Lucky | Reader x Armin

Chapter 1.

The shorter man, you think his name was Levi, helped you down from the horse and gave you your crutches back. You supported yourself on them as you hobbled to the front door behind him. There had been a struggle as soon as your ship arrived at Paradis. The scouts had captured you and your comrades within minutes of landing. You'd been told by multiple people that they had no intention of hurting you but, naturally, you had trouble believing them.

The cottage and forest surrounding it were quite beautiful. To call it a cottage might have been an understatement, it was quite large and grand for a cottage, but that was the first word that came to mind when you saw it. The air was crisp and clean, and the trees swayed gently in the breeze. The cottage itself was nestled in a small clearing. Out front was a lush garden filled with flowers, herbs, and vegetables.

The forest surrounding the clearing was breathtaking as well. The trees towered high overhead, casting dappled shadows over the scene. A small stream ran through the woods, babbling softly as it wound its way through the trees.

You had always dreamed of living in a place like this, where you could be surrounded by nature and find peace away from the chaos of the city.

If this whole thing wasn't so unsettling you'd want to take a moment to admire it. But unfortunately, your situation was extremely unsettling. Who was this Armin man and what did he really want with you? You supposed it was believable that they just wanted information, but being your captors, you were still suspicious.

The man knocked on the door and a few moments later a handsome blonde man with sapphire eyes appeared on the other side. Your eyes widened slightly and you stilled at the sight of him. This was Armin? It took you a moment to realize that the shorter man had spoken again.

"As promised," he sounded very tired, "Here's your researcher. It's up to you now to decide what you want to do with her." He gave you a gentle push forward so you were now face to face with the man put in charge of you.

"Captain Levi," he said looking slightly uncomfortable, "You don't have to put it like that."

Levi just exhaled and turned his back on the two of you, saying "Don't fuck this up," and waved a hand lazily. The blonde man looked down at you. You almost thought he looked a bit nervous. You supposed that made sense. He's left alone with you now. He probably thinks you'd kill him as soon as you get the chance. Actually, that's not such a bad idea. He might do the same to you... You shook off the thought. As if you had the capacity to kill someone who hasn't done anything to you.

His eyes locked onto yours, and you felt a jolt of electricity run through your body.

"You must be Y/N. I'm Armin." He said in a soft, low voice that sent a shiver through you. He attempted a smile but he still looked a bit off.

You stumbled for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. You were captivated by his charm and the way his eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

"Please come in." He said gently. He stepped back so that you could enter. You crossed the threshold quietly. You heard a soft click, as Armin closed the door behind you and you followed him through the entryway. The room you were in now was a kitchen and breakfast area with large bay windows. The whole thing was really quite charming.

"Let me take that." He said, reaching for your backpack. Without thinking, you leaned away from him and took one hand off a crutch so that you could grip one of the straps. He stopped mid-reach.

"Oh sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." His cheeks and the bridge of his nose appeared to be turning pink. "Of course, you don't want me to handle your things." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and a moment of silence passed while the two of you stood in the kitchen.

"Um... Look," he hesitated. "I know it won't be easy for you to get comfortable here but please believe me when I say, that's my goal." He searched your face for a moment, a look of determination on his face. You continued to avert his gaze. "All I want from you is for you to tell me as much as possible about Marley. Aside from that, you can treat this house like it's yours just as much as it is mine." His eyes lit up a bit before he continued. "You're a researcher, right? I have a library that I'm sure you'll love." This man was seriously trying. Should you return this kindness? Is it even real? You decided it was probably best not to respond.

"You must be tired." He continued a bit awkwardly, "Let me show you your room."

He walked you down a narrow hall and stopped just in front of a door that you could only assume lead to said room. He opened the door for you and you peered inside.

"I got this room ready for you." He said sounding a bit hopeful, "It's yours now. I won't enter without your permission."

"Thank you." You said quietly.

Armin practically started glowing, clearly proud to have finally gotten a word out of you.

After he made sure you knew where the restroom was, that you were free to use the kitchen at any time, and that he was right in the next room if you needed anything at all, he left you to your room.

Closing the door behind him, your mind started racing. You were immediately struck by how nice he was. It was quite surprising. You had never met anyone so kind, even in Marley. Not that the people you knew in Marley were nice per se, but they were all the people you knew. You scanned 'your' room and took in your surroundings. There wasn't much to it but it was no less charming than the kitchen. There was a full-size bed with plenty of pillows and fluffy blankets, a nightstand with an old lamp, a velvet upholstered armchair in the corner, and a soft rug sprawled out underneath it all. You were glad that there was also a window. You walked over to it and gazed into the moonlit forest. Through the thick trees, you could just get a glimpse of the road. You drew the curtains and sat down tentatively on the bed.

You propped your crutches up at the edge of the bed and slid your backpack off. Most of what you had brought had been destroyed or seized on your journey, but you still had a change of clothes and one reference book. None of this was very special to you before, but now you clutched your backpack to your chest like it was the only thing that was real. You slipped your shoes off and switched off the lamp at your bedside. You couldn't bring yourself to tuck yourself completely into the bed, but you covered yourself with one of the throw blankets and curled up facing the door. You weren't sure how long you laid like that before finally falling asleep.