I'm still alive! And here's a generic high school AU. Cover art by imwello on tumblr and has to do with chapter 3.

Lately, I've been/ I've been loosing sleep/ Dreaming 'bout the things that we could be

- "Counting Stars," OneRepublic

I curl my fists and cover my ears. I don't want to get up on the best of days, and today is the absolute worst. Groaning, I roll onto my stomach.

Mom walks in and shuts off my alarm. "Come on, Eren." I make a strangled sound. "I know you hate today, but it's only 24 hours. You'll make it. Besides, you have practice after school. You miss anymore and the head coach is going to have a few choice words with you about your placement for the rest of the season." I stick my hand out from my blanket and try to cover her mouth. She swats it away. "Do you not want any pancakes then?"

The promise of syrupy food is too much to resist. "Ugh… fine," I sigh, sitting up. I cross the second-floor hallway and flick on the bathroom light. Dreading what the day will bring, I start the shower.

. . .

I turn to face my adoptive sister. "If I ditch, will you tell Mom?"

Her mouth is obscured by her infamous scarf, but I know Mikasa is frowning. "No, but Heichou will. Goodbye, Eren. See you at home." She walks into the school, double doors slamming in her wake. Goody two shoes. I huff and follow her. It takes less than a minute before I'm assaulted.

"Here, Eren!" It's some freshman, amber ponytail bouncing, heart earrings twirling. A piece of glittery pink construction paper is thrusted upon me. "Happy Valentine's Day!" she giggles, before dashing back to her friends.

I look at the card. It could barely pass for a third grader. I crumple it and shove it in my backpack.

And so begins the Valentine's Day for a popular, closeted, high school athlete.

. . .

By third period, I've gotten four more confessions. I collapse into my desk, eyeballing the lone Valentine at Connie's spot. "Sasha?" I ask.

He nods, rubbing his shaved head bashfully. "Dude," he gushes, "it's OFFICIAL. She wants the Con-man."

"Don't call yourself that. It makes you sound like some sort of crook." I open my notebook and start to doodle. The classroom buzzes with romantic electricity, but goes still as the door opens.

Dr. Zoe stands in front of the whiteboard. "Alright gang, this is Biology, the study of life, and today is the day of love… so let's cover asexual and sexual reproduction!" They clap their hands with far too much enthusiasm.

I rub my forehead, right over a bump- a sign a zit is coming. I moan. It keeps getting better.

. . .

The cafeteria is a war zone. Bouquets have exploded into the hands of boyfriends everywhere, leaving shrapnel of red and white petals in their wake. Dangling Cupids keep up the aerial assault of romance arrows. Even the chemical warfare- aka "food"- is in theme, with a pinkish tinge to the entrée.

Not very appealing in grilled cheese.

I slam my tray down and resist the urge to hide in my fries. A line's begun to form behind my table. Jean beams. "Step right up, ladies."

In the end, he gets at least five less cards than me. Ever the dramatic, he sobs into Marco's shoulder with (fake) heaving sobs. The freckled boy comforts him awkwardly. "There, there…"

"Why don't they love me?" Jean cries. Marco looks at me with one eyebrow raised.

I roll my eyes. "Look in a mirror, horseface."

"Getting a lot of valentines?" a small voice asks from my left. I turn to find a comforting and all-too-welcome smile peering behind a pile of AP textbooks.

I loosen my shoulders. "Yeah. How about you Armin?"

Blushing, he answers with a squeak, "y-yes."

"God Armin, I've known you since we were seven and you're still as adorable as ever," I laugh.

"R-really?" He's as red as the glitter falling into his fruit cup.

I punch his shoulder lightly, careful not to knock him over. "Just joking, bud."

Except I'm not. He IS adorable. But he's also my best friend. And I can't explain why that makes me feel-

"Yo Jaeger! Your smoking sister give you anything to give me?"

I glare at Jean. "Yeah. This." I flip him the bird. Marco chuckles, Jean grimaces, and Armin gasps.

I try to ignore that day's barely half over.

. . .

I yank off my cleats after a grueling indoor practice. Apparently there is one person who hates Valentine's Day more than me, and its coach Levi Heichou. I just wish he didn't take his hatred out on the soccer team.

When I hear the door to the locker room open, I freeze. Everyone else has left; I had to run extra laps since Jean ratted on me for my stunt at lunch. I see a flash of blonde and I'm expecting it to be some perverted fangirl when-

"E-eren?" A trembling figure approaches me.

I blink. "Armin? What are you doing-" Something cardboard is forced into my sweaty grip and my friend runs away. "Hey! Where are you going?" But he's gone. God, for such a nerd he sure is fast.

I look at what he's given me. It's thick and red, with a Post-It on top.

Eren-

To my best friend. I know this is not mutual, but for the past several years… I'm sorry for what I thought.

Armin.

Underneath the note, the words "HERSHEY'S POT OF GOLD" is embossed on a heart.

Armin has given me chocolate.

Armin Arlert, my best friend, has given me a Valentine.

. . .

I hold the box of candy in my lap, staring at them silently. Mom walks in and crouches next to my bed, not noticing me stuffing the note in my pocket (or at least not commenting). "Is something wrong, sweetie?"

I sigh and lean against the wall. "I dunno, Mom. Someone at school gave me these and… I'm not sure how I feel."

She rubs my shoulder, smiling and patient. "Well, first of all, do you like them?"

My eyebrows raise when she says "them," but I stay quiet. "I do. A lot. But not in the same way, I don't think. I hate romance."

"It'll get easier after puberty," she laughs. "Aside from that, all I can tell you kiddo is that it wouldn't be fair to stay silent forever. You'll need to give them an answer. Dinner will be ready in half an hour." She kisses my head and leaves. Mikasa comes in less than a second afterwards.

"It's Armin." Not a question, not a thought, a direct statement. I gulp. She knows. She always knows, somehow. I nod. "You like him, Eren."

I sputter out "what the hell are you talking about?" My fists make the cardboard wrinkle.

She shrugs, scarf flopping off her shoulder. "It's obvious. You don't like him as much as he likes you, but you do. I know."

I bury my face in my lap. "Out," I dictate, pointing to the door. I hear footsteps and a click.

Mikasa can't be right. Yeah, sure, Armin's my best friend and I do care about him but- but- maybe she's onto something. I mean, I was thinking it at lunch before Jean interrupted. Armin being my best friend makes me feel-

Empty. Like one of the chocolates that Armin gave me that was supposed to have caramel inside but somehow didn't. Like the boxes on display at GameStop. Like one of Mom's china dolls and I only now they're hollow cuz I broke one when I was five. Because that's all there is and there's never going to be anymore. And that more is what I crave desperately.

And now, finally, more is an option. I pull out my cell phone and text Armin. We need 2 talk.

An automated reply comes back. Sorry not at phone busy with homework! Bullcrap. Armin never has homework, he always finishes in class. I try calling his house phone. "Hello? Armin?"

"Eren, my boy, is that you?" replies a peppy, elderly voice.

I curse under my breath. "Hi, Mr. Arlert. May I speak to Armin?"

Armin's grandfather sighs. "I don't believe so, Eren. After dinner, Armin holed himself up in his room and asked me to leave him alone for the rest of the evening. Apparently one of his Valentines wasn't well received. Do you happen to know anything about that?"

I'm grateful we're on the phone so he can't see me fidget. "No, sir. I'm sorry. Have a good night."

"Take care, son." The line goes dead. Crap, it's worse than I thought. But something seems off. Armin never spends time in his room, only goes up there to sleep. He's either at the library- which is closed by now- or-

I pull on my sneakers and race down the stairs. "Ah, perfect timing! Food's just about ready," Mom says, seeing me.

I shake my head and rummage through the closet. "Sorry Mom, gotta take a rain check. It's an emergency."

"Eren Jaeger, so help me if I let you run amok again and at night no less-"

I look at her, pleading. "It's Armin."

She freezes and a knowing glint rises into her pupils. "Oh, if that's the case… promise me you'll be back before 8. And wear gloves, it's below freezing."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks Mom!" I'm out the door before she can respond.

. . .

The bag from Walgreens flaps against my leg as I pedal. It's way too cold out to be on a bike, but I'm in a hurry. I resist the urge to cover my ears and block out the chill and the rush of the wind. I wish I had worn my helmet.

I ditch my bike at the edge of the forest behind the touchless car wash, hiding it in the same bushes as always. I run to the speck of light suspended in the branches. I knew it.

I reach the tree fort Armin and I built as kids. Well, my dad built it, but it's ours. I climb up the ladder and poke my head in. Armin's sitting there and his shoes are wet from mud and tears. "Hey."

He jumps and inhales. "E-eren! Don't scare me!"

I shimmy in and sit across from him. "You scared me when you burst into the locker room earlier," I counter. "I thought you were some pervert."

He blushes. "I... I didn't mean to… I'm sorry Eren… For all of it." Armin looks like he's about to start sobbing again. I reach out and touch his shoulder, handing him the Walgreens bag. He stares at me and I gesture for him to look inside.

It's a box of chocolates. Armin takes a sharp breath. "It's… no… are you saying?"

"You never gave me a chance to respond. You are my best friend, nothing's going to change that. But I'm also gay. I mean, I hate to fit the stereotype, but I have a secret stash of Project Runway DVDs at home. More importantly, I've been thinking for a while if we could be more than just friends. How that would be a really nice… thing for us. And I'm not saying we need to go fast, but if you want to maybe try sometime…" I pick at a scab on my knee. "You get it, right, Armin?"

Silence fills the fort and for a moment I forget to breath. Then there's something warm on my chest and it's him, bawling and laughing and hugging and agreeing. "Eren, are you asking me to be your Valentine?"

I ruffle his hair. "Pretty sure you did first, bud. But yeah. Valentine, boyfriend, significant other, what have you," I explain happily.

Armin doesn't say anything in response, but his hold on me is answer enough. We sit together, smiling and quiet, for a while longer. And it's plenty.

OK, maybe Valentine's Day for a popular, closeted, high school athlete doesn't suck as much as I thought.

So this is the first in a six-chapter two-part Eremin epic that's just IDK. It started out as a oneshot and it spiraled from there. If you want more eremin and updates, check my tumblr (moon-of-baka).