Bitter

•Eleven•

Once you got back to his apartment, your headache got even worse. It felt like you were moving through water; your heartbeat was pounding so violently it seemed to rattle your bones. You stumbled as you stepped through the door, but Armin was quick to catch you before you hit the ground.

"Let's get you to bed, Y/N." He urged.

He let you borrow a t-shirt and shorts before he tucked you in for the night. The vetiver and bergamot from his cologne enveloped you in the soft sheets and you fell asleep almost as soon as your head hit the pillow.

***

You woke up to Armin stirring in the kitchen. Sunlight filled the studio and danced across the cream colored walls. Your head ached still, but it was dull compared to last night.

You could have stayed cocooned in his blankets all day, but your bladder had different plans. With reluctance, you got up and set both feet on the ground, giving yourself a second to decide if you were steady enough to walk to the bathroom.

"Morning." Armin chirped as he took something from the dishwasher.

"Morning." You mumbled past him to the bathroom.

You didn't recognize the person looking back at you in the mirror. Mascara was smeared around your eyes like a raccoon and your lips were cracked and swollen. You did your best to clean it up and smooth your hair a little, but you didn't have any of your toiletries to work with. After you were satisfied with what little you could do, you left the bathroom to investigate what Armin was cooking up.

He was cracking eggs into a bowl at the kitchen counter. Rays of light fell on his hair, making it shine like pure gold. He really was so ethereally beautiful, it was painful. His pretty blue eyes flashed as he glanced at you, making your chest tighten even more.

"Would you like any help?" You asked quietly.

"You're recovering today, Shakespeare. I got it." He said teasingly.

The nickname instantly reminded you of the class you were supposed to be in."Fuck Armin, it's Thursday!" You cried as you flew to grab your keys and phone in hopes to make it to school before the class ended. The professor might take it easy on you if he heard your excuse.

"Hey, hey, it's fine," Armin assured, "I called us out for the day."

You stopped dead in your tracks and turned slowly. "How did you pull that off?" You asked incredulously.

"Don't worry about it and sit down on the couch." He ordered gently. You decided to obey and let the topic go, you were still too fatigued to argue- let alone go to class. A few moments later he brought you an omelette and a mug of coffee.

"Thank you." you murmured before digging in. You were hungrier than you thought. As Armin ate gracefully, you wolfed yours down like a starving pig. It wasn't a pretty sight, but with every ginormous bite you took, you felt less weak.

Once you finished, you set your plate on the table and sat back with your coffee. Armin had on a documentary about marine life in the Pacific Ocean. Glancing over, you couldn't help but smile at the starry eyed boy. He had stopped eating entirely to focus his attention to the orca whales hunting down seals.

"How's your head?" He chuckled, somehow fully aware you were staring at him. Blush started creeping up your neck and face with embarrassment.

"It feels... less bad, I guess?" You stammered lamely.

"Are you up for writing those stories?" He asked playfully.

"Even with a concussion I'll wipe you across the floor." You joked back.