The Library (Armin Arlert x Reader)

Chapter 31

"...what is Floch doing here?" Connie asked, staring deadpan at us. Chanel seemed confused at the way everyone talked about Floch. Can't blame her, she's new.

Floch was feeding me grapes for breakfast as if I were some type of royalty in the dining room.

"What does it look like?" I smirked, Floch sighed. I told him he can't speak unless I give him permission. "He's atoning for his sins!"

"NOW you're pretending to be royalty?" Connie then burst out into laughter, smacking his knee with his hand. "Oh, oh that's a good one!"

I pouted, knowing full well I technically was one, but before I could speak...

"She's a princess to me, okay?" Armin walked up from behind and gently shoved Floch away, taking the grapes and eating some himself.

"Hey, Floch! Didn't see you there!" There was a bit of bitterness in Armin's tone and understandably so. "How've you been?"

Floch looked for my permission to speak, and when I nodded, reached into the bowl and took some grapes. "Decent enough...you?"

Armin looked him up and down before turning back to me with a smile.

"How've you been, (N/N)?" He put lots of emphasis on my nickname, and that's when I knew he had to have been jealous.

"Uh, good...?" I responded.

"Hey guys, what's new?" Jean strolled up to us with his dinner plate but froze in place once he saw Chanel. He cleared his throat and sat beside her, picking up the cup of coffee from his tray.

"What's that?" Chanel leaned closer to Jean to get a look in his cup, making him blush and tense up.

"U-uh—" He stammered as his face turned more red. "Co-coffee..."

"It's black. You don't like sugar or anything in there?" She seemed slightly disgusted, and honestly, so was I.

"....yep! I don't, sometimes sugar is a bit too much, you know?" Jean answered. I looked over to Armin and we both rolled our eyes. Jean is clearly just trying to impress Chanel.

"Why aren't you drinking it already, Jean?" Armin rested his arms on the table, leaning onto them a bit with a smile. "Since you like it so much. It's probably going to get cold."

'Oh my God, Armin.' I wasn't sure if I wanted to join in on the peer pressure, I don't want to see Jean make a fool of himself....then again, maybe I do.

"What? Jean doesn't like-" Connie was about to unravel the lie until Armin shot him a glare and shook his head, raising an index finger to his lips with that same cute smile. Connie nodded in understanding and immediately began to giggle.

Jean sent an ice cold glare Armin's way and then glanced down to his cup of steaming hot coffee. He sighed, giving in, and taking a big sip.

He couldn't do it. He spat it out and started to cough, while poor Coffee stained Chanel sat there processing what just happened.

I gasped, about to stand up and drag her to the girls room to dry her off, but by the time Jean looked back he looked like he was about to cry.

"Oh- oh my God, Chanel I am so-"

Chanel burst out into laughter, letting me relax knowing she wasn't mad. I thought I was going to have to clear Jean's name for the next five years.

"If you didn't like it, you could've just told me! I hate black coffee! I thought you were so weird for a moment!" The brunette wiped a single tear away from her eye.

The bell rang, signaling for first hour to begin. Floch grabbed my books and signaled for me to follow him to my locker. I stood from the table and was about to follow, but I felt a loose grasp on my hand. I looked down to the person and saw Armin sitting on the chair still.

"What are you doing with Floch?" Armin tilted his head. He sounded a bit hurt in his tone, and it made me feel like shit.

"He's my servant for the week. It's the price he has to pay in order for me to forgive him- it's only day or two." I answered. Armin chuckled, letting go of my hand.

"Have fun."

~~~~

Sasha had gone out to the night for a date with Niccolo, which left me alone. I decided to invite Ymir, Historia, and Mikasa over.

"I wish I could have a relationship as beautiful as yours..." Mikasa sighed as she vented to the three of us. I'm pretty sure she's just talking to Ymir and Historia though.

Ymir raised a brow as she tossed popcorn into Historia's mouth, who caught it with ease. "Does this mean you and Eren broke it off?"

"Ymir, don't ask people such personal things! Let them bring it up first!" Historia scolded. "...but did you?"

Mikasa blushed and rapidly shook her head, "N-no! We were never dating..."

"Bullshit!" I hopped on the couch Mikasa was on. "You guys had to have kissed at least once by now! I mean...C'mon! You're always holding hands- you're his wallpaper, for Christ's sake!"

"Well, Armin is also in the-"

"He's barely in there, it's only half of his face! But guess who's perfectly in the center?" I brought up, leaving Mikasa to fall silent. "You." I gently poked her nose.

"Oooh~" Historia cooed. "What if he has half of Armin's face in there to use as an excuse when someone asks why Mikasa is there? Maybe he says he has both of his friends on it!"

"Clever dog..." Ymir mumbled. "Hey, Mikasa?"

Mikasa looked up to Ymir, tilting her head slightly.

"I'll help you get with Eren, alright...but there's something I've been meaning to ask."

"Go on." Mikasa smiled.

"How did you and Eren meet? For a bit, I thought you two might've been related." Ymir brought up an amazing question. I wanna know too!

"Well, you know how I have a little brother?" Mikasa began.

"Uh, no, we did not! Since when?" I asked.

"My bad! He was born when I was about...9, maybe? Anyway, Grisha is a private doctor, so he came to check up on my mom while she was pregnant." Mikasa looked down to her lap, holding her hands together. "It.... was like it was in my past life, but my parents didn't die. Instead, I got to meet Eren. That's basically it. Boring, I know..."

"Yeah, that was pretty boring." Ymir chuckled, wrapping an arm around Historia. "So, why the hell did he bring Eren to a pregnancy check up?"

"I think he mentioned that Carla was sick that day, and he didn't want to leave Eren alone with her. I mean, what could an 8 year old possibly have done to help..."

"So, that's when you fell in love, right?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, it was when- hey!" Mikasa hit my shoulder and it hurt like hell. Obviously, like the cool kid I am, I played it off. A tear did come out though. "Don't trick me into admitting that! Anyway, as I was saying, it was more of a gradual thing."

"Oooh...wait, Ymir, aren't we setting up Jean and Chanel?" I asked the brunette, who in turn shrugged.

"They have possible chemistry, but these two idiots have it for sure. If rather help them out first. What'cha say, Mikasa? We got a deal?" Ymir stood up from the sofa and walked to Mikasa and I, holding her hand out for her to shake.

"...deal, but don't do anything extra." Mikasa glared, seemingly squeezing the brunettes hand.

"Alright, alright, I won't!" Ymir yanked her hand back, rubbing it with a pout. "....no promises. You can pay me back some other time."