Authors note: sorry for the inactivity! Uni has been kicking my butt, and my part time job has been tiring. I know this isn't my usual content but I hope you enjoy!
Hiya! just a quick question for the fic writers in general on here- what other platforms would you recommend posting your fics on? I was considering ao3 and possibly wattpad but I wasn't too sure. Any advice?
Hello everyone! It's been a short while since I last posted anything. This had been sitting in my drafts for ages, and I genuinely cannot remember whether I had proofread it properly, so apologies for any mistakes/ errors in advance!
Cws: This scenario is sad as hell, reader is gn, some fluff involved but is mainly angst, Armin is a poor soul, Armin and reader have a romantic relationship. Panic attacks, self deprecating language, breakdowns, super angstyĀ
959 words
Summary: Armin had been avoiding you for months after Erenās disappearance, and when you finally approached him, he broke.
It was breaking your heart- the way his smile was slowly fading, his laughs scarce and his eyes⦠practically lifeless. You feel helpless, nothing seems to be bringing that vibrant boy back, and as life cruelly hurls its deathly trauma at the people you love, you can feel your smile fade too.Ā
After Eren's disappearance, Armin had become an empty shell of a man⦠quietly withdrawn to his office where heād spend hours upon hours pondering over battle strategies, cursing himself for being unable to prevent Erens random disappearance, the potent paranoia eating him alive.
You had hardly seen lately, it was like he was actively avoiding everyone⦠actively avoiding you, terrified that people would see through his facade and uncover the frightened, paranoid state he was in.Ā
āHey- Armin! Wait up!ā you had been trying to speak with him all day, but it seems he had kept himself conveniently busy, constantly marching off at the sight of you.
He hurriedly walks through the mess hall and towards the corridor, frantically heading for his office, pretending to have misheard you, he knows exactly what youāve been wanting to talk about, and has been avoiding it at all costs.
āArmin Arlert!ā he stops in his tracks at this, and awkwardly turns his head to face you, he is the absolute vision of guilt. He silently walks towards you, poorly attempting to ignore the dozens of eyes staring his way. Taking your hand firmly in his, he walks you both into his office.
āArmin, I-ā
He shuts the door, and for the first time in months, his tired blue eyes peer into yours. You can immediately feel the weight of his mental torment push into you, and in a way, it confirms that eyes really are the windows to the soul⦠and his soul is hurt and damaged.
āI donāt give you enough credit you know, youāve always been so observant, I mean⦠you noticed before everyone else didā his voice breaks as he speaks; the strong, resilient exterior cracking in an instant. You stop momentarily to analyse up his features, his eyes appear dulled out, face hollow with exhaustion.
āArmin, Iāve been worried about you- weāve all been worriedā the words tumble from your mouth with urgency, youāve been desperate to have this conversation with him. Your hand is still held in his, his grip tightening at your words. He stays silent at this, leaning over to hide his face in your neck, soaking it with his tears.
āThis has been building up for months hasnāt it? Ever since Eren-ā
āI should have been able to stop him, I should have seen the signs, there must have been something there that I didnāt notice!ā he blurts out, tears now streaming down his face. You go to interrupt him, to provide him with comfort, but he stops you.
āI donāt need your pity, I donāt need anyone's pity⦠this is my fucking fault- heās my best friend and I couldnāt stop him- I couldnāt stop himā he lets out a strained sob, his entire body shaking, and you automatically hold him up in your arms, feeling him weakly melt to your touch.
āArmin⦠you may not believe me when I say this, but Eren's disappearance is far from your faultā you say in desperation, yearning to reassure him. He lets out a heart breaking sob of protest, not believing a single word of comfort that leaves your mouth.
āY-youāre right⦠I donāt believe you, it is my fault⦠I should have paid more attention- I should have been able to figure out how he was feeling⦠I shouldāve been able to stop him y/nā He buries his face into your shoulder, gripping onto your body desperately as he becomes hysteric.
You realise that he doesnāt want words of reassurance, he wonāt believe them regardless of what you say. What he needs is someone to be there, to hold him, to listen to him. Who he needs is you. You kiss his forehead softly, carefully deepening the embrace, you then pull back to look into his swollen, puffy eyes, those same eyes you fell in love with all those years ago.
āIf you need to cry, cry⦠if you need to scream, you scream⦠but mark my words, I will stand with you throughout it all⦠it doesnāt matter what emotional state youāre in Armin Arlert, I will always be here to hold your hand and support you in all walks life, and hopefully in the nextā
You pause to wipe his tears with your thumb, planting a soft kiss on his freckled nose. āI love you, and it utterly destroys me to see you blame yourself like this, but Iāll say it again, none of this is your fault⦠we were just kids when this startedā you bite my tongue as to prevent your own tears, it's as if you could almost audibly hear your heart crack.
āLife has been so ruthless to us, to you⦠so donāt you dare blame yourself for something out of your controlā you say this sorrowfully, the sheer weight of your own trauma becoming apparent in your words.
Armin says nothing for a while, instead he silently inspects your face, eyes skimming over every detail of your skin, he presses a kiss to your cheek, and pulls your body in to better embrace you.
āI love you tooā is all he mutters, acknowledging but not addressing the other words said, as he still disagrees with them.Ā
āY/n? Could you stay with me tonight? I donāt feel safe aloneā he quietly requests, his eyes silently pleading with you to stay.
āOf course I can love⦠Iāll stay with you for as long as you need meā
This is ADORABLE, thank you so much for the tag!
And @ringsofsaturnnnn I saw you tagged me too, so thank you!
First one: His hair was a quite the ordeal, I had to combine a few things to get his bangs. I am happy with it though! š
Second one: Trying to make us not look like siblings in this one was a bit of a struggle (T_T) but I like it: ^^ ā¤ļø
I wasn't too sure on this one, but I'm hoping to further develop it and possibly make this into a series during my spare time :) I hope you all enjoy! xoxo
Ethereal, is one of the many words in which you would describe this beautiful boy, your plethora of flattering adjectives still donāt seem to slightly suffice as descriptors for the phenomenon that this man is.
His beauty is unfathomable
Soft, golden locks, messy freckles and calming ocean eyes⦠heās everything youāve ever dreamed of and more. He is the absolute vision of serenity. You wish with every fibre of your being that he could see what you see in him.
Armin Arlert is the Grandson of a kindly elderly gentleman that owns the local bakery. He's often happily chattering with the local customers, carefully remembering each name and order, and the colourful conversations that come with them. You would think it to be a waste that this man, with a mind so brilliant, is putting his brains aside to work at such a modest bakery, but he adores it.
It seems the only time heās lost his effortless charm is when you walk in. He swears that heās never seen someone so breath-taking, not so subtly cocking his head up when he hears your familiar footsteps click-clack into the bakery. Now donāt be fooled, heās had many a beautiful woman wish to be the one that holds his delicate hand⦠but none of them will ever come close to you.
And you have no idea of course, his more than friendly smiles, witty jokes and constant glances at you wash over your head completely. You're both so painfully oblivious with how infatuated you are with each-other it's almost infuriating. For now you'll continue to dream about being held in his arms, and he'll give you those same wishful smiles, hoping one day his dreams will come true, where he'll finally call you his.