Chapter Twenty-Four

"Armin, come here." Jean accosted him as soon as he walked into economics class on Monday.

"What is going on?" Armin just let Jean pull him to the side.

"How was your weekend?" Jean asked, clearly searching for a specific answer.

"It was fine." Armin said warily. What was up with Jean?

"Yeah?" Jean smirked. "Did you have fun at the aquarium?"

Armin felt the blood rush from his face. "Shit. He told you?" So much for Marco not saying anything.

"Was he not supposed to?" Jean arched an eyebrow.

"Well, we were clearly keeping it on the downlow." Armin crossed his arms. "YOU can't tell anyone."

"Why not?"

"Because Mikasa will kill me."

"Why?"
"Because she doesn't want anyone to know."

"Why?"

"What are you, three? Why? Why? Why?"

"I'm genuinely curious."

"Well, you're going to have to stay curious because I'm not getting into it with you."

Jean just shook his head. "I cannot believe you have a secret relationship with Mikasa Ackerman."

"Can you not say it out loud like that? I'm serious, you can't tell anyone."

"Okay."

"Especially not Connie or Sasha."

"Why would I share secrets with Connie?" Jean looked slightly offended.

"And don't say anything to Eren." Armin added.

Jean's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Eren doesn't know?"

"It's…complicated."

"This whole thing seems complicated."

"Believe me, I am aware." Armin sighed, moving to go sit at his desk.

"And yet, I've never been more jealous of someone in my life." Jean said, following suit.

"Yeah, but of Mikasa or Armin?" Ymir asked, butting into their conversation from her seat behind Jean.

"Ymir!" Historia hissed.

"You keep quiet." Armin glared at Ymir.

"What did Ymir do now?" Connie asked breathlessly, seeming to appear out of nowhere.

"Well, I'm not late, unlike some people." Ymir replied.

"I'm not lat-" The bell rang just then. "Shut up." Connie snapped at her.

"Take your seat, Connie." Their teacher called as she stood up.

"Yes Miss." Connie sat down heavily in his seat.

Halfway through class, Armin felt something light smack him in the back of the head. He spun around to see Ymir had thrown a wadded up piece of paper at him. "What?" He whispered. She grinned wickedly.

"What's on your neck?" She mouthed, pointing to a spot on her neck. Armin felt his face flush as he slapped a hand over the same spot on his own neck. She'd seen it. Fuck. He pulled his collar up higher on his neck and desperately waited for class to end. The second the bell rang, he was out of his seat.

"Not a word." He hissed at Ymir.

"About what, little Arlert?" She feigned ignorance.

"Why is it always you?"

"What did she do now?" Historia asked.

"I didn't do anything!" Ymir protested.

"I don't believe that." Historia shook her head.

"I mean it. Not a word." Armin gave her one last glare before leaving the classroom. He really hoped she would just keep her mouth shut for once. But he was doubtful. There was a wicked air about her today.

He hated being right. She waited until they were most of the way through lunch before opening her stupid mouth. The lunch table had shifted slightly, with Annie swapping places with Ymir and Historia so she could sit next to Eren. This meant that Armin saw Ymir's wicked grin just before all hell broke loose. His heart dropped into his stomach. "So," She began. He tried to glare at her but that only seemed to egg her on. "Has anyone else noticed the hickey on Armin's neck?"

Mikasa was in the middle of taking a drink and nearly spit it out. Bertolt also sounded like he was choking on something. Reiner's eyes were bulging out of his head. "Ymir!" Historia yelled.

Armin looked at Eren, who looked at him wide eyed. Armin tried to gesture to Eren to say something. Was he really going to give up the pretense now? Eren finally caught on. "Don't be ridiculous! Who would he be getting a hickey from?"

"Yeah. I wonder who that could possibly be from." Annie asked half-heartedly. Armin face-palmed. This was insane. Why were they all sitting here pretending like he wasn't dating Mikasa when they all knew.

"It's not a hickey." Eren declared.

"How else would you explain the bruise on his neck then?" Ymir crossed her arms. Armin wanted to melt into the floor.

"Maybe I punched him in the neck." Eren also crossed his arms. Armin sighed.

"Why would you punch him in the neck?"

"Because-" The bell rang, and Armin grabbed his bag and bolted from the table. He was halfway down the hallway when Mikasa caught up to him. She grabbed him by the arm and spun him around to look at her.

"You let her see it?"

"It's not like I showed it to her on purpose!" Armin replied defensively.

"Armin-"

"This is your fault." He cut her off. "I didn't put it there." Mikasa's jaw stiffened. She knew he had a point.

"Why was Eren trying to cover for you?" She was changing points of attack on him.

"I don't know!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Does he-" she shut up as Eren caught up to them. She wordlessly stalked off down the hallway, leaving Armin staring after her.

"What's her problem?" Eren asked.

"Dude, are you trying to get me killed?" Armin spun around to look at Eren.

"What?" Eren looked taken aback.

"Maybe I punched him in the neck? That's the best you could come up with?"

"I was under pressure! Also, I'm trying to get over my revulsion."

"When she finds out you know, I don't want her knowing that I know you know." Armin crossed his arms.

"Sorry."

"Does Annie know about your little game?"

"Maybe." Eren looked down sheepishly.

"Unbelievable." Armin just turned away and walked off to gym class. Annie met him as he came out of the locker room. She did a slow clap, smirking all the while.

"What a wonderful performance you put on."

"Are you done?" Armin walked past her, but she followed him.

"You guys are doing an incredible job at the whole secret part of the secret relationship."

"At least I'm in a relationship."

"I could be in a relationship if I wanted to."

"So, you're saying you don't want to? Because that sure would hurt Eren's feelings."

Annie's face grew red. "That's not…I meant…Don't say anything to him."

Armin just sighed. He had her beat and he didn't even feel good about it. "How did we get like this, Annie?"

"We both know what you did." Annie crossed her arms.

"And we both know you pushed me to that point." Armin put a hand on his hip. "The constant antagonism is getting old now."

"Well, what do you want to do about it? Because-"

"Obviously, neither one of us is going to apologize because neither of us think we did anything wrong." He crossed his arms. "But we can't keep fighting. We're the in-laws. We should be on the same side."

"You're not an in-law. You're basically the Jaegers' adopted son."

Armin just shook his head. "I'm proposing a truce."

"A truce?" Annie stared at him.

"A truce. We leave the past in the past and move forward. Clean slates. And no antagonism."

Annie seemed to think it over. "Fine. I accept your truce." She held out her hand. Just as Armin went to grab it, she pulled her's away suddenly. "Under one condition."

"Oh, God. What?" Annie and her damn conditions.

"I want a repeat of the mall disaster, but without it being a disaster."

"You want to go on a double date? Why does everyone want a double date?"

"You all have to enjoy it." Annie continued.

"Fine."

"And SHE has to behave."

"Fine.

"You can manage that?"

"I can manage that."

"Then you have a truce." Annie stuck her hand out, this time allowing him to shake it. "Also, I should tell you that I totally told Reiner and Bert."

"WHAT?!"

"What are you two doing over here?" Ymir interrupted them.

"It's none of your damn business." Annie huffed. "What do you want?"

"Well, we need partners for badminton and Historia refuses to play with me as punishment for pointing out Armin's hickey. So, I need one of you to be my partner."

"Why would I be your partner?" Armin asked in an amused tone.

"Because you're a good person who doesn't hold things against me when they know that's just who I am as a person." She said the last part loudly, clearly trying to make sure Historia heard her. Historia just rolled her eyes and walked away with Hannah.

"Armin, be my partner." Jean jogged over.

"I asked him first!" Ymir declared.

"Technically, you didn't." Armin said. "I'm going with Jean."

"Why do the tiny blondes keep leaving me?" Ymir wailed.

"Because you're annoying." Annie said.

"Anniepoo!"

"That's it. I'm not being your partner either."

"No, don't leave me!"

The rest of gym class flew by, and then it was time for study hall. He was about to walk into the classroom when he felt a tug on his shirt sleeve. He turned to find Sasha standing there. "Hey, Sasha. What's up?" he was honestly surprised to see Sasha here this early. Normally, she was running in just before the bell rang.

"I heard a rumor that you may be a little closer to Miss Mikasa than you've been letting on." She grinned.

"How do you know?" Armin sighed.

"Jean told me."

"Can no one follow directions?" Armin pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Is it any consolation to know that Connie doesn't know?"

"Not really." Armin shook his head. "How are things between you and Connie?"

"Honestly, we haven't really talked since I vomited on him."

"I'm sorry to do that…and that that happened to you."

"It's fine. I worked past it with my therapist." She smiled softly. "And I've been hanging out more with Jean and Marco. It's good for me to have more friends."

"Good for you, Sasha." He gave her a smile.

"Hey, Armin."

"What's up?"

"Can I have a hug?" she grinned.

"Fine." He huffed. "But don't start that shit again. We just got the freshmen to stop." He opened his arms. Sasha squeezed him pretty tight. It seemed like she needed the hug. He let her be the one to pull away.

"Alright, we should head in there now."

"I'm glad you're doing okay, Sasha."

She smiled at him. "I'm glad you're doing good, too." She walked into the classroom. Armin followed behind and stopped in the doorway. Eren and Mikasa looked like they were having a heated discussion about something. Their voices were hushed but their faces were animated. Great. Mikasa was sure to be in the perfect mood to bring up a double date…with Annie…not.