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Connie stared at the pencil between his fingers. His frown deepened when he glanced even further down at his countless lecture notes and diagrams. The poor man was bored out of his mind to the point that his head was beginning to hurt. He had been studying for the past half hour with absolutely no breaks in between. Connie was desperate for some sort of freedom. It wasn't like him to sit still for so long, but he was trying to impress a particular person.
And that particular person was the complete opposite of him, but Connie was forcing himself to do his very best to mimic how he was.
Connie could be intelligent like him. He could answer questions without hesitation. He could be relied on without anyone doubting him. He could be exceptionally loyal and selfless if he wanted to. Hell, he could juggle a multitude of things without crumbling under pressure.
But poor Connie needed at least a five-minute break.
Just five minutes to recuperate and gain his attention the way Connie had been trying to for years.
Blowing a breath that was directed towards his nose, the spiky-haired man sat as straight as he could so his back could stretch out of its stiff position. He hummed while he did so, his poor brain trying to think of anything for fresh entertainment. Blinking when an idea came to mind, Connie began to tap his pencil against the countless lecture notes before him.
A light chuckle fell from Connie while he drummed a random rhythm with his pencil. Popping his lips and tonguing a beat, beatboxing with sparking joy, a crooked smile caught the corner of his mouth. It was a silly little habit he had picked up back in high school, but it was necessary to re-energize himself back in the world of chaotic classes.
“And then boom ! The final snap of his drumsticks with a standing ovation! The crowd is going wild! Listen to them!” Connie exclaimed. Releasing whispering shouts and cheers, he randomly posed his arms for the invisible audience he had created.
"Connie, that's not studying."
He scowled at the interruption. Crossing his arms high over his chest in a childish pout, he peered over his shoulder. Sitting on the living room floor of his small apartment, Connie’s nose rose higher when Armin walked away from the front door and towards him. A pizza box was held in one hand while the other was occupied with a liter of soda. Dinner had just been delivered and the blonde offered to grab their food while Connie finished the last paragraph of his current chapter.
Connie almost finished the last paragraph, but the blue-eyed man didn’t need to know about that.
Both Connie and Armin, complete opposites when it came to studying for their classes, had agreed to study together for their finals. The two men couldn’t exactly study together since their career choices were so drastically different, but the simple thought of company was an idea they both eagerly accepted. They could suffer together while the clock dwindled.
"Come on, man. I'm just taking a little break. My brain is going to be fried if I go on any longer! Can't you see the steam coming out of my head?" Connie dramatically replied. Waving his hands above his short hair, he followed the invisible streaks of steam floating away.
Armin began to laugh. It was sweet, gentle, and oh-so-subtle in a way that caused a pale blush to kiss beneath the spiky-haired man’s eyes. The blonde found it rather endearing the way Connie could react to his sounds of delight.
Armin couldn’t help himself to laugh or simply react positively to his silly comments when they made an appearance. It was something that eased his mind that was running rampant with not only school but everyday life. Only Connie could ever get him to laugh or smile wholeheartedly at the most ridiculous things. Their other friends who joked and acted like loveable fools couldn’t get quite the same reaction out of him.
"That's highly impossible,” Armin mused. Laying the pizza box on the coffee table once a spot was cleared, he held out the liter of soda for Connie to open. Settling himself across, he slid his much larger books off to the side. The mere thought of his school books gaining a spot of pizza grease was a dreadful one.
He perked from the slight chance of it even happening. "How would it be possible?"
"Well, it might not be all that cool to you, but there’s an occurrence where when it’s cold, dry air can interact with something hot and humid, like a sweaty person. Sweat can condense and evaporate in that sort of condition. So, it could look like “steam” is coming out of your head that way,” Armin explained. Grabbing their plates from the top of the pizza box, he held them out for Connie to fill.
“That’s fucking wicked! When it starts snowing, I’ll sit outside after working out. It’s only then that I can prove that there’s steam coming out of my head!” Connie exclaimed. He popped the lid to the pizza box and began to pull slices apart.
“You do realize it happens every time you exhale in the cold, right?” Armin reminded.
He blinked rather stupidly before forcing a sound out. “Oh, right… I knew that…”
Trying to hide a smile, the blue-eyed man couldn’t stop himself from giggling. He could vividly imagine him doing such a thing as standing outside wet in the cold. Only the wildly friendly, dorky Connie would go to such lengths to prove his point.
Playfully rolling his eyes when Connie grinned wickedly, Armin laid their plates down. Holding up a slice full of his favorite toppings, the blonde thanked the other when his cup was filled to the brim.
“If you get sick after doing that, I’m not taking care of you,” Armin warned. Taking a grateful bite of his food, he chewed at a slow pace and then spoke after swallowing. “You’re not nearly as bad as Eren, but you come a close second on being helpless.”
“Hey! It was only that one time you took care of my ass! I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself other than that time, sick or not sick!” Connie retorted. Sticking his tongue in concentration, he focused on folding his pizza in half. Dipping the tip in a hefty amount of sauce, it was soon shoved into his awaiting mouth.
He raised a challenging brow. “What about that time you-”
“Shhh, let’s not bring that up,” Connie whispered with a mouthful. Puckering his lip in a pout, his elbow dug into the corner of the coffee table while he leaned off to the side. Revealing a casual look, he continued. “I have PTSD from that. You don’t want me breaking down now, would you? Do you want me to fail my final?”
“Connie, you and I both know you won’t fail your final. Auto mechanics is your specialty. You’re going to ace this semester,” Armin promised. Leaning forward, his gaze softened knowingly.
“You’re only saying that so I’ll study after dinner. I know how that intelligent mind of yours works by now,” Connie practically cooed. Wiggling a messy finger at the blonde, he chuckled when a napkin wrapped around it. The most minor actions such as this caused him to feel like a giddy teenager in love and the taller man had to remind himself to keep his cool for the ninth time since he had fallen.
Taking care of the comical man, Armin cleaned off his finger and worked on wiping the others down. “No, Connie, it’s the truth. Now quit fooling around and eat. You’re going to get pizza sauce on our notes. Also, our dessert will get cold by the time you’re done.”
He paused from taking another bite. “What did you order for us?”
“That cookie-brownie mix where we add ice cream on top. The one we normally get,” Armin answered.
The spiky-haired man almost moaned from the delicious offer. He was just as bad as Sasha when it came to food. Especially when it was free. “That sounds so good! Okay, I’ll shut up and eat!”
They had been friends for years and Armin knew Connie like the back of his hand. The spiky-haired man was goofy but optimistic to the point he was admirably strong in his unique way. He could approach a stranger and by the time their conversation ended, Connie would have gained a new friend. He struggled sitting in one spot for long periods, but his little bursts of focusing and studying were leading him to a successful life. He was outgoing and friendly, and Armin was thankful he could be so close to someone special like him.
Connie had aided Armin in not only breaking out of his shy, doubting self back in the day, but fueled his strength to continue with his childhood dream. The blonde was selective on who he poured his heart out to, but those that listened, especially the spiky-haired man, encouraged him forward with beaming smiles and acceptance. Armin was no longer shy and he rarely doubted his self-worth, but his change allowed the two of them to rely on one another in unexpected ways. Especially now that they were in college.
They had shared a handful of private study sessions since stepping into the world of adulthood. Connie relied on Armin’s knowledge of mathematics while Connie aided Armin in studying by holding out flashcards. It wasn’t exactly ideally equal in terms of helping one another, but neither one minded nor cared. The two men were leaning onto each other and decompressing to the point that particular hints (mostly on Armin’s side) were making their appearance.
Armin’s hints were revealed to a certain extent where Connie wouldn’t be suspicious of his implying intentions, but the man was so dense that the blonde could sinfully push his boundaries out to oblivion. Just enough to the point, he hoped Connie would eventually catch on and make the first move.
“By the way,” Armin murmured after some time. Wiping a napkin over his cheek, his gaze turned off to the side. Eyeing Connie’s messy handwriting that he could easily decipher, the blonde's head tilted in rising curiosity. “What do you do with Sasha and Jean when the three of you study together now that we’re in college? You know, little habits that keep you going? I might be able to help you focus more if we brought them into our sessions.”
"Strip poker,” Connie confessed. Snorting from his wide-eyed expression, the spiky-haired man shrugged to confirm his words. It wasn’t unusual that Sasha, Jean (who was dragged into it), and he got into the most bizarre mischief they could think of or find.
"Why would you do that?” He slowly questioned. Not helping himself to flash a quizzical look, but nonetheless, a crooked smile appearing in amusement, Armin listened intently. It was a riot to listen to every wild story that involved the trio. The distraction eased his spiraling mind full of medical science, aquatic creatures, and Connie.
“It keeps us focused. Because like, for every wrong answer we give, we have to take something off. It’s forcing us to seriously think so we don’t sit completely naked! By the way, if you’re the first to be completely naked, you have to pay for dinner!” Connie chuckled. Nabbing another slice of pizza, he easily folded it in half and dipped it for more sauce. The man was weak for extra cheesy, extra saucy pizza that involved all the available toppings he loved.
Forcing himself to hold back a chuckle, Armin shook his head with a heavy sigh. Clearly imaging the three of them- obviously, just the one out of the three- a pale blush dusted his cheeks. “Can you return to the game? To study more?”
“Yeah, you can return to the game. A second person has to claim defeat in the first round and they have to pay for dessert. Once that’s done, everyone can return to the game and keep on studying,” Connie proudly stated. Not helping himself to tease, he skillfully wiggled his brows. “Though, if you want to avoid paying for dinner, dessert, and the possible chance of hosting the next study session in the new round, the first person to get completely naked in that round has to kiss somebody. It clears them out from loss, so the second person to get naked takes the punishment.”
“W-what?” Armin almost choked. Forcing down his drink, he grimaced from the way his throat contracted and grew sore afterward. Coughing a few times to control himself, the poor blonde waved his hands about to try and understand the situation. “That doesn't make any sense! Who thought of that?”
“Me. Just now!” Connie cackled. He blocked a harmless blow when one of the couch’s pillows was tossed in his direction. Connie couldn’t help himself to indulge the way Armin’s normally calm appearance turned to one of complete fluster.
Those dazzling blue irises, always so expressive, were wide with utter shock. His cheeks were equally as red as the tip of his nose. His shoulders were tense, all clear signs that the taller man’s random jokes weren’t something Armin planned in their conversation. Only Connie could ever get him this riled up.
“Gosh, Connie, you’re the worst! I thought you were serious for a moment!” He groaned. Snatching the pillow back, Armin allowed it to fall behind him and he leaned back against the furniture. The extra cushion made him feel more comfortable on the ground despite his frazzled mind.
“Come on, you should have caught my bluff!”
He tossed his hands up. “Sometimes it’s hard to decipher when you’re joking or being serious! Especially when Sasha is involved. You two are just so-”
“One of a kind? Two peas in a pod? Platonically made for one another? Related, yet born from two completely different families who graciously brought us together?” Connie babbled. Flashing his teeth with his uncontrollable snickering, the spiky-haired man felt a flutter of pride grasp his heart when the blonde replied.
“You took the words out of my mouth. I like when you can read my mind,” Armin chuckled. Before he could push away from the coffee table, their empty plates calling to be removed, his head raised when Connie understood his silent plans. The taller man gathered their trash and cleared their space for books and notes.
Both men were stuffed from dinner and Connie offered to reheat their dessert in the oven for later. With refreshed minds and both wanting to accomplish the rest of their studies, Connie and Armin buried their noses in their books again. The minutes ticked by and the only sounds that disturbed their peace were scratching pencils and flicking pages.
Connie’s replenished energy dried out half an hour later.
He rubbed at his cheek or he tapped his pencil over his head. His lips puckered in a pout and his gaze began to wander in boredom. Connie was able to accomplish at least half of what he had set for himself, but he wanted to stride forward and complete everything right then and there without issue. His mind, once again, was denying him to do such a thing and he began to grow frustrated with himself.
It was clear Armin wasn’t finding any issues in his studies. His eyes, set low yet still vibrant with life, were slowly scanning each and every single line. The blonde’s head would turn just enough to scribble some side notes or highlight important information. When Armin revisited something before flipping to the next page, his fingers threaded through his neatly parted hair before gliding between strands in silent success.
Connie didn’t know when he began to stare at Armin’s study habits. It could have been back in high school or the very start of college, but he knew for certain that he had retained what each movement expressed.
Whenever the blonde was congratulating himself for a job well done, the corner of his lips would turn up just enough for a faint smile. When he was frustrated (which was incredibly rare), his brows would knit just enough for his nose to scrunch upward. Whenever Armin desired more information on a certain subject, he would perk up in his spot and flick through the pages until he found what he desired.
“Connie,” Armin whispered. Knowing full well he was being watched, something that caused him to fidget with shyness and understanding, he raised his head. Dropping his pencil with his exhaustion, his chin soon rested in a makeshift bridge between his threaded fingers. “Did you lose focus again?"
Accidentally meeting his gaze, Connie nodded as calmly as he possibly could. "Yeah. I did. Sorry, am I bothering you?"
"No. Not at all.”
“You sure? I could busy myself with something else. I just-”
“Connie, I’m sure you’re not bothering me. Don’t force yourself to keep still if you can’t. We’ve been over this before,” Armin soothed. Reaching out, his fingers glided over knuckles until he blanketed the taller man’s hand with his own. The minimal touch caused his skin to prick with warmth and his chest to tighten.
“I know, but I feel like an ass for goofing off while you’re hard at work here,” he sighed. Raising his thumb, Connie indulged in the contact by rubbing it along his. His finger was rough, but it glided with ease along soft skin. Those obnoxious butterflies he had accepted some time ago fluttered like mad in his stomach.
The blonde was the type who enjoyed platonically touching his friends. Hand holding, arm touches, hugs, and even cuddling was Armin’s go-to for affection. It was his way of bonding with everyone he held dear and all of their friends reciprocated the attention. It made Armin feel special and appreciated in a way that allowed him to know he felt loved by all.
His touches with Connie, however, made it feel like Armin was testing him to a degree. Their approach was different compared to their friends who immediately tackled for attention. They were light in a way that encouraged the spiky-haired man to push forward and embrace the blonde till Armin reciprocated the action with equal strength. It was always Connie who was forced to take the much bigger step in the situation.
Connie knew how intelligent and manipulative Armin could be and he prayed that his feelings weren’t being viewed through glass. Every embrace, every handhold, and every rare snuggle caused his heart to grow erratic and his head to spin with unannounced devotion for the blonde.
He was afraid that Armin was laying out a trap that would accidentally encourage him to confess his feelings.
Or maybe, just maybe, Armin’s possibly shy approach was hinting that there was something truly there between them. That just maybe the smaller man was equally head over heels with him too and was waiting for him to confess.
Connie knew he was dense, but he wasn’t sure how dense he was and it drove him insane.
“I think I have an idea,” Armin murmured. Reluctantly pulling away, the blonde busied himself with his things. He closed his journals and placed bookmarks between pages he wanted to revisit. Once his collection was placed in a neat pile, Armin crawled around the coffee table.
“What are you doing?” Connie questioned. Tensing and raising his chin, he swallowed thickly when the blonde seated himself at his side. Armin leaned forward and he thumbed over his open book and lecture notes. His pages weren’t nearly as neat as the others. The corners were curling from pinching, bored fingers, and random scribbles lined the edges.
“How much more do you want to accomplish?”
“Well, my goal tonight was four chapters. I have a little more than a chapter left, plus three pages of notes I want to review,” he explained.
Nodding in understanding, Armin revealed a gentle smile. Pulling Connie’s book closer to himself, he placed a finger beneath the first sentence. “Okay. Well, you know how you have that… interesting study habit with Sasha and Jean?”
“Yeah?” Connie encouraged.
“I think I found a study habit that fits us,” he proclaimed confidently. Tapping at the page, he soon held his hand up with a knowing finger. “I’m not comfortable with joking around and stripping to nothing, but we can still have fun with what I have in mind. For every five paragraphs I read, you must give me two major details. With every half page of your notes, give me three major details. Get them right, and I’ll reward you with something sweet.”
He squinted with suspicion. Their private study sessions were always separate, but together. Connie held flashcards for Armin while Armin aided Connie with math and other courses he felt like he was struggling with. But the blue-eyed man suddenly decided to sit next to him, read his work, and encourage Connie to interact in a way that would not only make him focus but feel like he was accomplishing something at a quick pace.
What was Armin striving for exactly?
“What’s that something sweet?” Connie questioned instead.
“It’s a surprise. Do you accept my proposal?”
Rubbing the back of his neck, he eventually fingered the lining of his shirt. Blowing a dragged breath, pretending he was thinking over his offer carefully, Connie eventually nodded. He could never say no to Armin, especially when those wide, gleaming eyes were staring at him with such intent.
“Sure, I’ll accept. Only because I ain’t gotta read and we’re going to fly through this lickety-split.”
Holding back a chuckle, Armin nodded in turn. Dragging the book onto his lap, the blonde's head lowered and he began to read the inner workings of vehicles and their complicated parts. His words were pronounced and flowed with ease with every sentence. He felt Connie’s shoulder press into his own and Armin knew that the taller man was hanging onto every word he spoke.
For his first reward, a faint blush kissed beneath his eyes when Armin’s hand patted the top of his head. He was taken off guard by the contact, Connie not expecting such a high reward for answering without issue. Adorable Armin only giggled at his reaction.
“Really, a head pat? I’m not a dog,” Connie muttered in fake malice.
“I’m not treating you like a dog. If I wanted to, I’d scratch you right here and call you a good boy,” Armin teased. Lowering his hand and turning it just right, he scratched beneath his chin and playfully cooed praise. A devilish smirk caught his lips and he indulged in the way the other reacted.
Stuttering with the hottest blush he had ever felt on his face, the taller man shoved his arm away. Desperate to control his heart before any more damage was inflicted upon it, he finally forced a coherent squeak. “S-stop that! And you call me weird! Weirdo! Where did you learn such a kinky damn thing anyway?!”
“You’re the one that mentioned a dog. That’s how I interact with canines who are nice. You decided to make it kinky,” Armin replied in the most casual tone he could muster.
With every given detail that Connie answered correctly, his jittery heart quickened and his focus sharpened even more. For every promised reward, Armin’s touches deepened and lingered. Some were silly like Connie’s cheek being pinched or his nose being poked. There were others that felt more intimate like Connie’s hand interlacing with a smaller one or a side hug that encouraged Armin to tuck his head beneath his chin.
Every single reward earned praise and encouragement that made it feel like the taller man was just as intelligent as Armin. He answered questions without hesitation and it seemed like Armin wasn’t doubting his knowledge (which he never did). Juggling his remaining work by listening and answering, on top of the blonde’s comments and interactions, Connie didn’t crumble under pressure when more than half an hour passed by.
“Alright, you aced your studying, Connie! Time for your final reward,” Armin celebrated. Closing off his notebook, he laid it on top of the small pile.
"Finally! I can't believe how much we accomplished!" Connie exasperated. His head lolled to the side until it eventually rested back on the couch cushion. "I feel like the smartest man in the world! Well, not the smartest man in the world. You hold first place."
"Aw, you're being too sweet!" He bashfully tried to brush it off. The blonde grabbed his cup and he swallowed the remaining liquid to moisten his throat from talking so long. Adjusting himself so he was kneeling towards the spiky-haired man, Armin’s gaze briefly lowered.
They were just a few inches apart, a comfortable amount of space that didn’t warrant nervousness from the distance. With a few breaths between them, the scent of flavorful tomato sauce hung in the air. But what truly caught their interest was their scents.
Armin always smelled sweet. He was similar to freshly baked rolls that were drizzled with powdered sugar and a hint of honey. Connie’s scent was richer, darker to the nose. A rich spice of freshly sliced apples mixed with the wet scent of cedar shavings lingered heavily on his clothes. It was bizarre, but the two surprisingly fit with one another which befitted the comical man.
Connie raised his head and his breath caught in his throat. Questioning if his eyes were deceiving him, the spiky-haired man blinked a few times from the sudden attention on his mouth. His hands curled in his pants and he swallowed thickly when those piercing, blue eyes raised for lingering contact. Armin’s face was unreadable, something that he was far too used to whenever the blonde was hiding what he was truly thinking. Before he could question the brief attention to his lips, Connie’s shoulders grew slack in disappointment when the shorter man stood.
“I’m going to warm up dessert and give you an extra scoop of ice cream! With caramel drizzled on top. How does that sound?” Armin teased. Never once faltering from what he truly wanted to do, he forced his feet to move. He didn't allow Connie time to answer while he made quick haste away from the coffee table. Once he hid behind the wall that separated the living room and kitchen, the blonde pinched the bridge of his nose in correction.
“I think that was too obvious, Armin. He must have caught on to that… I feel like I’m getting lazy, or maybe just too persistent and impatient for Connie to act on his feelings…”
Shaking off his mistake to the best of his ability, the blonde focused on placing their dessert in the oven. He listened to Connie shuffle about in the other room while he sought plates and their desired ice cream. Armin paced about the kitchen while he was lost in thought. He was spacing out so much that when his hand finally touched the oven door when the alarm rang, he didn’t realize the taller man had entered the kitchen until there was contact between them.
Blinking in surprise and straightening himself out, the blonde froze when Connie’s chest pressed into his back. A hand glided the length of his arm until his smaller hand was blanketed and their fingers intertwined. Connie’s towering frame hovered over him until the man lowered himself to the point that his mouth was leveled with Armin's ear.
Ignoring the way his heart pounded erratically against a stiffened shoulder blade, the spiky-haired man spoke with uncertainty. A flurry of fear, questions, and hope swirled heavily in the pit of his stomach from the way he was acting. With Armin hiding in the kitchen, Connie did his best to overcome how dense he truly could be and act on the possibility that his feelings were being reciprocated.
Nobody had ever wanted to study alone with him, besides Jean and Sasha of course. Everybody knew how fidgety he could be and it was a distraction to those who wanted the complete opposite.
No normal friend would go out of their way and care for somebody the way Armin did for him.
No normal friend would laugh as hard as Armin did with him.
No normal friend would stare at somebody’s lips like that .
“Armin,” Connie whispered. Waiting till the blonde turned his head off to the side, just enough so they could be face to face in their positions, his voice continued to stay low and soft. “I just realized something.”
Ignoring the way he shivered from the vibrations against his back, Connie’s voice weakening his defense, Armin forced himself to reply. “W-what’s that?”
“You gave me the same reward twice,” he pointed out. Gently squeezing his hand, Armin’s fingers straightened briefly before they sweetly returned the favor. A brow raised from his random confession and Connie released an awkward chuckle. “You poked my nose once in the beginning and the second time was towards the end. Uh, that’s not cool, you know. I feel like I got cheated on. Come on, Armin, give me a real good reward for skimping on me like that.”
"Well, what do you want, Connie? I'll do whatever to make it up,” Armin hinted. His body melted back into the taller man, clear signs that he was encouraging Connie to be brave and speak his mind. His chest pricked with excitement- with the hope that the time had finally come when his unannounced feelings could finally make their appearance.
Swallowing thickly, his brows began to furrow with building confidence. "Whatever I want?"
"Yes. I made a mistake, so I will cover for it."
“Lair. You never make mistakes,” Connie murmured, his voice hinting with suspicion. His dense mind, always so present, continued to keep a firm hold on him.
“Maybe I just cover them that well.” Armin gave a casual shrug and he enticed the other to lead the conversation. “Have you made up your mind on what you want?”
“Right… I think I have an idea,” he mustered. Swallowing thickly, Connie’s voice quivered with his question. “How about a kiss?”
Connie finally took that brave step both had been secretly waiting for. He finally confessed that he indeed wanted so much more out of their friendship.
Armin’s grasp tightened and he felt his stomach flutter with those obnoxious butterflies he accepted so long ago. Finally hearing Connie suggest something that would break their boundary of friendship caught him off guard and he allowed the question to echo in his mind. The blonde was short-circuiting to the point that no answer rolled off of his tongue in the way he had played in his head time and time again. Armin was always on top of his game, but not always when it came to Connie.
Lengthened silence hung heavily between them.
Connie’s eyes grew just as wide as Armin’s dazzling ones and his blush matched those rounded cheeks he adored. Their unequal breaths and the timer on the oven pierced the deafening air again.
Choking on his words from the heavy atmosphere, poor Connie immediately rushed with burning fear and embarrassment when Armin’s jaw finally weakened in an attempt to speak. He was terrified his overflowing feelings weren’t being reciprocated in the slightest. Connie began to believe what signs he had been seeing weren’t signs at all but something else like his active imagination.
Maybe Armin was laying a trap out. Maybe that intelligent, manipulative blonde wanted to crush him entirely so Connie would have to struggle to repair his shattered heart. Maybe this was Armin’s way of crushing his dreams so he could stop fantasizing about a life of living together, having romantic dinners, and sharing the same bed every night.
“Kidding! I was kidding! I was joking about that! Haha ! You should have seen your reaction on that one, Armin! You probably don't even like me that way anyway- I mean you wouldn't do something so ridiculous as kissing somebody as weird as me or liking somebody as embarrassing as me- not that I'm saying you should have limits on who you want to kiss or like! Wow, is it getting hot in here? I’m breaking into a sweat all of a sudden! Am I making sense? I think I repeated the same thing three times, but who’s counting, right? I am an idiot after all! Hey, dessert is going to burn if you-”
"Connie?" Armin interrupted calmly. Keeping a gentle hold on his trembling, sweaty hand, he began to turn around when the distance was added between their bodies. The blonde made sure Connie wouldn’t dare run away from his given opportunity.
He quivered a dreaded sound. "Y-yeah?"
"Hush and kiss me.”
The spiky-haired man reacted like a disappointed dog. His shoulders grew slack and the corner of his lips pointed downward, Armin’s words not registering in his whirlwind of a brain. He assumed something entirely different had been spoken.
"Oh…"
Sucking in a breath to control the tears that wanted to appear, he blinked slowly when he began to understand the soft command. Perking up and growing rigid, Connie’s breath caught in his throat when his hands cupped his face. Catching Armin’s gaze, he swallowed thickly and finally began to breathe when those fingers grazed along flushed skin in affection.
“Wait- do you really mean it? I-I can kiss you?”
His smile was uncontrollable and Armin gave a firm nod. The blonde rubbed his thumb along a hot cheek while his other hand guided itself further back. Cupping the back of Connie’s neck, he guided him closer so their bodies were mere inches away again. He gained his unwavering attention and the softest of chuckles bubbled its way forward from Connie’s rather adorable reaction.
“I really mean it. I want you to kiss me. Not as a reward for doing a job well done, but a kiss between two people who like each other,” Armin whispered. Moistening his lips in preparation, his breath hitched when a firm hand rested on his hip. Tilting his head, Armin’s feet began to stretch until he balanced on the tips of his toes. “Are you going to back down again, Connie?”
Again.
So Armin had been looking through glass the whole time and had given him multiple opportunities to confess.
He truly was dense.
But he was dense enough that something finally clicked right then and there. He didn't give a single damn about how exposed his feelings were. The breathtaking blonde had been reciprocating the whole time and had been laying a path for him to confidently stride forward without looking back. With Armin’s obvious hint this time around, it was clear as the day his courageous heart led him to a cherished moment they would never forget. They were both successful in their unique ways, despite how silly it seemed, but neither one cared.
Brushing his second knuckles along a cheek, Connie’s hand opened and he cupped the side of his face. He relished in the way Armin's head rested into his exposed palm and his smile softened lovingly. Releasing a shaky breath, Connie’s lashes grew heavy from the attention to his mouth. Armin was still patiently waiting for him to close that final distance between them- to take on the opportunity he wouldn’t dare shy away from. Not this time.
He didn’t dare waste any more valuable time slotting his lips between soft ones. It sent a shiver to lick the length of his spine, for his heart to erratically celebrate, and for his trembling hands to calm themselves into something more steady. Their mouths moved with languid, yet precise movements while they reconnected several times. They were both on a giddy high from the tingling contact and they felt it with their uncontrollable smiles and Connie’s escaping chuckles.
Relaxing his feet till they lay flat, Armin giggled when the taller man followed him down. Another peck caught his attention and he returned it just as eagerly. “How many mints did you eat before coming over here?”
“I shoved five in my mouth. Why? Did I still taste like pizza or something?” Connie whispered. Forcing his eyes to flutter open, he immediately caught the blonde’s gaze. He felt like a teenager in love all over again and Connie melted into a puddle when fingers teased his cropped hair.
“No! I just had a blast of mint in my mouth, so I was curious,” he replied honestly.
“... Was the kiss bad?”
Armin immediately shook his head to dismiss his rising concern. “Not at all.”
“Really?” Connie perked happily. Dropping his hand, his arms wrapped around his waist. Swinging the both of them side to side, the spiky-haired man let out a delighted laugh from his response.
“It was everything I hoped for and so much more. I’m happy that you finally know I like you just as much as you like me. Now how should I put it into your words? Just to make sure that you got it?” Armin wondered out loud. Slinging his arms over broad shoulders, he tilted his head back so the taller man could kiss his forever red-tipped nose. “We're finally two peas in the same pod, right? Romantically made for one another? Two halves of a whole who were graciously brought together thanks to our friends?”
“You took the words right out of my mouth! I like when you can read my mind!" Connie laughed. Leaning forward until the smaller man rested against the counter, he reached out and turned off the oven before their dessert could burn any further. There was a slight smell in the air that mixed with the sweetened treat, but their dessert would be salvaged enough with a hefty amount of ice cream and toppings. A celebratory snack of sorts.
Watching his careful movements, Armin released a curious hum. Their revealed emotions weren't anything dramatic, but he rather enjoyed the simplicity of their exposed excitement. "So, what do we do now?"
"Well, I think our newly discovered study habits truly brought our feelings into the light… So could we have more study sessions together? Just you and me? And dates? Can I take you on dates? I want more kisses on both if you're totally on board with that! You help me focus, so the second most intelligent man in the world can buy lunch or dinner every single time!"
Not helping himself to chuckle at the way Connie's chest puffed out courageously and his chin was held high from the bold suggestions, Armin sighed in contentment. Loveable, friendly, and dorky Connie had finally grasped the reins and he began to wonder what sort of fun and flirty relationship the both of them would have.
But knowing how unpredictable he could be, even for Armin, he couldn't wait to finally explore their blending future together.