Previously: Levi asked Armin if he was interested in a threesome with him and Erwin. After a sexy daydream, Armin decides he is interested, but has lots of questions. Erwin and Levi plan to discuss the matter properly with Armin…

(Out of necessity, I created an OC for the Head Librarian character – Emilia! She won't have a huge role, but I needed a name for her.)

Chapter 6: Misunderstanding

Armin

Three days after Levi's threesome proposition, Armin was handed a note just before dinner. It was a summons to Commander Erwin's office for eight that evening.

He spent all of dinner with butterflies in his stomach, barely able to concentrate on his friends' conversation.

"Are you alright Armin? You're not eating much." Mikasa peered at him curiously.

"Don't worry about your meeting with Erwin, it's probably about the library job!" Eren assured him.

Armin smiled weakly. "Yeah, probably."

But he suspected it was more likely this meeting was to discuss the threesome.

How would my friends react if they knew what was really going on between me and these men?

Armin tried to amuse himself by imagining it. Mikasa was in Levi's own elite squad. But she might very well challenge her Captain (and the Commander) to a dual if she thought they were taking advantage of her friend.

Eren, while he idolised Levi and respected Erwin, would possibly fight for Armin's honour too. Or else just yell encouragement at Mikasa from the side lines. He had no shame about the fact his girlfriend was a better soldier than him. Judging by how much he talked about that very fact, he seemed nothing but proud of her.

Armin had always appreciated his friends' support of him. He was incredibly lucky to have them. But as the years went on, he'd started feeling like more and more of a burden to them. Rescuing him from obnoxious street bullies as a kid was one thing. But during their cadet training, they'd continued to defend Armin against the insults hurled at him for being weak and useless. And then there was that whole incident with Floch Forster last year…

He didn't want to think about that right now. His stomach was tied up in enough knots as it was.

"I bet you're worried you're in trouble or something," Mikasa smirked and nudged him teasingly. "As if you could do anything wrong."

"Yeah, you're the nicest person in this whole place!" Eren grinned.

They both meant well. But Armin felt the familiar sting that this was how everyone viewed him – as someone who was too nice, or too soft to be of any real use in a military setting. While his old insecurities had diminished after they graduated, they still came back to haunt him at unexpected times.

I'm a new person now, Armin thought firmly. There's no point tormenting myself with the past.

Defiance rose in him. "Aren't you forgetting that prank Jean and I pulled on Connie last year?"

Eren burst out laughing. He covered his mouth to stop food spraying everywhere. "I'd forgotten about that! Connie was finding feathers in his bed for a week!"

Mikasa grimaced and shook her head. "Jean was such a bad influence on you."

Eren took this opportunity to rant passionately about how Jean was never good enough for his best friend. His friends' teasing actually eased some of Armin's tension. He was able to temporarily put his worries about the meeting with Erwin out of his mind.

At times like this, he felt guilty for his resentment of how Eren and Mikasa were spending more time alone together, without him. It had taken them years to figure out their feelings for each other (despite everyone else already knowing it). Now his friends had finally found love, how could Armin begrudge them?

They were moving on with their lives. Armin needed to accept that, and do the same.

At five to eight, Armin left his friends and made his way to the Administrative Building, and up to Erwin's office on the top floor. At the door, he tried to steady his breath. His hands were shaking, and his heart raced at the possibilities of why Erwin had summoned him. He hadn't been here since he'd walked in on the Commander and Captain together. Memories of that furtively witnessed passion made his face burn and his heart pound even faster.

But he'd never find out what Erwin wanted if he stood here all night. Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

"Come in," Erwin's deep voice ordered, and Armin obeyed.

The Commander was seated in his chair behind the desk. "Armin," he said warmly, "Thank you for coming. Please take a seat."

Armin did his best to hide his nerves as he crossed the room and sat down in front of him. Even seated, the Commander was an imposing figure. And despite the late hour, he didn't show any signs of tiredness – his appearance was impeccable, from his neat hair to his pristine suit. Those ice blue eyes were as alert as ever. But like always, his intimidating appearance was offset by his friendly smile.

"Well Armin, Librarian Emilia and I looked through the applications for the library assistant position. Mind you, we didn't get much interest – scholarly pursuits are not popular with most soldiers. But we both decided you are by far the most suitable candidate, given your pre-existing knowledge of the library, and your enthusiasm for the work. Emilia would like to start your training tomorrow morning, if you don't mind."

"Really? I got the position?" Armin asked in astonishment. He'd pushed his application to the back of his mind, given everything that had happened since then. Now he had secured the job, his previous doubts over it melted away.

I was afraid if I got this position, I wouldn't be spending as much time around Eren, Mikasa, and my other friends...

But his heart leapt with anticipation as he considered all the ideas he'd already devised for a complete re-structuring of the library records. And new methods of preserving old materials. He'd discussed some of these ideas in the past with Emilia herself. Had the Head Librarian been impressed with his suggestions, and was that why he'd gotten the job?

Suddenly a new, unwelcome thought made his stomach lurch. What if there was another reason he'd been selected?

It just so happened that Armin was knowledgeable of the Commander's highly sensitive secret – his relationship with Levi Ackerman. And after all his talks with Erwin while he was working in his office a few months ago, the man certainly knew how much Armin craved a job such as this…

Was this job offer simply an incentive to ensure his silence?

Or even worse - was it related to Levi's suggestion of a threesome?

Is Erwin giving me the position as some sort of reward, or enticement to sleep with them?!

Erwin was explaining more details about the job, but Armin couldn't pay attention. He was gripped with a rising sense of dread. If his suspicions were correct, was accepting the job wrong? Had he actually deserved to be chosen?

"…so you'll have your own quarters, situated in the Officer's Building. I'll have someone show you to your new room tomorrow, and you can move your personal items over."

Erwin paused, his deep blue eyes appraising Armin. A slight frown creased his forehead.

"Actually, there's something else I need to discuss with you." The large man smiled self-consciously, and leaned back in his chair, indicating the formal part of the discussion was over. "I believe Levi approached you with something of a proposition the other day. Concerning the three of us."

Armin's throat was so tight, he couldn't form a reply.

"Well," Erwin continued, "Before I get your opinion on the matter, I just want to make sure you know-"

A hard rap on the door interrupted him. "Enter," Erwin called, his tone a touch exasperated.

Captain Levi entered the room. "Commander. Arlert," he greeted them both tonelessly.

"Levi, you're a bit early," Erwin admonished.

"Should I go wait outside the door until you call me in?" Levi's tone was as emotionless as ever, but Armin detected the sarcasm.

"No it's fine. Come on in."

A rush of dizziness overtook Armin. His thoughts were chaotic – were they going to do something? Right here, now? Both excitement and panic rose in him, as flashes of his wild daydreams raced through his mind...

But he couldn't stop thinking about the library position.

Did Erwin arrange for him to get the job to ensure he'd keep quiet about Erwin and Levi's relationship? If that were the case, than he wouldn't accept it. He didn't need a bribe to do what he'd intended on doing anyway.

And if sleeping with these men was the condition of him getting the job, then he wasn't going to do that either - no matter how attractive he found them. The mere prospect sickened him. How could they even put him in a situation like this?!

Unless they see me as a weak, pathetic soldier they can take advantage of… too nice to say no to them.

Shame and fury burned in his chest. He'd spent most of his life being pushed around by those stronger than him; accepting their insults and blows instead of fighting back.

But after graduation, he'd sworn never to be a victim again.

Levi closed the door, and strode over to lean against the wall behind Erwin. His dark eyes fixed on Armin, and Armin quickly looked away. His heart was pounding, he could hear it thrumming in his ears. He had to say something; to voice the doubts that were gnawing at him like a hungry titan.

Erwin opened his mouth to speak, and Armin found himself cutting over him. "Is this something to do with why I got the job?" he asked, shocked at his own indignant tone.

"What do you mean?" Erwin's brows rose, he looked genuinely taken aback.

Armin couldn't stop now – it was better to express all his worries while his frustration gave him courage. "Is the job a bribe to make sure I won't speak out about your relationship with Levi? Or…" He pushed past his mortification to voice his next concern, "do you expect me to… do something in return for getting the position? Because I won't accept the job if that's the case."

For a moment, Levi's expressionless face flickered with something. He opened his mouth and closed it, before glancing uneasily at his partner.

Erwin squeezed his eyes shut, grimacing. "I'm sorry Armin. I didn't think of how this might seem to you. I've been wanting to talk to you about Levi's suggestion, and it just so happened you were appointed for the library job earlier today. I thought I'd use the excuse of sharing the news to have a private chat with you."

"So… my getting the job is completely unrelated to… this other thing?" Armin asked, feeling the grip of his anxiety relax.

"Yes," Erwin confirmed. He smiled, but it lacked his usual confidence. "By the Walls, between myself and Levi, we've both made a complete mess of this, haven't we?"

Levi stepped forward, fixing his gaze earnestly on Armin's. "I'm sorry for my abrupt questioning the other day. After I spoke to Erwin, I realised you might feel obligated or pressured into agreeing with a superior officer. In my defence, I'm not in the habit of arranging threesomes for my partner."

He smirked down at Erwin, as if the whole situation were his fault.

"It doesn't help that your communication skills often leave something to be desired," Erwin added teasingly.

"We can't all be Commander-fucking-Perfect," Levi murmured.

Armin stifled a laugh. The spark of fondness underneath their banter was unmistakable. It felt like they were purposely trying to break down the walls of formality by acting so casual in front of him.

Ignoring Levi's comment, Erwin continued. "Armin, you should understand that Levi's offer - our offer - is a personal matter. It has nothing to do with your duty as a soldier. You're completely free to tell us you're not interested, and there will be no repercussions."

"What do you think, Armin?" Levi stood beside Erwin, arms crossed. Armin noticed how he'd switched to using his first name. It made him feel more at ease; like he was just talking to friends, instead of two superiors of a higher rank.

Both men watched Armin curiously for his answer. There was nothing stopping him from admitting his interest in the proposition, now that his previous misgivings were cleared up. But he struggled to verbalise his thoughts into a coherent sentence.

"If you say no, we'll never mention it again," Erwin assured him.

It seemed that Erwin thought his silence meant he was working up the courage to refuse. When in reality, it was the complete opposite.

"No," Armin said. Then he realised it sounded like he was refusing. "I mean, no, I wasn't going to say no," he added quickly, feeling his face burn. He dropped his gaze to his hands twisting in his lap.

Furious thoughts stabbed at him. What happened to moving on with your life, and seizing opportunities? You want this – so stop acting like a nervous kid and discuss it like an adult. Stop being the weakling everyone expects you to be!

Armin swallowed, and continued in a stronger voice. "I've thought about it, and I'm interested. But I don't fully understand… well, what it would involve. So there's a few things I want to ask."

Erwin smiled broadly, his eyes shining. "Of course."

"I knew you'd make a long fucking list of questions," Levi muttered, his mouth quirking. The comment felt more like teasing than a genuine criticism.

"Would you like to discuss some details, before you make a decision?" Erwin suggested. "I should add that even if you agree, you can back out at any time, and you don't need to explain yourself. It's the same for myself and Levi too. This arrangement will only work if everyone is comfortable with it."

Armin nodded, relieved at Erwin's words. Knowing he could change his mind eased a lot of his tension. There was definitely no harm in hearing the men out…

After all, what do I have to lose?

Notes: So I hope the misunderstanding here wasn't too contrived. I used it partly for drama and tension, but also to show more depth to Armin's character. I'm trying to flesh out his personal life and past a little, without pulling focus away from the threesome plot (because let's face it, that's the reason we're all here!) Anyway, Armin's insecurities will play a big part in his development arc in this story.

This is probably one of the last 'short' chapters – they'll be more like 3-5k after this. I hope to keep posting regularly, but drafting/editing the longer chapters (especially the smut scenes) is very slow for me. So please let me know your thoughts, and maybe eventually we'll all reach the Promised Smutland together (it will happen, don't worry!).

Thank you so much for your support everyone XD

I'm on Twitter at SweetScofield!