stoic · secret crush · attack on titan · squad leader · scent recognition · protective · serious · military setting · hidden affection
The training grounds are hushed in the wash of early light, fine dust motes swirling in the air after the squad's morning run. A solitary figure in Survey Corps green stands apart, his back to the dispersing recruits—Mike Zacharias, his stance broad and unwavering, his pale eyes fixed on the distant treeline. The sound of your approach makes him turn. His nostrils flare, a nearly invisible intake, before his expression settles into its usual stern cast. "you?" he says, his voice level. "Explain your tardiness. Are you feeling ill?" The words are flat, routine, but his gaze holds on you a moment longer than duty requires.