empty spaces ~ armin x reader

chapter two // tangled in bed

The door swung open and I heard the clamor of boots.

The moment dissolved and Armin pulled back immediately, suddenly looking more flushed than usual. The swiftness of his retreat made it seem like we were caught doing something we weren't supposed to. Is that where this was going? I would never know.

"Hey, Armin and y/n," Sasha said, wiping a sheen of sweat off her brow. We weren't the only ones Levi was working to death.

"Why the hell do you guys get to play bedbugs while the rest of us have to load the craft?" Connie whined but was grinning all the same.

"Would you like to dust floors in stuffy rooms, Con?" I snapped teasingly. I stood up and felt the straps of my uniform readjust. It's been a while since I've felt the increasing tightness of the straps wrapped up and down my legs.

"Ha, I'd do better than your lazy ass. I mean tangling with Armin and complaining about the heat isn't hard or anything! I'd take that job any day," Connie winked and burst out laughing.

I opened my mouth to reply, but Armin stepped in. He sat beside me on the mattress as he spoke.

"Connie, don't act like Levi didn't send you in here too because you were screwing around and broke some valuable shit." Armin leaned back on the mattress with his elbows and lifted his eyebrows at Connie.

Connie flushed and Sasha doubled over with laughter.

"He dropped equipment on JEAN'S FOOT!" Sasha wheezed, her eyes were beginning to water from laughing so hard.

"TO BE FAIR-" Connie began to defend himself, but the rest of us were too busy cracking up to listen.

During my time working on Levi's squad, this was our group. Sasha, Connie, Mikasa, Eren, Armin, and me. Well, we weren't an exclusive group because Sasha and Connie typically did their own thing, but I considered them my friend group because I'd never had that before. I secretly despised most of them though. Armin and I were always pushed to the sidelines. Sometimes it felt like just the two of us. Those moments with him were a catalyst for my growing feelings.

Armin was perceptive. He took pleasure in quiet acknowledgment of his companion's obscured feelings. He read people like their thoughts were written on a sheet of parchment. Everyone was vulnerable to his observance, except me.

"Y/n, for such an opinionated person, you don't really let your true feelings brush the surface," Armin said once during one of those moments where nothing existed besides us.

I didn't know what he meant.

"I'm just hard to read, I guess," I replied with a shrug.

Armin shook his head, and his sandy blonde bangs fell in his eyes.

My eyes stung with tears from my convulsive laughter. Connie pretended to be pissed at us, but he was laughing too. Armin grabbed my shoulder and straightened himself out.

I kicked the broom in Connie's direction. "Pick up the pace, slacker."

Connie started repeating my words in a mocking voice under his breath. I rolled my eyes at him. Some things never changed. Connie's immaturity was one of them. I loved that little fucker though.

Each of us picked up a broom and continued sweeping sand out from under the furniture. Everything was bare and stifling, but that's such a small inconvenience that I barely even registered it as I listened to Connie and Sasha ramble on. I fell into step as I let myself enter my fifteen-year-old mindset. I would never think of rolling my eyes at one of my official companions, but it was those childish habits that came back to me around my friends. We were each other's escape.