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“That’s a bad habit,” Armin said, seemingly out of nowhere, causing you to drop the lit cigarette onto your pants; hot ash burning a hole, as well as your skin.
You glared at the blonde, frantically wiping away the remains, assessing the new hole in your jeans- another pair ruined. “So is scaring people, Armin. Jesus christ...where did you even come from?”
He was supposed to meet with his professor, Levi, to discuss an extra credit, but he couldn’t help but follow you when you took off down the hall. Armin wasn’t an idiot, he knew what you were up to, he had caught you a million times before.
An outstretched hand came into view, palm upright and facing you as he waited. “Give them to me.”
You feigned innocence, dropping the dead butt into his palm, only for him to throw it to the ground, a deep frown set on his lips, darkening his features. “Don’t play dumb, (y/n). Give me the whole pack.”
Defeated, you pulled the pack out of your sweater, handing them over with a huff. Marlboro red 100’s, they will be missed dearly.
It was the same every week, you were growing tired and more broke, which had seemed impossible before Armin.
“You’re not my mother, why do you care?”
He couldn’t stand to watch you ruin yourself, knowing he could have done something to help. “Smoking is not permitted on school grounds.” Armin cursed himself, this was not the image of him he wanted you to have. “And-”
You scoffed, you had momentarily forgotten how much of a goody-two-shoes Armin was. “Jean smokes everyday, why don’t you ride his ass for once.” Never had Armin stepped in the way of Jean or Eren’s nicotine addictions, but he acted like it was the end of the world with you. “Give me my damn cigarettes back, I’ll smoke off campus, okay?”
Your pleading was useless, watching as he crumpled the pack and threw them away. “It’s not good for you.”
“Yeah, no shit, but neither is you wasting eight dollars like that- you’re paying me back, right?” The answer was no, Armin didn’t have to say a word for you to know. “Shit sucks, man.”
A broke college student like you had no business buying cigarettes, is what he would usually say, but this time he was silent. “What if I take you out to dinner? Will that be enough to make up for your eight dollars, (y/n)?”
‘Sly bastard,’ you thought, narrowing your eyes at him. “Real dick move, but I suppose.”
A smile replaced his frown, he looked cute. “I’ll text you the details- and remember,” Armin said, becoming serious as he pointed a finger at you. “No smoking.”
Rolling your eyes, you smiled. Things could be worse, you could be kicked off campus and out of school. “Alright, alright, but there were better ways to ask me on a date. Throwing away a new pack of cigarettes is definitely not the key to someone's heart.”