Chapter Nine
Grandfather just stared at Armin for several minutes after Armin finished speaking. Finally, he spoke up. "I have so many questions."
Armin let out a sigh. "Oh boy."
"First of all, WHY did you think all of those details were necessary?"
"You said to give you all of the details!"
"Clearly, I am going to have to teach you what that means. It is NOT details about you making out with your girlfriend." Armin just flushed red and took a spoonful of soup. "Anyway, when was this."
"July."
"Right, and so that's it? You two have been-"
"Well, sort of. At first, she never brought it up, and I figured we were operating under some sort of guise that it never happened."
"Uh huh."
"Until it happened again. Right before school started. And then it just sort of…kept happening."
Grandfather nodded his head. "So, you've been with Mikasa, in a romantic sense, since at minimum August?"
"In a nutshell, yes."
"And it's now the end of October, and I'm the FIRST person you're telling?"
"That is also correct." Armin was unsure of where the conversation was heading.
"And you've also stated that it was Mikasa's decision not to tell anyone."
"So that it doesn't get back to Eren. Why do I feel like I'm on a witness stand?"
"I'm just trying to figure out why she's so determined for Eren not to know. Also, side note, Eren is not worth it and I'm glad you're making an effort to move on."
"I'm ignoring your side note, and I really don't know. I mean, he's going to react badly. He doesn't like when the status quo changes and this is essentially putting it on it's head." He shrugged his shoulders and resumed his soup eating.
"Don't you think it's going to be worse when it eventually comes out, because it WILL come out, and he finds out his two best friends have been lying to him for months?"
"You are not bringing up anything that I haven't already brought up with Mikasa. She says she'll bring it up when the time is right, which I assume will either be when we have broken up or gotten married."
Grandfather shook his head. "You have a very interesting outlook on the future, Armin."
"I'm just being realistic. Once you're in a relationship, there's only two things that could happen. Either, it ends, or it doesn't." he shrugged.
"Would you stop with shrugging?"
"Probably not. All you've done now is make me self-conscious about it." He replied.
"Uh huh. You're a weird kid."
"I think that reflects on you. You've been my parental role model for the last ten years."
"No. I distinctly remember you were weird long before you came to live here." Grandfather grinned.
"I have no recollection of such a time."
"Likely story." Grandfather rolled his eyes. "Finish your soup."
"You finish your soup."
"Very mature."
"I get it from you." Armin grinned.
"No, you definitely get that from your father."
Armin looked up at his grandfather. He never talked about Armin's dad. His mom, sure, but never his dad. Armin was always afraid to ask why. But before he could say anything, the silence was broken by Armin's phone ringing. "Sorry." He said, fishing it out of his pocket.
"Who is calling you at 8 o'clock on a Saturday night?"
"Why don't you let me answer it and find out?" he pressed the answer button. "Hello?"
"Armin."
"Yes, Mikasa?"
"I'm just calling to tell you that I'm on my way over to your house."
"Right."
"I'll be there in five minutes."
"Okay."
"See you then."
"Bye." He heard the click of Mikasa hanging up and put the phone back in his pocket.
"Just because she's your girlfriend now doesn't mean she can be calling you at all times of the night."
"It's not as late as you seem to think it is. And she's on her way over." Armin said, rising to his feet.
"She's what? Why?" Armin just shrugged as he moved down the hall and opened the front door. "Why didn't you ask?" Grandfather followed him as far as the doorway to the kitchen.
Armin turned around. "She's very succinct on the phone. There wasn't time."
"Armin-"
Armin turned and went out the storm door onto the porch. He was only out there a moment when Mikasa strode into view. "Back so soon?" He grinned.
"So it would seem." She replied as she walked up onto the porch. Armin held open the storm door for her to walk into the house.
"Mikasa, dear. I think you're confusing this house with the one you live in. It's about four blocks down the street." Grandfather had his arms crossed.
"Grandfather-"
"She was just here four hours ago. Why is she back? We were having a nice bonding moment."
"She's standing right in front of you, so maybe stop talking about her like she's not here. And why don't you let me talk to her and find out." Armin took Mikasa's hand and started leading her towards the stairs.
"Uh, no. Downstairs."
"Grandfather-"
"No buts. Downstairs."
Mikasa looked at Armin. "Why is he-"
"He knows."
Her eyes widened. "He KNOWS?'
"He knows." Armin confirmed.
"How does he know?"
"I told him."
"Armin!"
"He's not going to tell! Though I'm regretting telling him since he's going to act like a doofus, apparently." He looked pointedly at Grandfather.
"Armin-" Grandfather began.
"It's not like we're going up there to make out! She's clearly upset and needs to talk." Armin turned and began leading Mikasa up to his room again.
"Unbelievable." Grandfather muttered.
Armin reached his room and closed the door behind them. "So, what happened?" Mikasa shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it must be bad if you're over here."
Mikasa walked over to Armin's bookshelf, where he had all sorts of knick knacks in addition to all of his books. She very lightly ran her fingers over a little ceramic turtle. Finally, she looked up at Armin. "Why does your grandfather know?"
It was Armin's turn to shrug his shoulders. "I don't know. We were talking and-"
"So, it was a continuation of your conversation from this morning?"
"No. Well, sort of. He just kept asking questions and saying stuff and it just sort of came out."
"He thinks you're gay, doesn't he?"
Armin let out a sigh. "Yes. But that's not-I mean-there's nothing wrong with it, I'm just…not…I think." He could feel his face flush red.
"Oh, baby, no." Mikasa walked over and patted Armin on the cheek. "You are adorably bisexual, Armin."
"Right, this is not what you came over here to talk about." He blushed even more.
That made Mikasa smile. "Who said I came over here to talk about anything?"
"Common sense."
Mikasa sighed and her smile slipped from her face. She walked over and sat on the bed. "Everything sucks at home."
"Still?" Armin asked, sitting down beside her.
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"Eren. He was acting up when he got home. Mouthing off. Well, it got him in trouble, which made him mad, so he picked a fight with me." She sighed again. Armin took her hand and twined his fingers through her's. "Somehow, that ends with ME getting in trouble, because I'm held to a higher standard than Eren. So, I got angry, and I yelled. And then I left. And now I'm here."
Armin was quiet for a little while. "Do you want to stay here tonight?"
Mikasa looked at his face. "Could I? Your grandfather won't mind?"
Armin gave her a soft smile. "He's never really annoyed with you." She just looked so sad, so he wrapped her in a hug. "It's going to be okay."
"I hope so." She whispered, hugging him back.
Armin felt peaceful. He was warm and he felt this sense of security. He cracked his eyes open to find Mikasa asleep in his bed next to him. That was why he felt happy. This was just…right. He reached over and gently stroked some hair back from her face, a smile on his lips. She stirred and he was about to pull his hand back when she opened those big brown eyes of her's and smiled. "Good morning."
"Good morning. It's early. We can go back to sleep." He said softly.
"Okay." Mikasa said, before rolling over and resting her head on his chest. Armin smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. He had just closed his eyes when he heard his bedroom door open.
"Armin-oh geez, you're in the bed…together."
Armin sighed heavily, and he could feel Mikasa laughing, though she had her face buried in his chest to keep anyone from hearing. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" He opened his eyes.
"Please tell me she's dressed." Grandfather said.
If there had been something he could bang his head on in that moment, he would have. "Seriously?"
Mikasa sat up, and couldn't hide her laughter. "Yes, I'm dressed."
"Good. Small blessings."
"What do you want?" Armin asked, sitting up and looking at his grandfather. "It's 7:30 on a Sunday morning."
"Oh right, I need to talk to you."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
Armin huffed. "Fine. I'll be down in a couple of minutes."
"Okay." Grandfather started to leave but paused. "Armin, please tell me that you're fully clothed."
"Get out!" Armin seized his pillow and chucked it at his grandfather.
"I'm going!" Grandfather exclaimed, disappearing seconds before the pillow sailed through the air where his head had been.
Armin flopped down on his back and groaned. "Sometimes I hate that man."
"No, you don't." Mikasa giggled, leaning down and giving him a peck on the lips. "You should go see what he wants."
"Or I could stay here with you." Armin said, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her close.
"I have a feeling it's me he wants to talk about." She said, giving him another kiss before pulling back.
Armin let out another groan before sitting up. "Alright. I'll be right back. You should go back to sleep." He climbed out of the bed. "I envy you your choices, you know?" He walked around the bed and kissed her on the top of the head.
"I know you do." She smiled before lying back down.
He turned and walked downstairs into the kitchen. "I think you're trying to sabotage my life." He said, plunking down at the table.
"Armin, you know I love Mikasa, right?"
"Oh God." Armin groaned, hanging his head.
"Now, listen. I'm being very serious right now."
"I know you are." Armin sighed, lifting his head to look at his grandfather.
"I do love her, but I'm not her guardian. And as a fellow parent, I can't contradict what her parents say. You follow me?"
"I am, though I'm not sure where you're going."
"She can't just come sleep here every time she has a fight with them."
"This is what you got me up this early for?" Armin stared at him tiredly.
"Armin."
"No, seriously. This couldn't have waited a couple of hours?"
Grandfather crossed his arms and frowned. "You're normally up this early."
"I was with my girlfriend!"
"Well, excuse me for not realizing your entire routine would change would immediately change after getting a girlfriend!" Armin slammed his hands down on the table as he stood up. "This is ridiculous! You know Mikasa! She's been coming over here for six years! How can you possibly think that was her motive?"
"I feel like I don't know either one of you anymore! You don't lie!"
"Yes, we do! We lie all the time! We don't like when people worry about us, so we lie! We've been doing it for years, so we're very good at it!"
Grandfather's jaw dropped open. "You don't lie to me!"
"And I didn't lie to you, did I?"
Grandfather's face grew angry. "Oh really? Because I have this memory of you saying 'If I had a girlfriend, I would tell you.' And when was this? Oh, yesterday!"
"And I did tell you! YESTERDAY!"
"Not until you were backed into a corner!"
"I wasn't backed into a corner! And anyway, the whole premise for this conversation is stupid! Mikasa had a fight with her family. A pretty big fight, and she needed somewhere to cool down. So, she came here. If it was me, wouldn't you prefer I go somewhere you know, with people you trust, instead of disappearing God knows where?"
"Armin, that's not my point."
"It was a one-time thing." Armin turned to see Mikasa standing in the doorway. "I just really needed to get away from them, and talk to Armin."
"I understand that, Mikasa. I am just trying to say that it can't happen every time because your parents might stop letting you over here at all. That's what I would do."
"Good thing I don't take off when we fight." Armin said softly.
"We don't fight. We have mild disagreements."
"Oh, is that what that shouting match was?" Mikasa asked, with a hint of a smirk on her lips.
"What shouting match? That was a conversation held at high volume, is all." There was a slight smile on Grandfather's face as well. "Alright. I feel like my point has been made, so I'm going to make breakfast now, since we're all up anyway."
"Do you want any help?" Mikasa asked.
"You know, I think I want some alone time right now, so how about you two just do the dishes after?"
"Okay." Mikasa said, turning and leaving the room.
Armin started to follow when Grandfather called out to him. "Armin, come here a second."
"Oh God, what now?"
"Just come over here." Armin obliged, trudging over to stand next to Grandfather at the stove, who dropped his voice to a whisper. "If these sleepovers are going to keep happening, and you find yourself needing something, let me know." Armin made a face and Grandfather cut him off before he could say anything. "Protection and safety are not things to shrug off. Blood pacts aren't the only way diseases spread."
"Oh my god! I'm seriously moving out so I never have to tell you anything again." Armin groaned.
"So what, you move out and that's it? Nine years of raising you and it's just sayonara? I'm out with the wolves?"
"If that's what it takes to avoid having conversations like this one." Armin said, walking out of the kitchen and down the hall to the living room.
Mikasa was settled on the couch and looked up as he came in. "What was that about?"
"Nothing. Something stupid." Armin shrugged before sitting down next to her. He rested his head on her shoulder as she twined their hands together.
"Now I really want to know."
"Now I'm really not going to tell you."
