Hello there, so I haven't seen a lot of your works but for what I've seen I really like it! I was wondering how would be Armin's reaction to an s/o who's even more skilled at manipulating people than he is?
Thanks and have a lovely day!
Thank you for the request! I’m sorry this took me a while to write (I came down with a horrible cold), but I hope you’re having a lovely day as well!
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ᵔᴥᵔ Armin values your intelligence. Whether or not you believe you’re smart, he appreciates your insight, open-mindedness, awareness, understanding, and things alike, so he is obviously very impressed that you’re able to read people well and have them right where you want them, listening to the controlling words that smoothly roll off of your tongue and manipulating them with that seemingly innocent glimmer in your eye.
ᵔᴥᵔ Though Armin knows you’re intelligent, he thinks your manipulation works well only because you’re so cute.
ᵔᴥᵔ Look at you, so cute, right? Your mature stature, seemingly friendly nature, wide smile, kind eyes, and a soft voice you only use on others you’re manipulating. It’s enough to fool anyone as it hides your sly nature.
ᵔᴥᵔ And he’s honestly fine with you manipulating playing little jokes on your friends… like when you convinced Mikasa to give you her last piece of bread because you were just feeling so faint, your bones so feeble after you fell off and got trampled by your horse on the last mission. Of course, Mikasa can’t ignore the sadness in your eyes, the way you grab your head and say that you feel so lightheaded, the way you limp up to her to start a conversation, so obviously, she can’t deny you her last piece.
ᵔᴥᵔ Armin watches the whole situation take place and is just bewildered because how did you get someone as quiet and rigid as Mikasa to give you her last piece of food? It never worked when he did it, and he is demanding that you give him some tips.
ᵔᴥᵔ Armin also likes to have a little fun with your skills, and occasionally, you guys will tag-team a manipulation situation to have some laughs.
ᵔᴥᵔ Prepare for trouble and make it double:
ᵔᴥᵔ One time, you tried to convince Sasha that she was technically a cannibal because potatoes alarmingly share so much DNA with humans.
ᵔᴥᵔ “Sasha, look, I didn’t really want to have to tell you this, but you’re behavior is really concerning me,” you said with raised brows and a hushed tone. “The way you’re obsessed with potatoes… don’t you know that potatoes and humans share similar DNA? You’re like a cannibal. It’s frightening!” you exclaimed, shuddering and shaking your head.
ᵔᴥᵔ Sasha erupts with laughter, her mouth full of food. “Yeah right,” she snickers.
ᵔᴥᵔ Armin chimes in. “Y/n is serious, Sasha. That’s why we don’t talk with you as much anymore… I mean, we even call you the potato titan…” he trails off. And there it is. The final button has been pushed as you both walk away, giving disturbed looks to Sasha and exchanging wide grins with one another in secret, interlocking hands. For a while, neither of you saw Sasha eat a potato.
ᵔᴥᵔ Everyone views you two as a power couple. Unbelievably compelling, heroes of humanity, a force to be reckoned with, people who do what they need to and always succeed with the best possible outcome. No one doubts you two, and threats should fear you. You each can’t deny what an honor it is being with one another and working together, especially Armin who is in awe of your fervor and strength, who blushes at your beauty, and whose heart still skips a beat when you grab his hand - (but you do this because you know it makes him feel mushy on the inside). It’s funny, really, the intense atmosphere you bring to the branch, but on the inside, you two are softies who are taking up responsibilities and doing what you are lethally and dangerously good at.
ᵔᴥᵔ You wouldn’t consider yourself to be a “bad person,” but you can’t deny the fact that you love being a little smarter and more manipulative than Armin Arlert because that means you always have him under you - under your control right at the tips of your fingers. Not in a bad way of course… you just love the way that he would do anything for you, that he does whatever you ask, and makes time for you always. And of course you would do anything for him, but can’t you imagine all the things you could make him do for you or to you? Making him only want you and need you? Making him suffocate himself inside your warmth, him being so strong yet so dependent on you?
ᵔᴥᵔ Armin is maybe a tad bit jealous that you can manipulate quicker, easier, and better, but he knows he is better at strategy than you, and he is just lucky that 1. someone can take some pressure off of him. 2. is in the presence of someone so smart, witty… someone that he can learn from, gain knowledge and experience from, and someone that he can have intelligent conversations with, exchange clever jokes with, etc.
ᵔᴥᵔ However, he is a little concerned:
ᵔᴥᵔ Though Armin is strategic, powerful, and extremely useful, he is a gentleman who just happened to get caught up in a terribly hard situation. He had to put his values, dreams, and humanity aside in order to protect others, in order to manipulate enemies… This was very hard for him to do, so he is a bit concerned how you find it so easy to just ‘turn on’ your manipulation mode and are able to control people’s actions so easily and without guilt. Of course he knows you wouldn’t do anything bad, but it frightens him a little that you're this good.
ᵔᴥᵔ Armin also deals with a lot of self-doubt after being bullied and being viewed as weak and useless amongst other things, continuously having to prove himself to others who constantly overlooked his worth. He knows his worth now; he knows he is smart and cunning… but with you being so dangerously clever - a whole other level above him - he can’t deny that he is self-conscious, that he sometimes quivers out of fear and anxiety when he is in your presence. You are so good at what you do - a natural. It’s so easy for you, and he worries that he will have to yet again prove himself to others since you're the "person to go to" now.
ᵔᴥᵔ Armin trusts you - of course he does - but with feeling so weak in your presence, he can’t deny he is a little scared of you using your power over him. What if you’re just using him? As a joke? For personal gain? To get information? These thoughts run through his mind as his heart fills with insecurity.
ᵔᴥᵔ However, Armin is smart too, and he knows that someone who is a better manipulator than he is wouldn’t share their weaknesses with him, wouldn’t share their hilariously embarrassing stories with him, or their fears, dreams, doubts. He trusts your reassurances because even though you’re a master manipulator, he knows who you really are. He knows that when you’re hungry, you become agitated by the slightest sounds because your head hurts so badly, or when you’re anxious, you tend to bite the skin on your lips. He knows that your legs get shaky when you have to tend to the horses at night because you’re secretly afraid of the dark, and he knows how hard it is for you to suppress your laughter when talking to Captain Levi because he is just a little shorter than you. Armin knows you’re a badass - a devious and scheming one at that - and yeah, he can’t deny that you’re the most powerful person he’s met - but when you two are cuddling together in his small bed at night, candles lit, breathing softly, he knows it’s the real you because you’re the one who goes to him for reassurance.
ᵔᴥᵔ You’re both clinging softly to one another, Armin resting his chin on top of your head and giving you forehead kisses while you’re buried into his warm, muscular chest, taking in the distant noises of his heart beats.
“Do you think I convinced him to kill the rest of his team?” you asked, concerned.
“Of course you did, baby, didn’t you see the look on his face?” He reassures you, blue eyes lighting up, and laughing that you’d even ask a stupid question like that. Of course you convinced him… because that’s what you always do.
“Haha, yeah you’re right. He did look pretty pathetic,” you both erupt into hearty laughter. You rest easy, feeling accomplished knowing that you held back a dangerous threat yet again… and Armin takes a deep breath, feeling proud of his robust, intelligent, and manipulative partner, feeling lucky as he gets to sleep beside one of the most powerful minds in the world.
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