Chapter Text
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*****
After closing his heavy backpack, Armin grabbed his gray shoes and worked to put them on. He had to keep his balance steady by leaning against the wall. He almost laughed at his stumble and at the embarrassment of Jean watching him fail to put on the shoes.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to get my mom?” Jean asked for the umpteenth time.
A firm shake of the head was the answer. It was the same answer as all the other times prior. Armin didn’t want to wake Mrs. Kirstein from her nap. She already allowed him to stay after school, prepared snacks, and made dinner on top of working her swing shift. There was no need to also take Armin back home. It was a simple twenty-minute walk from one house to another. Granted, he usually walked during the day or evening, but it was a route that Armin traveled many times before. He could make the short journey again.
Jean crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s getting dark, though,” he stated.
“That’s because it’s getting closer to winter. So the Earth’s tilt is away from-” Armin started to explain.
“No, no, no,” Jean interrupted, jokingly covering his ears. His loose sleeves dipped down, revealing the upper half of the zeros of his Soulmate Timer on his left inner wrist. “I swear, do not give me a science lesson. We already spent three hours working on this stupid bio lab report.”
Armin smiled to himself. He scored a win in his book. He only hoped that Jean would break from his daze after he left.
Both shoes were finally on. Armin put on his cotton jacket, slung his backpack over his shoulder, unlocked the front door, and opened it. Jean was right; it was dark outside. Based on the beautiful colors in the sky and the time of day, Armin figured sunset just happened. In a bit, the town would be covered with darkness, and the only light would come from the streetlights and homes.
“Armin…” Jean’s tone was like a parent teetering between warning and worrying.
“It’s fine,” Armin said as he stepped out of the house and onto the porch.
One last sigh came from Jean. Armin knew he won the battle.
“Fine then,” Jean said. “But if I see your name and face on a missing person poster, don’t say I told you so.”
A giggle escaped from Armin. It was Jean’s odd way of expressing concern. Armin only realized the message behind Jean’s comments recently, despite knowing each other since junior high. Jean was Armin’s first (and practically only) friend, and Armin knew their friendship started off rocky. However, he’d come to appreciate their friendship as the years passed. The Kirsteins played a prominent part in getting him out of his shell.
“See you tomorrow,” the blond announced.
With that farewell, Armin was off. He walked down the stone pathway and onto the sidewalk. No one was out, which surprised Armin. Usually, there would be a couple walking their dog, or a person jogging down the street, or a car whizzing past. So far, it was just Armin, the light wind, and the warm colors in the sky.
The peace didn’t last long.
At the end of the block, a presence was behind him. At first, Armin ignored the stranger, thinking they were just walking in the same direction. But after taking a specialized shortcut through his high school’s parking lot, fear began to seep through him. The person was still behind him even after five minutes. There was a bit of distance between Armin and the stranger, but was he getting closer? The situation dangerously bordered between coincidence and intentional. There was still some doubt in his mind. Although, was it actually doubt, or was it his subconscious futilely trying to stay positive?
He got his answer when he had to stop by a busy intersection with a pedestrian light. Armin pushed the button on the post to activate the signal crossing. He glanced over his shoulder, and to his dismay, the person was still there. And he was walking over to Armin. Armin’s mind instantly started to make notes about the stranger.
Short and stout. Balding black hair.
Getting closer.
Bushy mustache and beard.
Closer.
Brown shirt. Dress pants.
Closer.
Which wrist is the Timer on? No, I can’t see it. Does he have a Cover?
Too close.
Armin’s heart was racing, and his breathing quickened. No one else was walking around. Only cars sped by. Clouds covered the once-colorful sky. He took several steps back. But, sometimes, actions didn’t work. So he opened his mouth.
“Excuse me, can you back away, please?” Armin requested.
A hoarse laugh came from the stranger. “You’re a cutie, aren’t you?” he commented in a gruff voice.
Armin’s heart dropped. Alarms rang in his head.
“Umm… I- I don’t…” Armin’s voice trailed off.
The terrifying laugh returned. “Come on. You don’t look busy, so let’s talk for a bit.”
All the air disappeared, making Armin feel suffocated. It was like invisible walls caved in as the man moved closer and closer. Armin was isolated, alone, stuck. The stranger was not stopping.
But, luckily, the cars did.
The light changed, and Armin was thankful he still had the wits to dash across the street. His mind raced as he tried to plan what to do next. Calling the police was an option. On one hand, the stranger wasn’t exactly committing any crimes — he was just making Armin uncomfortable. Extremely uncomfortable. But on the other hand, Armin didn’t want to have any more regrets. He was starting to wish his past self accepted Jean’s offer to drive him home.
Armin also had no idea where his destination was. He absolutely did not want to show the stranger his home. Heading back to Jean’s house wasn’t an option because Armin did not want to put them in danger. There was a park nearby. There was a minuscule chance he could find someone else and get their help. A supermarket was a short walk away, too.
He got to the other side of the street. So did the stranger. The possibility that it was a coincidence they were heading in the same direction was growing smaller and smaller. Armin’s mind started to race with fear. He cursed his imagination for creating scenarios of robbery to kidnapping to murder.
But, suddenly, Armin spotted another person in the distance. At first, Armin thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. But they weren’t. The person was down the street, walking away from Armin. A plastic grocery bag was in each hand. A lightbulb went off in Armin’s head. With a deep breath, Armin stuck his right arm in the air and wildly waved it to and fro.
“Hey, Alan! Alan!” Armin shouted at the top of his lungs. He broke into a jog. “What are you doing out so late at night?!”
To his relief, his yells got the attention of the other person. As Armin got closer, he could see more of the person’s attributions: slightly unkempt brown hair, average height, Armin’s age, and a confused and slightly annoyed expression. They were wearing a dark-colored jacket and pants.
Armin slowed down when he went up to ‘Alan.’ He said, “I’m really sorry. There’s someone following me. Please pretend you know me.”
‘Alan’ looked over his shoulder to confirm Armin’s statement. The annoyed expression morphed into one of compassion. Relief spread through Armin’s veins as ‘Alan’ nodded.
“My mom sent me to get groceries,” he announced loudly. “I’m not sure why she didn’t notice we didn’t pack soap until two hours ago, but here I am.”
Armin smiled; he didn’t know if it was from solace or the burnet’s exasperation. Either way, he felt a lot better than a minute ago. His breathing slowed down along with his heart. The walls crumbled, allowing Armin to move freely.
“Do you want to cross the street?” Armin asked quietly. “It might be safer.”
‘Alan’ took another look behind his shoulder. “Yeah, sure,” he agreed.
They stopped in front of a driveway, looked both ways (Armin caught a glimpse of the stranger still walking, but he was maintaining his distance), and walked across the street. Armin and the other person continued walking down the sidewalk and loudly making random small talk. When they got to another intersection, the stranger was out of sight.
“Thank you so much,” Armin said, meaning it with all his heart. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
The brunet nodded again. That was when Armin realized the emerald-green eyes that were now illuminated by the street lamp. They looked like something from a forgotten dream. Deep, dark, green, and beautiful. Beautiful? And… Now Armin was staring. Why was he staring?
Stop staring!
Armin suddenly found the ground to be quite interesting. His face felt slightly red.
“Umm…” Armin murmured. “Thanks again. I’ll get out of your way.”
A frown formed on the other’s face. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if that guy comes back?”
Armin bit his lower lip. That was a scenario he absolutely did not want to encounter again.
“Then what-“ Armin began.
The brunet cut him off. “I’ll walk you back,” he declared.
Armin blinked at the other person’s suggestion.
“Wait, I can’t ask that of you,” Armin stated when his mind caught up to him. “Then you will be walking back in the dark.”
“Then do you want to stay at my house? My mom and dad are really busy right now, so maybe you could get someone to pick you up?”
Another reasonable option that wasn’t available. His grandfather was the only person at home, and he shouldn’t drive or be out in the dark. His parents? Armin was not in the mood to be thinking about them. They already took away so much of his mental strength.
“No, sorry… that won’t work…” Armin said.
The brunet shrugged. His slight annoyance was showing through. “So let me walk with you?”
Armin tried to protest, but his brain wasn’t working properly. He was exhausted from a long day at school, hours of lab reports, and the heart-stopping encounter.
So he simply nodded and pointed down the street to the left. “I live five minutes down that way.”
‘Alan’ readjusted his plastic bags. “Lead the way.”
Armin did. At first, the walk was silent. The wind rustled in his hair, and the clouds stopped covering the light in the sky. But the silence was broken by Armin’s question.
“I’m assuming your name isn’t Alan, right?” Armin asked with a faint smile.
“No, it’s not. You’re close though,” he said. “It’s Eren.”
“Eren,” Armin repeated, the name rolling off his tongue. “Nice to meet you. I’m Armin.”
“Cool name,” Eren complimented.
Armin smiled to himself. (It must have been exhaustion.) “My grandfather gets the credit; he was the one who named me. And, do you want me to hold a bag?”
“Huh? No, it’s fine,” Eren replied. “You already have a backpack.”
Something in Armin’s mind wanted to argue, but he didn’t. The rational part decided that arguing wasn’t the right decision. So they continued walking down the tranquil street. It was just the two of them. The wind bit against Armin’s nose as it grew stronger. The sounds of the moving leaves filled the darkness. Before Armin knew it, they arrived at his front porch.
“Thank you, again,” Armin said for the fifth time that hour. “I really appreciate it. Sorry for the trouble.”
Eren nodded, accepting his gratitude. “It’s no problem. I’m just glad nothing bad happened.”
Armin wholeheartedly agreed with that statement. He had no idea what he would have done if another person wasn’t there. He also had no idea what would’ve happened to him. (Probably one of his scenarios from his stupidly-scary imagination.) He went up to his front door and unlocked it. Before he entered the safety of his home, he called back for Eren.
“Are you okay with walking to your house?” Armin asked worryingly.
But Eren was already making his way to the sidewalk. Armin watched as the brunet slowly disappeared from his sight. For some reason, Armin wanted to see him again. But he was just a stranger. A kind one at that. And it was simply their time to say goodbye.