I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Hey, Y/N..." Armin began, "C-Can I talk to you?" "Of course you can. You already are," I giggled. Armin didn't seem to enjoy my joking around. His expression was quite serious.

"I really need to talk to someone... a-about everything that's just occurred."

You sat up and patted a spot beside you; on the couch. Armin sat down and you held his hands.

"Go ahead, you can tell me anything."

You said kindly. Armin sighed.

"I know... thanks."

"No problem. So, what's on your mind?"

"A lot. It's all too much. I really don't know what to do with myself anymore. I'm just lost... I don't know who I'm friends and not friends with, or who I can trust. I feel all sorts of terrible feelings inside, and those were in my journal."

"What kinds of feelings?"

"All the bad ones..."

"Like?"

"Anger, sadness, loneliness.... even pervertedness. That's what everyone read... my p-perverted side... it's horrible. I wrote some of the worst things thinkable in there, and they read it."

"Things like what?"

"I can't say those... even to you. I'm sorry."

"It's fine..."

"I-I'm just so scared of how they think of me now. As if I was already awkward enough but now they've seen a whole other side of me."

"Maybe they won't think it's bad? It couldn't be as terrible as you've described it. You exaggerate. Besides, they'll probably like it, all boys your age are perverts."

"No but it's seriously it's deranged. I don't even know what was wrong with me when I thought up the ideas. They'll all hate me. I can't show my face around there anymore."

"Don't say that. I promise that nobody hates you-"

"You know two people who hate me. Don't lie."

"They don't count."

"They're people too. They also hate me. Therefore making it count. Gosh, I don't even know why I was born. I'm such a screw up. I manage to do just about everything wrong."

Armin lay down, resting his head on your lap.

"I just feel sick inside Y/N. I always have. I don't know how to feel anything different, and I hate it."

You twirled Armins hair with your fingers.

"I'm sorry. I wish you didn't feel like that. I don't like when you're not feeling good. It makes me sad seeing you like this."

"Don't be sad Y/N."

The two of you sat in silence for a few minutes. You played with Armins hair and he, being Armin, lay on your lap trying suppress his emotions. It was truly hard.

"Y/N please let me stay here. Please let me escape my horrible reality. I can't take it anymore."

"Armin I don't know what to say. You can't stay here forever."

"Why not?"

"You know exactly why I can't let you stay."

"For the billionth time! Nobody will miss me! Problem solved!"

Should I tell him the truth?

"That's not the only reason why."

"Why!? What else is there!?"

He snapped. It's too early. I can't do this. Not when he's already in this state of mind.

"N-never-mind, forget I said anything."

"Okay.... listen Y/N, I'm sorry for getting mad at you. It was wrong and I was out of place."

"It's fine. No need to apologize, I get it. You don't want to go back because you think you'll be humiliated."

"Exactly."

"You won't. Even if you do then it's okay. You can't hide from your problems forever."

"Well it sounds like a good idea to me."

"It isn't. You need to learn how to socialize and how to deal with tough times."

"But I don't want too... I wanna be a kid, I want to be shielded and protected by someone who actually cares about me. I want to stay with you Y/N, you protect me, and you don't judge me. I want the parent I never had..."

He looked up at you with sadness in his eyes.

"O-Oh but I'm not saying you're my parent or anything! Just someone who loves me and takes care of me- no. Not take care- help?"

"I get it. No need to elaborate. You wanna be the kid you never were. That's fine. Go for it. I'll give you love, and care, and protection- well, I already am..."

You giggled, and he softly chuckled back, then ending with a cough.

"I think I'm getting sick."

"Probably a cold. That's why you don't lay out in the freezing weather."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It was pretty dumb of me huh? I get sick so easily. Back before you came I was sick for pretty much the whole year. Every time I got better I'd just end up getting something new."

You sighed.

"Well I'm here to prevent that."

"Thanks."

Armin coughed and wheezed. You rubbed his back.

"You sure it's just a cold? Sounds a bit rough."

"Yeah it is. Don't worry. I get these all the time."