Armin Arlert

Armin is used to feeling alone.

He grew up as an only child to two busy parents, it wasn't like company was guaranteed... or in all honestly, even preferred. Armin has always been able to find better company than most people between pristine paper. The scent of a novel makes his heart warm and the feeling of the smooth pages along his finger tips has him smiling.

It wasn't until he met his best friends Mikasa and Eren that Armin realized the companionship of people can sometimes outdo even the best books. Exploring the local forest with his small coalition of fiends, frolicking in fields to pick flowers, finding new ways to make flower crowns... Armin adored people once he realized they didn't all want to mock him.

Then he grew up — maybe too slowly since he didn't realize he'd feel even more alone when Mikasa and Eren finally got together. The group went from picking flowers in their backyards to Eren buying a bouquet from a vendor to gift Mikasa. Camping trips turned into Armin in a tent alone; Mikasa and Eren cuddling under the stars...

Sometimes Armin wished he just stayed alone... maybe then it wouldn't hurt so horrendously to be left now if he was never taunted with friendship.

Once again, for the fifth time now, Eren has ditched Armin for Mikasa. "It's date night!" Eren always states as his excuse, even though Saturdays started as movie night. Now it's the day Armin can't sleep in his own dorm because he doesn't need to know how Mikasa sounds like when she's on the precipice of pleasure. Now it's when Armin can't cozy up into his favorite blanket with his favorite snacks. Now it's the time Armin just wants to sob, being forcibly reminded of how he may never get to hangout with Eren and Mikasa like before.

Sometimes Armin regrets encouraging Eren to stop being an idiot — sleeping with Mikasa then a random girl at one of Connie's parties, breaking her heart and adding another reason for Armin to shake his head in disappointment. Armin's never been in love. What business does he have in coaching Eren in matters of the heart?

Especially now that Armin feels so heartbroken without his two best friend's company.

Sure, he could hang out with Jean and Marco. They're typically at home on Saturdays — Jean applying a cute design with henna along Marco's vitiligo to help him feel more confident in his own skin, wearing matching face masks, watching the Gilmore Girls — but Armin doesn't want to intrude on those two who are clearly not "just friends." Sasha and Connie would be stupid drunk; Reiner and Bertolt drive home to visit their folks — Annie would be pounding her feelings into the punching bags at the local gym.

Armin just wants to force his mind somewhere else. Inside a fantasy manga where everything is colorful and vibrant or perhaps a romance novella where the main character has everything magically fall into place. He wants to lose himself between the walls of text, prance in the paragraphs of prose, divulge in the dreamer inside of him.

Walking into the local library, past sunset on a Saturday, Armin meets you.

You're ethereal as you organize the e-book tablets the library now offers for accessibility purposes. The golden glow of the setting sun illuminates you, making you pop against the vintage bookcases and faded leather of ancient hardbacks.

Feeling his heart pound like he's read in so many chapbooks, Armin gawks as you turn your head in his direction.

It's like an angel is in his presence, smiling at him like you're a vessel for the heavens.

Armin Arlert feels his heartbeat in his ears as a scarlet hue overtakes the peachy tone of his skin. Stuttering, Armin needs to say something to get you to talk to him.

"H-hey!" Armin's voice even squeaks some, making him want to just die. Then he sees your perfect lips curl in a friendly smile. It's the encouragement he needs to stutter out a bit more, hoping to make conversation, "are you new here?"