Dunvegan's Drums- The Stanfields

The entire gang was there to support Armin on his big day. They all gathered in the observation room but none of them except Krista had the stomach to watch the surgery go down. Eren paced back and forth as he waited, every click of the little hand on the analog clock on the wall pure torture.
"Eren, sit down and relax." Mikasa ordered, voice soothing and calming. But Eren couldn't calm down. Not when the love of his life was cut open on a table beneath them, on the borderline between life and death. He knew that if he slowed down he would lose that morning's breakfast of hospital toast and eggs.
"Mikasa's right." Marco pulled on Eren's arm so he collapsed into the chair beside him. "You're only going to wear yourself out."
"I'm so scared." Eren was never this quick to talk about his feelings. But it was so painful. And if he couldn't confide in his therapy group who could he confide in?
"We're all scared." Marco put his arm over the brunet's shoulders. "But he's strong and he's super optimistic. He'll make it. I promise."
"But what if he doesn't?" Eren croaked.
"Then we will help each other through it."
The others all nodded their agreement.
"Thanks, guys."
"No problem."
"How much longer do we have to wait?" Ymir wondered.
"Ten more hours."
"We need something to pass the time! He'll be okay much quicker if we play cards or something." Hanji suggested.
"Does anybody have cards?" Levi asked, face as stoney as it ever was. Did he feel any emotion other than disapproval? Probably not.
"I always have cards." Hanji insisted, pulling a deck out of her lab coat.
"We have a lot of people. Chase the ace always gets funner the more people play."
"Marco, this isn't game night at the senior complex."
"Shut up and get your quarters out if you're going to play."
Eren didn't join in on the game. He didn't want to be having fun while Armin was down there on the edge between life and death. If Armin died while he was goofing off, he wouldn't forgive himself, and if Armin lived, he wanted to be the devoted friend who stayed by his side through it all. He hoped that he could be the first thing the tiny blond saw when he woke up. He had to be. He would make sure of it.
He would be there to welcome into the rest of his life, which would be long and joyous. When Armin woke up, Eren would be there to hug him close and to whisper those three words he wished he had spoken more often.
"I love you."