The Gift of Memory (Armin Arlert x Reader|Modern AU)

12•Confession

The day went about as usual. Armin arrived at the park about the same time as usual. Though Y/N wasn't there, which made him wonder if she got into trouble with her parents yet again for staying out too late.

The rain made the chipped bark and showing dirt underneath wet, which the blonde made a mental note of. He went to sit in the swing he usually sat at, attempting his bests to avoid the puddle, when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Underneath the swing his friend usually sat at was something wooden sticking out, though it was very differently colored than the wood chips covering the ground. It was white, in fact.

Curiosity got the best of him, and he walked over to see what it was. Maybe it was something someone left and got buried, though it was unlikely. Maybe it was Y/N's?

He furrowed his eyebrows as he kneeled down to pull the wooden item from the ground.

It was revealed to be an old wooden box, painted white but a lot of the paint was chipping off. He inspected it for a name but couldn't find one. Only a broken lock on the front.

The box was probably between a foot and a foot-and-a-half, square. When he shook it, something was definitely inside. It wasn't much smaller than the box.

'I'm sorry for invading your privacy, whoever, but I'm curious...' He thought as he opened the box.

Inside lied a book inside a ziplock baggie. The blonde knitted his eyebrows and realized that someone must've put it there on purpose. 'Buried it to hide it, maybe?'

He opened the ziplock and pulled the book out. He stared at its dry, dark green cover. It looked very scuffed up and was peeling in some parts. Not to mention the papers looked uneven and it looked sewn together, like way back in the day. It was probably hand made by someone who couldn't find the right kind of book.

He opened the first page to a blank one. He also noted that the first few pages were laminated before being sewn on.

The short male turned the page to a pencil drawing. It was a petite boy, about high school or middle school age wearing some kind of uniform. He had a bob cut and was very feminine for a boy.

His eyes widened with realization. The drawing looked incredibly similar to him, but there was no way. That's just too abnormal for his boring life!

Underneath the drawing that was taped to the page and laminated cover read,
"Armin Arlert".

The first thing that popped to his mind was Y/N. But no. Coincidence, whoever made this must've been obsessed. It surely seemed that way, and Y/N's not the type to be creepy in that sense, she doesn't obsess over people. But flipping through the pages and seeing drawings and paintings becoming photographs then to the last one, a picture Y/N took of him with her Polaroid a few days after they met...

'This is definitely Y/N's... she's one hell of a stalker!' Was the only thing he could possibly think in the moment.

"Hey, Armin, what are you reading?"

He heard a such familiar voice and instantly closed the book, sweat forming at the side of his face. How could he not be nervous after seeing what was in that book. "A-ah, nothing, just some weird book Jean gave me." He forced out a laugh.

The girl entered the playground as he placed the book by his side and held it tightly. "How was the skating rink with everyone?" He tried to act normally.

"Hm, it was interesting. Afterwards, Mikasa took me to her house and we watched a movie." She paused for a moment, noticing how weird he was acting. "Then Mikasa pulled a board game out of her closet. It was the one where you put a bunch of objects inside of a guy, and then you have to take them out with tweezers." The way Y/N described the game titled 'Operation' honestly made Armin chuckle, despite how anxious he was. It couldn't be Y/N's book, she's too pure.