Armin ran up the porch and was about to knock on the door, then realizing that I had told him he was free to just come in. He creaked open the door with hesitation. "Y/N, it's me. Armin," he called out from the darkness. "Hey," I replied. "You're not sleeping?" he asked, sounding concerned. "No, I can't sleep," I told him. He sat down on the bed, beside me. "Are you feeling okay?" he inquired.

"No. I don't feel good."

He lay down beside me and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist. Shivers ran up my spine and I could feel the hairs on my body standing up.

"What's wrong, Y/N?"

"Nothings wrong."

He rested his head on my back. "Tell me. I wanna listen," he urged. "I'm feeling really conflicted between times if that makes any sense at all. I wanna be with you in this time but I also have people that I miss from my time. I can't stay in both, that's just not possible. It's hard because I feel like I see myself having a future here and yet home is 1500 years away. If I stayed and built a life here, I couldn't just bring my family back. This is a world that I've come to love and it would be unfair to ask the people I love to pick up everything and leave to come here. It would be just as unfair to ask you to pack up and live with me in my time for the rest of your life, as well," I explained. "Oh. Well, you should choose your family. You've developed more of a sustainable relationship with them rather than what you have with me. I'm not enough reason to stay, nor should I be a reason to question staying here. You have to go back to your time at some point. That will happen. I've already faced that fact, albeit I don't like it," he told me.

"No Armin, I really care about you. Why don't you get that? You have a lot of significance in people's lives and you need to realize that."

"You care about me?"

"Yes. I've already said that before. That's why it's hard to choose. Try picking sides between people you care about," I cried. "Y-Y/N, please don't cry. It– it hurts me to see you so sad," he said.

"I-I'm not crying."

I wiped away my existing tears and turned over to face him. He looked sad. I put my hand on his cheek and rubbed it with my thumb. "It's okay. That's not a decision I need to make right now so I shouldn't have brought it up. Right now is us at this moment. That's all we need to focus on," I told him.

"Oh, okay. Please don't leave yet. I know it's selfish of me to say this but I don't want you to leave me."

"Why? What do you mean?"

"W-Well, nevermind. It's nothing. Forget I said anything. I shouldn't have said that."

"Armin, I thought we were closer than that. Just tell me, I'm not going to judge you. I just want to understand what's going on in your head right now. That's important to me."

He covered his face and muffled out a few words.

"But you'll think I'm creepy and weird."

"No, I won't, I promise," I reassured him. "W-Well, um, I just wanted you to be my first for everything. I mean, you were my first kiss and I just want you to be my first. I know that's so selfish but I was talking to Eren earlier about when you kissed me and he told me that I was lucky to have found someone I really like because most people here won't, which is true. I don't want to be just another solider that dies in combat never having loved someone, or experienced life with someone. There's something really special about you and I'm so fortunate to have met you. God, I'm sorry this all sounds so overwhelming and creepy, I never know when to shut up," he rambled. "No that's not weird I get it. I'm really happy you wanted it to be me. I, to be honest, want you to be my first for everything too. You have a special place in my heart and I'd love to keep things that way with you," I responded.

"Really? Why me?"

"Why not you? You're really sweet and caring, you listen to me, you're cute. Everything about you is seemingly perfect in my opinion."

"N-No! Please don't say that, Y/N. I'm not all tall and muscular a-and brave like those other guys. Wouldn't you rather be with someone like Eren? Or, maybe Jean or Reiner?"

"Don't say that. Please don't think that you're anything less than perfect. I love you. Not anyone else. You're exactly who I want."

"W-W-Why-W-"

Armin started to cry. "Why are you so nice to me? I don't understand. I'm not the ideal looking boy and there's nothing special about me. I feel like none of this can be real like I don't understand how someone like you could love someone like me," he wept.

"It's because I love you, Armin. And I know I haven't said that before but I'm choosing to now because I mean it."

I gave him a hug. This conversation quickly switched from me crying to him crying. I truly am a terrible person but I just wanted him to know how perfect he was. His birthday was that week. I wanted to plan for it so that I could make it special. After all, the boy deserved it.