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underthetree845 · 10 months

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How to Say "I love you"

Chapter Two: The Shadow of The Tree on That Hill

Chapter Index

Armin/Reader

Cws: AFAB reader, Reader is Eren's twin sister, modern high school au, bullying, Armin gets beat up, mentions of death/murder (Armin and Mikasa’s parents), crying (I swear this isn’t just angst)

About 6.2k words

Summary: Flashes of memory from all nine years Armin and Reader have known each other.

You were six years old the first time Armin’s blue eyes looked up and met yours. They were teary and puffy from crying as he sat on the ground, leaning up against a cement wall. You had seen him around school a few times, in fact he was in your class. The boy seemed pretty smart, always raising his hand and answering the teacher’s questions with an enthusiastic smile. There were a few older kids he was always with, but you could tell they weren’t his friends. His bright eyes dimmed and his form seemed to shrink in knowing submission whenever they shoved him back and forth and called him degrading names, claiming they were just “playing around.”

You reached out a hand to his timid form and his eyes studied you closely. After a moment, the blonde reached out his hand and accepted yours, standing up and attempting to dry his eyes.

“Are you okay?” you asked him with a comforting smile. The boy stared at you perplexed, almost as if he didn’t know how to react to your kind tone.

“Kind of…” Armin muttered, looking down at his disheveled clothes and scrappy appearance. His knees were bloody and battered, he had a bruise on his chin, and his elbow had been sliced open and was bleeding significantly. It looked like it hurt.

“You shouldn’t listen to them,” you said, straightening out Armin’s cardigan and brushing off some of the dirt.

“It’s hard,” he sniffled, scrunching his face up and balling his hands into shaky fists.

You looked at him, your eyebrows twinging in sympathy before you gently took his hand in yours.

“Come on, my mom can help you get cleaned up, then you can even meet my brother,” you told Armin, taking a step forward and pulling him along. He blinked for a few moments before he felt hot tears beginning to stream down his cheeks, which he hastily wiped away. The bullies were gone, someone was being nice to him, so why did this feeling still make him want to cry?

You were seven years old when your brother challenged both you and Armin to a “test of bravery” in which you all had to take a leap of faith to the other side of a creek near your house. The water gushed around the rocks and the faint sound of cicadas could be heard in the distance. You were a little ways away from all the houses, which could still be seen faintly if you squinted. The leaves of the canopy above you provided a cool shade and rustled in the wind.

“Guys, are you sure about this?” Armin asked, peering down at the flowing water. He was within his rights to be concerned; if you did slip, the fall down into the creek wouldn’t be pleasant, but there weren’t enough rocks to have to worry about hitting your head. Plus, you knew for a fact that this specific spot of the creek was shallow enough to stand in and only have the water go up just a little above your knees.

“Come on Armin, it’s not a big deal,” your brother grinned, sticking his arm straight out in front of him and lining up his thumb in an effort to aim himself properly. He'd seen someone do it on a tv show once. Eren paced back and forth, trying to find the best spot to jump from.

You placed a hand on Armin’s shoulder reassuringly, and the worry in his eyes seemed to subdue at least a little bit when he glanced over at you.

“Okay guys, I’m gonna go!” Eren declared, stepping back to get a running start and aim himself at the creek. Your brother shot forward, trying to gain as much momentum as his legs would allow him to before he leaped, arms flailing for a moment before he landed on the other side and staggered slightly. “Ahahah! Yes!” Eren cheered triumphantly, “See? No dumb old creek can stop me.”

“Okay, my turn,” you said with a new gleam in your eyes. You left Armin’s side and dashed to position yourself the same way Eren had.

“Be careful!” Armin shouted as you took off, pushing up from the ground and jumping high into the air; Armin’s breath caught for a moment, time seemed to slow down as he waited to see if your effort would be enough. You landed on the other side with a hard thud, wobbling for a moment before jumping and pumping your fist in accomplishment.

“Come on, Armin! Don’t worry, it’s not that hard!” Eren called, smiling enthusiastically and giving an encouraging thumbs up.

You and your brother watched as Armin made his way over to where you two had lined yourselves up and positioned himself for a running start.

“I-I don’t know about this,” Armin stammered, his legs beginning to feel wobbly again. Great, here it is. That feeling that always ate him up inside. No matter how much Armin tried to shake it away, it was like it consumed his entire being. It made his mind race, his hands were always unsteady, and it forced a heavy sense of fear into the pit of his stomach. He hated it, it felt like something was crawling under his skin.

“You’ve got this Armin!” you shouted, cupping your hands around your mouth and waving from the other side of the creek. He took a deep breath. Ever since he met you, he didn’t get that suffocating feeling as much anymore. He wasn’t sure if you did it consciously or not, but you always seemed to be able to make it disappear, as if it were never there in the first place. Armin took a deep breath to steady himself before pushing off and dashing in the direction of Eren and yourself. He jumped off the ground and for a moment, it felt like he was flying. However, reality is reality and his balance must have been off because when his foot came into contact with the other side of the creek, he slipped. Armin’s eyes widened as he fell back and out of sight. Not long after, you heard a splash. “Armin!” you exclaimed, rushing to the side of the creek to offer your assistance.

“Seriously?” Eren groaned, but still decided to follow you and make sure Armin was okay.

He sputtered out water and struggled to his feet as you and Eren climbed down the rocks on the side of the creek to wade over to him.

“You’re not hurt, are you?” you asked worriedly, taking Armin’s hand and examining it before looking up to see his face, but his gaze was turned away.

“Why am I like this?” Armin sniffled, taking his hand away from you and clutching it to his chest, “I can’t do anything.”

“Hey, jumping over a creek doesn’t matter that much,” Eren insisted, but that wasn't how Armin saw it. It wasn’t jumping over the creek specifically, it was the fact that both you and Eren were able to do something so easily while he struggled with it. It had always been that way, with defending himself from torment, climbing trees, having the confidence to speak up. Armin couldn’t do any of those things. All he wanted was to be considered equal to his friends one day, to prove that he could be more than the sad little nobody he was convinced everyone saw him as.

“But you did do something,” you stated, and Armin met your gaze curiously, “you jumped. Not everyone is brave enough to do that, and since you were afraid, I think that makes you even more brave!” Your smile was warm, the sincerity in your eyes drawing Armin in like a magnet.

“B-but I couldn’t land, I fell into the creek, both of you saw it,” he insisted, cracks in his expression.

“That’s okay, it was a ‘test of bravery,’ right?” you replied, turning to Eren and he nodded. “Then I think you definitely passed!” you beamed, not a hint of malice or mockery in your tone.

Armin’s eyes seemed to light up. He wanted to believe you so badly; so, at least for the time being, he decided he would. A small smile creeped up onto his lips as his heart thrummed with appreciation. You two helped him to his feet. He almost felt giddy. No, that wasn’t quite it… why couldn’t he pinpoint what he was feeling?

You were eight years old when Armin decided to trust you with something special to him. It was true that he’d grown to feel increasingly more comfortable around you (and your brother), but it had become instinct from an early point in his life to prepare for the worst when introducing the topic to someone. With great care, Armin opened the book to his favorite page; the one with ink sketches and descriptions of various great natural landscapes that ranged from icebergs, to tropical forests, to the coastal sea. Thrill ran through his veins. No matter how many times he looked over these pages, they would never fail to make his mind begin to burst with new thoughts and ideas.

It was an old brown book, and you couldn’t help but wonder why a kid your age would be so interested in something so obviously not written for elementary students. It looked like the type of book adults might use for study or research. As it turns out, you were right. Apparently, it had belonged to Armin’s parents.

You had never met Mr. and Mrs. Arlert before, always assuming that they were just busy with work or something like that. You and your brother’s eyes widened as you listened to Armin explain that a few years ago, in fact not long before he’d met you, his parents had waved goodbye to go on a three-year-long exploration trip in various locations around the world. They were both mechanics with a thirst for knowledge, and wanted to complete a research study on environments around the world in relation to each other and the way they influence technology. To document their discoveries. Unfortunately, that dream never became a reality.

That day Armin’s parents kissed him goodbye and left him with his grandfather was the last time he ever saw them. Before they could even start their adventure, their lives were cut short by a tragic plane crash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

When Armin was told that he wouldn’t be able to see his mother and father anymore, he was inconsolable. He already wasn’t the most outgoing boy, and this certainly didn’t help him when it came to making friends at school. In fact, Armin’s situation only provided more fuel to the jerks that picked on him . Those upperclassmen would look down on him and spit mockeries. “Why do you even bother breathing? Clearly you and your parents were a lot alike, so you deserve to die, just. Like. Them.” “What are you going to do, freak? Go cry to your mom? Oh wait-” Their laughter was sharp and vile.

The bullying was getting so relentless that Armin’s grandfather had been seriously considering having Armin switch schools just to give the pure-hearted boy a fresh start. He didn’t deserve any of what he was going through. However, things started to change from the moment you reached out your hand.

Eren, Armin, and yourself were practically inseparable and balanced each other out nicely. You and Eren provided the bold front Armin needed to defend himself, you and Armin both kept Eren from going too far, Armin taught both you and your brother about things you’d never even heard of before. You weren’t sure what dynamic Eren and Armin played in relation to yourself, but you were sure you'd figure it out eventually.

You were nine years old when an unexpected addition to your life changed the dynamic of the little friend group you three had. Her name was Mikasa Ackerman.

The change wasn’t unwelcome; although you weren’t sure how you felt about a near complete stranger moving in with you, the opportunity to grow close with another girl your age was something to look forward to.

Mikasa was reserved, polite, and had grown up in a rural part of town. She never got out much besides her old school, and spent a lot of time at home with her parents. Your father, Grisha, had met her before because he was her family’s doctor and would make day trips out to the countryside to see them. On his most recent visit, he thought it would be a good idea to take you and Eren along to encourage the possibility of a friendship with the girl. You arrived at the Ackerman’s house to find the door left ajar; odd. Your father went in first, and gasped to find Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman covered in blood on the floor, and their daughter nowhere to be seen. Your father ushered you and your brother away from the doorway and called the authorities immediately. Although he was able to confirm that Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman seemed like they had been dead for at least a few hours, he made you and Eren promise to not go inside. Neither of you kept that promise. It was hard to ignore the pools of blood and rotting scent of human flesh, but you and your brother did the best you could to plug your noses and avert your eyes as you searched the house for any sign of Mikasa. As luck would have it, you two eventually found her huddled in the back corner of a closet in one of the bedrooms. She looked like a frightened little kitten, and there was a certain emptiness to her eyes.

It took a while to get Mikasa to speak, but when she did, Grisha and the police were horrified to find out that she had witnessed her parents be slaughtered right before her eyes. From the intel Mikasa could provide, it sounded like Mr. Ackerman had unintentionally opened the door for some brutal robbers, thinking it was your father there for their scheduled appointment.

Having no other bedrooms in the house, Mikasa was made to share yours. Full adoption was likely, seeing as Mikasa had no other relatives and would probably feel more comfortable with an adult she knew rather than be put into the foster care system.

The girl was quiet, and you couldn’t tell if she had always been like that or if that fateful day had left a permanent wound on her soul that would take a while to heal up. Maybe it was both.

You and your brother introduced her to Armin the next time he came over and they seemed to get along well; the addition of another more thoughtful, reserved person balancing out your friend group nicely.

One late night, when the stars were out, you had convinced Mikasa to stay up late with you and use the skylight in your room to venture onto the roof. The wind was chilling and Mikasa shivered as you helped her up, but all of that was forgotten as soon as she looked to the sky. That was the first time you saw a genuine sense of awe in the girl’s eyes.

“It’s like home,” she whispered quietly. Mikasa’s old town didn’t have many street lamps or bright lights, so views like this provided a nice feeling of comfort for her.

Just then, you heard a clambering thump from where you had just come up and turned to see Eren joining you on the roof. He grunted as he heaved himself upwards and you moved to try to help him but he refused.

“It’s a lot easier with someone else, you know,” you sighed, watching as Eren made it onto the roof and stood up, dusting himself off.

“I know, but you’ve never come up here without me before and I felt betrayed,” Eren huffed.

“I was showing Mikasa,” you replied, crossing your arms.

“Well you still could’ve told me! Maybe I would’ve liked to show Mikasa too…” Eren grumbled.

You both decided to just let it go and make your way over back to the girl. She was still staring up at the sky, and you had to admit, this was one of the clearest nights you’d had in awhile. Her long raven hair blew softly in the breeze, and it created an almost ethereal effect combined with the way the moonlight lit up her pale skin. A stronger gust of wind passed by and Mikasa crossed her arms over her chest as she tried to shrink away from the cold. There was a brief pause before Eren sighed and gripped the red scarf around his neck, pulling it off and approaching Mikasa.

“You can have this,” he said quietly. The emotion on your brother’s face was unrecognizable to you. You had always known Eren better than anyone, so why did his expression look so unfamiliar?

Mikasa’s eyes shone as she looked at Eren, accepting the red garment as he wrapped it around her.

“It’s warm, right?” Eren asked, locking his eyes with hers.

Mikasa stared at him for a moment longer before shifting her gaze down to the cozy fabric and running her hand along it.

“It’s warm…” she agreed, her voice fragile. She seemed like a glass statue that could break at any moment.

You sensed a shift in the air. It was slight, but you suddenly felt closer with the two of them. An understanding that went beyond words. Mikasa was alone, hurting, afraid, and you two were her last chance at ever feeling like she belonged again.

“I’m glad you’re living with us,” you said in a hushed tone, taking a step forward.

“I’m just… lost,” Mikasa whispered, her voice weak. Her eyes were hazy, as if she didn’t know where to look.

“Then come on, let’s head back already,” Eren sighed, reaching over to gently grab the sleeve on Mikasa’s wrist. “To our home,” he finished. You could tell your brother was trying to seem like he didn’t care, no matter how blantantly obvious the truth was.

Mikasa’s eyes widened before they glazed over with tears as Eren led her along. That was the first time you ever saw her cry.

You were ten years old as Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and you dashed across the meadow you knew so well. Eren led the way, followed closely by Mikasa. He urged all of you along, and you slowed your pace a bit to match Armin’s so he wouldn’t feel left behind. His blonde hair shone in the sun and bounced on every step. His cheeks were flushed from the running and his breathing was growing labored, but you could tell by the look in his eyes that he wouldn’t stop.

You all continued across the grass; jumping over puddles, rounding the stone wall until you reached the tree on that hill.

You all slowed and collapsed with a breath, grinning and letting huffs of laughter escape your lungs as you laid and looked at the sky.

The clouds were white and puffy as they drifted along. The wind provided a refreshing, serene atmosphere; it was pleasant after all that physical strain on your body. You couldn’t help but smile softly at the color of the sky. It was so clear and blue today; just like the eyes of a certain blonde boy laying right next to you.

Truth be told, after getting to know Armin, blue had slowly become your favorite color. You weren’t sure when it happened, but you had started to notice the way prolonged eye contact between you two made your heart race.

You looked to your right to glance over at him and found that Armin was already staring at you, a tender expression on his face and an unexpectedly soft look in his eyes; he almost appeared to be in a trance. His eyes immediately widened and he snapped his head back up to look at the sky when you caught him, embarrassed that he’d let something like that happen. You paused for a moment before giggling softly and turning your head back towards the clouds.

Did his cheeks turn pink? You wondered, smiling softly to yourself. You paused in thought for a moment, considering the possibility of you making his heart jump the same way he was always doing to you.

Nah, it’s just from the running, you thought as you reached over and grabbed the boy’s hand, interlocking your fingers with his, Couldn’t be anything else.

You were eleven years old when something caught your eye from across the school courtyard.

“Ha! Where’s the sacrilege now? Or does your philosophy say it’s wrong to fight back too?” an older boy taunted, tossing Armin’s book over to one of his friends as Armin stood between them, making attempts to catch it.

“As a matter of fact, it does!” Armin retorted, jumping towards the boy holding his book and reaching for it as he held it above his head, only for him to throw it to someone else. “I’d rather take a few lumps than brawl like a beast!” Armin huffed. “Oh, so now I’m a beast?” their ringleader spat, grabbing Armin by his collar and yanking him forward roughly.

“Take a good hard look at yourself and tell me you’re not acting like one,” Armin stared him dead in the eye through his tears, “You resort to violence because your brain’s the size of a walnut!” A few surrounding kids snickered and the bully clicked his teeth, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. “So pommel me all you want, I’ve already won!” Armin finished.

“Yeah, well you know what?” the boy said, shoving Armin against the wall and raising his fist, “I’m a sore loser!”

“Back off!” your brother shouted, dashing up to the scene at full speed, charging forward with an angry look in his eyes.

“It’s Eren!” one of them took notice.

The bullies turned their heads and scoffed, snickering amongst themselves before putting their guard up in preparation.

“Hey, lookie here! Back for more?” another taunted

“You think he would’ve learned his lesson,” the third one cackled, daunting smiles on all their faces.

“Give this one to me-” one of them started before cutting himself short, “Oh crap! She’s with him!”

They could take Eren on easy; they knew it, you knew it, Armin knew it, and Mikasa did too. As soon as the bullies caught sight of you and her running behind Eren, their faces fell and they turned white as a ghost. You knew they were mostly afraid of Mikasa, but even without her, both of the Jeager twins at once didn’t make for a very nice combo.

“Run! Just run!” their ringleader shouted, his voice shaky as they all stumbled back.

“Heh! That’s all it takes, one look! I’m just that scary!” your brother huffed triumphantly, slowing down his pace as the bullies scampered off.

“Well, one of you is,” Armin sighed, and you had to bite back a laugh. He attempted to stand up but must’ve taken quite a few hits before you three arrived, as he staggered and fell to his knees again with a whimper.

Your focus immediately shifted to the blonde boy on the ground, and you moved to help him up, offering your hand.

“Where’d they get you, Armin?” you asked tenderly. The boy stared at your hand for a moment before he looked down and gave a shaky breath.

You hadn’t misinterpreted the situation, had you? I mean he was clearly hurt, given the way he winced when he tried to move and the cuts and scrapes littered on his face. The state those jerks left him in really made your blood boil. I mean what had Armin ever done to them? Why couldn’t they just let him talk about his dreams to explore the world like his parents wanted to? It wasn't his fault they were too slow to understand.

“It’s alright. Thank you, Y/n,” Armin nodded before placing a hand on the wall and getting up on his own.

“Okay..” you trailed off, slightly hurt but mostly confused as to why Armin wouldn’t accept your hand like he did before.

“Idiots,” your brother snarked, looking off in the direction the bullies had run.

You were twelve years old when you first accompanied Armin to his favorite place in the whole world. Just travel a few blocks up from your neighborhood into town, make a left at Rose Street, then a right, walk two more blocks, and you’re there.

The golden bell over the door frame chimed as you entered, and Armin greeted the owner like they were old friends; actually, the possibility wasn’t unlikely.

A few days ago, Armin was telling you about another book he’d picked up recently when you finally, finally asked where he kept getting them. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he told you about the bookstore. It was wedged in between two other buildings in town; thin, but two stories tall, and Armin felt like it went on forever. The building was old, older than most shops in your town. The outside was painted a forest green and a little wooden sign hung out front. “All Welcome, Bookstore Here,” carved into it.

The inside was exactly as Armin had described; every wall was lined top to bottom with books, new and old, all organized in beautiful alphabetic harmony. The floorboards creaked under your feet as you walked and you inhaled to find that the air had a unique scent to it, best described as old parchment and sunlight.

“Armin! Good to see you, I was starting to think you weren’t going to come today,” the old man behind the counter smiled, adjusting the little round glasses that sat over the wrinkles on his face.

“It’s nice to see you too, Louis,” Armin grinned warmly. He was almost always more reserved in these types of interactions, but with Louis, he seemed to be completely at ease; he must feel really at home in the bookstore. “This is my friend, Y/n Jeager,” Armin said, moving to the side so you could step forward and introduce yourself.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sir,” you greeted with a polite smile and a small wave. If Armin trusted his man, you would too.

“Please, just call me Louis,” the man insisted, shaking his head. “You said your name was Y/n?” the man asked and you nodded; for a moment you could’ve sworn you saw his eyes light up. “I’ve heard so much about you,” the man mused, “from Armin, that is.”

You shot your eyebrows up and turned to Armin with a curious look, not being able to help the smile that grew on your face. Armin blushed immediately and let out a string of incoherent stutters before laughing nervously and grabbing your hand.

“Well, I’m going to go give Y/n a tour now. Talk to you later, Louis!” Armin called, already dashing out of the old man’s sight.

“Thank you Louis!” you shouted as Armin led you away. For some reason, the fact that Armin seemed to have told Louis about you on more than one occasion sent butterflies into your stomach.

You were thirteen years old the day in class when you and Armin got assigned as partners for the end-of-the-year science fair project. When the teacher called out your names together, your heart lept and you looked over to Armin to give him a smile which he meekly returned. Even if it was only for the briefest of moments, your gaze landing on him made his stomach flutter. Lately, there seemed to be a buzzing feeling in his chest around you that he couldn’t get rid of. Armin had never been the type to get distracted in class, but it seemed like more and more recently that he would find himself lost in thought with his eyes resting on you, or having you pop into his brain at random times of day. Armin couldn’t decide whether he minded or not.

More than a few all-nighters were pulled in preparation for the science fair. You and Armin toiled endlessly for weeks on end; doing research, gathering notes, testing hypotheses, revising, and doing it all over again. Seeing as he was at the top of the class, you basically let Armin choose the topic for you. You were sure whatever he chose would be wonderful anyway.

You ended up deciding on an in-depth research project on the growth of flowers in various types of soil, different temperatures, exposed to different environments, even down to the best watering cycles for each type of blossom. Eren was growing tired of finding a new potted plant somewhere around the house every other day.

When the time came to present your project, you and Armin did not fall short. You took care in pinning up the main findings of your research, along with the details of each kind of plant you used and what sorts of things you tested in a way that would be easy for any passerby to understand. There were pictures from the various plant dissections you two conducted, and you had gotten Historia to help you make your poster board look presentable. She was on the yearbook committee, after all.

Your project caught the eyes of many teachers and parents attending the science fair, and you both did your best to answer all their questions. Armin seemed a little shaky whenever he had to speak, as if he had any reason to be. He was the most intelligent kid in your grade, easy. You wouldn’t even be surprised if he was smarter than most of the upperclassmen. Despite his timid nature, Armin kept up a brave face and answered anyone’s questions with a helpful smile. At that moment, you couldn’t help but admire him. He was clever and observant, but never took it for granted or looked down on others, because that’s just the kind of person he was. That’s just the kind of person you’d grown to care for so deeply.

After the science fair, you and Armin were instructed to leave all your research results and materials where you had presented them because the proctors still had to go through with grading.

When you stepped out of school, the last golden rays of sunlight bathed you in their warmth. You squinted for a moment as your eyes adjusted before you could take in the captivating hues of orange and pink swirling in the sky.

Armin fiddled with his hands for a moment, a nervous habit he had that you hoped to ease at least a little bit whenever you held his hand. When you asked him what was wrong he reached inside his bag and began to pull something out.

Armin could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Would you think it was weird? Did he get it right? What if you didn’t want them? Would he ever be able to speak to you again? The second he caught your warm gaze, all his thoughts came to a halt. He took a deep breath and pulled out the small bouquet he had been hiding in his book bag.

You blinked once as Armin held out the purple flowers to you. He was shifting in place and making an effort to avoid your gaze. “I-I’ve been growing them over these past few weeks. They’re not for our project, I took care of them on the side…” he mumbled. He shouldn’t be acting this nervous! His behavior would only make you misinterpret his intentions more! Well not exactly misinterpret, he had come to realize that he liked you, a lot, he just wasn’t quite ready for you to find out yet. This was simply meant to be a kind gesture to test the waters. It was more like he didn’t want you to figure out the real reason giving you flowers meant so much to him, so he forced himself to meet your gaze.

You were taken aback by the sight in front of you. The warm rays of sun lit up his skin so perfectly, a light breeze blew through his hair, there was a faint flush on his cheeks, and his eyes stood out the most; not only because of their color, but because of the shy yet endearingly hopeful look in them.

You did your best to memorize what you saw before you reached your hands out and gently took the bouquet from him.

“Thank you, Armin,” you said quietly, looking down to admire the blooms. You brought them up to your face to savor the sweet smell with a smile before noticing something. “How did you know these were my favorite?” you asked, looking up to meet Armin’s eyes again.

“Well, ah, you know…” Armin chuckled, scratching the back of his neck, “I didn’t. Just luck, I guess.”

Liar, you thought with a loving sigh.

You were fourteen years old when the picture sitting on the mantle in your house was taken. The people in it are Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and you, wearing your middle school graduation robes.

“Look here kids!” your mother called, holding out her camera with a proud grin. The four of you lined yourselves up and let her and Armin’s grandfather get a few pictures before you got to talk amongst yourselves.

“What are we going to do if we’re not all in the same class in high school next year?” Armin asked, his eyes passing over your faces but lingering on yours for a moment longer.

“Even if we’re not, we can still meet up in the hallway and at lunch and after school,” you replied, a solemn but hopeful smile on your face.

“Plus we’ll have three years of high school which means three chances to end up in the same class,” your brother pointed out, and you nodded.

This seemed to ease Armin’s anxieties at least a little bit, but a moment later you saw his eyes flicker with tears and his eyebrows lowered.

“Three more years of this, huh?” Armin said in a shaky breath. His smile was joyful yet held sorrow, heartwarming but you also felt as if it could break you. You wished you could paint a picture of it, but for now, Armin just needed a hug.

“What do you mean ‘three more years of this,’ Armin?” you said softly, placing your hands on his shoulders, “first of all, three years is a lot of time, and we’re going to be together through all of it.” The boy bit his lip at your statement and struggled to hold back tears. “And second of all, what makes you think this is going to be over once we all graduate high school?” you asked with a gentle smile, “We’re going to be together for a long time after this too.”

Armin finally broke at your words, sniffling softly as big tears began to fall down his cheeks.

“Of course you’d cry at graduation,” Eren rolled his eyes before placing a hand on his best friend's back.

“S-sorry, I told myself I wouldn’t, I just…” Armin croaked, wiping his sleeves over his eyes as the tears continued to fall.

“Just come here,” you sighed softly, pulling the boy into a hug and holding his form tightly against yours. It took a brief moment for Armin to return the gesture, and only a second longer for Eren and Mikasa to join you on either side. Armin’s cheeks flushed as he melted into the embrace. How had he gotten so lucky with such amazing friends?

You sighed into the hug before pulling back slightly, a warm smile on your face.

“We’re always going to stick together, do you all promise?” you asked, looking around the circle. Mikasa and Eren nodded, then you looked at Armin again. “Got it?”

Armin paused for a moment before his lips formed a shaky smile on his tear-stained cheeks.

“Yeah!” he huffed with a nod, pulling you all into another tight embrace.

Your mother’s eyes softened at the scene, and she couldn’t help but snap a picture. This will go on the mantle, she thought.

Now, you are fifteen, and as it turns out, you didn’t end up having to worry about being put in separate classes. The first term of the school year was almost over, and summer break was drawing near.

On the way back from school one day, Armin noticed a small gray kitten huddled underneath a bush in the rain. Mikasa and Eren went along ahead but you and Armin stayed to try to coax the little creature out. When you finally did, however, the storm worsened and you wound up staying the night at Armin’s house with him and his grandfather, along with a new little friend.

Now, you and Armin were nestled cozily on the couch together as the storm raged on outside.

Armin’s grandfather had gone to check on the kitten before bed, but instead was met with the sight of you two resting against each other in the living room, fast asleep. He chuckled warmly and went to Armin’s room for a moment before returning with a blanket. Armin’s grandfather unfolded the fabric and laid it over you two gently, making sure to tuck in the sides so it wouldn’t slip off.

“Kids…” he sighed quietly, giving you two one last glance before heading upstairs to go to bed.

Chapter Three: Not a Date

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