𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙩 || Eren Jaeger

𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮

❝ You carry trouble so well,
you almost make it look sane ❞

- o. l

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THREE YEARS LATER...

My, my... How the time flew.

The lunchroom boomed with laughter and mirth. I looked around my table, silent and watchful from the top of my drink, but the most content I've ever felt in my life.

Today we did it. Today we graduated.

The faces around me had changed. Everyone was different in some way or manner. Not only were we adults now, but also these past three years of blood and sweat had sharpened us into the fittest, most dignified soldiers we could possibly be.

"Johanna, why don't you and Annie smile? You made top ten, for Sina's sake!" Reiner said, snaking an arm over my shoulders and swinging his drink in his other hand. Tonight the officials allowed us the privilege of alcohol to celebrate our long-awaited triumph. A certain someone, however, was starting to lose his self-control.

Annie and I made eye contact across the table, both of us thinking alike.

"It's not in our nature to smile." I said with a shrug.

Annie and I had become... quite the duo during these three years. It was the kind of friendship that was hard to describe, simply because it was so one of a kind. We had the tact to communicate whatever we felt in the moment with just a shared glance or nod, and whenever we spoke up, which was rare for Annie especially, we were always on the same page. I've never felt sentimental for anyone but Jean. He was an exception, of course.

But now... Annie had become exception number two.

"I think you two did great." Bertholdt said admirably. "Johanna, you ranked at second place! That's higher than Reiner and I. If it wasn't for Mikasa, you'd probably—"

"Mikasa is the best out of everyone here. She deserves it." I said dismissively. The last thing I wanted was to be placed on a pedestal. I largely preferred letting Mikasa deal with the spotlight.

"Well, it still puts the boys to shame, if you ask me." Marco said sheepishly. Jean, who sat to his left, grumbled something into his cup. He's been acting up ever since the ceremony, disgruntled at the fact that he ranked lower than Eren in the top ten. I rolled my eyes and poured some of my drink in his cup as a way to cheer him up.

"Shame shame, what a bunch of baloney." Reiner said defensively. The liquor was getting to his cheeks, tinting them a rosy color. He scrubbed his knuckles on my head teasingly. "I bet I can still beat this runt at a one-on-one fight."

I fixed my ruffled hair, annoyed. "We both know that's not—"

All of a sudden I was picked up and thrown over a shoulder- Reiner's shoulder- with swift ease. Several heads turned in our direction, curious as to what was going on.