Work Text:
in the midst of the turning point between spring and summer, the sun shines brightly. mother nature a perfect photo book for the two.
hand in hand, the lovers drive the looping country roads, far from the world and in a bubble of their own design.
the brunet notices a familiar ice cream shop. a place of childhood, memories, remembrance. "you want to go for some ice cream?" he asks, already knowing the answer.
"of course, eren. let me guess, strawberry?" the blond responds. eren laughs at this and gives a congratulatory squeeze to armin's hand.
they stand at the counter, holding the cones of the flavors they cherish like elegant champagne flutes, tapping them against the other before taking the relieving first taste.
not too far off is a thicket of trees and just a walk's away, a hidden clearing the perfect size for the two of them. they lay there, matching blushes of content painting their sun graced features. the star crossed lovers carry a conversation as if they've known each other for longer than their young lives. as if they had met before in different bodies, different times. shared lyrics and intimate jokes are exchanged, only interrupted by the occasional appreciation for their sweet treats
the clouds hang above like angels, taking on the form of the viewer's imagination. "that one is definitely a turtle," armin says, pointing at the fluffy white mass floating above their heads.
eren shakes his head, disagreeing. "no, it looks like jabba the hut," he teases, heart fluttering at the playful pout his lover puts on. only the brunet has no interest in the shape of the cloud nor does he care if it's cirrus or nimbostratus. all he sees is sky. the azure allure of his armin's eyes only amplified by the heavens above. his own emerald spheres reflected on the ground holding them below.
they stay in their fantasy, the fates coddling the two to keep them safe from the harsh truth of the world, even if for a fleeting moment. they are physically connected through the palms of their hands, but the red string of fate is secure around the two. fingers interlaced so in tandem, it is as if athena had hand woven them herself. the immortality of the moment forever engrained in the two's minds.
being the naturally active two they were, they traipse through onto the paths. together, they walk through the woods, through life. "what will you do when you graduate," the curious force of armin asks, habitually running his thumb across the back of eren's hand.
eren smiles, not particularly at armin since his eyes are upcast to the peeping sky, but they both know who the smile belongs to. "probably bike a mountain trail, nothing too grand."
armin chuckles at his lover's simple response. "what about writing a book? the legends of eren has a nice ring to it."
he shakes his head, holding the blond's hand ever so tighter. "i'll leave the words to you," he says. "what about sailing? you've always loved the ocean."
"that would be cool," the blond contemplates, imagining a life on the water. waking up to the salty breeze of water every morning, entangled with his lover in the same bed. living a domestic life, two cups of coffee and a shared newspaper.
there are no mysteries between these two, never something the other wouldn't discuss. the young love of it all only spurring more topics for them to cover. eren stops, suddenly overwhelmed by the impact of the moment, of the perfectly sublime day. he moves to hold the blond's other hand. pulling him close to himself. "i hope you know there is no where else i'd rather be than to be with you," he whispers, the weight of the words vocalizing more than the softness of his tone.
the blond smiles and says, "me, too". he is breathless at the sudden confession, but it wasn't far off from what he was thinking himself.
all they see is light. the light from the sun that basks them and light from the faces of their loved one. in the darkness that comes with their exit of adolescence, there is consolidation in the warm presence of the other. when it all seems to fall apart, in that moment where they stand, embracing one another like missing puzzle pieces found at last, they feel welcomed. they feel like home. and they feel like it will last forever.
there, right there, is the tallest tree. towering over all the others and off the two race, eager to feel the grand wind on their faces as they see the world from all the way up. free as birds, they climb and climb, one foot after the other. the light and warmth from the ground only gets better the higher up they go. like gods, they stand in the exquisitely cultivated sunlight, taking in the world from a new perspective.
only armin isn't so lucky. the branch gives an ominous creak, an eerie shudder before it gives away. he's on the ground. armin's arm is numb, the hand that was so tenderly encased in the one of his lover now lost all feeling. there is a pain, a pain so searing that his body doesn't even want to fathom how bad it is. through bleary eyes, his blue gaze flits around and he sees it.
armin sees him. armin sees eren. armin sees eren come to get him. eren's really coming to get him, he's coming to let him know everything is going to be okay. and everything feels just right. as if the benevolent above had written this moment in scripture, a fragile moment for the two to hold so dearly.
all they see is sky. all they see is light. all they feel is love. all they feel is warmth.
and they'll be alright for forever this way.