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violettemcon · 6 years

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Circle’s end :: Jearmin College AU

SUMMARY: Armin’s a welfare kid with a sordid past. Jean’s a prep school graduate living in the cushy upper middle class. Scholarships and the simple Privilege of the Rich grant them entry into the renowned Trost State University, and by the begrudging grace of Eren Jaeger, these two end up as roommates.

Author: azxrae

Rating: mature

Pairings: Jean/Armin + other side ships

Chapters:6/28

Warnings: read tags on ao3

Read here

check out the first chapter below:

FRIDAY, JUNE 9TH: 3:19PM

Eren Jaeger peered at his best friend. Across from him, a rather distracted blonde was all but inhaling his steak burrito bowl. Delicate features wrought into what was presumed as bliss.

“How is it?” he asked with a grin.

“Mm—” Armin Arlert caught himself when he swallowed, a hand rising to cover his mouth while eyes widened in embarrassment.

“S’good.”

“Just good?” Eren chuckled tauntingly and dropped his own burrito into its basket.

The two had come to Chipotle straight after Eren and his mom picked Armin up from the train station. The blonde asked to eat there out of curiosity; they didn’t have Chipotle in Shiganshina, and he knew it was both Eren and Mikasa’s favorite place to eat. Armin wanted to experience the hype for himself.

That, and he was super hungry; he’d only had a bag of Doritos before the six-hour train ride into the city.

“I’ve never brought anyone here who wasn’t in love,” Eren said matter-of-factly, “It’s like a rite of passage, ‘MIn. You come to Trost, you gotta eat Chipotle at least once.”

Armin fixed the brunet boy with a smile. “It’s yummy. Definitely some quality Mexican cuisine.”

Speaking with Eren face to face was certainly surreal but in the best way. It was nice not having to rely on a Skype call to get his attention for once. And those letters were always a hassle to keep exchanging. Of course, packed away in one of his moving boxes was a New Balance shoebox filled to the brim with each one he’d received from Eren, as well as Mikasa. Keeping the letters was mostly for sentimental value though; reading them over would’ve undoubtedly sent Armin right into depression.

He pushed his fork through his burrito bowl, trying to even-out the lettuce piled at the top.

“Hey, Eren?”

“Mm?”

Eren paused mid-chew. Beneath the table, the blonde poked Eren’s calf with the tip of his shoe.

“I really missed you… that’s all.”

The green-eyed boy’s gaze had softened. Clearly, he’d not expected Armin to get all emotional on him. But it was well-received – or at least it appeared that way by Eren’s smile growing and him poking right back under the table.

“Aww, come on. You know I missed you too, ‘Min.” He reached across the table to give his hand a squeeze.

Armin was happy, but his bliss wasn’t what it could be, not when he had yet to reunite with the third of their trio. Mikasa was currently attending a dance camp another town over and wouldn’t be back until the end of the month. It was, to say the very least, unfortunate. Armin’s impatience to see her was becoming a nagging ache.

“I just wish Mikasa could be here…” The blonde puffed his cheeks out. “Feels incomplete without her, doesn’t it?”

Eren agreed with a nod. He tapped his phone’s screen and peeked down at the date. “But hey, only sixteen more days. And then ErenMikArmin will be back at it again.”

It was visibly difficult for Armin to keep his laughter in. Evidentially, Eren was still holding onto that ridiculous nickname he’d created for them in middle school. The blonde shook his head and rested his cheek on his palm, grinning.

“You’re the only one who calls us that for a reason, you dork.”

Eren’s lips turned into a grin of his own. He’d started to retort to Armin’s comment, but a call to his left promptly claimed his attention.

“Yo! You on a date, Jaeger?”

Armin blinked at the unfamiliar voice. He looked over and up, meeting the questioning stare of a pair hazel-brown eyes – that belonged to a rather attractive boy if he should say so himself. This mystery boy had a smirk wiped over his lips, one that seemed to rouse irritation in Eren because he hopped from the stool the instant he noticed his presence.

The unnamed youth stood only an inch or two taller than Eren. He had dusty brown hair and a long face that one might compare to a horse if they were fishing for insults. But Armin thought he was handsome. Really handsome. He was clad in a pair of Adidas shorts and a muscle tee of the same brand. ‘Did he just come from working out?’ His limbs were thin, muscled and hung lean against his lanky build. Everything about his appearance was long.

“Fuck off, Jean. No.” Eren growled at the other male. “Did you forget my best friend was moving here in June? This is Armin.” He gestured to Armin with his hands.

This “Jean” character raised those perfectly-arched eyebrows – one of which had a barbell pierced into it – and tilted his head. “Oh yeah, Armin! That friend you and Mikasa talk about nonstop.”

There were faint hints of what was presumed as a French accent in Jean’s speech pattern, which was interesting.

Eren rolled his eyes. “He’s right here, dumbass.”

Armin dabbed the corner of his lips with his napkin. He swung his stool around to face Jean and held out a small hand.

“Hello…. Jean, is it?” He smiled, hoping he wouldn’t notice just how shy he felt. “I’m Armin.”

The grin Jean wore broadened as he grasped Armin’s hand. Armin expected a callous feel but was instead greeted with soft, smooth skin. He noted the designer clothing he was wearing and suppressed a snort. ‘I bet he’s never worked a day in his life.’

“That’s me. Sorry, I was kinda rude, but it’s nice to finally meet you, Armin.”

Armin didn’t understand why he was suddenly so enamored by a complete stranger, but he was, and as he sipped his Cherry Coke, the boy felt his smile growing.

“You too.” He drummed his fingers on the side of his cup. “So, um, I’m amusing you’re French?”

Jean nodded. “Oui. Je m’appelle Jean Kirschstein,” he said it with a smirk, “My grandfather on my dad’s side is German, though. S’where the last name came from.”

“I highly doubt he cares about your lineage, Horse Face.” Eren clapped a protective hand on Armin’s shoulder, and the blonde playfully stuck his tongue out while biting back a giggle at the nickname.

“That’s for me to decide,” Armin said, “And I decide I care.”

Jean’s expression was triumphant as he peered at Eren. “As you should. Eren mentioned you’re staying here permanently, right? That means we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

Armin brought his drink up for a sip. He tried to put Eren’s scowl to the back of his mind, but it was difficult. The curiosity surrounding why he seemed to so intensely dislike him was there. But, knowing Eren, and with the bit of information he’d gathered about Jean, he couldn’t help but think it was something stupid.

“Maybe...” He cleared his throat and spoke up, “Maybe a lot more if... Well, are you going to be at Trost U in the fall?" Jean had done well at making him feel comfortable enough to be more social. It was similar to the buzz a person got after having a drink at a party full of strangers.

“Ay, just so happens I am!” The words left him enthusiastically.

“Really?” Amin lifted his head. “What’s your major?”

“Studio art. Yours?”

“Astrophysics.”

Jean whistled, clearly impressed. “Astro—? So, like, you wanna be an astronaut or what?”

“Um, no…” Armin shook his head, the corners of his mouth rising into a small grin. “I’d really like to just… study the cosmos and, in a perfect world, write books for NASA.”

The taller male was blatantly awestruck. “Cosmos? Sorry, I pretty much slept through astronomy in tenth grade.” He let out a sheepish chuckle. Armin didn’t understand how anyone could sleep through a science course (or any course, for that matter), but he didn’t speak on it. It would undoubtedly make him sound like a nerd. And, for some reason, he wanted to leave the best impression possible on Jean Kirschstein.

“It’s the universe, you idiot.” Eren returned to his seat and took another bite into his burrito.

“Eren, not everyone knows scientific terms...” Armin sighed.

“Yeah, Eren.” Jean punctuated the second syllable of his name. “No need to be a condescending ass.” When he looked back to Armin, his expression softened notably. “Armin, I’d love to talk to you about space one day. Though, it’d mostly be an info session since I don’t know much aside from the name of the planets.”

“Careful, Jean,” Eren warned, chuckling as he looked straight at Armin, “Armin might just take you up on that and talk your ear off. I know from experience.”

“Oh, hush.” Armin kicked the brunet’s shin under the table. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know a whole lot more about what goes on outside of our galaxy because of me.”

Eren didn’t even pretend the impact of Armin’s shoe hurt him. “You’re just proving my point, ‘Min. Once you get started about space, there’s no stopping you.”

“I don’t think I’d mind.” Jean leaned against the wall and crossed his foot over his ankle. “Yo, Eren, you bringin’ him to Karaoke Night?”

Armin’s attention piqued. He looked between the two boys questioningly.

“…Karaoke Night?”

“Yeah. Next Saturday. Our friends rented out a room at this sick karaoke bar downtown,” Jean informed him, “It’s a noraebang. A Korean karaoke joint. You should come since you’re gonna be going to uni with us. A friend of Eren and Mikasa’s is definitely a friend of ours.”

A sense of warmth settled in Armin’s chest at his words. Friends. He’d never really had many of those. Only Eren and Mikasa, and when they moved away Armin was, for the most part, alone. Sure he had his school peers, but he wouldn’t consider them actual friends. When it came down to it Armin spent a great deal of those years on his own. He never complained though. He always had his books and his grandpa, and that had been enough to sustain him.

Until now, at least.

“I’ll bring him.” Eren’s words brought Armin back. “Just so happens Armin's got an amazing singing voice.” The tanned boy shot his friend a smile, to which Armin blushed.

“Hey... don’t exaggerate."

Jean took a step forward when the line moved, but remained a close enough distance where he could keep his voice at a leveled volume.

“It’s a damn shame Mikasa’s still in Yalkell.”

“Dude.” Eren rolled his eyes at Jean for the second time that afternoon. “Let go of that crush already. As her brother, I can tell you she’s not interested.”

‘Crush?’ Armin’s eyes widened slightly, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit… well, actually, he didn’t know what he was feeling. He knew it wasn’t difficult to develop a crush on Mikasa, considering her appearance, and the fact that she was well…. Mikasa. Armin poked his tongue to his inner cheek.

‘I wonder… does that mean Jean’s interested in women? Exclusively?’

“Shut up, Jaeger,” Jean growled at him, “You know I left that shit behind ages ago. I was just saying, ‘cause she’ll miss Karaoke Night and it’s Squad tradition.”

“You guys… are in a squad?” Armin cocked an eyebrow in faint amusement.

“Yep.” Jean seemed proud to bestow this knowledge on him. “Consists of me, my best friend, his girlfriend, Eren, Mikasa and this little blond girl that looks freakishly like your female doppelganger.”

Eren nodded with a chuckle and surveyed Armin’s appearance. “Kris does look a lot like you, Armin. It’s actually weird.”

Armin took the final sips of his cola, huffing softly when he realized it was empty. He decided to focus on eating for the moment. He didn’t want his food to get cold. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jean push himself from the wall.

“Can I… ask where you’re staying, Armin? It’s kinda important.”

‘Why would my living arrangements be important to him?’ Both confused and curious, Armin licked away some lettuce from the corner of his mouth.

“Um…well, currently, I’m staying with Eren. But it’s temporary. I’d like to start renting a place in the student-housing district pretty soon,” Armin informed in his soft voice, waiting for Jean to elaborate on why he’d asked.

“Oh yeah?” The handsome boy inclined closer, interested. “That’s awesome news, because—”

“No.” Eren’s head whipped around instantly. “Don’t even suggest it.” He sent Jean a sub-zero glare, just as Armin’s brows raised in curiosity.

“Suggest what?” He blinked.

Jean crossed his arms and his lips fell into a smirk. The Apple smartwatch on his wrist lit up but he ignored it in favor of speaking to the boys before him.

“My best friend and I have been searching for a roommate.” His eyes were on Eren as he spoke. “We’ve got a pretty nice spread, and the rent’s hella cheap ‘cause it’s near campus.”

Armin could feel Eren’s hands grab his own, and he heard the growl he emitted, but he couldn’t help but consider it. It would be ideal to live with the Jaegers, but Armin was too prideful to lean on them any more than he already had. Being self-sufficient was more important to him than anything else. He would not allow himself to be a burden.

“Wow, I’ll admit that sounds—”

“It sounds awful,” Eren cut in. “You’re not… really considering it, are you?” He looked to the blonde with pleading eyes.

Armin groaned, but he wouldn’t deny he looked horrendously adorable pouting at him like that.

“Eren…” He spoke sternly, but was sure to disarm him by taking larger hands in his own. “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for, and you know it. All that work I put in last year wasn’t for nothing. I’ve already saved up enough for a few months’ rent and I have a job. It’d be a good idea to put my finances towards something productive.” It had always pleased him to speak of things he knew would ultimately progress him in life.

Jean whistled again. “Sounds like you’ve got it made, Armin.” A taupe gaze shifted to Eren then. “I think he should at least come look at the place. It wouldn’t hurt.”

Truthfully, Armin was considering doing so whether Eren approved or not. His opinion mattered of course, but the boy was fully capable of making decisions for himself. As Jean had said, exploring his options couldn’t hurt.

“Jean, tell me more about the apartment, please.” Expectant eyes lifted to the taller male.

Jean beamed, though he did seem hesitant when he stole another glance to his smartwatch. “How about you give me your number instead?”

The suggestion was unapologetically bold. Armin was stunned. He saw Eren grimacing out of the corner of his eye.

“I mean so I can text you and give you the details,” he elaborated, a sigh escaping after he said it. “I don’t think I can chat much longer, as much as I’d like to. Connie – that’s my best friend and your maybe-future-roommate too – very explicitly said he wants burrito waiting for him when he gets off work. He’s been texting me nonstop to make sure I don’t forget.” Jean looked up at the ceiling for a short while and then flicked his eyes back to Armin.

“It’s weird, but for some reason, I’ve got a good feeling about you, Armin,” He said, smiling faintly, “We could FaceTime. And maybe I could give you a virtual tour?” Jean looked hopeful. Strangely, Armin found it to be kind of cute. He sunk his teeth into his lip and decided to focus instead on what his new acquaintance had said. A proposal for a new apartment on his first day in Trost. What were the odds? Honestly, it seemed a bit too good to be true, and Armin had always been rather pessimistic, (according to Eren at least – he’d just called it realism), but he supposed, for now, he’d go along with it. He could see no better choice but to do so, anyway.

Wordlessly nodding, he watched Jean retrieve his iPhone, unlocking the screen with his thumb. Armin quickly did the same and they exchanged mobiles.

“I can’t believe this,” Eren was saying as Armin’s phone chirped with a new text just an instant later. “You do realize he’s a fucking douche, don’t you?”

Armin huffed and looked down at the message. He punched in his contact as “Jean”, deciding he’d personalize it with an emoji when he got to know him a little better.

The taller boy seemed exasperated by Eren’s so very apparent repulsion at their exchange. Armin pocketed his phone and pushed his food across the table, walking around to sit next to him. He rubbed his arm gently.g

“I should probably go.” Jean stared at Eren momentarily, then he shot Armin another, smaller smile. “Nice meeting you Armin.” He began to walk backward towards the line, which had grown significantly shorter. “See y’all around.”

Eren waved his hand, and Armin returned the smile with an even brighter one.

“Bye Jean!”

Jean waved back before jogging off to order his food. When the smaller male turned back, Eren was staring at him with this smug, knowing look in his eyes.

“…What?”

“I saw that, Armin.”

Armin was confused. “Saw what?”

Eren reached behind him and held his nape, drawing him in so their foreheads were nearly touching. “You were giving that bastard googly eyes the entire fucking time.” He spoke in a low murmur.

“W-What?!” Armin practically squeaked and jerked backward, then remembered where they were and settled for a fierce whisper. “I was not!”

“You so were.” Eren’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You like him? Is that why you wanna room with him?”

Armin pushed his bangs out of his eyes, staring at his friend in disbelief. “No, I don’t like him. I just met him like fifteen minutes ago!”

That God-forsaken look persisted on Eren’s face, though. He swigged his Nantucket Nectar then returned his attention to Armin. “Do you at least…. think he’s cute?”

That was when Armin stopped short. He rested his elbows on the metal surface of the table, sinking his head into his palms dramatically. He really hoped that Jean hadn’t somehow acquired a superhuman hearing ability and was able to hear him from the other side of the restaurant.

“Maybe a little."

Eren scoffed, though he didn’t seem too surprised by this knowledge. “I really don't get that," he sighed, “How the hell can anyone find Jean Kirschstein cute?”

Armin was digging through what remained of his burrito bowl, avoiding eye contact with that intense, marble-eyed stare.

“From what I’ve seen, he seems to be… nice.”

Eren rolled his eyes. "That's just 'cause he has yet to rub his dickery all over you."

Armin curved his brow upward. “Why do you hate him so much?”

Eren shrugged. “I don’t… hate him. I’ve known him since I moved here and he’s in my circle of friends. Guess our personalities just clash sometimes.” He bit his lip. “Most of it's just playful bantering. It’s what we’re used to, I guess.”

“Oh.” Armin nodded thoughtfully. For a while, they finished up their food in silence. Armin reached into the shared bag of chips and dipped one into the guacamole.

“Yo, 'Min."

He looked over at Eren curiously. “What’s up?”

The other boy leaned in a bit closer to him. His voice had grown quiet again. “If… if you do become his roommate,” He looked almost shy then – which was certainly a cute look on him. Armin bit back a smile.

“—you won’t start to like that bastard more than me, will you?”

The blonde blinked at the question. The notion of him liking anyone more than Eren was entirely ridiculous, and he should know that. Armin suddenly felt inclined to smack him upside the head for asking something so stupid.

“You’re seriously asking that?” Armin shook his head, poking lightly to the side of Eren’s cheek. “Don’t be ridiculous, you dummy. You should know by now. You’re the only guy for me.” His tone was playful but the words were deathly serious.

“Good.” Eren was clearly satisfied by the reassurance. He squeezed the boy’s arm gently.

“Let’s hope it stays that way.”

- - -

THURSDAY, JUNE 15TH: 2:45PM

Jean had been right when he said the apartment was nice. It had sufficient space, with three moderately-sized bedrooms as well as a living area, and an open kitchen with an island-bar to serve as a dining space. There was one bathroom at the very back of the apartment. Compared to a place not so close to campus, the rent was cheap. But it was definitely on the luxurious end of things.

Of course, the decision to live there was made quickly. After all the paperwork was finalized, Armin began moving his stuff in. The lot of his things that he didn’t immediately need was kept in the Jaegers’ storage, though, so the process seemed to breeze by. Armin wouldn’t deny he enjoyed spending time with Jean and Connie whenever they were hanging around the apartment.

It was all so surreal to Armin, and the feeling hadn’t worn off, not even on the following Thursday when Armin gripped his brand new key (wrapped in a Trost University holder) and fitted it into the lock of Room 305.

He paused when a hand touched his shoulder.

“Y’know, It’s not too late to change your mind and come live with me instead,” Eren said. The seriousness of his tone provoked the softest of laughs from Armin. Of course, he’d make such an offer when Armin’s mind was already completely made up.

“It actually kinda is.” He turned to smile apologetically at the other boy. He’d admit it was endearing how clingy he was to him, but Eren had to know this would be good for him. Armin had always craved a life where he relied minimally on the support of other people. Renting an apartment – even if he currently was sharing it with two guys – was a start along that path.

“But hey,” Armin looked up at him, “We can still see each other at school. And work. Remember that.”

Eren grumbled, but it was the truth. After his graduation Eren had been in dire need of a job, so his friend found work for him waiting tables at Olive Garden, a job Armin had for several months before he moved to Trost and was relocated.

“School doesn’t start until the end of August.” Eren pouted slightly. “That’s like a whole two months of not constantly being in each other’s presence.”

“We managed it before,” Armin reminded. He closed his eyes at the memory of those years spent without his best friends. He couldn’t be more thankful that they were going to the same university in the fall, honestly; there was so much lost time that had to be made up for.

“I don’t know how we did.” Eren took the liberty of opening the door while Armin swallowed down his anxiety. His eyes were immediately drawn to the side of the den, where Jean stood at his easel. His back faced them and he was singing rather loudly to some grunge song blaring from the kitchen.

“Yo Horse Face! Stop being a tool for a second, will ya?” Eren rolled his eyes and walked in front of Armin, tossing the overnight bag he’d been holding at the couch. The noise made Jean jump and spin around, nearly dropping his pallet in the process. He narrowed his eyes.

“Mother fuck— you’re early.” Sitting his art utensils on the stool, he wiped his hands on his smock and strode over.

“I definitely was not expecting you to bring him, Armin.”

“I needed an extra hand. Couldn’t lug all this stuff over here by myself.” Armin smiled and surveyed the perimeter of the room. He set his bag of pillows down in front of him.

“You’re here alone?”

“Yeah.” Jean looked down at his pillows, then back at Armin’s face. “Connie went grocery shopping.”

Eren laughed and leaned on the arm of the couch. “Connie went grocery shopping?”

“By that I mean he went to go restock our ramen supply."

“Sounds more like him.”

The guy in question, Connie Springer, was their third roommate and also Jean’s best friend. Armin always thought he was short for his age – being the smallest in his graduating class and practically dwarfed next to Eren – but when he met Connie he was stunned. He could see why he was close to Jean though; they were both ridiculously dorky but in the most endearing way. That and he was really nice. Something told him he was the one that kept Jean in check most of the time.

The blonde ran a hand through his hair and joined Eren on the couch. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” He nudged him lightly with his thigh.

“Are you kicking me out, ‘Min?” Eren feigned a sob, his legs kicking up on the coffee table. “I’m hurt.”

Jean scowled at him. “This isn’t your house, Jaeger.”

“It’s not yours either, Kirschstein,” Eren said matter-of-factly, a small chuckle following. “It’s the landlord’s.”

“Aunt Carla said she wanted you back before three.” The softness left Armin’s voice, and he looked at his friend sternly. “You do remember that, right?”

“Mommy setting a curfew for you now?” Jean walked back to his easel and picked up his pallet to check if any paints had dried out.

“Fuck off, you bastard,” Eren hissed, “There are relatives over and she wants me there.”

Armin hoisted him by the arm and they stood together. “Go home, Eren.” He walked behind him, lightly pushing him towards the door. “I don’t want your mom flipping out at you.”

Eren turned to him and sighed beneath his words. “Fine, fine. I’ll leave. But if Jean does anything shady call me. I’ll be over like that.” He snapped his fingers on the last word to emphasize just how serious he was.

“Everything will be fine. Promise.” Armin smiled reassuringly at his friend and patted his arm. His eyelids fell when Eren began messing his hair, then he very lightly kissed his temple.

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow, okay?” The blonde’s eyes opened again after a pause.

“Sure thing, Armin.” Eren poked the tip of his nose, not bothering to say anything to Jean as he left the apartment. Once he was gone Jean sighed dramatically and returned his attention to his easel.

“Good fuckin’ riddance.”

Armin only smiled at that. He knew Jean and Eren thought fondly of each other, despite the constant verbal abuse. That much was made clear when he looked at the pinboard of Polaroids posted above the TV. At the center was a photo of Jean, Connie and Eren that he presumed was taken a few weeks before at their graduation. Eren was in the middle and Jean and Connie both had their arms draped over his shoulders. All three of them had wide smiles painted over their lips. Armin thought it was adorable, but it did make him kind of sad. He’d graduated early so he never got to experience anything like that; all he’d gotten was his diploma in the mail and a congratulatory letter from the principal.

Armin sighed at the memory. It was in the past, so there wasn’t a need to dwell on it. He walked back from the door and crossed the room to stand a few feet away from Jean.

“What are you painting?”

The taller youth smiled, though his eyes remained on his work. “My parents’ anniversary is coming up. They spent their honeymoon in Venice so… I’m painting a Venetian cityscape.” he told him, “Y’know how there are those canals running between the buildings there? The hotel they stayed at was like that. I’m trying to recreate it for them.”

Armin craned to see the painting and was impressed. Jean’s artistic talent was far beyond his expectations. There was so much detail, and the portion of it that was painted was so vibrant. For that moment, Armin couldn’t take his eyes away. He admired it with a silent smile.

“Also,” he continued, “peonies are my mom’s favorite flower so, in front of one of the buildings, there’s a pot of those. See?” He pointed to the little flower pot with the tip of a long finger. Armin’s eye followed.

“Jean, this is amazing,” the blonde commended excitedly. “You’re so talented! And this gift… it’s so thoughtful! Your parents will love it for sure.”

Jean wordlessly eyed the piece. "You think?"

"Yes, I think," Armin said, nodding earnestly.

Jean snapped his pallet shut and dropped his paintbrush into a cup of water.

“Thanks, Armin. It really means a lot to hear that.” His tone was sheepish as he untied his smock and pulled it off his body. "Yo really have no idea."

The blonde’s smile grew a fraction. “You’re very welcome, Jean.”

The taller boy scanned over Armin’s appearance for a second, then met blue eyes.

“So, uh… hey, I… made some iced tea earlier. Do you want some? I need another person’s opinion on the taste and Con’s not here.”

The offer made Armin nod with sudden fervor. Tea was his all-time favorite beverage, hot or cold. He didn’t think there was a time when he wasn’t in the mood to drink it, truly.

“I’d love to have some.” He tucked some hair behind a pierced ear. “Tea is, like, my favorite thing to drink ever.”

Jean peered down at him, chuckling. “Well damn. Armin. Now your opinion's gonna be biased.” He walked past him into the kitchen. Armin instinctively followed.

“I promise it won’t be!” he said while plopping onto a stool at the island counter. When Jean turned to him, Armin’s eyes held unwavering intensity. The idea of not having the tea wasn’t something he was willing to accept.

Jean chuckle grew into a broad laughter. “Shit… don’t look at me like that. I wasn’t gonna deprive you.” The assurance came gently. Armin observed him approach the fridge and produce a plastic pitcher when he opened the door. The taller boy had a tiny smile on his lips whilst pouring the darkened liquid into a glass he’d acquired from the cupboard.

“Here you are, my good sir.” Jean slid the tea over to him.

“Thank you.” Armin smiled and lifted the cup to his mouth. As he sipped it, he let his mind wander, and found himself thinking of Eren’s actions before he left. He knew his friend had a tendency to get overprotective, so the wariness wasn’t unlike him. Armin wondered if it was warranted, though. Something was telling him he’d get along living with Jean and Connie just fine, and he was an excellent judge of character.

But he knew there was something that could pose a problem if he let it. Jean happened to be the hottest guy he’d seen in a while. That was, to say the least, unnerving. Armin would just have to be thankful repression was one of his greatest talents. It was a sad thought, he knew, but there was no way someone so filthy was deserving of anyone.

Armin stared into his glass, hoping his features remained composed despite where his mind had gone. The blonde took another sip of tea to calm himself, suddenly remembering why he was drinking it in the first place.

“This tea is delicious, Jean,” the boy complimented, sending him a smile when he looked up. “It’s not too sweet or too bitter. It’s just right.”

At that, Jean looked something akin to a dog who’d just been told they did something right and received a treat for it.

“Yeah?” He grinned. “I’m glad you think so, Armin.”

‘He’s cute.’ It was becoming apparent that Armin wasn’t doing as well at controlling his thoughts as he’d like, but saying those things within the protection of his mind... That was okay. That had to be okay.

‘I’m completely allowed to think something harmless like that.’ The blonde rested his cheek on his fist and sighed to himself.

Jean seemed oblivious to the goings-on of Armin’s mind, which was fortunate. He smiled at him and poured a glass of tea for himself.

“So hey, after this, would’dja like some help unpacking?” he asked. “Pretty sure I’ve got an empty storage bin that’s perfect for under-the-bed space somewhere around here...” Jean lifted his tea up to his lips. “You can use if you like.”

Armin was prepared to deny the help even though he knew he needed it, but he made himself stop. The honesty of Jean’s smile was a little unsettling, as was how fixated the blonde suddenly became on watching the bob of his Adam’s apple whilst he swallowed his tea.

‘I really need to chillax. I’m not some rabid animal...’ Armin tore his eyes away. He remembered reading somewhere that victims of… what he went through often acted out in terms of seeking sexual partners. Armin may not have been doing something as extreme as that, but this effect Jean was having on him at such an early stage was definitely something to worry about.

“Yeah, sure thing,” he said despite the minor inner turmoil. He put on his most convincing smile and downed the remainder of his tea.

Jean beamed. “Awesome!” He too finished off his tea and carried both their cups to rinse in the sink. He was placing them in the dishwasher when Armin moved to grab his belongings from the living room, then together they exited the space and made for Armin’s bedroom at the very front of the hall.

#jearmin #armin arlert #jean kirschstein #snk #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan

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