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New Year's Eve. 11:30 pm.
I'm sitting in my basement with my best friend. The same best friend I've kind of low key liked for the past.... I don't even I know how long. We're sitting in the middle of our homemade picnic. It's not much of a picnic, just a blanket spread out on the floor with Doritos, grapes, and champagne.
Eren showed up around 8, picnic basket in hand and eyes sparkling. His eyes always sparkle when he's planning something or got something he shouldn't. He had smiled wide when I opened the door and my heart fluttered just a little.
And now were lying back on pillows and watching my star projector throwing the night sky onto the ceiling. The bottle of champagne half empty even though Eren swore we wouldn't open it until midnight. I feel warm and fuzzy from the champagne and the fact that his arm is thrown around my shoulder and I want to get closer but I don't want to ruin what we have.
"Hey, Armin?" Eren starts, looking up at the ceiling.
"Yeah?"
"Never mind," Eren said quickly.
I scoff slightly. "You can't do that." I push myself up onto my elbow to look at Eren.
"Do what?" Eren laughs, looking at me. He looks up at me with piercing green eyes and the remains of his smile on his face and I can't but think how beautiful he is.
"You can't just say my name like you're going to say something and then say never mind."
Eren laughs again. "I forgot."
I stare at him, hoping to make him crack.
"Really!" He insists. I poke his stomach, his weakness. He wriggled and snorts with laughter. "Uncle!" He cries out. "Uncle! Uncle!"
I laugh and collapse on top of him. "Tell me," I say, poking him again.
"No," he mumbles. "You'll think it's stupid."
"I won't," I promise. "Scout's honor."
"Have you ever.... Been kissed at midnight?"
I haven't, not in the way he's implying. I've only been kissed by Papa and Dad when I was younger and then once with Mikasa but that was different. It was like kissing family.
"No," I breathe out, suddenly fixating on his mouth. His lips are red and chapped and his tongue darts out to wet the bottom lip. "Have you?" I ask quietly, looking into his eyes again.
He shakes his head. "No," he says and flicks his gaze to the ceiling. The stars reflect in his eyes and I stare just a moment too long.
I have to ask. "Why do you want to know?"
Eren shrugs. "I dunno," he says. "I was just, you know, thinking."
"Always a good sign," I say sarcastically.
"Shut up," he says, sticking his tongue out. "But I was thinking about Jean and Marco. I dunno, I'm kind of jealous."
I laugh. "Did I hear that right?"
Eren groans and covers his face. "Don't make me say it again."
"I need to make sure I'm not in an alternate dimension."
"I'm jealous of Jean Kirschtein," Eren grumbles out.
I chuckle and hide my face in Eren's shoulder. "Words I never thought I'd hear."
"Shut up!" Eren complains with a laugh.
We sit there in silence for a moment.
"Why were you thinking about Jean and Marco?" I ask, breaking the amiable silence.
"I dunno. I guess I want someone to kiss."
I say, "I do too." Really badly. Especially if it's Eren.
"Do you want to, you know, kiss at midnight?" Eren suggest quietly. He sounds so unsure and it makes me want to kiss him more.
"Yes."
"Sit up," Eren instructs. I do and he follows suit. "Should we turn on the tv? So you know we can watch the ball drop?"
I nod in agreement and turn on the tv.
We both sit cross legged and facing each other, our knees brushing. We lean forward until our foreheads are touching. I check the time on my phone.
11:58
"Two minutes," he breathes, breath smelling like champagne.
I hum in agreement.
Eren looks into my eyes. He reached up and unties my hair from it's ponytail. He combs his fingers through the ends.
"It's getting so long," he comments softly. It's true. It's almost to my shoulders now. Papa's been trying to get me to cut it.
11:59
I look at the time and my heart speeds up. In a minutes time, I'll be kissing my best friend. The best friend I've liked for forever.
We sit and breathe against each other's lips for the next while.
"10!" The people on the tv scream.
"Here we go," Eren says.
"Yeah."
Eren wets his lips. "5," he whispers.
"4," I answer in a whisper.
"3... 2..." We say in union, inching closer to each other.
"1!!" Cheers the tv. "Happy New Year!!"
We close the small gap in between our lips. His lips are soft and my eyes close of their own accord. There's a small spark of electricity between us, a small charge. We pull apart and I feel overwhelmed with the need to tell Eren.
It's now or never. "Hey Eren," I whisper softly. I look down at my lap.
"Yeah?"
"I really like you. A lot."
I bite my lip and wait for his response.
"Me too."
I look up. "Really?"
Eren nods, a smile growing on his face. "Yeah."
I surge forward and kiss Eren, my arms wrapping around his neck. His arms wrap around my middle. I'm half lying on too of Eren as we kiss.
In the outside of our perception, I hear footsteps thumping down the stairs.
"I'll be right there, honey!" Papa calls up the stairs, obviously drunk. He gets really affectionate when he's drunk. "Asshole," Papa mutters affectionately and continues down the stairs.
"What the hell are you doing to my kid!" Papa yells at Eren, his hackles obviously raised. We hurriedly break apart.
"Papa!" I groan, hiding my face in my hands. I feel my face heat up.
Papa marches up to Eren and sways a little bit before pointing down at Eren. "Don't violate my son," he threatens lowly.
Eren holds his hands up. "I-I won't, sir."
Papa stares down Eren for a long moment. His stare is broken by Dad yelling if everything's alright.
"This isn't over," Papa promises before leaving to grab a wine bottle and return to Dad.
"That was..." I begin once Papa leaves.
"... Intimidating," Eren finishes.
"If Papa scared you off, I get it," I start, knowing that a stare down from Papa will put an end to anything.
Eren frowns. "Just cause your papa's intimidating it doesn't change anything."
I'm confused. "What?"
"I still wanna kiss you," Eren says. "Like, a lot."
"Oh," I answer dumbly.
"It just means we'll have to be sneakier," he says, leaning in for another kiss.