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Chapter Text

The first memory [Name] remembered of his family is the screaming of his mother trying to get the officers to keep him. Everything before that is a vague blur of [H/c] hair and [E/c] eyes. The officers who took him away didn't bother with names, only paying attention to his weak five year old body. He was taken so that they could get someone to be the Bone Titan as fast as possible, after all.

Years and years of constant abuse and training, death nearly claiming [Name] more times than anyone would be comfortable with.

But, he did what he was told. And got to the end scathed and barely alive when he was given his saving grace: inheriting the Bone Titan. He blacked out when turned pure before he found himself coughing blood, feeling his teeth push forward and emerge new and sharper. He cradled his stomach as his stomach acid comes up, melding with the puddle of blood and teeth under him. He pulls away from it, breathing heavily as his ribs and back ached with the force of movement, realigning themselves to his human body. His watery eyes look up to the approaching officer, staring down at him with nothing short of expectation.

"Took you long enough."

And yet again, the rest was a blur, a mixture of pain, new harsh training, and adjustment to his new titan abilities. Learning his body took more than he wanted, barely getting used to the feeling of his flesh shredding under his bones as they force from his titan body to guard or harm. He only saw himself once in this form, saw the sight of a hulking 20 cm titan, ribs torn through flesh to form a cage around his empty chest cavity, spine outside his body and protecting his nape, the empty eye sockets with mere dots for what would be eyes.

It took ages for him to getting used to his new abilities, his new body. And thus, he was here.

"You will go to the island of Paradis." The words were an order directed at him. "We must have you scout the island for the attack titan. You will find him and relay information to us."

[Name] could only hum in response, boredom painting his expression as he stares at the older person. Their face blurs in his own vision, people he can't see despite the marks on his file describing him as: observant.

"Well?" He blinks away the lingering thoughts, lifting his hand and saluting. "Yeah, yeah. I got it." He turns and leaves the room, ignoring the murmurs from the people he passes by. His gaze flits across each would be officer, warrior, soldier, or whatever title they wanted to go by. He shifts his feet awkwardly, feeling the weight of his own uniform on him. He turns a corner and is met with someone he thought he wouldn't see for a bit longer.

"Zeke? Aren't you supposed to be training?" He questions, his face softening into familiarity as he moves closer to the blonde boy. He looks [down/up] to him, brow furrowing slightly. "I am. But, I heard that you were called out," Zeke answers, his expression becoming something akin to smug as he looks to [Name]. "Is it so difficult to believe I care about you?" The [H/c] shrugs in response, muttering, "It's suspicious." A small sound of acknowledgement leaves Zeke as he stares at the other, eyes squinting in moderate calculation. "Well, I'm not the only one being suspicious. Why were you requested?"

[Name] tenses for a moment, his mind coming to a halt before he bites the inside of his cheek. His thoughts move between whether or not to tell the [taller/shorter] boy what he was just told. With a soft sigh, he relinquishes. "I'm being sent to Paradis to scout the lands. I have to send information about the island and the whereabouts of the attack titan." The statement leaves him as he takes careful steps forward, pausing only to look at Zeke from the corner of his eyes. The fellow boy simply stares as though [Name] had told him something so profound and unbelievable that he was making it up. "Hindsight, I'll be leaving in a day or two."

He shrugs as he leaves Zeke in the hall, hands flexing into fists before relaxing as he tries to think of what else to do. He knows very well that if he told any of the others, they'd be upset at it. At him. So, he simply goes to his room, pushing the door open with a lazy hand as he enters. He looks around the barren space, brows furrowing ever so slightly while he move to his bed and opens the poorly-maintained bedside table. He knows he'll likely be unable to take clothes or anything personal. Well, there isn't many thing personal to take anyway. Except the thin twine necklace that sits in the drawer, slightly dusty from not wearing it. He grabs it, thumb brushing over the near-pristine white feather tied to it. He hesitates before placing it on his neck, tucking the feather into his chest as he looks around in search of anything else he can hide on himself before leaving.

Silence takes its place again as he finds... nothing. With a quiet sigh, he sits on his bed, staring at the wall with a mixture of exhaustion and worry. A few minutes pass before a knock sounds out through his room. Without waiting for a response, a well-known mess of brown hair pokes his head through the semi-open door. "Bertolt? What are you doing here?" [Name] asks, brows furrowing as the younger warrior enters fully. Bertolt stands awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking at the [E/c] boy with a mixture of concern and something else.

"I... Zeke told us. About you being sent out," he says, body trembling with either anxiety or embarrassment or both. [Name] only sighs as he stands up, taking careful steps towards Bertolt as he gently rests his hand on his shoulder. "Hey. It's okay. If the higher-ups didn't trust I was at my best, I wouldn't be being sent out. Just think, it's only a scouting mission, so you'll probably see me again sooner than you think. Alright?"

Bertolt nods, looking at the [taller/shorter] boy with what seemed to be wonder. "Alright." The quiet only lasts a second before he simply asks: "When would I see you again?" [Name] blinks rapidly, slightly taken aback before shrugging. "Sooner over later, I suppose." The answer only gets a half-hearted nod before the brown haired boy pulls the other into a near-bone crushing hug. The [H/c]-ette lets out a small groan, a quiet huff leaving him as he pats Bertolt's back.

"It'll be okay. It's not like those devils can actually hurt me." A second passes before they part, [Name] keeping his hand on the other's shoulders before slowly releasing him. "You probably need sleep. So go get some rest. I... am going to bed myself before I have to head out. At least, I think I am." He walks Bertolt to his door pausing to give him a kiss on his cheek before ushering him out and closing the door.

Turning on his heel, he walks over to his bed and promptly plops down onto it, a soft sigh leaving him as he lets his eyes close. His mind is quick to lull into a dreamless rest.

It's before daybreak when [Name]'s met with banging on his door. Forcing himself up with a groan, he walks to his door, only pausing to look at his reflection in the window. He shrugs and opens it, being met with two officers.

"[Name]! We are-" "Yeah, I know. Let's get going." The officers scowl at the younger boy's dismissal, saluting before walking off with the warrior in tow. He looks around, a small huff leaving him as he pays more attention to the moon still in the sky than where they were going. He only somewhat pays attention to the sound of the waves crashing against the docking bay.

Finally focusing, he looks at the boat he's meant to ride on, a small frown on his lips before stepping onto it. He looks to the supposed captain with mild curiosity.

"How long will it take for us to reach the island?" He asks, earning a lazy salute. "Approximately three weeks."

Earning a slight nod for the response, [Name] goes to look around, exploring the surroundings before finding a seat to settle on. He stares at the wall, eyes growing hazy and expression becoming bored, mind going so far that he's only slightly aware of the way the boat leaves the harbor.

The time on the ocean was just short of three weeks.

[Name] blinks hazily as he hears the way the entire crew were shouting, giving and taking orders, so on, so forth. With a huff, he stands up, walking out to the deck, eyes straining at the bright light. The captain looks to him, nodding as he starts speaking.

"You know your mission?" "Yes. Find where the Attack Titan is and relay that information to the... whoever is at the top." A muscle in the captain's jaw ticks before they nod, watching as the land draws closer.

"Are you ready?" "No, but I still have to do this."

The moment the boat was close enough, [Name] steps forward and walks onto the island, looking around with tired eyes. He turns to the boat, seeing a backpack thrown his way and drop onto the sand beside him. "That's everything you'll need!"

Nodding, [Name] takes the pack and starts walking inland.

Chapter Text

To say that [Name] was uncomfortable would be an understatement. A month or so of traveling in titan form with only a few hour breaks between takes a toll on the body, he knew that of course but it had never been necessary before.

Though, the way his body ached with a pain he hadn't had before wasn't certainly helping, nor was the dread he felt some many times before. Small sighs and grumbles leave him as he sits on a tree branch, looking down to the ground to the titans attempting to claw their way to him. He moves his backpack to his lap, opening it and searching for food. He had rationed it, more concerned with not being eaten over eating a full meal himself. He pulls out matzo, a cracker-like bread that's meant to last long and fill one up more. He breaks a piece off, nibbling on it as he looks up to the dense cover of leaves. It's difficult to tell what time it is, even more so with no clock or watch, but once it gets dark enough he'll transform and begin moving again.

Looking back to the bread, [Name] takes another small bite, eyes hazing over as he attempts to disassociate. Though, it doesn't last long as he hear galloping draw near. His brows furrow as he leans over, looking down to see small specks of people on horses. They're talking about orders, demanding various things. A part of him stops in its tracks, his mind reminding him that these devils would kill him on the spot should they find him. Though, a different thought occurs. What if he just pretended to be unaware and scared? One of the things adults naturally think is that children are dumb and clueless, after all.

He tucks his bread back into his backpack, standing as he feels the clothes he changed into hang off his frame. He clears his throat and yells, "Help! Help me!" A cough rises from his throat, the dryness that he had ignored rearing its head. He covers his mouth, startling as he hears sharp point dig into the tree beside him. He watches as an older woman flies up, landing on the branch as she looks to him.

"A child? What are you doing here, dear?" She asks, expression contorting into worry as she moves closer to him. Despite her [taller/shorter] stature, her brown eyes are warm as she gently pulls [Name] closer. Her short hair shifts in the wind, greying black strands flowing ever so gently. "Oh, you sweet thing. You look absolutely famished. No child should be this far from the walls. Where are your parents?"

Finally escaping his surprised stupor, his bottom lip wobbles as closes his eyes to mimic crying. "My... My mom's gone. I don't know where. I just ran and heard her screaming," he says, his voice cracking as he forces his eyes to water up as he looks to the woman. Her expression only worsens as she wipes his tears, a small hushing noise leaving her. "It's okay. You're going to be okay. We'll take you back and see if we can find you somewhere to stay, alright?" Her voice is soft and gentle, if it were physical, it'd be like a caress.

She pauses for a second before pulling [Name] close, easily lifting him as she shoots off what she did before landing only a few steps from her horse. "Captain! We need to return to the walls immediately!" She says, earning a gruff hum. "We were sent-" The male voice is cut off immediately. "A child can not survive on their own out here and taking him with us entirely will only risk jeopardizing the mission. We can come back out, but the kid needs to be safe first."

The captain stares at the woman, who's still carrying [Name], before a quiet huff leaves him. "Fine, but we come back out immediately after the kid is taken back." The woman nods, a pleased smile on her lips as she walks to her horse, finally setting the boy down as she gets on. She offers her hand, to which [Name] takes, lifting him up and settling him behind her.

"Hold on tight, sweetie. You'll need to be careful as we ride back," she says, getting a nod as the younger guy scoots forward and holds onto her. As the horses turn and start galloping back to where the soldiers came from, a small breath of relief leaves the [h/c]'s lips. The woman gently pats his hand, her expression a mixture of relief and curiosity now. She looks behind her somewhat, brow raising. "Speaking of... what's your name, lovie?" She asks.

"I'm called [Name]." Despite his better judgement, a small smile forms on his lips as the woman nods. "That's a good name. My name is Aria." [Name] nods as he rests his head against Aria's shoulder, eyes closing as a quiet huff leaves him. It only takes moments for sleep to claim him, the movements of the horses or yelling of soldiers only filed away as his body goes limp with exhaustion.

A groan escapes [Name] as he blinks away exhaustion, forcing himself up as he rubs his face. The ache in his body is almost gone, though the slight pain is now from the awkward bed he's sitting on. A small hum leaves him, eyes opening fully as he looks around the room. It has only a few things, but it's warm, almost inviting. He slowly stands up, legs straining as he stretches. Shuffling through the room, he looks into the drawers of the dresser and finds soft linens along with a clean shirt and pants. Pulling the clothes out, he pauses, considering if he should actually change. Glancing to his current attire, the dirty and frayed pants and tunic he has on looking like mere rags in his eyes. With a soft sigh, he pulls his shirt off, setting it on top of the dresser, his pants following soon after.

Just as he pulls the clean shirt over his head, the new pants hanging on his hips, a knock resounds through the room. [Name] startles as he moves to the door, opening it and seeing Aria. "Oh. Hello, miss-" Before he finishes, she waves her hand. "Oh please, just call me Aria, dear. I wanted to check on you and let you know what we're thinking."

Stepping back, he lets her into the room. Aria looks [Name] up and down, a sweet smile forming on her lips. "You look wonderful, dear. So, I had sent out a few papers and no one found anyone who could take you in. Oddly enough, no one knew your name unless it was some other child." Swallowing thickly, [Name] shrugs. "My mom and I never interacted with people beside the bare minimum. She always hated the idea of relying on others."

Aria nods in acceptance, looking at [Name] with pity before she takes a deep breath. "How would you like to be under my care?" She asks, making the [e/c] eyed boy's expression fall into surprise. "Wait, really?" He questions, earning a nod. "Yes, really. I... have been wanting a family. Me and my wife are incapable of having children. Of course, once you're an adult, I'll have no say, but you deserve someone to be there."

[Name] stares, blinking owlishly before he clears his throat. Setting the extended branch on fire already would be in poor taste. Nodding, he speaks, "If you wouldn't mind and it wouldn't be a hassle..."

Aria stares before a grin splits across her face. She pulls him into a hug, holding [Name] close. "Of course it's no issue, sweetie. Come, let's get you home so you can get situated."

Chapter Text

Four years passed by the time that [Name] actually had any hint as to where the Attack Titan could be. But, in truth he didn’t care for such a thing much more. It wasn’t as though Marley would go to Paradis themselves to find him or the stolen titan. It was so much more… pleasant here. No more cruelty to Eldians because they didn’t know the difference between each human.

[Name] sighs as he stares down at the letter he was writing. In truth, he didn’t know what it was he should’ve written. What if the Attack Titan had died out? Could he just write that and never talk to Marley again? But, with the knowledge that Bertolt and Reiner, maybe even the others, were here, he assumed it wouldn’t work.

He only returns to reality as Aria, who he’s begun to call mom, waltzed in lifting up a box of tea leaves. “Guess what I was able to purchase!” She says, a grin on her lips as Jeanne, Aria’s wife and the woman [Name] has begun to call mother, follows behind her.

“Sweetheart, be careful not to startle the poor boy. He’s clearly thinking about something,” Jeanne chastises as she walks over to [Name] gently ruffling his hair. She pulls her hair from the loose bun its held in, greying brown strands falling. Her hazel eyes shine with mirth as she sits down beside him.

“Come now, sweetling, don’t tell me you aren’t thinking about something.” Aria sits beside her wife, kissing her cheek before regarding their adopted son. “Yeah! Tell us, do you have someone on your mind? Maybe a gal? A guy?” She says excitedly. “Will we be hosting a wedding soon?”

“Mom! Even if I was going to court someone, that’s way too soon,” [Name] says, his voice cracking as he clears his throat, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. “I’m thinking about writing something to my pen pal.” He huffs as he turns his head, looking away as he takes breaths to steady himself.

Aria hums in response, looking to Jeanne, a silent communication traveling between them. With a deep breath, she looks to [Name]. “Well, in other news, me and your mother have something to share.”

The air goes cold with tension as [Name] stares, expecting the little comfortable world he had finally come to enjoy to come crashing down. Jeanne sighs as she rubs her temples, eyes closing. “I have agreed… to letting you train to join the military.” Like clockwork, the tension seeped from his body.

“Oh thank fuck. I expected you to say something else…” [Name] mutters, a relieved chuckle leaving him. A hearty laugh leaves Aria as she leans forward, looking at [Name] with nothing short of pure elation. “Well aren’t you lucky! In fact, we’ve been keeping this under wraps because the training corps is accepting applicants tomorrow! And I already have you signed up.”

The silence that follows is essentially suffocating before [Name] stands. “Then… I need to start packing. Immediately.” Aria hums with amusement as she waves him off, letting him slowly walk up the stairs. The moment he enters and closes the door to his room, a quiet squeal-like noise escapes him. His eyes are wide as he stares at the floor, contemplating if it’s a bit too late to say he doesn’t want to join. He thought he could find the Attack Titan in the military, but he hadn’t been allowed to join before. And now? His illusion of comfort was soon to be destroyed. He was sure of it.

With a deep breath, he bites down on his lip as he looks around his room. He searches for stuff to bring with him. The small collection of trinkets he had been gifted lay around his room. He swallows thickly as he finally finds a bag, setting it down on his bed. He hesitates as he looks to a small lamb doll, a gift from Jeanne after hearing that [Name] had never had any stuffed toys. His fingers twitch before he grabs it, placing it on the bottom of his bag. He looks around some more, pausing as he passes by his mirror.

[Name] stares at himself, brows furrowing as he takes in every bit of himself. [S/c] skin paired with [h/l] [h/c] hair, the strands [h/t], and [e/c] eyes. His gaze moves, focusing on his stature. He’s [Height] with a [b/t]. He sighs softly, brushing down the tunic on him as he refocuses on packing up.

He sighs as he pulls a comb from his dresser, examining the small engravings in the wood. He mutters as he reads, “From: Aria, To: My Darling Son.” It was a birthday gift he got when he admitted it to his mom after a bit of pestering. The gift was late, but it felt nice to be considered deserving of a birthday gift.

Nodding he goes to his pack, tucking the comb beside the stuffed lamb. He shifts from one foot to the other as he actually starts grabbing clothes, stuffing them into his backpack. He closes it and looks over to the door of his bedroom. With a deep breath he opens it, walking to the dining area to see Aria and Jeanne drinking tea and conversing.

Jeanne is the first to notice, which she gives a sweet smile while waving. “Hello, sweetling. Are you ready? I’m assuming your mom wants you both to get there early,” she says, earning a mocked distraught expression from Aria. “My love! I didn’t expect you to throw me to the wolves!”

“Am I wrong?” Jeanne responds, raising a brow and making Aria grumble. “I mean… you’re not. But it’s the principle of it.”

A chuckle bubbles from [Name]’s chest as he sits down at the table, [e/c] eyes drawn to the third cup of tea being slid his way. “Yes, mother. I’m packed. Ready to go and all that.” He brings the tea to his lips, taking a small sip as Aria leans back in her chair, wiping a fake tear.

“They grow up so fast!” She says. Jeanne shakes her head in amused exasperation, her voice teasing, “Yes, children do that from time to time.”

As the two married women tease each other, [Name] simply listens, drinking his tea and contemplating what he should do. He looks up as Aria stands, “well, since the Survey Corps got more of a payment, I’m going to go buy fresh food that we don’t have to cook.” Jeanne and [Name] bid her farewell, leaving just the two of them.

With a deep breath, Jeanne regards [Name]. “Sweetling… I want you to know that I hope you join the Garrison. But, knowing you and Aria, you’ll both be in the Survey Corps. So, when that happens… I want you to make sure she stays out of trouble. Her captain and commander are difficult to get talking,” she says, reaching out and grasping [Name]’s hand in hers. Her sun-kissed skin is soft as she runs her thumb along his knuckles.

“I want both of you to be safe. Aria… has made some choices, but they’ve lead to you. And even if something bad happened, whether it be you needing to go against your superiors, just know that I love you and will try to keep you safe so long as you need me.” Jeanne slowly releases his hand, her expression bittersweet as she straightens. [Name] nods, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat. “Thank you, mother.”

As the tense air lifts, Aria returns home, carrying what seemed to be a mountain of various baked goods and cooked vegetables. The home is filled with bustle, a small mass of merriment as the two moms prematurely celebrate their son becoming a soldier. As the night quiets down, [Name] is left in his room, staring out the window. He takes deep breaths, watching the few people settling down for the night or drunks wandering the streets.

Just as he turns to go to sleep, he hears nails scratching the glass. He looks to the window again, finding a stray cat outside. He hesitates before moving over to it, opening the window and taking the cat in. He walks to his bed, feline held in his arms as he scratches its chin.

“Where did you come from?” [Name] mutters, earning a quiet mew before he shrugs. “I don’t know why I expected a response.” He pauses as he lays down on his bed, the cat sleeping on his chest as it kneads his stomach. The purring lulls him into sleep, though it isn’t dreamless like the times before.

No, this time, he’s staring down a young girl. Her name is on the tip of his tongue, but nothing leaves his mouth aside from a choked sob. The girl moves closer, her expression somber as she gently puts her hand on his forearm. Her voice is muffled, like she’s being drowned out by wind. “Be careful...”

The [h/c] boy wakes with a start, the cat gone as he looks around his room. He hears his mom knocking on his door. “[Name]? Grab your pack, we need to head to where you’ll be training.” He pushes himself up and grabs the backpack with his things. He looks in the mirror once more, fixing his clothes before exiting his bedroom. He finds no one in the hallway, but he makes his way through the home. At the front door, Aria and Jeanne stand there, turning their attention to him.

“There’s the soon to be cadet. You’re ready to go, right?” Aria asks, getting him to nod. As [Name] drew closer, Jeanne pulls him into a strong embrace. “Take care, sweetling. I expect you to write once a week,” she mutters, releasing him from the hug as Aria gives her a kiss on the cheek.

“Well, time to go, kiddo. I’ll be back soon, my love!” Aria yells, giving [Name] a slight push forward as the two leave the house. They make their way through the Karanes District of Wall Rose, the sunrise barely visible.

Chapter Text

[Name] awkwardly moves from foot to foot in the tight pants that he tried to persuade the officer he didn’t need before being told that it was part of the mandatory uniform. His mind lingered on the fact that in the span of two days, he had not only given his moms a goodbye and won’t be seeing them for what would be approximately five years, but also that he had joined the military in this life as well. Like something he’s not allowed to leave even in a place where it’s different.

With a deep breath, he starts walking out of the building he was in. His body feels sluggish, an uncomfortable bed and learning things that he’s only had two days to figure out makes his head spin. Or it could be the fact that the other soldiers that happened to be his bunkmates, or so he was told, did not smell too good from even the single night he had to spend so far.

He finds the training grounds easily, looking around as he see small groups of fellow cadets mingling. His gaze lands on three very familiar heads of hair, turning as he goes off to the side. “Fuck. Okay, so they're joining the military. Lovely.”

Just as he goes to find a different group to mingle with, mostly against his will, a horn blows. [Name] rubs his ears as he looks at the instructor standing there like a wall. “LINE UP IN ROWS, CADETS!” The man yells, his voice rough and haggard, the cadets almost scrambling in place, [Name] simply falling in line with two people he doesn't know.

After a second, everyone salutes before going into a ‘resting' position, the instructor continuing to shout, and at some point in passing introducing himself as Shadis.

Shadis stopped just in front of [Name], staring down at him. “You! What's your name?” He says, making [Name] salute. His fist rests over his heart, body straight as his previous military training kicked in like a habit that couldn't be dropped.

Though, the salute felt off. So did the uniform. And the people around him.

“My name is [Name] [Last Name]! I hail from Karanes District in Wall Rose!” He says, expression falling into a monotone and bored look. Shadis hums as they stare at each other.

“So you say. Tell me, why are you here cadet?” The instructor questions, earning an annoyed sigh. “I'm here to retake land that was claimed from the titans,” [Name] utters, jaw tight as he waits for more interrogation.

Shadis nods, moving on and insulting more people, calling a blonde boy down the row ‘mop top’ and ‘a light snack’ at some point. “Row three! About face, runt!” Everyone turned the opposite way immediately. As Shadis grills on everyone he deems needing intimidation, out right head-butting one guy, [Name] simply stares forward, eyes hazing as his mind wanders. His thoughts drag, only a small part of his attention aware of the insults Shadis shouts.

The only thing that bring him out of it is him seeing a girl pull a potato from her pocket. His brows furrow, confusion taking over his expression before the gal takes a bit of it.

[Name] bites his lips as the crunch from it deafens everything, shoulders shaking slightly from holding back laughter. The two cadets standing beside him glance in horror before glancing to the girl again, leaving [Name] to be the only one struggling not to laugh.

Shadis, who was previously holding a guy with a shaved head by his head, drops him and only stares blankly at the girl. “What do you think you’re doing?” He says, his voice low and menacing, only causes her to look around before taking another bite of the potato.

With speed that [Name] hadn’t expected from a guy that looked like he was both 30 and 50 years old, Shadis was in front of her shouting, “You’re officially on my shit list! Just who the hell are you?!”

The girl swallows the piece down quickly and salutes, hand still gripping the potato as she answers, “Sasha Braus from Dauper Village at your service! Reporting for duty sir!”

Shadis’ voice became low again as he stared at her, “Sasha Braus, huh? And what is that you’re clutching in your right hand?”

“A steamed potato! It sat there in the mess hall begging to be eaten, sir!” Sasha says, looking forward as she pleads her case to Shadis. [Name] leans forward, trying not to laugh even more as air comes out in quiet and short breaths.

“The theft I understand. But here? Why eat it here of all places?” Shadis questioned, face twitching with an emotion that barely anyone could place. Though insulted astoundment is the best description [Name] had decided.

“It looked quite delicious and it was getting cold. So I gave it shelter in my stomach, sir.” “Why? I can’t comprehend why you would eat that potato?” Sasha’s face ticked slightly, confusion finally taking place.

“Uhm… Are you asking me why people eat potatoes? I’m surprised you don’t know, sir.” [Name] feels his body cramping as he tries to hold back even more, everyone else staring at the conversation in disbelief.

Sasha takes the potato in her grip breaking off only a small portion before offering it to Shadis. “Here, sir. You can have half.” Like a dam, [Name] cackles, laughter leaving him as he doubles over, arms wrapped around his stomach. He gasps for air as Shadis moves his attention from Sasha to him, watching as the [height] boy tries to catch his breath. “Holy shit!” [Name] says once his breathing is somewhat even, though giggles still rumble through him.

Shadis scowls and screams, “SASHA BRAUS! [NAME] [LAST NAME]! BOTH OF YOU WILL DO LAPS UNTIL SUNSET! YOU WILL BE MISSING DINNER!”

Upon hearing that she’ll be missing dinner, Sasha looks even more distraught than she did when he mentioned laps. [Name] could only wheeze whilst still calming himself.

Hours pass and the sun has yet to set. Once the two were out of their separate stupors, they got to running laps. Sasha groans as she follows behind [Name], who simply focuses his gaze forward. He pays more attention to not tripping over rocks, gaze only moving when he sees Sasha stumble behind or when they pass by one of the cabins.

His lips tick, anxiety eating at his stomach as he sees the stares of some of the cadets, three in particular watching him with rapt attention.