Complexity- Armin x Reader

Chapter 17: The State of Constant

"Gee, thanks, Eren." Armin said sarcastically.

Eren smiled goofily.

"You're welcome, buddy."

But then the brunette thought back to what Jean had said to him about a week ago.

"We need to call off the bet."

Eren had asked him why, and Jean had shook his head, not really saying much to the brunette except for something that made no sense.

"Armin either likes her or he doesn't. He's gotta figure that out."

After Jean walked away, Eren was left with a huge mystery to figure out. He was very annoyed with the boy for not elaborating further, but he supposed he could try to piece the puzzle together.

"You like Y/n, right, Armin?" he questioned, feeling a bit lost. He always knew that Armin did, but after what Jean said, he was confused.

Armin pressed his lips together and looked away.

"I think you already know the answer to that, Eren."

"Yes, but I need to hear you say it to believe it," Eren looked Armin in the eye and the blonde got flustered.

"E-Eren, you've seen the way I act around her. Isn't that confirmation enough?"

"Armin..."

"Ok, fine! I'm head over heels for her! I'm crazy about her! I like her a lot! Happy?" Armin looked at Eren wildly with the brightest of reds on his face. His arms were outstretched in a grand, exaggerated gesture and his blue eyes were looking straight at Eren seriously enough for the brunette to be convinced.

Eren heard the strong conviction in the boy's voice and cracked a smile at the theatrics.

"Yes, I'm very happy, lover-boy."

Armin turned his head from Eren and punched him weakly on the shoulder.

"What was the point in asking me that?"

"Some things aren't adding up, that's why." Eren mused to himself and went quiet as a million thoughts raced through his head. Armin, puzzled at the statement, narrowed his blue eyes onto his friend.

"What do you mean?"

Eren simply hunched over in his seat and set his elbows at the top of his knees, bringing his hands together and slightly shaking his head. His lips were spread taut and he looked down at his beat up shoes.

"Have you done anything to upset Y/n lately? Did you guys get into a fight or something?"

It was a question that surprised Armin, and the blonde froze.

He knew he hadn't done anything to purposefully hurt the girl. He would never want to bring his best friend grief. But he wondered if he had done something accidentally to ward off Y/n.

"We've never fought before. But maybe I came on too strong on Valentine's Day? I did write her a pretty sappy note..." Armin twiddled with his fingers and his eyes drooped in concern.

"I guess, but she wrote you one that was just as sappy. You told me how reading it made you feel all warm and fuzzy. And also, you were hugging that tiny envelope and going crazy over it like some lovesick school girl-"

"OK, ok, I get it, Eren. Y-You don't have to say more, thanks."

Eren wasn't getting any closer to uncovering the meaning behind Jean's words. He heaved a sigh and decided to move forward.

"Well, you just gotta keep trying to hang out with her and see what's going on. That's the best thing I can think of." Eren then fell back into the couch and gave himself a break from the exhausting investigation, leaving Armin feeling unsatisfied with that plan, but there wasn't really much he could think of doing. The blonde joined Eren and plopped backwards into the couch, breathing deeply, feeling the building pressure in his chest as a quiet melancholy settled into his being.