The Library (Armin Arlert x Reader)

Chapter 36

((100k OH MY GOD THANK YOU SO MUCH OH MY GOFIXJCJNSNZBSBXBXHCBSN IM ACTUALLY FILLED WITH EXCITEMENT. THANK YOU SO.MUCH FOR READING. THANK YOU.))

Mikasa, Armin, and I walked into the kitchen where Carla was scolding the three boys for running around. As if they were children. She looked up to the three of us and that scolding face of hers dropped, quickly turning into a smile.

"(Y/N)! It's lovely to see you again, hun!" She set down the spatula she was using as a beating weapon for the boys and walked over to me, arms open, pulling me into a hug. She was so warm.

"Hey, Ms. Jeager! Thank you for letting me stay." I slowly returned the hug.

"Mhm, any time!" She nodded as she pulled away from the embrace, then hugging Armin and Mikasa. "You all an go set up your rooms now. Zeke will be here soon, his room is on this first floor so that's the only one off limits...as well Grisha and I's room, of course."

Armin took my hand in his and the five of us headed off to pick a room. We each get our own, but I think I'd rather share a room with Armin....Fuck. 'How do I bring that up without embarrassing myself?'

"Um, you guys can go on ahead. I've got something to tell Armin." I gestured for them to walk away and they did- Minus Jean looking back to wink at us.

"I swear, Jeanie can read me like a piece of fucking paper." I mumbled in annoyance as I spoke to Armin, who nodded his head in agreement.

"Why is it that you call him Jeanie again?" Armin asked, raising a brow skeptically. "You have a thing for nicknames that end in 'ie', like blondie?"

I scoffed. "....y'know what, maybe I subconsciously do. Huh." I raised my brows."Whatever. Anyway! It's cause he called me girlie for whatever reason...it's like my dumb little comeback." I shrugged, then remembering what I wanted to ask him.

"Oh! So, um...I was thinking...maybe we could share a room?" I looked down to our hands to avoid facing any possible rejection. "If you want."

Armin chuckled, gently grabbing my hand with his own.

"You don't have to be so shy about it! Of course I will." God, he's so adorable."We've already fucked so we sort-of skipped the bed sharing step." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Okay, did not need to hear that." A familiar voice spoke from the beginning of the hall. Turning back, I recognized the blonde who stood awkwardly.

Zeke.

He frowned upon seeing me, I already know he feels guilty about killing me. He never tries to talk to me directly, unless I'm part of a conversation.

We also haven't made eye contact since we first met.

Though, there's one question that's been bothering me.

How does he recognize me? Sure, he killed me, but we were never face to face. I died way before we could meet- if that was ever an option...I don't know what happened after I died.

It bothers me.

"Hey Armin." Zeke approached up, shaking Armin's hand. "Where's Eren?"

"How do you recognize me?" I straight up asked him. He flinched, finally acknowledging my existence. He sighed out, rolling up his sleeves and crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't know if I should say."

Armin was glaring up at him.

"....nevermind, okay, cool. I'll tell you. We can talk about it in the second living room."

Zeke's POV (he's telling the story to you two, but it's describe from his POV at the time of telling it. Spoiler warning for the manga, but it was already shown in s4 That Zeke was working with them. I'm just making this scene up for when he first starts working with them and meets Armin.)):

"Ah, you're the young boy who ate Bertholdt." I smirked down to the short blonde, who turned to me startled. When his big eyes settled on me, they narrowed into a glare. "What? Have we met before?"

"I don't have any particular interest in socializing with you besides for Eren." The younger blonde spoke, turning his back to me.

"Look, I don't know what I could've possibly done to anger you so-"

He turned slightly, looking up at me with annoyance before pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket and holding it in front of my face.

He said nothing.

On that paper was a drawing of a young girl beside what looked to be Armin. The two were smiling, the drawing was colorless. I turned the photo back to see if there was anything else on it.

I squinted down to the paper, pushing my glasses up my nose. Below it, there was another two paragraphs with different handwriting. It was clearly a love letter of sorts.

"....I don't recognize that name- hey, ow!" I touched the top of my head, he had thrown a rock at me, knocking off my precious glasses.

Then...I realized.

"Was it the day I killed your commander?" I bent over to pick up my glasses. "I'm sorry i don't recall. She's just another face to me—"

"Just another face?" A second voice rose up. I stood up and recognized the tall young man, who strolled angrily to the blonde and I. He seemed upset, cheeks and ears red with anger.

"Jean, right?" I tilted my head up as he approached me, handing the paper over to Armin who carefully took it into his own hands. "Look, that was four years ago-" I was shoved back by him, and I barely was able to catch my balance.

"(Y/N) wasn't just another face, you damn ape!" He was about to throw a punch at me, but Eren got inbetween us, facing Jean and glaring up at him.

"Jean, relax! (Y/N) was a close friend to all of us, but this isn't the confrontation we need right now!" He shouted.

"Don't just act like she wasn't your friend, too!" Jean countered, glaring down at Eren. "If it wasn't for him, she would still be here right now! Fighting with us, eating with us— laughing with us...." His voice began to shake as his eyes welled up with tears. Eren fell silent, looking down to the dirt ground.

Looking back to Armin, he continued to stare right through me, into my very soul.

Your POV:

"That's how I recognized you. I mean, how could I forget? They rubbed it into my face every single day." Zeke groaned. "They always told me stories about you to make me feel bad...and it worked."

I nodded, looking to Armin.

"I don't know how to face you, knowing that I killed you."

"I can tell. You still haven't looked me in the eye. I promise, I'm not scary. Especially not if a rock ended my life."