𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 | 𝙴𝙹𝙰♡︎

Chapter 14: Are You Satisfied?

Armin clutches the door handle to the breakroom, pulling it open. It's another shift at Greyfarms, even though he's still coming down from a night with the brunette not too long ago.

His head is down when the door handle escapes his grasp. A creak filters through the room.

"Good morning."

Jean's unexpected voice hits Armin out of nowhere. His head immediately lifts. Standing in front of him is the man himself, wearing a name tag and uniform. Blue eyes rise over his clothing before settling on Jean's expression. He stares back at him with his eyebrows lowered.

"Armin."

The blonde gulps at that visual. Just his luck. They have the next six hours together. Feigning nonchalance, he steps into the room and places his bag on the break room counter. He shows Jean direct eye contact at this moment. It's not because he wants to see that cold distaste beneath his pupils but, because he feels like looking away would seem too passive. He wants to prove his own confidence.

Armin asks after a pause, "where's Sasha?"

The nonchalance is returned, as well as the sharp gaze. "I covered," he speaks firmly.

"You never cover."

The man shrugs. "Thought I'd be generous."

"Right..."

"What, you think I wanted to see you?" replies Jean. His voice drowns in defensive accusation. The response reaches Armin strangely, it came out so fast, almost as if he planned his words out hours prior.

"Well- you knew she had her entire shift with me."

"She got the flu, okay? She's covered for me a few times- what was I meant to do? And don't think I didn't try to get out of it after I saw you on the roster. Fuck, if I thought you were impossible to be around before..."

"What are you mad about now?" his gaze softens. "What did I do?"

He rolls his eyes in return. "You're kidding."

"Eren?"

Jean steps forward, his gaze intense. "It was our date, Armin. Our's."

"I just told him I was going to sleep with other men- I couldn't say no."

"Oh, don't even start that shit, of course you could've." Jean's patience starts to thin as he clenches his knuckles tightly. "Stop pretending be so innocent! It's always pretty farces with you. White lies and watered-down words- everything you do, you care about what others will think. Just fuck 'em!"

"He's my boyfriend, Jean," the blonde says back, the slightest anger peaking in his tone. "I don't care if you say it's cowardly, what he thinks of me matters! You make sacrifices for the people you love. You change how you act for them because how they feel matters."

"Oh, so you leaving our date didn't matter?"

Armin stops, his breath hitching as those words truly hit. He never knew just how that affected him.

"Do I even matter to you? Did anything matter?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you drop me as soon as he joined the picture? As soon as the break was over it was, boom, say 'adios, Jean!'."

He replies fast, trying to get a word in, "I didn't-"

"Yeah, you didn't." Jean pauses, a sigh crossing his lips as he looks down. "Fuck... I thought I knew you, man."

There's a silence in the room. He turns his back to Armin, breaking their eye contact for the first time since this began. Turning away to the door now, the blonde has a fleeting chance for an apology- one last second to make this up to him.