Cosplay Husband

21. Family Reunion

ARMIN: December 29th was the day I had been waiting for for a very long time.

My hands shook as I waited inside the cafe. Eren noticed my shaking and placed his hand on top of mine. "Why are you nervous? These are your friends."

"I know, but I haven't talked to them since summer." I admitted.

The bell jingled as the door of the cafe opened. In stepped two people powdered in snow. They searched the cafe until the girl met eyes with me.

"Armin!" She shouted into her scarf. I stood to hug her, and she threw her arms around me. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hey Isabel," I smiled.

"How's it going, Armin?" Farlan grinned.

"I'm good, how about you?" I asked.

"We miss you, man," Farlan replied.

"I miss you guys too." I wiped my hands on my pants and glanced at Eren. "Guys, this is my boyfriend, Eren Jäeger."

Isabel's face lit up. "Oh my God, it's so nice to meet you!" She tackled Eren in a strong hug.

"Nice to meet you too," Eren said, "I've heard a lot about you guys."

"You taking good care of our baby bro?" Farlan punched Eren's arm.

"I hope so," he agreed, smiling at me.

"How's life at Stohess University going for ya, Armin?" Farlan asked, blowing a wisp of steam away from his coffee.

"Not bad," I shrugged.

"Have you gone to any crazy parties?" He continued.

"A couple, actually," I noted. "Eren went with me."

"Eren's been taking you to wild parties, huh?" Isabel teased.

"I guess," Eren chuckled.

Isabel sipped her coffee. "Have you two kissed yet?"

My ears turned pink under my hat. "Uhh, several times," I answered.

"Is Armin a good kisser?" Isabel grabbed Eren's shoulder.

I fiddled with the tassels on my hat. What if Eren didn't think I was a good kisser?

"Oh he's more than fine," Eren smirked.

My stomach turns. "You're joking!" I pull my hat down over my eyes.

"No, I mean it one hundred percent," Eren shrugged.

I groan in embarrassment under my hat. It was also kind of relieving to me that Eren thought I was a good kisser, but was he just saying that so Isabel wouldn't get angry?

"You two are so cute!" Isabel squealed. "I wish we had more than a couple days to spend with you."

"Will you be in town for New Year's Eve?" I asked.

"It takes us a day to drive here, and school starts back up on January 1st." Farlan said.

"Aww..." I whined.

"Then let's make the best of today!" Isabel announced.

Making the best of the one day I had with my old friends tired me out more than I thought it would.

The next thing I knew we were slumped over a bench at the mall. Eren was slurping a cherry slushy, allowing me to take a sip every once in a while. The mall was pretty empty since Christmas was over.

"We miss you a lot, Armin," Isabel said.

"I miss you guys, too. After all, you kept me alive for so long." I agreed.

"We're glad we could be your family," Farlan added.

"And now Eren is part of the family!" Isabel ruffled his hair.

"I'm part of your family?" Eren nearly choked on his slushy.

"Well yeah! Anyone who means a lot to Armin means a lot to us," Isabel nodded.

"Thanks...my real family doesn't treat me very well, not that I don't deserve it." Eren said.

"That's not true!" I insist. "You're awesome!"

Eren blushed, putting his arm around me.

"We're glad you're part of the family now," Farlan said.

"Family of freaks!" Isabel cheered.

Isabel threw herself on us, initiating a group hug. I wanted to hold onto her and Farlan forever, I wanted us to be a family forever.

"When we graduate from our first four years of college, let's get a house and live in it and be a real family." Isabel suggested.

"That would be nice, but really difficult." I noted.

"So? We can make it work. Let's do it, okay? Or try at least." Isabel insisted.

"Okay, we can try," Farlan agreed.

Isabel squeezed us in her arms, which weren't long enough to envelop all of us.

"I love you all," she said.

Eren looked slightly startled, but I suppose I would have been startled too if someone I had just met suddenly told me they loved me.

But this wasn't strange to me, this was my family.

Eren and I watched Farlan and Isabel drive away in Farlan's little blue Volkswagen Beetle, the tire tracks in the snow vanishing from our town.

"Am I really that good of a kisser?" I asked him.

"Yeah," he stated, "I wasn't lying about that."

I pulled my scarf over my nose and mouth, but Eren pulled it back down and kissed me. I hoped I was supporting his claim.

AN: I went back and fixed some of the chapters because I don't reread my writing and there's stuff that didn't make sense later on in the story, like Carla Jäeger dying.