(A/N:) upcoming season two spoilers!
It was a humid summer night and Armin couldn't sleep. He'd tossed and turned, maybe caught the occasional glimpse of a dream or nightmare before coming back to consciousness. But it was too hot and his sheets were too sticky with the humidity and sleep was running away from him at a considerably fast pace. His mind had been turning as much as his body had, flipping from one subject to another, like some movie he didn't want to be watching. Flashbacks, memories, everything that isn't helpful when trying to fall asleep.
But Armin's mind kept straying back to one topic in particular. One that was swarming with questions. This happened every night. His stomach would churn with worry and his heart would reach out in the dark for something he hadn't named. If he put too much thought into it, he knew he probably wouldn't like what he found and decided it was safer to ignore it. You couldn't get distracted by something you didn't know was there.
But it was times like these, when his mind wasn't occupied by a mission or a conversation that it often returned to that unknown something that made his heart flutter. It was bittersweet — an unbearable mix of happiness and pain that was overwhelming when he focused on it. Amin had felt this way for awhile. But still, he tried to escape it.
He turned over in his false sleep, as if maybe when he turned his back on it, it would disappear. But the worry returned and anxiety squeezed at his heart until he was opening his eyes and getting out of bed. He didn't think about where he was going, but his feet led him down the castle's corridors and down the stairs, the cool stone a relief from the seemingly endless heat. The gentle torchlight illuminated the iron of the cell bars and the curve of a shoulder under the sheets.
Amin was suddenly struck by the stupidity of this idea. It was late, he was probably asleep. He stirred before shuffling over to his other side and Armin took a moment of silent admiration. He traced every feature of his face in the torchlight. His chestnut hair, the lashes that hid emerald green eyes, the soft curve of his mouth. Armin shifted his weight, gripping the iron bars that kept them apart. Why did they have to keep him down here? Locking him up like some animal?
But Armin knew the answer to that. They were just afraid of him. Though Armin wanted to tell them they were wrong, that he'd known his friend his entire life and knew he wasn't what they should be scared of, he couldn't. He understood why the fear existed and it was completely rational. It just wasn't necessary.
He let out a gentle sigh, turning to leave, his feet scuffling gently against the stone floor. "Armin?" a husky voice called out and the blond turned back to the cell. He gave a soft smile, taking a step closer, the keys jingling quietly in his hand. "Hey, Eren." he greeted softly. He didn't know why he was speaking so quietly — everyone was upstairs, probably fast asleep. He sat up, rubbing idly at his face. "What are you doing here?"
Armin blushed, that same old feeling burning in his chest. He honestly had no idea why he was here. It was his lack of sleep and his thoughts; his clenching heart and wandering feet. That's why he was here. But his mouth moved for him and he said, "I wanted to see you."
The brunet didn't respond and Armin brought the key up to the lock on the door. He swung it open and cringed at the not so quiet creak, not bothering to close it behind him. He walked over to the flimsy cot Eren called a bed and sat beside him, his eyes downcast. He didn't know what to say. There wasn't much to say. So he sat in silence before his erratic brain came up with something. "How've you been holding up?"
He wasn't sure what he meant. There were so many things going on, so much that had happened to them, that he didn't know what he was referring to. Maybe Eren's kidnapping, maybe Hannes' death; either way, Eren bit his lip and Armin knew it wasn't good. "Fine."
