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Eren’s reading lamp ripped away all his room’s shadows, transforming it into an intimate cubicle that depended on a very little source of light. There was an amount of written papers on the table. One of those had rude and steady handwriting; another had graceful and soft, but pretty quick handwriting. Final terms were around the corner and Armin knew that he should go to the library to study properly, but Eren’s invitation to his house was so tempting, although he has to help him, with all his history knowledge in his Roman Law exam if he didn’t want him to fail miserably.
Night had fallen. Armin was in Eren’s bed playing with a cigarette smoke with his tongue, bare chested, being touched by that reading lamp light. Eren moved closer to him, sitting on the edge of the bed. He had the palest skin he had ever seen. Blessed by the soft light it was like a satin sheet covering his bones. His sternum prolapsed slightly as he was lying in the bed lifting his own body with his arms. Armin seemed like a boring introverted kid, but when he took his clothes off he showed a whole underneath snow-white universe ready to be discovered. If the brunette listened carefully, he could hear the air and the smoke wandering through his lips’ notches. His green-lighted eyes descended little by little gazing at his neck; his jugular was so dilated and a bit swelled, it created a delightful shadow-play with his skin. He tried not to notice, he was still embarrassed about him paying attention to that insignificant detail, but he could clearly see his large vein thumping following his heart’s rhythm.
Eren felt his throat becoming dry.
He continued with his wandering around Armin’s nudeness from that exact point. Where the jugular vein and the edge of his blond hair caress themselves and bloom. His body was extremely slim, he didn’t know if it was because of his metabolism or his physiognomy. But, God, he loved his shape. His ribs seemed like the bars of a jail, so near from him that it seemed he could touch them, caress them, feel the splintered tact of his bones. Each nipple was pierced. He stopped, taking his time to look at them for a while, contemplating the structure in the shape of a ring that crossed the root of the nipple and was hanging in the areola, flashing. He thought he was totally crazy for thinking that, but he could swear he saw his left piercing throb, jump like crazy.
Shit, his heart was beating so damn loud.
-Eren, are you alright?-his partner’s voice brought him back to reality. He tried to pretend as if nothing had happened, although it was difficult to mislead the blonde-You've been in, like, a trance.
His hair fell snugly on the top of the pillow. His lips opened a little bit to search for air. Imagining all the wonders his torso hid could make him crazy, wanting to climb the walls, to scratch himself, to lose all control. Then, Armin offered him all the calmness he needed with a tacit look and a few words:
-Go take it. You need it.
His throat became dry again.
-Really? I don’t want to trigger you, I mean… I know it’s something really intimate…
-If it triggered me, then I wouldn’t have said it to you.-The blonde had all the logic reasoning that Eren didn’t.-In fact, it’s something pretty sweet. You shouldn’t be ashamed.
The brunette looked away, trying to find an excuse. It was difficult to understand his kink. Sometimes he had a nasty big desire to do it, but he was too shy about it at the same time, even to talk about it. He still remembered the day he confessed it to Armin; all his nervousness disappeared when his partner started to laugh loudly and explained to him that his kink wasn’t bad, that he didn’t do anything wrong and that he even liked that someone could enjoy something so trivial, so petty, yet so little, both in sexual way and in a day-by-day way. From then on, Armin encouraged him to let that part of him come to light.
-Quick, before your father notices.-the blonde whispered.-Come on.
As soon as he realized that what his partner had said, Eren got up quickly and ran into his father’s office. It was full of papers and diagrams, as well as a big library and the item he was looking for: a large black box. He took it and pressed it into his chest as he ran away like a thief to go back to his room. He was barefoot, so anyone in the house would know about the robbery. When he made it to the room, he decreased his speed to go sit in his bed’s edge and place there the black box. Armin analyzed every single movement. His lover’s rough hands opened it carefully to reveal a black stethoscope. He took it delicately from the earpiece to the bell and put it in his neck like it was a jewel. Eren avoided meeting the blonde’s look, playing with the stethoscope tubing, but them his head was raised by his lover’s hands.
-If you’re so embarrassed, then close your eyes. I’ll do it all for you.
Eren’s green eyes were covered by the veil of his eyelids. His senses sharpened. Armin took the earpiece carefully and placed it in his ears. His hands descended slowly to meet Eren’s and grabbed one of them to gide it to the stethoscope’s bell. He could hear light cracks from the diaphragm until it reached his final destination.
And there it was.
It flowed to his hears, his soul, his everything.
Thu-thump, thu-thump, thu-thump.
Little by little the blonde allowed his lover to apply the pressure he needed against his chest and began to caress his hand very gently. Eren couldn’t help but whisper every single number assigned to a heartbeat. One, two, three, four, five… He wasn’t trying to guess his heart rate, he only wanted to feel his beating pulse filling his mouth, he wanted to realize that Armin was there, alive, save and sound, and that he was showing him his most intimate treasure. Eren began to open slowly his eyes. He didn’t know when the blonde began to caress his back and placed his own towards the headboard. The brunette crawled to be closer to him and little by little he began to change the stethoscope’s place, he didn’t wanted to miss even the most insignificant sound.
His heart pounded so peaceful, so steady, so strong, so thumpy and slow, really slow.
Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Thu-thump.
At least he managed to look into those light-blue eyes. There was so much fondness and tenderness in them that it seemed impossible to him to keep so much love. That beating heart carried so many things with him. It kept Eren’s hopes, his dreams…
-I love you.-Eren couldn’t hear himself, but he knew Armin could.-I love you so much. I love you, I love your heart, I love you all… Your heartbeats, the way they make my hands tremble at their rhythm… your…your deep breathing… even your little tummy sounds. I love you all… God damn it, I fucking love you.
His lover answered him, knowing that he couldn’t hear his voice, but he could feel his answer in his pulse.
-I love you too.
The rain pouring against the window mixed with Armin’s relaxed heartbeats made the most beautiful symphony of all time.