FRIENDS ➳ jean kirstein

031. TWO GHOSTS

Armin — January 1, 2021
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Armin's phone screen was littered with message notifications, one of which was from Annie, and none from Eren. He put his phone aside, ignoring the notifications and relocating from his bed to the shower. Soap cleansed his body of grime and the hot water eased the tension in his muscles, lingering from the hectic events of the night before. There was a dull ache in his head, but it was nothing that a light painkiller couldn't fix. No drugs, however, could rid his reeling mind of the reality of New Year's Eve.

Eren's hands, rough and fervent, sliding over his own skin. His calloused fingers gently dancing across Armin's shoulders. The tang of weed in Eren's mouth, hot on his breath.

The smashing vase, knocked from the console table. Jean's panicked voice. Floch's tight grip on Charlie's arm. Her eyes vacant and her balance unsteady.

Drying himself off, Armin slipped into grey sweatpants and a green sweater. He put his towel on the rack to dry, grabbed his phone from his room and then started down the hallway. He paused outside Charlie's bedroom door, knocking gently before attempting to open it.

The door was locked, and Charlie made no sounds to show that she knew Armin was there.

"Charlie," Armin called out. "Can I come in?"

No response.

"Are you okay?"

"Fuck off, Armin," Charlie snapped back, her voice muffled by the door.

Armin's heart twisted painfully inside his chest. It didn't surprise him that Charlie wanted to be left alone, especially by him. It wouldn't have shocked him if she refused to see even Eren after what had happened only hours before. She was the type to suffer in silence, Armin knew that, but he wished she would let him in. Even if she didn't want to talk, he could at least make her some tea.

Armin put his hand on the smooth wood of the door. "Can I get you anything?"

"Fuck off!"

Wincing slightly, Armin sighed. He opted to give up, at least for now. Perhaps Charlie would be more open to comfort later.

As he made his sullen way to the kitchen, Armin finally checked his phone. He double-checked that he had no messages from Eren, refreshing his social medias, and then opened the text that Annie had left for him.

Any chance you're free today? We need to talk.

The period at the end of the message made Armin uneasy. He responded, saying that he would head around to Annie's place soon, then stepped into the kitchen. His mom was making breakfast, blonde hair pulled tight into a bun atop of her head, and Paul was sat by the counter, nose tucked inside a newspaper. Anya craned her neck ever-so-slightly, smiling in greeting at her son.

"Morning," he said. "Any chance I could borrow the car for a bit? I need to go over to Annie's."

"Sure," Anya replied. "Just have it back by one. Paul wants to meet with some friends."

At the mention of his name, Paul looked up from the paper. He nodded to Armin, giving him a hasty, "Good Morning", before returning to what must have been an enthralling news column.

"Do you want something to eat before you head out?" Anya asked.

"No thanks, I'll pick something up on the way back," Armin said. "See you later."

He pressed a quick kiss to his mother's cheek, said goodbye to Paul and then made for the door, grabbing the car keys from the console table by the front door on his way. One more brief check of his phone told him that Eren still had not contacted him. With an unfamiliar sinking feeling in his stomach, Armin opened the front door, starting to find someone stood on the other side.