Equilibrium | Nerd! Armin x Popular! OC

Bringing her to his dorm was... a challenge.

Not because of her weight—in fact, Reina was light as a feather.

What bothered Armin was the amount of stares he received as he helped her up the stairs, her arm looped around his shoulder like a scene straight out of a college rom-com.

This is what I get for agreeing to this, he thought, cheeks pink with mortification as he pushed his glasses with his index finger, adjusting the frame to fit the bridge of his nose.

Finally, they reached his apartment.

Reina looked around as she stepped in. The place was neat, surprisingly so. The furniture was arranged with intention, books and laptops tucked into corners, and just enough clutter to prove people actually lived there. She watched Armin—with his right arm still around her torso—slip off his shoes and instinctively followed suit.

Even drunk, she was still polite.
Armin found that... cute.

She seemed to sober up a little when he asked, "Is it alright if we just stay here for now?" His voice was gentle, cautious.

She nodded, knowing full well she didn't have a better option—and besides, she didn't want to cause a scene in a place she didn't belong.

"Here." He handed her a glass of water.
"Thanks," she said, hiccuping mid-syllable and grinning through it.

They left the kitchen and walked into his bedroom.

It was nothing like she expected.

The walls were plastered with anime and band posters — some with quotes she didn't recognize, others with bright colors and dramatic scenes. On his desk were realistic dinosaur figures, all lined up like they were standing at attention. A shelf above displayed an entire manga collection, carefully stacked and categorized. It was lively. Personal. Completely him.

She blinked, mildly impressed.

It was refreshing to see this "erm, actually!" nerdy side of his.

"Where are your roommates?" she asked, settling on his bed. Armin leaned against the closet door with a can of Coke in hand, still damp from the fridge.

"Eren and Mikasa?" he echoed. "They're still at Annie's party. Won't be home 'til late. Don't worry about it."

"You..." she tilted her head, "weren't invited?"

"Oh, I was." He took another sip.

"So then why aren't you—."

The realization hit. Her eyes widened. Her face turned bright red.

"Yup." He popped the 'p' as he confirmed it.
"Wait. Annie—that blonde chick? Your ex?" Reina let out a lazy, teasing giggle, pointing at him with wobbly precision. "Thought you were twins until Eren told me you guys dated. At least used to."

"Jealous?" he smirked, pushing off the wall and approaching her. He crouched just enough to meet her eye level from where she sat.

"As if." She turned away, flustered but playing it cool, gently pushing him away with her two fingers. Her touch lingered longer than necessary.

Armin chuckled softly, eyes not leaving her face. "We had a thing, but it didn't work out," he continued, watching for her reaction. "decided to just stay friends."

"Ouch!" Reina blinked once, then winced dramatically, grabbing her chest as if she'd been shot. "Why didn't it work out?"

"I thought we were done with Twenty-Three Questions?" he teased, raising a brow as he slowly stood and sat beside her on the bed. Their thighs touched, and this time, the contact sent a jolt up both their spines.