𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸'𝚖 𝙶𝚘𝚗𝚎 | 𝙰. 𝙰𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚝

•14•

"Was dinner okay? I can go get you something else?" Armin gives you a look of concern as he sits on the edge of your bed facing you.

"It was good," you set your plate aside. "You're the one who hasn't really eaten yet. Why don't you go get something?"

Armin shrugs. "I just don't have an appetite I guess."

"You scarfed that half a sandwich down pretty fast," you point out. "Maybe you should go eat something even if you don't want to. You don't want to get malnourished. Who knows when Marley will retaliate."

"I'll be okay," he sighs and gets to his feet. "I guess I should go turn in my report though."

Before you could think, the words were already leaving your mouth. "You're going?" There was a hint of desperation and disappointment in your tone.

"I don't have too," Armin stops beside your chair and looks over at you. "Did you want me to stay?"

"Well no," you try to cover for your previous comment, but then this one just comes out rude. "I mean- You should go do your work. I don't want to keep you from that, I just liked not being alone I guess. It's kind of boring sitting in here in this room."

"I can see about getting you some books," Armin smiles reassuringly.

You nod.

He scratches his forehead. "I'll see what I can do to help you out. I know it must be hard. I want to make this as easy for you as I can. Just be patient with me, okay?"

"Armin," you feel a sense of annoyance bubble up inside you from his words. "I should be the one asking you to be patient with me. I haven't forgiven you. At all. I'm just needing to make this situation a little easier on myself and if that means I have to play nice, then I will. But I haven't forgiven or forgotten what you've done."

"I didn't think you would," Armin shakes his head with guilt. "I'm willing to wait for you to come around."

"And what happens if I don't?"

"Then... that's okay," Armin lets out a shaky breath and gives you a weak smile. "Having met you was enough for me. And you being safe is all I could ask."

You let his words sink in and you force yourself not to be effected by them. Armin admitting that meeting you was something special to him sends a jolt of happiness through you. But you can't tell him that because you need to focus on anything else but your heart in the situation you're in. Once you let him worm his way back in to your heart, there's no going back.

But you're starting to think he never left your heart in the first place.

"You should go turn in your report," you swivel on your chair and turn away from him. "Thanks for dinner."

Armin takes a couple steps closer to you and leans over to grab your tray of food. You can feel his chest brush up against your shoulder and it sends shivers down your spine.

"Have a goodnight," he mutters quietly beside your ear, then stands back up and takes himself and the tray of empty dishes out of the room.

After he leaves you slump down in your chair and tilt your head back with exhaustion. You wish you could've been a little nicer, but you meant what you said to him. You truly haven't forgiven him.

You also didn't want Armin thinking everything is find. Because it's not. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours since the big disaster is Liberio and you've yet to see why Paradis isn't the threat they've been made out to be.

~ 3 days later ~

Morning came slowly. You were tossing and turning all night with nightmares and when you'd awaken your mind was full of thoughts.