When the Boy met the Girl

When the Boy met the Girl  

It was the beginning of winter and the hazy sun shone over a cold and cruel afternoon. It had been several days since the Titans had broken through Wall Maria, and since then countless refugees had flooded into the further inner sanctum of Wall Rose. This would have been bad at any time, but with a harsh winter fast approaching and the rich crops and fields of Wall Maria having been lost, it was disastrous. There wasn’t enough food, shelter, or clothing to go around- but it didn’t stop the people from piling into the already overflowing districts of Wall Rose.

The streets were packed with the weary and mourning, and already the human necessities were being called for. And that was why a little girl of some twelve odd years, currently ran through the throng with as many supplies as her scrawny arms would allow. This child, having been born and raised in the safety of Wall Rose, had still never seen a Titan with her own two eyes. . . But as she had witnessed the dead and mad gleam of fear in the eyes of all those she passed, she had become resolved to help them in any way she could. So, when her mother had opted to help in the ration kitchens for the refugees, Ezra (the girl in question) had willingly gone with her. Since then, the girl had been running errands for those who couldn’t come to the kitchens themselves. She had become a gopher in the last two days; taking supplies and food to those who were too sick or injured to do it themselves. And she had fallen into the work with everything she had.

Now, as she gently placed the last blanket in her possession onto an older man who was coughing, she felt the heartache once more begin to eat at her. Never in all her life had she imagined such death and hatred existed . . . but now she beheld it and was forced to embrace it. It was a disgusting thing to the child, and she almost instantly felt sick as she nodded to the man, and once more ran back to the ration kitchen and stores. She dodged in and out of all sorts of people as she rushed by, not letting her tired dark brown eyes focus on the despair that was all around her. She had seen too much pain, too much hopelessness clouded in defeat, and her innocent view of the world was slowly slipping away. It was true that she had always known about the Titan threat, and how many Scouts died in their escapades outside the walls. . . But never had she dreamed that death would enter into her home. . . Never had she believed that such darkness could happen to so many.

Ezra rounded another corner, sightlessly sprinting despite the cramp in her side, and felt the sting of tears begin to take hold. The girl had only cried once since the refugees had appeared, but now as she let the anguish of those around her take hold, she couldn’t stop the salty drops that started to fall. She was suffocating, drowning in it all, it was too much!

. . . And then she bumped into someone.

The initial contact was rather hard, and made both the girl and the one she had run into fall to the ground. Ezra quickly wiped at her blurry eyes, and felt ashamed of her carelessness.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized, as she dabbed at her teary eyes with her dirty dress sleeve. “I d-didn’t see you!”

“Oh, it’s alright. I’m sure you didn’t do it on purpose. And there was no harm done.”

Ezra lifted now clean eyes in surprise, seeing as the voice was that of another child. It was a boy, around her own age with golden blonde hair and large intelligent blue eyes that showed both fatigue and a maturity far beyond his years. But what caught Ezra by surprise, was the smile that had grown on his face when she had finally looked up at him. It was warm and full of genuine emotion. And it made her brown eyes widen considerably.

It felt like a lifetime since she had seen someone truly smile . . . and how beautiful it was.

“I didn’t mean to run into you. I just wasn’t watching where I was going.” Ezra said somewhat shyly as she got up from the ground, and offered the boy a hand up. He looked startled by the action, but ended up accepting the help.

“Please, don’t worry about it.” The boy nodded to her kindly, as he brushed the dirt off of his simple and worn clothing. “I could see that you were pretty upset. I should have gotten out of your way faster. But judgement calls like that aren’t my strong point.” Here he seemed somewhat bashful, as a soft shade of red colored his pale cheeks.

Ezra looked at him for a long moment, before a smile of her own broke out onto her dirt smudged face and she giggled. The sound surprised both her and the boy, and his blush grew deeper as she placed a hand to his shoulder. This action was completely unexpected, but Ezra couldn’t help it. She had been so lost to the darkness and pain, that she had almost forgotten what it was to be contented, to enjoy simplicity. . . This boy had reminded her.

Though what he had done was very simple, and was in no means eccentric, it meant more to Ezra then she would ever be able to verbally admit. So she settled for a form of thanks that she could give.

“Have you eaten today,” she asked, the tired smile still in place on her delicate face.

The boy slowly shook his head. “I was just heading to the ration kitchen . . . though I don’t know if they’ll have enough.”

“They have bread enough for you,” Ezra said, but the boy shook his blonde head.

“It’s not that. . . I have two friends who need food as well.”

The girl’s mouth formed into an understanding ‘o’ shape before she flashed him a determined expression. “So you need three portions?”

“That’s correct,” he replied. “But I doubt they’ll give it to me.”

Ezra once more clapped the boy’s shoulder, before she beamed at him. “Leave it to me!”

Then before he could ask her what she meant, the girl took off running again, calling over her shoulder for him to stay there and wait for her. Then, she disappeared down the lane to where the Kitchen was located.

Since Ezra and her mother had been working to help the refugees, the girl had free reign in the bustling outdoor kitchen, and went unnoticed as she quickly walked over to the pile of bread loaves and took three small ones into her arms. Then, without so much as a batted eyelash, the child left the Kitchen - rushing back to where she had crashed into the boy.

To her relief he was still standing there, waiting for her, and she felt a happy wave of emotion fill her chest. He hadn’t left!

When the boy once more caught sight of her, his blue eyes grew larger than before and a look of awe grew on his features. And as Ezra stopped directly before him and offered the bread to him, he stuttered out, “H-How did you get these?”

Ezra just smiled as she put the bread in his outstretched hands, and then backed away with a little wave.

“Whenever you need food come to the Kitchen. I won’t let you and your friends starve.”

The girl was about to run back to the ration kitchen to return to her duties, when she heard the boy call after her.

“But wait! You never told me your name!”

“Ezra!” She yelled back.

“I’m Armin,” he returned as he waved after her with his free hand.

Ezra smiled as she took one last look at the boy and ingrained his face and name in her memory.

“I’ll see you around, Armin!” And then without another word, the girl was gone, leaving Armin alone with three loaves of bread and a fresh blush on his stunned face.

It seemed that he, Mikasa, and Eren wouldn’t starve after all . . . all thanks to the strange girl with the beautiful eyes. . .