Almost Normal

Chapter 15

A/N- Wow! I'm so shocked that I am getting so many new readers every day! I hope that you all enjoyed the last chapter because this one is going to be cuteness overload! I have had this chapter planned from the very beginning, so I'm sorry if it gets kinda long ;) so without further ado, Chapter 15! Happy Reading!-Zenovia

Armin's POV

Chapter 15

As the rest of the week passed by, all I could worry about was Eren and Mikasa. I couldn't stand knowing that they were in house of abuse and I couldn't do anything to protect them. Mikasa had texted me the day after Eren and I Skyped, and she tried to assure me that they would be fine, that the both of them had dealt with this kind of torture for as long as they could remember. As much as I wanted to believe her, my stomach still churned unhappily whenever I thought about what was actually going on in that forsaken house. I paced up and down the hallways of my grandpa's little house, thinking about how I could try and help the duo, but my mind always came to a blank screen. I groaned in frustration, which earned a strange glance from my grandfather. "Sorry." I gave him a little smirk to try and reassure him that I was okay. 

I still hadn't told my grandfather about my feelings for Eren, or the nightmares I've been having almost every month. I didn't want to inconvenience him with all of my problems, when he had his own to deal with. My grandfather owned a library downtown, and recently many shops down in that area have been getting robbed, so my grandfather's stress levels have been higher than usual. Although, my grandfather is a persistent man, so even though I told him that I was okay multiple times during the week, he still asked me how I was doing every day, as if he was expecting a different answer. 

After a few more minutes of pacing up and down the narrow hallway, I heard my grandfather call out for me. "Armin, can you come over here please?" I sighed in knowing what was about to happen. I walked over to the older man, and sat on the couch next to him. He turned his fragile body towards mine. "Armin, I know that I've been asking you this question every day since you arrived here, but I'm still going to ask you again. I care about you too much for you to wallow away in this depressed state. Are you okay?" My grandfather said. I looked into his hazel grey eyes, and knew that I probably should just tell him everything, especially since I was leaving tomorrow afternoon to go back to the campus for New Years Eve. 

I explained everything that was going on in Mikasa and Eren's home. How I was constantly worried for them during break. I told him about my terrorizing nightmares that haunted me as I slept. But when I got to the topic of Eren, I suddenly couldn't find my words. My grandfather looked at me with a questioning glance, "Is that everything Armin?" I shook my head. "No, there's one more thing. I-I just can't seem to explain it." I closed my eyes and tried to think of why I fell in love with the brunette in the first place. He was my everything. I looked up at my grandfather, and told him the story of how Eren and I first met. I told him of all of our little adventures together. I explained to him about the weird sensations that pulsed in my heart whenever Eren looked at me. I even told my grandfather of our secret kiss we shared together, although it probably didn't mean anything since he was just giving me a chance to have a first kiss. Nothing more and nothing less. At the end of the rant about Eren, my grandfather looked up at me with his kind eyes, and only said the few words that I needed him to say. "You're in love with him, aren't you?" Tears started to swell into my eyes as I nodded my head. Before I could utter another word, my grandfather pulled my into his arms, and held me there for a very long time. I could hear his ragged heartbeat, and I felt a little safer. 

"Your parents would be so proud of you, Armin." My grandfather whimpered. I stared back at the old man, "Why do you say that?" I questioned him. My grandfather smiled at me and replied, "Because you have become so much stronger these past years, Armin. You've faced so many hardships in your life, and now you're finally able to be you. You've found somebody who makes you happy just by their smile. All your parent's ever wanted was for you to be happy, and now that you are, it probably makes them very proud for them to be able to call you their son. They loved you so much, Armin. I know they are proud of you." I started sobbing into my grandfather's arms. "I-I miss them so much." I said shakily. My grandfather started to rub my back to calm me down, "I know Armin, I miss them too. But they wouldn't want you to cry over them right now. You have so much life left to live, and they wouldn't want you to waste that. They would want you to smile and laugh. They would want you to fall deeper in love with Eren, and tell him how you feel. They would just want you to be happy." "I know" I said into his shoulder. I lifted myself off of him, and nodded my head. I laughed a little bit and my grandfather was laughing right with me. He hugged me once more, until we finally stood up from the couch. "You should go to sleep, Armin. You have a big day tomorrow." My grandfather winked at me. "Yeah, I will. Thank you, for everything grandpa." He looked at me with his kind eyes, and nodded.