Family
The cold.. It burned. His ears were plugged up filled with water.
Eyes staring up at the surface slowly disappearing as he sunk down.
The abyss surrounding him growing darker. He choked a bit trying to call out only it turned to a gargle. He shook slightly. More of less the water pushing him down further. If he could cry he probably was but the tears only washed away with the water. He shut his eyes a bit stinging from the salt water. He only opened them from the shadow falling over him from above. His vision was starting to blur out. It hurt.
Laughter filled his mind. Auras of kids running around him in the water as if they were playing on land. A familiar Figure within them. A kid no older than 10. Hair falling in their face. A happy sincere smile plastered there. No hint of any trauma in their eyes. No scars. No Bruises. Happier times.
" Ely! "
Another kid had called to to them. A taller Dark haired boy. Probably two or three year solder than the other at the time. Grayish Blue eyes bright and happy. They could stare into your soul and seal it. That's a possibility the other, at the time, had come to think was true. Children. Not knowing what trouble they could get in even being this young. They didn't see anything wrong. At least at the time.
About a year prior, Ely lived in a fairly decent house by the Gates entering the interment zone. The area always seemed pretty quiet. Mostly only sound out of the area was when the sun was low in the sky. Kids starting to play games and the Warriors getting out of training.
Ely was sitting on the porch one day with his Tutor when the kids were being released for the day. Ely looked out at the street was they walked. It was interesting. The group of them together were about 7 kids. No 8. Short one was hiding behind one of the taller boys. A girl with long black hair tied up in a ponytail. There was a blond girl as well. She was lagging behind the others. Socially awkward by the looks of it. The tallest one was with the shorter girl. The pother taller boy was next to a blonde boy and another who looked like he was seeing a mirror image, then the other two up front. Same mirror image look. Tho there was an obvious difference in them.
He got up running inside grabbing cups and water running back outside calling out to them. A few looked over at him stopping. The others who didn't just kept on walking to the gate. He counted for a moment and walked over with the cups. He was smiling happily. It kind of scared the others who backed up a little. Ely stopped "Uh.. sorry my personality is really out going. sorry if i scared you. You guys want water?" he smiled again.
Bertholdt, he'd come to know the name eventually looked at him shaking a little. Ely didn't understand why he looked so scared. The mirror version of him, just not as tall, looked. "You do realize what we are... right?" Ely noticed him gripping something on his Left arm and looked. A arm band. He felt so stupid at the moment. He didn't realize. He just shook his head at it.
"So? Eldian or not. Devil or not your still human aren't you? We eat, drink, sleep and talk the same" he stared at the kid.
His eyes were really pretty gray color. They kind of shined like sapphires. The kid shifted on his feet a little, anxious. The blonde looked over at them hugging himself a little bit. Ely moved back a bit to keep distance with him to not make him any more uncomfortable as he is.
"I'll take it as a no to water then..." The two taller kids looked at each other.
"I-if you don't mind, I'll... uhh" Ely looked and held out the cup to the one who spoke.
"I'm Ely" he smiled softly.
The kid took a sip of the water.
"Miles.. The taller is my baby brother Bertholdt. Blonde is Reiner"
Ely smiled wide and chuckled.
"Would we call ourselves friends?" he bounced on his heels a little bit.
Miles stays quiet for a minute.
"We can't... your Marleyan and were Eldian devils..."
Ely's smile turned to a frown.
"Oh... That's stupid..." he grumbled crossing his arms.
Miles smiled a little bit.
"God your like Porco a little bit. Reiner had nodded in agreement "just not a fist first talk later Porco" Bertholdt spoke softly.
Shy type.
"Fist first , talk later type?" Ely tilted his head giving the other two the other cups now.
"Porco. He's a hot head. Fights everyone in his path. Reiner here is always in his path apparently even if he's 100 feet to his left or right." Miles spoke into the cup a bit.
Ely just nodded a little.
"He'll grow out of it probably.. Right?" He looked.
Miles just shrugged.
"Who knows"
-
For the next few weeks , He sat outside waiting for the three with their cups of water, which turned into 5 adding Pieck and surprisingly Annie to the mix. They'd spend a half hour talking and just laughing with each other. telling stories and maybe learning a thing or two from each other now and then... Bertholdt was finally coming out of his shell with Ely. It made him happy he was trusted in their group.
Being caught was not their concern at the time or at all. They hadn't thought about it at all.
"Ely I know what I said when we first met about ' friends ' and uh, shit.... Guys at this point we all are kind of friends with you it seems... huh?" Miles let out a soft chuckle.
Bertholdt nods a little bit.
Ely smiled softly.
"Sounds nice." He rested his head on his hand not dropping his smile.
Hell, none of them expected to be together for this long and not get caught. The small group he called friends started to not always show up with getting out of training for the day. It made Ely a bit sad not seeing them all the time now. He didn't really know why , and he wanted to find out what happened.
Now, Ely father, he isn't always home being his job takes up most of his time, why Ely is home schooled with the tutor, He one of the heads of the military command along with Theo Magath and General Civali (no one likes him). He did work with the warriors at points , if need be, Porco's fault for being such a hot head and having to be put in place, head headed kids. Ely would see Porco limping home with the other sometimes. It hurt seeing that and Ely knew who did it instantly.
The day his father came home was a surprise. He didn't look happy, then again , he never looked happy, always had a scowl on his face. He had stared at the boy. Ely shook a little. He always scared him, and he hated it. He hated he couldn't do anything about it, he can't stand up for himself he's too small. He's always been too small. He was really small when he was born. He's always been either very underweight or just on the line of fine. He wasn't very strong either, not that he wanted to be. His heart is strong though, so that's a plus.
His father stared down at him. Ely looked up at him still shaking, petrified. Kruger Grahn, half the military fears him honestly, 37 years old, 30 years working/training in the military fleet. Had a son when he was 27, the mistress left him with the child. He didn't know why she left. He wasn't told anything.
"There had been, Rumors, that the devils' scum have been playing with you" Kruger narrowed his eyes at his son.
Ely flinched a little bit staying quiet.
"Speak when spoken to Boy" Ely moved his gaze to the floor.
His father grabbed him by the wrist hard pulling him closer.
"Ely Grahn Speak when Fucking spoken to you hear me boy" Ely didn't make a noise.
He was used to this. Make no noise, don't let him have the satisfaction of it.
Kruger glared daggers at the kid an let him go walking out. Tears ran down Ely's cheeks silently. He held his wrist which was bruising up fast. Another bruise to his collection he's had for years. Now a handprint wrapped around his wrist. What could be worse than that.
What could be worse....
Nothing could be worse...
Nothing could....
Right?
This was all unfamiliar territory to him. The inside of the base. His father had dragged him here, more bruises, some of the candidates had watched this happen down the road when they had left the house. Ely's panicked eyes grabbing at his fathers hand trying to get him to let go of him. It hurt. A tall blonde had watched, no stranger to this "handling" that was going on here. The adult by him could only frown and feel bad for the child. They couldn't say a word about it.
By the time they had got to the HQ Ely had stopped trying to get out of the hold and just let his tears fall quietly once more. The place was loud. People yelling to each other, orders here and there, kids yelling or getting yelled at more than likely. He frowned a little looking around. His tears stopped being more curious about the place, though he knows he's going to get yelled at or something for what has been going on.
He hissed a bit, pain rippling up his arm when the grip on his wrist tightened again and pulled him inside a room. It was fairly dark besides the light peeking through the curtains on the windows. He winced when a brighter light turned on in the room. He didn't notice his wrist was let go and he looked at the light. His father was at his desk sitting down. Ely frowned a little holding his wrist a bit before pulling his jacket sleeve down to cover it. He yelped when something kind of bumped into his foot. He looked down.
Bandages...
Of course...
He picked the roll up and looked at his father. Kruger didn't look at him. Ely sighed sitting down and wrapped his wrist with the bandages. Guess it's more to hide the bruising than anything. No one would question bandages. Right?
He sighed quietly staying where he was not saying anything. He picked at the edges of the bandages a little bit anxiety spiking a bit. He pulled his legs to his chest a bit putting his head against his knees. He didn't want to be here. He didn't feel safe even if this place was "safe." He shut his eyes shaking a little again.
Krueger looked up at him and tsked at him.
"Fuck you shaking for ? "
Ely stayed quiet.
"Fucking hell you don't learn anything you useless brat" He hit his hand on the table.
Ely flinched a little whining.
Laughing...
He just laughed. Ely peaks over his knees. His father was laughing at him. Nothing new... Its always the same. No different. Fuck this... Ely got up running to the door and ran out of the room. His father yelled after him. Ely ran, tears streaming down his face. He was so tired of this.
He yelped falling down running into someone else who was running. He whines a bit sitting himself up a bit.
"I-Im S-Sorry" he covered his face a little bit.
"No , its- ... Ely? Hey , hey " Ely moved his hands a little at the stranger's voice.
Fairly familiar but not really. "
U-Uh.." he frowned a little bit.
"Marcel... You , okay?" He held out his hand to the other when he got up.
Ely took his hand and just out right hugged him shaking. Mars froze and stared eventually moving his arms around the smaller holding him close.
Marcel just held him letting him cry. He didn't question it or ask about it.
"Ely.. want to go someplace more well... out of the open?" he spoke softly to him rubbing his back a little bit.
Ely nodded into the other shoulder a little. He yelped a little being picked up. Mars picked him um, well what he gets for being so damn light weight. He latched onto his back a bit as the other walked. More laughter was echoing in an alley way nearby, where they were heading. He shut his eyes tears still falling.
"God you're a weak ass Braun"
"Shut up Galliard. You're not helping the situation at all"
"Poc knock it off" Everyone turned to Marcel. "Shit... Marcel- ... what the fuck?" Porco cut himself off. Mile looked over away from his brother and Reiner who was having his own problem.
"Ely?" Miles got up running over.
Everyone just watched it. Reiner looked over to wiping his own tears from his eyes and getting up slowly and walking over.
Ely picked his head looking at Miles and he just whined a bit. Mars put him down and Miles hugged Ely tight. Ely clung to him shaking again. Reiner smiled a little watching this happen and nudged Bertholdt a bit.
Bertholdt looked over and smiled as well.
"Happy he has someone who makes him happy" he spoke quietly to the blonde.
Reiner nods ever so slightly.
"Agreed"
Mars was talking Porco's ear off as everything kind of calmed down a bit. Well. Calm for the most part. Annie was off on her own. Miles, Bertholdt and Reiner stayed by Ely being a bit productive of him. Miles had put his jacket on the other's shoulders. Ely pulled the jacket around himself tighter. Miles ran his hand through the others hair trying to calm him.
Ely leaned into his touch a bit. Miles smiled softly and hummed looking ahead of himself then froze.
Bertholdt was smiling at him.
"Don't even Tolto. Don't even" Miles laughed as he spoke.
Bertholdt chuckled
"Sorry for observing."
Ely peeked a bit smiling. Miles let go of him and tackled his brother play fighting. Reiner moved over so he Bertholdt didn't fall on him and chuckled softly. Ely just watched in silence smiling. This is where he felt safe. With these guys. His friends.