Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Exam season was upon you. With the fuck load of work and studying you got bombarded with, you’d found yourself in the library on a Friday afternoon.

Usually you’d spent your weekends partying with your roommate Hitch, but this semester had been tough. Weighing you down physically as well as mentally, you struggled to keep up with the work. Last year you barely passed and the uncertainty of the meek grades and the anxiety that came with was enough to convince you to party a little less, at least for the first semester of Sophomore year, and spent a lot more time with your nose in the books.

It was hard to break away from the party routine and create a steady work-life balance, especially with Hitch nagging you nearly every week to tag along with her to a club or a party. But despite it leaving a major dent on your social life, you stuck to it. You’d convinced yourself it was for the better anyways, what could this year bring you that was new to you? So you opted for better grades, less parties and less drama. And so far, it was paying off.

But the library during exam season was war. You were glad to have arrived early in the morning to secure a seat because it was barely noon and every table was packed and every outlet was occupied.

Sighs of despair and the smell of coffee clung into the air on this Friday afternoon.

You had surrounded yourself with a bunch of highlighters, a notebook and your moral philosophy textbook.

You had your headphones on, playing a simple lofi-beat to help you focus during the cram sesh. You were so lost in your textbook that you didn’t notice someone in front of you was trying to get your attention until they cleared their throat.

You took off your headphones and looked up at a guy you’d never seen around campus before. He scrunched up his glasses, reflecting them in the sunlight, revealing the bluest eyes you’d ever seen. “Uh, hey.. Is this seat taken?” He gestured towards the seat next to you.

You raised your brows, wondering why he’d asked you that and not just sat down in the seat until you looked over, and saw that you had painfully taken over an area covering nearly two seats with your stationary.

A flush of embarrassment runs up your cheeks as you quickly retrieve the markers and apologize. “Sorry—Go for it.”

“Thanks,” he said and walked over with a quiet sigh of relief. From the corner of your eyes you noticed him carefully setting down his bag and taking out a thick stack of notes. He slid into the chair and flipped open a well-worn textbook and started reading.

You caught yourself glancing a little too long though, and pulled yourself out of the gaze as the redness of embarrassment returned to your cheeks. You quickly shook your head, put your headphones back on and chucked it up as a means to distract yourself momentarily from the endless torture of Aristoteles’ virtue ethics and Kant’s deontology and sadly, you returned back to the moral dilemmas.

Hours passed, during which you saw a variety of students cry into their textbooks, get scolded for talking too much, leave and enter the library, but the guy with the blue eyes was still seated next to you.

You were caught off guard by the flickering noise made by your headphones, making you blink rather abruptly when it alerted you that it’s battery died. “Shit.” You muttered to yourself and took off the headphones, putting them into your backpack that hung around your chair.

A few minutes passed in silence as you skimmed over your notes. But then, a small chuckle broke the silence.

You looked up to see the guy with the blue eyes staring at your notes with an amused smile on his face.

“What?” You asked quietly, raising a brow.

“Nothing just..” He tapped his pen against his book, “You organize your notes exactly the same way I do.”

You blinked. Glancing down at the color-coded chaos you’d created. Sticky notes, perfectly highlighted key points and tiny little diagrams you had sketched out to simplify the more complicated concepts. You then looked over at his notes—granted his handwriting was quite a bit messier and he was studying out of some sort of biology textbook, but you saw the striking resemblance. That’s a funny coincidence, you thought.

“…Great minds think alike?” You said, unsure why the resemblance made you a little flustered.

He smiled at you in a soft and genuine manner, like he actually found it amusing. “Looks like it.”

You let out a soft chuckle and returned back to your work, the guy seemed to do the same.

You wrapped up your final notes on the morality of autonomy and virtue ethics before giving yourself a well-deserved phone break.

You grabbed your phone from the front pocket of your backpack and your eyes widened at the amount of missed calls and texts from Hitch.

Hitch (8:37 PM): where r u
Hitch (8:42 PM): r u actually still studying on a friday rn lmao
Hitch (9:55 PM): okay nerd if u ghost me one more time i’m breaking into the library to drag u out myself
Hitch (11:12 PM): HELLO???
Hitch (11:15 PM): im coming over idc
You (11:19 PM): u crazy woman don’t u dare

You sighed at the screen. You put your phone on the desk and rub your index fingers over your temples in mild frustration. You had completely lost track of time. The last thing you needed was Hitch storming in and making a scene—God knows that woman had no shame.

After sliding your phone into your pocket, you started packing up your things. You caught movement from the corner of your eye and looked over to see the guy with the blue eyes and glasses glance at you ever so slightly. He must have noticed your panicked expression because he smiled, amused. “Forgetting the time?”

You let out a short laugh, shaking your head. “Yeah. My roommate’s about to send out a search party.”

He let out a quiet chuckle, shutting his notebook and stretching his arms over his head before running his hands through his blonde hair, leaving it a bit unkempt, like he’d ran his hair through that motion one too many times while studying.

It was the first time you’d really seen him move much since he sat down, and for some reason, you were suddenly aware of how long he had been sitting next to you.

“You should probably get out of here before she actually shows up then,” he said with a grin.

You nodded, gathering the last of your things before standing up. As you stepped away from the table, you felt a small moment of hesitation. You’d spent hours sitting next to this guy—granted you barely spoke except for that one moment about your notes, but you hadn’t seen any action in months. And you found his pretty eyes and messy hair kind-of cute in a nerdy way; so even if you never saw him again, you felt an urge to leave a good impression.
Would it be weird to say something? Or would it be weirder not to?

Before you could decide, he looked to you and offered a small smile. “See you around?”

You blinked, a little caught off guard, but found yourself smiling back. “Yeah, maybe. See you.” You said before slinging your backpack over your shoulder and rushing off to calm down your crazy roommate.

You later realized that you ran off so quickly that you forgot to ask him his name.

Chapter Text

The war had been won, and exam season was finally over.
No more late night cram sessions, caffeine induced breakdowns or study sessions in the library. At least for a while.
You’d practically started living in the library, but in all the days you’d spent there you hadn’t spotted the handsome blue-eyed stranger even once more. Not that you looked that often anyway, though.
For the first time in what felt like forever, you could actually breathe and not get choked up by the pollution of papers and deadlines.

And what better way to celebrate than a quiet night in, bundled up under a blanket with your laptop, ready to mindlessly binge watch the show you’d been neglecting all semester? Without the constant anxiety of unfinished schoolwork seeping into the folds of your brain, your shoulders relaxed when you typed in the name of the streaming platform.

But just as you hit enter, the door of your dorm burst open and the tension quickly shot back through your entire body. With a gasp you sat up straight and watched as Hitch barged in, shutting the door and seemingly dismissing your existence. Instead, turning to her messy pile of clothes she referred to as her closet, and rummaging through it until she pulled out the tiniest black dress you’d ever seen, holding it up in front of her at the body length mirror on the wall.

She quickly stripped herself of her cropped top, baggy jeans and bra put on the black dress. In your time rooming up with Hitch you’d seen each other naked a countless number times, but you definitely considered yourself to be a bit more reserved than her in that area, though Hitch’s confidence never seized to amaze you.
“Going out?” You asked, looking in awe at the way the dress hugged her curves in all the right places.

Hitch turned around and nodded. “I don’t take it you want to join me?”

“No, thanks. You look hot though.” You remarked and Hitch stuck out her tongue and shoots you a playful wink.

Hitch turned back to the mirror, adjusting the straps of the dress with practiced ease. “Thank you, darling.” She said smugly, striking a quick pose before flipping her short wavy hair around a bit, giving it more volume.

And you’d expected her to leave the conversation at that, she used to beg you to go out with her all the time since the start of classes Sophomore year, but after rejecting her offer too many times to count, she didn’t even try anymore.
But tonight, Hitch was on a mission; as if she suddenly remembered something, she turned to you with a pointed look. “You sure you don’t want to come with?” She asked, her hands placed firmly on her hips, giving you a once over. “I’m not sure I can allow you to spent your first night of freedom rotting away in this dorm.” Giving you a pleading pout.
“I can.” You playfully smirked and shrugged. “I think I’ll pass, really.”

Hitch rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, you gotta reintroduce yourself to society at some point! Don’t you miss getting dressed up? Dancing?”

You shrugged. A part of you did miss drinking and dancing the nights away with Hitch. And it’d been a long ass time since you went to a party. Hitch wasn’t wrong—whilst she could upkeep her grades well enough to pass ánd party on the weekends, you had buried yourself in coursework for longer than you’d anticipated.
“I don’t know.” You finally mumbled after a moment of silence.

Hitch frowned at your answer. “No.” She simply stated before marching over, slamming your laptop shut and yanking the blanket off you in a swift movement. “Listen here you dork, I have been so unbelievably patient with your whole ‘academic weapon’ phase, but now? It’s over and we’re celebrating.” She’d finally snapped, and you shot her a skeptical look as her glaring face was mere inches away from yours.

“Who’s throwing the party?”

“Some frat,” Hitch answered. “I got an invite through Floch.” You raised a brow at the mention of his name, of course.

Floch Forster. A guy you’d heard Hitch mention more than once. They’d been casually hooking up for a while. You found him to be loud, cocky and a little too into himself, but Hitch didn’t seem to mind, so you never questioned it.

“Hitch..” you started, but she cut you off immediately by sitting on your lap.

“Nope. Don’t start.” She grabbed your hands dramatically, “When’s the last time you had fun?”

You blinked up at her, searching your mind but to absolutely no avail. Hitch was right; the last time you recalled having real fun was the week before classes started, and everyone was manifesting to pass the upcoming year with good grades; one shot at a time.
Hitch seemingly read your mind as her hazel eyes beamed up with excitement.

You exhaled through your nose, fighting back a defeated grin. “You’re really not gonna let me say no, huh?”

“Absolutely not.” She smirked, so you nodded. She gave you a quick and tight squeeze, and got off your bed, “I have the perfect dress you can wear!” She exclaimed before rummaging through the so-called organized system of clothes.

“Thanks, but I have my own party clothes you know?” You say and get up from your bed. Hitch nods and waits for you to grab and put on a black mini skirt and cheeta print tube top.

“Rawr.” Hitch motions a cat claw-like manner with her hand as soon as you turn around, making you giggle.

Hitch insisted on doing your makeup, giving you a smokey look with a cat-eye that was so sharp it could kill, according to her.
You and Hitch promptly grabbed your handbags and headed out of the dorm.

The chilly breeze hit your bare legs as the two of you walked your way across campus to the frat house, making you momentarily regret your decision to wear such a short skirt. Beside you, you noticed Hitch shiver too.

But as soon as the frat house neared into sight a familiar warmth washed over you and Hitch.
The frat house was already packed when you arrived, and music pulsed through your eardrums before you’d even made your way inside.
The smell of alcohol, nicotine and something vaguely weed-adjacent hung in the air as Hitch chatted up the frat boy stationed as a guard in front of the frat house.
You didn’t quite follow the short conversation the two had, but noticed the wink that Hitch gave the tall, muscular man and how quick he folded under her remarks, letting the two of you in without hesitation.

Once inside, you recognized a few faces in the crowd, some classmates or people you’d seen around on campus, but the ones Hitch greeted were strangers to you. It felt weird to be so out of the loop. Just last year, you were a regular at these kinds of things and you and Hitch were an unstoppable duo who knew everyone and everything that went down at any party.
Now, it felt like stepping into your old life, and you weren’t quite sure if the formula still fit.

That feeling didn’t simmer for long though, because Hitch grabbed your wrist and pulled you into the kitchen, making a beeline for the counter and grabbing a bottle of tequila.
“There’s no way I’m staying sober at a party,” she announced and grabbed two shot glasses.

You sighed and looked at Hitch as she poured the shots. “Can’t argue with that.”

She smirked. “That’s my girl.” She proudly said, handing you one of the shots.

You clinked the glasses before downing the shot in one go, the burn spreading down your throat, causing a light cough to arise. Hitch immediately poured another.
“You weak pussy.” She beamed at your throats lack of tolerance for the drink and you laughed before she handed you a second shot.

“To your grand comeback.” She toasted.
You shook your head, laughing, but took the second shot anyway. The second shot settled more nicely, and the warmth of the alcohol settled into your bones, the edges of your nerves already starting to loosen.

Just as you set the glass down, Hitch’s attention flickered to the crowd. Her lips curling into a sly smile.
“I spy with my little eye, a very handsome horseface.” She murmured, locking eyes with a tall guy across the room.

You recognized him as one of Hitch’s past hookups, and she jogged your memory by reminding you that his name was Jean.

“What about Floch?” You raised your brows.

“Honey, that was never serious. Besides,” she shrugged and leaned in closer, “The way he fucked me didn’t even come close to compensating for that god awful personality.”

You chuckled at her honesty. “Thank god you finally realize it.”

“I do, love. And this guy, he’s nice,” she smiled, you could see the faintest hint of a blush arise on Hitch’s cheeks as she spoke about Jean. “And he’s way better in bed.”
You couldn’t help but smirk at Hitch’s confession, leaning against the kitchen counter as she poured herself a third shot.
“You’re blushing.” You playfully said.

“I do not blush.” Hitch glared. And it was as if her words and her body were perfectly coordinated, because the blush dissipated into thin air with those words.

But still, you gave her a knowing look. You knew Hitch didn’t exactly ‘do’ relationships, but you knew her well enough to know when she was into somebody for a little more than just sex.

You watched her as her gaze flickered back to Jean. He was standing in the living room, talking to some guy with dark hair tied into a bun. You vaguely recognized him from somewhere, maybe a class, but Hitch’s attention was solely on Jean.

“Go talk to him.” You nudged her.

“Oh, I will.” Hitch grinned, tossing back the third shot before turning to you with a playful pout. “You’re okay on your own, right?”

You rolled your eyes. “Hitch, I am a grown woman. I think I can manage a frat party by myself.”

Hitch squealed delightfully and presses a quick kiss to your cheek. “Love you.”

You laughed, shaking your head head as Hitch disappeared into the crowd with her eyes locked on Jean, like a predator eyeing its prey. The moment she was gone you leaned back against the counter, now all alone in the kitchen.

You bend down to grab a beer from the fridge, popping the tab open and taking a sip.
The burn of the tequila was still lingering in your throat, but the cold bitterness of the beer balanced it out nicely. As you closed the fridge door, you turned around and almost bumped straight into someone.

“Sasha?”

Standing behind you with a bag of chips clasped into her hands you stood face-to-face with someone you hadn’t seen in months, Sasha Braus. She grinned, her brown eyes lighting up as soon as she saw you.

“Holy shit.” She said, stuffing her mouth with a handful of the potato chips she was holding. “It’s been forever!”

You knew Sasha from various clubs and parties, and last year Sasha was a regular guest at the pre-party drinks with you and Hitch. So long as you and Hitch brought the booze, she supplied the best snacks for the three of you.
You didn’t really know Sasha outside of the party scene, never bothered to either. All you knew was that she was a major foodie and a great dancer.

Sasha wasted no time putting the chips down on the kitchen island and pulling you into a tight hug. She stepped back and her eyes scanned you, like she was making sure that you, at a party, wasn’t a figment of her imagination but that you were really in front of her right now.
“Where the hell have you been?” she demanded, nudging your arm. “Hitch said you went full hermit mode this semester, but I didn’t think you’d actually disappear on us completely.”

You laughed. “Yeah, well. I needed to get my shit together.”
Sasha clicked her tongue. “Pfft. Lame. But I’ll forgive you if you make up for all the lost time tonight.”
You grinned, lifting your beer. “I’ll drink to that.”
She laughed as you took a long sip.

You and Sasha caught up for a bit, reminiscing about last year’s wildest moments. Sasha then filled you in on all the crazy shit you’d missed, the scandalous hookups, the ridiculous parties that were thrown so far this year, and the disasters. From a guy trying to jump off the frat’s roof to someone getting their hair set on fire during a drinking game.
You’d heard the majority of the happenings already from Hitch, but pretended to be taken aback as Sasha retold the stories. It felt easy to slip back into this rhythm with her, almost like you hadn’t spent months buried in textbooks instead of partying.

But before you could get too comfortable, a guy appeared behind Sasha just as she was finishing up her story, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“Hey, Braus,” he said. “Connie wants us all to play a game in the other room.”

You barely processed the words before Sasha turned her head, and the moment she did, the person speaking came into view.
Messy blonde hair fell over his forehead and deep blue eyes took you in.

Your stomach flipped. It was the handsome stranger from the library. Although he wasn’t wearing his glasses, you immediately recognized him.

He was standing behind Sasha, his posture relaxed, with his free arm he had his hand casually tucked into his pocket.
But the moment his gaze met yours, all the ease in his stance disappeared. His lips parted slightly, eyes widening in the same kind of startled recognition that you felt thumping in your chest.

Sasha, sharp even when tipsy, clocked the tension in an instant. Her eyes flickered between the two of you. “You two know each other?” she questioned, a knowing smirk creeping onto her face.

The question snapped you out of the utter shock. “Something like that,” you answered.

“No—well, kind of,” Library guy said at the same time as you, his voice slightly strained.

Sasha’s grin widened. You could see the mischief in her expression, and before either of you could clarify, she pulled herself away from the guy’s grasp around her shoulders and grinned at you. “Well, I’ll leave you two to work that out. I’m gonna go see what this game is all about.”
And just like that, she grabbed the bag of chips from the counter she was clutching before, and disappeared into the crowd, leaving you standing there with him.

You cleared your throat, offering him a small, almost sheepish smile. “Hey.”

“So, we meet again.” He says, his voice carrying the slightest hint of amusement.

You exhaled a quiet laugh. “Yeah. Guess we do.”

His gaze flickered to the beer in your hand, then back up to your face. “I—” He hesitated, then exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly. “I never caught your name.”

“What?”

“At the library.” He shrugged, stepping slightly closer to you.

You let out a breathy chuckle. “Oh, right.” You finally introduced yourself.
“Nice name. I’m Armin.” He smiled. Finally, you knew the name of the handsome mystery guy.
You didn’t expect to see him here, considering how he’d spent an entire Friday night in the library. But then again, you weren’t one to talk. You especially didn’t think he’d remember you so easily though, just as you remembered him.

“I didn’t take you for the party type.” You catch yourself saying. The alcohol causing you to blurt out your thoughts. He seems slightly taken aback by the assumption, rubbing his neck with his hand.
“I’m not, not really,” he chuckles lightly. “But my friends are and they drag me to these parties every once in a while.”

“That makes sense,” you mused, tilting your beer slightly in his direction.
Armin laughed, a sound that rang through your ears as it made something flutter in your stomach. He shifted on his feet, his fingers absentmindedly toying with the hem of his sweater. “What about you? You seem like you fit in here more than I do.”

You shrugged. “I used to. Took a bit of a hiatus, though. My roommate dragged me out here tonight to get me back in the game.” His lips quirked as his eyes scanned over you, as if he was trying to figure you out, or checking you out. “Well, welcome back.” You had no clue whether or not the alcohol made you imagine it, but you could’ve sworn he glanced down at your exposed thighs that the black mini skirt barely covered.

You didn’t have much time to think about it though, because suddenly a loud voice cut through the moment.

“Armin, dude, what the hell is taking so long?”

You both turned your heads just in time to see a shorter guy with a buzz cut pushing through the crowd, his dark eyes flicking between you and Armin.

“Sorry, Connie.” Armin muttered, his lips stretching into a grin. “I got distracted.”

You felt your cheeks get flushed at his nonchalantness, and before you could say anything, Connie, presumably, clapped a hand on Armin’s shoulder and turned his attention to you. “Well, I was just coming to get this guy because we’re about to play a game. You’re welcome to join if you’d like. The name’s Connie by the way.” You quickly introduce yourself as well, and raise a brow at the invitation.

An invitation like that, combined with the shots you took a while ago had made you bold, and after being out of the party scene for so long, you were more than ready to reclaim your social butterfly status. You smirked, glancing down at your beer before lifting it to your lips. “I gotta check something first.”

Despite feeling slightly tipsy, Hitch was heavily on your mind. You didn’t want a repeat of what almost happened in the library in case she couldn’t find you. So you took your phone out of your purse, checking your notifications, and low and behold Hitch had sent you a text.

Hitch (00:20am): busy rn..getting busy, lol don’t wait up

You exhaled through your nose, shaking your head at the screen. Figures. You tuck your phone away and looking at the two men waiting for your answer.

“I’m in.”

Chapter Text

Connie grinned and motioned for you both to follow him into the other room.

Once inside, you saw a handful of people already gathered. Sasha was there, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a new bag of chips, talking to a girl with long blonde hair and big blue eyes. Christa, you assumed, based on how close she sat next to the taller, dark-haired girl beside her, whom you recognized as Ymir, if you remembered correctly from Hitch’s stories. She’d purposely stalked some people on social media to match their names in her stories to a face for you.

The tall guy with the messy bun Jean had previously been talking to was lounged out on the couch. He had green eyes, that were now complimented with a red outline instead of the usual white as he leaned his head back.

A girl with short black hair sat nearby him, one leg tucked beneath her, observing the room with a cool, unreadable expression. You noticed her eyeliner and fishnets, you had no idea who this girl was but you dug her style.
She introduced herself as Mikasa, and the guy on the couch as Eren.
Eren tilted his head up to glance up at Armin, “Hey man, you playin’?” He plainly asks.

"Yeah, I guess. It was getting loud out there anyways," Armin says, shrugging his shoulders.
Eren then notices you standing beside Armin, his eyes widening at the sight, "Armin, you didn't tell me you had a new girlfr-"
"EREN,” Armin shouts, taken aback and flustered as he tries his best to cut the sentence off as quickly as he can.

“Oh! I’m not—“ You try to stammer through the conversation, but Eren beats you to it.

“Relax man, I was just kidding," Eren looks down at Armin as he lets out a low wry chuckle. “Thanks for accompanying my pussy of a friend-" You then catch Armin give Eren a death stare from the corner of your eye, making Eren shut his mouth, unamused.

"Don't stare at me like that," Eren says blandly.

“Alright, people!” Connie declared through the room, catching everyone’s attention by shaking a beanie in his hands. “Time to make some memories.”

Sasha whooped, and Eren rolled his eyes but smirked nonetheless.

“Tonight we are playing 7 minutes in heaven,” Connie grinned. “The game goes as follows: everyone writes their name down on a piece of paper, puts it into the hat, and each round two papers shall be drawn from the hat. You must stay in the closet for seven minutes. Live out your wildest fantasies people.”

One by one, people wrote their names down and dropped them into the beanie. You scribbled yours down before folding the paper and tossing it in, leaning back as Connie mixed the names up dramatically.

When the game begun cheers chanted through the room as people disappeared into the closet. Your name was yet to be called but despite not being at the center of the game, you were having a blast with Sasha as the two of you took shots of whatever bottles were laid out on the coffee table as you tried to guess what was going on behind the door each consecutive round.

Eventually, Eren’s name was drawn, along with someone else who’s name you didn’t quite catch.
Once their time started, the closet quickly erupted into lewd sounds and moans.
You had bet Sasha a handful of potato chips that she was getting some good head, and you silently caught yourself wishing that someone could give you that much pleasure as well.
Fuck, it’d been way to long since you’d gotten laid. You were by no means a blushing virgin, you had owned the ‘experiment in college’ phrase plenty last year, but now? You could hardly even recall your last hookup.

As a ruse to distract yourself from your thoughts you grab your phone to check for any messages from Hitch, but you had received no new texts.

And as the game continued on Sasha disappeared back into the kitchen to grab more snacks. You felt yourself growing more and more bored, and thinking about an assortment of different things. But you mainly let your mind spiral through unholy thoughts, even imagining what it’d be like to get your name drawn alongside—

Armin. He looked over. He noticed your lack of energy, so he leaned closer to you and whispered in your ear, “Want to get out of here? My name hasn’t been drawn either and I’m starting to get bored. I think some fresh air will help us both to sober up.” He smiles sheepishly.

You leaned in, a little flustered—as you quickly snap your mind out of the lewd thoughts—and whisper back, “That sounds like a great idea.” Trying your best not to slur your words.

Armin nods and gets up, grabbing your hand and quietly dragging you out of the room without anybody noticing.
He doesn’t let go of your hand until the two of you have maneuvered your way outside, through the groups of frat boys and dancing girls, and onto the porch.

The cold air hissed over your bare hand once he dropped it. Armin leaned his back against the porch railing and grabbed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket, grabbing one and holding the pack out to you, “Want one?” He simply asked.

You looked up at him, dumbfounded. “No thanks, I don’t smoke.” Not anymore.

He shrugged and put the pack back into the pocket of his jeans as he lit the cigarette he’d taken out.
You chuckle and Armin looks at you from across the porch, “You dragged me out here just to smoke?”

Armin exhaled a slow stream of smoke into the night air, his blue eyes flickering toward you with a grin. “That wasn’t my only reason.”

You raised a brow, walking over and positioning yourself next to him. With your arms crossed over your chest as you leaned against the porch railing. “What’s the other reason?”

He shrugged, taking another drag before looking away. “I don’t know,” he shrugged, exhaling. “You just looked like you needed an escape. Thought I’d offer one.” He admitted. You couldn’t help but be a little disappointed at the answer, but then again, you didn’t quite know what you wanted to hear from him either.

You studied him for a moment, admiring the way the glow from the porch light softened his features. He was kind to offer you a breath of fresh air.

“Very noble of you,” you said, smirking slightly.

Armin let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, well… I do what I can.”

The distant thump of the music from inside echoed the space between the two of you whilst the cold night air nipped at your skin. Luckily, the buzz from the alcohol kept it from being unbearable.

“You don’t seem like the type to smoke.” You then said, watching as he flicked the ash off the end of his cigarette.

He huffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah, well. I don’t do it often. Bought a pack again during exams, it helps with the stress.”

“Bad habit.” You teased.

“Yeah, yeah.” He rolled his eyes, despite the smile on his face. “What about you? Any bad habits I should know about?”

You hummed, pretending to think. “Hmm.. I used to smoke for a bit too, not anymore though.”

Armin let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head at your response. “That’s kind of impressive. Most people say they’ll quit and never actually do.” He mused. “I’m guilty of that.”

You grinned wide, tilting your head. “Well, what can I say? I’ve got self-control.”

Armin smirked at your response, shaking his head. “Self-control, huh?”

You nodded confidently.

He studied you for a moment, something unreadable flickering across his blue eyes. Then he exhaled and looked away, flicking the last bit of ash from his cigarette before putting it out on the railing. “Wish I could say the same.”

“Guess that just means you lack the right kind of motivation.” You look up at him and grin. He huffs a laugh, shaking his head. Armin shifts beside you, shoving his hands into his pockets and his gaze flickering from you toward the door. “You wanna head back in?” He asks. “I’m sure everyone’s wondering where we went.”

“Sure,” you hummed. Without giving it a second thought you push yourself off the railing and you follow him back to the steps, but as you hopped up to the door, your foot caught on the edge and you misstep, nearly stumbling forward.

Armin’s hand shoots out instinctively, steadying you before you could fall.

“Whoa,” he muttered, his hand firm against your arm. “Are you okay?”

You gasp and look at him, “Just a little ditsy from the alcohol, I think.” You chuckle. “I think that’s my cue to leave though.”

Armin raised a brow. “You sure? I could grab you some water and—”

You waved him off. “Nah, it’s been fun but I should just go before I embarrass myself even more.”

He let go of your arm, nodding, but hesitates before speaking again. “Got someone to walk you back to your dorm?”

Your eyes widen at his concerned gaze. You think back to Hitch’s text, in no way did you want to bother her. You weren’t completely wasted—and even if you were—despite stumbling into a bush or two, you always made it back safely.

“No, my roommate’s busy, but I’ll be fine.” You declare and smile at him, waiting from him to go back inside. “But it was nice to run into you again.”

His eyes seemingly soften at your words and he doesn’t turn away, instead he grabs your arms and nudges you to an old bench on the porch, “Wait here.” He tells you and you frown but do as he says, and sit down.

Maybe it was the effects of the alcohol, but he came back just as quickly as he’d left, holding a black jacket in his hands. “I’ll walk you back.” He plainly says.

You blink at him. “Oh. You don’t have to.”

“I know.” His expression softened. “But I want to.” He then held the jacket in front of you, handing it over. “Put this on. Wouldn’t want you to get sick.” He said, glancing down at your outfit. His brows furrowed slightly.

You blinked at him. Then, to your horror, you felt your face heat up when you suddenly remembered how little you were wearing. You grabbed his jacket and put it on. “…Okay,” you relented. His jacket fit a little oversized, and smelled of something clean, a little like faded cologne mixed with the faintest trace of smoke.

The way he acted when he guided you to the bench and handed you his jacket, looking away with the slightest blush painted on his cheeks, didn’t seem like the same guy who had been leaning against the porch minutes ago, smoking away with that quiet, knowing smirk. Now, he appeared more like the Armin you’d met in the library, that’d been taking up your thoughts for the past week. The nerdy, kind, slightly awkward guy.
And maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just him, but you felt yourself soften too.

“…Thanks,” you mumbled, tugging the jacket closer around you.
Armin just nodded, stuffing his hands back into his pockets before motioning for you to follow.

“What building’s your dorm in?” He asked.

“Building C.”

The walk back to your dorm was quiet, the crisp night air making your head clearer with every step. Your vision no longer spun, and you were glad for it. Armin didn’t talk much either, but his presence was steady beside you, his pace matched to yours.

Armin walked close enough that your arms brushed a few times, but he didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t say anything. You didn’t say anything either, despite the simplest brushes halting your breath.

You found yourself glancing at him every so often, taking in the way the streetlights cast shadows over his face and the sharp angles of his jaw, the soft curve of his lips.

He looked good.

You hadn’t noticed it before, not really. You were too distracted by the party, but now, under the cool night air, you could see him clearly. He was wearing basic jeans and a brown sweater, nothing particularly special, but it suited him.

You liked how he looked.

Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the fact that you hadn’t seen any action in a fuck-long time, or maybe it was just him, but something about the way he carried himself had drawn you in.

But before you knew it, you were standing in front of your dorm. You fumbled with your keys, suddenly hyper aware of the way Armin was watching you. When you finally got the key into the lock, but you hesitated turning it, unsure of what to say to Armin. Great, another awkward goodbye, you thought.

“…Thanks for walking me,” you say awkwardly as you hand him back his jacket. “And thanks for this.” Nudging to the jacket.

Armin nodded. “No problem.”

“You heading back to the party?” You ask him, and to your surprise, Armin shakes his head.

“I think I’m gonna call it a night. Like I said, parties like that aren’t my usual scene.” He shrugs.

“Alright.. Well, goodnight then,” You say and nudge a little closer to him.

As if your mind was no longer in control of your body you grabbed the hem of his sweater. Quickly pulling him close and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. You felt him stiffen in surprise, but you were still too tipsy to second-guess your personalized goodbye.

The weight of what you’d done hit you when you pulled away and let go of his sweater, but not a single part of you regretted it.
Armin’s eyes widen and he blinks at you, completely stunned. A pink flush overtaking his cheeks. “Why’d you do that?”

You shrug, it wasn’t that you didn’t know why. You knew why. You were attracted to him, and all the shots had made you bold.

Armin looked you over once before he stepped closer to you, closing the distance you had just created. He cupped your face, and hesitated for a second, as if he wanted to give you an out, but you didn’t budge. After he read the certainty in your gaze, he pressed his lips to yours once more. He gripped you with such force that you got pushed got against the wall. Your breath hitched as he deepened the kiss this time, his hands tilting your head slightly.

His lips moved against yours in a way that sent a shiver down your spine, and when his tongue brushed against yours, faintly tasting like smoke, you let out a quiet noise of surprise, but melted into him almost instantly.
Your hands grip the fabric of his sweater again, now pulling him even closer.

You weren’t sure how long you stood there, tangled up in each other. His hands cupping your cheeks, and your back pushed against the wall of the hallway. But when you finally pulled away, breathless, Armin’s hands still lingered against your skin, his forehead nearly resting against yours.

“Do you want to come in?” You pant, your words escaping your throat before you can think it through.

Armin pauses for a moment, he then nods.

You quickly remove yourself from his grasp and unlock the door to the dorm, pulling him inside and locking the door behind you. You didn’t know if it was you or him who moved first, but your lips lock just as quickly as you close the door. Your hands find his hips and you pull him toward you as you find a rhythm to the kiss.

You both kick your shoes off and Armin’s hands cup your face again and holds you to him as his tongue traces your lips.
You advance on him and pull him towards your bed.

He gently lays you down on the bed. One hand trails down from your neck to your waist, leaving goosebumps in its wake. As you pull him towards your body, you can feel how hard he’s getting just from the kissing. Not that you were that much more restraint. It had been a long ass time since you’d gotten laid, and you could already feel your pussy getting wetter with each nip of his teeth and squeeze of his hand on your waist.

You move a hand to his head and thread your fingers through his hair. It’s just as soft as it looks and you tug at it. The movement unexpectedly makes Armin moan into your mouth.

“You sound so pretty when you moan.” You whisper against his lips. You tug his hair again as he grinds his hips against you, clearly excited by the praise.

“Fuck.” He gasps. He starts moving his lips down from your face to your neck, kissing and licking. Your entire body’s on fire and you let yourself get lost in the pleasure. When his teeth scrape the your pulse point of your neck you buck your hips against his. He notices and he looks up, his eyes meeting your gaze with a devilish smirk.

He opens his mouth and lets his teeth gently bite down on the soft skin of your neck, making you gasp.

“Fucking hell. Do that again.” You demand, your hands desperately tug on his hair to keep him close to you. He obliges and bites you, a little harder this time. You moan, and when you do, his grip on your waist tightens.

He pulls away from you for a second and your eyes meet. His once kind and innocent eyes now looked wild with lust.

“Armin, do you want this?” You ask, breathlessly.

“God yes.” He replies, hands caressing your waist. He slides them down to the curve of your ass and grabs you harshly. You throw your head back and moan, giving him access to your neck again. You can feel the pressure of him leaving hickeys on you, pain and pleasure mixing into one sensation.

“Fuck, Armin.” You moan. “I have to.. put a hair tie on the door, in case my roommate comes back.” You gasp in between the kisses.

Armin loosens his grip on you and nods. You get up from underneath him and quickly snatch a scrunchie from your desk and put it on the outside doorknob.

When you turn around Armin’s positioned himself up on your bed, with his back against the wall. In an almost animalistic way you rush up to him, pressing your lips onto his and positioning yourself in between his hips, slowly lowering your body onto his growing bulge.

You’re quick to take off his brown sweater and the white shirt he’s wearing underneath, throwing both into the direction of your desk. You look down at his chest, and wow, he was ripped. You feel your face turn red at the unexpected sight.

Armin tilts your chin up with his fingers, pulling your flushed gaze back to him. “I need to feel you.” He whispers against you. You slip your hand between your bodies to cup his bulge through his pants.

“Then do it, pretty boy.” You lift yourself up slightly, squeezing his clothed bludge gently with your hand.

Armin pulls away from you and stares at you like a starved man. He maintains eye contact as he removes your skirt and safety-shorts and slips a hand into your panties.

He wastes no time dipping his fingers into your wetness, tracing your pussy as your chest heaves from the contact.

“Is this all for me?” He asks, cockier than you ever thought possible of him. You moan and return the favour by rubbing your palm against his buldge.

“All for you Armin, fuck. I want you so badly.”

“I can tell.” He presses the pads of his fingers against your clit and starts to slowly play with it. Torturously slow.
You try to angle your hips to get him to go further and he smirks against your neck. Placing a cold kiss. He obliges and slides a finger to your entrance, teasing you for a moment before fully pushing into you.

“God, more.” You moan, your hips bucking. You remove his belt and unzip his pants, revealing his grey underwear.

You slip your hand under his underwear and grip his rock hard cock to return the favor. You could’ve sworn he whimpered at your touch.

You start teasing the head of his cock with your thumb and he curls his finger inside you. You’re both moaning mercilessly. He adds a second finger and you have to stop yourself from clenching your fist around him in response. His fingers are still moving at a the awfully slow pace and you want more. You need more.

“Faster.” You whine. He bites just below your ear and chuckles. The sound of him makes you clench your walls around his long, slender fingers.

“Greedy, are we? Say please.” His words are addictive, and your mind is a mess of desire and want. If he wants dirty talk, you can do that.

“Please Armin, I need more. Fuck me with those pretty fingers.” You gasp. He groans lowly and picks up the pace. The heel of his palm connects with your clit with each thrust of his hand and you can feel the heat building. Your hand on his cock is moving faster too, the precum helping you along with the strokes.

Your mouth’s meet again. It’s a messy clash, interrupted by moans and gasps as you both rut against each other.

You can’t take the painfully slow movements anymore and pull away from him. He chases your lips, nudging his body off the wall and towards you, fingers still teasing your climax out of you. You pull your hand from his cock and place both on his bare chest.

“Armin, can I ride you?” You punctuate your sinful declaration by leaning in and kissing his neck. Armin’s breath catches in his throat and he slowly pulls his fingers from you.

You reach for the hand that was just pumping inside you and lift his slick fingers to your face. Staring into his eyes you wrap your lips around his fingers and let your tongue lick up all your arousal. He looks like he might faint as your cheeks hollow whilst you suck on his fingers. You continue the motion and let him pull his hand out of your mouth himself, a satisfied grin on your face once he does.

“Strip.” You demand simply. Armin doesn’t hesitate as he lifts his hips so he can slide his jeans off his legs, along with his underwear. You smirk at his obedience.

You stare down at his hard cock as it slaps against his stomach. Armin looks like he could eat you, his eyes wide with desire and mouth shiny with saliva as he stares at you.

You sweep your hair to the side and lean in to kiss him. Armin’s hands find your cheeta print top, and he immediately cups your boobs, squeezing them as his tongue explores your mouth. You can't help the rhythmic way you grind down onto him, breathy moans spilling from your mouth and you bury your hands in his hair. Only your panties separating you.

“Armin…” You whine. He pulls your top off and begins licking your collarbones as he unhooks your bra. His tongue traveling down towards your hardened nipples.

“Yes?” He asks, lost in your body.

“I need to feel you inside me, please.” You plead, unashamed of how pathetically horny you must sound.

He bucks his hips in response, clearly just as needy as you. He pulls back from you so you can stand and push your lace underwear down your legs, leaving you naked in front of him.

His eyes travel over you in a way that makes you weak, and before you can move he yanks you back down onto his lap. His hand once again finds its way between your thighs and he presses against your clit.

Your arousal is dripping onto his hard cock and your moans become higher and more prolonged. He locks eyes with you and sticks his fingers in his mouth, sucking them like you did earlier. “Fuck Armin, you’re so dirty.” You smirk. “You got a condom?” You ask.

He hesitates for a bit and you slowly back away from him. “I—sorry. Fuck. I forgot. I don’t usually do this, so I wasn’t expecting—“ The previous lustful look had completely dispersed from his face and the flustered, awkward, guy returned as Armin rubbed the back of his neck. He seemed ready to get up and put his clothes back on until you pressed your index finger to his lips, shushing his rambling.

“Don’t stress it.” You smile and get off the bed, you walk over to Hitch’s desk and open her drawers one by one. She must have some, if not an entire stash of condoms somewhere in here, you thought. As you bent down to search, Armin admired your bare ass from the bed. And when you found it, you grabbed one out of the drawer and turned back around, playfully putting the sealed condom in your mouth.

Armin took the condom packet out of your mouth and opened it, sliding the condom down his length whilst you looked him over. When he was done and looked up into your eyes the look of desire slowly returned to his face as he guided his hand back from your thigh to your throbbing, needy, pussy once more.

Desperate as you were, you immediately slid back onto his lap and position yourself on top of him, feeling his head press against your opening. You stare at him as you let your hips drop, not bothering to take him slowly. The sudden intrusion makes you gasp, you feel yourself stretching after taking all of him in one movement.

His hands move to your hips as he relishes in the feeling. You don’t let him savour it for too long before you begin to find a steady pace, bopping up and down.

“Armin, you feel so good inside me.” You moan, leaning forward to give yourself leverage to fuck him. Your lips dance across his neck, licking and sucking, making him whimper and moan words that seem jumbled together.

You bite down and his hips thrust up, making you squirm. He gets the message and starts driving his hips up to meet yours, setting a faster pace that has you losing your mind.

“Yeah—Good boy, fuck me like that.” You don’t know why those words leave your lips, you’d never used them with anyone before, but part of you was curious if Armin’s clear desire for praise extended to being called a good boy. The moan he lets out confirms it.

“Fuck.” He pants as he fucks into you. Muttering your name under his breath. The sound of skin slapping accompanies the lewd sounds you’re making as you moan into his ear. You are so unbelievably turned on by how pathetic he sounds.

Your voice is shaky with pleasure as you slide your hand down to your clit, rubbing circles to increase the pleasure.

You continue rubbing your clit as his cock pumps into you over and over. He groans, nails digging into your skin as his movements become more and more frantic. “I’m getting close.”

“Fuck, Armin, me too.” You breathe, your orgasm building more with each thrust. He leans against your chest, panting against you and muffling his moans against your skin as he continues thrusting.

“I want you to talk to me, I want to hear you when I come, can you do that?” You say.

Armin lifts his head up to look at you, cold sweat dripping down his forehead as he nods and parts his lips, “You feel so fucking good.” He curses your name under his breath, “I’m your good boy, I wanna make you cum everywhere for me. Come for me please, that’s all I want.” He begs, so close to coming undone himself.

You can feel your entire body spasm as you reach your high. Your voice is hoarse as you rock against Armin’s body, riding out your climax. Armin shudders at your sudden rapid movement as he whines and whimpers, coming undone under you.

You fall against his chest as you come down from your high. Both of you are panting and sweating. His hands encircle your waist and you sit on his lap a while as you both come down from the high.

After regaining consciousness, you lift your head from his chest and look at him, a smile on your lips. He looks up at you, forehead covered in sweat and messy blonde locks as he grins.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” You reply. Yours gaze flickers down to the mess you’ve made.

“That was amazing.” Armin breathed lightly.

You raise your hips, and Armin helps you pull yourself off his cock. You were surprised to see how quickly he worked to take the condom off and tie it into a knot, throwing it into the thrash once he did.

It was clear Armin had quite a bit of experience with this, and you weren’t sure how that made you feel. That thought hadn’t even occurred to you when you first met him in the library, but if the way he fucked you was any indicator, you weren’t surprised.

Armin got up from the bed and pulled his underwear back on, he looked over at you and pulled you in for a quick kiss. You were taken aback by the sweetness he presented.

You got up from the bed, grabbed some fresh clothes and walked over to the bathroom.

Luckily your dorm building had on-suite bathrooms instead of communal ones, so you quickly cleaned yourself up.

After putting on a fresh pair of panties and an oversized t-shirt you half-expected Armin to have snuck out and left, or all dressed up, wondering how to make a polite exit after fucking you. That’s the way you were used to one night stands going, and that’s what this was, right? Either way, you’d reckon the second option seemed more his style.

But when you left the bathroom, he was still there. Sitting on the edge of your bed, shirtless. Your blanket wrapped over his waist. When he hears you come back, he perks up to look at you.

“Hey.” He blinks.

You linger in the doorway for a moment, confused. “Hey… I thought you’d..” You cut yourself off. Not sure how to finish that sentence. Despite thinking it, would you seem like a slut if you told him out loud that you thought he’d leave?
One thing was certain, he looked very cute with your blanket wrapped over his waist.

Armin stretches his arms over his head and yawns before flopping back against your pillows, his blonde hair fanning out against the fabric. “What, just leave?” He looks at you with something between amusement and sincerity. “Did you want me to?”

You hesitate. That’s the thing—you don’t know. You’re used to hookups being just that, no stay-overs, no strings attached, no complications. Just mere fucking and leaving afterwards. But Armin’s still here, tangled in your bed, like the thought leaving never even crossed his mind.

“I just figured…” You trail off, suddenly feeling dumb for assuming. Just because you’re used to one night stands leaving immediately after hooking up doesn’t mean it isn’t allowed for a one night stand to sleep over.

Armin watches you for a second, then lets out a soft chuckle. “You’re not kicking me out, so I’ll take that as an invitation to stay.” He shifts onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow. “That is of course, unless you want me to go.”

You glance down at him. His abs peeking out from your sheets, and an innocent look plastered on his face. He gave you an easy out, and by the way he was looking at you, you were certain that if you took it he’d just put the rest of his clothes on without question and head back to his own dorm without making it weird.

But, you let out a breath and shake your head. “No. You can stay.”

His expression softens as he scoots over a little, making space for you. You hesitate only a second longer before crossing the room and slipping under the covers, next to Armin. The warmth of his body seeps into yours immediately, and when you settle in, you feel Armin shift closer, ever so slightly.

He doesn’t push, or pry. He doesn’t try to wrap himself around you or pull you against his chest. But his arm gentle brushes over yours under the blankets, and when your legs shift, they tangle with his for a moment.

For a while, neither of you speak. The silence is comfortable, the subtle touches are comfortable, and you’re not sure when exactly your eyes start to close and you drift off, but the last thing you register before slumber takes over is the sound of Armin’s steady breathing beside you.

Still there.

Chapter Text

He was still there, until he wasn’t.

The next morning you woke to your phone vibrating violently on your nightstand and a loud pounding at the door. The second you cracked open your eyes, a dull headache greeted you, remnants of the drinks from last night still lingering in your system. You let out a groan as you reach for your buzzing phone.

When you grabbed your phone to take the call the time read 12:03 P.M. Fuck. Midday already? The second you answer, Hitch’s voice explodes through the speaker. In sheer shock you pull the phone from your ear.

“You bitch, who have you been fucking all morning?” Hitch screams. The pounding at the door didn’t cease in the slightest as her irritation seeped through both the phone and the thin walls of your dorm. “I’ve been waiting for over an hour and I’m done. Wrap it up and send your boy toy on his way, I want to take a shower.”

Still groggy, you look over and your eyes widen as they scan over the empty spot beside you. Memories from last night come rushing back; the heat of Armin’s body against yours, the feeling of his hands gripping your waist, the way he whimpered against your lips.

“He left.” You mutter through the phone, still processing. The sheets were left slightly wrinkled, but there was no trace of him.

“What?” Hitch snapped. “What do you mean, he left? Did he turn invisible? Because I’ve been outside for the past hour, and unless he climbed out the window like some kind of moron—”

“He’s not a moron.” You cut in. “And I don’t know.“

Hitch let out a dramatic sigh as you hung up the phone and got out of bed, stumbling toward the door. You open it and swiftly and remove the scrunchie from the doorknob.

“Sorry.” You quietly mutter to Hitch as you rub your eyes to get used to the sudden bright lights from the hallway.

“Okay, seriously, where the fuck is he?” Hitch then pry’s over your shoulders and you look at her in shock. “Did I stutter?”

“I already told you, he left.” You plainly say. If Hitch had been waiting for a while, he must’ve left early in the morning. Besides that, you were none the wiser. You didn’t particularly want to wonder ‘why’ either, so you try shifting the subject. “How was your night?”

Hitch glares at you. “Nuh-uh.” She nudges and grabs your arms firmly. “A friend of Jean’s told me that you went home with somebody last night. Spill it girl, who did you have sex with?”

You roll yours eyes. Knowing Hitch, she wouldn’t stop prying until she got the information she wanted. With no way of escaping the interrogation you thought it would be best give in sooner rather than later. “Fine. I had sex with the cute guy from the library.”

Hitch gasps and her eyes turn comically wide as she drags you to her bed. Sitting the both of you down. “Details, now.” You’d told Hitch about the encounter you had with Armin in the library during exam season, and back then she was all ears to hear you gush about somebody.

You chuckle at her sudden change in attitude. “Really?”

She nods enthusiastically, so you give her one more piece of information. “His name’s Armin.”

If Hitch’s eyes weren’t already fully filled with shock and excitement, it looked like they were about to pop now. “Excuse me—Armin Arlert is your library man?” Her tone oozed slightly with disgust, or disappointment.

Your eyes light up. “I don’t know his last name but yeah, I guess. Hold on, you know him? You’ve known who he was this whole time and you didn’t tell me?”

“WELL—NO. I imagined a blue-eyed hunk when you described him to me, not a dork that one would find in the library regardless of exam season.” You chuckle at the thought of her mental image. “I didn’t think nerds were your type.” Hitch admits.

“So you do know him?”

“No, not personally. But I know his best friend, Eren.” Hitch says. Your brows shoot up in surprise and her expression immediately turns sour. “Did you think me and him—? Blegh, no, I would never.” She shudders dramatically. “That pothead is way too big a fuckboy, even for me. And, he’s a friend of Jean, I don’t homie-hop.” She shakes her head almost violently.

“What about Floch then?”

“Oh, him and Jean aren’t friends.” Hitch laughs, almost mockingly. “They’re just in the same frat. If it wasn’t for the pledge, Jean would never speak to the guy. Trust me.”

You hum and nod.

“Enough about me, though.” She waves and her perked up expression returns. “How was it?” She looks at you with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

You roll your eyes, but you can’t help the small smile that tugs at your lips. “I’m not giving you details about it, Hitch.”

Hitch groans, flopping onto her bed dramatically. “At least tell me something.” You hesitate for a second, recalling last night’s memories in your mind. Your cheeks heat up at the thought, and you shake your head, trying to play it off. Hitch gasps as she notices your burnt up cheeks. “Oh my God, so it was good.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your cute face.” She wiggles her eyebrows at you. “Damn, who knew that blonde nerd had it in him?”

You snort, reaching for a pillow and chucking it at her. “Shut up.”

The pillow hits her right in the face, and she’s laughing as she throws it off the bed. “Tell me more, I need details! How big was it? Say stop—“ She puts her hands in front of her and in a sort of lineair motion, she slowly spaces them further out. You roll your eyes and quickly push her hands down.

“I’m not telling you that.” You feel your face heat up.

“But we haven’t had a girl talk like this in forever.” She pouts. “You’re such a buzzkill, we used to tell each other everything.”

“You can still tell me everything, say, about you and Jean.” You smirk and chuck another pillow at Hitch. This one she effortlessly dodges.

“I just might.” She grins and grabs your hands in hers. “It was the best sex I’d had in a long ass time.” Hitch smiles brightly. You could definitely relate to that, not that you’d tell her that though. Oddly enough, you wanted to keep your encounter with Armin a memory only you could recall, despite gushing about so many great and not-so-great hook-ups to Hitch in the past, this felt different. “And he wants to see me again on Wednesday.” She squeals.

“Like, a date?”

“Don’t know, don’t care. You know I don’t do the whole dating thing. But I wouldn’t be opposed to a date if it means I get to spend another night with him.” She winks. “What about you though, darling? Armin just left?” You nod. Still feeling quite reeled by the situation. “No awkward morning-after talk? No, ‘this was a mistake’ or ‘let’s pretend this never happened’?” Hitch mumbled.

You shrug. “Guess not. I’m not even used to guys staying the night after hooking up, but if he left early, he must’ve wanted to avoid all that.”

Hitch hums in thought. “Or… maybe he just didn’t want to wake you up?”

It was the most delusional page out of the book, but according to Hitch, also the excuse that fit his persona the most. You blink at her, caught off guard by the suggestion.

“What? Just because I gamble in the hook-up system doesn’t mean I think that everyone does.” She furrows her brows. “From what I’ve heard he’s a pretty awkward fellow. A guy like that doesn’t strike me as the ‘one night stand and dip’ type of person.”

“I think it was just that though.” You shrug. “Not even sure if I was in it for more than just sex.“

“Are you sure?” She continues, flopping onto her stomach and propping her chin up with her hands, looking up at you like a sad puppy prying for answers.

You scoff, shaking your head. “Come on, Hitch. It was just a party hookup. It’s not that deep, really.” You shrug. “I think we both needed some stress relief from the exams.”

She eyes you for a moment, like she’s trying to decide if she believes you. Then, she shrugs. “What’s that then?” She points to a sticky note that’s propped up to your desk. You glance at the desk, then back to her. She winks and you quickly get up from her bed to check. From afar the note didn’t look like a fallen out study note, and it definitely wasn’t written down in your handwriting either.

You look down at the yellow post-it, it read Armin’s name and a phone number scribbled down below.

Hitch perked up from the bed, her tone teasing but caring. “What’s it say? Did loverboy leave his number?”

You laughed softly. “Yeah. He did.”

“Really?” She got up from the bed and flicked her eyes between you and the note. She positioned herself behind you, resting her chin on your shoulder as she reads the note. “So I was right.” She smirks.

You turn your head a shoot her a side eye and her smile widens. “It doesn’t doesn’t explain why he didn’t wake me up to give me his number himself.”

“You were out cold, bitch.” Hitch says plainly. “It took me alone five calls and many bonks at the door to wake you.”

You chuckle, she had a point. Still, you stared back to the yellow post-it, wondering what to do with it. “So what? I should just text him?”

“Yeah, if you want to bang again. I bet that’s why he left his number so secretively.” She playfully sticks out her tongue. “He’s leaving it up to you to make the first move.”

You roll your eyes, more at the thought of his arrogance than at Hitch. “You know I don’t chase.” Every time you tried to go after a guy you liked, it backfired and you got hurt in the end. You didn’t want another repeat of that, so you swore off going after men first altogether.

“Fine, then don’t.” Hitch shrugs. You blink at her, entirely surprised by her willingness to drop the conversation. She then snatches the sticky note from your fingers and waves it in front of your face. “Do not throw it away though, at least hold onto it. You never know when you’ll be in the mood for round two.” And, there she was again, the Hitch you knew and loved.

Hitch giggles as you snatch the post it back, flustered by her words. “I wasn’t planning on throwing it away.” You mutter and stick the note in the corner of your mirror before making your way to your bed, flopping down on it.

The conversation then quickly shifts to Hitch gushing about Jean and their night. You mainly just nod along, letting her ramble, since a small part of your mind is distracted, unable to let go of the number resting in the corner of your mirror.

Chapter Text

As days pass and the new week of classes start, the sticky note stays untouched.

You hardly thought about texting him, really. With homework piling up again your thoughts only allowed him to take space maybe once or twice, during a boring class, or when you were in the library. Always subtly scanning the room for him. But you always tried to push the thought down. It was a hookup, a good one, but still just a hookup. A casual conflict that would only complicate your life if you engaged in it any further, despite him probably wanting you to.

As Wednesday night rolls around, Hitch was getting ready for her not-date with Jean. You’re sitting on your bed as you watch her try to pick out a dress, currently holding up two in your direction, asking which one screams ‘I don’t care but I also want him to think about me when he jerks off’, the most.

“The black one,” you chuckle.

“Knew it.” Hitch tosses the other one aside and strips her clothes off, putting the sleek, mid-length dress on. The straps of the dress perfectly accentuated her shoulders, and the low cut neckline left just enough to the imagination to make Jean suffer. She looked gorgeous, and you’re quick to tell her that. She chuckles at your blush.

“If he’s not hard the second he sees me, I’ll be pissed.” She states as she’s fighting for her life to push her feet into black knee high boots. As soon as she zips them up she flips her hair to the left, blows you a quick kiss and heads out the door. With a quick, ‘ta ta,’ the door is closed behind her.

As soon as you’re alone in the dorm, boredom creeps in. You’d been running from the inevitability of this situation for the past couple of days, trying to distract yourself from the note on your mirror by studying and spending time with Hitch, but now she was gone and your school work for the week was all finished up. And you still had hours to yourself left.

You grab your phone from your nightstand and flicker your eyes between your mirror and the device. It doesn’t take you long to jump off the bed and snatch the yellow post-it from the mirror, taking it back to the bed with you. The same bed that you’d fucked him on barely a week ago.

You open up your contacts and add his number to open up a chat message. You type out a message and hesitate a minute before muttering ‘fuck it,’ and hit send.

You: Figured I should finally put that number you so sneakily left behind to good use

The second it delivers, you throw your phone to the other side of the bed like it just caught fire. You roll onto your stomach, burying your face in your pillow, regretting it immediately. Hitch should never leave you alone again, because without her, you make dumb decisions like texting a one night stand you’ve only seen twice.

Why did you text him anyway? It’s been days. And by doing so, you’re replenishing your new rule; you don’t chase, you attract. If he wanted to talk to you, he could’ve asked around for your number, or found you in the library, but he didn’t. And if you really wanted to talk to him, you could’ve reached out sooner, but you didn’t. Now, you were willing to bet that you just looked like a stupid horn-dog, but in truth; maybe you were. You’d be lying if you said that all those conversations with Hitch, her showing off and gushing about the amazing sex with Jean, and the reminders of Armin around the room and on your bed, didn’t get you riled up.

Then, your phone vibrates, snapping you out of your thoughts. You jolt up and grab it as fast as you can, you have a new message.

Armin📚: Took you long enough to find it
I didn’t think I’d hear from you

You blink at the screen. You didn’t expect him to reply so quickly. You don’t know what you expected at all, really. But before you can think too hard about it, your fingers are already typing.

You: why’s that?

Armin📚: Five days of radio silence kinda made me think that you threw out the note and never wanted to see me again.

You: well, leaving before I woke up kinda made me think you only wanted a warm bed to stay the night, despite your note

You sigh and look at the message. It takes a minute for him to reply this time, the text bubbles flickering across your screen until the new message pops up.

Armin📚: That’s not why I left, I had something to take care of that morning
Leaving wasn’t what I wanted

You: it wasn’t?

The reply comes almost instantly.

Armin📚: No.
If anything, I wanted to stay.
Next time I will.

Your breath hitches in your throat as you look over the text, ‘next time’. You bite your lip, the words linger for a while.

You: oh. i’m sorry for not texting earlier then

Armin📚: I’m the one who should apologize, I should’ve asked Sasha for your number, but I’ve been too preoccupied.

Your heart races as your screen lights up, a phone call from Armin coming through. You let it ring once, before answering. “Hi.” You squeak out.

“Hi, sorry for calling. Sometimes I just hate texting. I feel like my mind moves faster than my hands do.” Great, now you’re thinking about his hands.

“No, no it’s fine. Honestly, I’m not too fond of texting either. It’s nice to hear your voice.” You push yourself up on the bed.

He chuckles, and the sound makes you weak at the knees. Fuck, you’d forgotten how insane the effect this man had on you was. You nervously fidget with the edge of your blanket. “So.. What have you been so preoccupied with?”

You can hear him hesitate on the other side of the line before he sighs. “Family stuff. It’s not your place to worry about that. How’s your night been so far?” He asks, diverting the subject completely.

“It’s been good.” You smile, and decide not to pry the situation further. If he didn’t want to share, that was his decision. You truly didn’t care that much anyway, you were curious; definitely. But not curious enough to force it out of him. “I helped my roommate get ready for a date.”

“Is this the same roommate who forced you out to the party with her on Friday?” You chuckle at his accusation.

“Yeah.” You grin, leaning back against the wall. “But for what it’s worth, I’m really glad she pulled me out of my party hiatus. It was definitely worth it.”

“Oh yeah?” He asks. His voice was quieter, like it was when you took charge during sex. Fuck, it was nice to hear.

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot, if I’m being honest.” You say, biting your lip in reflex.

Armin sighs and whispers your name through the phone.

“Yes, Armin?” You innocently ask.

His breath is shaky through the speaker, and you can hear him swallow hard before responding. “You can’t just say things like that,” he murmurs, his voice even lower now.

“Why not?” Your heart beings to race as you toy with the edge of your blanket.

“Because I’m trying to behave.” He admits, and the honesty in his voice makes something stir inside you.

“And why would you need to do that?” You press, shifting slightly where you sit.

Armin exhales a sharp breath, and when he speaks again, his voice is edged with something darker, something more dangerous than before. “Because if I don’t, I’ll end up saying something I probably shouldn’t.”

His words send a slow, electric pulse through your body, anticipation curling in your stomach. You tighten your grip on the blanket, your heart is pounding a little harder now. You can feel your thighs involuntarily clench around his words.

“And what exactly shouldn’t you be saying, Armin?”

There’s a brief silence on the other end of the line, like he’s debating whether or not to hold back.

“That I’ve been thinking about you, too. More than I should.” He sighs through the phone.

Your breath catches, and warmth floods your chest. Suddenly, you’re hyper-aware of how your body is reacting to the way his voice echoes through the speaker.

“Really?”

Armin lets out a quiet chuckle, laced with restraint. “Mhm. In ways I probably shouldn’t be.”

You bite your lip again, this time to keep yourself from reacting too obviously. The shift in his tone and the deliberate way he’s drawing this out, is making it very difficult for you to keep your composure. “Who said I’d mind?”

He laughs, it’s a breathy sound, and it’s suddenly so easy to picture him on the other end of the phone, how he’d look with his flushed cheeks and that almost shy yet knowing look he’d given you past Friday on the porch.

“You’re trouble, you know that?” The way his voice growled as he said that made a flood of heat throb straight to your pussy. You had to restrain yourself from making any sort of noise by quickly hitching your breath.

“I have been told.” You tease, laughing off the effect his voice alone has on you.

He hums in response, quiet for a beat before he asks, “Are you alone?”

The way he says it makes your stomach twist, and anticipation curl in your chest. Fuck, maybe he was thinking about the same things you were. You shift again, laying back on the bed. “Mhm,” you mumble. “Why? Are you trying to seduce me?”

“Is it working?”

The way he said that tipped you over the edge, and you let the hand that was currently not holding your phone trail down your body towards your thighs. You sigh breathily, hoping it has the desired effect on the man on the other end of the phone.

“God I hope so, because just talking to you already has me losing it.”

“Are you?” You ask, “Alone?”

“I am.” Armin is quick to affirm. With those suggestive words, you slip a hand under your joggers and into your already damp underwear. You let your fingers slide into your folds and feel how wet you’re getting. You let out a quiet moan.

“Does that give you an answer, Armin?”

Before he can formulate words to reply, your fingertips are circling around your clit and your breath catches in your throat, resulting in a pathetic whine.

“Are you touching yourself right now?” He finally asks. You let your eyes flutter shut while you gently press your index finger onto your clit, slowly rubbing circles over it.

“The better question is, why aren’t you?” You challenge him. He whimpers a little and it sends a wave of heat through you, making you press your fingers more firmly against your clit.

“You know I’m just a few dorm buildings over, right?” He says, his tone suggestive and laced with seduction.

You nod. “I know.” You hum. “I don’t care.”

On the other end of the line you hear Armin moving around his dorm. You try to picture how flushed his face is right now, and how his cock is probably pressing against his pants, begging to be released.

“Sorry, I just—I needed to check if the door was locked.” He stammers.

“What, afraid someone’s gonna catch you in the act, hey Armin?” You chuckle a little, enjoying the light teasing. What you didn’t expect was his voice to drop an octave.

“Say that again, I dare you.” He sounds almost commanding and you can’t help but gasp and speed up your fingers in response. The sudden change in his tone sends a shiver down your spine, heat pooling low in your pussy.

You start letting yourself be more vocal and you hear the rustle of fabric through the phone. You’re about to ask what Armin is doing when he lets out a sigh of pleasure and you know. Fuck, you’re having phone sex with Armin Arlert.

“Sorry, sir.” You pant out, suddenly very hot and bothered, and feeling restricted by the layers of clothes. You remove your hand from your clit and pull your pants and panties off, throwing them off to the corner of your bed.

“What are you doing?” He asks, the edge of the unexpected authority lingering in his voice. It sends a rush of heat through you. You never would’ve guessed he had this dominant side to him. A quiet dominance that left no room for teasing defiance. It caught you off guard, making you catch your breath. You didn’t expect it, but fuck, it was hot.

“I just took off my panties. Wish it was you doing it though.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm. I’m sick of taking them off myself.” You spread open your legs and feel the cold air against your wet pussy. You let your hand trail up your inner thigh, closing your eyes and imagining it being Armin’s hand there instead.

He proceeds to groan your name. “Are you touching yourself Armin?” You smirk.

“Y-yes.” His voice is shaking, like he’s nervous, and not entirely sure how to respond.

You open your eyes and roll on your side to open your bedside drawer and grab a small, pink, silicone vibrator. You return to your position and turn the vibrator onto the lowest setting before holding it near the phone.

“Can you hear that?” Your voice is drenched in seduction.

“Yes…is that, a sex toy?” He whines as he says it and you move the toy away from the phone and to your pussy, gently pressing the smooth head against your wet opening.

“It feels so good…” You moan, purposefully loud. You want to get a rise out of him, you want to see him crumble, like he did before, on your bed. But instead, something in Armin snaps.

“Not better than if I was inside you, right?” His cocky voice oozes, and your eyes fly open, your pussy fluttering at the tone of his voice. You let out a breathy moan. “Answer the question.” You swear you can almost hear him smirking, and the mental image of him on the other side of the phone makes your pussy throb even more.

“No. I wish it was you touching me right now.” You sound so fucking desperate and pathetic but you need him to know how much you want him. Need him. “I’m so wet.”

“Fuck, I wish I was too. I can’t stop thinking about how good you felt.” You can hear the movement of his hand as he jerks himself off.

His words, his moans and the image in your head of him lying on his bed, eyes screwed shut as he fucks into his fist might just alone send you over the edge. You up the setting of the vibrator and slide it into your wet, warm pussy and moan out his name on instinct.

“Armin, fuck. I want to feel you again. I wish your fingers were inside me. I wish I could taste you.” Your wrist is speeding up as you fuck yourself with the toy, lewd noises filling your room. You pull the phone away from your face and put it on speaker, putting it down next to your face on a pillow so you can reach down with your other hand and rub tight circles on your clit.

He moans your name, “I don’t know how much longer I can last. Fuck, talk to me.” He demands and you feel your climax start to build.

“I can’t wait to fuck you again Armin, I want you in every position. I want you on my bed again, I want you on my desk, god just fuck me on the floor. I need your pretty cock Armin, please.” Your voice is becoming whiny and breathy and you can hear him also starting to lose control. He’s panting and getting louder, clearly enjoying the praise you’re giving him.

“Oh my god. I need to feel how tight you are again. I need you feel your pussy clench around me.” The sounds of Armin touching himself, begging for your pussy and his moans accompany your own sounds of pleasure.

Fuck, it was a pathetic scene, you laying on your bed, hands on your pussy, moaning into your speaker. But you didn’t care.
You hit the right spot with your vibrator and feel your orgasm quickly build.

“Fuck, I’m close.”

“Me too, cum for me please, be a good girl.” He whines. The words good girl shoot right to your pussy and you start feverishly rubbing your clit as waves of pleasure take over your body. The peak of it hits you suddenly, and quickly. Your thighs start to tremble as you ride it out, all while moaning Armin’s name.

From of the speaker next to you, you can hear Armin whine and mumble incoherently. Mixtures of your name, curses and the word yes. You start to come down from your orgasm and whisper into the phone.
“Please cum for me.” With that, he moans loudly, so loud that he startles you a bit.

After a few seconds his panting becomes slower and slower and you can tell he’s finished. A silence settles over the two of you as you recover. You switch off your vibrator and pull it out of yourself. “Jesus Christ.” You giggle, a little overwhelmed with what just happened.

“That was- wow. Yeah, just wow.” He breathes back.

“I can’t believe I’ve made you speechless!”

“That you have.”

You look down at your thighs and exhale deeply. “And I’ve made a mess.” You flop back on the pillow and smile at the phone on your pillow beside you.

“I seem to be in the same predicament. But I don’t want to get up.”

You groan. “Me neither.”

Armin perks up at the other end, “How about this? Last one to clean up owes the other dinner.”

“Oh?” You blink. “You want to take me out to dinner?”

“Only if you win.”

You smirk, enticed by the little competition he came up with. “Fine. You’re on.” With the challenge in mind, you force yourself to get up.

You grab your phone and bring it with you into the bathroom and you and Armin silently go about cleaning up. It’s strange, but comforting in a way. Intimate even? Perhaps too intimate for a casual situation like the one you found yourself in, but you don’t let yourself get carried away with that thought. You pick up the phone and hold it to your ear.
“Armin?” You ask. The phone clatters as he picks it up.

“I’m here.” He affirms and you let a goofy smile stretch across your face.

“I’ve cleaned up.” You yawn.

“Seems like I owe you dinner.” You can hear him smiling on the other end. “I should let you go to sleep though, it’s late, and I can hear you’re tired.”

“Worth it.” You quip.

“Definitely.” He says. You bite your lip in response, suddenly feeling a pool of nerves jolt through your stomach. This man has literally seen your whole ass naked body and heard you beg, and do the begging, and somehow, you were blushing at his affirmation.

Armin then clears his throat, taking you out of your train of thoughts with a gasp. “H.. Hey, I meant it you know? I’d like to take you out to dinner.”

“Only because you lost the cleanup race.” Your tone teasing.

He chuckles on the other end, “No I didn’t.” You can hear him shake his head through a ruffle on the phone. “I want to take you out on a date, if you’d let me.”

You can feel an unfamiliar warmth spread through your chest. “I’d like that.” You let yourself relish in the warm feeling, just a little, just long enough.

“Really? Good—great. Well, we have a deal then.” Armin sounds flustered on the other end, and you shake your head and chuckle.

“Goodnight, Armin.”

“Goodnight, I’ll talk to you soon.” Armin regains his composure and laughs alongside, and the noise alone is enough to make your head spin the rest of the night.

Chapter Text

You and Armin hadn’t been texting much the past few days, just mostly casual back and forth. So when he asked you to meet him at ‘The Scout’s Table’ the upcoming Saturday, you had no idea what to expect. But Hitch certainly did.

She dressed you up in the cutest dress her closet had to offer. A dress that came from her actual closet this time, not the pile of clothes scattered on the floor.

She handed you in a white sundress with little red roses embroidered all over, and she pinned your hair up in a ponytail, but took out the front pieces to frame your face. She even lended you her favorite pair of earrings.

“You have to look hot, but like…soft-girl hot.” She’d explained, spritzing some perfume on your wrists, leaving a sweet vanilla aroma lingering in the air. “Like the kind of hot that makes a guy nervous, but intrigued.”

You had no idea what that meant.

But when you walked into The Scout’s Table and saw Armin sitting at a table by the window, his knee bouncing slightly, fingers tracing his collar, you realized that although you didn’t know what she meant, Hitch certainly knew what she was talking about.

The sight of Armin shot anxiety through your veins, but Hitch’s words of encouragement rang through your ears as you approached the table cautiously. “It’s just a date. A first date is either a good story, or a second date.”

Armin’s eyes flicked up as you approached, and his lips parted slightly. “You made it.” He said, standing up as soon as he noticed you.

“Of course.” You smiled and sat down opposite of him. Armin nodded and sat back down as well.

The restaurant Armin had picked wasn’t upper-class fancy by any means; no college student could afford that. But it was no fast food ‘Beast’s Bite’ every student took their fuck-buddies to either.

The restaurant was dimly lit, with a little candle on every table and the walls were lined with bookshelves, mostly history books you noticed, and you thought that the restaurant could almost pass as a luxurious study lounge that someone decided to sell food in.

The restaurant choice fit him. Thoughtful, quiet, kind of cozy.

You watched Armin as he scanned the menu, scrunching up his glasses as he read. You hadn’t seen him wear his glasses since the time you first met, and although you definitely wouldn’t admit to it—you had kind of missed the desirable, nerdy look it gave him.

With him sitting across from you, it was impossible not to watch him. The way the two of you were positioned practically invited it, and you weren’t about to resist. He looked unfairly good tonight, every movement drawing your eyes like a magnet.

He was wearing a blue button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His blonde hair was neatly brushed, but a few strands still fell into his face, and when he absentmindedly pushed them back with his fingers, you found yourself watching his movements.

“Do you know what you’re getting?” You ask him, trying your best to play off your staring as a quizzical matter, rather than an absolute down bad one. Armin glances up from the menu with a knowing smirk and nods.

“Yeah,” he says, setting the menu down. “I think I’ll go with the salmon.”

“Good choice.” You hum, grabbing a menu and skimming over it yourself.

Armin folds his hands on the table and tilts his head slightly. “What about you?”

“I’m debating between the carbonara and the mushroom risotto.” You admit, lips pursing as you read the descriptions out loud. “They both sound good.”

“They do,” Armin agrees, leaning forward a little, his elbows resting on the table. His voice drops playfully. “Want me to pick for you?”

You raise an eyebrow. “You think that you know what I’d like better than I do?”

Armin shrugs, but the glint in his eyes says yes. You hold his gaze, curious and daring him. “Alright, let’s see it then.”

He doesn’t hesitate, “The mushroom risotto.”

“Why?” You squint at him.

Armin leans back, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Because you hesitated on the carbonara, but when you read the risotto description, you nodded a little. Just a tiny bit.” He lifts his hand, pinching his fingers together to show you exactly how small of a movement it was. “Barely noticeable. But it was there.”

You blink, caught off guard. Then you laugh. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?” His smirk widens.

You were kind of leaning towards the mushroom risotto, that was correct, but you had no idea you had such obvious tells. “Okay, Arlert. I’ll get the risotto.” Your stomach flutters at his persistence.

Armin chuckles, clearly pleased with himself, and signals for the waiter. He orders the mushroom risotto for you, and the salmon for himself.

When the waiter asks about drinks, you hesitate for a moment, debating between a glass of merlot or pinot. But when Armin casually orders a soda you blink. “You’re not ordering alcohol?”

Armin shakes his head. “I’m not much of a drinker.” He reminds you. His voice is light, as if he didn’t mind the question at all. “But you can order whatever you want.” He smiles. “Tonight’s my treat, anyway.”

You glance up at the waiter, who’s waiting for your drink order. “I’ll have a soda, too.” You decide.

Armin raises his eyebrows slightly, but he doesn’t comment on it, instead, he just nods.

The waiter scribbles down your orders and says they’ll be back before heading to the kitchen, you return your gaze back to Armin, “Do you study psychology or something? Or criminology?” You put your elbows on the table and lean forward.

Despite glancing at each others study-notes once, you couldn’t recall exactly what it was that he was majoring in. All that you remembered was that he didn’t have the same coursework as you.

Armin tilts his head slightly, clearly amused by the accusation. “Nope. Biology.”

You blink. “Really?”

He chuckles, nodding. “Yeah, and I eventually want to get my masters in marine biology.”

“Huh.” A surprised hum escapes your lips.

“What?” He raises an eyebrow.

“I don’t know.” You shrug. “I guess I was expecting something more psychological, because you’re weirdly perceptive.”

Armin smirks, resting his chin on his hand. “Oh, you think so?” A hint of playfulness tugs in his voice.

“You literally read my reaction to the menu like you were profiling me.”

He laughs. “Fair point.” You chuckle alongside. Then, you tilt your head, turning your expression serious. “So, why marine biology?”

Armin’s face lights up at the question, in a way that catches you off guard. It’s subtle at first, but the more he speaks, the more his voice carries this quiet excitement, this warmth, that extends with each word as he speaks about his interest in the subject.

“I’ve always been obsessed with the ocean, ever since I was young,” He says, sitting up straight. “It covers over seventy percent of the planet, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s down there. We know more about space than our own waters, which is insane when you think about it.”

His fingers trace idle patterns on the table as he continues. “There’s just so much mystery to it. Ecosystems that thrive in complete darkness, species we haven’t even discovered yet. It’s like an entire alien world right beneath us. Waiting to be discovered.”

You watch him, fascinated. “That’s kind of beautiful, actually.”

Armin blinks, now caught off guard himself. “You think so?”

“Yeah.” You smile. “You make it sound beautiful.”

For the first time tonight, he looks a little flustered, his defiant, challenging act dissipated in a second. “Thank you.” You feel your heart beat a little faster at the flustered sight. But, you try your best to look unfazed as you rest your chin on your palm and lean forward.

“And here I thought I was the one studying the meaning of life.”

Armin grins. “Right. Philosophy, right?”

You nod, “You remember.” A warm blush creeps across your cheeks, highlighted by the yellow candle light emitting from the table.

“Of course, how could I forget your notes.” He hums, intrigued. “What’s the appeal?”

You think for a moment. “I guess.. I just like asking questions that don’t have easy answers. Or any answers at all.”

Armin watches you intently, waiting for you to go on as the waiter comes back to your table and places down the two sodas. You both politely thank the waiter before they walk off.

You take a sip of your drink and gesture vaguely. “Like, take morality, for example. People act like there’s a clear right and wrong, but context changes everything. Ethics, perception, experience. All of those things shape every choice we make. And yet, we try to define it with rigid rules anyway.”

Armin leans forward slightly, hanging onto your words. “That’s really interesting.”

You smirk. “Yeah?”

He nods. “I like the way you think.”

His comment catches you off guard, warmth spreading up your neck. Nobody had ever complimented you like that. You quickly cover your blush by taking a sip of your drink.

The conversation flows naturally from there, jumping from one topic to the next as the waiter brings by your food. It doesn’t even matter what he’s talking about, just the fact that he’s speaking is enough to completely reel you in. The way he lights up when he talks about something, anything, flusters you completely.

And you’ve totally accepted that from here on out, you are doomed. You’ve been doomed since the moment you walked into the restaurant.

“Alright, tell me something about yourself that I don’t already know.” You smile, “I think I’ve heard enough about professor Zachary for the rest of the semester.” You mockingly roll your eyes.

Armin had spent the last view minutes ranting about his Ethology professor. Not that you minded, but you’d rather learn more about him than his classes.

You were interested in him, which was quite rare for you. In no way did your love life come close to Hitch’s hookups—you definitely took dating, albeit slightly, more serious than her, but you usually weren’t so captivated by someone on the first date.

“Sorry,” He apologizes, and you shake your head, lauging. “That stupid class has just taken up so much of my headspace.”

“Oh trust me, I’ve been there, different professor, obviously—but, same shit.” You chuckle and shake your head. “But seriously, tell me a fun fact about yourself, outside of school stuff.”

He hesitates for a moment, thinking. “Hm, well, I have a hamster.”

You blink, surprised. “First of all, why didn’t you lead with that? And second, you have a hamster?”

Armin nods, the corners of his lips twitching up like he’s trying not to laugh. “Yeah. She’s adorable.“ He smiles, and his gaze on you lingers. It almost feels like he’s not talking about a pet. “I adopted her after Eren dared me to prove that I could take care of something more fragile than my GPA. He was mocking me at the time, and suffice to say he didn’t mean ‘adopt a pet’, but tough luck.”

You snort into your drink. “That’s oddly specific.”

“Isn’t it?” He grins. “Her name’s Pebble.”

“Pebble?” You repeat, trying not to giggle. “That’s so cute.”

“Because Eren wasn’t fond of the idea I let him help pick out the name. He wanted to name her something ridiculous, but eventually we settled on Pebble. A small part of nature, just like her.” Armin smiles softly, “And she kind of looks like a little rock when she curls up in her bedding.”

You grin, but you catch the mischief in his eyes. “Are pets even allowed on campus?” You blink.

“I have no clue. But I think our dorm supervisor does know that we have her, and we haven’t gotten any eviction notices yet. So I assume so.“ Armin smiles, half sheepish, half amused.

“Wow, I had no idea. I might pitch that idea to Hitch then.” You wink, knowing damn well that the last thing you and Hitch should be taking care of is a pet.

Armin chuckles lightly and shakes his head. “Eren still dislikes her though. But Mikasa loves her. Sometimes she comes by just to see the hamster.”

“Oh that’s adorable. I’d love to meet Pebble too.”

Armin’s eyes crinkle. “Deal. I’ll even let you feed her one of her prized yogurt drops.”

“Is that a euphemism?”

Armin nearly chokes on his soda, eyes widening. “No! Oh my god—no.”

You laugh again, this time a little too loud, and he hides his face in his hands. “You’re ridiculous.” He mutters.

“You like it.” You wink, effortlessly teasing.

He looks up, and he’s smiling, and a newfound softness lingers in his eyes. “Yeah. I do.”

——

You don’t know how long you’ve been in the restaurant, but yours and Armin’s plates sit empty on the table, long forgotten in favour of your conversation. You’re buzzing, this time not from alcohol but from just being in Armin’s presence. You’d gotten so captivated by your conversations with him that neither of you realized that you were the only people remaining in the restaurant until the waiter came up to your table, asking if you wanted another drink before they closed up.

Out of sheer embarrassment, Armin immediately got up and asked for the cheque. You quickly down the last bit of your soda before the two of you leave.

After the exit doors close behind you, Armin’s quick to walk off. “Hey, where are you going?” You remark. He stops in his tracks and turns around. “I wasn’t done talking yet.”

“You aren’t gonna follow me?”

“Do you want me to?”

He laughs. “Obviously.” You nod and jog to him, interlinking your arm with his without hesitation. “I’ve never stayed in a restaurant until closing time.” You shake your head, smiling.

“Me neither.” He smiles back at you. This is the closest you’ve been today. No, scratch that, the closest you’ve ever been with him whilst sober.

“Did you like the restaurant?” He asks, you can hear a tinge of nervousness in his voice.

You nod. “Yeah. This place was nice.”

“I actually wanted to take you to the beach today,” he admitted, eyes flicking to the road, “but Eren borrowed my car.”

You blink, surprised by the sudden confession. “The beach?” Then, you shake your head. “Hold on, is that why you wanted me meet you at the restaurant tonight, instead of picking me up?” You contort.

“Perhaps.” Armin shied away, but a chuckle from you lightened up the mood. A moment later he shrugs. “It’s my favorite place. And I really wanted to show you.”

Something about that made your chest feel warm. “Well,” you said, squeezing his arm lightly, “guess that just means you owe me another date.”

Armin paused, then gave you a slow, small smile. “Guess I do.”

The walk from the restaurant to campus usually takes about fifteen minutes, but on your walk back you and Armin find yourselfs stranded on a bench near the Sina Campus building.

The cool autumn night buzzes faintly with the sounds of crickets and distant traffic. Armin leans back, stretching his legs out in front of him, while you pull your jacket a little tighter around your shoulders.

After a moment, Armin shifts and pulls something out of his pocket, a familiar little box. A pack of cigarettes. He flicks it open and grabs one before catching your eye. He hesitates for a moment, possibly due to your previous rejection, but proceeds to hold the pack out to you once again.

The first thing you notice, is that the pack contains way more cigarettes than he had at the party. He must’ve bought a new one. The second thing you notice is that one cigarette’s slightly pulled out, waiting for you to grab it. It’s eyeing you like candy.

You hesitate for half a second, then think, ‘why not? one can’t hurt’, and pluck it out.

Armin smiles faintly as you lean toward him with the cigarette in your mouth. He lights it up, the tiny flame briefly illuminating his face. His soft smile, the delicate pink hue to his cheeks from the night air. Then he lights his own, takes a drag and exhales slowly.

You take a drag, and the smoke hits your lungs like a forgotten rhythm. Sharp, at first, heavy, like your body’s relearning something it shouldn’t have ever known, but you don’t cough. And when you exhale, the taste is bitter.

“You know..” Armin says, glancing sideways at you. “I’m in a band.”

You blink, caught off guard. “Huh, seriously?” Your voice tilts up with interest.

He chuckles, tapping ash from the end of his cigarette. “Yeah. me, Eren and Mikasa. Eren’s on guitar, Mikasa sings and plays too, and I’m on drums.”

Your brain short-circuits for a second.
Of course he plays the fucking drums.
And of course the thought of him with his sleeves pushed up, pounding the drums, turns you on.

“You play drums?” You repeat, a slow smile spreading across your face. “That’s cool.” You utter, hiding your hot and bothered mind as best as you can.

He shrugs, but you see the pleased glint in his eye. “I’ve been playing since I was a kid. My grandfather taught me.” He takes a drag and exhales slowly, smoke curling into the air. “We mostly play rock. Some punk stuff, too.”

You’re still smiling when he adds, a little bashfully, “We’ve got a gig downtown next week. I mean, no pressure, but… I’d really like it if you came.”

Your heart lurches a little at how genuine he sounds. You flick ash off your cigarette and grin. “I’ll be there.”

Armin smiles, wide and boyish and almost disbelieving, like he hadn’t expected you to say yes so easily.

“Hey, is that why you’re so good with your hands?” You say casually, finally giving in and trying to get a rise out of him. Armin’s ears turn pink almost instantly.

“What?” Armin chuckles awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I said what I said.” You hold your hands up in exaggerated innocence, smirking around your cigarette.

Armin looks at you, eyes glinting like he’s deciding whether to play along or not. Finally, he lets out a sheepish huff. “I did not…get that much practice, if that’s what you’re implying.”

“Hmm.. What do you think I’m implying here, Arlert?”

He takes a slow drag, trying his best to look anywhere but at you, before explaining. His voice is low and honest. “Contrary to your belief I don’t have that much experience.” He looks down, still avoiding eye contact, like he’s embarrassed. “I had a girlfriend back in high school. We broke up halfway through last year. After that… I didn’t really date around. Still don’t.” His hand shifts to the back of his neck again, a little nervous tell that you realized he has.

You chuckle awkwardly. Shit. That wasn’t what you meant at all, but the thought did irk your mind ever since you’d hooked up. “Really?”

“Really.” He finally meets your gaze.

You blink, surprised by the openness. “I…wouldn’t have guessed that,” you say carefully, trying not to make him feel too exposed. “You seem, I don’t know, confident.”

He huffs a small laugh, almost self-mocking. “I’m really not.” His voice softens. “I think I just fake it well.”

You flick your finished cigarette onto the ground and stamp it out. “Well,” you say, leaning a little closer, “How are you so good at it then? Can’t fake skill.”

Armin’s cheeks redden again, and he looks down at his hands for a second before meeting your gaze with a shy smile. “I, uh, read a lot.”

You squint at him playfully. “Read a lot?”

He clears his throat, fiddling with his lighter. “You know, books, online…stuff.”

You laugh, feeling something sweet bubble up in your chest. “Oh, you do now?”

He groans quietly, but he’s smiling, and the tips of his ears are still red. “Shut up.”

You’re still laughing when you stand up from the bench, stretching your arms above your head. Armin gets up too, brushing his hands off on his jeans.

“Walk me home?” You ask, and he nods instantly.

He falls into step beside you easily, hands stuffed into his pockets.

Both of you drag the rest of the walk back to your dorm out for as long as possible. Stretching a five minute walk into nearly thirty minutes. Leaving was the last thing either of you wanted.

But when you finally reach your building, you turn to face him, even more reluctant to say goodbye.

Armin shifts his weight a little, then meets your eyes. “I had a really good time tonight.”

“Me too.” You smile up at him.

He hesitates, then takes a tiny step closer. His hand brushes yours, fingers barely touching, asking a silent question.

You answer by leaning in and pressing a soft, tentative kiss against his lips.

He kisses you back immediately, warm and gentle. When you pull back, you catch the blissful look on his face.

“Goodnight, Armin.” You whisper against his lips.

“Goodnight.” He echoes softly.