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How had this happened again? I clench my paper in my hands, the edges crumpling beneath the iron grip I had on it. I had spent so much time studying, working on this. I shut down the thought of marching up to the professor and screaming at him. Stuffing the paper in my bag aggressively, I look up towards the front of the class. I pull my notepad out, figuring that perhaps taking notes digitally are putting me at a disadvantage. Before I can stop myself, my eyes wonder to the familiar blonde hair who is also near the front. Armin was already looking at me, a small smile on his face.
That smug piece of shit-! I scowled and looked back at the professor who was now teaching from the slides. I furiously scribbled every detail this moron was babbling about to us. For Irene’s sake this was a history class. It’s not like the material can change, so how the hell did Armin score higher than me? My grip on my pencil is deathly, I’m not used to being second in my class. I came second to none when it came to my grades, because I take my career seriously.
I sit there, silently seething the entire lecture. My lead snaps from my pencil more times than I have patience for. Thankful this god-awful class was over; I slam my notepad shut. I’m standing up, throwing my backpack over my shoulder. Armin was in front of me when I looked back up. “Hey, you did really good on the exam. You should be proud.” He gave one of his small smiles. The thought only made me want to punch him in the face.
Every time this bastard does better than me, he makes sure to rub it in like this. I glance at the exam list at the front of the classroom. My sour mood reflects on my face as I glare at him. “Clearly. What do you want Armin.” My voice came out flat, my question sounded more like a demand. His face falters for a moment, and he takes a second to study my face. When his eyes return to mine, my arms cross at my impatience and honestly because I didn’t like the guy.
“I just thought I would offer to be your study buddy if you would like… You know, to beat me in the exam marks and-“I cut him off, clearly pissed.
“Excuse me?” I step towards him. He’s got about a head and a few inches on me, but that doesn’t stop him from taking a step back. “You think I want to study with the very person I’m trying to beat?” If looks could kill, I’m sure I could make him keel over right now. “I’m not sure what about me gave you the idea that you could offer this, but whatever it was you need to rethink it right now. The only way I would study with you is if hell froze over.”
Armin’s shock is fully registered on his face, his mouth slightly open. Whatever he was expecting me to say, it wasn’t this. I see the hurt in his eyes start to surface, but I don’t stick around for that. How dare he pity me? The nerve he’s got when he’s the whole reason I’m in this predicament. If he truly wanted to help, he would fall off the face of the planet. “Holy shit dude…” I hear one of his friends, Eren I think, says to him. I’m already out of the door and walking out of the building. There’s more reason other than just my grades why I can’t stand Armin Arlert.
Last semester, I was working as a TA for my anatomy class, a requirement to get a nursing internship. I almost had it in my grasp when Armin joined as a TA in the last six weeks and got the internship before me. He had given me that same “sincere” smile back then too, even had the nerve to apologize. Saying something, “Sorry for taking your internship, not even I knew they were going to actually pick me.” He had scratched the back of his head and avoided eye contact. “Go to hell.” I had mumbled before storming off.
That internship was my ticket for early access into the program, but now I had to wait another year entirely. I remembered I vowed to destroy him like he had swooped in and destroyed my opportunity. Yet here I was, still lacking behind him again. What the hell did he have that I didn’t? Or what was it he had that I couldn’t make up for? I kicked a rock on my path in anger on my way back to my dorm. I cursed silently when it instantly bruised my toes.
I cursed Armin in my head again. I was convinced this was somehow his fault too. I swiped my ID card to my dorm building and got into the elevator. I pulled my phone out and noticed I had several messages from my roommates. Hitch was rambling about some party going on this weekend and Historia was hyping her up. Great.
I rolled my eyes and tucked my phone into the back pocket of my jeans as I walked out of the elevator. It wasn’t that I hated parties, in fact I enjoyed the distraction from everyday life and stress. However, I couldn’t get ahead anymore if I didn’t put my studies first. I knew they would both hound me regardless, I haven’t been out with them in ages. They refused to let it die down either. Pulling my keys from my bag, I stop at the door down the hallway and unlock it.
As soon as I’m stepping into our kitchen, I see them both jump from the couch in the living room. I internally sigh as Historia runs over to me. “Did you see our texts? Are you coming? You know it’s going to be great; everyone is supposed to be there.” I plop my bag down by a chair and stroll over to the cabinet to grab a cup. “Yes… I saw it all in the group chat.” I grumbled. Hitch walks over, or rather, slides over in her socks and stops only when she crashes into Historia.
“The hell Hitch?” Historia smacks her arm. Hitch says nothing, watching me poor myself a cup of juice. It helped my kidneys and bladder, a medical condition causing strain on them. I can tell she’s observing me, and I swear I can sense her sarcasm before the words spill from her mouth. “Leave her alone Ria, can’t you tell she just got back from a fight with her boyfriend.” Hitch teases. Historia freezes and turns back to me. “Wait, you got your exams back today? How did you do?”
I scoff and toss the plastic cup into the sink, putting the juice back in the fridge. “Not good enough.” I replied simply. I wasn’t even going to respond to Hitch’s childish tactics to get me riled. Historia looks at me with a sad look. “Aww I’m sorry, you’ll beat him next time!” She tries to comfort, wrapping an arm over my shoulder. I just roll my eyes, but I give her a small smile, grateful she’s trying to cheer me up in her own way. Whether it works or not is a different story. I know I will only be satisfied when I claw my way to the top and crush his goody two shoes smile under my heel.
“Thanks, the only way I can improve is if I study though.” I respond, trying to subtly reject her questions about me going to that party in a few days. The reaction is instant, Historia’s face turns down in a pout. “Oh, come on, the girl is practically begging.” Hitch chimes in, moving to my other side and throwing her arm across my shoulder, trapping me between them. I sigh.
“I’m sorry, I just can’t. If I don’t make impressive marks, there’s no way the nursing program will accept me.” I reply, trying to move from them. Hitch’s grip stops me, and she gives me a disapproving look. “Listen, I admire you for how well you do, really I do.” Hitch starts. “But I’ve watched you shut yourself in and stress over this guy’s intelligence. It’s not healthy. Plus, you do so well everywhere else, I’m sure the nursing program would already be satisfied with that.” She lectures, while Historia eagerly nods along.
“It’s just a night to clear your mind of this stress. It might help you.” Historia chimes in. I sigh again. Like I said, it’s not like I don’t want to go get wasted and forget I’m a student. That being said, I can’t overlook the 8-point advantage Armin had on me on today’s exam results. I groan and rub my face. “Guys… I don’t think I can…” I finally answer them. I hear a sad sigh from the both of them. They move away from me.
“Fine.” Hitch says, moving open the hallway behind her. “Go lock yourself away from society and slave away over your notes.” I shoot her a pointed look as I pick up my bag. “Jeez guys It’s Tuesday and my next exam is this Thursday. I’m sorry but it takes priority.” I replied, walking past them into my room. I close the door behind me, grateful for the small space I have for myself. My bed is against the furthest wall, by my arched window. My desk sits next to it and my closet is by my door. I place my bag by my desk and pull out my laptop and notebook.
For the next two days I repeated the cycle of mercilessly studying for hours for my upcoming exam. Of course, this doesn’t pass without teasing from Hitch and pleads from Historia. I just politely shoot them down and lock myself away in my room. Class lectures continue as usual, and I catch the occasional glance from Armin. Probably hurt I don’t fall for the same nice act everyone else is enamored with. Doesn’t stop me from shooting glares at the back of his neck when he looks away. Thursday comes and goes, along with the exam and I’ve learned to cope with the new anxiety that comes with them.
Or rather the expectation to surpass Armin that comes with them. Friday morning, I’m sitting in that stupid history lecture, watching the professor pull the stack of exams from his bag. Typically, he puts a list on the board with scores and names, but not this time. He gives some half-assed excuse about being too busy with getting the actual grades done to do it this time. Whatever, I’ll find out either way. My leg is bouncing, and I swear I’m sweating even with the constantly freezing temperature they set this classroom too.
The moment of truth comes as he passed me an exam. I don’t even hear him as he gives his bullshit congratulations and moves on. I flipped my exam over and see I’ve got a nearly perfect score of 97. I almost leap with excitement. It’s like I said, history itself isn’t hard, the material literally doesn’t change. However, this professor is hard ass and loves to take points for even the slightest mistakes. I dampen my excitement however, as I haven’t seen Armin’s grade.
The entire lecture is so agonizingly slow. I barely take any good notes, and instead, chew gums to shreds. The looming fear that Armin as somehow bested me again slowly suffocates me as the lecture bores on and on. Finally, the sweet sound of the professor wishing us a good weekend hits my ears. I jumped from my seat; my bag was already packed and all but ran over to Armin’s table. He jumps as my hand slams the surface before him.
“What did you make?” I asked, staring down at him. My hair falls on the side of my face, Armin looking up at me with a shock… and a little concern. Whether it’s for him or me, I don’t care enough to perceive. “What?” He questioned, like my words took a moment to hit him, confusion blossoming over his face. “The exam.” I sighed, impatiently, standing to cross my arms and glare at him. “I made a 97, what was your grade?” I watch his face closely for any indicators, but it falls flat for once and he goes back to packing his stuff.
“Oh. I got a 94.” He said sullenly. My eyebrows shot up in surprise, my arms sort of falling from their crossed position. I heard him, but it takes way too long to register. Then the joy hits me. A smile slowly creeps its way onto my face and a hand moves to my hip. “Ha. Maybe you could use some studying with me.” I taunted and smiled down on him. It looks more like a smirk, because of course I’m smug. I have waited and worked, and it is finally paying off because I’m back on top. This is where I belong and the euphoric feeling of being on top is a rush but also all too familiar. Armin zips up his bag and gives me a big smile, a genuine one. “Yeah, good job. Maybe you can give me some tips.”
I almost scoffed at his kindness. Even in defeat he has this act continuing. He’s one persistent bastard. I roll my eyes and move on. “Please.” I say sarcastically as he stands. Before he could reply with whatever it was, he opened his mouth to say, his friend Eren runs over and slings his arm over Armin’s head. “Ready to go man? I’m starving- oh hey.” Eren seems to acknowledge the fact that Armin was in conversation before he came over.
“Oh shit- you’re the girl-“Armin cuts him off. “Ah! Eren we should get going before the dining hall gets crowded…” Eren looks at him then back at me. The nasty look I give him is enough to make him shrivel away. These two have taken enough of my time. One of them doesn’t even make marks high enough in this class for me to consider him. I got what I came for and now I can go relax. Before either of them could continue whatever conversation was happening, I turned away and walked out of the classroom.
“Damn, she’s awful…” I heard Eren mumble to Armin as I’m leaving. They could think whatever they wanted. I have heard it all before and I knew it was true. I’m very callous, especially in situations like this but I won’t apologize for it. Maybe if I was younger, I would have more empathy in this situation. However, being an academically smart woman was more of a hassle. People constantly testing my knowledge as if being a woman somehow made me less capable of preforming well on my exams. I didn’t mind the underestimation of classmates or teachers; it just made it all much sweeter when I crushed them.
Once people realized I was more than capable of being intelligent, not that I was trying to prove them wrong, the guilt for answers and help came. It was everyone with some shitty excuse, begging for answers. Of course, I was naïve and finally happy that my intelligence was being acknowledged. So, I started to accept at first, but once the pressure to perform well for the sake of other people’s grades started to suffocate me, I stopped. I morphed myself into a bitch, essentially. No one wanted to ask me for answers once I put my foot down and went further with insults and harsh words.
I can’t help but smile as I walk back to my dorm. This is definitely a moment to savor. That smug bastard deserves it, especially after his condescending remark earlier this week, as if I needed to study with him to do well. I pull out my phone and already see the questions in our roommate group chat asking how I did. I send a simple response, but I can hardly mask my ecstatic mood. “Top marks this time.”
I’ve barely unlocked the door when Hitch is pulling me in the door and shouting. Historia is next to her whooping and jumping around. “Look at that, all that time in your room wasn’t for nothing this time.” I’m in too good of a mood to scowl at Hitch. “No thanks to your advice.” I shot back at her with a smile. Historia seems as happy as I am and gives me a big smile. “I think this is fantastic, she finally got what she’s wanted.” I smiled back at her. “Thanks Ria, at least someone recognizes my efforts.” Hitch rolls her eyes but smiles at me too.
“So… since that all is done, think you would be up to celebrating? That party is still tonight?” I look over at Hitch. Honestly, I knew it was tonight, and I was just going to enjoy my victory this time in solitude. That being said, I’m tired of being shut in my room. I pretend to look thoughtful for a moment before responding. “I think this calls for celebration.” Historia cheers along with Hitch at my agreement to attend this party. I had the perfect outfit for this event anyway, it’s not like I could pass this up.
“Finally! We get to see you out and alive again!” Historia stops her and Hitch’s dance of celebration to retort. My eyebrows shoot up. Out of all of us in this room, I expect shade to be thrown from anyone but her. It’s silent for a moment before we start laughing. “Holy shit Ria, I didn’t think you were capable of throwing shade like that.” My hands are on my stomach. The thought of this sweet girl being any kind of mean is just outlandish. Hitch is doubled over next to me. “Well, you’ve never given me a reason until now.” She crosses her arms. Now that sass, we can expect.
“Alright, sure. Blame it on me. What time is this thing anyway?” I look over to Hitch, both of our composures regained. “Ten, but we’re meeting up with a group of friends from my Chem class beforehand. So maybe plan to leave here around 9:30?” She asks, looking to us to see if we approve. I nodded, glancing at my phone for the time. It’s just now one; I figure I have enough time to relax and shower before I have to actually start getting ready. “Seems good to me.”
Turns out I probably should have set an alarm, because as soon as I hit my bed, I was out. All the studying and efforts from this week caught up to me quicker than I expected. I woke up at 7 freaking pm. Well… at least I have the energy for this damn party. What I don’t have patience for is Hitch yelling at me while I’m running around with my towel still on. I’ve got my makeup done, my hair halfway styled. “Dude, hurry up, we have to be out of here in 15 minutes.” Hitch yells down the hallway. “Chill out, your group can wait around for a few minutes!” I shouted back. It was 9:43 when I slipped on my dress and grabbed my shoes.
Typically, these parties have a theme. Tonight, apparently it was Club attire. I grab a black sparkled mini dress. It’s got a low square cut in the front and wraps over my shoulders. The back has a circle cut out, exposing my back to the air. It falls a little less to mid-thigh and I pair it with some burgundy Gogo boots. I throw in some silver earrings and a necklace that rests on top of my collarbones. I’m grabbing a matching burgundy bag as Hitch is yelling again. I ran out to follow them, checking my phone for the time. 9:49. Oops.
Apparently, we’re meeting this group about a block from the frat house where this party is taking place. The entire freaking time Hitch is rambling my ear off about being late. She’s got a pink crop top on that clasps in the front just below her cleavage. She’s paired it with a matching mini skirt, both items decorated with lace. Her white heels clack as aggressively as she’s speaking. Historia is in front of us wearing a blue latex, strapless corset. She’s chosen to pair it with white flared pants. I watch her ponytail bob up and down as she climbs the hill we’re on.
By the time we see the group of people, I’m on my phone, ignoring Hitch. She’s finally calmed down… or ran out of breath from the hill we just climbed. Either way, she’s finally silent now. I hear the group as we approach them, and I look at the time 10:18. Close enough. Everyone loves a fashionably late entrance I suppose. Hitch greets them and I put my phone back into my bag. I think I hear my heart screech to a stop as I look up to see who exactly we’re meeting with. Standing before me is a group of like six people. I see some blonde guy talking to a girl with dark brown hair and freckles. Historia runs up to her, so I assume this is the “Ymir” she’s been talking about.
The blonde guy starts teasing them and I look away. There’s some brunette guy talking to Hitch as I’m standing next to her. He introduced himself a second ago, but hell if I remember his name, it sounded complicated. I looked to my right when I heard loud familiar laughter. Scratch that, I think my heart actually crashed to a halt right there. There’s a chick with short black hair standing next to an all-familiar brunette. Eren is all but cackling and beside him, looking at me already is Armin. The fuck?
I break eye-contact to whirl over to Hitch. The guy shifts the change in mood and takes that as a chance to walk over to Historia and that group. “Hitch, what the hell?” I say before she can ask what my issue is. My thumb is pointed over my shoulder at the group that Armin is now engaged in conversation with. Hitch sort of winces and lowers her head. “Sorry… I knew that if I told you he would be here, you wouldn’t come.” Before I can open my mouth to tell her she’s absolutely right, she hurries on. “Yeah, I know, but I can’t watch you shut yourself in anymore. You mope around like a corpse and find no enjoyment in anything. I think you really needed this.”
I snap my jaw shut and sigh. She had good intentions, despite purposely lying to me. I look at her, studying her features. I can see the small amount of shame on her face, something rare for her. What’s even rarer is the concern she holds towards me. I run my hands through my hair, not caring to disrupt the blowout curls I spent forever on. “I get it. I would do the same for you… you could have least given me some kind of warning though.” I finally replied, smacking her arm. Hitch finally raises her head, a little surprise on her face. Probably because I wasn’t blowing up and marching home right now.
“Ugh, wipe that concern off your face, it’s so unlike you, it’s unnerving.” I tease her. I’m already here, I might as well enjoy the night even though assface (Armin) is here. She scoffs, returning to her usual demeanor in no time. “Whatever, I’ll push you down the hill.” Hitch retorts before turning to the rest of the group. “Come on guys, we’re already late and we’ve done no pregaming!”
I simply decided to avoid Armin and his group all night, I’m going to enjoy this. I deserve it. However, as the group merges and starts heading to our destination, Armin steps in foot with me. I think I can feel my eye twitching. I stare straight ahead, ignoring him as best I can. It’s quiet for a moment before and I consider telling him off. Before I can, he clears his throat and looks over at me. “You look nice.”
I think I almost trip.
What the hell...? I think as I look over at him, the thought clearly displayed across my facial features. He holds his hands up defensively. “Sorry, I don’t mean that in a weird way, you just look good.” He defends. I stay quiet, watching him suspiciously. I can’t figure out if he’s kissing ass because I kicked his. He falls silent and drops his arms. My eyes rake over him, slowly, taking him all in. He’s got a black, short-sleeved button up on, but the shirt is open with a plain white shirt underneath. He’s got black slacks on with a belt. None of his shirts are tucked in, except a small portion in the front, making me able to see his belt. It’s a little too nice to be considered club attire, but I don’t expect anything else from him.
I let my eyes linger on the white shirt he’s got on. It’s not tight or anything, but it fits perfectly over his chest. His biceps on full display with his short sleeves. If I didn’t have such a rivalry with him, I would consider him attractive. He shoves his hand in his pocket and looks down at the ground. The swift action snaps me back to the moment, and I realize I’ve been staring. There’s a small flush on his cheeks. I guess we’re keeping it neutral tonight, so I play along. “You to. You look good.” I finally respond, looking straight ahead again.
If I had continued to look at him, I would have noticed the red flush that covered his ears and went down his neck. Before he can try to continue any other conversation, we’re walking up to the frat house. The music is atrociously loud and there’s people everywhere. Like that, I’m inside getting a drink, separated from the group I came in with. I’m with a few friends from my other classes and events. I’m laughing and having a good time. Occasionally, I look around to make sure the group is still here.
Ymir and Historia are sitting on the couch with a group of people. The blonde from earlier is there with some girl with long black hair and a guy with slicked back hair. Lay off the gel dude… I look back at the stairs and see Eren leading the girl from earlier up the stairs. They’ve clearly been a thing for a while now, but I don’t miss the flush of alcohol on their faces. Hitch and the brunette from earlier are sitting in the dining room with some other dude. She’s making out with one of them and the other is practically on top of her. Some guy walks past and yells at them to take it elsewhere. Hitch flips him off.
I snort and look around the area some more before I decide Armin isn’t in the area. Good. I take a sip of my drink, already tipsy myself. Some guy with blondish hair walks up to me while I’m talking with Sasha, my lab partner in biology. His name is Jean… sounds French but I can’t help snickering at the name. He’s clearly into mine though as he starts to flirt. Hardcore and horribly… I’m trying to be polite as he continues, glancing sideways at Sasha and sharing hidden laughs with her. After a moment of listening to more shitty pick-up lines and his drunk compliments, I excused myself to grab another drink.
I make my way to the kitchen and finally lay eyes on Armin. He’s leaning against the counter, on his phone. It looks like he’s only had one drink, an empty cup next to him. His eyes shoot up and make contact with mine as I pour another drink. His gaze surprisingly makes my skin flush, but I chalk it up to all the drinks I’ve had, this being my third. I’m about to turn to leave when he speaks up. “You shouldn’t be talking with Jean.” I turned around, irritated.
“I’m sorry?” I ask, thinking I might have hallucinated it. He shuffles, awkward, but then I can see him steel himself. “Jean. I wouldn’t hang around him.” I face him fully, and hand on my hip, my cup in my other hand. “Oh, and why not? I didn’t know you were suddenly my father.” Armin’s face flushed again, but I could tell this time it was from slight anger. Geez, he must be a lightweight. “He’s just got a bad reputation, especially with women and at parties.” I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. Does he think I need his help again? What a condescending prick. “I’m capable of handling myself, not that who I hang around is any of your concern.” I scoff and turn to leave. As I’m walking out, I feel his hand on my arm.
I’m whirled around so fast; I drop my drink. Now I’m pissed. I look up at Armin, who seems equally angry. “It may be none of my business, but would it kill you to listen for once?” He’s glaring, actually glaring, like I’ve done something wrong. I returned his glare, smacking his hand off me at once. “See, that’s the thing about advice, I get to choose if I want to listen or not. And I’ll be damned if I start listening to you of all people.” I sneer hatefully at him. “What is your issue?” He sighs, exasperated. He can’t be serious. There’s no way he is, right? I take a step forward, and another. Armin, wisely, backs up, but I don’t stop until he’s against the kitchen island, looking down at me. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve been constantly swooping into my life and taking shit that I’ve worked for like it’s nothing. Stealing my internship, and my position for highest marks. Frankly, I’m getting quite sick of you. Then you love to act all sweet and innocent to everyone after wrecking all my opportunities.” My voice is low with malice, and I’ve got a finger jabbing against his chest. “What the hell is your issue?” I snarl at him.
Armin swallows, not responding, clearly afraid to say something wrong and piss me off anymore. I back away and grab another cup. Here I was, doing exactly what I said I wouldn’t. Well, whatever, it has happened and the only thing I could do is get wasted and enjoy the rest of my time here. I’m pouring my drink when I hear his mumble, so silent that I almost missed it.
“You.”
I froze, thinking I misheard. I turned back to him and saw Armin already looking at me. He’s walking toward me. I don’t know how to respond, I think I’m short circuiting. He’s talking now, “I only joined that stupid TA program because you were in it. I didn’t even apply for the internship. In fact, when they gave it to me, I passed it up and recommended it to you.” He’s getting closer and I can hardly comprehend what he’s saying. In fact, I can feel my whole-body flush with the heat of embarrassment. “And if you want me to apologize for being smart, I won’t do that. Just as you wouldn’t I’m not just going to sit here and let you take my spot either.”
Armin stops in front of me, with little space between us. My scowl has long disappeared and morphed into confusion. This must be a joke, but the air between us is thick with tension as we stare at each other. I study him for an indicator that he’s lying. That he’s joking. Anything but the truth, because that can’t be it. I swallow, my mouth full of cotton. “What?” I rasp; my drink forgotten on the counter. Armin takes another step forward.
“I was only there for you. I’m only in History because Eren told me you were in there. My issue is you.” He repeats. My head is spinning, not from the alcohol, but from this sudden confession. Armin’s just standing there watching me, observing the shock that I am unable to hide. He frowns a little and gives a small sigh. “I’m sorry… this… I shouldn’t have done this.” He turns to go. To leave. Honestly, that would have been the best thing for both of us. It would be smart to let him go and pretend he hadn’t confessed his yearning for you.
However…
Instead, I grab his wrist and turn him back to me. Before either of us can register the shock of my actions, I’m pulling him towards me and smash my lips to his. His other hand lands beside me, trapping me against the counter and his body. This kiss is hard, our teeth scraping against each other’s. As if I could pour all my frustration with this man into a kiss. When I drew back, I blinked up at him, not sure if that had just happened. I let go of his hand, waiting to see if he would run away or stay. A moment passed between us, then two.
Finally, the tension snapped.
One of us, or maybe both of us, leaned in to close the gap again. His hand I had let go snaked around my waist. My own hands tugged at his open buttoned shirt. This time the kiss was soft and yearning. His tongue brushed against my lips, and I opened my mouth to allow him in. He tastes like whatever fruity concoction of alcohol they had mixed here; he tasted good. I wanted… no that’s not right. I needed more.
I was still confused, but for some reason I couldn’t find the urgency to focus on that right now. As if he could sense my newfound desire, both his hands slipped below my waist. Armin hoisted me onto the counter, almost knocking my drink over, and not breaking the kiss. My hands move to tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck. When we run out of breath, he pulls away with a gasp.
“I’m sorry…” He blurts, slightly out of breath. “What-“But he’s already rambling on, like he has to tell me this now. “I didn’t intend to take your internship… I promise that’s not what I even wanted.” Armin opens his mouth to continue rambling on, probably to apologize again, but I could care less.
“Enough.” I stated, pulling him back towards my face. This time it’s my tongue in his mouth, exploring the foreign place. My hands move up his neck to the back of his head, tugging at his blonde hair. He groans into my mouth, and I pull back. “You can save all your apologies for later. Trust me, I will be taking all of them.” Since I’m on the counter I can look down slightly at him, his body trapped in between my legs. His hands rest on my hips as he looks up at me. I run my thumb over his swollen lips as he opens his mouth to talk.
“Later? Why not-“
The kitchen door opening has him jumping away from me, and me picking up my drink, crossing my legs. Hitch walks in with Historia and a couple other people. She tries to make a face at me, but I ignore her. The kitchen that was once empty is quickly flooded with at least ten more people. Among the chaos, I hop down from the counter and leave my drink behind. Maneuvering easily through the crowd, I grab Armin’s hand as I pass, dragging him with me. Once we make it out of the kitchen I turn back to him. “I said later. As for now… I want to take my time with you.” I look up at him. This time I notice the flush on his face and ears.
We were out of the house before anyone else could spot or stop us. We were just walking down the hill, his hand in mine as I dragged him along when I winced in pain. I sucked in a sharp breath as the weight on one foot sends a jolt of white pain up my ankle and through my calf. “Fuck.” I murmured to myself. My foot was still bruised from kicking Tuesday’s rock, and pairing heels with that was probably not my best move. I feel my hand drop from his and before I can turn back to see where he’s going, Armin is crouched in front of me.
He takes my foot and props it up on his knee. “What are you doing?” I ask when he removes my heel. The skin is obviously a nasty purple, the tale telling of a bruise. He’s dropping that foot and picking up the other before I can protest more. “Taking care of you.” He mumbled back, taking my other heel off. With both my heels in one hand, he stands up and literally scoops me up with his other arm. Thank God for this man’s arms.
I gasp at the sudden shift of balance, my arms reaching to wrap around his neck as he carried me down the sidewalk. I am thinking about lecturing him about how I don’t need him to carry me, but then I think about all the academic stress he’s been the cause of and keep my mouth shut. “What did you do?” He looks down at me with his question. I falter, the truth almost too embarrassing to confess. Almost. “Kicked a rock.” I look straight ahead. Confusion contorts his face when I look up at him after a moment of silence. I use this to take in his features, enjoying his good looks more now that I don’t hate his guts entirely.
“Why…?” He looks down and I realize how long I’ve been staring. “I was pissed at you.” I looked out at the sidewalk at the admission. It’s silent for a moment before he laughs, his head thrown back. I scowled, wishing I could punch him. “Yeah of course you find it funny.” I grumble. He struggles to catch his breath, but his grip on me never wavers. Once he finally does, he looks down at my scowling face. “I’m honored I take up your thoughts, but I don’t think it’s necessary for you to harm yourself like this.”
Slightly flustered by his caring nature, I stay silent until we reach my dorm.
Enough conversation has passed on the way here, so as soon as he’s closing my door behind him, I’ve trapped him against the door. His lips find mine in a heated kiss, a hand coming up to cup my face. My hands rested on his chest, my body pressed flush against his. My hands slid under his button up, moving up to his shoulders. In one swift movement, the button up is on the floor. Catching on to my urgency, Armin’s hands move up over my exposed spine. The action sends shivers through my body before his hands stop where the dress is tied right above my shoulder blades.
“Can I?” He whispers against my lips. I nod and immediately, he pulls the strands apart and the top of my dress falls down. With my chest exposed, Armin takes a moment to admire me. I muse over his messy hair and crumbled shirt where my hands have gripped at him earlier. His fingers trail lightly down my sternum, his touch gentle. “You’re beautiful.” He whispers down at me. I hear my own breath hitch at his words. His head dips down to leave a small trail of kisses and nips down my neck.
I suck in a breath and tilt my head to the side to give him better access. My hands stay on his shoulders, his own arms moving to my back to support me as I lean against them. With my head back and my body arched up for him, Armin trails kisses over my collarbone and down my chest. When he takes a nipple in his mouth I groan at the warmth. I feel his tongue tease my nipple and his teeth pinch it slightly. The motion sending shocks of pleasure down my spine.
I pull his head back with his hair and his mouth makes a lewd pop when he eases off my chest. He whines as I pull him back and he looks at me, his eyes pleading. My knees almost collapse there. The yearning to fuck me in his eyes is clear as day, and who am I to keep him from what he wants. “You apologized earlier.” I say, the question sounds more like a statement. He nodded up at me, his hands still splayed against my back. “Show me how sorry you are.”
He's picking me up again, his hands on my thighs, right before my ass. He’s walking down the hallway, pausing for me to tell him which room is mine. After I point at the door, he locks it behind us and sets me down on my chair. He’s kneeling in front of me, his arms resting against my thighs. Armin looks up at me, kissing the bruise on my foot softly. His tongue trails up my leg, stopping right before my knee. His hands trail up as his saliva cools against my skin. His touch is gentle, teasing as he pulls my legs apart. He kisses my lower thigh and leaves small bites as he gets closer to my core.
Every teasing touch and soft bite had my thighs clenching and my core tightening. The slow tension was so bittersweet. The torture of wanting him now, yet the sensation of him was so delicious. He took his time with me, his hands snaking up to where my dress had gotten caught on my hips. Lifting them for him, he slides the dress to the floor. He places a kiss against the lace covering my cunt and my stomach twists in anticipation. His fingers slid under the band as he looked at me, as if asking for permission. I nod and he’s sliding them down my legs.
I watch as he licks a long strip up my pussy, then another. And another. The warmth of his mouth is something I’ve never been so grateful for. I have to keep myself from grinding my hips against his face. Armin pushes my legs back to give him the room he needs to devour me. He pauses a moment to look up at me, his lips shining in the dim light coming through the window behind me. The soft light illuminates his face as he speaks. “I’ll make it up to you. Every opportunity I ruined for you.” His tongue darts out to lick me off his lips. His words only make me clench around nothing.
As quickly as he stopped, his head was back in between my thighs. His tongue made quick work of me, alternating between flicking my clit and devouring me like I was his last meal. I felt his tongue swirling inside of me and my head fell back with a moan. Every restraint I had snapped. My hands tangle in his hair, and I grind myself against his face. He groans against my cunt, the vibrations urging me on. Of course he would like this. His tongue swirls and sucks at my clit and I’m sure the string of moans leaving my mouth can be heard on the floor above us.
It doesn’t take much more from him before I feel the familiar tension in my core. The lewd slurps coming from Armin worshipping my cunt has me climbing quickly. Armin slips in two fingers with ease and puts all his focus on my clit. My thighs tighten, clenching around his head. He flicks his tongue over my clit then sucks on it. I feel my body burning as my cunt clenches. My body spasms as my orgasm crashes over me. Armin winces at my grip on his hair. He’s hardly paying attention to that though, his focus still on my cunt. I’m arching my back so hard it hurts, but the white-hot pleasure coursing through my body is all I can think about.
I’m panting as the aftermath of my orgasm finally stills my shaking body. The sheen shine of sweat can be seen coating my skin. Armin is looking up at me, his chin covered in my orgasm. He takes the back of his hand to wipe up his face and stands over me. My composure is regained as soon as he’s hovering above me. In swift movements, I’ve got him where I was just sitting in the chair. I climbed onto his lap, determined to tease him as much as he did me. I slide my hand over his belt, and he watches my hand disappear under his shirt. I can feel his abdomen clench under my touch as I all but yank his shirt off him.
I’m back to touching his chest immediately. My hands trail to his lower abdomen, and his hands move to grab me by the waist. My thighs are straddling his and I grind my pussy against his clothed dick. I can feel how big he is under me, and I can hardly believe I’m on top of him doing this right now. Yet as he leans his head back and lets out a low moan, I can only think about this the sound goes straight to my throbbing cunt. I’m fumbling with his belt and throw it to the floor when I get it off. Armin’s watching me intently, helping me take his pants off.
I can see the stain of precum on his grey boxers, and I palm his length, not forgetting the teasing he put me through earlier. He lets a whine and his grip on my waist tightens painfully. Yet, I can only feel myself clenching around nothing again. He watches me through half-lidded eyes as I continue to rub him through his boxers. I’m then sliding my hand under his band and the sudden skin to skin contact made him jolt. He gives a small groan, and I pull his boxers down, letting his cock spring free.
My hands are on him all at once. I rub the precum dribbling from his tip over the head of his cock and use my other hand to pump his length. I held his dick, aligning him with my entrance. His hands are on my back as support again. I slide down slowly onto his cock, the burning sensation as he stretches me so nicely. I swallow a hiss of pain as I sink all the way down. Armin’s arms are shaking slightly as he bottoms out in me. Small whimpers are escaping his mouth as he struggles to keep his composure inside of me.
Once I adjust to his girth, I’m moving slowly at first. Once I find the perfect pace, I’m riding Armin like it’s the last time I can. I hold onto his shoulders as his hips lift up to meet me halfway. The head of his dick is kissing my cervix every time I drop myself back down. I gasp, out of breath from riding him. Armin lets out low groans and whines as he watches me bounce over him. This time the dim light illuminates me in his eyes. The glisten of my skin from sweat. The way my hair is sticking to my face and neck. My half-lidded eyes and my parted mouth as I watched him beneath me.
I hear him curse under his breath and he leans up to me and engulfs me in a hug. His head rests in the crook of my neck. I can feel the coil burning in my stomach now, and his mouth is sucking a bruise onto my collarbone. One hand staying on my back, his other hand moves down to press against my clit as I quicken my pace on him. A high pitch moan that sounds nothing like me leaves my mouth when Armin hits a spot that makes my toes curl. Noticing the change, Armin leans back to watch me as he snaps his hips up to continue abusing the spot that has my pussy clenching his dick so tightly.
I pant on top of him, this thumb on my clit sending me into a growing frenzy. I look down to watch as I feel the familiar burn of my orgasm building. Armin continues to flit my clit, and my body is slamming itself down on the top of his dick. I’m riding him hard, chasing my own high. I can tell he’s getting close; his pace slowly starting to falter and grow uneven. The squelches of our bodies meeting and the moans falling from our mouths are all that fill the apartment.
Finally, the coil snaps, the euphoric feeling more intense than the last time. I suck in a strangled breath, dropping back down on his dick as my body shakes in his hands. My back arches against the air and black dots dance in my vision. My body feels as though it’s on fire. I can feel the warmth in my cunt as Armin trembles beneath me, his own orgasm apparent as I can feel fluid drip from my pussy. I lay limp against him, the energy draining from my body as my own orgasm slows to an end. His arms are wrapped around me, and I can tell his high has ended as well.
Slowly, I lift myself off him, the emptiness leaving an ache. Armin looks up at me, his arms now at my waist as I stand above him. “I like how you apologize Arlert. I’ll have to make sure all your apologies are like this.” I mumble against his lips as I lean in to kiss him. The kiss is slow and lazy, but there’s affection behind it. Affection I didn’t know I was capable of for him. My hands are cupping his face, but they drop down his body as I pull away.
I’m lowering myself on my knees as I kiss the head of his cock. He shivers underneath my touch, and I can see him swallow. “What are-“Armin starts, but he’s cut off by the sound of people bursting into the apartment. I pressed a finger to my lips, telling him to stay quiet. “Since I did so well on yesterday’s exam… I feel it’s only fair you get to feel good somehow as well.” I whisper up to him. Hitch is stumbling down the hall and I hear Historia call out to me. I look up to Armin who is watching him as I take his head in my mouth and swirl my tongue around him. He leans his head back and muffles a moan as my hand makes quick work of whatever I can’t fit into my mouth.
Tomorrow, Hitch and Historia will have the shock of their lives, as well as headaches to accompany their surprise. Tomorrow, I will ache so good and wake up in arms that flex as the grip my chair. So, before all that mayhem happens, I have a long night ahead of me, which I plan to enjoy.