Chapter Text
"You're so cute when you're blushing, 'Min!"
Eren chuckles and ruffles Armin's hair, giving the blonde a kind and soft stare.
"..! Eren, don't talk like that.. it makes it worse.."
He gets a little more flushed.
"I'm sorry, it's just... I love you so much and you're so beautiful and adorable!"
He gently wrap his arms around Armin's waist, pushing his forehead against the blonde's. Closing his eyes, his breath failing on this angel's face. He was hugging him, just as soft as possible. In that moment, Eren looked so vulnerable yet so calm and relaxed.
The blonde would gently settle into Eren's hold, feeling more relaxed - and less flustered - instantly.
"Thank you.. this moment is nice."
Eren brought his right hand to Armin's head, pulling it to make it rest on his chest. He then pressed a kiss on the top of his blonde hair, whereas Armin was slightly closing his eyes. He let his hand fall before wrapping his fingers into Armin's. The soft touch of his cold hand made him shiver a bit, but then it warmed up really fast. Both of them were calm, standing under the moon and stars.
"The sky is really pretty, like it's talking about a million of stories." Eren softly spoke, his breath leaving a cold smoke. He smiled, looking up at the dark night.
Armin gently leaned against Eren, staring up at the sky as well. It's a little cool outside, but it serves to keep the two closer, in order to keep warm. He squeezes Eren's hand..
"You know, the stars remind me of you. They're always there, shining brightly, no matter how bad things get.." Armin softly says, shifting a little closer to Eren.
"I'm proud of you, Armin." The brunette spoke gently in the cold air. "You keep standing after everything that happened, you're amazingly strong."
"You're.. proud of me? I mean, sure I've come a long way since I was a child, but.. all of us have persevered through.. this mess. It's not.. anything special. If I'm being honest, I don't think I would've survived without you.. You're like my guiding star," Armin would quietly ramble, before a look of realization crossed his face.
"Sorry. I'm going on a tangent again.. I'll stop, now," he'd say, with a shy little laugh.
"No it's okay, I like when you talk, whatever is it about." Eren slowly spoken.
His gaze followed every of his movements, feeling the wind on his face, and every parts of his skin. Eren leaned against the wall behind him, before sitting. Pulling Armin towards him and making sure to not hurt him by falling or anything. He gave him a bear hug, just as gentle as he could. Hurting someone that he loves, physically or mentally, was something he cared about to make sure it doesn't happen. Armin moved closer, as Eren pulled him toward his body, into a warm hold. The cool air seems to spiral around the pair, but neither of them are really paying attention.
Eren was softly running his fingers trough Armin's hair, when he saw a shooting star.
"Make a wish, my sweetheart. There's a shooting star." He smiled warmly at his beloved, lovely wrapped in his arms.
Quietly, Armin looked up at the stars, his shorter figure settling into Eren's hold. He sighed softly, suddenly looking up as Eren pointed out the shooting star.
"Hmm.. I wish for us to be safe, and make it through all of this, together.." Armin whispered. "I know you're not supposed to tell other people your wishes, but.. what difference does it make?" He'd softly joke, with a genuine smile.
He then saw Armin shivering a bit, so he took off his sweater and put it on Armin. "Here, feeling alright?" He asked.
The night was cold, dark, silent. The wind messing up with their hair, caressing their skins, leaving a cold sensation behind it. The way the moon was shining on them. Eren was admiring every pieces of skin of Armin's face. How the moonshine was formidable on his nose, slightly making his eyes shine. Those lips Eren always wanted were beautiful under the stars light.
Each plots of his body were just as beautiful as they always were, but this time, Eren could see it better. His round face, his mid-long haircut, and *those ocean eyes*. Everything about Armin was beautiful. Eren's heart melts, giving him butterflies in his stomach. Both their chests rising and going down at each breath, their heartbeats coordinating together. It was so peaceful.
"You.. don't find that annoying? Um.." Armin stutters, feeling a little flustered at that. His face is a bit red- partially from the cold, but mostly from his proximity to Eren.
"That's.. good. Thanks."
Armin snuggles into Eren's jacket, finding the warmth of it comforting, as well as the scent being lovingly familiar. He breathes out a relaxed sigh, as he stares up at the moon.
"Do you know what time it is..? Should we be out this late when we have training in the morning?" Armin softly questions, not really wanting the moment to end- but he cares about Eren's well-being more than anything. He doesn't want to see him go to training in the early morning with an improper amount of sleep.
But ultimately.. Armin doesn't want the moment to end, so he clings a little closer to Eren and leans his head atop his shoulder.
"I think it's about... eleven in the afternoon. Is it okay? You wanna go back to the High Quarters?" Eren spoke.
He wanted this moment to last forever. It was soft, calm, relaxing. Nothing in the world felt like this. Eren pulled Armin even closer, resting his own head on top of the blonde's. His scent, it was soft, calming. It smelled like the wind, with a mixture of salty water.
"Oh, I'm doing fine. We just have training in the morning, and I don't want you to be tired during training.." Armin says softly, obviously more concerned about Eren than himself, despite the fact that if they both stayed up, they'd both be tired tomorrow.
He sits a little closer to Eren, just taking in the moment quietly.
"You're very warm. I like it," Armin comments softly.
Eren just remained silent as Armin was talking about training. Listening to every words coming out of his mouth was a bless. He was beautiful, perfect, and the sky knew how good he could use words to do anything, with anyone. He had this power, yet he was soft, kind and careful. Just nice, and caring towards others. He was an angel.
Eren felt Armin getting closer, pressing himself against his warm chest. The brunette was slightly blushing, running his fingers in Armin's hair. His touch was soft, slow, soothing. In Eren's eyes, Armin was beautiful. Under the starlight, it was even better.
"T-Thanks... You're warming me up ever more to be honest.. I love it" He looked down at the blonde, still stroking his hair.
Armin sat quietly with Eren for a while, just enjoying their peace for once- it was a nice break from the usual chaotic and often stressful days in the scouts.
Armin seems to feel a little tired, as his eyes are starting to fall closed for longer and longer each time he blinks. He gives a soft smile to Eren, with a tired glance.
"You keep looking at me.." Armin says quietly, with his sleepy but love-filled gaze.
"Heh... sorry about that.. I didn't notice-" He'd excuse himself again, blushing at Armin's remark.
Eren can feels Armin is falling asleep, so he spoke up, but in a calm and quiet tone. "You can sleep here if you want. I'll carry you to your dorm later." He said, readjusting the sweater on the blonde's shoulders. Stargazing was an activity Eren enjoyed a lot, and his favorite star was Armin.
"It's.. okay," Armin murmurs softly, clearly becoming tired. He has a soft smile on his face, as he looks up at Eren, before he presses his forehead into Eren's shoulder sleepily.
"Thank you.. you make me feel sleepy.. warm, and safe.." Armin whispers, closing his eyes and letting out a relaxed breath.
"I love you, sleep well, 'Min." He said, kissing his nose, before staring at his rosy lips.
"No, he's sleeping. I can't." Eren thought to himself, pulling the blonde closer to make sure he's warm enough. "I can't fall asleep here. I can't let him sleep here, it's snowing." Step by step, Eren was worrying, ranting to himself about his horrible thoughts.. When he started to feel sleepy, he picked up Armin on his back and, carefully, carried him to the barracks. He went to his room and laid him down on the mattress of his bed.
Armin stirs slightly, waking up from the movement of being placed on his bed. Half asleep, he reaches his hand out and grabs Eren's shirt sleeve, lightly tugging on it. His eyes are half shut, as he's barely awake.
"Don't just.. go.." Armin whispers in a sleepy voice. He doesn't want Eren to leave..
Eren gently put down Armin's hand to take off his jacket and straps. "Armin? Come sit here so I can take your straps off." He said with a soothing voice, smiling warmly at the sleepy head next to him.
Armin rubbed his eyes sleepily, giving a little yawn.
"Alright.. thank you, Eren," Armin murmurs, repositioning himself so he's sitting on the edge of his bed to make it easier for Eren to access his ODM straps.
"Eren.. how do you still have energy at this time? We've had a long day.." Armin softly murmurs. He watches as Eren unbuckles the straps carefully- but to be honest, he's just staring at Eren's face, even in his sleepy state.
Each time Armin blinks, his eyes seem more sleepy. Somehow, his sleepy blue irises are so filled with love and happiness at the same time.
"I don't know, I'm just awake." He finished undoing the straps on Armin's chest, now he had to do the same on his waist. 'Relax, it's nothing...' Eren looked a bit more stressed, he didn't want to do anything wrong or weird. "Is it okay if..." He started before stopping, blushing slightly at Armin's gaze on him. They were both close to each other.
Armin nods, and sits quietly, obviously sleepy yet relaxed around Eren. He then realizes why Eren paused, and his eyes open a bit wider.
"..Yeah, it's okay," Armin murmurs sleepily, staring at Eren's face again, with his own sleepy eyes.
Armin quietly observes everything that Eren does, finding it oddly endearing. He softly yawns, once more.
"You're sleepy, huh?" He said, managing to not touching Armin's skin too much while taking his straps off. "Yeah.. I'm tired.." Armin sighs, still half asleep. He has a sort of lovestruck, sleepy expression on his face, as he watches Eren. "You're still conscious, sleepy head?" He asked softly, rubbing Armin's shoulder as he gently pushed him down on the mattress, adjusting his head so it rests on the pillow. "Barely.." He responds.
He obliges and lays down when Eren repositions him, and his eyes flutter shut. Armin wants so badly to give into the sleepiness, but he doesn't want to stop spending time with Eren.
"Please don't go..?" He requests, tiredly, reaching for Eren's hand and gently grasping it.
"You want me to stay? O-Okay.." Tired as well, Eren sat down on the mattress before completely lying down, wrapping his arms around Armin's chest. Pulling into a comforting hug, he slowly strokes the blonde's hair. His touch was gentle, as he whispered soft words.
Armin settled happily into Eren's hold, curling up comfortably into the blankets as well.
He fell asleep quickly, given how tired he was to begin with.
3:26 A.M.
Eren suddenly wakes up, breathing heavily and sweating as well. He sits up, staring in front of him, before turning his gaze to Armin, sleeping peacefully next to him in the bed. It was such a cold night, the moonlight was slightly appearing through the curtains. Eren was quiet as possible, not wanting to wake Armin up. "It was just a nightmare," he said to himself. Although his head was hurting badly, he stood up and headed towards the door, grabbing his sweater before leaving the barracks, still quiet, hoping no one saw or heard him.
For the most part, Armin remains asleep comfortably, until early in the morning. Training was supposed to start at 8:00 AM sharp, and usually wake up call was thirty minutes prior.
Armin woke up at 5:42 AM, slowly opening his sleepy eyes. This is way earlier than he's used to being up..
'Something is missing..' he thinks to himself, before he wakes up enough to realize. Armin sits up in bed, looking over to see that Eren is gone.
"..Eren?" He asks softly, knowing that he's not nearby and wouldn't hear him, anyway.
Still a bit slow from having just woken up, Armin gets out of bed and puts his coat and boots on- minus the straps, he'll do that later- and he leaves to go see if he can find Eren.
He makes his way through the door, quietly, as to not wake anyone else- rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes once the cool early morning air hits him.
Eren was standing in the cold wind, outside. The sky was starting to reveal the sun, with less and less stars at every steps. Those shades of pink, orange and yellow shining on the horizon, reflecting on the barracks' roof. The ground was all wet, turning the dirt into mud. The air was fresh, smelling like magnolias and sunflowers. He was wondering if leaving Armin alone during the night without saying anything was a good idea after all. The blonde might worry for him, or worse, wake up panicked? No. Eren was giving himself too much importance, and he hated it. Right now, he wanted to smell Armin's scent, laying on the bed with him was all he needed to relax.
He felt the sun shining on his skin, closing a bit more his sweater due to the cold weather. When he decided to head towards the barracks to check if Armin was well, he was surprised to see a blonde head right behind him, walking, while trying to warm himself up with his hands. Armin sees Eren off in the distance, and slowly, he approaches him, relieved that he didn't go far.
"Armin? Why are you up, sweetheart?" He asked softly, ruffling the blonde's hair as an hello. He slowly wrapped his arms around Armin's chest, resting his chin on the top of his head.
The blonde smiled softly and leaned into Eren's embrace.
"I woke up and realized you weren't there, so I came to find you. Are you okay? Or, did you just go for a walk..?" He asks Eren softly, curious about the motives for his sudden disappearance this morning.
"Yeah I'm sorry. I just... woke up from a nightmare. It's nothing," He said, looking gently at Armin while giving him a huge reassuring smile. Armin remained close to him, softly smiling- relieved to hear that he's okay.
"If you need to talk about it, we can.. I'm just glad you're not sick, or.. upset," he offers softly, his worry for Eren evident in his tone. Armin softly grasps onto his hand. He always has this dream-like quality to his face when he's near Eren, his soul entirely comfortable with his presence. His face shows a soft happiness with this peaceful moment- slightly flushed cheeks (partially from the cold), and a soft smile. Eren slowly nodded his head, then spoke in a calm tone. "No it's okay, it's been the same since years, I'll be alright.", he replied. The sun was slowly waking up, shining on both of them. Eren thought it gave a cute pink and orange color to Armin's body. In his eyes, he was just perfect. No other words to describe how Eren felt about Armin. "Shall we return to the barracks? It's still around 6 a.m." The brunette asked softly, his spoke was as quiet as possible to not shake Armin too much, noticing he was still half asleep.
"We probably should. It's early, and I'm still kind of sleepy," Armin responds, beginning to walk alongside Eren- though his speed is slower than usual, as he's still sleepy. He unwrapped his arms around his boyfriend, although he pressed his hand a little bit more in Armin's, gently intertwining their fingers together. The fresh air coming and floating away felt nice, caressing their skin. They headed back to the barracks, walking through the corridors under the soft, orange, sun light.
He walked with Eren back to the barracks, and back to Armin's bunk- where they were before. Armin was still quite tired and they still had some time before training began, so he intended to go back to sleep. He took off his jacket and boots again, throwing them underneath his bunk- to get them out of the way, before crawling into his blankets again.
"Stay with me.. you need more sleep, too," Armin said sleepily, tugging lightly on Eren's hand. Armin was already half asleep, his eyes heavy.
"It's so much warmer in here.." Armin murmurs, clearly in enjoyment.
"I'll stay, don't worry," He said in a calm, soothing voice. He gently leaves a kiss on Armin's hand. He let go of his hand to take off his sweater and his shoes, before crawling into the bed. Eren laid down, admiring Armin's peaceful face under the sun colors that made their way through the curtains. His blonde hair looked like gold, giving him a majestic look. He was just perfect. Eren softly pressed his lips against the short boy's forehead, then he pulled him into a comforting embrace, under the blankets, making sure he felt well.
Armin curled up into the blankets, close to Eren. He sighs a soft breath of relief, enjoying the warmth from Eren and the blankets.
"I get cold easily.." He murmurs, his eyes closing as he's sleepy.
He eventually falls asleep.. again.
Eren blushed, smiling softly as he pulled the blonde into his arms. His head was now resting against his chest the heat of the brunette's body was soothing, wrapping around Armin like a warm blanket in a cold winter day. All he wanted to do was keep him close, wanting to never let go.
"Goodnight my sweetheart," He said, stroking Armin's hair as the sun kept rising even more.