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“I’ll have a tall vanilla latte, please, oh and Armin? Did you want anything?”
Armin looked up at Eren and blushed.
“Um...No, that’s okay. Thank you, though.”
“Oh, come on,” Eren replied as he put an arm around him. “You’re absolutely cold. I think you should at least have a cup of coffee or something before we have to go back outside.”
Sure enough, it was a blizzard outside. Snowfall was reaching a record high for the week. Eren’s and Armin’s classes had been cancelled for the day, so the two friends decided to spend the time catching up on homework while warming up in their local café.
Armin sighed as he eventually gave in. After all, there was no point in arguing with his best friend. Eren could easily change Armin’s mind with a single word or phrase- a quality that sometimes annoyed the blonde like hell. But that was one of the many things that Armin loved about Eren.
Yes, loved. Whether it was or shame or not in their society, Armin had deep romantic feelings for Eren. It was bad enough that they were best friends, but the fact that Eren was male worried Armin deeply.
What if he doesn’t feel the same? What if he’s straight? Before that, what if he thinks I’m weird? What if he makes fun of me for being gay and stops being friends with me? What if he tells everyone about me and joins them as they point and laugh at me?
Armin sighed as the perpetual, internal struggle continued within his mind. He barely noticed as Eren gently nudged him again.
“Armin, you okay?”
Armin blinked and snapped out of his inner thoughts.
“Y-Yeah...Sorry about that.”
Eren smiled.
“It’s all right. I ordered you a coffee with a lot of cream and sugar, just the way you like it. I hope that’s all right.”
“It’s perfect, thank you,” Armin smiled back at him.
“You’re the best, Eren. I appreciate it. I really do.”
Eren only waved it off, though Armin could have sworn that the brunet tried to hide a faint but visible blush.
“Don’t mention it.”
Once their drinks were ready, Eren paid the bill and handed Armin his coffee before taking his own. The pair then made their way to a vacant seat near the front of the shop next to the window.
“So Armin. Are you feeling okay?”
“Huh? Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“Well for starters, you won’t even look at me. You’ve been like that for a while now. I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”
Armin’s bangs hung in front of his face. He glanced up at Eren slowly. That was when he noticed the beautiful emerald eyes staring at him almost lovingly. They were close enough to where Armin could pick out each individual shade of green in Eren’s shining orbs. When Armin realized he was also staring, he blushed heavily. His hands started to shake, as they always did when he became nervous.
Coffee began pouring off of the table and onto the floor in a slow, but steady flow of brown liquid.
“Oh my God, Oh my God. I’m so sorry Eren. I’m so sorry!” He apologized.
Eren was silent for a moment, but then as if out of nowhere, he started to laugh.
“Oh Armin, it’s all right. Besides, you didn’t even get any on me,”
Moving closer to him, Eren brushed a lock of blonde hair out of Armin’s face.
“You’re so adorable, you know that?”
“A-Adorable? I-I’m clumsy, not adorable!” Armin protested.
“Yes, but I find your clumsiness absolutely adorable. I guess,” Eren sighed as he leaned in closer.
“It’s one of the many reasons why I fell in love you.” he whispered softly.
Even with wet coffee still dripping onto the ground, Eren ignored the spill and pulled Armin in closer, for the blonde was too shocked to even move. Hesitatingly, Eren decided to continue before Armin freaked out entirely. After having come this far, he wasn’t about to give up. Eren lifted Armin’s chin to his and placed a soft but chaste kiss on his lips. The blonde’s eyes widened, though they soon closed as he returned the kiss. Eren gained more confidence as Armin wrapped his arms around his neck, so after they parted, Eren gave him another kiss, this time a longer, more passionate kiss. Armin tasted like warm coffee and fresh mint, a taste Eren would grow to love in the years to come.