Chapter Twenty-Five
Armin resisted the urge to roll his eyes as they walked out of study hall. Eren and Mikasa had spent the period bickering over every nonsense thing under the sun. But he knew they were both just upset about the hickey; Mikasa because it had been outed; Eren because he didn't like that his best friend had a hickey from his sister…and probably because he didn't have one from Annie.
"Hey, Mikasa?" Armin cut into their conversation as they walked outside.
"What?" She snapped at him. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to abort mission. But he had to do this to have peace in his life.
"Don't snap at Armin." Eren snapped at her.
"Nevermind. You're in a bad mood." Armin had to play this carefully.
Mikasa sighed and her voice softened. "I'm sorry, Armin. What's up?"
"No, really. It can wait until later." Armin glanced at Eren. Eren was looking at him suspiciously.
"Armin, just spit it out." Mikasa said as they started making their way up the street.
"Well, I think we should try another hang out…with the four of us."
Mikasa arched an eyebrow. "Four?"
"You mean, with Annie?" Eren sounded hopeful.
"Oh yeah, because that worked out so well last time." Mikasa rolled her eyes. "What brought this on?"
"I was talking to her today, and she really wants to make the effort to try to get to know us."
"She sure didn't want to make the effort last time."
"You weren't exactly Miss Congeniality yourself, you know." Eren chimed in. Mikasa opened her mouth to reply, but Armin cut her off.
"Besides, we all know she was in a bad mood because Eren didn't tell her we were coming until the last minute." Eren looked down sheepishly.
"I knew it." Mikasa muttered. "I still don't understand why it has to be her, of all the women in the world."
"Oh, would you give it a rest already!" Eren snapped. "Yes, she had a crush on Armin! She doesn't anymore!"
"Do you even know what she did-"
"Just because you're fucking Armin doesn't mean you have to hate every other woman who shows interest in him!" Eren screamed. Armin stared at him, wide eyed with horror. Did he even know what he had just said?
"What did you just say?" Mikasa said in a menacing tone.
Eren's face paled as realization dawned on him. "Shit."
Mikasa looked like she was struggling to decide what she wanted to say. "How long have you known?" She asked.
"Um…well…" Eren glanced at Armin.
"Wait, did Armin tell you? Ar-" She started to round on Armin. His brain didn't think, it just reacted. He turned and just started sprinting down the sidewalk.
"Son of a bitch!" He heard Eren yell from behind him.
"Armin!" Mikasa yelled, followed by, "Both of you get the hell back here!"
Armin didn't look back. He wasn't sure he had ever run so fast in his entire life. But he didn't think his life had ever depended on it before. He ran all the way home, leaped the porch steps, and crashed through the front door, slamming it shut behind him and locking it. Eren hit the door a moment later. "Armin, let me him!" He screamed, banging on the door.
"I can't!" Armin yelled back.
"What is going on?" Grandfather yelled from the kitchen.
"Ar-AH!" Eren shrieked.
"How long have you known?" Mikasa yelled. It sounded like she was smacking Eren.
"Months!"
"Months?" Mikasa shrieked. "I can't- Did Armin tell- Armin!" Armin heard running feet, and then it became suspiciously quiet. He gasped in horror when he realized. The back door. He made it into the kitchen when he froze in his tracks. There she was.
"What is going on?" Grandfather repeated. He was sitting at the table reading the paper. Armin locked eyes with Mikasa. She looked pissed.
"Fuck!" He yelled, spinning on his heel and sprinting back the other way.
"Stop running away!" Mikasa yelled, running after him.
"You can just tell me later." Grandfather sighed.
"Mikasa, stop!" Eren yelled, having apparently followed her through the back door. Armin ran for the front door, then remembered it was locked. He turned and took the stairs instead, just evading her grasp as she tried to grab him. He half ran, half crawled up the stairs, Mikasa just behind him. He ran into his room and tried to close the door, but Mikasa lunged forward and tackled him to the floor. All the air left him in a gasp as Mikasa's full body weight crashed down on top of him.
"What the fuck, Armin?" Mikasa hissed, breathing heavily. Armin could only look up at her as she pinned him to the floor.
"It's not his fault!" Eren gasped, catching up to them. "I made him keep it a secret, the same way you did." Eren sank to the floor next to them and panted, trying to catch his own breath.
"I can't believe you two kept a secret from me…for months!"
"And I can't believe after all that, that Eren just let it slip." Armin finally said, shooting a glare at Eren.
"Why?" Mikasa asked, looking between Armin and Eren. "Why would you do that?"
"Why would you try to keep this a secret from me?" Eren asked her in return.
"I-" Mikasa began. Armin wanted to know the answer to this as well. He looked up at her face. "I didn't want you to hate me for taking Armin away…like you did before." She looked heartbreakingly sad, like she had on the Jaegers' couch all those years ago. Armin wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. He couldn't bare to see her sad.
"I never hated you." Eren said softly. "I could never hate you."
"But back then-"
"I was stupid…and nine." Eren cut her off. "And you're not taking Armin away. You two will never escape me." That made Mikasa smile.
"Good." She said.
"Besides, I'm not interested in Armin like that." Eren continued.
Armin and Mikasa glanced at each other knowingly. "We know." Armin said shortly, wanting to move on from the subject.
"I mean, I can't say I've never been a little bit curious about what it would be like with a guy, but-"
"Eren!" Mikasa scolded, finally getting off of Armin and sitting up.
"There's nothing wrong with that!" Eren said, a little defensively.
"You're unbelieveable!"
"How so?"
"Learn to read a room from God's sake!"
Eren stared at them for a moment. "Wait. You never-" He looked at Armin. "Armin?"
"And this conversation is over." Armin rolled over so he was no longer looking at Eren.
"Wait. No. Hang on." Eren sounded like he was short-circuiting. "Did Armin have a crush on-"
"Leave him alone." Mikasa said.
"Wow." Eren said softly. "You guys really have been keeping a lot of secrets." Eren's voice sounded sad. "I feel like the odd one out."
Armin sat up and looked at Eren. "Please don't be upset."
"I'm not upset." Eren looked upset. "Okay…maybe a little. But it's not what you think."
"What do you mean?" Mikasa asked.
"I guess I'm just a little hurt that you guys think I'm going to have such bad reactions that you find it better not to tell me."
"What good would it have done?" Armin asked. "I mean, you're not into guys, so all it would have done is make things unnecessarily awkward. So, I kept my mouth shut."
"But you told Mikasa."
"She guessed, actually." Armin looked at Mikasa. "Which, by the way, is the same thing Eren did about us. I didn't tell him shit."
"You guessed?" Mikasa stared at Eren incredulously.
"You lovelorn idiots were not exactly subtle, you know." Eren replied with a shrug.
"Oh my god."
"Would this be a bad time to mention that everybody knows?" Armin asked her.
"What?" Mikasa's head snapped around to look at him.
"Well, everyone except Connie, I guess."
"How?"
"Um, no one knows how to keep their damn mouths shut." Armin shrugged. "Except Eren, who surprisingly did."
"Hey!" Eren exclaimed.
"Unbelievable." Mikasa flopped down on the floor on her stomach and groaned.
"Why do you care if everyone knows?" Eren asked her.
"Because," She said, lifting her head. "I don't want everyone in my business."
"That's what it means to have friends, I'm afraid." Eren responded.
"And I don't want to share that side of Armin with everyone." She continued.
"What side of Armin?" Instead of answering, Mikasa just put her head back down. Eren looked at Armin, who just shrugged.
"Are you kids done yelling, and killing each other?" Grandfather called from downstairs.
"Yes!" Armin and Eren called out in unison.
"Are Eren and Mikasa staying for dinner?"
"Yes!" Eren answered.
"Okay! We're having noodles!"
"Okay, Grandfather!" Armin responded. They both waited until they heard Grandfather walk away before they looked at each other.
"So, Armin?" Eren said, with a sly smile.
"What?" Armin knew this couldn't be good.
"Do you still have a crush on me?"
Armin just stared at him. "I am literally fucking your sister."
"Don't phrase it like that!" Mikasa punched Armin in the leg. Armin grimaced, but otherwise didn't respond.
"But she's not my biological sister, nor does she look like me, so it doesn't really answer the question, now does it?"
"What is wrong with you?" Mikasa asked.
"A lot." Eren was quiet for a moment. "Do you think Reiner and Bertolt are actually attracted to each other or-"
"Not this shit again." Mikasa groaned.
"OR!" Eren exclaimed, talking over her, "do you think it was a curiosity thing?"
"I think Bert's probably got a thing for blonds." Armin said.
"Don't encourage him." Mikasa sighed.
Eren seemed to consider it for a moment. "Yeah, that holds." He finally said. "Speaking of blondes, I think I'm going to go call Annie."
"Right now?" Mikasa asked, staring at him.
"What?"
"We just had some serious heartfelt, earth-shattering revelations, and you just feel the need to call your not-girlfriend. Seriously?"
"I don't like your tone." Eren said, rising to his feet.
"And I don't like your life decisions, but here we are."
"Just let him go." Armin sighed. "This is something we should probably get used to."
"It is." Eren crossed his arms. "And she's not my not-girlfriend."
"Well, she's not your girlfriend."
"I'm working on it!" Eren turned on his heel and marched off down the stairs.
Armin couldn't help but laugh. "What's so funny?" Mikasa asked, pulling him back into her arms.
"Just…this. Life is back to normal. No secrets. Everyone behaving as they should."
"Does that make you feel better?"
"It does. A lot better. I feel like a weight has been taken off my chest. I hated lying…to both of you."
"I'm sorry for putting you through that."
"I get it…now that I understand your reasoning. I just wish you would have told me. We could have worked through this together, months ago." He turned his head to look at her. She looked down. "And you don't have to share any part of me, you know. I'm all yours. I always have been."
Mikasa leaned forward, her face barely grazing his. "Good." She whispered, before closing the gap, pressing her lips to his. Armin slid his hand up to cup the back of her head, grasping her hair softly. He wondered if every kiss with Mikasa was going to feel like this. Like home. He hoped so. He wanted to go home with her. Forever.
