Attack on Titan - Oneshots

Love notes - Armin x Reader

☾♡ ~ You eyes stole all my words
away.  ~ ♡☽

You've never been much of an extroverted person and didn't have much friends as well. From the time you were a trainee, you've always been alone, even after joining the Scouts. Armin was the only person you'd occasionally talk to, relishing in the conversations you shared, which were mostly about your shared passion: books and you thirst for knowledge. You'd seldom sit at lunch with him, Eren, and Mikasa, but the strange, intense glares they gave you - almost like silent warnings - were enough to send you away.

You grew close to Armin day by day, as he was the only friend you had. Every now and then, the two of you would meet at the castle's library at night, reading silently or whispering about your favourite books together.

You had read a few romance books before and knew how things went in most of them. Or the classic ones, at least. The characters would be shy around each other, dropping hints, making eye contact, small touches, blushing. Then, one of them would eventually build up the courage to confess their love to the other and they'd either get together or not. Mostly, they would. The character's behaviour while caring and falling for their crush was almost the same everywhere: not eating much, daydreaming considerably, heart beating faster around them, stuttering, feeling alone when they weren't around and the list goes on. But the real question is..

Am I falling in love?

———

It was a typical Thursday morning for the Scouts. Breakfast, cleaning duties, and training. Fortunately, Captain Levi had meetings with higher-ups all day, so that left you with a lot of free time. You didn't like it when the Captain was watching the squad like a hawk and you weren't in the mood for getting yelled at anyways.

You remember Armin telling you earlier that he'd be with Mikasa and Eren for the day, and despite wanting so desperately to spend some time with him, you didn't want to spoil his fun with his best friends, so you'd just agreed and smiled at him. A bit too sheepishly, in my opinion. With a sigh, you plopped down on the grass, letting the warm sunlight caress your features with its golden light. You didn't have any plans, as you'd planned on reading with Armin, but it seems like that would have to wait until nighttime, after dinner. The mere thought of spending any time with him made you shiver in anticipation, but until then, you'd have to find something "productive" to do. A nap sounded good, but there was better. Get Armin a gift and leave it in his bedroom for him to find.

That seemed like such a perfect idea that you instantly got on your feet. Without thinking twice, you rode to Trost district and put it in your mind to find the perfect gift for your closest friend. You didn't have much money, and you've been saving up pennies and cash in case you'd ever need it for yourself, but you'd put yourself after Armin anytime at any cost, even if you thought that the attraction you felt towards the blonde male was one-sided. Even if he didn't like you romantically at all.

Eventually, you managed to get your hands on an old collector book about life outside the walls. You knew he already had one, but you hoped he wouldn't mind; and along with it two sky-blue matching bracelets. Sky-blue like the beautiful eyes you could never get tired of losing yourself in. You returned to the headquarters as slowly as you could, buying yourself enough time to think of what you'd say about the gifts. Pickup line? No, that didn't sound like you and you were lame at that anyways. But you had the entire road to think about it.

———

Armin was sitting in a circle with Mikasa and Eren, silently reading a book, Eren's and Mikasa's voices faded, simple background sounds. But the impression he gave his two friends, focused on his paperwork, wasn't the one he had of himself: his train of thought was constantly drifting away from its track. Flashing memories and images of you raced through his mind. Without noticing, his breathing became a bit more ragged, he found it harder to breathe. His heart was drumming inside of his chest, picking up a pace that Armin's never felt before; and his head was hurting. The young boy was starting to get a headache. He let go of his book as he clutched his head, getting up shakily.

"Armin? Are you alright?" Mikasa asked worriedly, rising from her spot as Eren did the same, picking up the fallen book from the ground. "Y-yeah, must've been the sun.." He put on a convincing show. "I hope it doesn't bother you if I leave for my room, a bit of shading will cool it down," he smiled. His two friends nodded softly, watching him as he raced through the fields for the castle.

Her (H/C) hair. Her soft, caring smile. The one I'm craving for. The one that makes my feet wobble. The laugh only she has. The one I could never tire of hearing. The (E/C) eyes that steal all my words away. The whole of her makes me feel things I've never felt before. She makes me happy. And proud. And brave. And.. am I... falling in love?

———

After bringing your horse to the stables, you slipped the gifts under your cape to hide them from any curious eyes and made your way to Armin's room, located only two corridors away from yours. It was neatly organised, and the desk was full of books. You gently placed your gifts on the smooth wooden surface, hiding your bracelet in you pocket to put on along with him later. You were about to leave with a satisfied smile when you accidentally elbowed a book, which fell on the ground. It was thick, with a hard cream cover, and didn't have any title at all. You knew that Armin's stuff was none of your business, but curiosity got the better of you and you opened it, sitting on the floor.

You were expecting anything - a diary, random notes, sketches, summaries of books he'd read before - anything, but not love notes. At first, you felt a pang of jealousy. You didn't like the idea of the boy you loved having affection for another girl. But the sight of your name on one of the pages caught your attention, as it took you a moment to realise that these notes were addressed to you. Me? Me?!! How? When did this wonder happen????

You couldn't believe what you were reading. The initial shock and surprise gave way to doubts and insecurities, so you just stayed on the wooden floor, lost in thoughts, heart fluttering. Ears deafened as you were lost into the moment, unable to hear the coming footsteps.

———

Armin was surprised to find his bedroom door open. He was fairly certain he'd closed it before leaving. But he was even more surprised at the sight of you sitting on the floor, lost in thoughts, eyes gleaming strangely, as if they were reflecting hope.

"(Y/N)?" He called behind you. You turned around, a gasp escaping your lips. "Uh, uh, Ar-Armin??"

You rose, clutching the cream book to your chest. For a moment, neither of you said anything, just staring into each other's eyes. But the stretching silence wasn't awkward, as it seemed to carry the emotions both of you were feeling barely a moment ago. You couldn't bring your legs to move, no matter how hard you tried, so you just stayed there, staring Armin in the eye. Eventually, one of you had to make a move. Armin took a step closer. "(Y/N)? What..." his voice trailed off, but there were no threats behind it. He sounded almost grateful to have you inside his room, his eyes drifting from your eyes and face to the book you were holding. He sighed. "So, um, you read it?"

You didn't trust yourself to speak. Gosh, I made him angry. So much for a confession. You simply nodded as Armin gently stepped forward, taking the book from your hands as he fidgeted nervously with his shirt. "Actually, (Y/N), I'm glad you did. Because.. I was too much of a coward to just confess already. And.. you know, since we're soldiers, every day could be the last.. So.. I'm glad I got to tell you this right now, today.. (Y/N), I.. I love you," and with those words hanging in the air, his face a blushing mess, he pulled you into a tight embrace, burying his face in the crook of your neck.

Tears threatened to spill over, but you didn't hold them back. You hugged him back, running your fingers through his hair. When the two of you pulled back, you couldn't even look each other in the eye without trembling, as if on the brink of collapsing. Armin's eyes fell on the gifts that lay on his desk, and you sheepishly gave him an explanation, the two of you stuttering as you put his bracelet around his wrist, doing the same for you. "So.. how about a bit of reading?" The male suggested, picking up the book you'd offered him. "I'd love that.." You whispered, sitting next to him, hand around his waist, as he read to you out loud, his voice soothing and soft.

~ Word count: 1.582K