[It’s a high, wavering whisper. The arms around her neck are surprising, as if she hasn’t been holding him; his cheek on her shoulder has her face warming. It’s not just out of fluster.]
[They… don’t deserve her…?]
[Loathing clamps down on her heart, a swirling, pitch gnaw that never went away. It tells her to deny, deny, deny; she had nothing to do with Eren being like that. Eren should be here, Armin’s peace on his shoulder. Aubrey hardly even comforted Eren when he cried. Aubrey just… Aubrey just worries, and gets stuck in her own head, and then it’s too late.]
[For a moment, she stiffens. But Armin is wrapped around her neck like a scarf, his head rests on her shoulder, and he’s not as warm as he used to be but he feels very much alive. And he needs her to be steady.]
[She pulls her wrists back around him, and holds. The breath Aubrey lets out is slow, and weary, and so very, very tired.]
[Does he? Armin straightens , though keeps his arms loosely around Aubrey. He looks her in the eye, the softest of smiles on his face; it still isn't a pretty one. It's still broken. Armin might never be unbroken so long as he lives.
['I don't know.'
[He pulls his arms away, clasping her hands instead.]
We'll find that peace. For all of us.
This world is at our disposal. It's cruel, but...it isn't the same.
There's hope, Aubrey. We'll do whatever it takes. Can you promise me that?
[That Armin can smile at all, after everything… it’s heart-wrenching to see, but there’s a quiet hope to the effort, too. Armin’s always had that, even as he admits to not knowing, even before he says it out loud.
[Aubrey really cares about him.]
[His answer, immediately and involuntarily, is an echo: “I’ll find you again… I’ll find you peace. As close as we can get.” It’s a grim determination, but trying nonetheless.]
[Out loud:] Of course. [Aubrey clasps Armin’s hands back. Even without a hand raised, it’s a promise all the same.] And if we can’t find it… we’ll make it.
[The smile becomes a little more genuine. His entire body aches like he's going to break into pieces. He wants to see him so badly, but...there will be time. There will be time. And there will be peace.
[At last, he drops Aubrey's hands, staking a step back and putting his right fist to his chest, curled at an angle - the Scouts' salute from the Scouts' Commander.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
. . . Wh.
What…?
[It’s a high, wavering whisper. The arms around her neck are surprising, as if she hasn’t been holding him; his cheek on her shoulder has her face warming. It’s not just out of fluster.]
[They… don’t deserve her…?]
[Loathing clamps down on her heart, a swirling, pitch gnaw that never went away. It tells her to deny, deny, deny; she had nothing to do with Eren being like that. Eren should be here, Armin’s peace on his shoulder. Aubrey hardly even comforted Eren when he cried. Aubrey just… Aubrey just worries, and gets stuck in her own head, and then it’s too late.]
[For a moment, she stiffens. But Armin is wrapped around her neck like a scarf, his head rests on her shoulder, and he’s not as warm as he used to be but he feels very much alive. And he needs her to be steady.]
[She pulls her wrists back around him, and holds. The breath Aubrey lets out is slow, and weary, and so very, very tired.]
You deserve better.
no subject
We all do.
[Maybe they can have that here. 'Maybe we can find peace.']
no subject
That’s all I want. [Armin’s voice is so close, Aubrey almost doesn’t notice part was shared silently.] For Eren… all of you.
[She lets her own chin fall, lightly, on Armin’s shoulder, too. He’s breathing. That’s good....]
Do you think, if Eren was here… it’d bring him peace?
no subject
['I don't know.'
[He pulls his arms away, clasping her hands instead.]
We'll find that peace. For all of us.
This world is at our disposal. It's cruel, but...it isn't the same.
There's hope, Aubrey. We'll do whatever it takes. Can you promise me that?
no subject
[That Armin can smile at all, after everything… it’s heart-wrenching to see, but there’s a quiet hope to the effort, too. Armin’s always had that, even as he admits to not knowing, even before he says it out loud.
[Aubrey really cares about him.]
[His answer, immediately and involuntarily, is an echo: “I’ll find you again… I’ll find you peace. As close as we can get.” It’s a grim determination, but trying nonetheless.]
[Out loud:] Of course. [Aubrey clasps Armin’s hands back. Even without a hand raised, it’s a promise all the same.] And if we can’t find it… we’ll make it.
[We have to.]
no subject
[At last, he drops Aubrey's hands, staking a step back and putting his right fist to his chest, curled at an angle - the Scouts' salute from the Scouts' Commander.]
Our hearts and souls to the cause.
slides you one more cheeky little tag
[That salute… Armin’s resolve is steady as a beacon.]
[It’s not Aubrey’s to mirror, but she folds her hands over her heart, right over left.]
Always.
[She has faith in him completely.]