Work Text:
The university campus library was open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
For Armin, this was a godsend, a complete blessing - he got to stay as late as he wanted in his favourite place, surrounded by books as he got his assignments done, sipping coffee from his thermos while he worked. Headphones on, laptop open - the entire world around him gone. It was a welcome relief to be able to read and work without interruption and escape from the racket his brain usually made.
For Jean, it was a nightmare. He didn’t know how many times he had knocked on his flatmate’s door at dinnertime only to find him gone, how many texts he’d sent that went unanswered. It wasn’t like he was needy . It was just that sometime in their first year, Jean realised that Armin was constantly forgetting to eat while he was at the library. Far too often Jean heard the flat door open in the early hours of the morning and Armin trudge to the fridge to grab a snack before finally going to bed.
It drove Jean up the wall, knowing how late he stayed and how little he was eating while he was there. He couldn’t help but worry - anyone would, right? It’s not that Jean liked him. Definitely not. He just wanted to make sure his friend was staying healthy.
Sometimes he took matters into his own hands, just for his own peace of mind. On a February night in their third year, Jean had grown tired of scrolling down his phone, waiting for a text back, and rolled out of bed to get dressed and go down to the library. It was gone midnight, but he couldn’t usually sleep until he heard Armin get back, anyway. The streets were dangerous at night - that’s what it was, why he was worried. And it was snowing! Armin never did well in the cold. Really, Jean was basically doing this for himself , just so he could get some damn sleep. That’s what he told himself, anyway, as he went out to buy some food for him, the pair of gloves Armin had obviously forgotten balled up in his bag, and trudged down the snowy path to the library.
Jean wasn’t surprised to see Armin in his usual spot when he got there, looking deep in thought, typing quickly. He was listening to music, and probably didn't even notice his foot was tapping along. Jean rolled his eyes, but his heart was beating really fast. Probably just from the walk. He had rushed, after all.
“How many times,” Jean asked, going over and pulling one of Armin’s earphones out, “have I told you to eat if you’re staying at the library past dinnertime?”
Armin jumped in shock, his face turning scarlet. “It’s not even-” He looked at the clock. It was one in the morning. “Oh.”
“Yeah oh, ” Jean said, pulling a chair over and sitting opposite him. “It’s dangerous to walk back this late. What were you going to do, sleep here?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time…” Armin mumbled, not looking at him.
Jean sighed. “That makes me feel so much better.”
Armin peeked at him through his hair, then turned away again. “I would have been-”
“And have you even eaten?” Jean said, his volume earning him a nasty look from the librarian at the desk. “Have you?” He added in a whisper.
“No,” Armin mumbled back, fiddling with a pen.
“Come on, we’re going home.”
“I have to finish -”
“Do it when we get back, nobody’s up.”
Armin relented and closed his laptop. Jean took the bag with all his books in, just because it would be faster if he was carrying it, and they scanned themselves out of the library.
“I am really hungry, actually,” Armin admitted when they got outside. Jean handed him the wrap he’d bought without a word. The cold night air had made his cheeks turn pink.
“Thanks,” Armin murmured, then, “crap. I forgot my gloves.”
Jean handed those to him as well, looking away as he did. Armin looked up at him with a small smile on his face.
“I don’t get why you’re not always this nice,” he said, taking a bite of much-needed food.
“What are you talking about? I am always this nice.”
“If Eren lost track of time in the library you’d tell him to rot in there,” Armin snorted.
“Oh?” Jean asked, quirking an eyebrow. “Would you rather I told you to rot instead of doing this, then?”
“Not what I said.” It was Armin’s turn to roll his eyes. “I just don’t get why you’re this nice to me. ”
“Well, you’re not looking after yourself. Someone has to do it.”
“I’m honoured.”
“You should be,” Jean grinned.
“Seriously, though,” Armin said, stopping in his tracks and looking up at Jean. “Why come all the way out here? I can’t wrap my brain around it.”
“Because I worry?” Jean said, looking back down at him. It must have been very cold out for his cheeks to be this red. “Isn’t that obvious? God knows how many times I’ve heard you come back at some stupid hour of the morning.”
“You wait up for me?” Armin asked. He still hadn’t moved.
“What? No!” Jean argued. “No, it’s not like that, I just -”
“Can’t sleep until you know I’m back safe?” Armin teased, poking him in the side as they started to walk again. “You’re even nicer than I thought, Jean.”
Jean grumbled and started walking again to keep up. He should have known Armin would see right through him.
“I can’t help it,” he murmured, fiddling with his sleeve a bit.
They walked back up the hill together, Jean’s face still bright red, his shoulder aching a little from the sheer amount of books Armin had checked out. He walked a little slower than usual just so Armin could keep up as he ate. He was shivering still, and Jean knew he’d have to turn up the heating as soon as they got in.
When they arrived back, Jean set all the books down on the table and stretched. Now he knew Armin was back and had eaten, he suddenly felt exhausted. He pottered about in the kitchen for a while as Armin finished his food. Their rooms were side-by-side, and Jean offered Armin a quick nod as he went to go to sleep, but Armin stopped him by placing a hand on his arm.
“Jean?” He asked, staring at the floor.
“Yeah?”
“Uh… thank you. For coming to get me tonight.”
Jean shook his head. “It’s nothing,” he said. “Just answer your phone next time, alright?”
“I don’t know, I think I preferred this,” Armin said, grinning.
Jean rolled his eyes. “What do you want me to do, come and get you every night?”
“I wouldn’t mind.”
“Alright,” Jean mumbled. “If you want.”
“I was joking, but-”
“It’s fine. I’ll answer my phone next time, okay?”
“Good. But if I find out you haven’t been eating again…”
“I know, I know,” Armin yawned. “Alright, I’m exhausted. I’m gonna go to bed.”
“Thought you needed to finish your work?”
“It can wait.” Armin yawned again, longer this time.
“Oh, now it can wait?” Jean asked, raising an eyebrow.
Armin grinned sheepishly, scratching his head, and opened his bedroom door. “I’m tired now, it’s different.”
“Go to sleep then.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do!”
“I’m not stopping you, I’m just talking -”
“Goodnight, Jean,” Armin interrupted, rolling his eyes. “Thanks for tonight.”
“It’s no problem,” Jean said, smiling back. “Night, Armin.”
Jean lay awake in bed for a little while longer that night, his heart beating too quickly for him to be able to blame it on anything else for once.
Maybe picking Armin up from the library wasn’t so bad after all.