Cosplay Husband

33. New Roommate

ARMIN: Finals were coming up and I had worked hard to catch up on all the work I had missed while being in a coma.

Eren helped me the best he could, and I quit my job at the café to study.

When finals arrived, I did the best I could. I knew my professors understood what I had gone through, so they would be lenient, but I wasn't lenient on myself.

Eren and I sat on a bench on campus, watching people pack up and leave campus for the summer.

"So what are you going to do all summer?" I asked him.

"I don't know, maybe look for a new job and try to find a place to live other than my dad's." He shrugged.

"You know...you could come live with me." I suggested.

"What? No, that's okay, I'll just find a place." Eren objected.

"No please, I want you to. It's no problem. My grandpa already treats you like a son-in-law. He loves you, and I love you." I pleaded.

"I love you, too." Eren answered. "If...if it's really okay, then I'll come live with you. Where would I stay?"

"In the guest room in the basement, probably. Which means you get all the video games." I punched his arm lightly.

"You can come downstairs and visit me whenever you want." He smirked, pulling me close by the waist. I blushed and suddenly found my knees interesting.

"Hey lovebirds," Marco's voice called out from in front of us. He was waving around a sheet of paper as he approached. "For my 20th birthday, I'm renting a cabin at the beach for all of us to stay at for a week. Wanna come? My birthday is June 16." He handed us the flyer.

"We'd love to," I smiled. I took a photo of the flyer and saved the date in my phone.

I finished packing up my stuff, sighed, and took a look around the room. Hopefully I'd be admitted back next year.

I dragged everything outside, where my grandpa was waiting.

"Did you have a good time here?" He asked.

"Overall, yes," I answered, climbing into the shotgun seat. "Hey Grandpa, can Eren come live with us since his dad treats him bad at home?"

"Of course," Grandpa replied, "I love Eren just as much as you do, and I'd love to provide a place for him to stay."

"Really? Thank you so much!" I threw my arms around my grandpa, squeezing him.

"Don't squeeze me too hard, we won't be able to get home otherwise." He chuckled.

The phone felt hot against my ear. "Hello?" Eren's voice sounded sweet.

"Guess what Grandpa said." I grinned.

"What?"

"You can stay here as long as you want!" I squealed.

"Wha...really?" I could feel Eren's smile through the receiver. "Armin...I don't know what to say. Thank you so much...When do you want me to move in?"

"Whenever you want. I'll clean the room up for you." I said.

"Most of my stuff is packed up right now anyway, I'll just bring what I have packed up over now." He suggested. "Is that alright?"

"Yeah, it's more than alright. I'll see you tonight." I said.

"I gotta tell my dad, though..." He faltered. "I think...I think it's time I came out to him. Will you be there? I'd like to tell him tomorrow, so will you come?"

"Of course I'll be there. I'll see you tonight." I said. "I love you."

"I love you, too. See ya."

Waiting around for Eren to arrive made my stomach flutter worse than ever. I might've actually thrown up if the doorbell hadn't rung at the moment I had started my way to the toilet.

"Eren!" I threw my arms around him, and he hugged me tightly. "The guest room is all ready for you."

"Thanks." He smiled, then he spotted my grandpa in the other room. "Archie, I don't know how to thank you..."

"No need, Eren. You've taken good care of my grandson, and I'm more than happy to have you living here." Archie replied.

"Let's go get you moved in." I grinned, taking his hand.

"I gotta get some boxes first. Can you help me?" Eren laughed.

"Oh right." I smiled.

The two of us plopped down on Eren's bed, tired of bringing in all the boxes. His hand enclosed around mine, and my cheeks warmed.

"Thank you so much, Armin." Eren murmured.

"It's no problem at all." I said, squeezing his hand. "So...do you have an idea of what you're going to tell your dad?"

"Probably the truth, that I'm in love with you and I'm living with you now." He said. "I need your support, though."

"You'll have it." I assured him. I sat up, leaning in and kissing him. He smoothed my hair with his hand.

We pulled away for a moment, gazing into each others' eyes.