I skipped dinner that night, to stay with Armin. There was no way I'd ever let a thing like that happen to him again. I felt terrible enough as is for letting him go in the first place. It was my fault it happened, and he must have been in so much pain. It was late, probably around one or two in the morning. You were sleeping. We were sleeping in the same bed. Earlier, I'd had a conversation with him about touch. I explained to him that I didn't want to touch him in any way that would remind him of what happened or make him uncomfortable, because of what happened. I told him I wanted to know what his current comfort levels were, I didn't want to assume them. He replied to me that he was okay with everything we were doing before. Armin said that he wanted us to be normal and that my touch was comforting to him. I was glad to hear that. As for anything sexual, that was out of the question. I didn't even ask him about it because I had no plans on being that way with him for a long time. Not until he was ready, if he ever would be again. 

As I said before, it was late. There was a light tap on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and groaned. "S-Sorry Y/N..." Armin apologized. "No it's fine. What's up?" I asked, turning over to face him. 

"U-Um, I can't sleep. Could you draw on my back or something? Please? I understand if you're too tired."

"No, don't worry, I'm not. Turn over," I told him. He cautiously, shakily, pushed himself up onto his forearms, trying to turn over. He winced in pain, tears already quickly forming in the corners of his eyes. "You okay?" I whispered through the darkness. Armin squeezed his eyes shut. "Yes, I, um... I just still hurt a bit," he explained. I said he should take it easy and that I could help him if he needed me to. He nodded and finally turned over, grunting when he lay back down. He was in a lot more pain then he was showing. He was like a prey animal in the wild, by instinct, always trying to hide any evidence of hurt to stay safe and look strong. "There," he croaked. I lightly traced invisible lines all over his bare back with my pointer finger. After maybe ten or fifteen minutes I said, "If there's anything else I can do for you, anything at all, just wake me up. Okay?" "S-Sure," he agreed, "thankyou, Y/N."

Armin closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, then out. Even breathing hurt, but he didn't want me to know that. Armin didn't want my pity. He just wanted to be treated like he was strong, for once. Finally, after about an hour or so he fell asleep. Thank God. I propped myself up with an elbow and looked to see if Armin was awake. "Armin?" I whispered. There was no response, just the sound of our breathing. I was so glad he was sleeping. His body seriously needed the rest. I lay back down and slung an arm around his upper body, then closing my eyes.

It was morning. I suddenly woke up to a knock at the cabin door. By the amount of light outside, I guessed it was around five or six in the morning. I sat up and looked over at Armin. He was still sleeping and I wanted to keep him that way. I crawled over him as another knock appeared at the door. They're gonna wake him up, it frustrated me. I wondered who was there, so early in the morning. I walked across the cool wooden floor, then opened the door. It was Eren. As you tried closing it on him he stepped in and held it open. "What?" I whispered angrily. He had some nerve. 

"Would you please let me talk to Armi–"

"Not a chance. Get out," I interrupted. "Please?" he begged. 

"You're not in any position to demand. Leave before I remove you by force or call someone to get you."

Eren looked down at his rapidly tapping feet and whined, "could I at least talk to you?"

I just wanted him to leave. I wanted to hop back into bed with Armin and sleep. On top of that, I desperately hoped that Armin wouldn't wake up to Eren. "Fine, you've got five minutes," I told him. Eren walked out of the cabin and I followed, closing the door behind myself. "What?" I said a bit louder than anticipated.

"I-I don't know..."

"Stop wasting my time."

"I'm sorry, I don't know I just... I kind of wanted to tell you what happened," he said. I knew what happened, it didn't take him telling me to understand. "Sure, like any excuses are going to change anything," I snarled. He begged me to listen, looking very serious. I sat down, resting my back on the cabin's exterior wall. Eren sat down across from me. "I know nothing I say will change the way you think of me but I just want you to know the truth," Eren said sincerely. "And that would be?" I snapped harshly. Eren looked down at his fingers.

"You probably don't believe me but I didn't come up with the idea, that was Jean. I just foolishly went along with it thinking it would all be okay. I didn't think we'd actually go through with anything-"

His voice cracked, interrupting his sentence, and tears began rolling down his face.

"I just wanted my best friend back..."

I had never seen Eren like that before. Regardless, even if I did believe what he was saying, I'd never forgive him for what he did. It didn't matter whose idea it was, they were both a part of it. Eren sniffled and whipped away his reappearing tears. "Sorry..." he sniffled, "This is probably even more unbelievable than my story. Could you just please tell Armin that I'm really, really sorry?" I told him I wouldn't. It was audacious for him to even request something like that. "Let's not forget what happened before yesterday. I know about the stimulant you put in his water. You don't know the hell you put him through with that. This didn't start with what happened yesterday. You have a cruel, evil tendency and the fact that you would do things like that to your best friend, of all people, is the evilest part. It's disgusting. You should be so ashamed of yourself. When you're mad at your friend you get in a fight or you ignore each other, you don't drug and rape them. Are you fucking mental?" I hissed. I was so angry. I was done with the conversation. 

As I was about to get up and leave, the cabin's door opened. Armin sleepily walked out and onto the porch, rubbing his eyes. "Y/N?" he mumbled. I got up and stood in front of him, praying he wouldn't notice Eren. Eren's heart broke when he saw Armin. He noticed the bruising and blood on Armin's ankles and wrists, the ghastly look on his face. He couldn't believe his best friend had to be protected from himself. Once Armin acknowledged that Eren was there, he took hold of my shoulders. "W-What's going on?" he stuttered. "Nothing. Eren was just going," I assured him. Eren got up and walked down the porch. "Y-Yeah. Hey Armin, I'm really sorry," he apologized. Eren walked away quickly, hoping that Armin wouldn't see him crying. I stood at the doorway and watched Eren walk far out of sight. I wanted to make sure he was gone. "Why was he here?" Armin asked, startled. I turned around and held his cold little hands.

"He just came to give me some bullshit excuses and apologies for you."

"O-Oh, well you could have woken me. I have some stuff I'd like to ask him," Armin said. "I don't really want you around him Armin. He's not a good person. How could you even want to talk to him after what he's done to you?" I said. 

"I don't know, I just really want to ask him something. It's important. Could you maybe let me talk to him today? I don't really want to go out and do much today, but I'd at least like to have a conversation with him. I have a lot on my mind that I need to get out."

I really didn't want him around Eren. I wasn't planning letting him get hurt again, but I mean, they were best friends. He probably had some stuff to finish off with him. "F-Fine, but only if I'm at a watching distance," I insisted. Armin agreed with my suggestion. He shook my hand and smiled. "You feeling better at all?" I asked. 

"Nope," he giggled, then coughing. "I think I'm getting a cold," he stated. 

"Probably."

I smiled back at him warmly.