Complexity- Armin x Reader

Chapter 22: By Chance

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Armin had gotten his hair cut that first day of summer, right before junior year. He felt iffy about the new look, but his spirits were lifted once Y/n gushed over how well it suited him.

It was now a month into summer, and Armin sighed as he sat atop the lifeguard tower and thought back to the conversation he had with Y/n that day, when she came to visit him at his first ever shift with his brand new look.

"You look really cool! Like uhh...like that guy in every beach movie that all of the girls want!"

Armin snorted.

"Ok, now you're just exaggerating," he chuckled.

Y/n was quick to object.

"N-No! I'm sure Armin. This is the year."

Armin hummed and tilted his head. "The year when what?"

"When you finally get a girlfriend and leave me and Eren and Mikasa behind on your rise to popularity."

The blue-eyed boy blinked.

Though the girl next to him was joking, Armin could have sworn that Y/n looked misty-eyed for a second.

But the look was then gone, and in the next moment, the girl smiled at him and nudged him in the ribs.

"Just kidding! You're stuck with us. Forever and ever and ever and ever--"

"Alright, I get the gist of it. I'm stuck with you guys for an eternity, unfortunately."

He grinned playfully as he covered Y/n's mouth up with his hand to get her to stop talking.

A muffled laugh spilled out of Y/n, and she removed Armin's hand from her mouth, holding onto it and studying it.

Y/n went quiet in her observation, and she traced gently along the boy's palm. Her lips quirked up naturally into an awkward smile, and she kept her focus on nothing but the hand.

She turned red.

"You look handsome, Armin."

That had been the most recent conversation that Armin had with Y/n in person.

He wished Y/n were there to keep him company again, but she already had plans with Jean that day.

His blue eyes turned cold as unwelcome feelings began to pool inside his chest.

He envied Jean. He felt as if Y/n were replacing him.

And Armin hated to feel this way. He knew that he and Jean weren't the best of friends, but he didn't want to hate the boy simply because Y/n hung out with him often.

He felt childish, and his feelings of jealousy were probably due to an underlying cause that he couldn't figure out.

There was only so much positive thinking within his being. He had run out of good things to think about, and his mind brewed up a storm of unpleasant thoughts, ranging from Y/n no longer speaking to him, to Y/n and Jean holding hands like she did with the blonde.

Armin closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to ward off the intrusive thoughts that were plaguing him on his job, which he decided to focus on. He opened his blue eyes and picked up the binoculars, scanning the beach and hoping that the people were safe.

A kid had gone a bit too far into the water and began to panic as he called out to his parents. He was flailing against the eternal waves, and slowly being carried out into the sea. Swiftly, Armin dropped the lens, grabbed the bright-red rescue board and descended the tower, sprinting towards the water at full speed. He dove in and easily cut into riptide's currents.