Full Moon
Armin's P.O.V. (around 3:00 in the morning)
I didn't really remember much. I kind of felt like I was hit upside the head with a cast-iron pot and given a concussion. My head was pounding. Every bone in my body ached. I felt my stomach throb. The borborygmus* was so loud, it sounded like my stomach was the size of my head.
I got up, realizing that I was in my garage and not in my bedroom. I pandiculated**, stretching my hands together over my head. I looked over to my right and saw Eren sprawled out on one of the lawn chairs.
"What the Hell?" I murmured to myself. I felt a chill run over me. Shaking, I looked down at myself. "Why am I only wearing a shirt? And, what's this red stuff on my le--," I said, as I wiped my hand across the crease of my knee. The red stuff was still wet, but some of it had dried into maroon crumbs. It didn't take long for me to realize what it was. "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Eren woke up at the sound of me screaming at the top of my lungs.
"Armin! Armin, what's wrong?!" he asked. I just kept screaming. I screamed until I ran out of breath. I panted for a few seconds then started to scream some more. I repeated this process twice more before Eren was able to shut me up. By kissing me.
Eren's P.O.V.
Armin was screaming, and I didn't know why. He would scream for a minute or two, then breath heavily, then scream some more. This went on for what seemed like forever until I had gotten fed up with it.
I grabbed his face and pulled it into mine. I pressed my lips into his and muted him. His eyes were wide open for a few seconds, but then he eased into the kiss and closed them. He started to kiss me back. It was a really nice kiss. It wasn't anything heated or raunchy. It was innocent with slight movement. It made my heart rush and breath quicken. I never wanted to stop, but one does need to breathe.
We pulled away and looked at each other through half-lidded eyes. Armin was beet red, flushed all over his face and neck. His nose especially. It made me think of Rudolph.
"Now, .... tell me: .... what's wrong?" I asked between deep, controlled breaths. I was trying to keep myself under control and not go all willy-nilly. Armin gulped and took a deep breath before answering.
"There's blood on my leg, and I don't know where it came from," he said. He sounded like a little kid. The fact that he was just so small wasn't helping either. I looked to his hand at the red stain.
"Shit. I thought I had gotten it all. Where is it on your leg?" I asked him. He moved and gestured to the back of his knee. I knelt down and ran my hand over the bloodied spot, wiping away the blood.
"What do you mean by 'thought you had gotten it all'?" Armin asked, voice small. I froze.
'Do I tell him? Should I tell him? He's gonna find out sooner or later? What would be worse: sooner or later?' I thought to myself, not yet getting up.
"Eren? Eren, answer me," Armin said, voice growing. I shook my head, sighed, and stood. I grabbed his frail shoulders, looked him in the eye, and spoke.
"You changed last night," I stated simply. Armin's eyes widened.
"What do you mean 'changed'?" he asked. I sighed.
"You know what I mean, Armin."
"No, I don't Eren. I assure you I don't. What do you mean 'changed'?" I sighed again.
"What is the main way were-people change, Armin? You're so smart; I think, you can deduce that much," I said, raising my voice a little. Armin took a step back.
"You mean, I transformed? Into what?" he asked, voice even larger than before.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He scoffed.
"Try me," voice normal again, confident and slightly cock-ish. I sighed and rubbed the back of my head.
"A lion." There was a pause. Then, Armin busted out laughing. He held his stomach, because he was laughing so hard!
"HA!! Stop! You're killing me! No, really, what was I?" he asked, standing straight. I furrowed my brow.
"A lion," I said again. He laughed more but not as enthusiastically.
"Oh, Eren, that's hilarious! Me! A lion! Ha!! The tiniest cat on the planet is a King of Cats! Priceless! Seriously now. What was I?" he asked again.
And again, I said, "A lion," as seriously as I could. He looked at me, questioning.
"Eren, I'm being serious. I--" he spoke before I cut him off.
"So am I, Armin." He stepped back again. Then he stumbled. He fell flat on his ass. "Armin! Are you okay?"
"A lion...." he said, voice small once more. "The tiny guy is a huge cat......." He stopped. Looking at me, he said, "That's impossible." I quirked my head.
"Whaddaya mean? That's a cat," I said. He shook his head.
"No, lion's are an extinct race of were-cat. They don't exist anymore. Not just that! I'm an Omega! I can't be a lion! All lions were Alphas and Betas. Lions were the leaders of were-cats. Omegas are too weak to be a King of Cats! That's impossible! Even if my grandma was the last Ultimate, I--" I cut him off before he passed out. He was turning blue because he hadn't breathed the entire time he spoke.
"Wait. Your grandma was the last Ultimate? How? Only males can be Alphas, let alone Ultimate Alphas. It's biological," I said. Armin shook his head.
"Not for cats, no. It's even. Anyone born a lion can be the Ultimate, if the are strong enough. It's not a matter of whether or not you were born to the current Ultimate. No, it's a matter of whether or not you show strength and power. It usually follows biological lineage, though," he explained.
'Cool...' I thought. I know, I have such a vast vocabulary. Armin shook his head.
"Lions are extinct. The newer generations of cats don't even think there was such thing as were-lions. They think they were just myths. It's sad, really, but that doesn't mean it's not true. Lions are extinct," he went on. This time I shook my head.
"They were, until last night. Armin," I said, grabbing his hands, "you're a lion. Believe it or not, you are. And, from what you just told me, only lions can be Ultimate Alphas. Therefore, you are the new Ultimate Alpha of the were-cats." Armin's eyes were wide open. He had left his phone in the garage the night before. It dinged.
"What is it now!? Next thing I know, someone's gonna tell me I'm a unicorn!" he said, walking over to and picking up his phone. Sighing, he unlocked it. It was a notification. He gasped.
"Armin! What's wrong?" I asked, rushing to his side. He held his phone over for me to see. It was an article. The title read, "Male lion spotted in suburban area, being chased by grey wolf." There was a video attached. I clicked it. It was a bit blurry and poor-quality, but it was obvious what was happening. A blonde lion with blue eyes running towards the forest with a grey German wolf with green eyes close on his tail.
"Believe me now?" I asked, pausing the video. Armin turned to me, opened his mouth, and passed out. I caught him before he hit the floor. "Fuck," I whispered. It was a lot of information to take in at once. It was understandable. I picked him up and put him on the couch. What would he do when he woke up?
Armin's P.O.V.
Three Hours Later~~
I opened my eyes slowly, head pounding. I looked over to see Eren slouching in a chair, holding my hand in his. What happened?
I sat up, cracking my neck and rubbing it. Eren leaned back, stretching his legs forward ad under the raggedy, old couch. He seemed -- I don't know -- awkward in his own skin. He just seemed uncomfortable. I got up and headed to the gross excuse for a bathroom we for some reason had in the garage. I closed the door behind me and turned on the faucet. I splashed the freezing water on my face, easing some of the headache that was growing in my skull.
"A lion," I spoke to my reflection. I guess I was trying to convince myself of the fact. It wasn't really working. Like, at all! "Ugh! I need coffee," I mumbled to myself, casting my eyes away from the picture in the mirror. I didn't want to look at myself. I seemed to be a different person, a different cat. I just didn't like it. I don't like change, and this was just too much of a switch for me.
I exited the small bathroom and headed for the door. I glanced at Eren when he mumbled something. I thought he was waking up, but he was just groaning in his sleep. I opened the side door to the garage, feeling the cold morning air run through my blood. It was nice. The cold is my favorite, especially if it's cold, morning, shoreline air. Ah, the beach is so nice in the winter.
I closed the door behind me and went to the back patio of my old, old house, I went inside the laundry room which connected to the kitchen. I smelled coffee. Mum and Pop were awake. Great...
"Oh, morning, Armin. Why were in the backyard?" Mum asked me. I didn't answer. I knew it was rude, but I wasn't going to get answers with benign chit-chat.
"When were you two going to tell me?" I asked them, looking between them. Pop looked up from his paper and at me.
"What do you mean, Armin? When were we going to tell you what?" he asked. I heard a crash from the garage. 'Eren woke up! Crap!' I thought to myself. Mum and Pop's collective ears perked up and in the direction of the old building.
"What's that?" Mum asked, putting down her coffee and starting towards me and the door behind me. I moved to block her from leaving.
"Don't avoid the question. Tell me," I pushed. Pop stood up, stiffening when we all heard the distinctive growl of a wolf.
"Armin, stop with this nonsense and go to your room. Lock the door," he spoke as he began to walk. I stood my ground.
"I'm not leaving until you tell me!" I began to shout. My mother threw her hands up and sighed.
"Tell you what? We have been nothing but honest with you, my dear. Now, can you go to your room before something happens?" she tried. I shook my head.
"Why didn't you tell me I was a lion?!" I asked -- more like screamed -- angrily. They both froze. My mother's hand went to her mouth, covering it as she gasped slightly. My father just stood there, not moving.
"You're...a lion," my mother stated. She didn't ask. She said it clearly, as fact. "But...I mean...how do you know, honey?" she asked instead. I scoffed.
"I transformed last night; that's how! I went out with a blood lust into the forest for..." I stopped short, not wanting to finish the thought. My mother held out her hand to touch my shoulder, but I jerked away. "Don't touch me. You lied."
"We never lied, son. We didn't know if you were. There was a chance, but since you're an Omega, we just assumed you'd be like us -- if you were a cat at all," Pop said, coming closer and holding my mother around the waist.
"If I was a cat at all?" I repeated back. My father sighed and nodded. They both seemed to have forgotten about the strange noises from the garage, for which I was grateful.
"You're such a late -bloomer, Armin. Sometimes, werecats have human children, seeing how we are all part human ourselves. It's rare -- almost impossible -- but you're special, and we thought that was why," he explained. I just stood.
"Were any of them lions? Adriana? Albert? Alexander? Adeline? Any of my brothers or sisters lions?" I asked. Pop shook his head.
"No," said Mum, "all were leopards. All like us, but you. You, my love, you're like your grandma. Strong, small, lion. Oh, Armin," she began to cry. Lions aren't extinct anymore, now, huh?
"I--" Pop began, before there was a loud, voracious howl from the backyard. We all whipped our heads to the door. I smelt it. Mum and Pop had to have, too. "Armin! Go! Now!" he hollered. I did. Straight into the backyard.
"Armin!" my parents yelled after me. I sprinted to the garage, grasping the cold handle in my small hand. I yanked it open, letting the still-cold air seep into the bare room. Eren was hunched over, gripping his head. I rushed over to him, scared and worried.
"Eren! What's wrong? What hurts?" I asked, placing my hand on his back. He was burning, like hot embers, still alive with fire.
"Go..." he managed through groans. I paused for a split second, not really hearing him. "Now," he said, clearly and at a normal volume. He turned his head towards me. His eyes were ablaze, green fire behind the glossy finish. He was breathing heavily, panting. He teeth were large and sharp and glistening in the little light. I backed away. I was scared. I wasn't at the same time, though, too. It was very confusing.
"Eren, come with me," I said as I grabbed his arm and pulled him behind me. My parents had finally managed enough courage to make it to the door, but soon skittered away at the sight of the large wolf.
"Armin! Stop! Get away from that thing before he kills you! He's a murderer!" Pop shouted. I sighed. Even at a time of great intensity, I managed to be a sassy brat. Nice...
"Pop, I mean this with the utmost respect and sincerity, but shut the Hell up for once, please." Both of my parents seemed shocked, which actually confused me. They raised me; therefore, they should know how mush of an asshole I am. Weird that they didn't seem to.
Eren twisted away from my arm. I looked over and saw something that probably would make any normal person scream. Eren twisted and turned and growled and screamed. Within moments, he was standing on all fours, furry tail swishing behind him. He eyed my parents and I.
"Eren..."I spoke lowly. He twitched and looked over at me. His eyes seemed to narrow, taking me in. My jumped up, and -- I have to admit -- I yelped. He landed on top of me, tipping me over. My back hit the ground, but it didn't hurt all that much. He pinned me down, eyes just staring at me. I gulped.
He opened his mouth, white and sharp teeth threatening. He then ran his rough tongue across my face several times. I giggled. He was like a puppy, and t was so cute! My parents watched, unsure and frightened.
"Eren. Eren, stop. I can hardly breathe!" I giggled. He seemed to understand me, because he immediately got up and off me, letting me stand and sitting patiently. He was like a regular house pet. I looked to my parents, their faces white. "I'll explain later." I pulled on Eren's thick coat of fur. He followed me as I began to run to the forest. I didn't want people to see a giant German wolf in the suburbs. That was a bad thing to do.
~Time-skip~ (until about 8:00 in the evening)
Eren and I spent the whole day in the forest. I didn't exactly understand why he had transformed so early in the day, but I wasn't going to argue with a dog. He could understand what I said, just not say anything back. It was kind of frustrating, but we managed.
We were laying under the dim stars in a small patch of forest not covered with trees. I was petting his head, and he was starting to dose off.
"Eren," I said, not really knowing what was to come after. Eren's ears perked up, and he lifted his head. He didn't look at me. He looked around, sniffing the air. His eyes widened, and he stood abruptly. I mumbled and sat up. Then, I smelt it.
That gross, thick, toxic smell of an overcompensating Alpha anything filled the air. I gagged slightly. Eren growled.
"Eren, who is that?" I asked, forgetting momentarily that he couldn't speak. He looked at me. His face just said "Stay!". I listened to it as he ran off. Moments later, I heard a pained yelp that was all too familiar. Eren was hurt. I smelt blood. I heard a growl, low and deep. I had no doubt who it was. "No, no, no, no!"
Eren's P.O.V.
The wolves had come out to the forest to hunt and fight. I had forgotten all about that tradition. How could I have brought Armin into such a dangerous and deadly place?! God, I'm such a freaking idiot sometimes! Christ's sake!
I had gone off, leaving him in a hopefully pretty safe place. I followed my nose and ears to the source of the disturbance. It was a group of Alphas fighting over a scared female Omega. I knew her. It was Christa! She was a kind of friend of mine. Truthfully, I was just always worried about her. I saw Ymir battling it out with about six other Alphas. She was bloody and limping, but she wasn't going to stop until she won, even if it killed her. She loved Christa and would do anything to protect her. I knew that much. I didn't recognize any of the others.
I emerged from the bushes I was using as a cover. They could smell me, but I was trying my hardest to keep my scent as low as possible. I snarled and growled lowly to get their attention. They all looked at me. One lunged forward and bit me right on the shoulder. I wasn't paying attention, so I didn't evade the attack. It hurt like Hell, and I unwillingly let out a pained groan -- or the wolf equivalent to a pained groan. I heard a howl from far off. I didn't pay much mind to it. I whipped the jerk off and bit him square in the stomach, tasting blood.
He whimpered, just lying there. He wouldn't die, but he wouldn't want to move for a while. I heard rustling behind me. The others began to lunge at me. I guess they found me to be more fun to fight than Ymir. I growled and bit and fought and snarled. Soon, I was bloody and tired. They had numbers, which was annoying. A few other Alphas had heard the fight and came to join in on the festivities.
One was able to pin me to the ground and was growling and biting. It hurt and was becoming hard ot breathe. He had his massive forepaw on my throat, slowly adding more and more pressure. I heard a loud boom of a voice, but my ears were too clotted with blood to recognize what it was.
I looked up to the sky. The moon was big and round. It was beautiful. The stars began to dance as I started to black out. Just then, a massive male lion leaped into the fight, claws out and roaring. This was about to get interesting.
[A/N: Hey, guys. I'm so sorry for not updating for so damn long. I just wanted to give you all a nice packed chapter as an apology. I will have to inform you all that I will most likely be updating on an awkward schedule. I don't know when I'll be able to just sit and write for a while, but as soon as I can, I will. I promise! I hope you all enjoyed the update. It was a lot of fun to write, and I hope it was fun to read. Thanks for all the love and reads. It means a lot. Bye for now. <3 you guys!]