Nicotine (Eremin)

Chapter 14

(A/N: Sorry I've been falling behind on updates! But I'm back and I'm gonna try and keep regular updates going like this. Also, my friend wrote an Adam X Armin mini fanfic and I dont know how to feel hmmm)

February 

Eren's POV

        I always forgot there was a time difference between me and Armin. So, when he called me at 5:30 in the morning, it took me a minute to realize it was around 9 his time. In all of my years of knowing him, Armin was never awake before 7:30. 

        So, it wasn't unusual for me to get a surprise phone call pretty early in the morning. 

        "Hello?" I shot out of bed when I heard my phone ringing. I set his ringtone to the loudest, most obnoxious one I had so I wouldn't ever miss a call from him. 

        "Hey! It's me!" he said, unusually cheerfully. 

        "Hey, Armin. Why are you so happy?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes. 

        "The best possible thing happened last night! Guess where I am right now!" he said. I imagined him bouncing back on his bed at home, like he used to when he skyped me with good news. 

        "I hope the answer is outside my front door, but I don't think it will be." I answered. 

        "Okay, maybe the second best thing happened. So, I tried to steal this guy's wallet last night and he caught me!" he was still talking in a super cheerful tone. 

        "Wait, how is that good? What if he recognized you? Did he call the police or anything? Oh my god, are you calling from prison?" I asked. Not that I'd like to admit it, but I always thought of the worst possible situation first. 

        "No, it's better than prison! Well, probably, I've never been. Nevermind, I'm calling from a hotel room! Not some shitty discount motel, an actual hotel in Ohio!" now that woke me up. 

        "Wait, what?! How did you afford that?"  I almost stuttered I was so surprised. 

        "Well, when the guy called me out on taking his wallet, he asked why I took it, and I said that I was a runaway. Long story short, we talked for a while, and he gave me $150 and paid for one night at this hotel. I took a shower last night! I actually took a shower! I slept in a bed! We can talk for as long as we want, this is the phone from the hotel!" Armin got overjoyed at every last detail in life, and it rubbed off on me too. I couldn't help but smile. 

        "You should use some of said money to buy yourself a good meal. I doubt you've been eating well." I fell back down in my bed with my hand behind my head. 

        "I'm one step ahead of you. I had breakfast before calling, and for once in the last few weeks, I had more than chips!" he was still immensely overjoyed, and I couldn't blame him. 

        "So, what are you planning on doing with the rest of the money?" I asked. 

        "I thought about that last night. I think I'll use most of it to take a bus. Sure, trains are more comfortable, but buses are cheaper and I can go further. After we're done with this conversation, I'm going to walk to the bus station. I think I can get almost into Indiana. It's still pretty far, but I'm getting there." he said. 

        'You'll get here eventually. I believe in you man." I said, smiling at just being able to hear his voice. 

        "Thanks, Eren. Oh, by the way, yesterday when I was talking to that guy I was telling you about, he said that you care about me more than I realized, so, thank you. I really appreciate you, Eren." he sad. 

        "I.. I, um I appreciate you too, Armin. I mean, of course I care about you, like, I care about you a lot, and I want to help you but I don't know how I can, and it tears me apart. Just, stay safe, for me?" I said. 

        I wanted to tell him that I loved him; to talk for hours about how I felt about him, but I didn't have the guts, just yet. I would have to eventually, but I still didn't know how. I thought that maybe telling him in person would work better, so I just had to wait until he got here. 

        I just had to...

        Wait.