Clouds piled high in the sky, nearly touching the stars. They blocked the sun's light, masking a gray hue on the ground. Just as your mood, the day's weather was all the more the same. If it started to rain, it would be even more suiting.

No one was at the park today, the temperature was too low for dog-walking or frisbee. A ghostly setting was painted before you.

Leaves twirled in the cold breeze in rounded loopty-loops, landing peacefully at your feet where you stood in front of a swing set alone, nothing but your thoughts to accompany you.

He wasn't going to come, certainly because of the fight you had last night. In a way, he called things off with you but there was always a chance that he... that he would show up.

"It's been two hours." Tears belted up in your eyes, slowly crystallizing from the freezing air. "He's not coming."

The sound of dry leaves crunching beneath feet sounded and you looked up in surprise. "You...?"

His blond hair was bright enough to glow in the dullness, popping out among the other colors. He was smiling wearily, eyes growing black-ish bags under them. He was crying; it's apparent.

"You know I couldn't do that to you."

Lunging forward, you attacked him with a passionate embrace.

"I love you, Armin!"

You jolted back, throwing you into rays of sunshine, scents of coffee, car horns, and the sweet sound of a familiar voice. The seat cushion underneath you shifted with your body weight. Your skin wasn't tingling and on the verge of attaining frost bite, the pressure on your feet evaporated as you are now on your rear in a cafe stool, the sun was blanketing the city in waves, and people roamed the sidewalks.

You aren't in downtown Washington D.C. anymore.

"'I love you, too Melanie,' the brown haired lover whispered to the world of a girl before him. Nothing, absolutely nothing cou'- _(f/n)_?"

The story was now flowing into your ears the proper way it should be heard, no "you this" "you that" stuff with him. Heck, the boy in this story had brown hair, why would Armin ever come to mind?

"Hey, _(f/n)_, are you okay?" concern growing in his gentle spoken words, cautiously approaching you as he bent over the table.

It was only until now that you realized you've been watching Armin with bat-crazy eyes, more white in your eyes than color, with your mouth gaping open and catching flies. your nails dug into your palms, on the verge of drawing blood from the sudden hit of reality.

Pushing your hair back on the top of your head, you fixedly improved your fearful appearance. Touching your face works just like a restart button for you, helping the flabbergasted expression erase itself from it's unwanted existence.

Tripping and collapsing over your speech, you tried to choke up, "Y- yeah! I'm f-fine.."

Armin scrunched his nose up and scooted out from the raised chair, studying you intently. "Hm, I'll be back. Just one minute."

Once little boy blue took off to the cafe's bar, you pulled out your pocket mirror and nearly slammed it into your nose, you got it out so fast. You scanned for anything wrong with your face. What if you were crying just like Melanie and didn't notice? Oh no, your mascara would have gone straight to the dogs if you so as dare cried.

Lucky for you, all that was wrong was your hair; it was being swept around while you spaced out. This hair style could have been pampered by a tornado.

Then he was back with two cups in hand, both hot drinks.

"You look like you need something to perk you up, you spaced out there for a second. Need me to reread the parts you missed?"

If only you did miss that part of the book or maybe just zone out at the moment where Armin made his 'jaw-dropping' entrance. You could do without the extra heart pacing.

Are they going to kiss in the book next? They said 'I love you'. Oh my god, oh my god, it's destined to happen. Hands slapping your cheeks and fingers covering your eyes was a failed attempt to press hard enough on your skull to repent thoughts about- kissing- Armin.

His flower-pink lips are probably as soft as they look and they've got to be as plush as feather-filled pillows when sunken into yours. He'd probably embrace you by your cheeks with his hesitant hands, shaking vigerously. Your hand, vibrating just as much as his, would tentatively hold his and take in his all-but-real touch, absorbing into the ki-

"No, no, no, I heard all of it! I was, uhm-" you slammed your hands down on the table as energy filled as you would playing Slap Jack. "I was just getting lost in the story is all. But- but I got all of it! Yeah, yeah like when Melanie was standing there upset and I told y- I mean she told you- him-"

Deep breaths, _(f/n)_. You're throwing words up as if you ate a poisoned dictionary. Slow down, slow down, you assured yourself.

With one, long inhale and exhale, you prepared your words this time. "I heard everything. You can keep on where you left off."

At this moment, you were able to get a good scan of Armin's face. You know how you looked earlier with your jaw hitting the floor? Picture this on Armin but more hidden and less exaggerated. He slid your coffee to you at a pace slower than a baby's crawl. He was inching towards you like you were a ticking time bomb, about to explode in a psychotic rage.

His eyes were asking you a silenced question, 'what is going on'

You took a long sip of your drink to ease your mind. It tasted sweetened with quite a bit of creamer. You must look like a soft coffee drinker because it seems as if Armin knew to put that much in yours. From the looks of his, he was drinking it close to black, meaning he intentionally made yours sugary for you; not randomly and make it just like his.

"I, uh, got so lost in the book I thought of-" You started to tilt your cup in a circular formation and watched as it did so. "I thought of us in their situation."

He smiled blankly at you; no awkward blushing or shaking corners of his lips. Just a regular 'how-do-ya-do' smile. "That's neat, _(f/n)_."

Picking Star-Crossed back up, he continued off the very last word he spoke.