Fan fics, writings and musings~ Homeblog: http://www.moriicat.tumblr.com/ (replace any broken links to "singekicat"/"hillvalleycat" with "moriicat" to fix them, or just read everything on my AO3^^)
Do you recognize the power that you have? You must not recognize it because of how I am so often hurt by it. I am no innocent either. I look at myself and think so little of me that I place your words on a pedestal and leave you with guilt you donāt deserve when I feel down.
Why do I do that? Why do we do that? Why do we think so little of ourselves that we let the words of others dictate our self esteem, or say hurtful things thinking it wonāt sting. We donāt realize the power we have within ourselves.
And thatās really unfortunate considering how much beauty is inside us all, and how much strength, and courage, and power, power, power is residing within us.
Love yourself. Try to. You would be served so well if you just try to. You will recognize your own power, and be more comfortable around the power of others.
Mini eremin blurb because I needed to write.Ā Eren is a mess sometimes and I love him lol he canāt say the C word.
The bed was so soft but to Eren it felt like nothing. All he could feel was the weight of some abstract forces he couldnāt stop with action. All he could do was think. And it is sometimes dangerous for someone naive like Eren to think for too long. Everything that has ever gone wrong will enter his head, everything that ever could go wrong will enter his head, and his entire body will ache in its heaviness at the thought of all the weaknesses he has that can prevent him from stopping the misfortunes. And those thoughts and feelings will feed into one another over and over again in a cycle of hurt that goes on and on. Depression. Ugly little mental state, it is, and Eren frowned to himself in his curse of being so susceptible to it. Was he strong enough to deal with whatever forces came to call? Was he brave enough to face them all? Was he powerful enough to win against them? Was he worthy of friends? Was he worthy of love? In low moments like these, the answer seemed to be no and his head would sink even deeper into the pillow and his hip pressed harder into the mattress. Failure. he thought. Asshole. Weakling. Childish dead weight. Brat. Burden. Horrible brother. Horrible friend. Horrible son. Horrible partner. Stupid, weak, shitty little fool. Every moment youāve ever proven to fall under the expectations of you piles up into a mountain of unwanted, unlovable ugliness. How disgusting you are. And some pitiful excuse for a man.
Arminās footsteps echoed softly as he passed by the bedroom door, moving in and out of the kitchen with the air of an angel. Eren looked up in his direction and felt a lump swell in his throat. āArmin?ā he called softly.
The little house, if one could even call it that for its tiny size, was quiet enough on days like these that Armin heard him clearly. His light steps made their way to the bedroom door where Armin the Angel, as he seemed to Eren, could be seen by his mopey partner. āHm?ā
Eren rolled onto his back enough to stretch his arm out and hold a beckoning hand up to Armin. āCan you come here?ā
Armin looked rather concerned now, seeing as Eren was clearly being bothered by something. He obeyed and promptly made his way over to the bedside. āWhatās wrong, Eren? Will you talk to me about it?ā
Erenās face flushed in a shade of pink as he fought himself to speak in his weakness. āI... want you here.ā
Armin raised a golden eyebrow and sat on the bed, running a kind hand over Erenās arm. āIām here...ā he told him in a comforting voice, but still Eren looked like he needed more. āWhatās on your mind?ā
Eren stared blankly down at his chest. He couldnāt begin to articulate the thoughts that had jumbled about his mind that evening, and felt that it wouldāve been pointless to even bother as they were too messy, vague and- much to be worth the trouble. Thereās only one way to make this awful feeling go away. And so he had no choice but to ask for the medicine. āI- need you to come closer. Please?ā he asked meekly, his sad grey eyes finally looking up into Arminās adoring swash colored eyes while his needy arm reached up to ask his presence.Ā
Armin recognized that Eren needed him, even if he wasnāt sure what was wrong, and so leaned down preparing to lay beside him, only to be swallowed up in the strong familiar arms of his beloved. His eyes widened as he felt himself being squeezed up against Erenās chest, and at the way his body seemed to want to wrap around him entirely. Erenās arms hugged around his shoulders and his waist, trapping his arms, while his legs wrapped around his, and even his face pressed against his neck to further him inside his embrace. Arminās heart melted for him as it always did. Even now, Eren was that afraid to just ask for cuddles? A small, slight smile crawled across his lips for his Erenās cute boyish problems that renewed his never-ending desire to make him happy as always. He gently pulled himself away for just a moment.Ā āHere.ā he whispered, and proceeded to adjust their position to a better one.
Eren loosened his grip, hoping his sniffling wouldnāt be too noticeable along with the tears trying to well up in his eyes, and allowed Armin to direct.
The petite man slipped his arms under Erenās and hugged him, hands caressing his back lovingly, and he hugged his legs around Erenās leg which in turn hugged his in a way that almost made them appear tangled together. He let his sweet blond head rest under Erenās neck and spoke softly. āIs that better?ā
Eren breathed a lot easier now. Not even a moment had gone by of this mutually intimate mess of affection and he already felt such a relief. He settled into Armin, hugging him back with a nice squeeze and kissed his head, unafraid to let any stray tears fall now. āYes.ā he mumbled. And with that, he let himself get lost in him.
Armin smiled to himself as he felt Erenās hug and settled into him as well, closing his eyes, and stroking little circles over Erenās back for extra comfort, more than content to remain like this for a while. For as long as Eren needed.
Eren breathed softly, letting the sensation of love from Armin chase away all the bad feelings that overwhelmed his mind before, practically forgetting them now. There was nothing else that mattered anyway when Arminās love was washing over him. God, love. He thought to himself. That was the key to everything he needed, wasnāt it? Love. How amazing. And he had a never ending source of it right here, happily welling up for him any time he needed. Even if he didnāt ask. Even when Armin didnāt think he loved him back. And it was as simple as just letting him in. What did I do to deserve him? Why is it so goddamn hard to just let love enter in? Itās stupid of me. Itās-
āI love you.ā
Erenās eyes widened again as his mind snapped back to reality. Arminās gentle words were enough to bring him back out of the pit he was always falling into. Thank heaven. Iāve got the love of an angel to keep me company on this earth. And if I canāt do anything but hate myself, heāll love me back to life. And Iāll love him with all my heart and more.
Arminās eyes had opened again, waiting to see how Eren would respond, trying to figure out if he were helping or not, and was met with another nice squeeze.
āI love you.ā
Armin couldnāt help blushing to himself. He never got tired of hearing those words. He then settled back into the cuddle as Eren did.
No more bad thoughts entered that little house for the rest of the night. And the pair were soon laughing together over tea, cookies and only happy talks thereafter.
Chapters: 3/?
Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert & Eren Yeager
Characters: Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert
Additional Tags: Romance, Falling In Love, Additional tags will be added later cuz I dont wanna spoil anything owo; wait til chapter 2 or 3 lol
Summary:
Armin is tired of all this secrecy with the mysterious Eren and decides to confront him for the truth!
I'm so tired and have so much work to do and I have gay feelings tormenting me, thank you for reading this chapter despite it's many flaws >~< (also hey, now I can actually tag this with some proper genre tags! although this twist was probably obvious haha)
Chapters: 2/?
Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert & Eren Yeager
Characters: Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert
Additional Tags: Romance, Falling In Love, Additional tags will be added later cuz I dont wanna spoil anything owo; wait til chapter 2 or 3 lol
Summary:
Armin takes a little journey in the woods and runs into unexpected company.
(There are so many homework assignments I could be doing right now lol)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert & Eren Yeager
Characters: Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert
Additional Tags: Romance, Falling In Love, Additional tags will be added later cuz I dont wanna spoil anything owo; wait til chapter 2 or 3 for more tags lol
Summary:
Armin is a young bachelor who moves into the mysterious woods. Eren is an odd young man whoās even more mysterious than the woods himself. What adventure awaits these two in this October-appropriate romance?
A short one shot fluff in a Modern American AU of mine (that Iād love to write as a full fledged fic someday!) in which Eren dropped out of college, left home, and shares an apartment with Armin as he continues college. The pair struggle financially between paying off Arminās loans and paying for home and food, but theyāre still happy as can be together~ (sex is implied but not explicit). Happy Pride Month, everyone!
Eren flicked one of the diced pepperonis on his bland Great Value brand frozen pizza, watching it twirl away from the tap of the dented silver fork. He sighed to himself, thinking about nothing as the unfiltered air surrounding him breezed through his damp, freshly washed hair. He wondered if he were falling into a depression slump again but preferred to chalk it up to mere tiredness, much more believable considering he pulled a 10 hour shift today.
He was good at his job and genuinely liked what he was doing despite the air of "failure" surrounding it, but just coaching people was much more exhausting than he ever could've imagined. Being a personal trainer at a 24 hour gym meant a lot of feigned yelling and enthusiasm, and a lot of emotional energy given how much Eren genuinely cared about people and how proud he really was of his own clients. But it also included a lot of physical work, sharing in the exercises for some, and having to keep up his own work out regiment during his free time. His bad leg was growing more and more sore from it every day. And all for what? A paycheck that barely covers their cheap, claustrophobic apartment, and the interest on Armin's student loans? But that was a thought that Eren didn't need to really acknowledge anymore. It was just his life and there was nothing to be done about it, so why do anything else but eat this shitty frozen pizza that tasted like cardboard?
In the midst of the chilly silence, came the sound of happy footsteps just outside the door. Eren's head perked up on reflex and the lock on the door quickly turned followed by the reveal of his dear studious boyfriend, who rapidly shuffled into the doorway of their happy little abode. Armin came with plastic bags in hand from his after-school errands and smiles on his soft face. "Hey!"
Eren was smiling softly now too. Such was the blessed contagiousness of Armin's lovely presence. "Hey..."
Armin placed half of the bags on the little counter, having already decided to sort their contents out later, and excitedly carried 2 of the bags over to Eren. "I got you a surprise!" he proclaimed sweetly.
Eren smiled a little wider and stood up to meet Armin for his gift, his tired body never objecting even a little when it came to the love of his Armin. "Oh?" he replied in a quiet but excited voice as he reached out for whatever item he might receive once Armin was finished digging it out of the bag.
Armin unfolded and presented his gift to Eren. "I got you a new hoodie from Goodwill! It seems practically brand new, and it's an American Eagle! Think it'll keep you warm between here and work this winter?" he asked hopefully.
Eren took the hoodie, light grey, sized large, and soft to the touch, and grinned excitedly over it. "I love it! It'll definitely suit me this winter. And keep me looking sharp." he proclaimed with a wink for his thoughtful boyfriend whom blushed like he was still Eren's shy little high school sweetheart.
"Will you try it on?" Armin asked meekly, his big round glassy eyes shining as they looked up into Eren's.
Eren melted for him, melted for him in an instant just as he always did, without fail, and ever since the beginning. Of course he would try it on. He quickly pulled the hoodie over his head and over his stomach, admiring how cozy and at home he already felt in it, and smiled back at Armin with half lidded eyes. "Fits perfectly. Thank you, Aru."
Armin chuckled under his breath and blushed yet again. "I'm glad you like it."
Eren's grin reached its maximum capacity. "Come here, you." he purred, and deciding he wanted to forget how tired he was, he pulled Armin into his arms and began lapping up his lips with his.
Armin felt himself dip backwards, causing his heart to jump a little but remembered he was in all-trustworthy arms and slipped his hands over Eren's warm, firm back, happily letting his lips perform their busy routine with Eren's.
Eren's kisses were extra wet and deep tonight, deciding that he was in no mood to wait for their usual Friday night romp after dinner, preferring to get right to it right now. With a horny hum he moaned into Armin's lips "Armin... take me now. Please. I need you..."
Armin held his big, heavy boyfriend in his arms as Eren began grinding against him, clearly tired from the day but so desperate to cum with him nonetheless. He smiled and pulled the grey hood to the side to kiss Eren's neck, determined and ready to try and bring this long laborious week to a loving conclusion for him. "Of course, Eren. Let me take care of you and I'll do my best." he promised, and lead the taller man over to the bedroom for a quick but very caring romp.
Eren wakes up with another headache. Heās gotten pretty used to that by now, at this point itād be strange not to feel some pain every morning. After all, thereās nothing to look forward to anymore and the nightmare just keeps on coming. He rolls out of bed reluctantly and drags himself over to the mirror to perform his morning ablutions. He rinses his face, cleans his teeth, and stares at himself in the glass. What an ugly face, he thinks. Sullen eyes, scruffy cheeks, overgrown stringy hair, not a trace of a smile anywhere. Just a dead man walking. But he remembers his excess scruff might scratch Arminās beautiful skin in the middle of the night so he lathers up the cream to shave a little. Rustling can be heard behind him as the blond finally stirs awake and sits up in bed, mourning this reality where he keeps waking up without Eren in his armsā¦ He stumbles sleepily over to his boyfriend, whom is mindlessly going about his routine lathering his face in cream, andā¦ dares to slip his arms around him from behind. Eren pauses, face covered in white, and turns his head to see his lover. His poor, desperate lover whom heās let down so many times he cannot bear to look at him some nights. Eren had promised those eyes a dream and then could not deliver itā¦ how dare he destroy his hope like that?
āMorningā¦ā Eren mumbles back before turning around to resume his task.
There is now a somewhat long silence. Maybe not long in real time, but it feels long because they both know there is so much to be said that neither of them are saying. Armin cannot converse on what Eren cannot begin. And Eren cannot begin a conversation that he knows will end in torment for Armin.
Eren sharpens the barbering blade he keeps on the dresser, brushing it along the leather strip a few more times than necessary just to let the noise fill the silence, before brushing it against the grain of his chiseled, formerly-handsome face. Oneā¦ twoā¦ threeā¦
āI love youā¦ā
Armin finally breaks the silence, suddenly and calmly.
Eren jolts somewhat. He cuts himself shaving, a miniature waterfall of blood trickles down his cheek, mixing with the white cream causing a pink drip to drop from his jaw line as he slowly turns around. His eyes seem to glow. Not in the beautiful way that Arminās do, but in a the far creepier way that Erenās do, almost demonic looking, a way that scares people who donāt know him. But Armin knows that those eyes are only saying Iām sorryā¦
Itās another long second, (or two, or three), of silence as Eren just gazes into Arminās yearning eyes. There really isā¦ so much to be saidā¦ but instead, Eren chooses not to say it.
āI love you too.ā He tells him. And leans down to kiss Arminās rosy lips, with a little hum in his voice as if that might convince Armin of a truth that Eren knows heās been doubting lately. He dare not look him in the eye any longer though, for fear that all those things left unsaid may come spilling out at the beckoning of those sparkling windows to the angelic soul that could convince him to do anything.
Eren immediately turns back around to continue shaving around his undefeatable mustache and beard that insist on growing and Armin stares at the back of Erenās head for a moment before wiping the white and pink mess of cream off of his mouth and face. There is so much he needs to hearā¦ Why is there so much left unsaid? He cannot figure it out. For once, Armin is truly stumped.
The pair continue their routines in silence, as though neither of them were not reliving the I love you and kiss from just a moment ago, over and over and overā¦ and they both cling to the peace in that. There is so much left unsaid. But at least the most important words were not.
Itās Ymirās birthday so here is a short little YumiHisu comfort drabble!
In which modern American Historia brings Ymir to meet her previously-estranged big sister for the first time! And Ymir proves what real love is.~ (tw: homophobia; family issues)
Enjoy if you can!<3
Historia pulled Ymir as close to her as possible. She couldn't contain her excitement, and Ymir cherished every second of it. Historia was so rarely thrilled in the past due to her obsession over being the perfect girl, that every time she was excited by something, Ymir felt like she was witness to a cosmic wonder.
"Ymir, this is going to be so great! Meeting my family for the first time, however small, is a sign of our future being sealed." she said with a shameless hubris in her soft pink sweater that topped her flowy pale pink, knee length skirt.
"My sentiments exactly, babe." the ravenette grinned in her lavender grey top over tight black pants, cocking her head to the side in that handsome way Historia adored.
Historia smiled back, but then suddenly grew quiet. "...Are you nervous?"
"What? Not in the slightest! Your sister loves you, right? Then she'll have to love me too cuz I love you. That's just how these things work, you know." Ymir explained with pride.
Historia smiled softly and let her head fall against her girlfriend's brawny shoulder. How could anything go wrong?
The girls finally arrived at the front door of Frieda Reiss, which put the dance back into Historia's step as she knocked furiously until it was answered, her big childish grin making Ymir's heart leap.
Finally, Frieda came and opened the door with a smile for her recently reunited baby sister.
Historia squealed, "Hiii, Friedaaa!!!" before flinging her arms around her for a hug, making Ymir smile and Frieda chuckle.
"Hi, sweetie! I'm so glad to see you again. And who is this... lovely person you wanted me to meet so badly." she asked, the joy in her voice ever so subtly trailing off at the end once her eyes met Ymir's.
Ymir pursed her lips, wondering if she should be offended by that change of tone.
"This is Ymir!" Historia explained as she hugged her lover's warm arm. "She's my girlfriend."
"'Sup." Ymir greeted, holding out her slender but virile hand to shake the pretty woman's.
Frieda almost seemed reluctant to shake it, but to her relief, the timer in the kitchen rang and she was able to change the subject. "Ah, that's my pork loin! Well, please come in and get comfortable, I hope you enjoy your stay!" the beautiful woman beamed, ushering the lovers inside, despite Ymir clearly still holding her hand out with a raised eyebrow, waiting for her to shake it.
The 3 sat at Frieda's humble kitchen table to chat intimately. Historia told her many stories about her adventures with Ymir and how proud she was to be with her. And most importantly, without a doubt, how much she loved her. Ymir maintained her lax, proud, and happy attitude, and by all accounts it was a really pleasant visit. Though Ymir couldn't help but notice the slight look of horror on the hostess' face during their conversations.
An hour or 2 later, Ymir finally excused herself. "Mind if I, uhhh?"
"Oh, ah right down the hall and to the right." Frieda told her with an awkward smile, and watched as the tall freckled girl disappeared into the bathroom, leaving her alone with her little sister.
"Isn't she great?" Historia grinned. But to her surprise, Frieda wasn't smiling anymore.
"Historia... Why are you with this girl?" she asked in a quiet gloomy tone.
Historia's countenance deflated at the sound of her question. "What do you mean?"
"...Well, I just- I wonder if this is really the best person for you. I mean, it's nice that she loves you so much, but... She's a trouble maker. She's selfish. She's mean. She's a little scary... And she's... Um..."
Historia frowned, sad to hear any sort of disapproval from the one figure from her stolen childhood who loved her. "She's what?..."
"...A girl?" Frieda finally told her, making Historia's heart ache. "You're a good girl, Historia. People love a good, nice girl like you. And I hate to think that you'd be throwing yourself away on this sinful sapphic experiment of yours."
Historia's eyebrows furrowed, but tears also pooled in her crystal blue eyes. Normally, she'd use all her strengths to punch anyone who said anything like that about Ymir. She wouldn't even wince about doing so if anybody else had said those awful things. She hadn't even cried for any reason since she'd become Ymir's girlfriend. But this was her sister... The one person in her awful family that she loved, the one person in her blood ties she felt she could depend on. Someone she believed would love her unconditionally and support her in her path to happiness no matter what. But she didn't. She disapproved of the woman who came into her life and saved it from certain doom at Historia's own hands. The woman who told her to be herself and live her life with pride no matter what was against her. Who told her it was good to value herself and take care of herself, because it was a sin to self destruct like she had been doing. The person who loved her so much that she was willing to put her own selfish principles on the line without question in order to protect her from harm. "How could you?..." Historia whispered.
"Hm?"
"How could you?!" she yelled softly. "That's the woman I love! This life I'm living with her is the prize I've won for conquering the battle against myself! The woman who saved me from hurtful ideas that /you/ put into my head! And you dare to say she isn't good enough for me? That she is bad for me? That it's a sin because I'm with a girl?! You're my sister. I expected better of you than this cruel betrayal..." Frieda seemed shocked to hear those things, her expression seemingly reading guilt and regret, but that was a conversation Historia would have to continue later, as she was far too upset to think. She whipped around and decided to leave.
Ymir came out of the bathroom sighing in relief after a good long piss, only to find her blonde sweetheart furiously stomping her way. "What's up with you, babe--"
"Come on, Ymir, let's go!" Historia growled, yanking Ymir by the hand and leading her out the door.
"Ah- Okay-- Thank you for dinner, Miss Reiss!" she called out, never forgetting how important it was to the both of them that this evening go well, but Historia pulled her out of the house so fast, she had no chance to hear a reply.
Historia grumbled to herself, muttering all the way down the sidewalk to Ymir's stolen, beat-up car, clutching her hand a little too tight.
Ymir wasn't exactly sure what was going on but opened the conversation to help her out of her contained rage. "Hey, uhh... You alright? Talk to me."
Historia didn't respond.
They finally arrived at Ymir's dented old Nissan, and Historia began furiously pulling at the door handle on the passenger's side waiting for it to open. Ymir frowned in concern and casually unlocked the driver's side to sit in her seat and reached over to unlock Historia's side. The fiery blonde's door finally opened and she flopped down into her seat, slamming it shut and crossing her arms.
Ymir looked at her with worry, having several guesses as to why she might be upset, and placed a loving hand on her girlfriend's little shoulder. "Hey... Tell me what's wrong."
Historia looked at her, into those beady loving eyes surrounded by stringy black bangs, and couldn't help the tears that squeezed their way out of her own. She wiped her eye and only replied quietly. "One guess..."
Ymir let a sigh breeze through her nose. "I'm sorry..." came her sullen reply.
"What?! Don't apologize for that, you should be angry! You should be defensive, you should yell and tell off anyone who does that to us, like you always do!" Historia yelled angrily. "You should--"
"Stop." Ymir told her softly. "That's your sister. Don't condemn her like that. She's the only family you have... I don't want you to throw her away. Whether she likes me or not, you should try to keep your relationship in good standing. Talk to her eventually when you've calmed down about this."
Historia swallowed the hot lump in her throat and frowned again. "Ymir... Why wouldn't she love you? You're so good for me, and I'm crazy about you! What if... she doesn't love me after all?"
Ymir quickly silenced her, and furiously explained "It does not mean that! It means she's naive like a lot of other normal people in this world. It means she doesn't know you so well yet. Any formerly estranged sister might run into that problem. It means you take the opportunity to teach her..."
Historia hugged herself and shut her eyes, pressing her cheek against the plush smelly fabric of the seat as she faced her girlfriend who was telling her all the things she didn't want to hear.
"Historia..." Ymir purred sympathetically as her hand caressed the pretty girl's warm exposed cheek. "...I know how it feels to truly have no one but yourself. And it sucks ass. No matter how strong we try to be about it, it sucks ass... But you have someone. Not a perfect someone, but a caring someone. Yes, if it were anybody else, I'd say fuck 'em and move on. But I want you to try and hold onto this opportunity. I refuse to be someone who takes that away from you."
Historia's hand slipped over Ymir's squeezing it tight. "Why can't she see this? Why can't she see this love we share that keeps me going?"
"Because she hasn't had a real chance yet. Give her time." Ymir said, her thumb gently brushing along the blonde's reddened cheek.
"...Okay." Historia finally whispered. "Okay. I will talk to her again later..."
"I'm glad to hear that." the butch girl smiled.
Historia finally sighed in relief and relaxed again, sniffling only a little as she sat up in her seat, buckling her seatbelt. "Can we go do something fun tonight?"
"Sure, babe." Ymir simpered, starting the old engine and turning on Historia's favorite pop-rock station to sing along to some fun power ballads with her.
Historia couldn't help smiling again before long. Between belting out angry pop songs with big grins and pranking the town with the love of her life, it was hard not to be happy again. Ymir really did make her so happy. It didn't matter who approved and who didn't. And the deep tongue kisses she gave her in the moonlight as they water-ballooned Jean's car in the late hours of the night confirmed that fact with utmost certainty.
Eren gets a valentine from his not-at-all-secret admirer, Armin, and struggles to hear out his feelings.
Happy Valentineās Day! Eremin forever!^^<3333
Valentine's Day was finally here. Armin had been taking deep breaths in and out all day, trying to stay calm, but struggled to defeat his anxiety. Ever since he'd met Eren that day by the vending machines outside last month, he'd been absolutely taken with him, grew completely enraptured by him, and fell totally and irretrievably in love with him... The very vision of his dream guy appeared before him and he was everything Armin ever could've hoped for and yet everything he didn't even realize he wanted. Eren was clumsy, awkward, deceptively grumpy, and off-putting, but so very sweet, so caring, so brave, so strong, so passionate... Armin believed heroes didn't exist, they were only something to dream about in fairy tales and action flicks. But now, he felt like dreams really could come true, because a hero was right there in front of him, shyly rejecting his eager request to watch 21 Jump Street but ultimately proving to be nothing short of amazing.
Armin had struggled to present his feelings, they were too overwhelming for him to really know what to do with them, and finally Marco told him "Why don't you just tell Eren how you feel?"
Armin blushed as he jittered. "Eh?! But I feel like I've already made it so obvious! Maybe I should just accept that his reluctance means he has no interest in me..."
Marco raised an eyebrow over his smirk. "Mmmh... I think you should just try telling him very explicitly. I rather think it's just been going right over his head."
Armin was almost too afraid to hope for that. "You think so? It's possible he's just confused?"
Marco couldn't help the chuckle in his voice, for Armin was too in love to see Eren as the airhead that he certainly believed was. "Yeah. I think so. Try telling him directly. Then see what happens." he told him with a nudge.
Armin went home after that and got to thinking. Valentine's Day was just around the corner, so he decided to make his formal confession in the form of a valentine card, one that really expressed his heart's true desires to the incredible green eyed boy he adored... And he poured all his efforts into several attempts to do so.
Now, it was the 14th. The moment of truth. Armin finished passing out his little store bought valentines to all his friends and was ready to give Eren his when the final class was dismissed. He clutched the big red envelope in his hands as tight as he could without bending or damaging it and just waited by the lockers for Eren to arrive at his... And soon enough, there he was. As tall and as handsome as ever, acting aloof, looking incredibly bored, that same disinterested look in eyes as usual, like they were just waiting for someone to light the wild fire that Armin knew was just lying dormant inside him. Armin beamed and blushed, swallowing the lump of fear in his throat and ran towards him.
"Hey, Eren!..." he called as he unconsciously placed his hand on Eren's arm before quickly retracting it upon realizing that he had.
Eren looked up from his backpack-stuffing at the little blond who'd come to greet him yet again. "Ah. You again."
Armin inhaled once more to soothe his anxiety for Eren's simple response, and began his little presentation. "Um... Eren, I-- I wanted to- give you this." he said as he handed Eren the envelope trembling in his dainty hands.
Eren took it, mindlessly taking note of it's rather big size, and read his name across the front, written in very pretty handwriting.
"It's a valentine I made just for you. I wanted to, um... give you something special. Because you're very special to me. The note explains everything better, but-- I like you, Eren. I like you a lot. Like- like you, like you..." he confessed most ungracefully, as he squeezed the backpack straps resting on his little shoulders. He wished English had more phrases for the types of affection one feels for a person like Japanese did, so he wouldn't have to stumble through his confession like some little kid in a bad sitcom. "I just think you're so great and... I just wanted you to know, if you didn't already. For whatever that's worth."
Eren listened... and nodded. "Alright, well, I'll open this when I get home." he told him nonchalantly with only a small blush crowning his cheeks as he stuffed the envelope into his backpack, on top of the other couple of valentines he'd gotten that day.
Armin jumped in to add "W-Wait! Wait, here, I have 4 more to give you!". He quickly unzipped his backpack to dig out the prototypes he'd deemed less worthy of his hero and handed them to him nervously, noting that Eren's indifferent expression remained unchanged. "I tried really hard to make you one that was as good as you deserve, and that one was the best I could manage, but you should still have these others too..."
Eren took the others from Arminās shaky hands, a little uncomfortable with this amount of affection. Did this little guy really think he somehow didnāt get the hint that he had a crush on him? "Alright then." he concluded, and nodded again before turning to leave for home, leaving the glassy-eyed boy there alone.
Armin watched as Eren turned the corner and then immediately began bumping his head against the lockers in embarrassment... The honest approach was such a hard one but if he wanted to be Eren's boyfriend, he certainly didn't want to begin their relationship with dishonesty. And he wanted to be with Eren so badly that he couldn't help showing it anyway... And of course Eren was welcome to reject him but still, it hurt to be rejected no matter how one sliced it. He moaned against the cold metal, overcome with the ache in his heart. He really loved him...
--
Eren came home without a word and tossed his backpack by the couch. The house was empty, indicating his mother had probably gone to the store, leaving Eren a quiet evening to himself. He planned to go on about his routine as usual, but he stopped and looked down at his backpack for a short moment. He bent down and unzipped the pocket to pull out the big red envelope Armin handed to him by the lockers. He stared at it briefly, expression still unchanging... and tossed it on the couch cushion before walking on into the kitchen to prepare a snack. With his snack cooking in the oven a few minutes later, he passed by the couch again and glanced at the red envelope still resting there untouched, but continued walking. A few minutes later, he passed by it again on his way back to the kitchen, now in just his comfy plain t-shirt and red boxers, and glanced at the envelope once more as he walked on to retrieve his snack from the oven. After gathering his sustenance, he finally returned to the living room to unwind. With his plate in one hand and the tv remote in the other, he settled down into the couch, legs and feet folded under him comfortably. And he glanced at the envelope again... but ultimately decided to continue ignoring it, and turned on the tv to channel surf for a while. Still though, he couldn't help peering at it every now and then from the corner of his eye.
At around 5 o'clock, Eren stood up with a stretch and vacuumed up his crumbs off the cushion with the DustBuster he kept beside the couch, not because his mother told him to, but because he hated to see himself leave a mess behind. In doing so, however, he knocked the envelope onto the floor. He turned the vacuum off and casually returned it to its place to pick up the envelope and held it in his hands for a long moment. He studied it again, studied the pretty way Armin wrote his name, curious too as to why whatever was in here required such a big envelope. The gears in back of his mind turned in thought about what it might say as he stood there in silence, still with that dull expression, before finally deciding to pick up his backpack and carry himself, and the envelope, upstairs to his room. He tossed the backpack on the bed, set the envelope by his pillow, and hopped onto the mattress, intending to start on his homework before dinner, but still that darn valentine preyed on his focus...
After several minutes of trying to do his algebra assignment, he tapped his pencil mindlessly on the paper, well aware he was no longer thinking of numbers or homework, but rather working kind of hard to not think about Armin's valentine. He looked over at it again, just sitting there with Eren's name face up in the silence of his room. His expression still didn't change, but his eyebrows began to furrow a little bit with curiosity...
Finally, he tossed his math homework aside and picked up the envelope in his big tawny hands. He studied his name again, wondering what it was like to be Armin, having such soft feminine handwriting and wondering too about this envelope and what it could possibly have in store. It took him a moment to realize it, but the envelope actually wasn't store-bought; it was handmade! That was certainly an impressive extra step, he thought. No glue or tape either, it was just fancily-folded red paper. That was... also impressive, he had to admit. And at last, he opened it, and pulled out a big card, and a letter...
Eren looked down at the card itself. It was absolutely beautiful! Armin had constructed it with some very appealing paper covered in a colorful looking red and gold floral pattern and in outlined letters, it read "I love you!". But if that weren't enough, Eren noticed the center of the card seemed to part in a strange way. He pulled it apart which opened it to a new message! "I adore you!", lettered over a blue and white ocean pattern. Eren's eyes widened. That was like magic! And there was yet another part? He pulled at this one too and found another message: "You're amazing!" lettered over a green and gold forest pattern. Eren was now grinning wide and bright for how cool this card was, and grew excited to find yet one more part. He opened it to read "You're my hero!" lettered over a red and gold roaring dragon pattern. Eren happily opened the infinite card over and over, again and again, reading the infinite words with a smile. It was something he never could've imagined getting! He'd never seen anything like this... He then picked up the love letter, handwritten as beautifully as the name on the envelope, on romantic looking ocean themed stationary, and rather nervously began reading...
Dear Eren...
It's been about a month since we've known each other and I wish we'd been closer by now, but... I wanted to give you this valentine anyway. Ever since I met you I've thought you were truly amazing. One of a kind! A hero, a wonder... and yet you're someone as ordinary as a fellow sophomore in the hallways passing by me at a vending machine. It's amazing! I know you don't see it, but I do, plain as day. You're bubbling with passion and fire and strength and I truly believe that you're exactly what this cruel world needs. I never had hope for the future before but after meeting you... I just find myself overflowing with it. You inspire so much in me, and make me feel like things are going to be okay. Thank you so much for that... Forgive me, but, if I may wish just one more thing from you, I hope to be friends with you. It's alright if you don't want that, but you do seem so lonely to me. And I really want to help you cheer up by showing you all the things I can think of that might excite you and make you happy. I want to see you light up and smile! I want to see you feel passion for something fun and hear you laugh. Will you please tell me if there's anything I can do to make that happen? And if there isn't, then I wish you to find it elsewhere because you deserve it. You deserve nothing short of the happiest life you can imagine. Please believe in yourself the way I believe in you.
Love, Armin.
Eren's happy expression had turned to one of desperate confusion... Aching confusion. He quickly pulled Arminās other valentines out to read the rest of them, (never even minding the ones heād gotten from some other classmates which fell into the floor). One envelope contained five sheets of pre-creased and folded origami paper, and instructions on how to fold them together into hearts to reveal a message: "I-love-you". Another contained a pretty, but blank card meant for love notes... and a tiny blacklight pen that revealed a secret message written on the card in invisible ink: "I love you, Eren. You're amazing. Be true to yourself. :)". Another contained a folded paper fortune teller with several messages to explore, throughout all the corners; "My Hero!", "You're Amazing!", "My Love!", "My Dream!"; and all the folds, "I love your eyes!", "Will you go to the beach with me sometime?", "You're so intriguing!", "Can we watch the sunset together?", "You're a vision of strength!", "Will you watch a movie with me?", "You are my hope...", "Can we please be friends?". Eren was growing dizzy... This was all becoming overwhelming. Finally he opened the last envelope, and found a simple card inside with a red heart painted on it... and a funny looking coin with a hole in it taped just above it. Armin had drawn an arrow next to it that pointed to the heart, indicating to Eren that he should scratch the paint away and reveal a message: "I love you... Thank you for being my hero. Please be true to yourself. Love, Armin."
Love, Armin. Love, Armin. Love, Armin. Eren felt like he'd read those words a thousand times now!
"God dammit..." he grunted, his eyebrows furrowing and his hands shaking in frustration as he grit his teeth and gripped the last card. "God dammit!" He shut his eyes and tossed the valentines aside in a fit as he fell back into the bed with a rough bounce. "God dammit!... Why?! Why does he think I'm so great?..." he whined, tears pooling in his eyes as he stared up at the ceiling...
Eren tried to avoid Armin's company ever since that day they met. It wasn't necessarily that he didn't like Armin, but Armin was so instantly infatuated with him and Eren just couldn't understand it. He'd watched him from afar for a long time, inexplicably intrigued by him, and he only meant to finally ask why he lets people bully him, but wound up becoming some sort of hero just for punching someone who deserved it. And now Armin was calling him the greatest thing in the world, when Eren couldn't feel farther from such an honor. Armin was smart, wasn't he? He should know better than to indulge in nonsense like love at first sight. Let alone the idea that Eren was some kind of a hero. What the hell could he possibly see to make him think Eren was anything but an average ordinary empty headed brat? Maybe his glasses were just fucked up. To be that pretty little blond guy's hero... it was too much to hope for. None of those things Armin said made any sense to Eren. How could he like him so much? How could he see him in such a wondrous light? How could he see any of these things in him that Eren himself just couldn't?
Eren rose up from the bed and stood up to walk over and look at himself in the mirror on his dresser. He looked at his empty distressed face. His eyes were lightless and he had wrinkles by his mouth from constantly frowning. His arms weren't very muscular and his haircut was plain. He felt like he looked so dull. Just a domestic, bored high school student with nothing but anger to give. Being that hopeful boy's hero... Yes, it was too much. Eren couldn't bear to dare believing in it. He had to prepare his rejection to him tomorrow, to just end this mess already, once and for all...
--
Armin held himself as he stood by the lockers the next morning, waiting patiently for Eren to arrive. This was it. He'd either be rejected or accepted and either way he'd have to move forward after this. He buried his face in his hands. Why did crushing on Eren hurt so much and yet feel so wonderful at the same time? Suddenly, he heard soft-shoed foot steps approaching and turned to see that Eren had arrived. It would all begin or end here... "Ah... Good morning, Eren..."
Eren only stared in silence, looking upset, his expression somewhere between sick and annoyed. And Armin noticed him clutching the letter from his valentine in a fist.
Armin gripped at his sleeves anticipating what was to come... but ultimately found himself unable to bear the awkward, intimidating silence any longer. "Eren, I'm sorry for coming on so strong, I'll accept any answer you give me, even if it's just you walking away... I can take it." he pleaded meekly, his glassy eyes seeming like they were going to shatter with heartbreak from behind his annoying spectacles. "So... What is it?"
Eren looked down at him, a frown on his lips and his fuzzy eyebrows furrowed. He'd planned his little speech before he came here. Dude, you are hopelessly lost. Why would you make someone you barely know 5 elaborate valentines professing your love to them? And where do you get off making all these assertions about me? Why do you think you saw something in me in 2 seconds that I wouldn't have seen in 15 years? What is it you even think you see? Iām not your goddamn hero!!! Why can't you just look at the facts and move on?! How can you see me as one?!!
Armin stared, wet eyes shining from the tears building up in them, still waiting for his rejection.
But Eren remained silent. His speech flowed through his head again and again, and yet the words wouldn't come out. His heart was aching... And the ache worsened the more he thought about it. He had every intention of rejecting this blue eyed boy and yet he couldn't even begin. Why was that?...
Eren watched as Armin swallowed a lump in his throat, looking like his final faint but precious glimmer of hope for love was about to be extinguished. And in that moment Eren realized... he didn't want to reject him. His fist relaxed, dropping the love note to the ground, and the angry speech in his head disappeared completely. His expression softened and his voice fell so gently on Armin's ears. "I'm sorry... I don't know how to respond to your valentines." he began, unsurprised to find that these were the true, honest words heād really wanted to say all along. "They're too much for me. I don't have the words to respond to them to return the favor. I can't even begin to tell you how I feel. I'm so sorry. But for now, I guess what I can give you... is this."
The next thing Armin knew, a pair of plush, warm lips were pressing against his. His big eyes widened, his brain tried to process what was happening but for once, it couldn't think. A second passed. Maybe two? And Eren was still there, still kissing him, seemingly not intending to leave anytime soon. It wasnāt a dream then. This was really happening! Somehow, some way, the amazing Eren Yeager was kissing him. Armin finally closed his eyes to indulge in this gift of a moment and gingerly slipped his trembling hands over Eren's back while those soft lips continued to explore his.
Eren was so clumsy at kissing him. His mouth would open too wide, his teeth knocked on Armin's, spit brushed over the corners of their mouths and their lips, and he wasn't sure what to do with his tongue.
And yet, bad kiss or not, Armin cherished every second. His heart beat so hard and so fast, he worried he may pass out before too long, (in which case, he would only hope that Eren would catch him.)
Eren grew light headed, and only when he felt like he may be sick if he kept indulging in these suddenly overwhelming emotions did he finally pull away from the lingering boy's lips that hung onto his for as long as they could. And he marveled at the look on the blushing blond's face that he'd left behind. He looked so airy and light, so ethereal and beautiful... And when the courageous dizzy boy opened his blue eyes again to look into Erenās, Eren felt like an arrow had shot right through his heart. Those glowing oceanic eyes put the stars to shame and every diamond too. Eren couldn't help reaching out and removing his glasses to look at them full view... It was the most inspiring sight he had ever seen. And then, Eren he did something he'd never really done before: put on a big, wide, dazzling smile, the kind romantic heroes would envy, and the one from Armin's dreams... just for him. A presentation never before seen by anyone was now exclusively Arminās to love.Ā
And at last, the bell rang.
Eren sighed, but his lips still curled up in a smile. He had a lot to look forward to, after all. He glanced down and picked up the love letter that he'd dropped, planning to hold onto it forever now. He then tapped lightly up against Armin's chin, treasuring the way the little blond kept leaning in like he wanted to be closer. "See you after class." he purred.
Armin's voice cracked as he finally managed a response. "Ye-ahh..."
Eren turned to leave but stopped short, quickly turning back to tell Armin before he forgot, "Thank you for all the valentines! They were perfect..."
Armin blushed again. He'd stayed up all night preparing those valentines, working so hard to keep them interactive and enticing for Eren, finally deciding that an infinite card that would tell him his feelings forever would be the best choice. It was such a labor of love for which he expected nothing in return, not even real appreciation. And yet... "You're welcome." he told him with a humble smile.
Eren simpered and held his hand up to wave goodbye before finally leaving for class. As he sat at his desk, he found himself high on the greatest feeling he'd ever felt. He was looking forward to something. To Armin. Looking forward to what wonders Armin might have to show him, to what sorts of things they could share in, and maybe heād even discover what it was Armin seemingly saw in him. If it was good enough to warrant that much love, then maybe there was something in him after all. His heartbeat pounded at such a funny rhythm that made him smile to himself in his seat. What a feeling... He had a lot to look forward to indeed. And this was a feeling he could not wait to pursue.
Eren has a bad day, but denies Arminās request to talk about it. Short blurb to make myself feel better tonight ;3;
āYou wanna talk about it?ā
āNoā¦ā Eren lied, his voice even more unusually quiet.Ā
Armin frowned to himself as he sat beside him in the bed of their quiet quarters. If Eren didnāt want to talk, he always worried about it.
Eren was a man of action. When upset, heād do something about it. But times like these where action left him, he would talk to Armin, and Armin would listen with his whole heart open to Erenās every word. But in this moment, Eren remained closed. Armin was a man of words, ready to share any thought that might return that smile he adored to Erenās face. However, Eren didnāt want to talk. So he had to wonder, what actions would be best for Erenās needs right now? He instinctively pulled Eren into a gentle, tight hug from behind. That was always a good first step.
Eren only placed his hand over Arminās arm, staring off at the wall beside him with the same empty expression.
Armin frowned again. He slid down from the mattress and went to the floor on bended knee, taking Erenās hand in his as he looked up into those sore eyes lacking their usual fire. He pulled that hand to his lips to kiss it and softly told him āI love youā¦ā
Eren cracked a small smile.Ā āI love you tooā¦ Please, donāt worry yourself over me. Iāll be fine. Probablyā¦ā he replied, seeming a bit unsure of himself.
āPlease donāt lie to me. If youāre hurting and need help, I want to help fix it. Donāt try to go through everything aloneā¦ā
Eren looked down into those eyes he loved more than anything in this world and thought about those words. He knew he should ask Armin for help. Especially knowing how much Armin wants to help him, even needs to considering his burden complex. Why was it so hard to rely on others? Armin, especially. āArminā¦ā he began, more so attempting to fill the silence rather than actually knowing what to say. He let out a subtle sigh, unable to speak further.
āErenā¦ let me help you. Please.ā Armin pleaded, his round eyes glistening with sympathy.
Eren cracked another smileā¦ There was nothing he could do about that. There never was. He raised his hands a little to signal he wanted Armin to come into his arms.Ā
Armin began rising up to meet the gestured request, and found himself pulled into Erenās space, on top of him as the raven haired boy fell back into the mattress, smiling up at the blond hovering above him.
As the pair returned to stillness, Eren spoke again. āThis is whatās been on my mindā¦ā he began.
Armin smiled to himself, eyes shimmering with joy again. Eren was about to open up to him. He felt Erenās hands gently pull at his body to lay down over him, and so gladly rested heavily and comfortably in his arms.
Eren already started to feel a little better with the weight of Arminās body and warmth pressing against him, and held him like a precious treasure, stroking his silky hair as he thought about what to say. āIt all started this morningā¦ā
Armin dreads New Yearās Eve parties but agrees to hang out with Eren for this oneā¦ Short gay fluffy drabble, happy New Year<3 :3
Eren seemed more timid than usual. Armin found that strange, considering it was a simple question that he directed at him.
āWill you go to the party with me?ā
How mundane. Did such a question really call for Eren to seem so nervous? Armin was his best friend after all, so, what answer did Eren suppose heād get? But there was no time to dwell on that, Eren was waiting for an answerā¦
Eren and Armin were at rest on a picnic blanket, so wrapped up in one anotherās essence, with not a care in the world but of each other. The warm sun gently feathered their skin and clothes in the cool spring air, and the sweet smell of fresh berries from their dessert bowl filled their lungs. Eren couldnāt take his eyes off of Armin. Not even for a second. As Armin laid there next to him on his back, looking up with dreamy half lidded eyes, Eren could only believe that this was the most beautiful sight in the worldā¦ His lover lying there, with his happy apple cheeks and his precious nose and slightly glossy smiling lips, oh especially those thin, pink, soft, deliciously kissable lipsā¦ Erenās mind burned each and every second of it into his memory. He then reached down into the bowl, his eyes still fixed on Arminās gorgeous lips, and pulled out a strawberry, dangling it over Arminās face with an expression of intense study on his own. Arminās head reached up to receive the strawberry in his mouth and Eren watched with endless tingling enthusiasm as the love of his lifeās lips slipped around the berry and pulled it in for a bite, puckering in the most beautiful, erotic, and enthralling way, that Eren couldnāt possibly describe. That beautifully cut jaw of Arminās began to move as he chewed slowly and Eren just couldnāt wait to taste it himself the second Armin swallowedā¦ and it seemed Armin couldnāt wait to share it either-
COUGH COUGH AHACKā HACKā ACH-HEHā HAHCKā! Suddenly, Armin sat up and turned away from Eren as he choked on the strawberry for a long moment. Eren patted his back gently in concern, being careful not to show too much disgust at the sight of Armin gagging and hacking up a chewed up strawberry.
āSorryāā¦ itās hard to chew and swallow, lying down.ā He huffed.
Erenās previously lovesick and aroused expression switched to a grin and he followed it up with a chuckle. āYou never cease to make things interesting, I love you.~ā
And the blushing blond could only collapse on his loverās shoulder in humiliating defeat.ā¤
Eren and Armin spend their date night in a blanket fort.
A short fic dedicated to @megumegufire because idk sheās great and I wanted to give her something ;3;
Enjoy if you can! (has some sexual themes<3)
Eren stirred the curry he was cooking with a smile, declaring it finished just in time for Armin to get home from work any minute now. Friday was his favorite day of the week. He had the day off to stay home, rest up, clean around the apartment, get a nice dinner together, and prepare for his night with Armin. Friday usually meant marathoning a show or movie series, playing games, sharing a hot bath, or having shameless, passionate sex, whatever they could enjoy doing together at home for a night. Tonight, they planned on watching Samurai Flamenco yet again, Arminās favorite anime and one even Eren was starting to quote in Japanese for how often theyād seen it together. And such an occasion called for curry, using an Indian recipe that Eren finally had the chance to try out. āHope he likes itā¦ Hmmā¦ Better add a little more pepper just in caseā¦ā he thought to himself, never really sure when a dish was spicy enough to suit Arminās zest for it.
Suddenly, the sound of a key turning the lock on the door hit the air and Eren grinned to himself for his belovedās return. He quickly removed his apron and rushed to meet him at the door before it even opened, but within a second, the dripping wet blond man came in, shaking his umbrella a little before placing it in the stand.
āThere he is! Ah, I guess the storm caught you, huh? Anyway, welcome home.ā he purred with a sultry voice, preparing to go in for a kiss right away. But he stopped short at the sight of Arminās face as he looked up to meet his gaze.
Arminās face was wet from the rain, but more so, the red eyes and puffy cheeks made it clear that heād been crying, further confirmed by his pouty frown.
Such an image tugged at Erenās heart and he wordlessly pulled him into a hug, reciprocated by Armin in full as he buried his face in his chest. Still without even hearing what was wrong, Eren then pulled away to suggest exactly what he knew Armin would need. āBlanket fort?ā
āMm.ā the sniffling man nodded.
And Eren set to work right awayā¦
Blanket forts were something fun the pair had indulged in for as long as theyād known each other. Though their bodies had aged, their hearts were still young, or at least Arminās was, and thus blanket forts were an old habit between them that never died. Truthfully, Eren mightāve outgrown it or set it aside as heād gotten older, but Armin Arlert was his lover, and no one appreciated Arminās magical ability to renew a heartās spirit with fun and free spirited activities more than Eren Yeager. And thus he never lost his own fondness for blanket forts either. It was only cozier now that they were older and bigger and filling up such a tiny warm space, and they were even more fun now that they were seasoned enough at the craft to add more embellishments to it, like Christmas lights, and a second āroomā, and a back door to head to the restroom. They also had plenty of extra blankets, sheets, and pillows on hand for just such an occasion as this when an emergency blanket fort was required. While Armin showered and slipped into his most comfortable pajamas, Eren laid out the big futon, pillows, set up the couch cushions, hung the sheets, blankets, and soft lights, set up the laptop for their marathon, and put together their dinner trays to be eaten inside the fort. Armin soon walked out of the bathroom in soft, baggy lounging clothes, wiping his eyes.
āHeyā¦ā Eren greeted in a soft voice. āFeeling any better now that youāre out of that wet work suit?ā
Armin shook his head no.
āAhā¦ Well, hey, come here.ā he continued, opening his arms as he walked towards him, though Armin ran to close the gap between them right away, hugging him just as tight as before. Erenās hand rested on Arminās head as he held him close, feeling a little dampness seep into his shirt since Armin was still a little weepy. āItās okayā¦ Iām here, and youāre here, everythingās okay. You wanna talk about it yet?ā He felt Arminās head shake no again. āThatās okay. All the ugliness is outside now, youāre home and safe with me.ā he cooed, and kissed his head before pulling away to smile at him.
Armin wiped his eyes again to find that smile in clear view as he looked up at his tall sweetheart. And like Erenās magic always did, it managed to make him smile a little again himself.
āCome on, letās go eat this dinner before it gets cold.ā
The pair sat inside the blanket fort, enjoying their dinner for 2 and Armin indeed couldnāt compliment Eren enough on his new recipe, and for adding the perfect amount of spice to suit him. But soon enough, after the curry started to warm him up again, Armin managed to get the topic of his bad day out of the way.
āI came in late and my boss yelled at me. And you know I can endure a lot, but today it just really cut me. He said he was sick of me wasting his time there with half assed work, knowing my priority wasnāt with the company. And I think the reason it hurt me this time was becauseā¦ heās right.ā he sighed. āI donāt care about this company. I donāt care about the numbers, I donāt care about the profits, I donāt care about any of this endless boring work I have to do every day. I was late for no good reason too. I stopped to just stand outside and stare at the people going by. Smell the air, watch the dogs and the kids play. Watch the kind old people contrast with the mean ones. I saw a pretzel stand near by and decided to grab one before I went in, just to nibble on something throughout the day since I was already late and Iād have to work through lunch. And it just- really stung. He called me out and chewed me out. And I swallowed it, apologized, got straight to work and kept my head down for the rest of the day. I hate it there, Erenā¦ I really do. Itās the polar opposite of how I wanted to spend my life. I wanted to see the world with you, I wanted to already be traveling with you, but weāre stuck hereā¦ And as I walked home, I just started crying. I didnāt even bother opening my umbrella ācause I just didnāt care anymore. I cried because my worst nightmare is starting to look like reality and I just have to face the facts: I may not get to travel with you at all any time soonā¦ Maybe ever at this rate. All because I canāt just bring myself to fake it at work the way I should.ā
āā¦Armiāā
āI was really worried about facing you tonight. I know you hate standing still and I know you hate when I lose my faith, but it justāā
āArmin.ā Eren addressed him firmly but ever gently as he lovingly placed his hand over his.
Arminās tears had begun to well up again, but Erenās sweeping thumb brushed them away before they could begin to fall.
Eren continued with a soft smile. āFirst of all, you have every right to hate your job, cuz it sucks. I donāt blame you for taking it slow today, theyāve worked you hard ever since you got there, and they definitely donāt pay you enough to just dedicate your heart to it Monday through Friday for 8 hour days. Iām proud of you for rebelling a little. That took a lot of guts! Thatās quite the opposite of standing still, donāt you think?ā
Armin blushedā¦ both with flattery and embarrassment for thinking so little of himself as usual. He never forgot to be thankful that he had Eren to pull him out of his inferiority complex at the end of days like these.
Eren went on. āAnd second of all, it wonāt be forever. We will definitely travel. Soon in fact! Remember? After our Christmas bonuses added up, weāre already 3 quarters of the way there in our travel funds! And I know youāre a great writer, so that proto draft you sent the publishers in that city I canāt pronounce is sure to leave a good impression at the very least! You definitely wonāt be doing this job forever. If itās draining you that much though, I say either demand a raise or ask for less straining shifts since this current one is so hard on you. And if this basketball season turns out as good as the football season, I can definitely ask the school to give me another raise. Really, so long as you donāt mind living in this shitty place for just a little longer, weāll be set quite soon. I believe in us. At the very least I believe in you, anyway.ā
āā¦ā Arminās tears fell again, but this time over a smile instead of a frown.
āMore curry?ā
He nodded yes and smiled to himself in thought as he watched his husband leave to refill his tray and waited for him to come back, no longer worrying or caring about this awful day. Just beaming brightly with thoughts about Eren and how much he loved him as his heart fluttered in his chest as much as it always did, no matter how long they were together. And just counting the seconds before that handsome man of his would return to the blanket fort.
āTa-daa!ā Eren sang as the plushy fort curtain opened again, and placed a second helping of hot curry in front of Armin, whom ate it swiftly with a healthy smile and sparkling eyes. Eren smiled to himself, so happy to see Armin happy again and eating like a happy person.
The talk about work then quickly turned into a happy chat about Arminās manga, and where he should take the story between the first and third quarter. Eren suggested a battle with the female character on the enemyās side since not only was Armin good at writing for women, but also found good female characters to be quite well received since theyāre such a frustratingly fresh concept in entertainment media. Armin concurred and thought excitedly about how to use her emotional depth to itās fullest while Eren rattled on about wanting to see a cool fight scene with her against the protagonists. With no longer a trace of sadness in the air at all, Eren suggested it was time to eat dessert while they marathoned their anime. Now the air was filled with the pair exchanging theories about Gotoās mysterious girlfriend and at what point he really began to fall for Masayoshi, between Eren chuckling over and over again āLook, itās us! Wow, this is just us! Masayoshi Kun is just like you!ā to which Armin would always blush and reply, āYep, thatās us! But I like you so much better than Goto Sanā, a compliment that made Eren quite proud. Theyād poked the brownie bon bons into each otherās mouths until theyād eaten them all before they knew it, and decided to skip to the final arc to conclude the series before bed time. But after all that sugar and spice, they couldnāt be bothered to sleep any time soon.
Rather, theyād sparred in a small pillow fight before simply lying on their backs to chat endlessly about anything and everything while they mindlessly made shadow puppets on the blanket ceiling above them. Their affectionately interlocked hands rested between them, while Arminās leg rested over Erenās, with his foot and toes brushing up against his.
āSo why does it smell different when itās going to rain? Thatās true, right? Not just a thing old people made up?ā Eren asked, forming what he deemed a puppy shadow puppet above them.
āHaha, itās true, and itās because the plants release a certain smell before the rain falls, because of the low pressure in the air.ā
āWow, no kidding? Fuck.ā
āPretty cool right?ā he chuckled.
āSucks if youāre on the ocean then. Was there a way to tell for rain before barometers or whatever were invented if you were on the sea?ā
āEver hear the phrase "Red sky at night, sailorās delight, red sky at morning, sailors take warningā?ā Armin inquired as he made his bunny shadow puppet kiss Erenās puppy during a game of shadow tag.
"Ahhh, yeah! Thatās really fucking cool! Howās that work?ā
āIt has to do with the moisture in the air and what the sun reflects.ā
āNo shitā¦ Thatās awesome.ā
āHaha, Iām glad we can just fly over the ocean though, so getting caught in a storm at sea is no longer a required fear for the traveling man. I do wish we could take our trips by sea, thoughā¦ā Armin lamented.
āIām sorry, Aruā¦ Someday when your manga takes off and we can work from anywhere in the world, weāll travel by ship.ā
āThereās a dreamā¦ā he sighed with a smile.
āCome on, now. It definitely wonāt come true if you donāt believe in it. Isnāt that what you taught me?ā Eren playfully bantered, turning his head to look at his husband.
Arminās eyes met his and he smiled again. āI didnāt mean that I didnāt believe in itā¦ I justā¦ I want it so bad, Erenā¦ I want that future with you so much it aches sometimes. Because we arenāt there right now.ā
Eren retired his shadow puppet and brought that hand to Arminās face to cup his cheek, pulling him in for a tender kiss. āWell, in the mean time, weāre here right now. And I donāt think thatās so bad, all things considered. I mean weāre trapped, and it sucks, butā¦ Youāre here with me. So I can make it work until that day finally comes when weāre free. How about you?ā
Arminās eyes shined like stars for this man who reminded him continuously to keep dreaming. He pulled Eren into his arms and helped himself to a long, indulgent kiss, followed by a few words with a big promise. āAs long youāre with me, I can handle the wait.ā
āMmmā¦ Thatās my Arminā¦ā Eren hummed, and pulled him in for yet another kissā¦ and another, and another, and another, each one deeper than the last, with his tongue tangling with Arminās as much as his legs were tangling with his. As he slipped his thigh between Arminās legs and found the warm, hard protrusion he was hoping to feel, he hummed that special hum of his into Arminās lips before pulling away with a wet pop. āMmmmmhā¦ Good thing I stocked up on our "goodiesā yesterday.ā
Armin moaned a meaningless, yearning sound as he pulled Eren back to his lips, running his hands over his back and through his hair, and desperately pressing Eren into the pillows surrounding them, looking forward to leaving a special impression on this sacred blanket fort.
With the smell of sex and coconut oil in the air, the lights out, and only the gentle rain outside to serenade them, Armin lay quietly in Erenās arms, almost lulling off to sleep as Erenās gentle breathing moved him up and downā¦ Eren combed his fingers through the strands of Arminās hair habitually while his other hand rested on Arminās back and indulged in the feeling of Arminās own breathing. Rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fallā¦ As Eren finally closed his eyes, giving in to the warmth and safety of this fort, and feeling completely one with Armin under their soft blanket, he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the ocean. Dreaming of the waves moving up and down, rising and falling, with Armin in his arms, as it carried them across the world to their dreamsā¦
"Erenā¦ā he began, the only voice Eren could hear in this whole dream. āI love you.ā
āI love you tooā¦ā
And nothing could take that dream away.
A/N:
Yes, Armin is writing Shingeki No Kyojin. This is a headcanon of mine that Iām sure you all know by now lmao. Yes, it lands a publisher and in a few years, they are happily traveling, and have a home base in Japan.
Eren playing housewife is so precious to me, sorry, I canāt help itā¦ He is a coach for a big highschool somewhere in town, best he can do after his own sports related injuries rendering him a useless athlete (another old headcanon of mine that Iām sure you all know by now lmao).
A tragic modern AU wherein Eren never came out or came to terms with his feelings for Armin and married Mikasa on the grounds that āthatās what youāre supposed to doā.Ā
Short romantic drabble (with a happy ending ;3). Enjoy if you can^^
Eren slipped away from the party and slunk down the hall for a chance to be alone for a moment. His stomach was still nauseated from his wife, Mikasa, whispering in his reluctant ear to drink as much as possible while here. Eren definitely wasnāt a drinker but when itās the only way you can manage to have sex with your thirsty wife, you do what you must. His childhood friend, Armin, had invited his closest friends over for a little dinner party that night and the air was otherwise filled with warmth and cheer amongst the guests, and Eren in particular felt that same special feeling in his heart that he always felt when he looked at Armin. A feeling heād felt from the day they met all the way until now. A feeling he only felt with Armin. But heād never admit to himself just how good it felt to be around him, no matter how close they were.Ā
Indeed there were a lot of things he wouldnāt admit to himself, leaving him with an overstuffed closet of secrets in his mind as he indifferently chose to do the āproperā thing insteadā¦ He quietly turned into the doorway that lead to the cozy master bedroom and glanced all around. Ah, Arminās roomā¦ It was every bit as colorful as heād imagined. Filled with geeky toys and posters and collectibles from his favorite anime and manga, as well as photos and trinkets and souvenirs from his travels around the world. Everything Armin dreamed of as a child, he made a reality as an adult, never straying from those things he loved that put the stars in his eyes, and the joy in his life. Eren envied it so muchā¦ It was everything his bedroom wasnāt. His bedroom was empty, grey, big, cold, and so lonelyā¦ even with Mikasa sleeping right beside him, which if he could be honest, only made him feel even more alone. Armin had posters of the sea and his favorite action heroes on the walls, sea shells and geodes on every shelf, and incredibly valuable looking action figures on the bookcase in front of Eren. It was enough to bring him to tears, choking up from the nostalgia as he admired it allā¦ everything he missed dreaming about and everything he craved in his boring empty life. Everything Armin was.
He wiped his eyes on his sleeve before poking around at a very pristine figurine of Kick-Ass, the hero he and Armin were obsessed with in their youth. It was beautiful, clearly a treasure.
āThat was an exclusive figure from a manga convention in Japan. Iām very proud to have it.ā spoke the golden voice of Armin, whom had quietly appeared in the doorway a few seconds ago.
Eren smiled upon seeing the face of the man who so often occupied his mind. And smiled also for the image of Armin in Japan, having a good time, and indulging in its wonders, just like heād always dreamedā¦ and he wished he were a part of that so badlyā¦ āIt looks great. Bet it was a fun trip.ā
Armin happily walked over to join Erenās company and brushed the dust off of the figurineās head. āIt wasā¦ Pretty lonely though.ā
Eren was a bit confused. āDidnāt Marco go with you?ā he asked, surprised that the laughing freckled otaku in the kitchen with the others wasnāt Arminās default travel buddy for at least a convention.
But Armin nodded no. āTraveling is pretty personal to me. And Marcoās only interested in manga. Heās not the kind of person Iād want to take there with me.ā
āOh.ā
After adjusting his figurine to face them at the best angle, Armin accidentally leaned into Erenās body and to his surprise, Eren simply let him. Not a second later, Eren caved into the nostalgia and brought up old memories of their nerdy childhood playtime, excitedly revisiting the world of āKick Assā that they loved so much as kids. He brought up a faulty reference to an old issue of the manga, something Marco wouldāve cringed over, and asked the enthusiastic Armin to remind him of how it really went, which Armin excitedly narrated from accurate memory. Laughter started to fill the room, pure and happy, filling Erenās empty body with spirit and life again for a moment, especially for remembering how they used to act out various scenes from the story together. And before they knew it, theyād begun acting one out right there. Armin began blushing and smiling in a way he hadnāt done in so so long, and naturally enough, so was Eren. In the midst of the action followed by Kick Assā final blow, the pair had found themselves fallen on Arminās bed, which bounced them to the rhythm of their heartbeats. Eren smiled up at Armin from underneath his warm body and the pair sighed and relax for a moment, with Armin crashing gently into Erenās chest, comfortably at ease in his arms. And dammit if it just- didnāt feel SO right. So comfortable, so warm, so safeā¦ Armin beamed at the feeling of Erenās warmā¦ friendship hugā¦ a sensation that just couldnāt be matched. He raised his head up, letting his blond hair curtain around his happy red cheeks, and their gazes metā¦ Feelings welled up inside them, warm and special feelings that gushed throughout them, flowing through their bodies and pulsing in their chests as their beautiful smiles reflected one anotherās mirth. They remained like that for only a couple of seconds, which feel like ages, and something in Erenās eyes glimmeredā¦
But at last, Armin broke the silence. āCome on, Eren. Letās get back to the party. Your- wife must be wondering where you went.ā
Ah, right. Eren was marriedā¦ and he hadnāt been drinking like she wanted either. Armin used to swear heād never lie to Eren, valuing their bond and trust above all else. But the truth was, he really just sent him back to the party so he could cry alone in his room for a minuteā¦ It hurt so much. It never hurt any less. Eren was his dream, and yet that dream amounted to nothing. He never dated anyone, choosing to remain alone rather than burden someone with the feeling of āsecond choiceā knowing his heart would always belong to Eren. A stubborn and probably stupid choice to endure and yet Armin was certain dishonestly settling for another forever wouldāve been worse for him than the pain of just living alone. Damn that smile of Erenās, and that flutter in Arminās thudding heart whenever Eren was close to him. Damn the curse of being in love with your married, straight best friend. Damn it allā¦
Eren finally joined up with the rest of the party in the warmth of Arminās kitchen, where Mikasa pulled at his ear like a mother would for scampering off. She then handed him a glass of sparkling champagne before returning to her stuffy conversation with Jean about their work. Eren lifelessly stood there, frowning at his reflection in the glass of Arminās golden champagne, feeling like a mere shell of himself. Empty, cold, lonely, and mourning where his life had landed himā¦
Later that evening, the dinner party concluded and everyone went home, smiling at one another and looking forward to seeing each other again. Armin barely looked at Eren again for the rest of the party, and that was the end of it.
Two weeks later, rumor had it that Eren filed for divorce. Meanwhile, Armin was actually heading to China for part 1 of his summer vacation touring his favorite places in Asia. He arrived at the airport and went through customs and everything else with the same empty, lonely feeling he always had when he did itā¦ He stood in the gate, ready to board and just waiting for the go ahead from the flight attendant, only to hear some voice calling his name from behind. He turned around and there was a rough looking Eren, disheveled looking like heād either just gotten out of bed or slept on a couch, running towards him, as fast as he could, desperately trying to get to him before he boarded that plane. Armin couldnāt really believe what he was seeing. Eren running faster than heād ever seen him run, trying to reach him? He simply stood there waiting to see where this would go, and suddenly Erenās arms were around him, hugging him tighter than heād ever been hugged in his lifeā¦ The gust of wind from Erenās sprint then brushed over his face and through his hair like a force of magic, and the next moment Eren took Arminās face in his hands to speak to him through the big ugly tears in his eyes.
āI love youā¦ I always have. Iām so sorry I never came forward about it. I want to see the world with you. I want you to fill me with thoughts of magic and-and fun from those mangas and animes you always talk about, I want you to hold me close and whisper your thoughts in my ear and tell me about the world, andā maybe if you feel it in your heart, tell me that- you love me tooā¦ Your voice is the only one I ever want to hear it in. And I wanna kiss you under the sac- sacka- uhhā¦ā
āSakura?ā Armin said sheepishly.
āYEAH! Yeah, you always know what Iāmāā Eren sniffled, so overwhelmed with emotion. āUnder the sakura trees and tell you "I love youā in every languageā¦ Iā didnāt think this throughā¦ Sorry, this isnāt exactly the ideal confession, you being in the middle of leaving the country and me in the middle of a divorce butā¦ What doā¦ Do youā¦ Mmm..ā
Erenās eyes glimmered with life, an image Armin hadnāt seen since their childhood and never with this intensity. He couldnāt say yes fast enough, and raised Armin up in his arms to swing him around and hug him tight.
When Arminās feet landed on the ground again, he began rambling his logic about the reality they were in, just as he habitually did. āWell, I mean, this trip will have to be cut short since youāre in the middle of a divorce, weāll probably only get 2 weeks or so before weāll have to come back and settle some things, which I donāt mind one bit since I get to be with you-ā but while the glowing Armin rambled away, Eren simply took his hand and walked with him to the counter to buy a last minute ticket to China, with a grand sparkling grin on his faceā¦ This was the first time heād ever felt truly happy in his life.
They spent a wonderful two weeks alone in China, never minding a thing in the world but each other. Holding each other tight, drunk on sweet kisses and tight cuddles, they swore to never let go of each otherās hands for as long as theyād walk this earth together. And with the beauty of the world Eren at last got to see below their hotel balcony underscoring Arminās beautiful bright eyes in the light of the sunset, Eren didnāt have a single regret about choosing him.
Short blurb in response to the OOC mess that was āThe Bread Scene Part IIā.
Childhood Eremin in which Eren has a horrible dream involving Armin and rushes out to ensure reality is secure. Fluffy comfort ensues.
(tw: abuse mention). Enjoy if you can<3
"Eren, stop! Let Mikasa handle this!"
"NO WAY!" BAM!
"AH--"
"YOU COWARDLY PIECE OF SHIT!"...
Eren's eyes burst open, with tears streaming down from them. The echoes of cruel words in a guttural gravelly voice were still hitting the walls of his skull like the bells of a church tower... "Armin!"
Armin hummed to himself as he pinned his wet hood up to dry on the clothes line when the cry of Eren calling out his name sounded behind him. He turned around and there was his dearest companion, racing towards him, tripping on a rock but never slowing his pace or taking his eyes off of him. "Eren, what's the matter? OOF!--" Suddenly Eren's arms were around him, hugging him tight and snuggling him close, with his nose buried in the side of his neck. Instinctively, Armin simply hugged him back, growing more concerned at the feeling of hot tears dripping onto his shoulder. "Eren, what's wrong?" Eren pulled away and gripped Armin's shoulders, oddly looking over his face for something it seemed. Armin brushed his tears away, waiting patiently for an answer, using only his softest voice. "You can tell me anything. What's wrong? Hmm?"
Eren stared at him for another moment, digging his fingers into Armin's soft golden hair before the words finally came out. "...I would never ever hurt you. Okay?"
Armin raised an eyebrow. "Hn? I know that. Where on earth is this coming from?" he asked, running his hands over Eren's wrists affectionately before taking his rough hands in his own.
"I--... I had a bad dream..." he confessed with a sniffle.
"Oh?"
"But it wasn't like a DREAM-dream, it was like-- I was in another world, one that looked very similar to ours, and yet it was so different... I was in my head but I wasn't in control of my body... I-It didn't even feel like it was me. It was like I was a passenger in one of those river boats, having no say in where it went or where it stopped... And-- this me... or rather this monster who looked like me, he-- was out of control, he was nothing but rage and you tried to pull him out of a fight and he just- smashed your face with his hand and shoved you into the wall! I kept screaming at him to stop but he wouldn't! He wouldn't listen to you or me, it was awful, and I'm so sorry, Armin, I would never- I could never hurt you, I--"
"Woah, woah, Eren, shh..." Armin cooed as he cupped Eren's cheeks and ran his thumbs over his eyebrows to relax him again. "It wasn't real, don't worry. I know you would never hurt me... Everything's okay, and I'm okay. See? I'm perfectly fine, smiling even. Because you're here."
Eren looked at the wide eyed boy in front of him, the only one who was ever allowed to see him cry, and studied his face again. No injury, no fear detected, no fretting... Indeed, there was only a smile, from the one he loved most, so happy to see him. Yet still he was unsure of himself. It was the ugliest feeling he'd ever felt in that dream. Being so out of control that he'd laid violent hands on Armin? He wanted to throw up just at the thought of it.
Seeing the look of shame on Eren's face, Armin decided to take matters into his own hands, literally. He took Eren's hand in his and gently laid it to rest over his face. "Right here?"
"--Mm..." Eren nodded, and swallowed hard.
Armin only smiled. And nuzzled his nose into Eren's hand, completely at ease, only blushing a little at how intimate it was. "See? I feel perfectly safe. Because I know you. And I know you would never hurt me. Your hand is only being gentle and loving with me. I have nothing to fear, and neither do you."
Ah, Armin's logic... That voice of his could always put Eren at ease with the simple, smart, loving things it told him. Finally his body relaxed again. He now confidently let his hands caress Armin's face, lovingly and kindly, and watching as Armin's round apple cheeks glowed with an endearing blush. Armin smiled up at him with half lidded eyes, and Eren began to lean in... He softly pressed his lips on Armin's nose, kissing it tenderly before resting his forehead against his. "I was so worried I'd broken it... Sorry..."
"It's already been broken before, there's no making it worse."
Eren's bottom lip made a visible pout as his hand moved into Armin's hair to stroke it. "I just can't understand why people want to hurt you, Armin."
"That's just how people are, Eren." he sighed, hands holding Eren's waist. "They love to hurt others. They hate me because I'm gay, but love me for being small and weak so they can beat me. And for being stubborn enough to let them."
Eren let out a sigh of his own, and pulled Armin close, wrapping his arms around his neck. "If that's the case then they have a problem with me too."
Armin's eyes widened and his arms found their way around Eren's back. The blood rushed to his cheeks while his thoughts came to a halt. "Eren?"
Eren didn't say a word. Only pulled away to meet Armin's gaze with an intense message in his eyes that Armin was too shy to read. He began to lean in again.
Armin's hands gripped Eren a little tighter but the sparkle in his eyes read pure adoration for him. He leaned in as well, until their lips pressed together.
Soft, sweet, gentle, and so loving. That was how their first kiss felt and they never forgot it. It was the first of many kisses to cross between their lips in their lifetime, and the promise with this one was kept with the utmost dedication.
"I swear with all my heart, I will always care for you."
A short childhood eremin adventure in which little Eren helps out Arminās littler friendā¦
A fun fluffy short to make myself smile, playing with Erenās hero complex and just cute baby eremin chemistry<3333
Enjoy if you can^^~
āEREEEEEEEEN!!!!! HEEEEELP!!!!!ā
Eren jumped into action immediately for that never-before-heard cry for help from little Armin Arlert. His best friend was so proud he never allowed Eren to just help him, much less cry for him to do so. And Eren was more than ready to heed his cry, more than ready to save his dearest companion, more than ready to be the hero he needed in whatever dark times he was facing. He bolted down the street to the alleyway near Arminās house, assuming thatās where the trouble must be, with a ferocious growl in his teeth and a fierce look in his eyes. And there Armin was, hunched over something in a corner, already roughed up with spittle smeared amidst the blood on his scrappy little face. The desperate look in his big bright molasses colored eyes as they gazed into Erenās were as pained as his cry.
āEren! Help, please!ā
And those were the only magic words Eren needed. He charged into the fray and all the strength in his hot blooded body bubbled to the surface as he mercilessly thrashed Arminās harassers. With protecting Armin as his motivation, he wound up laying fair waste to the ruffian children of Shiganshina, or at least bored them to the point of exhaustion before they finally left, leaving Eren a bloody, bruised mess there with the hunching Armin. āTheyāre all gone, Armin, itās okay now!ā he proclaimed with a gentle voice and happy smile, which grew even grander when Armin forced himself back up to his feet just to run towards him.
Eren felt like he was glowing. He was a real hero today. He rescued the boy he adored by fighting tooth and nail for him, and was going to be rewarded with a grand embrace from him in return, like every knight receives from his lover in a fairy tale. He would hug him back, just as tight, and nuzzle his hair, and wondered if itād be inappropriate to kiss his cheek. But Armin immediately took a completely different course than Eren was expecting.
āCome here, quickly, please!ā he begged, tugging Erenās hands to come follow him back to the corner he was crouched in.
Eren followed his lead, a little sad he wasnāt getting quite the heroās welcome he was hoping for after all, and looked down to see that Armin had been previously hunched over a mucky crateā¦
Armin sat down on his knees and explained, āThis is what I was trying to protectā¦ā as he lifted the crate to reveal his concern.
Erenās own cat-like eyes widened at the pair of baby blue eyes staring at him from the face of a meek little kitten trembling by Arminās knee. āA kittenā¦ā
āYeah. Those jerks were chasing him into this alley and throwing pebbles at himā¦ā Armin grumbled, then used his softest and kindest voice to calm him down along with an open hand at rest beside him. āItās okayā¦ Theyāre all gone. The trouble is all over. Youāre safe now.ā Fortunately, the kitten seemed to accept Arminās word and after a moment of studying him, crawled into his hand. Armin scooped him into his arm as gently as he could and stood up again to show Eren up close.
āWow, he really trusts you already.ā Eren noted, somewhat envious deep down of Arminās ability to receive an animalās affection so easily, like this kitten burying his face into his shirt. āYouāre really good with animals, Armin.ā
āAw, you could be too! Hereā¦ā Arminās free hand took Erenās anxious wrist and lead his hand towards the furry baby in his arm. āJust relax and be completely calm and gentle. Let him know you mean no harm.ā
Eren tried to obey and sighed to relax himself, just hoping to prove Armin right. But once his skin met the soft and plush fur of the kitten, his anxiousness dissipated completely. More so as he began petting it affectionately.
āSee? Itās okay. This is Eren, he rescued us today. Heās very very good, and has the gentlest hands.ā
Eren blushed and glanced away shyly with a furrowed brow and a pursed smile. He preferred the image of a rough and tumble man for himself, but when Armin Arlert was around, it was true: he couldnāt help going soft. And feeling proud of it when he won Arminās ultimate trust and affectionā¦
āAw, heās purring! See, I told you. Just an honest tender touch is all you need.ā
āHm.ā While Armin kept his eyes on the kitten in his arms, Eren turned his gaze to Arminās face, smiling unconsciously for his beauty which shone inside and out.
āHeās very friendly. Do you suppose he belongs to anybody?ā Armin asked, meeting Erenās gaze again.
āI think I have an idea where he came from.ā he said with a grin, nodding for Armin to follow him.
The pair came to a stop at the top of the stairs near Erenās house, where his mother would hang the laundry to dry on Sundays. Eren laid his scarf over the kitten for this trip, to ensure no one threatening would see him before they could reach their destination and happily removed it to let the kitten look around. The kitten chirped excitedly to see his home again and Eren pushed aside an inconspicuous laundry basket to reveal a hole in the wall where a mewling mother cat had been staying. Too excited to see his mother and family again to wait, the kitten leapt from Arminās arms and ran into his secret home, greeted with cat kisses and purrs. The mother cat looked at Eren with relaxed, squinty eyes in gratitude, which Eren mimicked before replacing the basket to keep them hidden.
āDonāt worry. Iāll keep them safe and look out for them. No assholes are gonna get to them when Eren Yeagerās around.ā he promised with a grin.
Armin blushed as his heart melted and a warm, gracious smile crept over his lips. He was so moved, and so grateful. āMy heroā¦ā He then walked right into Erenās space to hug him tight, burying his face in his chest, and loving him with all his heart.
Eren blushed in return. This was different than what he was expecting in terms of being a hero. But this hug was so much tighter and snuglier than heād imagined, and the love radiating from Arminās heart into his was moreā¦ awe striking. It felt deeper, honest, and passionate. It was a different kind of glory. A special kind of gloryā¦ Realizing his arms were still just dangling at his sides, he finally wrapped them around Arminās shoulders, treasuring every bit of this moment in his heart. To be Armin Arlertās heroā¦ Nothing felt more glorious than that.
