A/N: This is set about 4-5 years in the future after the eradication of the titans, so Armin is about twenty. I apologize for any inaccuracies or if anyone seems out of character. I'm not entirely sure where Eren and Mikasa are in relation to this story but just know that they're not anywhere near Armin.

I'm daring to commit the ultimate sin of (gasp!) shipping a canon character with an OC because a) I really really want Armin to have a romantic interest and b) There's no canon character that I ship him with so I've had to improvise a bit.

Chapter 1

He knew that he should be happy. Humanity had prevailed in a war they'd fought for hundreds of years, so why wouldn't he be absolutely overjoyed?

However, slumped over the table of an inn, Armin Arlert felt no inkling of happiness. Instead, he felt a sensation that he could only describe as empty. It was as if his emotions had been stolen from him, leaving him a soulless husk of a human.

He wasn't sure if he preferred this state of apathy to his debilitating anxiety attacks. Both were at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, but they were equally awful. And they both hit him suddenly, creeping up on him with no warning before rendering him incapable of doing almost anything.

This particular wave of depression had come at a rather inconvenient time. He had been eating dinner alone at the inn he was staying at when suddenly he couldn't bring himself to care about or do anything and found himself sprawled out face-first on the table. Nobody had said anything yet, despite how crowded the dining hall was. He didn't really want them to. He just wanted to lay there and feel miserable until he felt like getting up.

He was rather annoyed when a hand patted him on the back.

"Uh, sir? Are you alright?" A small voice asked tentatively. It was a girl.

He lifted his head off of his arms just enough to get a sideways look at her. She had a round, freckled face with large brown eyes. Her hair was long and the color of melted chocolate, plaited into two braids that fell over her shoulders. She appeared to be a worker at the inn, dressed in a plain green dress with a slightly dirty apron overtop of it.

He put his head back down. "I'm fine, thanks," He mumbled. "Well, do you need anything? Any kind of help?" She asked again. "No. Just go away," He replied, growing increasingly irritated. She sighed. "Sir, please, I really can-"

"Leave me alone!" He practically yelled. It came out much harsher and louder than he had intended, and felt his stomach knot up with guilt when she flinched. The room got quieter, murmurs spreading through the room. The girl's cheeks flushed pink.

She clenched her jaw. "Fine. I'll leave you alone, if that's what you really want," She said, turning to leave.

He wasn't sure why, but in that split second part of him decided that he really did want some kind of help after all. He reached out and gently grabbed her wrist. "No - wait – please. I'm sorry. Sorry. Can I… Can I talk to you?" He managed to say.

When she turned to look at him, the same look of genuine concern was in her eyes.

"Uh - sorry. Is that a weird thing to ask?" He added hastily.

She shook her head. "No, it's not. That's fine. I can't talk now, though. My shift ends in twenty minutes. If you'll wait that long, I can come talk to you. Okay?"

He found himself nodding.

"Okay."

This chapter is kind of short, so sorry about that. I already have the next chapter written and just need to edit it, but I already know that it's longer than this one.

Reviews would be appreciated!