A/N: Wow! You guys broke 200 reviews! You're the best. Those reviews make my day and help me keep writing! Also, I won't be answering any reviews this time! Here I go!
Armin walked down the street, thankful for his long hair. It was keeping his neck warm. His nose, however, was freezing cold and red. He brought his hands up to his face and blew into them, enjoying the warmth his breath brought.
He saw Levi sitting on a park bench, absently blowing air out of his mouth and watching the small clouds dissipate in the cold air. Armin stopped. Levi looked terrible. The bags under his eyes were darker than usual, and his hair was a mess. He looked paler than usual. Armin slowly approached him, as if Levi were a lion or some shit. (I was going to be serious here, but then I decided, "Fuck it," and wrote this instead.)
He sat down. Levi regarded Armin for a second. Levi's nose was red from the cold, as were his cheeks. Armin fidgeted nervously before speaking.
"Why did you call me?" asked Armin, his voice hoarse from a cold he was catching again. Armin hated this season, simply because he got sick all the time.
He wasn't particularly worried about Eren, since Eren could fight for himself and used to go missing for days on end before finally showing up. Armin remembered once, Eren had gone all the way into a different state before sobering up and realizing that he had, y'know, left the state.
"I have to ask you a question." Levi said, his voice monotone as always. Armin saw a flash of something in his eyes, but couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe Eren would know, if he was there.
"And your question is...?" Armin prompted. He was freezing his ass off.
"Do you think that-" he paused, assessing Armin before moving on, "Do you think that Eren might have left because he doesn't want to..." he stopped again. Armin raised his eyebrows. Levi studied Armin again before continuing, "He doesn't want to be with me anymore?"
Ah, Armin thought. That was why Levi had hesitated. Armin kept a straight face, knowing that Levi was afraid he would laugh at him. Armin knew that it was hard for Levi to speak his feelings out loud. He hadn't known him that long, but he had known him long enough. Armin was a very observant person.
"No, Levi." Armin said soothingly. Levi still looked unsure. "Actually, I'm pretty sure he's in love with you."
Levi's eyes widened. Armin could see him processing this information, and evaluating Armin's character to decide whether or not Armin could be trusted. There was a reason Armin was going into psychology.
"Hm," was all Levi said. He looked away. He still looked unsure. Armin decided to explain.
"I've seen the way he looks at you," Armin started, "He's never looked at anyone like that before. He comes to life when he's near you. I see his eyes shine whenever he looks at you." It's kind of like how Mikasa looked at Eren.
Levi still wasn't looking at Armin, but Armin could see a tiny smile on the older man's face. Armin smiled. Levi tried to wipe the smile off his face before turning, but it still lingered on his face as he uttered a "thank you" and hurried off. In hindsight, Armin probably should have told Levi about Eren disappearing when he gets drunk.
As Armin turned to leave, deciding to go to a coffee shop before freezing his balls off, he saw a familiar figure walk toward him.
"Hello." Armin said.
"Hi." said Legout, smiling. His brown hair was the same length as Armin's. His brown eyes were the same shape as Armin's. But the smile spreading across his face was definitely something that Armin could never pull off; it was the smile of someone who was up to something.
"Uh, what's up?" asked Armin, purely out of courtesy.
"I was just going to get some hot chocolate. Want to come?" asked Legout, the mischievous smile still on his face. Armin studied him.
"Sure." he said at last. Legout's face lit up. It looked like real joy that spread across his face when Armin had agreed. They started walking.
"You know," said Legout, "I've been seeing you around school more often. Scratch that. Noticing you more often. You're with that one guy - Jean? - a lot."
"We've dated." said Armin skeptically.
"I see." Legout said. Armin was so used to his own reflection, his golden blonde hair and blue eyes. It was weird seeing someone with his face, but with different coloring and a very different personality.
At the coffee shop, they got their drinks and sat down.
"Why did you invite me?" asked Armin.
"You're interesting." replied Legout. Armin nearly choked on his latte.
"You're kidding?" Armin said. He knew he was boring as all hell. (Which totally isn't true. I love little baby Armin.)
"Not at all." Legout flashed Armin a grin. Oh, god, that was a flirtatious grin! Shit! "Actually, I came to propose a plan."
"A plan?" asked Armin, his panic dying as his interest piqued.
"You seem to really want Jean to love you, and only you." said Legout. "Like, in a possessive sort of way. Don't get me wrong, that's totally hot. And I was just sitting one day, lost in my own thoughts, and you walked by, looking at Jean with those puppy-dog eyes while Jean wasn't looking, and I got an idea. He would totally want you, and only you, if you made him jealous enough."
"What do you mean?" asked Armin.
"I mean, yeah, Jean likes you. A lot. But you're playing hard to get, and he's getting bored. I see his gaze wander to that one girl - Mikasass or whatever - while you're still trotting behind him, looking at him like he's some kind of god." Legout said the last part bitterly.
"And...?" prompted Armin. He was blushing slightly.
"And, I could help you make him jealous." he said bluntly, leaning forward and taking a sip of his hot chocolate. And, shit, that stuff was hot!
"Why?" asked Armin. He was genuinely curious.
"Because you're interesting." Legout repeated.
Armin thought for a moment. Was this really a good idea, or would Jean just end up yelling at him, or leaving him for good? On the other hand, he could have Jean all to himself if it worked.
"Maybe." Armin said finally. Legout smiled. It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no. Legout continued to smile when Armin excused himself, saying he had something to do. His smiled faded when Armin left.
Because you're interesting. Legout almost laughed at himself. Because you're cute. Because this might be my only chance to get close to you without you pushing me away. Because I've been watching you at school since the day we met. Because when you get down to it, I think I might have a crush on you.
A crush that was doomed to crush him, no doubt.
Mike stirred on the couch. He sat up. His face was unshaven and his hair was messy. He smiled.
"Eren!" he greeted, getting up. "You're awake." he walked over and sniffed. "You smell like hangover."
"What am I doing here?" asked Eren.
"You got drunk at the bonfire and passed out. I had to carry your sorry ass all the way over here." Mike laughed. He sniffed again. "Jeez, you really do smell like hangover. Go take a shower or something."
"But I want to go home." said Eren. "So if you would kindly move-"
Mike moved swiftly, blocking his way. Eren stood back, annoyed. "Mike." he said in a serious tone. "Rivia-" Eren stopped himself, "Levi might be worried about me."
"You should shower." Mike said. "You know how Levi hates unclean things."
Eren stopped. Mike did have a point...
"Fine." Eren said. "But I'm leaving right after."
Mike smiled. As Eren left the room, his smile slowly faded. Levi, huh? What a bastard. Mike had been in love with Eren for what, four years now? But Levi comes parading in and ruins everything. The only way to talk to Eren alone was to do what he did. He had to do it. He needed to confess to Eren before Levi stole him away for good.
He had to.
A/N: This does not, in any way, excuse Mike's actions. And I think I did a good job of making Legout cute, eh?
I don't like it when a character says "I love you!" too soon in a fanfiction. It just makes the situation awkward and leads to me crying because of the consequences. I much prefer when characters take their time kissing, going out, and confessing. It's so much better that way.