catalyst ⋆˙⟡ nerd!armin arlert x reader

chapter 8

You were rendered silent for a moment. 

The guy beside Eren was undeniably handsome. A sharp jaw and deep-set eyes, not to mention he was huge, not just in size but in height. Eren was tall, but this guy was even taller, with broad muscles that showed through his shirt, which might as well have been suffocating him.

"Hey," You managed, as Connie came up behind you and opened the door fully.

He nudged you out of the way with his hip. "Sorry, she just woke up and hasn't figured out how to form full sentences yet. We're working on it."

You rolled your eyes and walked into the kitchen, leaning on the counter next to Sasha, who was still hunched over the sink. "Why is Eren here, and why did he bring Bigfoot?"

Sasha snorted and looked over. "Connie owed Eren a meal for some reason, and that's Reiner, he's also on the soccer team, and the football team."

"Of course he is," You thought, looking over to where he and Eren were standing, joking around with Connie. You felt your heart beat faster as he smiled. It would be a waste not to have him on the field as much as possible.

Sasha nudged you, wiping her hands off. "They'll be in and out of here. Connie said they weren't going to stay for long, some sort of soccer party happening tonight."

You nodded, looking over at them again, and much to your horror, Reiner was looking back.

"As if today couldn't get any more embarrassing," You thought, turning back to Sasha, red in the face. You'd meant to come home and rant about the audacity of Biology Blonde, but she had been studying when you got back, and sleep was taunting your eyelids the second you changed out of your people clothes and into your at-home wear.

You would tell her later, once everyone had left.

Connie called your name, and you looked over your shoulder. "Come over here, tell Eren and Reiner what you said about the soccer team the other day."

Mouth dry, and ego slowly deflating, you walked over to Connie's side, and he slung his arm around your shoulder. Eren looked good, and slightly evil, as expected. His hair was back in a bun, as it was yesterday, and he had on a loose black shirt, as well as a pair of grey sweatpants. You understood where Mikasa was coming from.

Reiner looked just as good, wearing a white shirt and black sweats, as if he and Eren had been hanging out before this, and it was a minor pit stop in their plans. He nodded at you.

You contemplated jumping out the nearest window, seeing as you hadn't bothered to wipe the sleep from your eyes, or any other part of you.

Connie squeezed your shoulder. "Tell 'em what you said at the coffee shop."

You looked over at him. "I probably shouldn't,"

He laughed and squeezed you again. "It's funny, they'll laugh."

"Not that funny," You thought. Reiner looked like he could pick you up and toss you from the nearest elevated surface like you were nothing but a pebble, and if Eren's reputation proceeds him, he could probably bitch you out with little to no effort.

"He's hyping this up too much," You said to the two of them, and Reiner smirked. "It's really not funny."

Eren shrugged. "We'll pity laugh if it isn't, won't leave you hanging like that."

Connie nudged you. You rolled your eyes. "I said you guys seemed like sore losers."

A beat of silence rolled through the room before a smile, an actual smile, broke out on Eren's face, and he started laughing, like actually laughing, and Reiner chuckled, looking down.