But I'm A Good Girl
[Armin x Burlesque!Reader]
MODERN AU
"Come on, Armin, it'll be fun!"
The blonde kept his eyes glued to his book, ignoring the brunette trying to grab his attention. His hair hung down in his face, hiding the deep, red blush that had spread over his cheeks. Ever since Armin turned 21 last November, his friends wouldn't leave him alone.
"Let's go out drinking sometime."
"Check out those hot chicks! I bet they like blondes like you, huh?"
"Dude, I swear, we got so bombed. You gotta come next time!"
Armin had never had a drink of alcohol in his life. He knew some of the guys snuck some beers every once in a while; they had been doing it since they were 15. But Armin never participated. He was always locked away in the library, engulfed in a new book every day. He would rather spend his time alone, getting lost in his own imagination, than go get wasted at the club only to deal with the splitting hangover the next morning. It just wasn't his style. So when he was bombarded with invites to various clubs, bars, or taverns, he wasn't reluctant to say no. But even though he had rejected his friends' offers multiple times, somehow he still ended up in this situation more often than not.
"No means no, Eren," the young man finally piped up, closing his now finished book.
"Why not?! You're so boring, man, all you ever do is read. Let loose at least once," Eren begged, leaning against the table, "Please. For me." He raised his tanned arm, placing a hand over his heart.
Armin sighed. He hated it when Eren begged like that; it was so difficult to resist his best friend's plea. "Eren, I-"
He was cut off by Eren's eccentric voice, "You don't even have to drink anything! Just come and have fun with us."
"Fine. Just this once. And you or Jean better not spike my water."
(f/n) slammed her hand on her boss's desk, an angry tone in her voice. "You told me I could take the rest of the night off! This isn't fair!"
"Well, sweetheart, life's not fair. I need all my dancers tonight, no exceptions." The blonde man spoke half-sincerely. He scooted back away from his desk a little and leaned back into his black leather chair.
"Erwin, you know I can't work tonight. I have company visiting early in the morning and I can't be up all night," she groaned, knowing that this fact didn't matter, but still arguing her point anyways. "Please, I'll make it up any other night, just not tonight. You can even dock my pay."
Another man walked into the office, not even bothering to knock. His short stature had always been amusing to (f/n), but there was no doubt that he was an excellent performer. "Quit whining, shitty brat. So you'll need an extra cup of coffee tomorrow, big whoop. Now shut the hell up and get your ass out on that stage, the show is starting in 5 minutes."
The girl's eyebrow twitched ever-so-slightly at her partner's rude attitude. She pushed past him, making sure to flaunt the 5 inches she had over him without her heels even on. "I'm going, dammit. Mind your own business for once, huh, 'Humanity's Shortest'?"
Before the furious dancer could spat another insulting word, the door slammed behind her as she made her way out of the boss's office, heading backstage.
"A burlesque? Since when are you guys so classy?" Armin questioned as they walked inside, scooting awkwardly around groups of women. They headed immediately to the bar, so Jean and Eren could grab a drink before the show.
Eren leaned against the counter as he waited for his order, facing his shy friend. "We figured a full strip club or a bar might be a bit much for you. So we toned it down a notch."
"Yeah," Jean chimed in, raising his glass in one hand, "Plus, this place just opened up. We had been meaning to check it out for a while."
The blush returned to Armin's face, noticing the lack of modesty that the women displayed around him. He couldn't wait for this little guys' night to end so he could relax at home. He kept his blue eyes down at the ground, his red tennis shoes suddenly becoming the most interesting thing in the room. His friends noticed this change in behavior and tried to comfort him, holding out an unknown drink. Once again, the boy refused, pushing the drink back into Jean's hands.
After a few minutes of bickering between his two friends, Armin noticed the lights dim and nudged Eren, breaking the green-eyed boy from his argument. "Looks like it's starting..."
A light brightened slowly behind someone on stage, leaving only her silhouette and the sparkling of her excessive jewelry visible. She was laying on what appeared to be a couch with gem-encrusted lining. But although he could tell the jewels were fake, they still shone beautifully in the light. The stage lights all turned on at once as the jazzy, upbeat music began, revealing a girl who seemed to be about 20 or 21 with (h/l), (h/c) hair pulled out of her (e/c) eyes by a *fake* diamond tiara. She was dressed very richly, almost overbearingly wealthy. Of course, he figured that was the point.
But even overdosed with gems, pearls, and sparkle, Armin found himself staring, a light pink dust on his cheeks. He knew the show was going to go downhill somehow, but for some reason, he just didn't care. He could watch this beautiful girl, clothed or not, all night long. Her looks were just one benefit. The moment she opened her mouth to sing, Armin was hooked, absolutely intoxicated by her.
The dress is Chanel, the shoes YSL
The bag is Dior, Agent Provocateaur
My address today, L.A. by the way
Above Sunset Strip, the Hills all the way
The young woman sung beautifully, gesturing to all the expensive items scattered around her. She gave a playful wink before sitting upright, parting her legs seductively as she stood.
My rings are by Webster, they make their heads twirl
They all say "Darling, what did you do for those pearls?"
What?!
I am a good girl
Her golden dress swished with her movements, but still showing off her curves wonderfully. Her innocent facial expression never left, even through the sensual motions of her body.
B.H. I adore, Rode-O L'amore
Breakfast Polo Lounge, and poolside for sure
The Chateau for cocktails, the Courtyard at nine
Dan Tana's for dinner, the Helen's* divine
You know I have found, the word's gone around
They all say my feet never do touch the ground
What?!
I am a good girl
Her long, drawn out note combined with narrowed eyes in his direction turned Armin on. His face burned, but his orbs never left her (e/c) ones. Even throughout the dance, the girl continued to glance back in Armin's direction. The awkward blonde kept turning to see if there was someone else she could be glancing at, which caused her to giggle slightly during her musical break.
With every beat of the drum, another piece of jewelry or clothing was pulled off. By the end of the musical break, she was only wearing a gold corset top that showed her stomach and matching panties. Every piece of jewelry had been thrown out into the audience, where older, creepy men held onto the superficial gems like lifelong keepsakes. Armin cringed at the sight, knowing she'd be swarmed by drunk men trying to make a pass at her after the show.
I am a good girl~
She belted out her final note, followed by cute, but sexual breaths. Everything about this girl mesmerized the blonde, from the beginning to the end, where the lights blacked out on the last beat of the song.
Once the performance had ended, the room was filled with cheering, clapping, and drunken laughter. Soon, the lights came back up and the atmosphere returned to the way it had been before. But now, he had to find the dancer he'd watched. Eren and Jean were already a little tipsy, clinking glasses and laughing like dorks. With this fact in mind, Armin made his way towards the back of the stage, where, just as he thought, a crowd of men were surrounding the poor girl. He tried to push his way through, using his frail body and small size to his advantage, being able to squeeze through the sea of bodies. He found the (h/c) girl and took her wrist, pulling her out of the overwhelming pressure.
"Um...I-I'm Armin, by the way...Armin Arlert," he spoke up, offering his hand to her quickly.
"(f/n) (l/n). It's a pleasure," the girl nodded, taking his hand and shaking it lightly.
Armin's face lit up almost instantly. "Y-Yes! I saw you dancing and um... Well of course I did. What I mean is, you just... You were very beautiful," he finally sputtered out.
"Oh...thank you. I've never heard that from a customer. Most guys just treat me like some stripper..." she cringed as she pulled a 5 dollar bill awkwardly out of her corset.
"You're welcome...I-I mean um it's my pleasure..." he averted his gaze to the floor and around the room before glancing back up at her, his face a beet red.
(f/n) giggled at his cute expression, and teasingly played with a lock of his hair. This caused him to step back out of surprise, the long, blonde strands still in her grasp.
"Ow!"
The girl let go of his hair as he winced, rubbing his head in slight pain. "Ah, I'm sorry! You alright?"
Armin nodded with a half-smile. "Yeah. I'm fine. Um...s-so I guess I should go..." he pointed back to his drunk friends, "I have to keep an eye on those idiots while we wait for our ride."
"I understand," she nodded in response, glancing over his shoulder at the two then back to him. After a slight pause, the girl flashed a gorgeous smile before adding, "I sure hope you'll come see me dance again~"
"O-Oh...of course. I-If that wouldn't bother you…"
"Silly, I'm asking. Maybe we could go out after the show?" she asked, turning on her heel to leave when beckoned by her insanely rude dance partner. She waved with an apologetic expression as she was tugged by her arm, indicating she had to go for the next performance.
"Yeah! Um...Friday maybe?"
"Friday," she confirmed before she left, leaving a red-faced and immensely happy Armin Arlet.
When the young man made his way back to his friends, they were fully drunk, hiccupping and stumbling over slurred words. Eren piped up, throwing an arm around his best friend's shoulders. "S-So we saw you with that hot babe, man. You h-hookin' up or what?"
"Yeah dude….give us the details," Jean added, placing his empty glass on the bar counter.
"No. We aren't 'hooking up'," he said with an eye roll, making air quotations as he spoke.
"What?! Why not?" the two drunkards blurted out in not-so-perfect unison.
"She's a good girl."