A/n) I am sorry for how long this took me to get out. I got a wicked cold, but I wrote this in bursts between medicine. Consider this my Valentines Day gift to all of you my wonderful readers. You are my driving force, and I am thankful to all of you.

The next day was like torture. Eren hadn't seen Armin at all. No familiar blonde hair, no baby blue eyes, nothing. It was like Armin was hiding from him, and he just wanted to talk about this. Armin was avoiding Eren like he was some kind of monster. It hurt, and Eren had to distract himself. He burned through his day by bothering Levi at work, between his own classes, via text. He didn't weigh Levi down with his personal problems, they weren't that close, but he did tell him he needed to get his mind off something. Levi never pried, and Eren was grateful for that.

After Eren's last class, he decided to hang out in the coffee shop. He didn't want to go back to a painfully quiet dorm. He pulled out a book, and did some homework, while drinking a coffee.

"Hey Eren!" someone said, while leaning over his shoulder.

Eren jumped out of his seat, effectively spilling hot coffee in his crotch.

"Fuck! Shit that's hot!" He yelled.

"Oh shoot! I'm sorry Eren." Hange said, grabbing some napkins, and starting to rub the napkins against Eren's crotch.

"Hange, are you trying to give me a heart attack? Hey, stop! I can do that myself."

"Why? It isn't something I haven't seen or touched before."

"Why? Because you have one?"

Hange shrugged "Maybe, maybe not. Where's your partner is crime? You and Armin are always together."

"I don't know. I haven't seen him much."

"Because of Levi?" Hange asked, taking a seat next to Eren.

"I guess. He's been weird, like making out with random guys, weird."

"He's probably jealous. I mean, you guys are sex buddies or whatever. Maybe he is just trying to get back at you."

"He...he told me he loved me."

Hange had a serious face now. No goofy grin or anything, while sucking in a breath "That complicates things quite a bit. He obviously meant it. How do you feel about it?"

Eren felt like he was in therapy, and let go "I don't know. It feels right..."

"What about Levi?"

"It's fun, and thrilling. I like him too. It's like, either decision would feel right, but I don't want either one to get hurt in the process."

"Let's go to my dorm and talk."

Eren agreed. Hange grabbed a coffee, and they went out the door. Once they were settled in Hange's room, Hange grabbed some paper and a pen. Eren sat on the bed with a heavy sigh.

"Sometimes, it's better to write it out. You talk, I'll write. This is a simple process. Armin pros and cons, go!" Hange said.

"Ok, Armin has been my best friend for years and I love him, but do not want to risk our friendship. He's a vixen in the sheets, but his personality is so timid. He's gorgeous in every way, except his haircut, his haircut is stupid. He's my age, but I'm partial to older." One by one, he gave a pro, immediately followed by a con. Hange was just scribbling away on the paper. When he finished, they started over.

"Levi pros and cons, go." Hange said.

"Levi is fun, but sometimes he's an asshole. Ok, most the time he is, and I enjoy the playful banter, but he's so serious. He always looks tired, bored, and disinterested. Sex is incredible, he's built like a God, everything is incredible. He's demanding, selfish, rude, obsessive compulsive, and generally a jerk." This list was worded different. He gave a pro, followed by several cons that almost sounded endearing to him.

"Jeager, you confuse even me. It's almost like you love to hate Levi. You love Armin, but hate his personality. This is something you need to figure out on your own!"

"Thanks Hange. This was no help whatsoever." Eren said with a heavy sigh.

"I didn't expect it to be this utterly complicated. Normally, I can study and research a problem, but this is matters of the heart. I don't understand those."

"You don't understand matters of the heart? What about Mikasa?"

"She's helping me learn. I also found out sex is awesome."

Eren stood up quickly, and covered his ears "No! No! That's enough. I'm done! I'm good!"

Hange grinned wickedly, "Sorry, Eren."

A little while later, Eren left and went back to his dorm. He had just started trying to study, when a knock came to his door. He sighed and slammed his hands down. Today was not his day. He was going to fail his calculus class at this rate. Well, even if he did study he probably would have failed anyway. It wasn't fair to blame others. He opened the door "Horseface...what do you want?" he said to Jean standing there.

"Maybe for you to stop being such a dick, Eren." Jean answered.

Marco grabbed Jean's shoulder "Try setting an example, silly."

Jean rolled his eyes in unison with Eren.

"Trying to study, why are you both here?" Eren asked.

"Can we come in?" Marco asked.

Eren stepped to the side to let them both in "Make yourself at home."

Jean and Marco sat on the bed across from Eren, "Armin..." Marco started.

It turned into a talk that made Eren feel like scum. Armin's had apparently spilled his guts out to Jean and Marco last night. Why is everyone doing this, or telling him this? Did everyone not know that he knew Armin loved him? Why was he the jerk? The more he heard, the more he thought, the more pissed off he got. Marco saw it, and politely excused himself and Jean. And once again, Eren slept alone that night. Tears pouring down his face as he curled into a tight ball. It hurt. Everything hurt. Everything. Why? He hadn't done anything wrong! When did being in love or liking someone become so painful? Sex with no strings was quickly tangling him up in the loose frays of lingering emotions. There was no such thing as no strings. Maybe life would be better with no sex, and no one to fall in love with. But that existence, although easier, would be so lonely. He couldn't live like that. No one could live like that. He cried himself to sleep that night.

The next morning, he woke up for class only to find out calculus class was canceled, and he thanked every God and diety in existence. As he strolled around the campus he heard his phone ring. He looked at the screen, and answered it immediately. It was Levi,

"Hello?" Eren said.

"What are you doing tonight?" Came Levi's bored voice.

"Working. Why?"

"What about after?"

"Curling up into a ball to cry myself to sleep. Why?"

"Stop asking questions, brat. That's my job. May I inquire what you are upset over?"

Eren hesitated "I don't want to talk about it."

"Understood. Listen brat, you've seemed down in the dumps lately. Do you want to meet up later or something?"

"No, well yes I would, but I have a jammed schedule today and then work, so I don't really have the time."

Levi was thankful that Eren couldn't see the disappointment etched on his face "Oh, well that's alright. I guess I'll see you on Wednesday then."

"I'm so sorry Levi."

"Don't fret over it brat. I just miss you is all."

Eren could practically see the embarassment on Levi's face, and he smiled "I miss you too old man. Now I can't wait to see you."

"Breaks over. I have to go."

"Alright. I'll see you later." Eren heard the line click, and put his phone in his pocket.

His classes all blurred together. Even art class. The professor had them try a new medium, and Eren tried charcoal. It only succeeded in frustrating him, with the unforgiving coal. It smudged, it blurred, and he got dirty. Usually, he loved being covered in art supplies, but this just pissed him off. After all his classes were done, he went back to his dorm to get ready for work. It was still empty. The silence was maddening. Eren couldn't handle this anymore. Something, somewhere, somebody had to give.

He did his shift like a robot. Just serving people with a fake smile that didn't reach his eyes. He didn't talk more than he had to, and avoided others. He heard his coworkers whispering about him. Frankly, he didn't give a damn. He was just here to exist. So, maybe that was a bit over-dramatic, but at this point that's how Eren felt. When the clock hit eleven he was out the door. He went back to his dorm, and dropped his keys at seeing a familiar mop of blonde bent over the desk, studying. He gasped loudly, and rubbed his eyes. "A-armin?" He asked tentatively.

Deep oceans of blue looked up at Eren. Pale cheeks went pink "Eren..." those pink lips formed his name perfectly. And he was on them in the blink of an eye.

It was warm, no, hot, and familiar. Mouths moving in tandem, as fingers touched upon flesh it already knew so well. Tears fell as clothes came off. It felt right. It felt amazing. It felt wrong. Negative feelings being pushed aside, while a rigid erection was pushed in. At this moment, nothing else mattered. Nothing, but this moment of fulfillment. Moaning voices, and crying out for one another. Panting, gasping, and sweating. Holding on to one another as if it was the last tether to this existence.

And when they lay together, Eren playing with sweaty blonde locks, the guilt rose in his chest again. Eren pushed it away for now. He knew he still had so much to go through, but for now, with Armin on his chest, he felt happy.