Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

???’s POV
I remember everything…from the day she adopted me to the day it all ended.

I remember that night we were caught. Mom was dead…a car had come out of nowhere…I was a stray along with my two friends…I had no idea life could have gotten better when we were brought to the shelter. They’d cleaned us up and fed us. No sooner than a day later, two humans came and took both of my friends. I had no idea where they’d gone. Then the day after, a lady came in…she had (h/l) (h/c) hair and (e/c) eyes, and smelled of cinnamon.

I remember she picked me up and stared into my eyes. I’d tried to swipe at her but she still held me. She’d said, “I’ll take this one.” Then I was in a new environment. I wasn’t outside…I was in an actual home. I had food…shelter…warmth. She left occasionally…but when she came back she would play with me. I even had a name now…Levi.

I remember all the moments we shared together, and almost all the things she said to me. She would rant a lot about her college classes, different people. She got worked up and stressed out easily. When this would happen, she usually would snuggle with me. I loved snuggling with her, I would purr loudly to let her know. Her arms felt so safe. I got to sleep in her bed every night—I curled up near the foot of the bed, and occasionally I would rest on top of her. She also had a roommate named Petra. She took care of me when (Y/n) was out. She was nice. The two were friends with these three other guys that sometimes came over…their names were Gunther, Eld, and Oluo.

I remember the one day (Y/n) walked outside and forgot to close the door. I followed her downstairs. She was getting the mail from the mailbox. There was an autumn leaf blowing about. My curiosity led me to chasing it.

I remember hearing (Y/n) shout.

I remember hearing a loud sound.

I remember a very sharp pain.

I remember not waking up. 

She stood there with my body in her arms, screaming and cussing out the person who had just gotten out of their car. (Y/n) was crying…she couldn’t stop. I wanted to help her…but I was drifting farther from Earth.

Goodbye (Y/n)…I’ll miss you.

Chapter Text

You flopped down on your sofa—the sound echoing throughout your empty apartment. You’d just gotten home from grocery shopping. Petra had moved out yesterday, the end of finals—Oluo and her had started dating at the start of May. Spring semester was completely over, and this upcoming summer semester was to be your last semester of college. You, Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther all attended Rose University. You were happy for your two friends…it was just very quiet and lonely now. Your last few classes didn’t start until June 5^th, and they would end near the very start of August. At least you had a bit of time to relax. Your phone started buzzing. Picking it up, you saw it was Petra. “Hello?”

“Hi (Nickname)! Oluo and I were thinking about going to the Festival that’s being held on campus—the one for the end of the spring semester. We were also going to invite Eld and Gunther. Want to come?” Petra asked. Well, you didn’t have anything planned later…

“Sure. What time and where are we meeting up?” you asked.

“We can all meet by the fountain. Let’s meet up around 5:30. Does that work?” Petra suggested. It was currently 1:20. That was in a few hours.

“Yeah, that should work,” you said. “See you then!”

“Alright! See you later (Nickname)!” Petra said, hanging up. You relaxed back on the sofa again. You’d get ready in a little bit. No sense in getting dolled up now. A knock on your door made you get up. Come on—you’d just gotten comfy! Slightly annoyed, you threw the door open. The usual mailman was standing there.

“Package for you Ms. (L/n). Sign here please,” he said. You took the pen and signed the form. “Have a nice day,” he said, giving you the package.

"Thanks Mr. Hannes,” you said as he left. You walked back inside and opened the package with a box cutter. The first thing on top was a letter. You opened that first.

            Hello (Y/n)! We were thinking of you recently. We know we probably won’t get to see you much this summer since you have summer classes—but we hope you do your best and succeed! We’ll be there for your graduation. Also, we went through one of the drawers in your room and found a few things you would probably want to have with you, so those items are enclosed in here. Have a good semester! –Love, Mom and Dad

You smiled and made a mental note to call and thank them later. Now what else was in here then? Oh my god… “SWEET MOTHER TERESA ON THE HOOD OF A MERCADES BENZ! ARE THOSE MACAROONS?!” you shouted. Your dad was a great cook, and my god—HE MADE THE BEST FUCKIN MACAROONS EVER. Opening the container, you could see there was a variety of flavors. Fuck yeah. You popped a strawberry one in your mouth. Still as good as ever. You set the container aside and dug through the rest. There was your harmonica. Picking it up, a mix of happy and sad memories came to mind…but mostly sad. You quickly set it down on the table and resumed combing through. There were a few DVDs and novels included. However, the last thing in the box fully caught your attention. “This…this is my scrapbook…” you said, almost in a whisper. You hugged it to your chest and ran over to the sofa. It’d been so long.

Your scrapbook was (f/c) with the word ‘Memories’ on the front. It was decorated in different colored buttons and foam stickers. This scrapbook specifically was you and your friends, as well as the many pets you’d owned in your lifetime. You had another of your family. Flipping it open to the first page, there was a picture of you and a few friends from high school: Mina, Thomas, Samuel, Nac, and Mylius. You’d grown up with them your whole life; they were your squad. They attended different colleges from you sadly, but you still kept in touch with them. The first few pages were random shots of you all from throughout the years. Maybe you should create one with your college squad. You smiled to yourself.

The rest of the book…was filled with pictures of you and your pets. You’d had fifteen—not all at once obviously. All different animals too. There were three that other people probably wouldn’t consider your pets—as they were zoo animals. But since you’d had that job for 3 years and they’d been your responsibility, you definitely counted them. As you turned all the pages, looking at them all—you started tearing up. Suddenly, you choked on your tears. The last few pages were of Levi…the last pet you’d owned. You slammed the book shut and grabbed a few tissues from the coffee table. Yes that was life…but life sucks. You missed them…you missed them all.

You didn’t do much in the next few hours. After you called your parents and thanked them (hiding the fact that you’d been crying), you ate some macaroons while you watched (favorite show). It passed time at least. To be honest, you weren’t even really watching. Memories played over and over in your mind as you desperately mashed your face into a pillow to shut them out. When it got closer to the time—you fixed your hair so it wasn’t so messy and freshened up with your cinnamon scented perfume. Petra had jokingly called it your trademark at one point. You decided to just stick with a simple (f/c) polka-dotted sundress and a scarf, with flip flops. You’d skip the makeup—besides, you looked beautiful with or without it. Grabbing your purse, you locked up your apartment and headed downstairs.

The apartment you stayed in wasn’t directly on campus—but it was very very close, and that’s why you’d picked it. It only took you about 20 minutes to walk to the quad. You sat on the edge of the fountain, feeling the breeze lightly brush your hair and blow a few of the water droplets onto you. Suddenly, there was a flash of light. You blinked repeatedly, trying to adjust to what’d just happened. Looking up, you saw Petra with her camera. She giggled and smiled at you. “Hey,” she greeted. “Sorry, that just looked like it would be a very good picture to take.”

“Hi Petra. It’s fine,” you said. Petra was majoring in photography. She planned to be a professional photographer, so she almost always had her camera out. Oluo was majoring in business, Eld was majoring in computer programming, Gunther was majoring in history, and as for yourself, veterinary studies.

“This one turned out really good!” Petra exclaimed, showing you. You smiled. It did look good.

“It really did! Jeez Petra, anyone would be lucky to have you take their picture. You’re the best I’ve met,” you told her.

“Aw, you really think so? Thanks (Y/n),” Petra said, smiling. Oluo came walking up with three sticks of cotton candy.

“I figured you’d be here by now (Y/n),” Oluo said, handing you one of the sticks.

“Yep,” you replied. “Thanks.” You bit into the fluffy treat. It had been too long since you’d had cotton candy. The last time you’d had cotton candy was when…your hamster… You ripped off more of the sugary fluff. It was so hard to not think about it right now.

“Are you alright?” Petra asked. You glanced over at her and Oluo.

“To be honest…not 100%,” you told them. “The mail came earlier. My parents sent me a package of a few things from home…though I don’t know why they chose now to send them seeing as this summer will be my final semester. But my scrapbook was in there…the one with my pets…I know maybe it seems silly to get upset over, but I miss them all dearly. I just hope that when I become a veterinarian, I can help save more lives,” you explained, fighting back tears.

“It’s not silly to be upset over that at all,” Petra said, hugging you. You hugged her back.

“It’s a good career choice, I’d say,” Oluo piped up. He waved suddenly, looking behind you and Petra. A few minutes later, Eld and Gunther had joined you.

“Hey,” Gunther said.

“S’up?” Eld greeted you all. “Oh man, where are they selling cotton candy?”

“There was a cart over there. It’s free,” Oluo told him.

“I’m getting some! Do you want any, Gunther?” Eld asked.

“I think I’ll pass. It’s not my favorite,” Gunther said. Eld shrugged and ran over to where it was being sold.

“So…besides eating festival food, what else looks fun that we could do?” Petra asked, releasing you.

“I know they had a few game booths. I saw them when I was walking over,” you suggested.

“They have a few small rides too,” Gunther mentioned. Eld returned with his cotton candy, a sticky pink mess already forming over his lips. Gunther sighed and approached Eld. “You’re getting yourself messy.” He licked his thumb and brushed it over the pink sugary splotches. Eld blushed.

“U-Uh, thanks…” he said. You surveyed the two and smirked. How were they not dating yet? Oluo also had a smirk resting on his face. He took a step forward when Petra swung her arm out, holding him back.

“What?!” he hissed.

“If you’re doing what I think you’re about to do—don’t!” she whispered.

“I’m just trying to help them,” Oluo said. “I was just going to push their heads closer together.” Petra sighed and shook her head.

“Let’s go check out some of those rides and games,” she suggested.

The five of you walked across the quad to where all the activity was going on. It was a pretty good setup. Together, you decided to go on the rides first. Petra practically dragged you all to the Starship 3000 ride. Oluo unfortunately bit his tongue when the ride was spinning, and couldn’t do anything about it because of the g-force. He had to sit out for a few rides, so Petra sat with him to keep him company. You, Eld, and Gunther went on most of the rides. There was a ride called The Scrambler that spun you around really fast. All three of you kept getting thrown against one another (which is why you’d purposely gotten in first—so Eld would be thrown against Gunther). When Oluo was feeling better, all of you did a few more rides together (although you all agreed that the fun house should have been renamed to the lame house—it didn’t even take you all that long to go through). Right now, you were walking up to the Ferris Wheel. Oluo was riding with Petra of course. You, Eld, and Gunther were riding together.

At one point, the ride stopped when the three of you were on the top. The sun was setting, and it was a very beautiful scene. Your phone buzzed suddenly. The message was from Eld. You glanced at him and then back at the message.

Help plz. I want to confess to Gunther but I’m scared.

You’re kidding, right? Tell him.

I can’t just say it!

TELL. HIM.

“What are you two doing?” Gunther asked.

“Eld, fucking tell him!” you exclaimed. Eld paled.

“Tell me what?” Gunther asked.

“So…Gunther…I really…really like you. We’ve been best friends since junior high, but I’ve always wanted more out of it. I think you’re a great guy…you’re really smart…and cute. I admire how dedicated you are to your major. I love how passionate you get when you talk about it. Uh…would you go out with me?” Eld asked, blushing heavily. There was a bit of an awkward silence.

“I’d like that,” Gunther replied, placing his hand over Eld’s on the safety bar. Eld smiled, as did Gunther—and that was the most recent times in a while that you’d seen him smile. He tended to overwork himself at times, so he was stressed quite a bit. Maybe that would change now though.

“Yay! Finally, you two!” you cheered. As soon as you three were off the ride, you ran up to Petra and Oluo—who were currently waiting for you three. “Guess who finally got together?!”

“Oh my gosh~! Congratulations!” Petra squealed.

“Took you two long enough,” Oluo said to the two blushing males. As the four of them all rejoiced in the moment, your mind slipped into a small moment of jealousy. You wished you could be happy with someone…hopefully you wouldn’t become the 5^th wheel.

The five of you checked out the game booths…while the other four were being lovey-dovey—you won a few prizes for yourself. You didn’t have anyone to give them to. You ended up with a (favorite animal) plushie and a (second favorite animal) plushie, as well as a keychain of your college mascot (a titan) and a small book of coupons for different shops and other places around campus. The first one that caught your eye was the one for the tattoo place. You’d wanted to get a tattoo for a while now. Your parents weren’t the biggest tattoo fans, but who cares? Your body, your decision. You had a few ideas already that you wanted.

“Today was a good day,” you commented, digging into your deep-fried Oreos. You were all sitting at a picnic table, chowing down on the delicious festival food. Most of the games had cost cash to play—and none of you had wanted to go broke, so you were done now. But you all had managed to visit every booth.

“It really was,” Petra agreed. Oluo nodded, not talking since he was busy stuffing his face. “Slow down Oluo, you might bite your t-”

“Ouch!” Oluo held his tongue in pain.

“Nevermind…” Petra said, facepalming.

“Yeah, today was great,” Eld agreed. He was holding hands with Gunther.

“I’ll say,” Gunther said, leaning against Eld. Your ship had finally sailed.

“Wait, we did everything, right?” Petra suddenly asked.

“I believe we did,” you replied. “Why?” You looked over to where she was looking. Near the Ferris Wheel was a small, fancy but ominous looking wagon

“Was that there before?” Eld asked.

“I don’t remember seeing it,” Gunther said.

When you all had finished eating, you headed over to the wagon.

“The Three Sisters’ Fortune Telling Traveling Show,” Eld read from the sign. “Have your future foretold by Madame Maria, Madame Rose, and Madame Sina. No lies are told here—only truth. $4 a person—one at a time please.” Fortune-telling, eh?

“Mumbo jumbo,” Oluo commented. “It’s always a scam.” You quickly looked them up on the internet, but found nothing. They were new perhaps?

“I dare you to go in,” Eld said to Oluo, a mischievous grin forming on his face.

“What?! And be frauded? How about I don’t? You go in,” Oluo shot back.

“Nah, I’m good. You do it Gunther,” Eld replied.

“No thanks. Petra?” Gunther asked.

“I’m not going in!” Petra responded, shaking her head.

“It’s not like anything bad would happen. And it’s not fraud—I think it’s pretty cool. For my 16^th birthday, my parents paid a fortune-teller to come to my party. He told my friends’ fortunes too,” you piped up. Everyone looked at you. “What?”

“You go in then,” Oluo said.

“Okay. I want to do it anyway,” you replied. “Not too much of a dare if the person wants to do it. Hold my stuff for me, please.” With that, you walked up to the wagon and knocked. The door opened for you and you stepped in, shutting the door behind you. The wagon was dimly lit with white Christmas tree lights. The wall farthest back had a large tapestry on it, white with three different emblems of blue, red, and green. The emblems themselves looked like a pair of wings, a cluster of roses, and a unicorn. The other two walls were adorned with royal purple curtains. In front of you was a round table. At the table sat 3 hooded women.

“Welcome. Please sit,” the one across from you spoke. You pulled out the empty chair and sat down. She had a mysterious smile on her face, and you caught a glimpse of pinned-up red hair from underneath the green cloak she wore. The one to your left wore a blue cloak, and had curly blonde hair. The other to your right was a wavy-haired brunette wearing a red cloak. “I am Madame Sina,” the redhead spoke.

“I am Madame Maria,” said the blonde.

“I am Madame Rose,” the brunette said.

“We are the Three Sisters’ Fortune Telling Traveling Show, and we welcome you,” they all spoke in perfect unison. It was almost eerie.

“Hello,” you said. “My name i-”

“(Y/n) (L/n), we know,” Madame Sina told you. You froze. How had they known…?

“Please, have some tea,” Madame Rose insisted, pouring you a cup. So…was their method tea leaves? The fortune teller that had been at your party had done both palm readings and tarot cards. Madame Maria reached under the table and pulled out…a crystal ball? Maybe they were frauds… You sipped your tea. Suddenly, Madame Maria clasped your free hand in hers. Her eyes were closed, as though concentrating.

“You have suffered many losses in the past few years, (Y/n). All of them beloved pets. That is why you wish to become a veterinarian. And you came because you wish to know how you will do in the future, have you not?” she asked. Okay seriously, did she read your fucking mind just now?! To test this hypothesis, you quickly thought of the first thing that came to mind…which happened to be your OTP…no no NO! WHY DID YOUR MIND HAVE TO VENTURE INTO DIRTY TERRITORY?! You took a quick glance and saw all three giving you odd looks.

“Interesting thoughts,” Madame Rose mused. You blushed. Oh yeah, they were for real all right. Pushing the dirty thoughts from your mind, you gulped down the rest of your tea.

“Now then,” Madame Sina said. The three joined hands. You tentatively took Madame Maria and Madame Rose’s hands in yours. The three stared into the crystal ball. “Yes, your future will be a bright one in deed. Look for yourself child.” Wow…calling you a child when you were a young adult. Tsk tsk. Curious, you peered into the ball. Sure enough—you saw a clear vision of yourself bustling around a vet’s office in scrubs and a lab coat, your stethoscope hanging from your neck. You were healing someone’s dog in the vision. Although, something caught your eye.

“Is that a wedding ring?!” you blurted out.

“It is,” Madame Maria replied.

“But how far into the future is this?! Who am I married to?!” You had a lot of questions right now.

“We cannot tell you that. That part of the future is your decision—your fate,” Madame Sina explained. “Beware though, this summer—your future rides on everything. There is a storm coming. And if you are not careful…” As she spoke, another vision came into view…another of you…but dead. 11 indistinguishable figures stood before you—5 of them with red, glowing eyes. The image made your blood run cold, and you shivered.

“Fear not though,” Madame Rose piped up. “Very soon, there will be much happiness and joy in your life as well. You won’t have to face this summer alone.” Okay…and what was that supposed to mean? The vision changed again, and you saw a blinding light—15 figures haloed by the light standing side by side. Like the vision before—you couldn’t make out who any of them were. “Take care of yourself and them. Be safe this summer. Everything could change in an instant.” The vision disappeared from the crystal ball, and all of you released each other’s hands.

“May I see your phone?” Madame Sina asked, holding out her hand. You hesitated, but unlocked it and handed it over. They’d already proven themselves real—you trusted them…sort of. She tapped on the screen a few times, then handed it back over. “I downloaded a free app on your phone. This is our service and it should prove to be most helpful this summer. Help can be found only a second away.” No offence, but you couldn’t see how an app would save your life.

“Thank you,” you said to them. You reached into your purse and pulled out your wallet, handing them the proper payment—plus a dollar more. That had been quite the experience.

“You are quite welcome,” Madame Maria said.

“Thank YOU,” Madame Rose added.

“Farewell child,” Madame Sina spoke up.

“Heed what you were told. Don’t let this go,” all three said in unison. They needed to stop doing that. It was very creepy. With a nod, you turned and walked out. Eld, Gunther, Petra, and Oluo were waiting for you—watching you with wide eyes.

“Well?” Oluo asked.

“Well what?” you asked.

“Did they fraud you and steal your credit card information?” Oluo asked. Petra jabbed him in the side.

“Be nice,” she hissed with a small glare. Her face softened as she turned to you. “How was it though?” All five of you started walking across the quad.

“It was a very interesting experience…unlike any that I’ve ever experienced before. They were for real,” you explained.

“What happened?” Gunther asked.

“Well…they used a crystal bal-”

“Fake,” Oluo interrupted.

“Oluo!” Petra scolded again. Oluo chuckled…until Petra jabbed him in the side, making him bite his tongue. Karma’s a bitch, isn’t she?

“Continue,” Gunther prompted.

“Like I said, they used a crystal ball. They gave me tea at first, so I thought they were going to use tea leaves. But they didn’t. They could even read my mind. It was so weird…they knew my name before I said it. They knew my major, why I chose it, why I came in…they even knew about my pets,” you mentioned. “It was so eerie. And…I saw visions in the crystal ball.”

“That’s creepy. What did you see?” Eld asked.

“I saw me, a few years into the future. I was working at a vet’s office—and I was married! But they told me my future was riding on this summer…something bad is going to happen apparently at some point in the next few months. This incident, whatever it is, is a matter of life and death…I saw myself dead. There were these…dark figures, a few had glowing red eyes. I’m a little scared to be honest.” You snuck a glance to see their reactions. Petra looked very worried, and Eld and Gunther were staring at you with wide eyes. Oluo looked unamused however. “They also told me though, that I did have a small ray of hope…the last vision showed these other 15 figures haloed by a bright light.”

“Okay—seriously, I think they spiked your tea with something that made you hallucinate. There’s no way any of that is true,” Oluo droned. “Check to make sure everything is still in your wallet.”

“Oluo, for the last time, shut up! What if (Nickname) is in serious danger?!” Petra shouted. “Please tell me you’re going to be careful. Do I need to move back in? If you feel unsafe, promise you’ll tell one of us,” she rambled.

“I promise, and I’ll definitely try to be careful. If I feel unsafe, I’ll call you all over,” you explained.

“It all seems a bit fishy, but yes, definitely be wary,” Gunther commented. You suddenly remembered.

“They downloaded a free app on my phone too—one they said would help me,” you explained.

“Probably a tracking device,” Oluo mused. “Or they downloaded a virus. Check it out.” You opened your phone and looked at the app. The app picture was a pentadecagon in rainbow colors. All the app title said was ‘HELP.’ Definitely not suspicious at all! You tapped on the app.

It showed an enlarged version of the pentadecagon…for a split second. Then the app suddenly crashed. “Yeah, that’s helpful alright,” Oluo said with a snort.

“Maybe you should tell them that their app is faulty,” Eld suggested. You all decided to hurry, as the lights were shutting off and the place was shutting down—giving the place a creepy vibe. When the five of you walked back to the wagon though…

“It’s gone…?” Petra asked. The space next to the Ferris Wheel was empty—and there were no indications that the wagon had ever been there.

“Did we retrace our steps wrong?” Eld asked.

“No…it was here. We all saw it!” you exclaimed. You were freaking out now. What the hell was happening?! How much danger were you in right now? The darkness setting over the quad didn’t help your uneasiness.

“This is really weird,” Oluo commented. He actually looked nervous now. Then—complete darkness. The lamp posts turned on after a second, casting shadows everywhere.

“We should probably get going,” Gunther noted, glancing around. You were the only people there. It was very quiet—even for being outside.

“We’re walking (Y/n) home first,” Petra interjected, turning on her flashlight app. The five of you made your way back to your apartment in the dark. You were in the middle; your friends had formed a barrier around you with Petra leading the way using her phone. All of you were silent, alert, and paranoid. After what seemed like an eternity, you arrived. Releasing a breath you hadn’t known you’d been holding back, you dug your keys out of your purse and unlocked the door. After a brief check around the apartment to eliminate any paranoia you had and a mini lecture about staying safe, they left. You bid them goodnight—and safe travels. They all agreed to message you once they were inside their own dorms/apartments.

You walked to your room and set the newly acquired animal plushies on your bed, and the coupon book on your desk. Opening your phone, you tried to delete the app. To your horror, it wouldn’t delete. There wasn’t an option to delete it. You dropped the phone on your bed. This was all too much for you right now… “I need a shower,” you said aloud, grabbing your PJs. As soon as you left the room however, your phone unlocked…and the app started up too.

Chapter Text

You let out a happy, content sigh as the warm water cascaded over your body. After a busy day, it just always felt so welcoming and nice. You grabbed the shampoo and scrubbed your hair. As you did, you felt yourself humming a familiar tune…it was that one that you always used to play on the harmonica. It’d been awhile…

“How does that go again?” You asked yourself. As you washed off the rest of your body with soap, you experimented with the notes. If you picked it up, surely it’d come back. Giving yourself a thorough rinse, you stepped out and dried yourself off. The mirror was fogged up from the steam. You drew a smiley face in the corner and resumed drying your hair with a hairdryer. However, as soon as you had turned it off, you heard footsteps…more than one person. Fuck. No worries…it was just Petra and the others…right? Yeah…that was it. The sound faded away from the bathroom. Forgetting your PJs, you wrapped your towel tightly around you and quickly slunk to your room to grab your phone—just in case. You gasped. Your phone wasn’t on the bed anymore, it was face down on the ground. Phones don’t jump. Nervously, you armed yourself with your phone and grabbed the lamp from your desk. Wow (Y/n), REAL threatening. “Petra?” You called. No answer. “Oluo? Eld?” Still no answer. “Gunther? Come on guys—not funny,” you called again. You crept quietly toward the living room. Friends or intruders—SOMEBODY was about to get a thrashing from a wet, angry, half-naked young woman! Well…you wouldn’t hurt your friends…but those intruders had better watch out! You turned the corner…to find a girl and two boys sitting on the floor in your living room. “What the hell?!” You shouted, raising the lamp. The girl had short, raven-black hair and had a monotone look on her face that was partially hidden by her red scarf. One of the boys was a blonde with a bowl hair-cut; he looked a bit nervous. The other boy was a brunette with a big smile on his face. All three wore the same uniform.

“Good evening Mistress!” the brunette exclaimed. What?!

“H-Hi…” the blonde stuttered out.

“Our apologies. We didn’t mean to intrude while you were showering,” the female said, readjusting her scarf.

“WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!” you shouted. The trio all cocked their heads to the side in unison and suddenly turned so they were facing each other.

“I guess we surprised her,” said the brunette.

“Well…we did show up unexpectedly…” the shy blonde responded.

“What more did you expect?” the girl asked.

“She is cute though,” the brunette spoke again. “I mean, I was hoping for my original mistress, but hey.” Your eye twitched a bit. Were they even trying to whisper? Especially that brunette boy—he was loud.

“Excuse me!” you exclaimed, getting their attention. They turned back around and looked at you. You huffed.

“Sorry! I’m Eren,” the brunette said, scratching the back of his head.

“My n-name is Armin…” the blonde spoke. “Nice to meet y-you.”

“Mikasa,” the girl replied. You blinked. Those names…they were just like…

“What?! No, really—who are you all?!”

“Well, we’re g-guardian angels,” Armin told you.

“Yeah, the Goddesses assigned us to you to protect you!” Eren added, grinning at you.

“Now you introduce yourself,” Mikasa stated.

“My name is (Y/n) (L/n)…I’m currently a student here at…WAIT! Why am I telling you all this?! Guardian angels, Goddesses—seriously?! How did you all get inside my apartment?!” There was just no way…these three must be on crack or something.

“We should get started,” Mikasa said, ignoring your panic. “The Goddesses also told us to help you with anything you needed.” All three of them stood up from their spots on the ground, then suddenly there was a bright flash. When your eyes readjusted, they were holding up cleaning supplies and wore cleaning aprons over their uniforms.

“Where do you want us to start?” Eren asked you. You blinked.

“Heh…this…this is all a dream…” you told yourself, not believing your eyes. Promptly, you fainted…also causing your towel to slip down. Eren and Armin’s mouths fell open and Mikasa blushed deeply—all three of them getting nosebleeds. Eren was pretty much frozen and Armin became a stuttering mess…so Mikasa was the only sensible one to put you in your bed and put your PJs on you (but she blushed the entire time).

The next morning, you woke up in your bed. “So it was a dream,” you said aloud. “Thank god.” You started to get up when you saw a familiar girl with a red scarf lying next to you. On the other side of you was the same blonde boy from yesterday…brunette boy was sprawled out on the ground. All three were asleep. You started laughing in a nervous manner, then suddenly screamed and broke away from the covers—running into the bathroom and locking yourself in it. Obviously, this had woken them up. You’d also probably woken up everyone else on your floor too. Good job.

“Uhhh…Mistress (Y/n), a-are you upset about y-yesterday?” Armin’s voice called from the other side of the door. You shivered as you sat on the cold tile floor.

“It’s okay, Mistress! I’d freak out too if guardian angels who were once animals randomly appeared in my house,” Eren added. Animals? What?! You banged your head into the wall, letting out a frustrated noise.

“A-Are you okay?!” Armin squeaked. You ignored him and stared straightforward. What the hell had happened last night? Why were these three in your apartment? Your attention turned to your phone getting slid under the door.

“You have a new message,” Mikasa said. With a sigh, you picked it up. Petra had flooded your inbox, asking if you were okay. There were also a few messages here and there from Gunther, Eld, and Oluo. With a sigh, you opened the group chat you had with them.

Hey guys, I got all your messages. I’m okay, I was just really tired last night. -You

Petra- I WAS WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU!

Oluo- Petra, she’s okay now. Calm down. So (Y/n)—anything paranormal happen yet? LOL

Petra- OLUO CUT IT OUT

Eld- Well, this is a nice thing to wake up to. Good morning.

I’m completely fine, I mean it. -You

Eld- Hey guys, we should all meet up and get breakfast.

Yes please -You

Oluo- Fine by me.

Petra- Where at? Campus café? Starbucks?

DiD sOmEoNe SaY sTaRbUcKs? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) -You

Oluo- Fuck

Petra- I did ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Eld- Alright fine, we’ll do Starbucks

Oluo- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

DO NOT DENY THE SWEET MANNA FROM HEAVEN THAT IS STARBUCKS OLUO -You

Petra- YEAH

Eld- I think Gunther is asleep. Ima go to his dorm and wake him up. What time?

I need to get ready…how bout 10:30? -You

Petra- That works for me

Oluo- …smh

Eld- Sounds good. See you guys there.

Petra- We’ll be there

Oluo- T_T

Byeee -You

You locked your phone again and started getting ready for the day. When you walked out, the trio of “angels” weren’t there. No—instead they were sitting on your bed when you walked in. “Out. I need to change,” you said.

“Do you need help wi-” Eren started.

“I said out!” You shooed them from the room and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and changed into that. Should you call the police on these intruders? Were they really guardian angels…or had you imagined that last night? And why did their names remind you so much of…? You shook your head and got dressed and walked back out. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin were waiting for you in the kitchen. You grabbed your keys and walked to the door. “Alright—I’m leaving to have breakfast with friends. The three of you need to go home…wherever you came from.”

“Our home…” Armin trailed off.

“The Spirit Realm isn’t exactly home…I mean it kinda is…but not really,” Eren explained.

“Besides, we have a sworn duty to protect you,” Mikasa added. They just wouldn’t take no for an answer, would they?

“And to be honest, I think all three of you have a screw loose. So, if you’ll excuse me,” you said. You opened the door and paused, turning back around. “Stop calling me ‘Mistress.’” With that, you left and walked down the stairs of the apartment. The nearest Starbucks was on campus at least, so you didn’t have too far to go. It was in the main building. However, on the way there, you couldn’t shake that sense of paranoia that you’d felt before. Someone was definitely watching you…it made you walk even faster. Although, as you rounded a corner—out the corner of your eye, you saw Eren, Armin, and Mikasa behind you. So they were probably causing you to feel that way…

You broke into a run, hoping to lose them. Nearing the building you slowed down and stopped. They were nowhere in sight…but the feeling was returning…weird. In a hurry, you ducked inside and took the elevator to the very top floor to get to the Starbucks. It was a glass elevator, so you could see the whole campus. It was a very lovely view. Finally, there was a “ping” sound and you stepped out. Through the window of the café, you could see Eld and Gunther sitting down at a table. They’d already ordered. You walked in and sat down with them. “Morning,” Eld said. Gunther nodded at you.

“Good morning you two,” you said. “I’ll be right back.” You stood and got in line. The line was moving somewhat slowly. Browsing the display case of sandwiches and pastries, you suddenly felt a very dark aura from behind you. Glancing in the reflection, there was a tall blonde male behind you—he had glasses and a bit of facial hair…and he seemed to be glaring at you. You felt uncomfortable; he was standing pretty close.

“Next,” a blonde girl with short hair called from the counter. Her nametag read ‘Nanaba.’ You instantly stepped up, putting distance between you and the creepy male behind you. “Hello. What can I get for you?”

“I’d like a (favorite drink) and a (favorite pastry) please,” you requested.

“Will that be all?” Nanaba asked you.

“Yes,” you replied, handing her your credit card. She punched a few buttons and then handed it back.

“And what’s your name?” she asked you.

“(Y/n),” you said. The blonde male behind you gave a small hum. Was he listening? Nanaba wrote your name on a cup.

“Thank you. Your order should be ready shortly,” she told you. You thanked her and moved to the end of the counter. The second your order came, you took it and walked back over to the table. Petra and Oluo had just arrived too.

“Good morning!” Petra greeted you. Then she frowned. “(Nickname) what’s wrong? Your face is a bit pale.”

“Maybe she was cursed by the gypsies,” Oluo joked. Petra jabbed him.

“O-Oh, I’m fine,” you said as you sat down, trying to sound reassuring. Petra gave you and odd look but let it go and pulled Oluo to the counter. As you made small talk with Eld and Gunther, the creepy guy walked by your table…slowly…and proceeded to sit down at a table behind the one your group was at. Petra and Oluo returned with their orders and sat down.

Meanwhile, a certain trio was walking up to the university entrance. “This is where she went I think,” Armin panted out, collapsing onto the steps. Eren wheezed and fell down beside him. A few passersby gave them some odd looks. “How do you move that quickly, Mikasa?”

“Oh, I was a bird in my past life,” Mikasa stated. “I could fly really fast until the day I broke my wing.” She pulled her scarf up to her nose and closed her eyes, as if in thought. “Why can’t you move that fast Armin? You said you were a rabbit in your past life.” Armin glanced up at her, a slightly unamused look on his face.

“I was a PET rabbit; I came from a store. Not the wild,” Armin corrected her. Mikasa shrugged. Eren flipped himself over.

“I’m just not used to moving fast at all. I was a hedgehog. We can’t go that fast,” Eren explained. He stood up and helped Armin stand. “Let’s get a move on.” The trio walked inside the building and looked at the nearby campus map.

“The only place that looks like it serves breakfast here would be the Starbucks I think,” Armin piped up. They searched for it and Eren’s eyes narrowed.

“I am NOT climbing all those stairs!” he exclaimed.

“Look, there’s an elevator over here,” Armin pointed out. Mikasa paled. The two boys pressed the button and the doors open. They stepped inside…but Mikasa was frozen in place. “Mikasa?”

“Mikasa, come on,” Eren said, holding the button so the door stayed open. Mikasa took a deep breath and shakily stepped inside the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, she slid to the floor and leaned back against the wall with her knees pulled up to her chest.

“What’s wrong?” Armin asked. Mikasa looked up at them.

“I told you two I broke my wing when I was a bird…I was lucky enough to crash-land in some girl’s bedroom. Since I couldn’t fly, she kept me and cared for me…she even bandaged my wing with a small piece of red cloth.” Mikasa paused and buried her face in her scarf. “I loved my mistress very much.”

“That’s why that scarf is so important to you,” Armin said in realization. Mikasa nodded.

“Yes…but one day, I thought I was healed. I tried to fly so I could impress her…I hopped over to the window and…” Mikasa’s face paled and she shut her eyes tightly at the memory, her knuckles turning white from gripping her scarf too tightly. “I’m afraid of heights.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” Armin told her. “We’re almost to the very top. We’ll take the stairs on the way back down.” A minute later the door opened, and the three of them got out.

“Hey, I think I see (Y/n)!” Eren shouted. He jumped up and down, waving frantically to get your attention. He stopped suddenly. That man in there…that was no ordinary man…he could sense it…

Chapter Text

You shakily rose your drink to your lips and took a sip, your hand shaking. “(Y/n).” You looked up. “Something is clearly wrong. You’re never this quiet around us,” Eld said. Nervously, you glanced over at the table behind Gunther. The blonde man was reading a newspaper, but you swore he was watching you over the top of that. Petra followed your gaze and narrowed her eyes. She reached into her purse and pulled out a pen, then grabbed her napkin.

“Start talking about something. Anything,” she whispered to Oluo. He gave her an odd look. “Just do it. Act natural.” Oluo shrugged and started talking about the last few classes he had to take for the summer. Petra scribbled something on the napkin and passed it to you.

Do you know that man? He keeps looking over at you. You looked up at her and shook your head ever so slightly. Petra growled and stood up, marching over to the table. You sank in your seat a little. Probably a good time to duck for cover…

“Hey, quit staring over at us! You’re making us very uncomfortable! What’s your problem?” Petra barked out. The man lowered his newspaper.

“I don’t understand what you mean,” he spoke.

“Bullshit, I saw how close you were standing to our friend when she was in line,” Gunther piped up, turning around in his seat.

“I didn’t come here to be antagonized by kids,” blondie spoke in annoyance. Oluo spat out his tea.

“KIDS?!” he shouted, jumping up.

“Hey man, back off of (Y/n)!” a familiar voice shouted. You turned to see…goddammit… Eren, Mikasa and Armin were standing in the doorway. Eren stormed over, fist raised. Nervously, you backed out of the café, away from the confrontation. The girl’s restroom was nearby, so you ducked in there and hid in a stall. About a few minutes later, the door opened again.

“(Y/n)? Are you in here?” Petra asked.

“Yeah.”

“Those three teens that walked in started a fight with the guy…are you okay?”

“I don’t know Petra. I don’t know who any of them are…I just have a bad feeling about this whole thing.” You were on the verge of tears right now. “Last night was so stressful…it’s hard to explain. I’m sorry…”

“Can you come out here?” You hesitated a moment, but unlocked the stall door and walked over to Petra. She gave you a hug. “Let’s get away from the commotion. All of us can go do something. I think campus security will be up here soon—they were causing a big scene. We can go to the mall, maybe a movie. How does that sound?”

“Actually…that sounds nice right now,” you said. Petra smiled and took your hand, leading you out. Eld, Gunther, and Oluo were waiting for the two of you. The five of you walked down the stairs, narrowly avoiding getting run over by a few police officers running up the stairs. Meanwhile, inside…

“Leave me alone or moptop gets it,” the blonde man threatened, squeezing his hands around Armin’s neck. Armin was frozen, his eyes wide in fear. He made strangled noises as the man squeezed harder. Eren and Mikasa were confused…why wasn’t Armin fighting back? Out of nowhere, the man was tackled to the ground by a tall, muscular male with dark blond hair.

“Good work Officer Ian,” a silver-haired female said, adjusting her glasses. She helped Armin up. “Are you alright?” she asked him. Armin snapped out it and shakily nodded. “I’m Sergeant Rico Brzenska. Would you the three of you mind answering me a few questions?” she asked as Ian and her other partner, Mitabi dragged the man off.

“We don’t mind,” Mikasa responded. There wasn’t much to go on because you and your group had left. After what seemed like an hour, Rico left to find you and hopefully ask you a few questions as well.

“Armin what happened?” Eren asked. Armin had a bag of ice on his neck, courtesy of Nanaba the barista. All three had gotten free pastries as well. Armin stared at the table.

“I was choked to death in my past life,” he whispered. “My mistress and I…we were outside…she went to go refill my water dish. I was hungry though…there was this hole in the fence to the garden. I thought I could fit through it…when Mistress came back, it was too late,” Armin explained.

“The wire wrapped around your neck?” Mikasa asked. Armin nodded quickly and wiped his eyes dry of any tears. Eren patted his best friend on the back. Armin let out a sad-sounding sigh.

“I hope we can all find our mistresses eventually,” he said, sniffling. “I just…I really miss mine…I miss sitting in her lap when she did homework…I miss her touch…my grandpa died in the store because he was too old…I had no one until a man bought me. I was taken elsewhere in a cage…and there she was.” Armin had a small smile on his face now. Eren grinned.

“Once our duty is fulfilled for this task—we can find our original mistresses. The Goddesses promised,” he said. Armin closed his eyes, thinking about something. “What now?”

“Didn’t the Goddesses seem a bit funny before we were sent here? They were scheming about something,” Armin reasoned. “As if they’re hiding something.” Eren shrugged.

“Let’s get going. We need to try to find (Y/n),” Mikasa said, standing.

They couldn’t find you though—they had no idea where you’d gone. They searched the campus and city—but no such luck. It took them almost the whole day. As evening was falling, they neared the area where your apartment complex was at. It was quiet, save for the summer breeze blowing through the trees. Then there was another sound… “Hoo hoo…” Eren froze, the color draining from his face. “Hoooo…” Eren swallowed and nervously looked around. Suddenly, there was a screech and a gust as an owl flew above them. Eren shrieked and clung to Mikasa.

“Eren, what’s wrong?!” Armin exclaimed.

“Is it gone?!” he shouted. “Please tell me it’s gone! Don’t let it get me!”

“Eren, it’s gone,” Mikasa replied, scanning the area. Eren relaxed and let go of Mikasa.

“I hate owls…” he said, bitterly. “One killed my mom…and that’s also how I died…” Mikasa and Armin hugged him. Eren gave in and started crying. “I’LL FIND THE ONE THAT KILLED US, I SWEAR! I WILL AVENGE MY MOM!”

“You said you also had a mistress,” Armin prompted. “How did you meet her?” Eren calmed down.

“We were in a field near a building, and it was evening. Mom was trying to hurry us along…at one point she told me to hide. An owl came out of nowhere and got her. The next day I didn’t know what to do…I was all alone. But then, I remember…a girl was walking by with a bag on her back. She stopped and picked me up and took me to where she lived,” Eren told them. He sighed. “Those were a few good years of my life. I lived with her until one day, we were outside. She went inside for only a minute. The next thing I know—I got snatched up by an owl…I don’t want to explain the rest.”

“You don’t have to,” Mikasa said. “Eren was a hedgehog…wasn’t there a hedgehog at my mistress’s house too?” The trio kept walking. “Maybe it’s just coincidence…”

You waved goodbye to your friends as you entered the complex. When you came upstairs to your floor however, you were greeted by a police officer standing by the door to your apartment. “Good evening,” the silver-haired woman greeted you.

“Evening,” you replied.

“I’m Sergeant Rico Brzenska. You’re (Y/n) (L/n)?” she asked, shaking your hand.

“I am,” you replied. “Am I in trouble? I didn’t mean to double park that one time—there was snow on the ground and I couldn’t see the lines. I can pay the fine.” Rico shook her head.

“No, I’m here to talk to you about what happened earlier today. I talked to those three teenagers earlier—Eren, Mikasa, and Armin I believe their names were.” Them… “I got their side of the story and asked them about what happened. I’d like to ask you a few questions too.”

“Alright,” you said, uneasily. Rico pulled out a mini notebook and a pencil.

“First of all, what’s your relation to those three?” she asked. There was no way she was going to buy the fact that they were guardian angels…as they so said.

“New students. They haven’t registered yet. I met them once when they were taking a campus tour,” you lied. Rico nodded, her pencil moving across the page.

“What about Zeke Jaeger?” she asked. Who? Rico noticed the odd look on your face. “I take it you don’t know him.”

“Was he the man at the café?” you asked. Rico nodded.

“He said he knew you from class. We checked however, and he was nowhere in our files. Have you met him before?” Rico inquired.

“I’ve never met him before in my life,” you told her.

“Alright,” she said. She jotted more things down. “Would you care to tell me what happened this morning at the Starbucks?” You nodded.

“Well, I was on my way to the Starbucks this morning to meet my friends for breakfast—they were the other four I was with this morning: Petra Ral, Oluo Bozado, Eld Ginn, and Gunther Schultz.” You paused and spelled their names for her. “I felt like I was being followed on the way there. When I arrived, Eld and Gunther were already there. I went to the counter to order and this guy…Zeke…walked up behind me. He stood very close to me—there was maybe about one or two inches between us. There was plenty of room—he didn’t have to stand that close to me. I also think he was glaring at me—I could see it in the reflection of the display case. It made me feel very uncomfortable.”

“Then what happened?” Rico asked, pausing her pencil.

“I got my order and sat down. Petra and Oluo arrived and they went up to the counter. Zeke walked by our table slowly…and then he sat down at a table behind Gunther. He had a newspaper, but he kept looking over at all of us—specifically me I think. I think he was also trying to listen to what we were saying. My friends noticed I was on edge—and then Petra confronted him for watching us. He proceeded to deny his actions…and then Eren, Mikasa, and Armin showed up. I left as soon as it looked like they were going to start fighting,” you explained. Rico nodded.

“Thank you so much. We’re going to make sure that man doesn’t come on campus again. I’m sorry this happened,” Rico told you. “If you happen to see him again though, please call the police campus emergency number.” She handed you her business card. “Is there a chance I could speak to your friends about the incident too?” You nodded and gave her their phone numbers. “Alright. Stay safe out there.”

“I will. Thank you. Have a nice night, Sergeant Rico,” you said as she walked away. You walked inside. The trio was nowhere in sight. But would they be back? They did follow you to campus…

You walked over to the package you’d receive the day before. It was still out on the table where you left it. Reaching inside, you picked up your harmonica case. It was really nice outside and you needed to clear your head. Locking the apartment, you headed back downstairs…and what a surprise. Guess who you ran into on the stairs?

“Mistress!” Eren exclaimed as they ran up to you. You continued walking down the stairs—straight past them. You were not in the mood. “Mistress? Hey, wait!” They were following you down the stairs. You could hear their footsteps. When you finally reached the base, you turned to them.

“Guys, I mean it. Go home. I don’t know who any of you are. I don’t know why you’re following me, or what you’re playing at. I’m done with all this. Last chance to leave. Next time, I’ll call the cops on you three instead,” you stated. With that you pushed past them and walked around to the side of the building to the bench where you usually sat. You pulled out your phone and looked up a few music scales so you could warm up.

“We’re bad angels…” Eren said, staring at the ground. Armin was crying into his shoulder. They were sitting on the sidewalk in front of the building. “We failed…we’re never going to find our original mistresses ever again…” Armin sobbed harder.

“Eren don’t talk like that…please…” Mikasa almost whispered the last word. She wiped a single tear away with her scarf. She had to stay strong…for her. All she wanted was to be with her mistress again…sing songs with her…thank her for all that she did. No…she refused to let that go. She would be reunited with her mistress. Mikasa stood up straight. “Let’s go home,” she stated.

"To the spirit world?” Eren asked, a confused look on his face. Mikasa shook her head.

“No. To (Y/n)’s. We need to apologize and keep trying,” she said.

“(Y-Y/n) said she doesn’t w-” Armin started but Mikasa interrupted him.

“I’m strong. Extremely strong. I’m doing this for her—my mistress. Even if I have to do it alone,” she stated, pulling her scarf around her tighter. “You both want it too—to see your mistresses again. Don’t tell me you’ve given up already.” She looked up at the sky. “This world is merciless, and it's also very beautiful. I was fated to be separated from her, but I will come back to her. She’s my home…I don’t want to lose what little family I have left.”

“A-And if we d-don’t help our current m-mistress…what would happen to h-her?” Armin asked, drying his tears. Eren stood up, pulling Armin up with him.

“One more try,” Eren agreed. Suddenly, the three of them froze. The sound of a harmonica playing an all too familiar melody seemed to drift from around the corner…a sweet but melancholy tune. “That song…”

“That’s my mistress!” All three exclaimed.

“Wait, what?!” Eren shouted. “That’s my mistress playing!”

“But my mistress also used to play that song…I know it by heart. I always sang along to it,” Mikasa responded.

“I would know that melody from anywhere. She always played that specific song when she was sad…” Armin trailed off. Then it clicked. “Guys! Do you know what this means?!” Eren and Mikasa looked at him. “We all had the same mistress!” All three teens looked at each other for a moment and then dashed around the corner to see where the music was coming from. They came to a screeching halt…in front of you.

You stopped playing and gave them quizzical looks. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa were all looking at you with teary eyes and big smiles. “What is it now?” you asked, massaging your forehead.

“This whole time…I didn’t even recognize you…” Eren whispered.

“We never knew you were our real mistress,” Mikasa said. You blinked.

“Your…real…wh-?”

“Mistress!” Armin exclaimed, throwing his arms around you in a tight hug. “Oh, I remember this scent…you still smell like cinnamon…” Your mouth was open in disbelief. Tearing your gaze away from Armin, you looked up at Eren and Mikasa.

“I was your hedgehog…Eren…do you remember me Mistress?” Eren asked, a hopeful smile on his face.

“Mistress…it’s Mikasa. I was that bird you saved,” Mikasa told you, her eyes glistening with tears.

“It’s Armin. I was your rabbit, Mistress,” Armin piped up. He stopped nuzzling your neck to look at you.

"No…it can’t be…that…that’s impossible,” you thought. “I…I don’t know how you three found out about my pets…but don’t insult my memories of them. They’re not coming back anymore…” you said. Your voice cracked and you started tearing up.

“You still remember us…” Eren thought, a smile forming on his face. He closed his eyes and started to hum the song. Mikasa looked at him and nodded, then joined in. Armin let go of you and walked over to stand with the other two—humming with them. You were completely frozen—save for the tears slipping down your face…that song you had learned was passed down through your family from generations. It had started off as a poem that your great great great grandmother had written—called One Drop. It had become a lullaby…then when your mother had started singing it to you, you had learned it on the harmonica yourself. No one else knew the song except for your family members…which meant…

“Oh Mistress (Y/n)!” Eren exclaimed, once they had stopped.

“We came back to you…all of us…finally,” Armin quietly said.

“Thank you for always taking such great care of us when we were animals. To show our gratitude,” Mikasa started.

“We’ll always protect you! No matter what!” All three of them shouted together. You stared at them, wiping all the tears from your face.

“Mistress? What’s the matter?” Mikasa asked, stepping closer to you.

“One thing…can you all promise me just one thing…?” you asked, standing up. You put your harmonica in your pocket and gave them a weak smile. “Never leave my side again.” Eren, Mikasa, and Armin all smiled widely.

“Mistress (Y/n)!” they exclaimed. You were suddenly tackled into the pavement. All three of them were hugging you tightly and nuzzling against you. Your smile got bigger and you cried more—but happy tears this time. Pretty soon, they were crying too.

Three Goddesses watched the happy reunion from their crystal ball and smiled. “Things are already getting better,” the one named Sina said. Her younger sisters, Rose and Maria, nodded. “They’ll all be reunited again eventually.”

Chapter Text

“And that’s why I couldn’t find you?” you asked Eren. He nodded, pushing around the ramen in his bowl with his fork. “I’m so sorry that happened…I didn’t know about your mom either.” You were all sitting down for dinner…which was just ramen because it was the simplest thing to make besides sandwiches. Besides—they weren’t complaining.

“I’ll get revenge eventually. I will find them,” Eren said, looking up. You could see the fire burning brightly in his green eyes. Not wanting to trigger anything, you turned to Mikasa.

“So Mikasa…that scarf is the fabric I gave you when you were a bird?”

“It is…but when I became an angel I healed. I didn’t need it on my arm so I made it a scarf. The goddesses made it bigger so I could still wear it,” she explained to you. She had a somewhat dreamy expression on her face. You smiled and turned your attention back to your ramen. There was a comfortable silence for a while. You started clearing the table once you all had finished.

"Let me help you with that Mistress,” Armin insisted, following you over to the sink. Mikasa turned to Eren as you and Armin started washing the dishes.

“I was wondering about something for a while,” Mikasa said.

“Yeah?” Eren asked.

“Where do you remember living at with Mistress?” she asked.

“I remember it was a very big building with a lot of rooms—3 floors high maybe. There was a really big yard too. I think Mistress lived on the top floor. She had a nice room. I lived in her room in a fairly large cage…she gave me a lot of toys. I liked playing with the ping pong balls and the tubes. And she gave me a sleeping bag to burrow in. It was just the two of us…until one day I remember there was a bird that crashed into her room.” Mikasa’s eyes widened. “She ended up keeping it. Come to think of it…its name was Mik-” Eren stopped, a look of realization passing over his face. “Wait a minute! That was you, wasn’t it?!”

“She had us at the same time then,” Mikasa replied. “I do remember you—I just wasn’t sure before. I guess we were roommates.”

“More like siblings,” Eren said, offering her a smile. “I definitely remember you now. All three of us watched movies together—Mistress snuggled with us in her blanket. I was on her lap and you were-”

“Always on her shoulder, yes. Those were nice times. I’m glad we can get them back,” Mikasa agreed. “What was your favorite memory of Mistress anyway?” Eren stared at the ceiling in thought.

“I think it was the day she found me actually. I never knew humans could be so nice. She gave me a warm bath that night and let me sleep on her bed. There was a really soft cat plushie on her bed—I snuggled with that. It was close to her. She had to get me a cage to sleep in the next day, but she gave me the plushie as well. She played with me a lot.” Eren snickered. “One time she was busy with an essay. I wanted her to pay attention to me so I gave her the death scream. I never saw someone run so fast in my life.” Mikasa gave a small laugh. “What about you?” Mikasa pulled her scarf around her tighter.

“Well…I always liked it when Mistress played music. She would always dance around the room. I would always try to chirp along. Sometimes she would take me out of the cage and dance with me—I’d either be on her shoulders or in her hands. I had no one until Mistress found me…my parents were killed by hawks. To be honest…those hawks are the reason my wing broke—they managed to grab onto it and I narrowly escaped…and that’s when I crash-landed.”

“She survived all that? Mikasa is REALLY strong…” Eren thought.

“Hey guys!” Armin came back in. “What were you guys talking about?”

“Just reminiscing about our favorite memories with Mistress,” Eren replied. “Do you have a favorite memory?”

“We always read together. I always looked forward to it. As soon as she was getting ready for bed, I knew we were going to read. She read me all kinds of stories…although I thought that Stephen King author was pretty scary…I think my favorite story series we read was The Chronicles of Narnia. It was so interesting…and it was amazing to think of a mystical world like that.” Armin had his eyes closed, and he was smiling brightly. Those were the times… He wondered if you still had the series.

“So,” you said, rejoining them. The three angels turned to you. “Sleeping arrangements…uh…well, one of you could sleep on the sofa…and Petra’s room is vacant, two of you could sleep there,” you suggested. “And no, we don’t have to get to bed just yet. I just thought I’d bring it up.”

“Could one of us sleep with you?” Eren asked. Mikasa and Armin looked at him. The question caught you off guard…and it was tough to answer. On one hand—they were your pets and they’d slept in your bed before; even Mikasa had nestled into your blankets a few times rather than her cage. However…they were human now…well, humanoid at least—angels. Wouldn’t that be somewhat awkward?

“I don’t know…” you started to say.

“Please?” Armin asked, his eyes widening. Eren looked at you in anticipation, a hopeful look on his face. Mikasa remained stoic—but her gaze was burning into you. All were expecting you to choose…but you didn’t any of them to be left out…

Their staring was too much for you so you finally gave in.

“Okay, but you’re all going to take turns. Two of you can have Petra’s old room. While you three decide, I’ll go make sure the bed is made.” With that, you left the room again.

“I call first dibs,” Eren said.

“That’s not fair Eren!” Armin whined.

“My idea, I’m first,” Eren reasoned. Mikasa rolled her eyes.

“We’re settling this fairly and maturely,” she interrupted. “Two rounds—Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Begrudgingly, all three raised their hands. “One…two…three…” Armin had paper—Mikasa and Eren both had rock. Armin couldn’t help but beam a little when he realized he’d won. “Alright—you and me Eren.” Rolling his eyes, he raised his hand again. Armin counted them off. Their hands landed…Eren had scissors and Mikasa had…rock. Eren sighed. The scarf hid it—but Mikasa was smiling. “Okay, so Armin goes first tonight. I’ll be with Mistress tomorrow night, and then you Eren.”

“Yeah, yeah. Fine,” Eren muttered, pouting slightly. You came back in, carrying the sheets in a laundry basket.

“Decided? I’m actually going to wash these first so they’re clean for you guys,” you said.

“I get to sleep with you first,” Armin commented. Suddenly, he blushed. “I m-mean, I get the first turn tonight!” You giggled.

“Alright. Oh, and before it slips my mind again…” You set the sheets down on the countertop. “Thanks for saving me earlier today…and I’m sorry about the way I treated you three.” You gave them each a hug.

“You’re welcome Mistress,” Eren said, giving you a grin.

“We understand why you acted that way. It’s okay,” Mikasa reasoned. You smiled. Armin giggled and buried his face in your neck as you hugged him and lightly ruffled his hair.

“I’m just going to put these in the washer. I’ll be back,” you told them, grabbing your key as you left. Unfortunately, the washer and dryer were down at the lowest level—and the elevator was still broken. With a heavy sigh, you carefully walked down all seven flights of stairs…why oh why did you and Petra choose the very top floor when you two moved in? You bid a quick ‘good evening’ to the security guard that worked the nightshift and ducked inside the laundry room, closing the door. You were the only one in there, and none of the machines were in use. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. There wasn’t even the usual ticking of the clock, as it was also broken. A lot of shit needed fixing in the apartment complex. You set the basket down and opened the nearest washing machine, then tossed the sheets inside. As you put in the correct information on the dials, you had that feeling of paranoia again…but there was no one here. Wait.

The laundry room was a dimly lit, open room with a plastic table in the middle and several washers and dryers along the walls. There were a couple of ironing boards in the corner, and there was a large window on one of the walls. Afraid to look, you slowly glanced outside. It was dark, save for the nearest streetlamp illuminating the area outside. You could see someone across the street—a woman of average height with dirty blonde hair. She wasn’t doing anything, just leaning against the building behind her…she seemed to be staring right at you… After struggling with the cords for a brief minute or two, you had the pesky blinds closed. You breathed a sigh of relief. Enough of today already. Turning your attention back to the washer, you saw it would only take about half an hour to wash. You pressed the start button and then hoisted yourself up to sit on the table—praying it wouldn’t give way, as you knew how flimsy these things were at times.

You were lost in your thoughts at the moment. This was crazy—your pets coming back as guardian angels, but it made you happy. You never had a dull moment with any of them, and you’d been so heartbroken whenever one died. You’d be reunited with all of them hopefully. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa had all come back…it made you wonder who would find their way home next…and when. Twelve more were on the way…that made you remember the vision. “Very soon, there will be much happiness and joy in your life as well. You won’t have to face this summer alone,” Madame Rose’s voice echoed in your head. “Take care of yourself and them. Be safe this summer. Everything could change in an instant.” There had been 15 figures haloed by light in that vision—those had to be your pets. That made sense to you now. But then…who were the 11 that wanted you dead? Why did they want you dead? Recalling those glowing red eyes made you shudder. That man today…Zeke…had he been part of…whatever is going on?

The buzzer blared, alerting you the sheets were ready to dry. You slid down and popped the door open, then placed the sheets in the dryer and pressed start. Only half an hour more. You started to sit back down when you paused and stared at the window. Now—you know how you have those gut feelings? Those feelings that tell you to NOT do something? You know how you sometimes ignore those and do the thing anyway EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW YOU SHOULDN’T? You found yourself in front of the window. Was the lady gone? You carefully pulled the blinds apart and peeked though. “AAAAHHHHHHHH!” You screamed and fell backwards, letting the blinds snap shut. You were on the ground, shaking and staring at the blinds. That was the most twisted, demonic looking smile you had ever seen in your life…and those pale-blue, almost greyish eyes had seemed to stare right into your soul. The glass had fogged up from her breathing as her face squished against the glass. Distinctly, you heard a light tapping at the glass. “Go away, go away, go away,” you quietly chanted, grabbing the fabric of your jean shorts.

“Everything alright, young lady?” You yelped in surprise and turned to see the security guard standing in the doorway. You faked a smile and gave her a thumbs up.

“Yes, thank you Lynne. I saw a giant centipede,” you lied. “Sorry to disturb you.”

“You’re fine. Have a good rest of your night,” she told you. You bid her the same and she closed the door, leaving you alone with your thoughts once more. A few seconds later, the door opened again. You turned to see Mikasa standing there.

“I was worried about you—you were gone for a while,” she said, stepping into the room. You chuckled and stood up.

“I’ve been gone longer hours when I was in school. And whenever I went on vacation with my parents,” you reminded her.

“It didn’t mean I didn’t miss you,” Mikasa stated. “And it’s been too many years. I almost forgot what it was like…”

“What ‘what’ was like?” You inquired. Mikasa suddenly wrapped her arms around you and hugged you tightly.

“Being close to you like this…I’ve missed you all this time…” Mikasa whispered. You heard her sniffle. “It’s my fault I died…I…I just wanted to impress you. I thought I was healed enough…I shouldn’t have tried to fly…I’m so sorry Mistress!” She sobbed more. You hugged her back just as tightly and gently stroked her hair, letting her cry into your shoulder.

“Oh Mikasa…” you whispered. Gently, you caressed her face and had her look into your eyes. It just about broke your heart seeing her cry like that. “You’re here with me now—that’s all that matters. We’ll make up for all that lost time. I’ve missed you so much too.” Mikasa’s crying slowly diminished as you brushed the tears away from her eyes, and the two of you stood in a warm, comfortable silence for a few minutes.

“Mistress?”

“Hmmm?”

“I also wanted to say…thank you. Thank you for healing me when I crashed into your window and got hurt. Thank you for giving me a home when I had no other place to go. Thank you for…everything,” Mikasa softly said as she buried her face in your neck.

“You’re very very welcome, Mikasa,” you said. She smiled and looked up at you. She looked so cute, clinging to you like this. The buzzer for the dryer suddenly went off. “Sheets are done. Can you help me fold them, please?” you asked, releasing her. Mikasa nodded and walked over to help you. She snuck glances at how concentrated you looked when you were folding. It was cute.

"Mistress is so beautiful…” she thought, blush steadily rising to her cheeks. She shook the thought out of her head and focused on helping you fold, then followed you back up the stairs. Eren and Armin were directly in front of the door as soon as you opened it. Their smiles got bigger upon seeing you.

“Just like when they were animals. Adorable,” you thought, a smile coming to your face. “Okay Eren! Clean sheets for you and Mikasa,” you announced. “Do you two know how to make the bed?” Eren nodded.

“Yeah. One of the upperclassmen always cracked the whip at us if we didn’t do a good cleaning job. He wasn’t even dead that long and still acted like he was in charge,” Eren said, snickering.

“When pets die, they generally become angels—or they become demons if they’re vengeful. Angels learn from the goddesses how to be like humans in the spirit world so we can eventually journey home to our original masters and mistresses and be their protectors,” Armin told you.

“That makes sense. So, when can an angel journey back home?” You inquired.

“An angel can go home when they graduate after 3 years of Angel School—or in cases of an emergency. Also, a pet must be remembered in order for them to become a guardian angel,” Armin explained.

“Did you three graduate? Or was this an emergency?”

“We had to age a little before school, but we graduated a year ago,” Eren proudly stated.

“But we were hurriedly sent to you,” Armin added. “We were given no instruction or information. They didn’t even say who we were going to— they just directed us to you. Some angels are sent to next of kin if the original master or mistress is dead—or they’re sent to those who are in great need of help.”

“It was a bit of an emergency, I guess,” Mikasa said. “Hopefully we’ll get more information from the goddesses later.”

“To be honest…we didn’t really recognize you because you’ve changed so much,” Eren stated. Mikasa and Armin both gave him a quizzical look. Eren blushed. “Y-You know...you look different. You’re taller…and you’ve gotten more…beautiful.” Now it was your turn to blush.

“Well…uh…thank you,” you said, smiling. Eren smiled and took the sheets from you—Mikasa followed him to Petra’s old room to help him make the bed. You turned to Armin. “Let’s make some popcorn and we’ll all watch a movie together. How about it?”

“That sounds good to me!” Armin replied. He followed you into the kitchen with a bounce in his step.

About half an hour later, the four of you were cozy on the sofa and starting the first movie in the Chronicles of Narnia series—Armin’s pick. You were sitting in the center with Eren slumped against you on your right and Mikasa and Armin sitting on your left. You felt a warm feeling inside, cuddling on the sofa with your newly angel-turned pets. All four of you were content and munching on popcorn, watching Lucy and her siblings start their amazing adventure. Armin was excitedly explaining certain concepts to Mikasa and Eren (who didn’t quite understand what was going on as they hadn’t read the series with you) and it made you smile.

It honestly amazed you too—the whole concept of them becoming angels and learning to be human-like. They’d fooled you when you first met them all right—they were well educated and knew what they were doing. You were watching them more than the movie at the moment--to be honest, and how they were reacting. Whoever had said that animals didn’t have emotions…you wanted to find that person or persons and give them a piece of your mind.

Pretty soon, the credits were rolling and Armin had tears in his eyes and a big smile on his face. “That was really good! But I don’t remember the frozen river…and they did a few things differently…” he said, wiping a few tears away.

“Sadly Armin, you’ll see more that movie makers do that a lot when they take books onto the big screen. It’s not always executed in the best of ways unfortunately, but not all of it is always bad,” You told him. “I wasn’t expecting you to cry though.”

“It was very nostalgic…and I remember the series so well,” he explained.

“It was a good movie,” Mikasa agreed. Eren nodded, then yawned and stretched.

“Bed time?” you asked. All three nodded at once, making you giggle. “Alright. Well…I don’t think I have any extra toothbrushes or anyth-”

“No need,” Mikasa interrupted. With a flash of bright light, all three of them now wore PJs and were holding up toothbrushes.

“I’ll never get over how you guys can do that,” you stated, slightly awe-struck.

“Magic,” Armin replied with a giggle.

“Okay, well I’ll let you three get ready first. If you want to shower in the morning or tonight—up to you. Just save me some hot water,” you joked. Well—as it turned out, they showered faster than you. After you got ready, you bid Eren and Mikasa goodnight and hugged them both tightly—then retired to your room with Armin following you. You pulled the sheets back from your bed and turned the lamp on as Armin turned off the overhead light. He shyly peered at you as he hovered in the doorway, his bangs falling in his face. “I was thinking of reading just a bit before bed—but if you want to sleep, I can turn the lamp off and come back when I’m done,” you told him, sitting on the bed. He seemed almost frozen in place. Giggling, you patted the spot next to you—gesturing for him to lie down. Armin snapped out of it and approached you, awkwardly sitting down on the edge.

“Actually…can you read to me like you used to? Please?” Oh, how could you refuse that?

“Sure Armin,” you said, propping up the pillows behind you. You reached over to your nightstand and picked up your book. You were currently rereading Because of Winn Dixie—one of the first books your mom had read to you when you were younger. You’d loved the book so much—it made you want a dog of your own. After countless times of asking your parents and trying to prove your responsibility, there was your Dalmatian puppy under the tree for Christmas that year. You turned your attention back to Armin and motioned for him to get closer. “Come here and get comfy. I don’t bite—you know that,” you teased.

“Y-Yeah, sorry,” Armin said, scooting closer. You laid back, then tugged Armin closer to you (causing him to adorably squeak) and wrapped your arm around him. Armin blushed and relaxed, letting you cuddle him against you. He took in that sweet scent of yours and snuggled closer, resting his head on your shoulder. Armin wasn’t trying to be shy…but Eren was right. You were different…this whole situation was different…and he couldn’t deny how much more beautiful you’d gotten. And now he was sharing a bed with you again…in human form…

“Ready?” you asked, bringing him from his thoughts. He smiled and nodded. You decided to just start over—you were only on chapter three anyway. Opening the book to the first page, you cleared your throat and started to read. “Chapter One. My name is India Opal Buloni and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog. This is what happened…”

As you read, Armin contently listened and watched your facial expressions as you read. Even when he was a rabbit, you’d always been very expressive when you read—and you always did different voices for the characters. It was very entertaining. At some point, your hand crept higher and you started playing with Armin’s hair. He sighed and leaned into your touch, enjoying the feeling.

It ended up being more than one chapter—you ended up stopping when you got to chapter five. You bookmarked the page and turned out the light. “Thank you for reading to me Mistress,” Armin whispered. “Goodnight.”

“You’re welcome. Goodnight Armin,” you whispered. Armin expected you to let go of him, but you remained in the position you’d been in when you two were reading. He gently nuzzled your neck and closed his eyes. He knew he’d sleep well tonight. As he drifted off to sleep, Armin only had one thing on his mind.

He was home.

Chapter Text

Armin yawned and opened his eyes…and saw that he was still cuddling with you. You were still asleep. Sunlight streamed in from a crack in the curtains. He looked over at you and saw your beautiful (h/c) locks splayed out over your pillow as you slept soundly—your chest rising and falling with every breath you took. Hell, if anyone wouldn’t correct him—he’d probably be mistaking you for another goddess…

Mikasa sat up slowly and stretched, then took her scarf off of the bedpost and put it back on. There was a sudden snore from her right, startling her. Eren was buried beneath the covers—still fast asleep.

“Eren,” she said, looming over him. No response. Gently, she nudged his shoulder. “Wake up Eren.” Eren curled up into a ball and grunted. “Eren.”

“Five more minutes…” he muttered. Mikasa stood up and with all the strength she could muster—she shoved him out of bed. “HEY!” Eren sat up on the cold, wooden floor as he rubbed his head. “What’s the big idea, Mikasa?”

“Oh good, you’re awake now,” Mikasa said, leaving the room. Eren sighed and started making the bed, grumbling all the while. The three took their turns getting ready…which then brought them to their current predicament.

“M-Mistress?” Armin whispered, gently shaking you. He was holding the calendar you kept on the wall. Today’s date was circled and all you had written was ‘BSS.’ Whatever that meant.

“Let’s just let her sleep,” Eren said. “And then we can get back to sleep too!”

“She has plans today, Eren!” Mikasa pointed out, keeping her voice a hushed whisper. “She needs to wake up!”

“But she looks so peaceful!” Eren protested quietly. Mikasa sighed and sat on the edge of your bed.

“Mistress…time to get up,” she said. You mumbled something about blueberries in your sleep. Armin giggled. “Mistress.” She tried shaking you again…and again…

“Fine. I got this,” Eren stated. He leaned in and gently caressed your face. Then he took a deep breath and- “WAKE UP MISTRESS!”

“FOR THE LOVE OF…” You bolted upright, almost hitting Eren in the process.

Once your eyes adjusted, you saw your three angels sitting before you and your heart rate slowed back down. “Oh, good morning.” You stretched, then frowned. “Which one of you did that?” Instantly, Armin and Mikasa both pointed at Eren. “Of course it was Eren.” Eren threw his hands up in exasperation.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Eren exclaimed.

“Don’t think I didn’t forget when you screamed at me when you were a hedgehog. Nearly gave me a heart attack a few times,” you told him, snickering.

“But you were doing homework instead of spending time with me,” he whined. You ruffled his hair.

“Well, now we’re all together again—so we can make up for lost time,” you said. Eren grinned and leaned against you. “Now—what was the wakeup call for?” Armin held up the calendar and pointed at today’s date. “Oh, right. I was going to pick up my textbooks today.”

“Whaaaaat? You have more school?” Eren whined, pouting.

“Only a little bit more. This is college Eren, I have a flexible schedule,” you explained. “I only have three classes this time and this is my last semester. I get to graduate at the end of this summer—and then hopefully find a job.”

“What are you studying for?” Armin inquired.

“I want to become a veterinarian and work with animals. After I lost all of you guys…I just wanted to make a difference and help save animal lives…hell, I even considered working at a zoo for a while like when I did volunteer work. I think I’d feel like I’m contributing more though by becoming a vet,” you explained to the trio. “Well then—I should probably get ready. Have you three had breakfast yet?” They shook their heads. “Please—feel free to help yourselves. I have toaster waffles in the freezer, the cereal should be on the top shelf in the cabinet. There’s—”

“We’ve got it. You focus on getting ready,” Mikasa assured you, giving you a bit of a playful smile. She dragged the boys out so you could change. A few minutes later, they were in the kitchen, waiting on you.

“So, how was sleeping with Mistress?” Eren asked Armin, jealousy laced in his voice.

“Calm down, Eren,” Mikasa said, pulling the toaster waffles out of the toaster. “You get your turn tomorrow.” Eren sighed and let his head hit the table.

“It was nice,” Armin said, contently sighing. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. “Just like old times.” Mikasa walked back over with a stack of waffles.

“Eat them while they’re warm,” she said. She took two from the stack and smothered them with Nutella and blueberries. Armin dug in as well, Eren remained pouting in his seat. “Eren.” Eren made a face. “You need to eat. Stop acting like a child.” He huffed. The next thing he knew, Mikasa had started force-feeding him a buttered-up waffle.

“OKAY I GET IT!” Eren shouted. Mikasa stopped and Eren started eating the waffle normally—after wiping the melted butter from his face. You walked in and had a seat next to Eren.

“Thank you for making breakfast, Mikasa,” you said as Mikasa pushed the plate toward you. She beamed at you.

“You’re welcome,” she murmured. Noticing Eren had a frown on his face, you nudged him and gave him a bright smile. Eren’s frown dissipated and he stared down at his lap, blushing from the action.

“Still my adorable little spike ball,” you thought.

After cleaning up, the four of you started out toward the campus of your college. Eren was currently holding your hand, a big dorky grin on his face. He kept sneaking glances in your direction too, but he always looked away when you glanced back. From your right, you heard Mikasa sigh. She was staring up at the sky. Following her gaze, you saw she was gazing glossy-eyed at a family of birds flying overhead.

Eren suddenly felt that same sinking feeling he’d felt at the café. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced around. There he was: Zeke. He was standing in an alleyway they were passing. His back was to them, and he seemed to be talking to someone—the someone was shrouded in the shadows and unidentifiable. Suddenly, Zeke slowly turned and made direct eye contact with Eren. Not wanting to make you worry or cause another scene, Eren suddenly broke into a run—tugging you along with him.

“EREN!” you shouted in surprise.

“Come on Mistress! We’ll get there faster!” Eren exclaimed, praying you wouldn’t glance back. Mikasa sprinted forward to catch up, Armin in tow. Unfortunately, Eren didn’t think this through and forgot how low his stamina was. After a few minutes, he was already panting and had a stitch in his side. The four of you stopped after a moment, Eren kneeling on the ground to catch his breath. “I should probably build up my stamina actually,” Eren said, chuckling embarrassedly.

“Yes you should,” Mikasa bluntly stated. Armin wasn’t dying like he was before—but he had to lean against a sign and relax for a moment.

“We’re only a block away now at least,” you pointed out. “Are you alright Eren?” He nodded and took your hand as you helped him up. After taking a few minutes to breathe, the four of you started off again. Eren turned his head to check and see if Zeke had followed. No one was in sight. Eren couldn’t shake this feeling though. Something bad was yet to come. He could feel it…

Shortly after arriving on campus, you ran into Professor Ness. You’d had quite a few of your classes with him, as he instructed most of the veterinary classes. He was a very friendly man and was funny too. While you chatted with him about your schedule—Eren pulled Mikasa and Armin aside.

“I saw Zeke again. I think he’s following us,” Eren said. Armin’s eyes widened and he reflexively rubbed his neck.

“W-What?” he squeaked.

“I figured as much from earlier,” Mikasa stated. “He can’t follow us here though. He’s not allowed—remember what Officer Rico said?”

“Yeah well, it probably won’t stop him,” Eren spat. “Do you see any of the officers around?” Well no—there weren’t any…but they could see there were several poles scattered around the quad marked ‘emergency.’

“One of us could stay here to keep watch I guess,” Armin responded.

“I’ll do it,” Mikasa instantly replied.

“Then I’m staying too. You won’t do this alone,” Armin said. Mikasa shook her head.

“I’ve got it under control. I can handle him if he shows up,” she shot back. Armin then shook his head and folded his arms defiantly. “Fine. Stay if you wish. Eren, can you protect Mistress on your own for a little while?”

“Of course! I’m not a first-year anymore!” Eren declared. They saw you walking back over and hushed their conversation.

“Sorry to keep you three waiting. Shall we?” you asked.

“Armin and I are going to stay here incase Zeke shows up again,” Mikasa bluntly stated. You raised an eyebrow.

“Zeke? You saw him earlier?” Armin was about to say yes, but Eren interjected.

“Nope! Just a safety precaution if he does!” His grin told you otherwise. Eren was a terrible liar, but you decided to let it go.

“Alright, come then Eren,” you said. Then you turned to Armin and Mikasa. “Stay safe and come find me on the third floor if anything happens,” you begged them. They both saluted you and walked over to sit on a bench to wait. Eren took your hand once more and walked inside with you. He was smiling as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“I’m alone with Mistress…” Eren sighed happily as you two entered the bookstore. You sighed as well…but in frustration. Time to start combing through the bookshelves…

“I’ll try to make this quick,” you told Eren as you let go of his hand. Eren frowned as you did and watched you walk over to where the textbooks were kept. Your eyes were constantly flicking back and forth from shelf to shelf, back to your phone, then back to the shelves. Eren decided to wander around a bit and started looking at all the college merchandise and school supplies on display. Then for a while, he just stared at a cardboard cutout of your college mascot pinned up on the wall. It was some sort of…skinless human.

“The Rose University Titans,” Eren read aloud from the pennant next to it. He had a very weird feeling when he looked at it. In his opinion, the thing was very unnerving to say the least.

“Eren?” he heard you call. Feeling mischievous, he ducked around the corner and hid in a t-shirt rack. “Eren?” He saw you walking back over from the textbook section. You had your back to him. Perfect. He jumped out behind you.

“Hi Mistress!” You jumped and whirled around, exhaling in relief.

“Geez—please don’t scare me like that,” you said as you rubbed your temple. Eren gave you a silly grin. Unable to help it, you started to grin as well. Yeah—Eren hadn’t changed a bit.

"Eren?” You called into your room. He had gotten out of his cage this morning when you were at school. Sighing, you closed the door and leaned against it. You hoped he was still in here—it’d be bad if he got out. “Where is that hedgehog of mine?” you asked aloud. “Come out come out, wherever you are!” You started searching.

The first places you checked were in the closet and in the drawers—though you had no idea how he could have gotten in there. Then you started searching under the bed, underneath the dresser—almost everywhere. Your room was looking pretty messy by now.

Sighing again, you sank to the floor in defeat. Eren was most likely gone—wasn’t he? You tried to hold back a sob and hugged your knees tightly, hiding your face in them. Then suddenly, you heard a tiny scratching sound against cotton sheets. Instantly turning around, you spotted a small moving lump underneath your sheets.

As you lifted the sheets, your frown was replaced with a relieved smile as you saw the small hedgehog on the bed. “Thank god…” You picked him up and cuddled him close, affectionately booping his nose. “You silly little hedgie! Please don’t scare me like that.” Eren looked up at you with his beady eyes and snuggled against your hand. “I think we need to get you a playpen for you to run around in.” You brushed a finger over one of his tiny paws. “I also think we should trim your nails tonight.”

“Mistress?” Eren’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts and back into the present. “I was asking if you were finished with the errands.”

“I think so,” you said. “Also—just a suggestion—maybe refrain from calling me ‘Mistress’ in public.” Eren cocked his head to the side as he looked at you—confusion swimming in his bright green eyes.

“What’s wrong with calling you ‘Mistress?’” he asked. You blushed glanced around the quiet bookstore, making sure no one had overheard. To be honest, you still weren’t completely used to being called that name.

“You can still call me that—just maybe not in public. I don’t think you know all the connotations of that word.” He looked at you innocently, as if expecting you to explain. “Uh…I’ll tell you later…” Eren thought for a moment.

“…would it be better to call you Mom-”

“On the other hand, calling me Mistress is fine!” you hurriedly interjected, making sure to keep your voice down enough. “Anyway!” You walked over to the supplies, hoping Eren would drop the subject. Scanning the shelves, you found three notebooks in your favorite three colors—the nice and fancy notebooks that had pockets on the inside. Grabbing a pack of pencils, you started to walk away when you spotted a pack of gel pens. They were practically screaming your name. Without hesitation, you picked those up too and headed for the counter, Eren following behind you.

“Will that be all for you today?” The girl behind the counter asked. The look on her face told you she’d rather be anywhere than here at the moment. You were about to say yes when you noticed Eren eyeing the apples in the snack section. Sighing, you walked over and grabbed two and a packet of sunflower seeds. The clerk sighed as well and scanned your last three items. Quickly you paid her and left, Eren carrying one bag and you carrying the other.

“Here,” you told Eren, digging one of the apples out of the bag. Eren’s eyes lit up and he grinned and accepted the apple from you.

“Thank you, Mistress!” he exclaimed. You chuckled as the two of you exited the main building, Eren stuffing his face with apple. Same old Eren.

“I’ve got a treat for you, Eren,” you called as you stepped in the room, placing your backpack on the bed. Eren wandered to the edge of his cage and stuck his snout through the bars, making you giggle. Unlatching the cage, you picked the small hedgie up and sank down onto the mattress.

Eren curled up on your stomach and looked at you expectantly, sniffling the air. You pulled an apple out of your backpack and held it out to him, and almost instantly he perked up and started attacking it. You laughed as he tore into the apple, listening to the little chomping sounds he made. “You can have some now, but you need to save the rest for later, alright?” You gently stroked along his bristles. “Such a cutie~!”

“W-Why are you staring at me?” Eren asked. You snapped back into focus. Apparently, you’d been staring at him when you zoned out. You reached up to brush a bit of apple off of his face, then smiled at him—making his cheeks flush pink.

“You’re still my adorable little hedgie,” you said. Eren’s heart skipped a beat as you said that, and a warm and fuzzy feeling came over him. He stared at the pavement as he walked with you back to Mikasa and Armin. The two got excited when they saw you coming and jumped up from the bench to run over to you. “Here,” you said—giving the sunflower seeds to Mikasa. You handed the other apple to Armin. “They didn’t have carrots. I’m sorry.” Armin smiled and thanked you anyway. “It’s a nice day out. Shall we stay out for a bit before heading home?”

The four of you sat back down on the bench, taking in the summer breeze. Eren sat down on your right and leaned against you, using your shoulder as a pillow. Armin sat by him and Mikasa sat on your left. Mikasa opened the packet of sunflower seeds when she noticed a small group of birds nearby. She tossed a few to them and smiled when they chirped and pecked at the seeds. Her smile was absolutely adorable…

“Aren’t you hot wearing that?” You asked Mikasa, gesturing to her scarf. She shook her head and smiled at you as she scooted closer so she was pressed against your side. You rested one arm around her and extended the other over Eren and rested your hand on Armin’s shoulder. The action made him jump a little, but he sighed in relief when he saw it was you. In that moment, it almost felt like the only ones that existed were the four of you. Time seemed to stand still as you sat there, feeling the warmth of the sun and smelling the sweet aroma from the magnolia trees.

Suddenly, Eren slumped over—falling onto your lap.

“Eren?!” Armin squeaked in concern. Eren had fallen asleep, you could hear his faint snoring.

“Oh Eren,” you said, giggling. Mikasa giggled and closed her eyes as well as she rested her head on your shoulder. Armin shrugged and scooted closer, being careful to not wake the brunette.

“They’re right over there…” a blonde male mused, watching the four through binoculars. “Shall we do something now?”

“Not yet,” Zeke replied, walking up behind him. He glared at them from the balcony they stood on. “We need a better plan.”

Chapter Text

Wow--it has been YEARS...how are you all???

Oh god--like I really feel bad I've left this untouched for so long. Here--a bulleted list of everything that has happened in my life since I wrote:

-class after class after CLASS AFTER CLASS AFTER CLASS AFTER DAMNED COLLEGE CLASS
-focusing on my major
-the pandemic
-the pandemic triggering my depression
-a very very BAD horrid abusive relationship that I was trapped in...for a year and 3/4... (a lot of anger, screaming, and trying to isolate me...and something else that I won't even go into...)
-losing a few friends due to REALLY STUPID arguments
-building a new, caring relationship
-my graduating
-getting a promise ring from my boyfriend
-new job
-my family moving out of state
-the stress of packing and moving into a condo (but on the flip side--with my boyfriend, so all is not bad)

Never once did I forget about my writings. I wanted to write--but I either had no time, or I was depressed and burnt out. It broke my heart. I do want to continue this fic...and that's what I intend to do. I want to finish it. I am not as big of a fan as I once was of Attack on Titan...that's due to the fanbase and how the series has gone itself...seriously though about the fans...I can't stand ship fights or unnecessary hate that the female characters like Petra and Mikasa get for no reason at all. But--my boyfriend has not seen the anime, so I will be rewatching it for his sake. Maybe he can help me rekindle my passion for the series (but not to worry--I still love these characters...I just...don't like how season 4 has gone...).

I may go back and edit some parts. Nothing too major! And I hope to have that next chapter out soon! Please be patient with me during this time!
And--I plan on creating some works for some other fandoms too. Make sure to check those out when the time comes!

It feels good to be back...