressing her caused Araminta to flinch almost violently. Goosebumps erupted across the plains of her pale skin, and for a second she thought her heart might literally leap out of her throat. But luckily her rationality returned, and she was able to relax. It was definitely a bit of an overreaction, but it also made complete sense why she had reacted the way she did.

I've always been here for you.

Last time Jean Kirstein had spoken to Araminta, he confessed his feelings to her and she rejected him in favor of her criminal boyfriend. She hadn't seen or talked to him since then. So, to hear his nickname for her rolling off of his tongue so casually was a bit jarring.

Her gaze flickered up from the tips of her boots to instead find his hazel irises. A teasing smile rested on his lips, but it very clearly didn't reach his eyes. Araminta could make out dark bags beneath his waterline, and she wondered if he'd gotten any sleep.

They were standing in the corridor of the fancy restaurant Niccolo worked in now, taking in each other's appearances like it hadn't only been a few days since they last saw each other. And for a moment, Araminta was so distracted that she almost forgot what had triggered this whole interaction, and what they were here to do.

Jean raised his eyebrows expectantly, though, and she was reminded.

"Oh, yeah. That..." She laughed nervously, and began itching at her forearm. "It was stupid and risky, and it turned out it wasn't even worth it." She admitted with a sigh, and the other remaining members of their squad paused to look at her curiously.

"So, he didn't say anything to you?" Armin asked with a frown.

She shook her head, and at the mention of him, Jean quickly averted his gaze away. "No, nothing... He just told me he's sorry."

Connie scoffed, and she immediately shot the taller boy a glare. He looked back at her, and held his hands up like he'd been caught. "What? I'm glad he found it in himself to apologize to you, but it's not like that erases all of the shit he did. It's not like an apology is going to bring Sash back."

Araminta balled her hand into a fist, and with a clenched jaw started to march towards him. But a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her, and she glanced over to see Jean gazing back down at her with a pleading look.

We have enough enemies, his eyes seemed to say. We don't need to be making more.

After mulling it over for a few seconds, she huffed and relaxed her fingers. "I told you. It wasn't worth it." She muttered.

As she pinched the bridge of her nose tightly between her fingertips, she could feel Jean's stare burning holes into the side of her face. Despite the fact he was silent, Araminta got the feeling that he had something he wanted to say to her. But Connie, Mikasa and Armin's presence made it a bit difficult.

A door opened, revealing the curly haired blond they came all the way here to see. Niccolo wore his white chef's uniform, and looked a bit surprised to see them all.

"Oh, it's you guys? What is it? I've got my hands full with some other customers." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen, eyes flickering between them all.

"You can get back to work, we don't mind." Hange waved him away with a nervous smile. "We just need to talk once you're finished."

Niccolo arched his eyebrows. "Talk? About what?"

"Oh, you know. Any concerns you might have, or—"

"They're investigating our detainment." Onyankopon cut off Hange's rambling. "We're hoping you can help."

Niccolo sucked in a breath through his nose, and gave a curt nod of agreement. He turned around, and began venturing down the corridor. "Here, follow me. You can wait in here until I'm done."

He led the seven of them into a grand dining room at the end of the corridor, and almost immediately, they all began to gasp in awe. It was much too fancy for them, Araminta imagined it must be used for Military Police officers normally. It reminded her of when she visited the Tybur estate in Marley, and how out of place she felt.

"Woah, check it out!" Her attention was robbed by Jean suddenly exclaiming, and she turned to watch as he picked up a bottle of wine. "I bet this is the fancy wine all the soldiers are gossiping about."

Araminta rolled her eyes and Connie gasped. "Dude, I've heard it's reserved only for higher ranks. We're high ranking Scouts, right?" He asked as he inspected the bottle.

"Come on, let's have a sip. We deserve a bit of fun, right?" Jean asked, the corners of his lips curled upwards as his eyes darted around the room and eventually landed on Araminta.

She had to admit that it did sound tempting. After all of the shit that happened in just the last 24 hours alone, a sip of some super expensive wine sounded really tempting.

"Don't touch that!"

Niccolo suddenly leapt across the room to snatch the bottle from Jean. He cradled the bottle close to his chest as he stood in front of Araminta, pointedly avoiding her bewildered stare.

"Chill out, Niccolo. We were just joking around." Jean let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Wine like this would be wasted on Eldian scum." Niccolo spat.

"You're really still talking like that?" Araminta scoffed. The sudden change in his dialogue was a stark contrast to how he'd spoken to her in the cemetery, at Sasha's gravesite.

He looked up to meet her stare, his nose scrunched up. Suddenly Jean grabbed hold of his collar, whipping him around to face him. "The booze doesn't give a damn what race we are, Niccolo." He snapped.

"I've been nice," Niccolo said, still clutching the bottle tightly, "but that doesn't make us friends. At the end of the day, you're still filthy Eldians."

Since learning of the treatment Eldians got beyond the walls, Araminta had gotten used to all the nasty names they were called. Filthy Eldians. Devils of Paradis. Island Devils. Scum. And none of it ever seemed to hurt, but to hear them coming from Niccolo still, after everything with Sasha; that was what hurt.

"Don't get such a big head, Niccolo. You forget your place. You're nothing more than a captive." Jean practically growled at the blond.

"Looks like we're in the same boat, then." Niccolo replied in a low voice.

Finally, Jean released his grip, and Niccolo was able to escape the room with the bottle of wine close to his chest. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"What's his problem?" Connie asked.

"Hell if I know." Jean grumbled.

Mikasa appeared next to Araminta, clearing her throat. "So, he really told you nothing?" She queried in a soft voice.

"No... I really tried to get him to talk, but he just wouldn't budge." Araminta sighed. "I don't know what to do, Mikasa. If he doesn't trust me anymore... I don't know how to get him back... or if I can get him back..."

She admitted the last part so meekly, she was sure Mikasa didn't even hear her. But she felt a warm hand envelop her own, and was surprised to see it belonged to the ravenette. "He'll come back to you, Araminta. I know he will."

Araminta returned the weak smile Mikasa gave her.

I'll see you again, I promise.

The memory of the last words Eren said to her caused a bolt
of pain to rip through Araminta's skull, and she let out a quiet hiss. Mikasa took notice of her reaction and was about to ask what was wrong when there was a loud commotion from outside of the room.

Everyone's attention was quickly drawn to the door, and they exchanged puzzled looks with one another. Araminta furrowed her eyebrows and opened up the door, glancing around the corridor to try and locate the source of the noise.

Armin ventured down the hallway first, and Araminta was close behind him. After her first test run as the War Hammer Titan, Hange had gifted her a ring to wear on her thumb that hid a small, sharp point that she could use to trigger her Titan transformation. Annie had used something similar as the Female Titan, supposedly. Her middle finger was pressed tightly against the cool metal around her thumb—just in case.

When the two of them turned a corner to peer into one of the smaller dining rooms, Araminta wasn't sure what she was expecting to see. Maybe some Military Police officers here to arrest them? She definitely wasn't expecting to see a little girl sobbing on the floor as Niccolo stood over her with a butcher knife and a bloody, unconscious child in his free arm.

They weren't just any children, though. Especially the one on the floor.

"What the—?! Guys, come here!" Armin called down the hallway, his blue eyes wide and filled with panic. Araminta was silent, staring at the little girl as unpleasant memories invaded her mind.

I can't lose another sister!

Sasha, please!

There were footsteps behind her, and she heard a gasp. "Holy shit, that's the kid who shot Sasha!" Connie exclaimed.

"What's going on? I heard she's on the run!" Jean stepped forward, his chest pressed against Araminta's back. He tensed when he saw the kitchen knife. "Woah, what the fuck are you doing, Niccolo?!"

"Stay back!" Niccolo turned to face them, raising the knife to point it at the sleeping boy's throat. Blood was gushing from an open wound on his head, staining the blue suit jacket he wore. "I'm avenging Sasha! Stay back!"

Araminta was unable to move, to speak, to do anything. She could feel her fingers beginning to tremble, and her heartbeat that rang in her ears was starting to increase in speed. What the fuck was she supposed to do?

"Stop, please." The girl whimpered out, and trembled as she looked up to Niccolo. "Not Falco, he didn't do anything wrong..."

"What's this brat to you? He took the hit for you! Why? Do you care about him?" Niccolo was unraveling in front of them, his voice growing more unstable and the knife in his hand beginning to shake. "I cared about someone, too! An Eldian! A spawn of the Devil! One who loved my cooking more than anyone else! She saved me from this war, and taught me that I liked making people happy with my cooking!

"Her name was Sasha Braus! She's the girl you stole from me!" He screamed at the girl, who was momentarily taken aback before she started shouting as well.

"People I love died, too! Your Sasha killed them! I was getting my revenge, she killed people first!"

As Niccolo and the girl continued to shout back and forth, Araminta felt her stomach beginning to churn. She felt like she was going to hurl. If she had been the one to stumble on Sasha's assailant, her first reaction would probably be anger as well. But as she watched her defend herself and advocate for her friend, Araminta couldn't be mad at her.

She was just a kid, just like she was once. And there was something oddly familiar about her behavior.

"Mr. Braus, don't do this! Please put down the knife!"

Araminta swore she'd only zoned out for a few seconds, but the next thing she knew, Sasha's dad had taken the knife from Niccolo, and now loomed over the trembling girl. "Mr. Braus—"

"Sasha was a hunter." The older man spoke, the sudden statement eliciting a few confused hums from around the room. "Even as a wee girl, she shot varmints in the forest for us to eat. That was just our way of livin'. But I knew there'd come a day we'd have to give up that style o' life, so I sent Sasha away from the forest. She went out into the world, became a soldier, shot people far yonder, and got herself shot. In the end, though she left our forest, the world is a great big forest where everyone's fightin' for their lives..."

He handed the knife over to his wife, who gently set it down on the table. "I reckon Sasha died 'cause she wandered in the forest for too long. We've gotta keep the younguns outta the forest. Otherwise, ain't nothin' gonna stop it from happenin' again. That's why it's up to us adults to shoulder the sins of the past."

"Niccolo, put Ben down now." Araminta assumed Sasha's mother was referring to the still unconscious boy in the tall blond's arms. She watched as his face contorted, his jaw clenched together as he fought some sort of internal battle before lowering him to the ground.

Connie and Jean moved to restrain Niccolo, while Mikasa knelt to check on the girl and Sasha's parents began to aid the boy. Araminta was still frozen in place, watching as Mr. Braus called out to the young girl.

"Are you okay, Mia?"

Her mouth fell agape. "Do you... Really not hate me...?"

There were rapid footsteps along with the sound of the knife sliding against the cloth, and Araminta seemed to finally gain control over her body. Kaya came charging over with the knife raised high above her head, a loud scream ripping through her throat. Araminta dropped to her knees in front of "Mia", and held up her hand to try and catch Kaya's wrist.

She was a bit late, though, and the knife plunged straight through her hand.

Ouch.

Araminta stared back into Kaya's glossy blue eyes as her chest heaved up and down. The pain that wracked through the young girl's body was no stranger to Araminta—she'd felt the same thing when she watched the bullet lodge itself in Sasha's stomach. Mr. Braus was right, there was no reason someone as young as Kaya should be subjected to that kind of pain.

Mr. and Mrs. Braus rushed over to pull Kaya away, and she began to wail. "You're a murderer! How could you?! You were supposed to be my friend!" She screamed, and then she began to sob.

With a hiss, Araminta slid the knife out of her flesh, then tossed it onto the floor next to her. As she inspected the wound, she heard the sound of fabric tearing, and looked up to see Jean kneeling in front of her with what looked like a piece of the tablecloth.

"You okay?" He asked in a quiet voice, and gestured for her to hold out her hand.

She nodded, extending her injured palm and he quickly began wrapping the fabric around it. His eyebrows were pulled together and she could see his tongue poking the inside of his cheek as he tried to remain concentrated.

I've always been here for you.

"Thank you, Jean." She spoke quietly, the corners of her lips quirking upward.

He looked up at her with a curious hum. "It's just the tablecloth, it's not a big deal."

"No, I mean... I mean for not hating me."

He was quiet for a second, as he finished wrapping the fabric tightly around her palm to slow the bleeding. And then he looked up to meet her gaze, a soft smile crawling onto her lips. "I could never hate you, Min." He confessed.

Her lips fell open and she was about to respond when she saw Armin and Mikasa stand with Mia in tow. She looked back to Jean and cleared her throat. "I should go with them. Keep an eye on everyone, okay?" She gave his cheek a pat and straightened up.

"Yeah." He replied plainly as he stood as well.

Araminta glanced over at Kaya, who continued to cry in her parents' arms. Her heart clenched at the sound. After she checked on the other girl and made sure she was okay, then she would come back to talk to Kaya.

She followed Armin and Mikasa down to another room, and they all sat down at the table. Araminta watched Mia's face curiously. It was hard to believe someone this little had killed her best friend—and even harder to believe that she wasn't much older than her when she killed someone for the first time.

"Why did you save me?" She quietly asked, looking up to meet Araminta's gaze and then traveling down to her injured hand.

Araminta lifted her hand, turning it over to look at the bandage that was slowly being painted a dark crimson. "It'll heal in a few minutes." She told the little girl.

"Okay, but... why?" She pressed.

The older girl sucked in a breath, glancing across the table at Armin and Mikasa. "Because... it's what we do. We keep each other safe."

"But... I killed your friend. So kill me! Just don't kill Falco!" She exclaimed.

"We're not going to kill you." Armin replied, sounding a bit exhausted.

"But you want to kill me."

"No, I don't." He huffed. "Kill this, kill that... It's all you ever think about."

"Yeah, sounds like someone else I know." Araminta mused.

She must have jinxed them all, she thought, since the door opened and the man of the hour himself entered the room. A gasp escaped from her lips as she whipped around to look at Eren, her eyes widened in surprise. It had only been a day since she last saw him, and already he looked so different.

"Eren?" Armin stood, gaping at their friend.

Eren lifted his hand to show his own bloodied palm—a threat.

"Sit down." The words were as cool as ice as they left his lips. "We need to talk."

OMG... HEYYY... 😅😅😅😅😅 has it been six months since i updated? no not at all idk what you're talking about!!! anyways here we are!! yay!! table scene next chapter... 😍 also yes the first part is important to araminta's character but it was also a lil self indulgent i wont lie! 😂

hopefully next update won't take six months lol! Manifesting... ✨✨✨✨ wlso ty for all the love since my last update?? esp on arms tonite?? there was a few times it was at in the top 20 eren fics on here that's crazy...

OH AND I WANTED TO SHARE my favorite little artist oomfie disturbias- made this beautiful beautiful portrait of my daughter araminta <3 ty pookie it's so good

OKAY THATS IT UNTIL NEXT TIME... LOL!