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"Heyyy, dude, how's your day?"
"Still a she", said Armin's voice on the phone.
"Ah, okay, bro. I mean..."
"I was just letting you know. Relax. Bro and dude are gender neutral expressions, Eren. That's what we decided, remember?"
"Yes, right, I know."
"So what was it?"
"Um nothing. You're probably not interested."
"Eren..."
"It's just that Mikasa won't go the hardware store with me and I thought if you'd want to join me but if you're not interested..."
"Eren", Armin said as to a child who hadn't understood why they shouldn't draw on the kitchen wall. "My interests don't change with the pronouns."
"I know, I know. Sorry. Though, you have never liked that store, now that I think about it...”
"What time will you be picking me up?" Armin asked and Eren could imagine what kind of a loving 'Eren you're hopeless' -smile she was having on her lips.
***
It was a long drive to the store, but Eren was happy to spend that time with Armin. They sang alone to the CD full of songs from their childhood, Armin hold her hand out from the open window and let the warm summer wind mess with her hair. When they got to the parking lot and out of the car, Armin adjusted the hair, looking at her reflection from the from the passenger seat widow.
"You know this car has at least three mirrors?"
"Those mirrors are so tiny", Armin explained and turned to Eren, smiling like the sun against running water. Sparkling.
Armin was extremely cute, pretty even on her boy days. On her girly days, days that were usually filled with flowers in her hair, sweet, pastel colored dresses and make up, on those days she was simply stunning.
And that was unfair as hell.
"Why can't I look that pretty every day", Eren asked the God above, out loud.
Armin laughed next to him and answered: "You'd be surprised what some foundation and mascara can do. And a good night sleep." She shoot him a look.
"Shh, I just got in Alphys' lab. I couldn't just stop there", Eren explained. So far, he had been spending his summer holiday playing Undertale until four am. He had finally gotten the permission from his parents (Yes, he needed to ask his parents. Lame.) to download the game as a 'yay you did good in school this year' - present. "It's important."
"Whatever you say", Armin sighed and followed him inside. "What are we looking for?"
"The kitchen needs a new light bulb."
"You do know you would have gotten that from other places? No need driving all the way here."
"I like driving. And I know you like sitting in the car." Eren went trough the massive shelves. "And this place is much more fun! Look at this, for example. Who the heck needs a screwdriver THIS HUGE?"
Armin chuckled.
"And!" Eren explained, grabbing a yellow helmet, putting it on his head. It was too big. "Fabulous, right?"
"Very." Armin walked further into the shop. "Where was the painting stuff? I've been thinking about having a new color in my room again."
Eren pointed at the spot and followed Armin into the middle of bright color splash. He leaned on a shelf and watched Armin look trough all the blues and pinks. She fitted the section of pure and happy colors like a flower into a wedding.
Today she had put on her favorite blue dress. It matched her eyes. It flowed nicely around her body, her narrow hips. Somehow Armin had managed to build a pair of bumps on her chest. And it looked perfectly natural.
"Eren."
"Huh?"
"You're staring again."
"Oh. Sorry."
Armin shook her head, smiling at the baby blue paint chart.
"Hey can I, um.. Ask something?" Eren casually crossed his arms.
Armin lifted her gaze. "What is it?"
Eren nodded at her chest. "What size are those?"
Armin raised an eyebrow at him, her lips twisting into a grin.
"What?" Eren asked.
Armin crossed her arms. "As if you'd know anything about breast sizes."
Eren made an overly dramatic, shocked face. "What makes you say that?"
A shrug. "Okay then."
"So?"
"8GP."
Eren nodded. "Cool."
Armin burst out laughing but didn't explain herself. Eren felt he had lost in a game he didn't know how to play. He accepted the defeat.
"This one's nice", she said, pointing at one if the colors.
"Yeah", Eren answered. They all looked exactly same to him. Just...blue.
Armin guessed Eren wasn't paying attention and fixed her eyes on him. "You found your light bulb already?"
She was wearing winged eyeliner, and Eren knew enough to appreciate her for it. He had no idea how she managed to draw them so neatly. So nicely. So pretty.
"What? Oh, yes. No, not yet."
Armin looked around. "Should we go ask someone?"
"Nah. I can find it myself", Eren assured and stayed watching Armin trying to find the right bucket of paint.
Eleven minutes passed. Eren still had no light bulb.
"Seriously, Eren", Armin begged him, carrying her big bucket of blue.
"Armin" Eren told her. "I am a strong, independent young man who needs no help from the customer service."
Armin rolled her eyes him.
"Just ask someone. It's their job to help. Or can't your super-hyper-manly ego take it?"
Eren rolled his eyes at her.
"Fine." Armin gave up. "Do you have the old thing with you?"
Eren showed Armin the broken thing he had carried with him. Armin took it and marched to the nearest person with the words "customer service" in their jacket.
"Excuse me", Armin asked sweetly. "I need to find this light bulb."
The bored looking lady gazed over Armin before saying: "It's right there in your hand, weirdo."
"No, I mean", Armin tried to clear her throat. "I mean this one's broken and I need a new one-"
"I got what you meant", the woman snapped at her.
"Hey", Eren shouted, walking to them from across the hall. "What the hell? Just help her find the damn thing?"
The woman snorted and went back organizing shelves, or whatever she had been doing.
"Unbelievable", Eren said and took Armin's hand. "C'mon Armin. We're leaving."
He took the bucket from Armin and left it in the middle of the aisle. Dragging Armin with him, Eren yelled over his shoulder: "And I will tell your manager what kind of an rude asshole they have working in here!"
The woman ignored them.
***
"Thanks, Eren", Armin said when they got into the car. "But now you have find light bulb from somewhere else."
"It's okay", Eren replied. "Didn't you say that I can get it from somewhere else, anyway? You think they have it in the mall?"
Armin nodded, eyes on the trees passing them as they drove away. "I'm sure you can find it from the mall."
"I'm sorry I took you there", Eren said, hands tight around the wheel, still pissed about Lady Asshole. "And I'm sorry for making you go ask her when it was me who needed the help."
"That there wasn't your fault, Eren." Armin's voice was calm, but Eren thought she was surely tired of hearing people talking to her like that, like shit, just because she was who she was and they didn't understand it.
It had been about a year since she first wore a skirt in public. After that day she had been a he twice, and a they once, but the most amount of shit was thrown at her on her she days.
Eren couldn't understand why. Armin was a wonderful woman. And even though Armin might have told Eren every day that she had gotten used to all the crap, it wasn't okay. Seeing people treat her like trash made Eren feel his pulse up in his forehead, telling his fist to punch everyone who even looked at Armin the wrong way.
"Are you hungry?" Armin asked him. "I mean, if we're going to the mall, we might as well get something to eat."
"I thought you'd want to go home."
"Why? I come to hang out with you, and hang out with you I will. So. Pizza?"
Eren gave her a smile. "Pizza."
***
Pizza it was, and with some fat and calories in his system, Eren managed to forget about the hardware store. Or at least forget his anger and the urge to give the woman two black eyes. How would that be for smokey eyes?
They had quickly found the damn light bulb and were now just walking around the mall, wondering what they should do next.
"I actually need a new dress", Armin tried.
"What's wrong with that one?" Eren asked, raising an eyebrow at Armin. "Or the dozen other ones you got?"
"I always need a new dress", Armin explained. "There's this one shop I like. We could see if they have anything new. If that's okay with you."
Eren was going to say "Sure" but his words were cut of buy a bunch of guys leaning on a wall close to them.
"Hey, tranny!" One of them shouted. "You got any lipstick? Or did you use all of it on your panties so you could pretend you had your period like real girls?"
His friends laughed so loudly people turned to look at them. At Armin.
She kept walking. The guys kept shouting.
"What's the matter, freak? Don't like the attention of the boys, eh?"
"You should, you whore! Your face is so disgusting I bet even your mom wants to smack it."
"I bet his friend has a pussy. You jealous of that pussy, blonde?"
"Oh my god", Armin gasped and walked as fast as she could without changing into running.
Eren glared murderously the guys who were still laughing. He wanted to go make their faces look worse than Frankenstein's monster in the morning.
But he followed Armin, who had curved into the nearest clothes store, out of the guys' eyes, so she could run into the fitting room. She shut herself in, leaving Eren standing outside.
Then the sobbing begun.
Some people in the store gave Eren weird looks, as if he had been the one who had hurt Armin.
Eren breathed in. And out. He would get those bastards and make them wish they'd never learned to speak.
He would do that, but later. Right now, he needed to make sure Armin would be alright.
"Armin?" Eren made his voice as soft as he could without it coming out too mommy-like. "You okay in there?"
"Yeah", Armin answered with a voice full if tears and pain.
"Didn't convince me", Eren stated putting his hands in his pockets.
Armin let out a cry. "They attacked you, Eren! They attacked you, because you were walking with me!"
"Well, I will make sure to attack them back", Eren told with his gentle voice. "With my fists."
When Armin didn't answer with anything else than a nearly soundless sob, Eren added: "Armin? Armin, it's okay. Let me in?"
But Armin had already opened the door. She stood in front of the empty fitting room, looking at Eren, tears still streaming down her face.
"Oh, Armin."
Her mascara had smudged around her eyes (the eyeliner, though, had to be somehow magical, as it was still on point), and Eren cursed himself for thinking it made she look sexy as heck. Not that there was anything wrong in admitting Armin looked sexy, which she did quite often, now that Eren come to think about it.
Nothing wrong with a bro acknowledging that he's (she-)bro looked fine.
But with the situation like this, Eren's opinions were hardly a priority.
The tears had turned her eyes red, it made her irises look intensely blue. It was sad that the beautiful glow of Armin's eyes had been made by mean words of idiotic people.
"Come here", Eren breathed and pulled Armin into his arms. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful soul Eren believed could walk on this Earth, and she didn't deserve a single tear in her eye.
Armin grabbed the front of his shirt, pressing her forehead against his chest. Eren smoothed her hair, not telling her to calm down, she would do that on her own terms, but letting her know he was there.
They stood silent for a while, and when Armin's breathing become more steady, Eren whispered with soft determination: "I will fucking kill them."
"No, Eren", Armin said on his shirt, letting out a small, joyless laugh, because this was exactly what she could hear Eren say in these situations. And she always told him: "They're just ignorant and stupid."
"They hurt you." Eren cupped his palm on the back Armin's head, pressing his chin lightly against the pure blond hair. "And that's not even remotely okay, no matter what level of moron they are."
People were looking at them, but Eren didn't care. He never did.
"You wanna go home?" he asked.
"No."
"You want to come over and watch me play Undertale?" Eren suggested. "Or you can just sit with me on the couch and read your book while I play?"
This time there was smile in Armin's laughter. "We'll never fit on you couch."
"Don't say that", Eren chuckled and pressed his lips on her hair. Just a friend comforting another. "I have just cleaned my room. No underwear anywhere, I promise."
Armin lifted her head to look at Eren with a still little shaken grin. "Sounds nice."
"I have chocolate", Eren added, taking Armin's hand and guiding her out of the shop.
"Even better."
Armin held his hand with both of hers as they headed to Eren's car.
The guys were nowhere to be seen, but Eren told himself, and to everyone who would be listening his thoughts at that moment, that he would find them and make them physically feel the hurt they had caused his Armin.
***
"That's a nice dress, Armin", Eren's mom commented from her arm chair as they walked past the living room.
Armin smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Jäger."
"We'll be in my room. If you have anything, knock", Eren informed and led Armin to his room, though, Armin knew her way in Eren's home very well.
"Okay, honey", Mrs. Jäger said after them. "There's cake in the fridge."
Eren shut the door behind them. "You want cake?"
Armin thought about it for a short while. "Maybe later." She walked around Eren's messy room and kicked a pile of clothes. "No underwear, huh?"
"Those", Eren said, picking up the clothes, "were my jammies."
"Of course." Armin nodded and made room for herself on Eren's small couch. She handed another pile to Eren, who threw it in the corner. Into a bigger pile.
"See?" He sat next to Armin, on some dirty socks. "It's all clean and in order!"
Armin laughed, asking: "Is the book I left here last time still around somewhere?"
"Yes!" Eren promised, jumping up from the socks. "Somewhere."
It took him eight minutes to find the book. Ten to find the chocolate. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of it left, but even the two pieces of it made Armin happy.
It took his mom two hours and forty three minutes until she come to check on them.
"You darlings need anything?" Mrs. Jäger asked, opening the door after a light knock.
Eren tore his eyes from the game and asked Armin: "You want anything? There's still that cake."
"I'm good", Armin answered. She lifted her head from the book to give Eren's mom a smile. "Thanks, Mrs. Jäger."
"Oh, Armin", she said looking at her face, only now noticing all the mascara that had spread on her cheeks. "Do you need something to wash that off, dear?"
Armin touched the skin under her eyes, as if she had totally forgotten about her messed up make up. "Uh, yes. That would be nice."
"I'll leave everything you'll need next to the bathroom sink", Mrs. Jäger told her with an understanding nod.
"Thanks, Mom", Eren said, continuing his game again. He had moved his huge computer screen so they both could see it from the couch while he was playing with a controller. "We're good now."
Mrs. Jäger stepped next to Eren. "We're going to bed now. Mikasa's probably still up, but try to keep it down, okay dear?"
"Yeah, yeah. Good night", Eren said, eyes on the game.
Mrs. Jäger gave her son a kiss. "Good night, darling. And good night, Armin."
"Night, Mrs. Jäger."
Eren's mom smiled to them one last time before leaving them alone.
"Does your Grandpa know you're staying over?" Eren asked her and continued at the game: "Oh fuck, this is insane!"
Armin turned over a page. "Yeah. I texted him. And besides, he knows I'm always with you, anyway."
"Okay, then", Eren mumbled, then screamed: "YES! TAKE THAT YOU STUPID FLIPPING FLOWER!"
"Eren, I'm trying to sleep!" his sister shouted from the room next to his.
Eren whispered: "Fuck yes, I got it!"
Armin put down her book and was now paying attention on Eren's game. He had almost played it through.
"You read that already?" Eren asked, taking his eyes off the screen to see if Armin was awake.
She was. Barely.
"No", she answered him. "My eyes were just tired."
"You want us to get your mattress ready?"
"No, no I'm fine. I want to watch you play your funny game."
Eren nodded and lifted up his arms so Armin could lay her head down on his lap. Armin flipped her legs over the armrest, and Eren continued on playing, explaining the plot and the characters on the way. Armin listened, really listened, because she would ask questions and comment on things. When Eren seemed confused, she reminded him of the late night texts Eren had sometimes send her while playing the game alone. Eren was impressed she remembered them, because he didn't.
"So the skeleton is your favorite?"
"Yeah. Though, I can't decide, which one."
"The fish lady is cool", Armin stated with a yawn.
"Oh, Undyne is so cool! And super hot", Eren said, excited. "If she wasn't meant to be with Alphys, I'd marry her right away."
Armin laughed. "She's a bunch of pixels, Eren."
"That doesn't make my feelings any less valid", Eren announced.
Armin sighed, her head still resting against Eren.
"You want to go to sleep?" Eren asked her.
"No."
Eren nodded at the tv screen. "Okay, then."
Armin moved to make herself more comfortable. Eren casually patted her hair.
Eren didn't remember when they'd become this comfortable. Yes, sure, they had known each other longer than Eren had known anyone, except his parents and his big sister, of course. He and Armin had been best buddies forever. Honestly, Eren didn't remember the life without Armin. He didn't need to.
And yet, this right here, it felt somehow different. Armin was everywhere, she was a lovely voice in his ears, a soft touch under his fingers, a secret thought in his mind, a warm tickle in his chest.
Eren wasn't quite sure what it meant, but he knew it hadn't always been this way.
Sure, they both were different now, they had grown up to the point where holding hands with your buddy didn't necessary come out as cute friendship kinda thing. But Armin was still Armin. She was the same human being he had known all this time. Eren could remember little baby Armin, sometimes wanting to dress up as a girl and be the mom or the sister when they were playing house. Mikasa had let her, many times, until they were old enough to realize that a. playing house was lame, and b. not everyone thought "aww, that's sweet" when they saw Armin in a pink skirt.
Even then, Eren hadn't understood them.
So, yeah. Maybe they just had grown up a bit. Maybe that, and the last year or so especially, had deepened their friendship. They had held hands and hugged a lot as children, so maybe it was just natural for Eren to treasure the feeling of having Armin next to him, watching her almost falling asleep on his lap.
The thought of anyone ever hurting her, even as much as calling her hair "okay" (when in reality her hair was so utterly perfect it had probably been given to her by the angels of heaven), the thought made him want to break windows.
When they were kids, Armin had burst into tears more easily, but that had since changed, too. Eren wasn't sure if she was handling the crap that well, or if she just hid it all somewhere deep, letting only her beautiful, smiling face show.
Either way, she hadn't brought up the events at the mall. And it was the only thing Eren felt awkward about, not knowing if he should ask about it or wait for Armin to start the conversation herself. If she even wanted to talk about it.
But for now, was it the truth or not, Armin seemed fine. And Eren was determined to keep her that way.
So Eren went on gaming. He read aloud the dialogue, giving the characters funny voices. Armin laughed between the lines, and Eren wished he would have made Armin watch him play the whole game through, just to hear her happy, giggling like that.
Then, finally but way too soon, the end credits rolled. Armin looked at Eren and gave out a silent laugh.
"Eren", she said sweetly. "Are you crying?"
"No." Eren wiped off the three tears that had escaped his eyes. "It's just a really emotional ending, okay? I gave my heart to this shit. And now it ended."
Armin smiled from his lap and hold up her delicate hand to smooth Eren's cheeks. His skin tickling, Eren grinned, feeling the urge to kiss that smile, so he wouldn't need to see it fade away.
And while he'd be at it, he might as well try if he could clean of that stupid mascara from her cheeks. With his lips.
What?
It was totally okay to think about kissing your buddy. Totally.
"Eren?"
"Huh?"
"What is it?"
"What is what?"
"With that funny face?"
"I don't know what you're talking about", Eren said innocently, biting his tongue, trying to kill the stupid ass grin that fought it's way on his face.
Armin shook her head, her expression tired but happy. Even with the black stuff still all over her face, she looked completely adorable. To say the least.
Eren had to look away.
***
Somehow, they both had fallen asleep on the couch.
Eren remembered them talking, but that was about it. He couldn't even remember what the talk had been about (probably just him babbling about the game, though). And now he's neck was pissed as fuck for him not giving it a pillow.
He stretched, and Armin woke up in the movement of his legs.
"Huh?" she mumbled before sitting up. "God, Eren, why didn't you tell me to move!"
"It was fine", Eren assured and keep stretching and yawning like a kitten. "You were so warm that I didn't even need a blanket. And that on my pants is your drool, thank you very much."
He saw Armin take a quick look at the skin flashing from under the hem of his shirt.
He smirked.
She looked away, wiping her slightly pink face. "And my face. Oh my god, it must look like such a mess!"
"Hey, at least your eyeliner hasn't worn out a bit", Eren noted. "Seriously, dude, did you draw those on a marker or something?"
"Shh. I'm not supposed to give away the secret of the wings", Armin laughed. Eren wasn't sure if she was joking or not.
Armin got up, hurried to the bathroom and soon come back with fresh and clean, wing-free face.
"Tell your mom I appreciate it. A lot", she told Eren who had stopped in the middle of changing into clean sweatpants.
"Sure."
Armin sat on the couch, this time shamelessly eyeing Eren.
"Nice boxers", she teased.
"Shut up." Eren grinned and pulled the pants over the green and yellow shorts.
"You should have shown those to the guys at the mall", Armin said lightly.
"Yeah." Eren went trough his closet. "They would have passed out by the sight of my gorgeous ass."
"I'm sure of that", Armin agreed. She pointed out at the corner of the room. "I think you should look from the pile of Independent Ecosystem of Eren's Room."
"Why do you - oh." Eren grabbed his favorite t-shirt under some jeans and a hoodie. "Thanks."
Armin shrugged and picked up her book from the floor. "You think you still have that cake?"
***
The next time Eren got out of his room, other than to use the bathroom or getting something to eat, was two days after their spontaneous sleepover.
"Heyyy, dude?"
"Still a she."
"Great", Eren cheered to the phone. "Because we're getting you a new dress!"
"What?"
"I'll pick you up."
"What?"
"What time will you be ready?"
".... In twenty minutes?"
"Awesome. See ya!"
"Bye", Armin chuckled as she hung up.
Eren was outside Armin's house after sixteen minutes. Armin was already there, waiting.
"Why are we getting me a new dress?" she asked after she got into the car.
"You said you need a new one. And we were interrupted last time."
"Last time we were already there", Armin pointed out. "You didn't have to leave your house just to get me something I already have a closet full of."
"Hush.” Eren pointed a finger at her. "We're getting you a dress."
Armin let out a sigh. "Is this about what happened the last time? Because I'm fine, Eren."
"You didn't seem fine."
"That was because they said things about YOU", Armin told. Eren felt his heart crack hearing her voice shaking, even if just slightly. "I get shit like that all the time, but I don't want you to suffer from it, too."
"Armin", Eren said, calm and serious. "You're my best friend. I love you. And if hanging out with you means that I have to hear fuckers like that trying to be funny at me, so be it. I'll meet them in Hell and make them pay for it."
Armin stared out of the window. Eren could see tears shining in her eyes as she sighed: "I love you too, Eren."
They stayed quiet for the rest of the drive. Not an awkward silence, just a moment they both needed so they could think.
Eren hoped shopping would make Armin feel better.
***
"I don't know." Armin turned around in front of the mirror again. "Isn't it s bit too short?"
"Probably." Eren nodded thoughtfully. "But you totally have the legs for it."
"Really?" Armin did one more spin for the mirror and then turned to Eren to say: "I mean, thank you."
"No problem, bro."
The lady who was looking at leggings near them heard his words and gave Armin a look.
"Oh. Sorry", Eren said to Armin.
"It's okay, Eren." She had noticed the woman, even if she didn't let it show. She was busy feeling the yellow dress. "It doesn't matter what they think", she went on. "I know you never mean to hurt me. And we both know it's a gender neutral 'bro'."
"Yeah", Eren said, his eyes following the woman, wishing she would find rats in her little purse.
"I think I'll take it", Armin decided and went to change back to her own clothes. "You can go wait outside", she told Eren from behind the door. "I'll be right there."
So Eren went, because no matter how he liked hanging out with Armin, the bright colored store was not his favorite environment, and they had been there for at least forty minutes.
Not that he hadn't enjoyed helping Armin pick up dresses (the yellow one she had ended up with was, naturally, the first one they had found). It had made Armin a bit happier, and that was all Eren needed.
Eren sat down on a bench in the middle of the square in front of the store. After waiting there for three minutes, two teenage girls attacked him.
"Hello!" the brunette one said so cheerfully Eren wondered if he knew these girls from somewhere.
"Uh, hi?"
The girls let out the most annoying giggles Eren could imagine. No, he was sure he'd never seen them before.
"So", brunette continued. "Me and Lizzy saw you sitting here and you're really hot."
"Like, really hot", Lizzy added.
"Yeah, and we just thought that you looked lonely and we wanted to if you'd like to get ice cream with us", the girl went babbling. Lizzy nodded next to her.
"Uh." Eren looked past the girls, hoping to see Armin. "I'm actually waiting for someone."
"Oh." The girls made sad faces but quickly recovered from their mourning. "That's okay! Can we have your number or something? We'd really like to hang out with you someday. Any day."
"Um."
"Like, are you free tomorrow night? Our friend has this party and you'd totally be welcome there. We'd keep you company, of course. It'll be super fun!"
"Uh..."
"Oh, Caty look", Lizzy said, leaning closer to her friend. "That's the weird boy who pretends to be a girl!"
"Ew." Caty made another face, seeing Armin come out of the store. "Why was he in the women's store! Gross."
What the hell was the matter with the people in this town?
"Sorry, girls", Eren said, standing up. "I gotta get to my date."
He didn't stay to see their reaction, but he wanted to believe he heard Caty gasp as he rushed to Armin.
"Honey, you kept me waiting!" he said loudly enough for the girls to hear and threw his arms around poor, confused Armin.
"What the heck, Eren?" Armin couldn't hide the laugh. "What are you doing?"
"I told them you were my date", Eren whispered and let Armin free from the hug. "So play along." He took Armin's hand and walked her past the shocked girls.
"Why did you do that?" Armin said quietly, trying to manage a natural smile, which, of course, did not look natural at all.
"To piss them of, mostly", Eren answered happily. The girls couldn't hear them anymore, but people around them could still see his smile. "They were calling you weird and gross."
"Why would this piss them off?" Armin asked with a genuine chuckle, but then continued sounding more worried: "Wouldn't this just make you as weird and gross as me?"
"I'm never weird or gross, and neither are you. You're fucking beautiful, Armin, and I'll gladly walk with you. They all should be jealous." Eren checked on the girls over his shoulder. They were still staring, he gave them a wide grin. "But this might get to them because they were asking me to go out with them."
"Both of them?"
"I guess."
Armin let out a breath, shaking her head. "Well, that's what you get for being so cute. But for god's sake, Eren, you don't need to fight or piss of everyone who says something about me."
"I can try", Eren announced, bumping gently against gently Armin's side, making her smile.
They passed a group of boys who looked like they had something to say at Armin. But they said nothing, didn't dare, not when Eren was holding Armin's hand and giving them a look that could have killed a crocodile.
"Well, that'll be a long journey for you", Armin said when the boys were behind them.
"I'm in no hurry", Eren told her. "You wanna get some ice cream?"
Armin leaned her head on Eren's shoulder. "You're being silly. You know that?"
"I know that I will protect you." Eren rested his cheek down on her hair. "But seriously, I suddenly feel like getting ice cream."
"I don't need you protecting me."
"Well, you have me anyway."
"I know." Armin gave a quick kiss on his jaw. "I'll have a strawberry sorbet."
Armin was just playing along, but when she kissed him, Eren could feel his own smile all over his body, tickling his stomach and making his legs feel like they could fall off and fly away.
***
Armin turned around on the couch. "I thought you played it through already."
"Yes, but that was the pacifist run. Next is the genocide one, I need to kill everyone."
"Sounds cheerful", Armin said, her words dull and thin.
Eren looked at his friend from his office chair. Armin was feeling uneasy, and he couldn't figure out why.
Eren had realized it probably hadn't been the best decision to tell Armin exactly what the girls had said about her on the mall the other day. But she had been all fine and happy after it, so this probably wasn't about the girls. Armin never let anything bother her for long.
She had gone to wash off her make up as soon as they had arrived at Eren's house. She tugged the hem of her red skirt and adjusted her hair every six minutes. She sat there, not smiling like she used to, watching Eren's walls as if they had some kind of a sad secret hidden in them.
"I don't have to play it right now if you want to do something else", Eren said, carefully studying Armin's face.
"No. No, it's okay."
Eren raised an eyebrow at her. She tried to smile for him. He was not convinced.
"So...." Eren tried casual talking, spinning around with the chair. It didn't catch Armin's attention as he hoped. "Did you get the paint for your room?"
No answer.
"You going with the blue one?"
Nothing.
"I could come help you with it, someday."
What the fuck was so interesting about that wall?
"Let's watch a movie." Eren got up and went to check on his shelf of dvds. "What do you wanna watch? Something funny? Oh, I know, we could watch Star Wars again!"
Armin just sat there, quietly on the couch, adjusting her skirt again.
That didn't do. Armin loved Star Wars.
"Okay, cupcake." Eren knelt in front of Armin. She managed a tiny smirk after hearing the word 'cupcake'. Eren looked deep into the blue eyes. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing", Armin assured. "I'm just tired."
"Like hell you are, it's not even 8pm." And he knew his tired Armin. Tired Armin would laugh at anything. Seriously, anything. Eren would say random words like "frog" or "apple juice" and Armin would laugh for solid nine minutes. Tired Armin forgot to wash her face and change clothes. When Armin was really tired she was quiet, but still smiling.
So no, that wasn't it.
"C'mon, Armin." Eren leaned his chin on Armin's lap. "Talk to me?"
Armin's eyes were suddenly warm on him. "Why are you so nice to me?"
"Because I'm your friend, dumbass." Eren chuckled, careful not to sound too harsh.
"Yeah." She looked away from him.
No. No, no, no, Eren's mind went. Don't look away from me again.
"Armin, please", Eren pleaded. "I can't help you if I don't know what's the matter."
She turned to show him a ghost of a smile. "Always helping me."
"Yes!" Eren shouted, slamming his fist on the couch. "I will always help you! I want you to be happy. And now you're not and I don't know why and it's killing me. Just tell me what I can do."
Finally, there was a smile on Armin's lips. She tilted her head, smoothed Eren hair. She slid her hand under his chin, holding his head up, moving her thumb against his skin, while looking at Eren in a way that made Eren feel as if he'd been lifted from the ground.
"You do know how much that means to me?" Armin asked with such fondness in her voice it made the air around them heavy. "To have you?"
Eren wanted to say "Yes!" but he couldn't control his face anymore. His skin was burning under Armin's soft touch, every muscle of his body asking for more. His lips parted, he breathed in, afraid Armin might move her hand away if he as much as sighed too loudly.
He must have looked like a complete idiot, just staring at her like this.
But she stared back, her eyes glowing. Her tender laugh filled the room for few seconds, before she pressed her lips against his.
And Eren lost it.
He got up on his knees and grabbed Armin into his arms, holding her so tight he thought it might crush her. But she pressed against Eren with such force and feeling it sent him falling.
And they were on the floor. Eren had never enjoyed laying on the floor this much.
How had he survived so long without knowing the taste of Armin?
She had her legs on both sides of him, her hands on his hair, lips all over his face. She kissed his mouth, his nose, his cheek. Eren heard himself moan when she kissed his neck.
"Oh, god, Armin."
Armin pulled away, sitting on Eren's abdomen, watching his flushed face with concern.
Eren pulled Armin from the front of her shirt. "Don't stop it!"
Armin was out of breath but she laughed as she fell back on him. She cupped Eren's face into her hands like she would never let him go. And Eren definetly wasn't going anywhere.
An annoying knock on the door tried to distract them.
"Not now, Mom!" Eren shouted in Armin's mouth.
"You darlings need anything?" Mrs. Jäger asked from behind the door.
"We're fine!"
"Thanks, Mrs. Jäger!" Armin said, smiling as Eren bit her lip.
And they were alone again.
Eren had his hands all over Armin, she didn't seem to mind, only kissed him more deeply when his fingers found new places to study. She pressed against him, her figure so light but full of urge and heat. Eren was grateful of her every movement, doing everything he could think off, soundlessly telling her never to stop.
They wouldn't have the time to watch Star Wars before the sunrise.
***
"Eren?"
"Yeah?" Eren rubbed his eyes with one hand, still holding Armin with the other.
"Can I..." Armin talked against his ribs. "Can you borrow me some clothes?"
"Sure." Eren got up from the floor they had fallen asleep on. Sometimes he forgot he actually owned a bed. "What do you need?"
"Shirt, pants. Anything you'll find will do."
Eren looked trough his closet and tossed Armin some fresh clothes. "You're feeling the he today?"
"I'm feeling the he today." Armin stripped out of his skirt. Eren didn't know if he needed to look away or not.
Ah, Eren realized, looking at the birds from his window flying on the mid day sky. Armin probably had already felt it last night. That's why he had been so uncomfortable. "Why didn't you ask for new clothes last night?"
Armin kept silent.
"Armin?" Eren abandoned the birds and gave his eyes to Armin. He wasn't having any of his silence anymore. Not if that silence didn't include Armin's lips somewhere on his body.
Armin was adjusting the too big t-shirt with Darth Vader's mask on it. "Do..." he stopped and looked at Eren. "Do you still like me?"
Eren frowned. "Of course", he said. "Of course I do."
"Because, I mean", Armin mumbled, letting his hand go through his messy hair. "I'm not... I'm not a girl anymore. At least for now. I won't wear a skirt or make up or any of that stuff for a while."
"So?" Eren stood before him, looking down at the gloomy expression Armin was giving to their feet.
"I didn't know if you'd have me as a boy like you would as a girl." His voice was so quiet Eren barely heard it.
Oh.
"Armin." With the sound of Eren's voice full of affection and caring, Armin lifted his gaze to him. And Eren told him: "I like you and I'll have you, no matter if you're a she or a he or a they or a freaking pegasus-unicorn-dragon. It's you. And you're all that has ever mattered."
Armin looked like he had just gotten his letter from Hogwarts.
"Thank you", he breathed, his face glowing with tears of happiness.
Eren wiped them off with kisses.
"Though, I gotta admit", Eren added with a shrug and a crooked smile. "I'll miss the eyeliner."
"I can still wear it as a boy." Armin bumped his nose to Eren's. "You know, if you want."
Eren kissed his mouth, ever so slightly, not letting their noses apart. "I want you to wear whatever you want and feel comfortable with."
Had Eren been wearing a shirt, Armin would have slid his hands under it, while kissing the air out of him. Eren wished he would be able to keep his eyes open so he could see Armin, see his face this close him, to make sure he was actually there.
This time his mother didn't disturb them.
***
The noisy assholes were standing at their spot when Eren and Armin went to the mall, finally to get the paint for Armin's room.
Seeing the gang, Armin tried guiding Eren to walk the other way. But Eren had the murderous fire in his eyes and was not to be stopped.
All of the boys were looking at them, at Armin, even though Armin looked different from the last time. A blue button up shirt, jeans, no make up. If it wasn't for his blonde hair, Eren was sure the guys wouldn't have recognized his beautiful face from that far.
"HEY, ASSHOLES!" Eren shouted at them.
"Eren..." Armin warned, but Eren was already on it. He grabbed Armin as he was saying Eren's name and kissed him with all he had.
Armin had no choice but to give in.
After a good two minutes Eren let go of Armin and turned to the assholes.
"Now that you saw that", he said dangerously, walking slowly towards them. When he got close enough he moved so fast none of the guys had a chance to react before they had a fist in their eyes.
"Eren!" Armin was holding laughter. "Violence is not -"
"Shut up, darling, I'm busy here!" Eren threw the last punch and stopped to stare at the four boys, dead serious. "If any of you as much as stare my Armin again - no, actually, don't even look at him, at all, you useless pieces of shit and vomit, or I will punch something more delicate than your faces. You hear me?"
The guys seemed too startled by the fact that he had just beaten them up all on his own. One of them had a bleeding nose.
"YOU HEAR ME? OR DO I HAVE TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, HUH?"
"Eren." Armin had moved closer to him, landing his hand on Eren's shoulder. "I think they got it. Let's go."
Eren looked at him, at the guys, then Armin again, saying: "Fine." He gave his hand to him, and with the other he pointed at the gang. "I will be watching you."
Armin let out a silent laugh and dragged Eren away. As they walked out of the mall, he gave him a kiss.
"Thank you", he whispered, leaning on him, holding Eren's hand tight with both of his own.