empty spaces ~ armin x reader

chapter one // not alone

a/n: hi!! this is my first character x reader fanfic. i hope you guys enjoy this manipulative version of armin. the first few chapters are going to be fluffy with a little bit of angst. SPICE LATER ON ~ also this is going to be very short, so it won't be a slow burn. if you would like a slow burn armin x reader in the future... i mean. ;) this is just going to be short and well... you'll see what happens.

*update* yeah this actually ended up being a lot longer than i anticipated. please let me know if you catch any spelling or grammar errors. i'm currently editing this whole fanfic.

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED SEASON 4 ~ spoilers ahead

also, armin is roughly 19 NOT 15!! :/

i automatically love you for reading this. <3

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𝖎 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞𝖇𝖔𝖉𝖞 𝖇𝖊𝖈𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖎 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚

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"You smell like shit," Levi spat before slamming the creaky door, after which an eruption of dust showered the tenants.

Not the morning greeting I was expecting, but I'll take what I can get.

My eyes were assaulted by the rising sunshine. I didn't think any of us had gotten much sleep last night. Mikasa, as much as she reminds me of a stone statue during training, will kick the little rest you were trying to obtain out of sight. The best I could hope for was that the lack of sleep wouldn't catch up to me. That was the last thing I needed today.

Sasha already had her boots on and was shoving me upright before I knew what's happening.

"I can't wait any longer. Hurry up! I've been anticipating this meal since last night's dinner," Sasha exclaimed in a little food-induced daze.

I glanced at Sasha's pillow and see it's slick from salivating over meat in her dreams. I chuckled a little bit, but made a mental note to wash everything later before we leave.

I stretch my muscles out behind me and push my back into an arch as my spine cracks. My entire body is stiff from the extensive ODM gear training I was forced to endure for a second time. My role since the recapturing of Wall Maria had been based on strengthening relationships with foreign allies, and less oriented on titan slaughtering. I turned in my blades and took my seat in diplomacy meetings. I've learned that drinking wine with ambassadors isn't nearly as fun as tossing back bottles with Levi's squad around a campfire. I'd wondered if we'd all be together again, and not in the way of nodding to each other when our paths cross in the street.

I received the notice two days ago. Levi told me to prepare myself.

So I've spent the last eighteen hours trying to regain my ODM mobility skills. The majority of us have not seen a titan in the past few years, much less fight one.

I grab my Scouts jacket and tie it around my waist. Taking a deep breath, I shove myself off of the sturdy cot and make my way out of the makeshift cabins built along the coast. The salty air was something to marvel at. Though I've traveled to the coast several times to greet our foreign counterparts, I've never gotten accustomed to the sound of waves or the way you could smell the ocean in the breeze. We truly have been locked away from the world.

Nobody understood my constant thrill of discovering something new about this alien planet. Many people in our government were opposed to opening themselves up to the modern world. That was how Armin and I had reconnected. We both believed in a positive revolution of technology and advocated for growth. A new side of Armin was revealed during one of those debates, and from that moment on, I couldn't see him without thinking of the way his cheeks flushed and how his mouth moved fervently as he pushed the issues. It was comparatively different to the Armin I'd known during our Cadet training.