Midsommar (aot)

Two.

Armin Laid in his bed, staring silently at the wall. He could hear Eren moving about the apartment. Hear his footsteps, doors opening and closing. He just couldn't bring himself to really care much. It had been weeks since he'd managed to to do much of anything. His brain and body had been actively working against him, refusing food and sleep. He'd tried to attend classes, but when he left the apartment, it felt like everyone was staring at him. Their eyes burned holes into his skin. The whispers and points became too much to bare within The first half hour of being out and quickly after, Armin had began skipping his classes in favor of hiding away from it all in his apartment, lying on the couch or his bed, wide awake and unable to focus on anything. He couldn't get any work done, he couldn't hold a conversation. Eren's softness had faded quickly back to frustration, and Armin couldn't blame him. He was annoyed with himself as well. And so there he stayed, buried under his comforter, almost entirely zoned out.

A light knock at the door caught his attention as Eren poked his head into the room. "Min? You awake?" He softly asked. Armin turned over to face him, his blue eyes peering up at him silently. Eren moved into the room, sitting on the floor so they were at eye level. "I'm going to Marco's  birthday party." He quietly said, resting his chin on the edge of the bed. "He asked me to make sure you knew that you were invited. He said he misses you a lot."

Armin felt his stomach twisting in knots at the idea. He stared at Eren for a moment before shaking his head a little. "I'll just stay here. Will you tell him I said happy birthday? And that I promise I'll see him soon?"

"Armin,"

"I really don't want to be around that many people right now,"

"So are you just going to lay here forever?"

"No, Eren, I'm just not-"

"Ready, you're not ready, I know, Armin." Eren rolled his eyes, huffing out a heavy sigh. "You never do anything anymore. Are you even trying to work through this?" He asked, though he didn't give him anytime to answer. "Marco was really hoping you'd come. We all were. It's his birthday, Armin, at least make an effort. And you know, when's the last time you and I did anything together?"

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'll go." Armin mumbled, forcing himself to sit up as Eren continued on ranting. "No, if you don't want to go, by all means stay here. Leave me alone and leave Marco upset. It's cool, Armin." The brunette got his feet, starting out the bedroom door and grabbing his coat.  "Eren, wait! I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to be like that-"  Armin called, immediately jumping to his feet to follow after his boyfriend. He shivered as he left the warmth of his bed behind, breaking out into a small jog as Eren reached the front door. "Eren!" He said, gently grabbing the other's hand to stop him from leaving. "The party doesn't actually start for a couple of hours, right? Let me get cleaned up. I'll go with you." He softly said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, Ren. I'll go with you, I'll go to the party."

Eren stared at him for a moment, before giving a small nod. "I'll wait for you." He said, moving back inside the apartment. He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Armin's forehead. Those four words were instantly relieving for Armin. He wasn't leaving him. Eren wasn't leaving him to go alone. If he had, he ultimately would've come back home and argued more. And then what if he left him for real? And didn't come back? What would he do then?

It took Armin about an hour and a half to get ready and, while He looked nice, he didn't feel it in the slightest. His anxiety had only been growing since he'd gotten out of bed, and by the time the two of them Arrived to Jean, Marco, and Connie's little house they'd been renting, He felt like he was going to be sick. As they walked in, the sheer volume of it all was enough for Him to wish he'd never gotten up, let alone the solid amount of people that had come. But when Marco saw them, his face lit up. He approach with outstretched arms, pulling his friend into a big hug immediately. "Armin, it's so nice to see you." He softly said, ensuring he kept his voice down a bit. "Are you alright? This isn't too much it is? Let me know if you're overwhelmed, okay? No one is allowed upstairs so you and I can always go up there for a bit, alright?"