Complexity- Armin x Reader

Chapter 10: Wilting Before Blooming

"Answer me."

"I forgot about that, too."

Y/n subtly flinched at the sound of silverware coming down to clatter against a plate, her head tilted down towards her food not daring to look up at her surely-disappointed mother's face.

"Y/n, what is wrong with you? You have been forgetting to take your pills for weeks, when is this going to stop? You're in high school now, you should be more responsible." Her mother took on a tone that Y/n wasn't too fond of. She always hated upsetting her. She morbidly reflected on the fact that this was the first time she had dinner with her mother in weeks. And she had dropped the ball.

"I-I'm sorry." Y/n offered an apology in hopes of relieving the tainted atmosphere, but her mother pressed on with criticisms.

"What good is 'sorry' going to do? I don't want you to keep apologizing, I want you to fix this habit of yours, ok? Because the next time this happens, I'm grounding you. No more hangouts, no more sleepovers at Armin's. Understand?" The angry woman fixed a pointed expression towards the girl. Y/n nodded at her vigorously, not being able to stand the thought of not seeing her best blonde simply because she got in trouble.

As she was left alone by her mother at the dinner table, she replayed the argument over and over, wondering if maybe she could have spent more time with the woman if she hadn't mentioned her eating habits.

She continued to sit in silence, her food now cold. She tossed the remains of it into the trash and washed her plate before once again locking herself in her room, feeling the usual pang of disappointment.

She figured that December was always the hardest for her.

~♢~

Monday, December 20th

Y/n fiddled with the cream-colored scarf she was currently sporting, looking herself over in the mirror and wondering if she was being extreme with the way she was dressed. She wore a long, beige coat with a white-knit sweater underneath, accompanied with loose, light-blue jeans and her favorite pair of Converse. Now that she was ready to go, she walked into the living room and planted herself onto the couch, waiting for a certain someone to come pick her up.

It had been five minutes of scrolling through her phone before she heard a rhythmic knocking on the door. Putting on her mittens, she stood up, bringing along with her a small, burgundy purse with a single strap, and swiftly walked to the door, unlocking it and immediately being met with a broad grin as she shied behind the door.

"Ready for the mall?" Jean asked, lifting his eyebrows in question as he gripped onto the handles of his bike.

"Yup, thanks so much for this, I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you at all-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there. Just leave it at 'thanks', Y/n. And Jesus, do you look like winter incarnate." He laughed as Y/n stepped outside of the door, locking it behind her before turning to him and pouting.

"Well, not everyone has muscles that can keep them warm." Y/n huffed as she walked past him, already making her way onto the sidewalk with Jean quickly following.

"We gotta get you swole. And I've got just the thing." The tall boy unstrapped his backpack from his shoulders and pulled out a chocolate protein shake, shaking the bottle in his hand over at the girl next to him.

Y/n pursed her lips tightly and tried her best to keep a straight face, but she burst out laughing a moment later.

"Oh-Oh my gosh." She wheezed out while Jean looked at her in confusion. "Do you always carry those?" She asked incredulously, trying to recollect her breath.