Chapter Text
Full Summary:
"A person's true feelings can't be dictated by the amount of time they spend with someone, but rather, how that time is spent."
High school is something everyone goes through, and whether that experience is good or bad, is up to you. The friends you make along the way, the enemies, the bullies, the teachers... a crush? All of these people play an important factor on how someone will make it through their next four years.
Armin Arlert begins his freshman year, alongside his two close friends; Eren Yeager, and Mikasa Ackerman. Both of which, seem to be highly protective over him. Armin, even though he's extremely intelligent, his physical appearance seems to have the bad habit of attracting bullies. Much to his disdain, this leaves his only two friends to protect him from harm.
Mikasa, although as strong as an ox, sometimes forgets to hold back. So, in the rare case that she does get into a brawl, someone would come out bloody. And Eren, who is not quite as strong, is fueled mostly by his anger. Which seems to get him into trouble, more often than not. Because of these facts, the fear of losing his friends, and either of them possibly becoming harmed, Armin is forced to keep many secrets from them. More than he would like to.
Coincidentally, a new student has transferred to Trost High school. And his name; Jean Kirstein. A boy with a troubled past, frightening emotions, and an unbelievably cocky grin split across his face.
Due to a disastrous series of events, Armin and Jean grow closer throughout their school year. (Much to the disgust of Eren.) And somehow, Armin finds himself hiding his true emotions from the other teen. What actually happened in the teenagers troubled pasts? Why can neither boy admit to their true feelings? And, can conflicting emotions split the two apart?
"Somethings are best left unspoken. But, on occasion, the truth must conquer."
~End of Summary~
Chapter one
(The First Day)
Pov: Armin
He stood in front of the closet mirror with a slight frown. Armin wore a gray hoodie and dark jeans, along with a pair of ragged tennis shoes. With hesitation, he pinched his cheek between his index finger and thumb, followed by an agitated sigh. They were far too feminine, too soft, too round. His nose was small, his skin was pale. Armin didn't want that. He didn't want this tiny, frail body. It was useless, completely useless. He was convinced that masculinity was attractive for males his age. Armin flexed his arms and to his disappointment, he was quite the opposite of someone you would describe to be buff.
He snatched the comb off of his counter and attempted to brush his blonde locks back into a small quiff. All the men in the magazines look great with that hairstyle, Armin thought. As he glanced back into the mirror, the boy snickered at his own reflection; a quiff definitely didn't suit him. When he fixed his hair once more each blonde strand fell into place perfectly. Armin's bangs hung down his forehead and barely touched his eyebrows. He's never changed his hairstyle before, and he didn't plan on it.
"The bus will be here any minute now, Armin!" His grandfather sounded from downstairs.
Armin smiled, causing his bright blue eyes to light up cheerfully. Within seconds he had slung his backpack over his shoulder and rushed downstairs to greet his grandfather. His grandfather meant the world to him. The old man was strong, smart, and best of all, his father's dad, the only family Armin had left in this world. His grandfather was his hero, his inspiration, his everything.
"Goodbye, see you after school Grandpa!" Armin grinned, rushing towards the front door.
"Wait, Armin. Are you not going to eat breakfast?" The man's dull blue eyes filled with confusion as he lifted his cane to step forward. "That's why you are so small. You really need to eat more."
"Right, right, I know... But, I really don't have time grandpa." The momentary smile slipped from Armin's lips. He pushed open the door with a sigh before walking across the street and towards the bus stop. The boy knew his grandfather meant well and was just looking after him. But, he couldn't help but let the words get to his head. Was his size really that noticeable?
Armin shook the negative thoughts out of his mind when the bus pulled towards him. As the doors opened, a burly old man was revealed, sitting in the driver's seat. He wore a brown button up uniform, covered in coffee stains.
"Hurry up." The man barked, brushing his fingers through his stiff, gray beard. "I don't have all day ya' know?" Armin nodded politely and stepped onto the awaiting bus; a few more kids arrived and entered after him.
Almost instantly, the boy began looking for his two, and only, friends; Mikasa and Eren. However, they were sitting together, on a two-person per-seat bus. Armin looked around himself and saw an empty seat next to the two of them. He stepped forward to go sit down, only for two other kids to shove past him and take its place. They didn't even apologize...
"Here, Armin." He heard Mikasa say. The short teen turned around to see Mikasa standing up, about to leave her seat. "You can sit here." He shook his head dismissively.
"No it's okay. I have someone else to sit with." Armin smiled reassuringly. Mikasa shrugged her shoulders and sat back down, returning to her previous conversation with Eren. Armin made his way towards the back of the bus, taking the closest empty seat possible.
The blonde didn't really have anyone to sit with like he had said. But, the boy would feel much too guilty if Mikasa moved just for him. So... He sat by himself. The bus lurched forward and Armin grasped the seat in front of him for support, as to not be launched into the aisle.
As he settled back into his seat, Armin reached into his bag, pulling out a book. This was one of his favorites, he's been reading for a while now. It was entitled, "The Great Gatsby." A classic novel.
The bus stopped once more to pick up a few more kids. And once again, Armin clutched to the seat as to not be thrown forward. He chuckled quietly when a few kids behind himself face-planted into the blue seats that filled the bus.
"It's only the first day and some stupid freshman is already taking our seat." A boy scoffed, towering over the small blonde. Armin closed his book slowly and looked up at the black-haired boy. This boy was only a few inches taller than himself. And an ugly sneer was etched across the stranger's face. Armin stood quickly, muttering profuse apologies under his breath. The boy only rolled his eyes, before pushing Armin down into another seat from across the bus aisle. Armin felt his eyes dialate in surprise.
"Just shut up and sit down." A girl spat, taking a seat next to the black-haired bully.
How mature. Armin thought sarcastically.
Armin put his book away with a frown; he's already being picked on, and on the first day no less...
The blonde looked over his shoulder to see someone was already sitting in the seat that he was pushed into. The student he sat next to was staring out the window, they had an undercut and light brown bangs hung over thier eyes. Armin looked closer and noticed this boy had earbuds in. So, he must not of noticed, or heard, what had happened. Armin tapped on the boy's shoulder to get his attention.
"I-Is it okay if I sit here?" He asked when the stranger turned his head slightly. He had a somewhat long nose and a sharp jaw line. The boy was handsome, strong, obviously athletic, perhaps best described as Armin's complete opposite. His eyes were an odd shade of golden-brown and narrowed slightly.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's cool." The boy replied, turning his gaze back towards the window. And then, Armin exhaled nervously. The boy next to him seemed quite handsome. But, Armin wasn't interested in a relationship, nor was he cut out for one. The blonde somewhat believed that he wasn't interesting enough for that sort of thing...
The bus halted to a stop, and once again everyone around Armin slammed against their seats. Except for Armin of course, unlike the others, he learned quickly from experience.
The bus driver obviously didn't know how to use the brakes properly.
Armin stood up hastily, rushed off of the bus, and made his way towards the school's entrance. Students piled into the front doors of Trost high school, pushing Armin out of the way with ease. With an unnoticeable snarl the small blonde pushed through the mass of students and walked towards the office. An old woman greeted him at the front desk.
"Name and grade, please?" She asked, shuffling through a large stack of paperwork. Armin stepped forward nervously.
"Armin Arlert, grade nine, mam." He spoke, peeking at his watch, classes started in five minutes.
"Here you are." The lady smiled, handing Armin his schedule. He took it from her hand gently. "Classrooms 1-10 are down the far left hall; classrooms 11-19 are down the far right hall." She continued on.
"Thank you." Armin grinned, looking for his first period class on the sheet of paper. The woman watched him gleefully.
"If you get lost, don't be afraid to ask someone, young lady." She commented, typing away at her computer. Armin felt his cheeks grow bright pink. This wasn't the first time someone mistook him for the wrong gender. It was very frustrating to say the least.
"Actually, I'm not a-" The bell rang, giving him no time to tell her differently. "Goodbye!" He finished, rushing out of the office.
If he was late on the first day, during the first class period no less, that would definitely draw unwanted attention towards him. And that was the last thing he wanted.
Armin scrolled through his schedule and found his first hour class. Art 1, room 1.
***
He was the first one in the Art room that hour. The room consisted of eight large tables, with stools seated next to them. The teacher's desk sat at the back of the classroom next to a large window, which allowed a bright stream of light to cascade inside. Armin sat on a stool that was close enough for the teacher to see him, but not so close that he seemed like a teacher's pet. That was something he always subconsciously worried about...
Armin looked around the class to see if he had any friends in this period. Unfortunately, Eren and Mikasa didn't have this class with him.
A few more students walked in as the blonde took out his sketchbook to pass the time. And soon after, the bell rang, signaling the start of the class. All of the seats were filled, except for one.
Did someone really not come to school? On the first day? Armin thought.
"Hello everyone, My name is Mr. McGuire." A gravelly voice spoke, walking into the classroom. Armin turned around to see a somewhat chubby man walk in. He was wearing a white polo, dress pants, and a light brown jacket. The man had thin, dark hair and a matching goatee. "And Because your last Art 1 teacher was fired for stealing the art supplies, you have to try to put up with me now. Good luck."
Armin already liked this new teacher. He didn't seem too bad, and had a sense of humor. Somehow, the boy knew he would enjoy this class.
"Because it's the first day of school, we'll be-"
The creak of the classroom door opening and closing erupted inside the quiet classroom, followed by shuffling feet. Armin looked up just in time to see someone slide into their stool causing a loud, obnoxious screech to fill the room. With a frown, Armin inspected the late arrival. He had light brown hair, a long nose, golden-brown eyes, and a cocky smirk. It's the boy from the bus; he's almost five minutes late! Armin thought, looking down at his watch.
"You're late." The teacher stated, his gaze fixated on the brown-haired boy. "What's your name?"
"Jean Kirstein, Sir. Sorry 'bout that; it won't happen again."
"I guess It's fine since it's your first day at Trost." Mr. McGuire mumbled. "Just don't let it happen again."
Jean? Armin thought. That's a nice name. He must be a new student.
"Sure thing." Jean replied, mockingly saluting the man. The teacher rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the class.
"As I was saying, It's your first day, so I guess... Do whatever you feel like doing, as long as it is art related." Armin nodded, and continued sketching away on his paper. He wanted to draw the ocean. Even more so, he wanted to add color to it, he hasn't painted in a while. The blonde flipped through his old drawings until he found one of the ocean that he liked. His sketches of the ocean took up most of his notebook... Armin copied the drawing down, fixed a few errors, and stood up to grab some watercolors.
Just then, his eyes made contact with Jean's while he pushed in his stool.
Was he staring at me? Ah... he must have been spacing off... Armin chuckled to himself. He pulled open a drawer marked: "Water Paints" and grabbed a blue-green palette. Armin brushed his bangs out of the way and tucked them behind his ears. He felt ridiculous doing that, but he couldn't paint with hair in his face. After picking up a paint brush, paper towel and a cup of water, he turned around to go back to his seat. Everything was going smoothly...
So far, so good.
Suddenly, the boy felt something wet slam into his chest, causing him to drop all the supplies. Light blue paint began to trickle down his hoodie, soaking into his clothes. The blonde grimaced regretfully.
And then, he lifted his eyes, meeting the gaze of a girl who had her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was holding a flat paint tray with an eerie smile stretched across her cheeks. She had small pink lips, and dull blue eyes, one of which were covered by her long bangs. The girl seemed agitated for some reason... Why? Armin thought to himself, She's not the one with paint all over her.
"Watch where you're going." She snarled, pushing Armin back a bit. Armin lowered his gaze as he took a step backwards. The girl leaned closer and whispered a threat into his ear. "Stay away from the new kid... he's mine."
"Annie, please stop talking." Their teacher grumbled, "Your voice annoys me..." The man pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Armin, you're excused to use the restroom."
Annie huffed, returning to her seat. Armin watched sadly as a few girls gave her celebratory high-fives, giggling quietly. Had she planned to dump paint all over him? He exited the classroom quickly with tears forming in the corner of his eyes, but he willed them away.
Despite his extreme embarrassment Armin refused to cry over something as silly as that. Even if a really hot guy, (who may or may not be named Jean) witnessed the whole ordeal. Armin rushed towards the boys bathroom, hoping to wash off the paint before it dried. But a voice yelling, "Hey!" stopped him from entering.
"Excuse me what do you think you are doing?" A man said from behind him. Armin looked up at the very...tall... man through the corner of his eye. This man had perfectly combed blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes. He was the principal of Trost High school. He stood with confidence and spoke clearly; much unlike Armin...
"The girl's restroom is down that hall." The principal said, pointing behind himself. Armin's face burned into a bright shade of red whilst his shoulders slouched downwards.
"I'm not a girl." Armin protested, turning around to fully face the man. In reaction, the Principal squinted and he tilted his head sideways.
"Oh, it's you, the Arlert boy. I thought you were Krista Lenz! ...I apologize. Erm, C-carry on." The principle muttered, before backing away awkwardly and turning down the hall. With a frustrated growl Armin marched into the restroom and grabbed multiple paper towels. How could his own principle not know he was a boy!?
"I'm not a girl!" Armin growled pounding his fist into the sink. A sharp throb traveled through his wrist and up his arm. "Ow! Ow, ow, ow..." He cradled his now throbbing hand into his chest. Armin gritted his teeth together, and calmed his anger before attempting to scrub his now paint-covered hoodie.
"I hope this isn't acrylic..." Armin mumbled, taking the hoodie off completely. He set the piece of clothing on the sink's ledge before sighing in frustration.
Armin gazed at his reflection in the dirty bathroom mirror scrutinizing each detail of his face. His button nose, his pink lips, his puffy cheeks, his blonde hair, his blue eyes, his long eyelashes; down to the very last detail. He really didn't look too much like a girl, but if someone just glanced at him, they could easily be confused, or mistaken.
The receptionist at the office must not have good vision, she is old after all. Armin told himself. And the Principle, he is much taller than me, so he may not have gotten a good look at my face before saying that. He was also looking at me from behind, and I guess my hair is getting pretty long... And Annie? Well, she's just rude... Armin put on his now wet hoodie and sighed, attempting to dab it dry with more paper towels.
What did Armin do to make that Annie girl so annoyed? He could still remember how she stared at him with an unreadable expression and narrowed eyes. Was she upset that Jean was looking at him? It couldn't be that, could it? ...Armin wasn't ready for a relationship anyways, he found them to be much too distracting. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but wonder if Jean and Annie could ever be a couple. The thought alone caused an unexplained wave of jealousy to wash over him.