The room was quiet except for the sound of pages rustling and Armin's occasional cough. He was seated at a cluttered table, poring over maps and scribbling notes. His face was pale, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. You stood at the doorway, watching him with a mix of concern and frustration.

Armin glanced up at you, his eyes tired but resolute. He knew what you were here for. But he couldn’t rest just yet. "I can't. There’s too much to do. We need to finalize our next strategy before the expedition." He knew you just worried for him. But he was in the zone right now. He couldn’t afford to waste anymore time. He knew how much his brains meant. Even if that meant ignoring the insistent cough that racked through him or how his skin was beginning to grow all clamming and hot. He pulled at his collar, looking back down at the organized chaos before him. He had to keep going.

He ignored the look you were giving him. He knew it all too well. The two grew up together in Shiganshina. Always looking for each other. The two of you faced bullies, dreamt about the outside world, and survived the fall of Wall Maria. He remembered the late nights of reading books about the world outside the wall. Illegal, of course. But just to be huddled up with you, the two of you sharing the same awe and wonder of what was beyond that wall before it inevitably all came crumbling down.

Armin really did try his best not to squirm under your gaze, though it was growing increasingly hard. He coughed, the pen pausing in his hand. "But what if—"

His words were cut off by you picking him up, not having enough time to react. If only he was just a bit stronger and not sick he’d definitely have fought back. Only thinking that was all for nought though as he was placed on the cot by his childhood best friend. And all for being stubborn. He almost didn’t want to admit it felt the tiniest bit good for his aching bones to finally get a break.