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"Do you like her?" Eren asked with a grin.
Armin sighed and rolled his eyes in frustration. He'd been talking about the course for about ten minutes none stop and Eren had been rather silent the whole time. To be honest, Eren had been watching Armin closely, while the latter had hopelessly been excited for the formers sudden interest in his own future, Eren had been thinking about other things all together.
"It's getting rather late and I need to meet up with Annie at the library soon." Armin replied, moving the book closer to his friend in hopes that he would take interest.
"I know- I know! But listen... You've been spending a lot of time with her lately and I don't really think that Annie, out of all people, is that good for you."
"I don't even know what that means." With a frown, Armin leaned back in his seat. He was growing tired of this, extremely so, and it was hard trying to convince someone to take their future serious when they had no will to do so on their own. He could only do so much for Eren, who was already failing four of his five classes and seemed to not care at all. Armin was grateful that his friend asked for help. But at the end of the day, Eren barely listened and Armin was forced to do most of the work to keep Eren from getting kicked out. Armin Arlert took his classes seriously, took as many as he could a semester and put an effort to put his scholarship to good use. He couldn't understand how someone who paid for school with their own money could put little to no effort in it whatsoever.
"How do you not know what that means? Aren't you and Annie... Like a thing?"
Armin frowned. "A What?"
Mikasa, who had been laying on the couch not far from where they studied, sat up with a frown. "Are you serious?" She asked, basically glaring at Armin. "For how long?"
"We're not going out!" Armin exclaimed before snapping his book shut in frustration. "We just study together that's all."
"So she's using you?" Eren asked with a shake of his head. "She's such a bitch."
"Agreed."
"Okay..." Armin began and with a sigh, got up and started putting his things into his bags, not looking at his friends while he did so. "Not to sound mean, or anything, but Mikasa you agree with everything Eren says... and Eren? Annie isn't using me for anything."
"So you're telling me that she doesn't just meet you at the library and demand to copy your notes because she's too lazy to stay awake during class?"
"She doesn't-"
"She probably bitches at you for being late too. So go hurry along to your girlfriend before she gets mad."
"She's not-"
"Armin?" Mikasa interrupts, the frown still permanent on her face. "Is she the reason you've been short with everyone lately?"
Armin lets out a groan and rubs his face, deciding it was best to not further engage in this conversation, he quickly finishes gathering his things and takes his leave without saying goodbye to Eren and Mikasa.
To be honest, he has been rather short with everyone lately but he never considered Annie to be the reason. He was just tired. Tired of everyone expecting so much of him and giving so little in return. When he was at home Eren would randomly pull out his school work and despite what Armin was doing, would expect his help. Armin didn't mind, Eren was his best friend but after some time, it became clear that Eren just wanted an easy way out so he could go back to his girlfriend, Mikasa. Then there was his other friends, Sasha and even Jean who would just ask for him when they wanted something and ignore him every other time. In truth, Armin was starting to feel like a doormat again and he really hated that feeling.
Armin couldn't remember the trip over to the musty smelling library but once he was inside and he saw Annie sitting over a couple of notebooks, he sighed heavily before placing his bag on the table and taking a seat next to her. The room was quiet while he dug through his bag to find the book he was looking for and he hadn't paid much attention to Annie until he heard a slow "Huh." Leave her lips. It was then that he turned to her and found himself blushing in embarrassment when he noticed she was staring at him. "What?" He snapped, his tempter still flared from his previous conversation with Eren.
"Nothing." She simply said with a shrug before turning back to her book and opening up a fresh page. "What subject did you want to study?"
"We're here for you, Annie. I don't think it matters what I want to do."
Annie frowns then, and closes her book. "Mind telling me what's gotten you in such a feisty mood?" she's never seen Armin this upset. His face was red and his tone was something that she's never heard. While on most nights Armin would end up confessing to her about all the things that happened during the day that bothered him and Annie reassured him, tonight just felt a bit different to begin with.
"Annie," He starts with a frown and finally turns towards her, "It's just... I'm sorry- Eren, he's-"
"-He's being difficult and you're taking out your temper tantrum on someone who has nothing to do with-"
"-he called you my girlfriend and said you're using me and-"
"-and you believe him?"
Armin paused and took a couple of deep breaths before continuing. "Well, it's not that I believe him per say it's just that-"
"-That you believe him." Once Again, Annie found her tone becoming sharper and angrier. "So what?"
"So what?"
With a shrug, she closed her books and started placing them into her bag. Armin stood up in alarm and attempted to grab her bag and stop her but Annie simply pulled away and continued as if he hadn't tried. "What are you doing Annie? Look I'm sorry! I really am, can I just take everything back and start all over?"
"Tell me, Armin... What bothered you the most? The fact that he called me your girlfriend or the fact that he says I'm using you?"
Armin doesn't reply for a while and Annie uses the silence as her cue to leave. She's out of the library by the time he comes rushing after her. "Both! Annie-" He pauses to step in front of her and keep her from walking away again. "Both things bother me."
She scoffs and pulls away from him and he wants to apologize but somehow that feels like the wrong thing to do when Annie is upset. "Why?"
"I don't like the idea that you, of all people, would be spending time with me just to use me."
"Well here's why Eren is an idiot and you're an asshole: We have four classes together, right? Out of all this time that we spend studying together we go over only the work in those four classes and nothing else, right? Despite the fact that I fell behind horribly after my stupid lung infection we never stray away from the work that would keep you from benefitting from our study sessions too. I'm not stupid and I actually don't fuck around in class I just like this little routine that we have going on and unlike Eren I don't force you to do my work for me so I could fuck around and do nothing but complain about how hard school is because I rather focus on the freedom that being away from my household brings."
"Eren isn't-"
Annie scoffs again, "-The fuck he isn't Armin." the sarcasm in her voice was enough to make Armin not want to argue further. Eren was his best friend and despite his wanting to protect his friend, Annie sort of had a point. "Now, why does it bother you that Eren called me your girlfriend."
"... I don't know?"
"Bullshit."
Now it's his turn to scoff and groan in frustration. "Just drop it okay?"
"Well you couldn't drop it before you came to me so why should I drop it now that you made it my problem?"
"Fine, you really want to know?" He asks and Annie nods as if it was by far the most obvious thing in the universe. "It's because you're... You're Annie."
She's quiet for a minute and after a while she ends up laughing while fixing her bag on her back. "Well that's by far the most unique way I've ever been told that I'm not someone's type. Fuck off Armin."
She managed to make it to the end of the block before Armin comes rushing after her again. This time he doesn't try grabbing her to stop her and instead follows after her for a bit, until she stops walking and turns to him with a glare. "That's not what I meant, Annie." His voice is much softer now and his face is a mixture of hesitation and regret.
"Then what can you possibly mean by that?"
"Just... Just that I don't understand why you choose to want to spend so much time with me or why you ask me about my day or-"
"Armin, you're being a shit person right now and if you don't stop I'm actually going to hit you. In the face. Stop with the pity party I'm really not in the mood to make you feel better."
"I never asked-"
"-Doesn't mean I don't want to. What If I want to be your girlfriend? What if I want to walk over to your place and punch Eren in the face for being such an asshole and a constant stressor in your life?"
Armin pauses for a minute before scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I think I'd like that...?"
"It's a deal." With a shrug, Annie crosses the street and it takes Armin a few moments to realize that she wasn't joking about going over to the apartment he shared with Eren. "What!? Wait! Not that!" He rushes after her and steps in her way again. She raises her fist but doesn't actually hit him and with a sigh lowers her hands into the pocket of her jacket.
"You think you'd like what then?"
"You being my girlfriend."
"You think?"
"I'd like that. I'd also like for us to go to Sina café so I could buy you a drink and maybe a donut and apologize for being difficult."
"You mean for being an asshole?"
"That too." He says with a smile and gestures towards the café. "Besides today I kind of had a surprise for you."
"What surprise?"
"I think I'd only work if you're in a better mood... Might have to do with my friend who's in Harvard and takes Math 55..." He's teasing her now and despite the tension in the air, Annie's immediately interested and starts heading towards the café and away from his apartment. "So... It's a date?"
"I think you should stop talking before I change my mind..." She says while throwing her bag in his direction. "But I suppose it is a date."