All I Know Is My Life Is Gone

Armin POV

Armin had not known how bad life could be until Eren and Mikasa broke up. He had thought his life had been shitty before, but after that event, it really went downhill. He had seen it coming for months before it happened, but the fall out was more awful than he could have imagined.

The two had gotten together junior year of high school and everything had been sickeningly sweet. They'd barely had time for anyone else the first year or so, they were so wrapped up in each other, not even Armin. He had become close with Jean and Marco, and some of his other friends, because Eren and Mikasa didn't seem to remember that he existed. They got better by graduation, and Armin finally felt like he had his best friends back. And all was good their first year of college. Then, Mikasa got the internship and it all went to shit from there.

It was the summer between their first and second year. The internship was at a newspaper, working with the editor. It was a great opportunity for her, given that she wanted to be a journalist. She would have been an idiot not to take it. But it took up all of her time and Eren got jealous. Armin tried to assuage him, but to no avail. Once the internship ended and school began, so did the fights. By Thanksgiving, Armin knew the end was coming. He recognized the signs from his parents break up all those years ago.

Armin tried to tell them that if they were no longer happy, they should just end it. But they kept insisting that they loved the other. So, they all remained miserable for several more months. The rest of their friends didn't want to be around the pair when they were together, so they all left Armin to suffer alone. Then, the Spring Break Blowout occurred. It was a fight that would go down in the annals of history and Armin has a ringside seat.

The trio had gone to the public pool. It was an indoor pool, so it was open year round. The fight had started like all the others, some minor squabble over differing opinions. But it escalated. Later, Armin took Mikasa's side, as he believed it was Eren who had crossed the line. But it didn't matter. The damage had been done and it was irreparable.

Armin had actually gotten out his phone and started filming, because he didn't think anyone else would believe him when he recounted what happened. Eren and Mikasa had been toe to toe, screaming in each other's faces. Mikasa moved like lightening, shoving Eren backwards, right into the pool. She turned on her heel, grabbed her stuff, and began to leave. Eren surfaced. "What the fuck, Mikasa?" He climbed out of the pool and took off after her.

Armin knew he had to act quickly. Mikasa had driven him here. He grabbed the rest of the stuff and followed them. The fight continued in the hallway as Mikasa pulled on her sweater. "Your selfishness knows no bounds."

"Really? I'M the selfish one? You're the one who disappeared all last summer and is planning on leaving the COUNTRY this summer!" Armin saw they were heading directly outside and began trying to pull on his sneakers while juggling all of the stuff, and walking.

"You're going to hold that against me forever, aren't you? They are amazing opportunities for my career, and if you weren't so stupid, you'd be doing the same thing!"

"So now you're calling me stupid! Great!" They burst outside. "You know, you're no better than your mother!" Armin's eyes grew wide. This was Eren crossing the line.

"What did you just say?" Mikasa finally looked at Eren as they stood in the middle of the parking lot. The wind picked up and Armin shivered.

"All your mother did was pick and pick and nag and nag. It's no wonder your dad left. She wore him down to nothing! And now you're doing it to me!"

Armin was concerned Mikasa was going to slap Eren, but then her face became an eerie calm. "Oh, you want to see me be like my mother? Watch this. I'm leaving." She turned and stalked over to her car.

"Oh, so you'll just leave me stranded here? Real mature."

"Get fucked." She snapped back, unlocking the car. "Are you coming, Armin?"

"Armin?" Eren asked, almost hurt as Armin moved forward, quickly handing Eren his stuff. "Really?"

"It's nothing against you, buddy, but it's like 40 degrees out here and I'm not getting stranded here if I don't have to." He patted Eren on the cheek. "Also, it's kind of your own fault." He called over his shoulder as he hopped in the car. He felt bad as he watched Eren slowly disappear as Mikasa drove away, but this was a mess he had made and Armin was not getting buried with him.

He turned off the recording on his phone and rode in silence all the way back to her house. He was too scared to say anything. Mikasa wordlessly stormed past her mother once they got inside. "Mika-what happened sweetheart?" She looked to Armin, who just shrugged.

"I think she's single." He said before following Mikasa upstairs to her room.

"I hate him. I just hate him so much." She had tears in her eyes.

Armin wrapped her in a hug. "It's alright."

"No, it's not. It's not alright. I can't-I can't live like this anymore."

"Miki, what are you saying?"

She took a deep breath and took a step back. "I'm saying I'm done. I can't do this anymore. It's over. It's over." Mikasa moved quickly, finding a box. She tore through her room, finding every single thing that had ever belonged to Eren, or that he had given her, and put it in the box. After twenty minutes of this, she shoved the box into Armin's grasp. "Give this to Eren."

"Mikasa, I'm not getting in the middle of this." He tried to hand it back.

"You have to. If I see his stupid face, I'm going to punch it."

"Miki-"

"Besides, he'll take it if it comes from you, Armin. You're the only one he'll listen to. He has to understand that it's over."

"Mikasa-"

"Just go."

"But you picked me up at my place."

"Just leave me alone." She flopped face down on her bed and Armin was pretty sure she wanted to cry.

He let out a sigh and left the room. He pulled on his sweat shirt and sweat pants and left the house, saying goodbye to Mikasa's mom as he went. By the time he reached Eren's place across town, he was in a foul mood. "I had to take the bus." He said as Eren opened the door and let him in. "Do you have any idea the last time I took the bus?"

"Armin-"

"Also, it's freezing out." Armin said, shoving the box into Eren's hands. "That's from Mikasa."

"Why is she-"

"Because she's done, dude. She's not doing this anymore."

Eren's face was confused and then angry. "Is she breaking up with me…though YOU?" Until Eren said it, he hadn't even considered it like that. But that was exactly what she was doing. That little- "That bitch."

"Eren-"

"No. No, Armin. What kind of person ends a three year relationship through a friend?"

"While I accept that you have a point, I also feel compelled to tell you that she said she'd punch you in your, and I'm quoting here, 'stupid face'. So it's probably for the best."

Eren shook his head and put the box down. "Why is she doing this?"

"You haven't really given her a choice, you know. You've spent every day for the past nine months shitting on her for making a choice about her future that wasn't about you. You've made her feel like she has to choose between her goals and you. You can't blame her for finally making the choice."

Eren sat down on the couch and buried his head in his hands. "I'm such an idiot."

"Yes, you are." Armin replied, sitting down beside him.

"I have to get her back." Eren ran his hands through his hair.

"No. No, Eren. What you guys had wasn't healthy. You guys weren't happy, and it wasn't good for you. I know you can't see it right now, but this is a good thing. Now you guys can move on, and find happiness again."

"I don't want to be happy. I want to be with her." Eren fell into Armin's arms and began to cry.

Armin thought that was going to be the worst of it. Boy, was he wrong. In the weeks until the end of the semester, there was quiet avoidance between the two. They were both sad about the break up and wanting to give each other space. They missed their friendship. Then, Mikasa left for her internship in Brussels and Eren's bitterness showed itself. He was resentful that Mikasa was putting a life together without him.

When she came home for the fall semester, everything came to a head. They couldn't be in the same room with each other without arguing. If Armin had thought their fights before had been nasty, they were nothing like the ones after. They were completely different people when they were together. Armin hated it.

It took a huge toll on him, but Armin managed to keep them separated. Mikasa was better about it then Eren. Eren constantly badgered Armin for details about what she was doing, then bitched about her.

"This is why I don't live with you, you know." Armin said one Sunday in January, while he was hanging out at Eren's place.

"What?"

"You've been broken up for almost a year now, and you talk about Mikasa more than ever. Move on, dude."

"I do not! I take offense to that."

"Of course you do." Armin sighed. "Are you going to Marco's party?"

"Yeah, it should be fun."

"She's going to be there."

"Okay."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah. We have mutual friends. I'm almost 22. I'm a mature adult now."

Armin arched an eyebrow. "If you say so, Eren." He just knew Eren wasn't going to be okay.