The Innermost Sins

Chapter 11

"Thank fuck we have the day off. Evaluation killed me. I can't even feel my legs."

Armin smiled sympathetically at Jean from beside him.

"Yeah. It wasn't fun, that's for sure."

Jean arched his back, stretching his legs out one by one as he leaned up against the low fence post. It was still decently early, the morning light grey and overcast, and the two were standing outside the back of Headquarters, next to the kitchen. They were both in casual attire- plain shirts and stiff breeches rather than their uniforms.

"You'd think they'd leave us to our own devices," he said, shooting a venomous glare at the stack of crates piled up on a wagon a little way off. "But no, apparently 'day off' means 'hey, can you unpack these deliveries for us? We're too lazy, thanks.' Assholes."

Armin cast a glance at the wagon, shifting the crate he held in his arms into a better position before crossing the short distance across the courtyard to the outside of the open kitchen doors, placing it carefully on the already-accumulated stack before making his way back to where Jean was standing.

"They're probably busy," he said impassively. He went to retrieve another crate from the wagon, laying a hand over it thoughtfully for a moment. "The higher ups have been in somewhat of an uproar since...well, you know."

"Since Mikasa and Eren," Jean's lip curled into a sneer instinctively. His hands curled into fists against the wooden post of the fence. "They're still on your mind?"

Armin hesitated. "Well...yeah. Me and everyone else in the regiment."

Jean shook his head disparagingly. "I won't lie, we've all been thinking about it. I'm still pissed Eren had the audacity to take advantage of her like that."

"I don't think it was like that. Everyone knows how Mikasa feels about Eren. Neither of them are solely to blame- they're both at fault."

"No disrespect Armin, but I wouldn't expect someone as loyal to Eren like yourself to understand what I'm getting at." He brought his fist down to his side in one sharp movement, striking the fence behind him in an uncoordinated motion that was probably harder than he intended. "You think I don't get why he screwed her? It's not hard to see why- uh, I mean, you know." He cleared his throat hurriedly. "But it's so unthinkably stupid to have actually done it...ugh, he's such a dick."

Armin was quiet for a short while as Jean passed a hand through his hair in breathing out a frustrated sigh of disdain. He hadn't approved of what Eren and Mikasa had done right from day one. It was- just as Jean had said- ridiculously reckless, and the worst possible consequence was now their grim reality. It wasn't easy news for any of the people around them to digest- let alone how Eren and Mikasa must be feeling. He couldn't stop thinking about how ghostly white Eren's face had been when he'd trudged back to join him during evaluation, the court summons clenched in his fist. Armin was freaked out of his mind thinking about what the higher ups would do to his friends. He folded his arms and, gripping each elbow tightly, his heart thudding sourly. Even he, the most logical, strategic thinker of them all, couldn't think of a redemption that would get them out of this.

"OK, random thought. Even if by some wretched miracle that Eren and Mikasa get off this scot-free," Jean paused as he straightened up from where he was leaning against the fence to join Armin by the stationary wagon. He hefted the last crate of food supplies into his arms, adjusting his grip accordingly with eyes downcast at it in a scowl. "I can't see either of them being halfway decent parents."

"They're not that bad..." Armin's words trailed off before they had scarcely left his mouth. That was another thing. Even if, like Jean said, fate was merciful enough to spare them from the Military Police's wrath, there was going to be a child. And that child would need raising. The thought of it made Armin's stomach lurch. No matter how you looked at it, he, at some point, was going to lose his two closest friends. Him- the one out of the three of them least likely to be of any salvation to humanity- would be stuck on the front lines whilst Eren and Mikasa were trapped within the walls they so desperately wanted to break free from. Well, Mikasa would be at least. And of course, this was all providing they actually returned from their court summons at all...