In Arminâs eyes, you are the epitome of beauty. If asked, he wouldnât be able to place his favorite feature of yours, he just loved them all. Your bright smile, especially when paired with that captivating laughter, your eyes which sparkle with what he can only describe as twinkling stars, because you were just ethereal like that to him. He adores them all, he adores you.
If only he was brave enough to tell you that, to express just how strongly he feels towards you. Rather than always appreciating you from a distance and yearning like a pathetic man. The sad reality is he is a pathetic man, one lost in love for you.
He canât even come up to you, stand before you, much less form words and exchange them with you. When his daydreams comprise of that, talking with you, maybe even making you laugh. He would give anything to have you smile at him, to be the cause of your happiness.
Alas, he is only able to see you living your life blissfully unaware of his pinning, watching you with dreamy eyes as you converse with others or do your own thing in class and around campus.
âYouâre staring again.â The amused voice of Eren pointed out from where he sat beside Armin. The pair were meant to be studying, Armin having to physically drag Eren out of his dorm room to the library.
âWhat? No Iâm not.â Armin lied, knowing very well his friend would not buy it. He looked down at the book he had previously been skimming through but was still paying it no mind. âSure, and I actually aced that chem test.â He got as a snark reply, accompanied by an eye roll.
Arminâs eyes quickly darted to where youâre sat for a last look before looking to his friend.
At a table in the far left from where he sits, you look concentrated as you turn the page of a textbook he wonders the subject of.
âCâmon man, if you like her that much just go up to her and try your luck, the worse she can say is no.â Eren shrugged, pushing aside his books to rest his hands on the table, giving Armin his full attention.
âI can think of a ton of worse things that she can say or do right off the top of my head. And I doubt sheâd ever even give me the time of day to talk to her, much less a chance.â Armin muttered, pushing his glasses up his nose bridge.
âYou miss all of the shots you donât take, and even if she were to subject you to nightmare level humiliation, people will laugh sure, but theyâll also forget about it soon enough. And youâd be able to move on instead of constantly pinning over her like a lovestruck fool.â Eren told, tired of his blonde friendâs longing.
âYouâre right⌠maybe I should try talking to her. But I donât think Iâll be able to just walk up to her, maybe I should try texting her online?â Armin reasoned, his mind conjuring up ways that would give him good results but also minimal blow if things were to fallout.
âOh no no no, no. Trust me, unless sheâs the one who gives you her socials, youâd just be coming off as some weird, perverse guy who went through god knows what to get her socials and probably just wants to sleep with her.â The green-eyed ever supportive friend of his criticized, Arminâs shoulders fallen under the discouragement.
âIs it really that bad of an option?â He mused, eyebrows furrowing as he thought of another way. âI donât know for a fact, but I like assume so.â Eren shrugged, a complete mirror to Arminâs turmoil.
âWell I canât talk to her here in the library. I donât want to bother her studying and I wouldnât want to cause a commotion for when she rejects me. Iâll do so some other time.â Armin reasoned, or rather, stalled.
âAnd what time is that?â Eren groans out. Armin muttering out an âI donât know.â After a short pause.
Eren let his head fall onto his arms on the table. âSure man, sure.â His voice muffled voice sounded.
The next time Armin is to find you unoccupied comes soon enough, just a few days after his library talk with Eren. Although he spent the past days trying to build enough confidence to approach you time be, being faced with an opportunity instantly makes it all dissolve.
You looked very pretty, dressed casually as you typically did, yet it was so stylishly you. Youâre sat on a bench under the shade of a tree, scrolling mindlessly on your phone. He guesses that youâre awaiting your next class.
With a deep breath and Erenâs encouring words replaying in his mind, he takes steps towards you, slow and nervous. Fighting with himself to not back away the multiple times he considers doing so before finally reaching you.
âUhm hey.â He says, voice nervous and low you didnât even hear him at first. Poor thing almost cried of embarrassment right that instant as he had to repeat himself with a louder tone. He successfully gained your attention then as you looked up at him. âHi?â
Your voice sounded slightly confused yet still polite. Itâs as though you were trying to decipher where you knew him from without coming off as mean, or maybe you were questioning why he had the audacity to walk up to you but decided to let him explain himself. He surely hoped it was the first.
âDo I know you?â You continued, watching him as he stands a few feet away from the bench, seemingly stuck in a hesitant silence.
âI donât think so, Iâm Armin, I share a few classes with you.â He breathed out, putting on a small smile in an attempt to not appear off-putting. He saw the moment your eyes lit up in recognition. âOh yeah, I remember seeing you around. Whatâs up?â You spoke, voice more light than earlier, a smile forming on your lips. One that almost killed him right then and there.
âI know I may come off as a bit standoffish but I was hoping I could get your phone number?â He barely managed to say, using all of the will power he has to maintain conversation without turning into a stuttering mess.
âMy number? Why?â You question, with a barely noticeable tilt of the head, and he considers just running off, giving up and starting the attempt at letting go of whatever feelings he has for you. But he wouldnât be able to forgive himself if he did so, and he was finally talking to you!
âHonestly youâre very pretty, and if you donât have a boyfriend I would love to get to know you?â He let out, pushing himself to get his intentions off his chest and out in the open. Like Eren had said, the earlier he would confess to you, the earlier he would start trying to move on were you to reject him.
It seems you were considering what he said over the few seconds you took to reply, your eyes drifting as you properly take him in. He prays in his heart that you decide heâs worthy enough to be given a chance.
âWhat did you say your name was again?â You ask, and at that moment he braces himself for it. The loud, embarrassing rejection that would have him laughed at and talked about for days. âArmin.â He quietly told you, eyes falling to the grassy ground.
âArmin.â You repeat, seemingly testing the name on your tongue. âSure then, give me your phone.â You continue, making his eyes blow wide and his mind barely processing your words as he fumbled to retrieve his phone from his jeans pocket, unlock it, and hand it over to you.
He watches in disbelief as you key in your number, saving up your contact with your name. You give him a quick smile as you handed back the phone, his hand taking it with a slight tremor he hopes you donât notice. The fact his fingers touched yours right now is something he chooses to dwell on later, not only to save face but to also maintain whatâs left of his dignity.
âText me.â You tell him, something simple yet it managed to alter his brain chemistry. âI have to get to my next class now, Iâll see you around.â You continue, and he manages a âYeah, see you around.â Before heâs watching you walk away. Your figure getting farther with every step you take as he remained there, frozen in place, unable to believe everything that just happened was real.
Armin clutched his phone, he could not wait to text you later, and he would be sure to not mess up this one chance youâve given him, for his dreams were finally becoming a reality.