Y/n
It was a cool day, bright with a crisp breeze whipping at your skin. Leaving your Friday morning lecture with Eren and Bertholdt, your shoes crunched over the sharp grass of the lawn between buildings.
"Do you guys have any plans for the mid-semester break?" Bertholdt asked.
Eren, on your left, nodded, busy with his phone and eyes glued to its screen. "Yeah, I've got something on this weekend."
"You don't sound all that excited by it," you noted, brows knit as you looked at him.
He glanced up, side long to you as he shrugged off the comment. Following his gesture, you forced yourself to turn away from him, eyes back on the path toward the cafe.
Oh Eren.
Even after all this time, in the months since your confession, and the month since you'd hooked up with a stranger, eager to move on, your heart still leapt when you glanced him. But at least you could talk to him now. At least you didn't need to hold Armin's hand just to be near him.
As you lifted your head, staring into the sky, bright rays of mid-morning sun on your skin, you smiled. That's something you'd been doing a lot more of lately - smiling. And not false shields or synthetic gestures, but genuine smiles.
And it was all thanks to a stupid guy and a stupid club. In a twist of fate, it turned out Hitch was right - you'd needed a good rebound to get your mind off Eren. To feel desired and wanted, and not like a heartbroken reject impossible of being loved - you had needed that push to cut clean your feelings.
You weren't totally there yet, but your days were brighter. You looked forward to Friday group meetings and classes. There was a spring in your step and song in your veins. You were finally moving on.
"And you, Y/n?" The taller of the men glanced to you. "Anything fun planned?"
"Just studying," you said. "It's only a two week break to mark the middle of the semester. It's not like I'll be packing up for a holiday. Besides, finals and due dates won't be long after, so I thought I'd get a head start."
"Armin helping you?" Eren asked as his shoes begun to scuff pavement. "I asked him to help me study but it sounds like he has plans with you the entire time."
You nodded, humming. "Yeah, he said he'd lend me a hand."
And it was true, Armin had offered to help you. Again. Like he always did. You'd be studying in your dorm, or at your spot atop the cliffs. You had it all planned out - even a break at the end of the fortnight to head to the cinemas and unwind before classes started up again.
But... You frowned.
In the month since you hooked up with the stranger, life returning to semi-normal, things had actually been a bit awkward with Armin. Certainly not on his end. As always, he'd been kind and helpful - a perfect friend. Rather, it was you who was being awkward. Overthinking your texts, running out of things to say, feeling your skin prickle when he got too close.
Because you still hadn't told him. He still didn't know about the man.
After you'd crawled back from the beach that night, the name and contact of the guy you'd met drowned beneath a sea of alcohol, you'd fallen straight to sleep. In the morning, you'd expected a sense of regret.
Instead, all you'd felt was lighter.
Like the sex had lifted a weight from you. It didn't take long for you to realise that it was the bulk of your lingering feelings for Eren that had been lifted, and when Hitch and Annie made it back to the dorm, you'd told them everything.
When you saw Armin later that afternoon, you'd planned to tell him too. He would have been so supportive, probably even happy that after so much misery, you were finally making progress. Yet, when you'd met him at the college cafe, coffees already ordered by him as he waited at your usual table, your throat dried up.
You told him the night was nice. You told him Hitch was trying to set you up with guys. But you didn't tell him the truth - that you'd fucked one in the very spot he had shared with you.
And in the month following, you still hadn't mentioned it - why you couldn't bring yourself to tell him, your friend, you didn't know. Maybe it was the guilt - you'd taken advantage of his kindness, abusing a place that was special between you. Maybe it was the fact that despite all his efforts to help you, it had been a total stranger that had actually shaken you from your feelings.
Regardless, Armin hadn't even asked if you'd found a rebound. You'd asked him about Eren trying to set him up with girls - he just said he went home and wasn't interested. But he didn't really ask you much. Maybe he didn't even care if you started dating another guy. For some reason, that thought had been troubling you more than you'd like to admit.
But you hadn't really had time to think about why you didn't want to tell him, or about why you wanted him to care, or about why you'd been feeling awkward. You'd been too busy with an influx of assignments. You'd been too busy trying to chisel away your former crush.
Armin just hadn't been at the top of your list of priorities.
To his knowledge, you were still wrapped up in Eren - uni's busyness meant there had been little time spent together outside of study and texts and your regular group meetings. So the thought of spending most of the fortnight together... well it was stirring up something that you'd pushed away. You should tell him sooner or later. Armin was smart - he'd realise you'd started to move on, and he'd want to know what had pushed you to do so.
But... why was telling him even such a big deal? The answer felt like it was just within reach, and yet you were blind to it.
"Do you think we just shouldn't have a meeting today then?" you asked the men by your side, shaking yourself from thoughts you wanted to avoid. "You know, since it's the mid-semester break."
"I think that's a good idea," Bertholdt said, giving you soft smile.
The two of you had actually sort of become friends since the group project started. Surprisingly, he had a decent sense of humour, and despite being a little awkward, he was fun to tease.
"If it's okay with you Eren, and Armin and Sasha, then we can just restart our group meetings after the next two weeks," he added, glancing across you to the other male as you approached the central square and cafe.
"Huh?" Eren lifted his head from his phone, before mumbling a, "Right. Yeah, sounds good."
You were about to ask what had him so distracted on his screen, when a voice from behind had your spine stiffening. Rather, it was actually two voices.
"You're here early," Armin said, and the three of you stopped and turned to face him.
Draped in a grey coat, hair tousled by the wind and nose pink with the chill, he smiled when he reached you, Mikasa in tow. Seeing her had a jolt of jealousy running through your veins, but you ignored it with a breath.
"Eren," she said as she approached him, scarf tight on her neck. "Did you see my text?"
"No." He dragged a thumb across his screen. Mikasa fiddled with his phone as you turned back to Armin.
"I sent you one too, Y/n," the blonde said, and you took out your phone. "And one to the group chat, Bertholdt."
"We've been in class," he replied as an excuse while you opened the text.
"Check your email?" You frowned at Armin. "What do you mean?"
Bertholdt took out his phone too, and you assumed Mikasa and Eren were doing the same in their little pair just a step away. When you opened the email app, you read the most recent message you assumed Armin was talking about.
Dear second-years,
After the mid-semester break, Doctor Hange has arranged for those of you enrolled in FISK100 (Future Industry Skills unit) to participate in an exchange excursion to our sister school in Marley. This two day trip is mandatory and will require you to stay on campus in Marley's visitor dorms. Please have at least half of your group presentations completed before you attend, as you will be work-shopping these ideas with the other lecturers and students.
If your group representatives could visit Doctor Hange before the end of today to collect information forms that would be appreciated. If not, please print out the forms attached.
Kind Regards,
Erwin Smith, PhD
Education Department
Staring at the screen, you blinked. An exchange excursion to Marley? In just two weeks? And you had to have half your presentation ready by then?!
"Are you kidding?" Eren snapped as if he'd read your mind. "There's no way we can get half of it done without working on our break!"
"Right?" Bertholdt said, frowning.
You grit your teeth. Even if you'd planned to study anyway, having to focus on group work to be prepared for this trip threw a real spanner in the works. "I guess we'll have to have that group meeting today after all."
"You were planning on cancelling?" Armin cocked his head, eyes on you.
"Well-"
"Ah, Eren."
Your words were interrupted by another's, and you glanced up from Armin to find the source. Blonde hair, a rough beard, glasses and a cigarette billowing smoke in his hand. He looked a bit older than your group, and came to a stop in front of Eren, who scowled at his presence. "I've been looking for you everywhere," he said. "I didn't realize Paradis was this big."
"I told you not to come Zeke," Eren said brusquely, and if you didn't know better, you'd have thought him embarrassed by the way his lips were tight and arms were folded like a scolded child. It was a side of him you'd never seen before.
Who the hell was this guy?
"Well can you blame me for wanting to pay my kid brother a visit?" the man - Zeke - responded, leaning in to patronisingly ruffle Eren's hair, only for his hand to be batted away.
Brother?
"Half-brother," Eren corrected, taking Mikasa's hand as he stood in front of her. "And I told you I'd call when I was done. How the hell did they let a Marlean graduate like you on campus in the first place?"
Zeke took a long drag of his smoke before dropping it to the path and stomping it out. "You're so single-minded sometimes Eren. Like Paradis cares about old feuds anymore." The brunette tsked, and your eyes grew weary from darting back and forth between each brother's quips. "Anyway, who are your friends?" Zeke asked, eyes roaming you and Bertholdt. "I already know Armin and Mikasa, but who are these two?"
You felt your body tense up as everyone turned to you. Armin slid a little closer to your side, and you said with a small wave, "I'm Y/n."
"Uh, I'm Bertholdt," the other said, just as awkwardly as he stepped back toward you and away from Zeke, whose gaze was surveying you both like a lion would prey.
After a beat, he smiled broadly, eyes creasing as he waved back. "Zeke Jaeger, Eren's older brother."
"Half-Brother!" Eren insisted, stepping in between you and Zeke as you shuffled back, shoulder brushing Armin's. "What are you doing here anyway?"
Straightening, Zeke reached into his pocket, handing Eren something shiny. "I came to give you the keys to the house. You are still going to watch it for the weekend, right? I really can't miss this seminar in South Marley."
"Yeah, yeah. I said I'd watch the house, right? Just go to your thing, the place will still be there when you get back."
"Thanks Eren," Zeke said with a smile, whipping around to leave, but stopping to turn back and say. "Oh, and invite your friends."
"Huh?" Eren's face crinkled.
"Your friends." The brother gestured to your group. "Invite them, and whoever else you want, to stay in the house for the weekend. You're all on mid-semester break, right? I know you were going to bring Mikasa anyway, so why not use the place to hang out and study? It's certainly got enough room. Call it a payment for watching the place for me."
Eren opened his mouth to argue, but Zeke had vanished into the maze of stone arches and brick buildings before he had the chance, the stench of smoke lingering in his wake.
You all collectively looked to one another, sort of blinking. Did you all just get invited to Eren's brother's house for the weekend? You hadn't even known Eren had a brother until just now - he never really spoke about his home life.
It was silent for a moment until Mikasa asked, "Well? Are you going to take up his offer and invite everyone over?"
Eren groaned, carding a hand through his hair. "I wasn't going to." He shut his eyes in contemplation before saying, "But I guess we could use it as a chance to study."
"Yeah," Armin added, something like sudden excitement in his eyes. "Since that Marley trip's just been announced, the time over the weekend might be a good chance for us to prepare our presentation. That way, we won't have to cut into our break, and we'll have a good place to work without needing to use the cafe."
Eren nodded. "It's up to you guys then," he said to you and Bertholdt. "If you're not busy you can stay the weekend. I'll invite Sasha too, but it will only be our group and Mikasa. I don't want to be hosting a huge party of people at my brother's house. And no drinking. We need to actually work."
"I'm surprised to hear you talking about working," you said, raising a brow at Eren. The taunt rolled off your tongue without a thought, and you realised when you almost heard Armin's neck snap as he whipped round to bore holes into your side, that you really had made some progress.
He would no doubt ask you about it later, and you figured maybe... maybe it was time you talked about it, all of it.
Eren grumbled at your tease, but you thought you caught the corner of Mikasa's lips twitch up. Bertholdt agreed to the plan soon after, and you followed suit, letting Eren handle texting Sasha before you all concluded that you'd meet at five.
"I'll text you the address soon," he said to Bertholdt. "And Y/n-"
"I can take you," Armin said, turning fully to face you. "If you want, I'll drive you to Zeke's house later when I go."
His enthusiasm took you aback. Though, it was pretty in character for Armin to offer you help. "Yeah, okay. Thanks," you offered with a smile, and as everyone departed, you were left walking side-by-side with him - alone. His coat brushed the bottom of yours, eyes on the cloudless day ahead, and as you talked mindlessly about the weekend, the awkwardness you'd been feeling this past month began to fade.
It felt like life was looking up.
———
"Wait, he lives here?!"
Pulling up in the driveway at Zeke's house, you looked from the passenger window of Armin's car with wide eyes. It wasn't just the huge property that surprised you - a facade of beige brick veneer, two stories with an enormous porch and overbearing, pine hedges - but also the land surrounding it. You pressed your cheek to the glass as you caught sight of the steep cliffs encroaching on the back of the house, the city's bay beyond them, past the thicket of trees and crumbling rock, to the waves below.
"Yeah, it's at the end of the street along the cliff-face," Armin replied as he stopped the vehicle.
As you stepped out of the car, you could hardly believe it. Not only the fact that a house in this area must have cost a fortune, but shutting the door with a snap you also realized, "Isn't this right around the corner from your spot?"
Shutting his own door, he smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I used to come to this house a lot as a kid - that's actually how I found it." Your brows shot up, and popping open the car's boot to retrieve your bags for the weekend, Armin added, "It's where Eren grew up. Hid dad owned the house until he died a few years ago, and then Zeke inherited it."
Taking your bag from him, you shoved it over your shoulder and leaned against the vehicle. "But this place is huge, and in this neighbourhood? How the hell did Eren grow up here? I didn't think he was rich."
"His dad was a doctor." Shutting the trunk and locking his car, Armin pointed out to the road. "And I actually only lived a few streets over. That's how Eren and I met."
"You lived somewhere like this?" you exclaimed, slack-jawed as you stared at him. He hummed, shrugging with a smug nod as you two began to trudge up the gravel drive. "I knew you had money Armin, but wow. Suddenly, I don't feel so bad for letting you pay for coffees all the time."
He chuckled. "Whether I had money or not, I'd still pay for them."
"Yeah, yeah, ever the gentleman," you teased, tapping him lightly on the arm. "Why don't you continue your chivalry by carrying my bag while you're at it?"
Armin raised a brow, making to pull the strap from your shoulder, but you batted his hand away with a laugh. "Stop, I was joking!" Reluctantly, he rolled his eyes, hand back by his side, and as you ascended the timber steps of the porch, you said, "So tell me more then - what was it like growing up around here?"
Footsteps halting at the top, Armin turned to you. There was something cozy and wistful in his stare.
"It was nice," he said. "I lived with my grandfather, and as a kid I used to love coming down here to look at the sea. He used to have all these old books on marine life and nature and I loved reading them by the edge."
"So you've always been a bit of a nerd then," you smirked, patting him on the shoulder. "Good to know."
He huffed a laugh, leaning into your touch. "I guess so." Looking out toward the cliffs at the back of the property, he squinted as if reliving a distant memory. "We used to run through the trees and play games. I can still feel the leaves on the wind hitting me in the face."
You smiled at that, and as Armin continued to reminisce, telling you about his home and Eren's, you couldn't help but think of how sweet he looked. Standing on the front steps of a home, hemmed in by dark hedges and a grey coat, late sun like a halo of burnished gold atop his rose cheeks and sky eyes.
He looked so happy here. You wished you could capture the moment - just him and the drifting afternoon sun. Forever.
"Eren's mom always used to worry we would fall into the sea," he chuckled. "But Mikasa made sure Eren and I never got too close."
You hummed, looking out at the edge, but quickly turned back once you'd processed his words. "Wait, so, you knew Mikasa as a kid too? I thought it was just Eren."
A shadow from a passing cloud fell across Armin's face.
He was still. He was silent. The wind whipped at his hair, and something unfamiliar flashed in his stare.
And then the front door was yanked open, shocking you both as your thoughts were scattered to the wind.
"You're here!" Eren raced through the threshold, face smudged with dirt. "Here take this," he said as he slammed a key into Armin's palm, tripping down the steps.
"What? Where are you going?" he called after him.
"I forgot to pick Mikasa up from her doctor's appointment, I've gotta go!" Eren shouted back, opening his own car door. "Everyone will be here soon - can you guys make the beds before they arrive?"
"What?" you said. "What do you mean everyone?"
"Plans changed. Zeke left the place a mess and I didn't have time," Eren said, breathless as he switched on the motor. He hung his head out the window, hair loose as he yelled, "Armin knows where everything is, just follow him," and drove away.
Before you knew it, you and Armin were left alone, blinking on the front porch. In Eren's wake, you glanced to the blonde's hand, stealing up the key in it. "Guess the place is ours," you said with a wry smirk, waving the flash of metal.
"Yeah," Armin whispered as you stepped inside, door creaking shut as he followed you in. "Ours."
———
It didn't take long for him to give you a quick tour of the place.
Downstairs hosted the main living areas, with an open kitchen leading to an alfresco that backed onto the cliff-face, a fire-pit and spa the only things blocking the house from its ledge. Upstairs was where all the bedrooms were. Seven total. There were also a few communal living areas, including balconies and a huge games room. Honestly, you spent most of the time trying to decipher the reason Eren's dad would have needed so much space - did he have some sort of secret other family or something?
After Armin found some sheets in the linen cupboard, the two of you easily set to work, moving from room to room as you worked bedding onto mattresses. As you prepped the last bed, the room dark with sunset's hue fading in through the window, you couldn't help but think how domestic everything felt. Easy, quiet, calm.
"So, is Mikasa sick?" you eventually asked, pulling on the corner of a fitted sheet.
Armin looked up from his own edge across the bed. "What? Why would you say that?"
You smoothed over the cover. "Eren mentioned she was at the doctors when he ran out. Is she not well?"
"Ah," he sighed, stepping back and brushing off his hands on his pants. He'd already discarded his coat, only left with dark slacks taut across his thighs and a soft button down, rolled up at the elbows. Taking up a spare pillowcase, he said, "She gets migraines and needs special painkillers. I'm sure she was only there to have a prescription written."
"Oh." You nodded, face down as you carried on with your work.
After a moment, the only noise between you the silent rustle of sheets, Armin said, "I'm sorry, by the way - for talking about Eren so much downstairs. I know you said not to speak about him."
You froze. Right, you had said that - the morning after Reiner's party. And like the good friend he was, Armin had been true to his word. Wait... was that maybe why he hadn't asked you about the night you went out with Hitch and Annie? Did he think that you didn't want to discuss guys in general?
"Actually..." You took a steady breath, picking up your own pillowcase. "I don't really mind."
Armin stopped what he was doing.
"I think I've sort of... moved on," you said. "Or at least, I'm getting there."
Looking up, you found the blonde staring at you in disbelief, face blank of everything but surprise. "You... you don't want him anymore?"
For a second, you considered. "No." You eventually shook your head. "I think I've accepted it - that he doesn't want me. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it's still hard, especially when I see him with Mikasa..." Armin's jaw clenched, but he said nothing as he waited for you to continue. "But, I don't think about him all the time now. I don't avoid him. I think... I just want to focus on my studies. There's no need for me to spend so much time worrying about guys and relationships."
The room fell quiet without the rustle of sheets. Armin looked away, toward the door, before he softly said, "That's great."
And for some reason, hearing his support had your chest bursting with relief. But when his gaze finally slid back to yours, pinning you with it's fervor, Armin asked the one question you didn't know how to answer. "Is there something that happened recently to make you feel this way?"
Your bones felt like they'd been shot with lightening. You still hadn't told him about the man you'd slept with.
This was your chance - your opportunity. So why did your mouth feel dry suddenly? Why when you thought about what you did, were you not able to tell Armin? Images of that night flashed through your mind - the sand, the alcohol, the man.
And Annie. Her words which you'd shaken off, forgotten until now - alone in an empty house with your friend.
"You and Armin ... I'm not the only one who sees it."
"Not really," you lied, ignoring the thought. Because, there was no way... that couldn't be why...
Throwing the blanket on the bed, you ignored the thought.
"Y/n..."
Cautiously, you looked up wide-eyed to find Armin closer than before. He'd rounded the bed, his proximity near suffocating in the small space, and you swallowed hard, a prickle of something indistinguishable ghosting across your skin. He mirrored the action, throat bobbing. "If-"
Slam.
Your eyes shot to the door, as did Armin's, at the sudden noise from downstairs. In an instant you both raced down, arm sliding across the polished rail of the steps until your feet hit the bottom with a thud. But your mouth flew open when you saw exactly what had made the raucous sound.
"What are you guys doing here?" you asked incredulously.
In the doorway, Sasha, Jean and Connie wrestled to pull their bags through, each as noisy as the other. The door slammed into the wall behind it with their movements, and you cringed thinking of Eren's reaction when he saw the dent it had no doubt left.
"Y/n," Sasha said as she burst through the arch first, argument between Jean and Connie muted behind her. "And Armin. You're already here."
"Yeah," Armin said, stepping down beside you. "We have the key. Why are..." He glanced between Jean and Connie - who weren't supposed to be here.
"Because," Jean said, pulling up beside Sasha with a heave of his bag, "Apparently Bertholdt told Reiner about your little weekend getaway, and Reiner begged Eren to let him come too, spouting some bullshit about how we should all hang out and work together on these damn projects before the trip to Marley. And then Eren, like the doormat he is, caved."
You cocked your head. "Okay, but-"
"Reiner then decided to invite Historia, who invited Ymir. And then he invited Annie, who refused to come unless Hitch could too, and when potato girl found out-" Jean thumbed at Sasha, who actually was eating a potato. "-She asked if Connie and I could come because we were with her at the time. So now here we all are, ready to sit around a campfire like idiots and hold hands because Reiner couldn't handle the idea of being left out."
Connie came up beside Jean, leaning on his friend's shoulder. "Well, no one's forcing you to be here, Jean," he said with grin.
The brunette shrugged. "I didn't want to miss the chance to hike up Eren's water bill."
In stunned silence, you and Armin looked to each other.
"Well... it was only supposed to be our group and Mikasa," he said aloud, looking at you. "But as long as we actually end up studying, then I guess I don't see a problem with it."
"Great," Jean announced, hoisting his bag up and cutting between you and Armin to head upstairs. "I call the biggest room."
As Connie and Sasha followed him, you were left shrugging at Armin. "Guess we're in for an interesting night."
"Guess so," he echoed as the two of you turned and joined the others.
If only you or Armin knew how true those words would prove to be.
———
~ Author's Note ~
I liked this chapter - I think of it as the calm before the storm. Sorry it was so long and wasn't as exciting as the last, but the next one will be posted in the next few days, and will include something you might not want to miss (Hint - a friendly game of truth or dare that ends in something very interesting, perhaps?).