Complexity- Armin x Reader

Chapter 11: The Backdrop

He muttered under his breath.

"Fuck, this just got more complicated."

~♢~

The smooth, wooden desk was cool to the touch under Armin's anxious fingertips. He rustled in his seat as he shrugged off his black jacket, revealing the cream-colored long sleeve that he wore underneath it. He grabbed his pen on the desk and tapped it against his thick, red notebook, propping his arm up to rest his cheek against the palm of his hand. Pensive, blue eyes stared off into the sea of whiteboard at the front of the room, not paying any mind to entering classmates or idle teen conversation. He instead recalled his short conversation with Eren during the final minutes of P.E.

"Hey, buddy. You doing alright?"

To which Armin of course replied with "yes" and left it at that. Unfortunately for him, though, Eren pressed on.

"You didn't look ok before school started when Y/n and Jean were talking about the new AOT volume. You think they're going out?"

Armin rolled his eyes at the memory of Eren's question. He knew his friend was always quick to make assumptions, especially wild ones. But the blonde did admittedly feel something unnerving at the sight of Jean and Y/n conversing. Something that he didn't used to feel when they did make small talk in the past.

He puffed out a small breath, hating that Eren's belief got in his head and was starting to make him feel jealous of a relationship that was probably not even real.

He twirled the pen around his fingers and clicked it lightly against the desk. He just wanted class to start already so that he could replace his mind's current muse.

The metal creaking of a door opening resounded through the class room, and a moment later, Y/n appeared in a blur. She set her things down on the desk next to Armin, taking off her plaid-patterned scarf and folding it neatly onto the table.

"Hey, sorry I couldn't walk to class with you. I had to use the bathroom and thank goodness the line was short or else I wouldn't have made it here on time." Y/n turned to Armin and gave him a sweet smile, nearly killing the boy in the process. The blonde simply shook his head and waved her off.

"It's fine. So...have you read the manga yet?" He knew she had, seeing as how Armin had overheard Y/n zealously discussing it with Jean over breakfast muffins. He simply did not want to bring it up and mention the fact that he had, embarrassingly enough, kept an eye on the two.

Y/n's eyes brightened, and she looked at Armin in joy.

"Oh my gosh, yes! Did you?!"

He smiled at the sudden pep in her demeanor.

"I read it right after you went back home on Christmas morning. I couldn't help myself."

"I mean, who could? But what did you think? It was pretty crazy to me."

"Same. The author is pretty ambitious. But I really liked the part where-"

Mid sentence, Armin was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. He and Y/n looked up to see Hitch Dreyse waving her hand at the two of them, twisted in her seat that was right in front of them, trying to catch their attention. Armin, confused, spoke.

"Hey, Hitch. What's up?"

"Could I borrow a pen? I think I left mine in my first period class, ugh. Plus, you two nerds always seem prepared, so I assume you have some pens to spare." She batted her eyes at Armin, as if to further persuade him despite her somewhat offensive comment.

The blonde, feeling slightly perturbed, blinked at Hitch before faltering in his response.

"Uh, sure."