The end and a new beginning

Monster

Annie dropped onto the bench next to him.
"Did you really cry because of me?" Armin asked.
"Don't imagine anything on it. I was just afraid you never wake up again."
An uncomfortable silence broke over them.
"Do you remember back then on the ship. When we talked and you said you were a monster like me?"
Armin nodded cautiously.
"You are still not a monster for me. You saved me in this crystal, otherwise I would really have lost my mind. I am the only monster, so tell me Armin. Why did you keep coming to me. Was that a game?
Like with Berthold when you told him you guys would torture me? "
"No, it was like I said, I wanted to see you Annie."
Silence again.
"Why did you want to see me?
Tell Armin."
Now they looked each other straight in the eyes. Everything in Armin contracted, maybe he had been able to stop Eren, but  telling Annie how he felt terrified him.
"You know I never wanted to have feelings." She averted her gaze befor she talked again.
"My whole life has always meant pain and I never gave my life any value. My only goal was to keep my promise and to return to my father. I built walls around me because otherwise I could never deal with anything I had done. But with you I kept getting weak, only because of that I got into the situation of having to create this crystal around me. The wall that I built became visible to the outside. Just because I didn't kill you. " Annie gritted her teeth.
Armin took her hand.
"I didn't want to believe that you are the female titan. It tore me apart, that's why I came to you and because I love you Annie."
It was the first time that he didn't think, but just talked around her. But again a quiet entered that he could not interpret.
"Well," Annie said, squeezing his hand. "I love you too." A smile slipped across her face. Now, despite his pain, Armin wrapped his arms around Annie and hugged her.
He felt her arms wrap around him too. It was still sureal, everything seemed to be over and he was sitting here with Annie in his arms. Was he allowed to have so much luck at all?
Outside of this fortress everyone but the people on Paradis Island were dead and he sat here and hugged the girl he loved and was happy. How selfish of him.
"I know what you're thinking," he heard Annie say. "It's the same with me. But we can't undo it. So let's start from scratch, without hatred, without devils. The monsters that are left behind are enough in this world."
"Stop doing that." Heard Armin say himself. "You're not a monster, not for me. We have enough to do. Let's go."
He got up fast and immediately regretted it. His eyes almost went black. Then he felt Annie supporting him. "Take it easy, you hero." She smiled. Before they slowly went into the dining room.
The room was not even half full and yet he could feel them being riddled with looks. Luckily Annie was with him, otherwise Armin would have sunk into the ground. A semicircle slowly formed around them, Reiner, Connie and Levi were there too.
Everyone greeted him and afterwards they ate and drank.