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“Look – I don’t want to talk about this with you. You have no say in the matter whatsoever … I just …” with an annoyed roll of sapphire eyes the young Ravenclaw paused. Head tilted up a little from where he stood, a good few inches shorter than his companion, just watching his friend carefully.
He would have finished his sentence right there and then, but that would have been far too easy. Simply, he just enjoyed toying with this Gryffindor. It was too much fun not to. Gaze locked on the boy’s sun-kissed complexion, Armin Arlert watched him with amusement as he struggled to stay quiet. It began with the quiver of an upper lip. Every so often a small murmur could be heard, only to be lapped up quickly with a dart of tongue. For some unknown reason, Armin found it rather endearing. It was quite difficult not to smirk a little at the sight, so he did. The next thing Armin noticed were the eyebrows; they were twitching and quickly changing between indecisiveness and disappointment. The Gryffindor was truly fighting to stay quiet.
Bless him, Armin mused, he’s trying so very hard not to give in. I rather like the sight of it.
The Gryffindor then began to sway from side to side, whole form rigid as he hopped silently from one foot to the other, all the while repeatedly pushing his shirt-sleeves up towards his elbows. It seemed like some nervous little tick, but it was just so damn funny. Armin couldn’t help but smile at that as well. Quickly remembering what he was up to, Armin dropped his head to hide the smile.
“I just …” Armin whispered this time, a painted on pained expression in place. He relished the sight of his companion’s growing irritation. It was always a treat. Armin even surprised himself with his own acting abilities at times.
All too soon the Gryffindor friend could stand no more. “Just what!” he yelled out, hands gesturing his presence wildly as he stepped towards Armin.
“See!” Armin growled back. “I knew you couldn’t do it!”
“Do what?” the boy questioned. He was truly clueless on most occasions and Armin shouldn’t really have expected today to be any different.
With another roll of his eyes, Armin glared at him again. “Stay quiet for more than two minutes at a time!” he complained.
“I can actually stay quiet for more than two minutes at a time, I think you’ll find.” The boy answered. Typical Gryffindor; no brains, just rushing headlong into everything.
“But you’re…”
All too sudden, Armin’s sentence was drowned out by another barrage of words from his companion’s mouth.
“And another thing. I’m just trying to help you. Trying to make you feel better. It’s not actually my fault that we’re locked in here like this.” The boy was now circling Armin as he spoke. Sometimes stopping and leaning in close to ensure that his words were sinking in. “I followed you down here to help you with your research and ensure that you weren’t alone. I didn’t have to do that. I could have been back in the common room taking a nap, but no – I thought that little Armin, the brainy Ravenclaw could use a little help. How would I know that the librarian would leave ten minutes early and lock us in!”
“Eren.” Armin called out, but his companion just continued talking.
“I walked you all the way down here, to the furthest parts of this humongous library …”
“Eren.” Armin tried again. Still the boy just ignored him in favour of his own voice.
“… and it’s as dark as the fathoms of hell down here may I add! I despise the dark and you know that very well!” Eren nudged the door with his foot. Then pressed both palms against the wood panel and pushed. Still it did not open. “Ever since we were in primary school together …”
“Eren.” The monotone of the name itself implied all too well that Armin had reached the end of his tether. Surprise, surprise – he’s still talking.
“Furthermore. You haven’t thanked me for being here and keeping you company in your hour of need. Gosh, I am a very responsible Gryffindor aren’t I?”
“Eren!” Armin screamed suddenly, voice breaking a little with the force it took to actually be louder than the lanky teen. Eren stopped talking for a grand total of ten seconds, just standing there mouth agape and staring at Armin as if he was the one to have lost his marbles. The sheer cheek of the thing!
“What.” Eren questioned, innocence dripping from his voice. “You don’t need to shout. I’m standing right beside you. I have been for the last twenty minutes and even if you do shout no one will hear you. I doubt anyone will even come near until morning so you’ll just have to make do with me.”
With a rather over dramatic face palm, just for Eren’s benefit, for he wouldn’t have heard any words that he didn’t wish too hear anyway, Armin uttered a quiet “I’m too tired for this,” and stalked away, defeated.
Head downturned and feet dragging, clad in his bright blue slippers adorned with a handful of small black crows, Armin wandered away, back towards the potions aisle of the library. In actual fact, the library itself consisted of around five aisles of potion books, each shelf overflowing with books varying from recipes to the history of use to geographical locations of essential herbs. Armin had turned down the second aisle, back towards the section on love potions.
Eren, still chattering on about everything and nothing all at the same time was right at his heels.
“Can’t you just shut up for a few moments,” Armin whined as he slumped into the closest chair. A bright green one, standing out entirely next to the opposing rustic bookshelves and dark leather-bound books. “I just want a little bit of quiet so that I can think.” He wouldn’t have dared speaking to anyone else in this way, but this was Eren. Eren was different. He always had been.
“Think about what?” Eren retorted instantly and Armin just rolled his eyes again and let his head fall against the desk in front. “It’s hopeless trying to get out of here you know. We should just hunker down here for the night and wait for morning.”
With a sigh, Eren pushed gently at the arms Armin had placed either side of his head, moving him over a little so that he could hop up and sit directly on the desk beside him. Armin made no real effort to move. He was tired, not to mention a little cold for his robes were not really designed for warmth. Especially when he was only wearing the thinnest pair of pyjamas he owned in the first place. So when Eren’s thigh brushed up against his bare arm, Armin couldn’t help the little hum of comfort he exerted from the touch of warmth.
“You seem tired.” Eren continued. Suddenly Armin could feel Eren’s fingers carding their way through his hair. He stilled. Yes they were friends, but this was too extreme for friends, wasn’t it?
“What are you doing?” he exclaimed. Voice quivering. He must be playing around! A myriad of thoughts flashed through Armin’s mind. He’s winding me up. He knows exactly what to do to make me feel uncomfortable. Or maybe … he’s not actually playing. Is he serious? What if he is? What am I going to do? Armin feared to move even an inch.
With a sudden gasp, Eren pushed away. “Oh sorry! I … I apologise,” he babbled, sliding down from the desk and backing away with his palms held up in defence as he retreated. “I … I don’t know why I did that,” he admitted with a nervous little laugh. “I was just thinking about … well, no not that but I had zoned out, yes that’s what it was – I zoned out.”
“Yes … well.” Armin watched Eren with apprehension. “Just stay over there …” he waved a hand back and forth to signify the space between them, “… for now.” A short pause of actual silence for once. “Alright?”
“Y… yes… yes I will,” Eren promised through a stutter. “That was an extremely awkward situation.” Armin just nodded. “Anyway,” Eren continued, unsurprisingly. “Did you actually get what you were looking for earlier, you know … before we made that mad dash for the loud bolting doors.”
“No,” a shallow grunt sounded somewhere from the end of the corridor. As Eren was chattering away, attention focused on a speck of dust on the rich carpet, Armin had snuck out of his chair and stalked quietly further down the aisle, away from the Gryffindor.
“I can help you!” Eren called after him. Armin was unsure that the forced glee in his tone would help towards repressing any unwarranted thoughts that he may harbour towards him, but he allowed it all the same. So Armin stopped and turned back around.
“Gahh, fine!” he huffed. Eyes darting back and forth between the books higher up on the shelves, Armin spotted an interesting looking recipe book right on the top shelf. “Find me some paper and a pen. I need to copy some notes.” As Eren disappeared back down the aisle towards a cluster of papers surely left behind by a hardworking pupil earlier in the day, Armin dragged a nearby stool into place and began to climb.
“You’re in luck mate.” Eren called as he made his way back towards Armin, folded pieces of paper and a pencil stub in hand. He placed them down on a nearby desk, then leaned against it to watch Armin struggle after the book. That was exactly what Armin was doing as well; struggling. He was much shorter than Eren and had to stretch up onto his tip-toes in an attempt to reach the top shelf.
“That’s dangerous you know!” Eren’s wise words of advice were ignored. Instead, Armin tuned him out and proceeded to use the lower shelves as hand holds to pull himself higher. As the stool began to shake under foot, Eren rushed forward to help. “What are you trying to do you idiot?” He placed one hand on the chair to keep it in place and unthinkingly wrapped the other around Armin’s ankle. That exact spot where Armin’s pyjama bottom’s leg had raised up a little, exposing his skin and the touch was like fire. A scorching flame that wasn’t that unwelcome.
Eren must have felt the same spark for as soon as he’d latched onto Armin’s leg he’d pushed him away just as easily. The chair swayed further underfoot and with a yelp Armin hurtled forward into the bookcase. His fingers grasped at the shelves in vain as the chair disappeared from underfoot. Then it was as if time had slowed.
At first Armin heard Eren stumble backwards. From the corner of his eye he watched Eren’s arms flail out to the sides in an attempt to hold onto something, anything that may help, then he began to fall. He heard Eren’s gasp of pain as the edge of a desk broke his fall and seconds later he was nestled against a strong chest with both of Eren’s arms wrapped securely around his waist. He made no attempt to move. Neither did Eren. Instead Armin just felt a forehead drop against his shoulder and the arms around his waist tightening before his friend whispered a simple, “I’m sorry … That was all my fault.”
Neither moved for a while. The silence around them became deafening as it betrayed them both. Armin could hear Eren’s heartbeat thrumming away, fast in his chest and he was sure that Eren could hear his as well. This was not an ideal situation and these feeling were far too confusing for either of them. Yet they stayed that way, warm in each other’s embrace as they sank to the floor and surprisingly, Eren stayed quiet for once.
If this is how to keep him quiet, it’s not really that bad, Armin mused.
After a while Armin could feel Eren begin to shift under him. “Sorry, am I too heavy?” he uttered before he’d even realised he’d said the words aloud. Eren instantly tightened the arms around him again, denying him any chance to move away.
“No. No you’re not,” he said. There was no sign of doubt in his voice. No humour, no repulsion or any sign that he was playing around. It was just acceptance.
It was odd – of course it was. They’d been friends for far too long for it not to be. Yet it also felt natural, as if it was the next step in their friendship. They could let it happen or they could shy away from it.
“That potion you wanted …” Eren whispered. Armin just nodded. “What was it?” He asked, voice wavering a little.
After another drawn out silence, again a strange thing as Eren was not asleep – not that it made that much of a difference for he also delivered monologues in his sleep, Armin answered. “A love potion,” he confessed, a heat crawling up his neck. He was glad that he was facing away from Eren, because if he wasn’t he was sure that his friend would see the blush marring his features and that would not be a good thing. Neither did Armin wish to confess that the potion was meant for Eren’s nemesis, if anyone wished to call Jean Kirschtein that.
Another long silence. Now somewhat bordering on uncomfortable as he could feel Eren’s disappointment through the stillness of the form pressed to his back. Armin wanted to speak out, he wanted to take back what he’d said. Call it a sweet memories spell, a health incantation or anything other than a love potion, just to feel that comfort once again but he couldn’t. It was too late. The thought of giving it to Jean seemed even more stupid with every extra moment he spent with Eren as well.
Armin just didn’t know what to do anymore. He’d never truly thought of Eren in this way before. To be entirely honest, he was sure that these new feelings that he was having for his friend would only lead him into trouble, but did he even care?
Finally, in whispered words, almost too low to hear if they weren’t uttered right beside his ear, Eren asked him, “Do you need me to reach the book for you?”
Armin shook his head, hoping that Eren would sense the urgency in his answer. “Do … do … do you … still need it?” Eren stuttered. “The … the love potion I mean.”
Slowly, Armin raised his hands, clasping them gently over the ones grasping him tight. He contemplated freeing himself and just walking away without giving an answer, but would that have really made him happy? Instead, he squeezed the fingers in his own, nuzzling back into the warmth of Eren’s chest.
“No.” Armin stated with a smile. “I don’t think that I do need it anymore.”