Sasha and Niccolo sat at the breakfast bar Eren once sat at. Armin wandered around the kitchen on the other side mindlessly baking as he innocently answered questions shooting from mainly Sasha. Eren followed suit, wandering around taking pictures whenever he felt fit, maybe a couple too many, but he couldn't help but smile at Armin's every move.
"Oh, I forgot to ask in the beginning," Sasha began while laughing at her stupidity, "why did you learn to bake?"
Armin tensed slightly at the question. In truth he had learned because his grandfather was trying to make an attempt at helping him to regain his desire to enjoy food and eat. Armin had lost it when his parents died. He missed the homemade cakes his mom would make and the way his father cooked dinner every night, he missed the family behind the food. As he moved through middle school his disdain towards food shifted towards vanity. He couldn't quite explain it but he felt as though every time he ate the entire world looked down upon him. The sky peered over him in disgust and he hated that feeling. The fear of changing was overwhelming and he was determined to stay as thin as he was as a kid, in an attempt to hold onto who he was when his parents were alive. It was a combination of things. Baking unfortunately enhanced his previous ideals, it made it easier to pretend to eat. The excuse could always be "I spent all day baking; I ate as I went along". Truthfully, he did do this sometimes, it just always resulted in him sending himself over the toilet. In Armin's grandfather's head, his attempt at helping his grandson repair his relationship with food again worked, Armin planned to keep it this way. He was determined to keep everything to himself. He gripped the cake pan in his hand tightly. Before he realized the spatula in the other had fallen. Unknowing to Armin, Eren had been standing on the other side of the kitchen leaning against the black and white tiled counter, watching as this happened. He furrowed his brows in confusion but Armin shot him a weary smile clearly trying to cover up the anxiety quelling within.
"How could you forget the most important question," Armin laughed as he picked up the spatula, "I guess I didn't start for a particular reason. Like anyone I love sweets and wanted to learn to make them. My grandpa used to bake so I begged him to teach me and here we are!"
Eren watched as Armin composed himself going back to pouring batter into three pans. He believed none of what Armin just said but kept it to himself as he continued to snap pictures. Eren had become good at observing people having grown up the way he did. Levi had been his main guardian for the majority of his childhood, he learned to pick up on micro expressions because of this. Grateful for this now, he shot Armin a thumbs up before snapping a picture head on.
A couple hours had passed by the time Armin finished. Among the icing work sat atop the cake, Armin had delicately written "Food Now", dedicating this cake to them. Sasha peered over his shoulder in awe practically drooling. Armin let out an exhausted sigh,
"It's finally finished!" he exclaimed; his voice laced with pride. He took a step back smiling at his work before looking at the others. Eren took some final pictures before patting Armin on the back in congratulations.
"How could we ever eat such a pretty cake", Sasha was about a centimeter away from the cake, taking in all of his delicious chocolate aroma.
"You could devore anything Sasha, don't even" Niccolo joked as he lightly punched her shoulder. She laughed putting her hands up as to surrender while Armin pulled out three plates. Carefully he served three slices of cake, one for everyone except himself. The knife slid through the cake like butter, revealing beautifully deep chocolate layers.
"Are you not going to eat any?", Armin hardly understood Sasha as she spoke with her mouth overflowing with cake.
He shook his head before beginning, "I had a big breakfast, I'm just happy you guys like it so much!" His cheeks were tinged with pink as he excitedly put his hands together. Eren glanced at him before cutting his own piece in half picking up a bite on his fork.
"At least have a little, you've worked hard", he held up his full fork to Armin.
Armin's blush deepened as he found it hard to say no to him. Erens green eyes glowed in the light of his kitchen looking directly into Armins blue ones with determination, he knew he couldn't get out of this one. He swallowed hard before accepting the dessert into his mouth. His stomach cramped in hunger as he teased it with the bit of cake he ate. The four of them chatted amongst themselves as they ate their cake. Before he realized Armin had finished the half Eren had cut for him. Guilt rushed into him like a racing river as he unconsciously gripped at his stomach. Loudly Sasha laughed at something Eren had said before glancing to look at Armin.
"HAHA ARMIN DID YOU HEAR THA-", she cut herself off upon seeing his face, "are you okay?"
Her question startled Armin; he jumped a bit in his seat to see the three of them looking at him.
"You look a bit pale" Niccolo added to Sasha's concern, Eren worryingly looked at him. Armin laughed it off shaking his hands.
"Ah sorry! I just remembered about an assignment, it's got me a bit stressed", he scratched the back of his head as Sasha began to tease him about being forgetful.
"We better get out of your hair then!" she said as she ended her bout of teasing.
Eren knew Armin was lying, although he didn't know him well yet, he was a pretty bad liar and they didn't need to be close for that to be as clear as glass to Eren. Sasha and Niccolo got up and walked to the door, they thanked Armin and exchanged a few business things before leaving. Eren said he'd catch up with them, he stayed back to talk to Armin a bit. There was something about Armin that drew Eren in and he couldn't place his finger on it. Armin felt similarly about Eren.
"Are you actually okay?" Eren looked at Armin with such sincerity as he stood in his doorway, Armin's heart palpitated as he began to lie through his teeth.
"I am really, you saved me remember", he tried his best to smile genuinely at Eren. He watched as Erens shoulders relaxed. Briefly he forgot about the past events but the memory of eating the chocolate cake struck Armin like lightning and he knew he needed to get Eren out.
"Whatever you sa-" Armin cut him off
"If you ever need saving here's my number," He really did want to continue to talk to Eren, but his body and mind seemed to have other plans.
Armin took the phone that was lousy gripped in Eren's hands, inputting his number. Eren stood somewhat confused by Armin's urgency but didn't pry. He watched as the color drained from Armin's face, he gripped the door harder.
"I'll see you around Eren, thank you for today!" And with a strained smile he closed the door in Eren's face.
He felt bad but he didn't have much time to dwell over it as he ran to the small bathroom located in his apartment. Roughly his knees collided with the tile as he sunk his head into the toilet bowl. With one hand he wrapped it around his waist in disparity as tears fell down his face.
"S-stop" He pleaded to himself in between sobs.
But he knew he couldn't stop himself. The urge far outweighed logic and In one swift movement he shoved two fingers down his throat gagging dryly as he curled over the toilet. He sobbed as he retched over and over again dispelling the cake and small breakfast he had eaten. Armin felt disgusted by himself as he sobbed on the frigid bathroom tile.
Eren watched as Armin closed the door in his face. He knew Armin was lying but decided not to continue considering they had just met. Glancing at the phone Armin placed back into his hand moments ago, he grinned. Excited to go through the collage of photos he had just taken, he began the trek home.
Mikasa greeted Eren home with a hug. He couldn't help but notice a new busted lip and purple bruise that organized themselves on her soft skin. Looking over her shoulder, he saw Annie sitting at the dining table in a similar state. Levi sat at the end blinking sharply at the paper sat in front of him.
"What's going on, are you okay?" Eren whispered in her ear as she pulled away from their hug. He watched as she stiffened upon his ask.
Mikasa shrugged before looking up at Eren, "I'm fine."
Her response was short and cold. It was enough to worry Eren as she led him to the table Annie and Levi sat at. Eren pulled at the chair across Levi, it squeaked on the ground breaking the silence before Levi spoke coarsely.
"There's a mole," Eren thought his sentence was over, but unexpectedly Levi continued, "there is a fucking traitor and I don't know who the fuck it is!"
Eren almost never heard Levi yell, he began to understand the multitude of the situation. Mikasa and Annie kept their heads down.
"How did you find out", he shocked himself asking that so quickly after Levi spoke, but he decided it would anger Levi more if he didn't ask.
"The people Annie and I went to investigate", Mikasa began wearily, "we heard them discussing it or whatever."
Annie finished the story hearing Mikasa's shaking voice, "They caught us, there weren't many of them so we were able to get out with just a few scratches," Eren scoffed at the words spoken, he didn't consider a busted lip and bruise the size of a baseball "a few scratches" but he let her continue, "a letter with the information we had been given was dropped at some poi-"
Levi interrupted her, "It was classified information we were giving out on how we were going to deal with the Titans, someone from the Survey Corps wrote directly to the Titan head." Levi's voice got louder the more he spoke, his anger broke through every word.
Eren leaned forward, sighing as he rested his chin on his hand, "Shit this is bad"
"Probably Jean," Levi shot Eren a glare, he knew this was not the time for jokes but he didn't know what else to say, "sorry", Eren's apology was soft and followed by the abrupt standing of Levi.
"I need to open the teahouse back up, don't tell the others about this." As Levi stood up, he placed his hands on the table in authority, "If you find anything else out, tell me immediately." He swiftly left the room, muttering a "stay safe" before walking out the door.
Eren, Mikasa, and Annie sat at the table in silence.
"We should get cleaned up", Mikasa stood up taking Annie's hand guiding them both to the bathroom upstairs.
As their footsteps faded Eren felt as though a million weights had just been dropped on his shoulders, crushing him. He brought his knees to his chest laying his head in between. Sighing loudly. His breath quickened as he remembered what Armin told him, "if you ever need saving here's my number", he knew he couldn't tell Armin any of this but he didn't want to be alone. With a shaky hand he pulled out his phone.
Armin laid on his couch watching Ponyo in an attempt to distract himself. Studio Ghibli films were a source of comfort, especially after purging. With a raw throat and sore stomach, he laid sighing to himself, recognizing what he had done. His phone buzzed on the coffee table interrupting his film. Groaning he reached his arm over taking his phone seeing a message notification.
UNKNOWN NUMBER -12:02-
i need saving
A pang of confusion hit him before remembering who he had given his number too. He smiled hoping he would get to see the brunette again.
Armin -12:03-
how can i be of service
this is eren right?
Eren smiled at Armin's response. "Of course it's me idiot"
UNKNOWN NUMBER -12:03-
no a stranger texted you
kidding its eren ;p
but i really do need saving
i'm in the depths of despair!
Armin giggled at Erens response. He flipped over, laying on his stomach continuing to play along as he created Erens contact.
Armin -12:05-
why are you in the depths of despair eren
Eren -12:05-
i have no one to get coffee with tomorrow morning :(
Armin -12:06-
and?
Armin's density was amusing.
Eren -12:06-
come get coffee with me
Armin blushed at the offer and accepted before even thinking.
Armin -12:06-
see you at 10 :)
Eren was left shocked by Armin's directness, almost half having expected him to decline. Butterflies swarmed in his stomach in excitement as he stretched his arms above him jumping out of his chair. Tomorrow at 10, he got to see Armin again.
Armin laid his phone on the coach smiling. His head rested between his arms, face facing the coach. A red hue set itself on his face as he smiled to himself. Tomorrow at 10, he got to see Eren again.