A/N: What is this?! Are you even going to read this monster of a fanfic?! I didn't even think it would make it over 10,000 because I've never written anything that long! *dead* I wanted this to be really awesome because I only wanted it to be two chapters so I just kept writing. It was over 9,000 when I uploaded it on my computer... No, it really was over 9,000. XD Oh well.

Song for the day:

watch?v=BTscV6yGr0Q&list=PLCGDiT3WjFgYdsfOqMes5qPaGkb-ETU_i&index=8

Dude, you need to watch that one... It's not a spam. It's just freaking awesome. TRUST ME!

-Misty

P.S. Please review so I know how I did. I love reviews, good or bad... Well, I prefer good. XD

They're both boy's. They both have those desires.

Rated: M
Couple: ErenxArmin
Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin
Chapter: 2/2

Desires

It had been a week. That's all it took for everything to fall apart.

Eren's eyes scanned across the lunch room, looking for that blond hair or those blue eyes that belonged to his friend. He could see Annie. He could see Christa. But neither were who he was looking for.

Armin wasn't there.

Eren sighed a little and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. He stared down at his bowl of soup and stirred the little spoon around in the container. He didn't feel like eating today. Not when this sickening feeling was on him.

He didn't ever talk to Armin anymore. He felt blessed if a word was carelessly tossed between them, but he would be happy just to see the boy, which rarely happened. He saw him a couple of times that week during training, but that was it. While his eyes were boring a hole into the poor boy's head, Armin didn't spare a second to return the look. They didn't talk as much as they did before.

But could Eren blame him? After what happened later that evening? He shuddered deeply and shook his head. He didn't want to remember that. No, not at all.

It had been a week but the memories still haunted him, like they had just happened. They were still fresh in his mind. He didn't want to, but parts kept playing over and over again. The part where Armin left...

That one made his eyes burn with unwanted tears. He didn't like it. At first it had simply left him sad and confused. But the more he dwindled on the memory the more it hurt. The beginning of the week started with a small guilt. Now he was in pain. Now he wanted to cry when he thought about it.

He felt like he was being stabbed with one of the wooden training knives. It was painful. It was falling apart and spreading through his body like the feeling of pins and needles under your skin.

Why did it turn out like this?

He unwillingly played back the memory.

He remembered opening his eyes to the barrack. It was darker, but there was still some light from the sun which was barely peaking over the mountain tops. He blinked a few times in a dreary state. He felt like he was still half asleep. His mind was still muddled and he couldn't think of anything except for how tired he felt.

And then he felt something stir beside him.

He looked down to find a mop of blond hair belonging to Armin. Armin was curled up against his chest, his head resting on Eren's arm. His hands were pulled up to his face and his fingers just barely touched his thin lips. His hair was messy and his bangs were gently strewn across his face. His eyes were closed gently and his breath was even and quiet. This was probably the only moment in his life that Eren had seen Armin so calm and peaceful.

'He truly is beautiful...' He thought with a smile. He slowly moved his blond hair from his face and tucked it behind his ear. He looked at the flawless face of his friend for a few moments before leaning down to kiss his forehead softly. Despite how soft it was though, it still caused Armin to stir awake.

The boy's eyes winced before opening slowly. He shifted a little in his spot, his muscles awakening from the few hours of sleep. He seemed dazed but eventually snuggled closer into Eren's chest. Eren chuckled and draped his arm over Armin's petite shoulders.

"Good morning," He said, his smile brightening. Of course he knew it was still only evening.

"Morning," Armin rubbed the back of his hand against his eye and mumbled. Eren blushed with how, for lack of a better word, cute he looked. Armin had always been that way, but today he looked just a little cuter than normal.

"Sleep well?" Eren asked. Armin yawned and nodded his head. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep again. Eren smiled and began twirling Armin's hair around his finger. The smaller boy looked up at him with a confused but happy look.

"Hi," He said. He was smiling like a happy, in love school girl. He couldn't stop smiling either. He was just too happy.

"Hey," Eren leaned down and kissed him on his forehead. Armin murmured a sweet sound in content and touched Eren's chest. At the feeling of his bare skin, Armin's cheeks heated up when he remembered what happened hours ago. He covered his face with his hands and started mumbling to himself.

"Ah, this is so embarrassing." He said. Eren frowned and pulled Armin's hands from his face.

"Why is it embarrassing?" He asked. Armin blushed a little more and tried looking away, but he couldn't seem to do it.

"B-Because, it's just... It just is!" He blurted out. He was still smiling slightly, but his eyes were red like he was about to cry.

"Do you regret it?" Eren asked. Armin whimpered before shaking his head. He definitely didn't regret it. If they got the opportunity, he'd do it again too. He didn't mind.

"No, I don't... I just... I've never done anything like this before." He said in a quiet tone.

"And I have?" Eren laughed when Armin pressed against him and groaned in agitation.

"That's not it!" He whined. Eren laughed as his hand rubbed Armin's waist. His other hand (his arm still being Armin's pillow) started playing with his friends hair. This began to coax Armin to look up at him. Armin's eyes trailed up his body until he found Eren's eyes. Eren smiled when he could see those blues eyes of his.

"We're doing some pretty dangerous stuff." Eren said. Armin scoffed and pushed against his chest.

"Which would you rather do then: this or kill titans?" Armin asked. Eren looked up at the ceiling of the bunk bed and thought about it. He gave it a few moments before answering.

"Oh definitely this. This is a lot more dangerous." Eren said and leaned over Armin. Armin smiled as he was guided to lay on his back with Eren sitting over him.

"Stop being so smug." He said and pulled on Eren's neck. Eren quickly took the invitation to kiss him.

They didn't bother being hesitant about it this time. When they kissed, they didn't pull away in fear or stop to make sure the other was okay. They weren't slow about it either. (Though they weren't fast about it.)

It was a normal kiss. It was a pleasurable experience. They weren't afraid and their minds weren't racing. They were calm and collected and it made the moment all but sweeter.

Armin sighed as he pulled Eren close. He didn't have much embarrassment left. Most of it had been used when they had sex, so now it was easier to just enjoy what was happening at that moment. He enjoyed it the way it was supposed to be enjoyed.

He felt Eren's body against his and his leg brushed against his friend's hip. His hands moved to his neck and chest and held onto him. It had only occurred to him now that they were both still very naked. One of them, though neither knew which one, must have put the blanket over them to keep them warm. Armin couldn't help but smile into the kiss. The knowledge of it was sweet.

Eren's hand ran down Armin's body and it sent shivers through him. Armin quietly moaned into the kiss and Eren shivered as well. It was a moment like this that could make him forget about the many things that haunted him: the titans, the loss of wall Maria, the loss of his mother, the disappearance of his father. He almost started to think that those things had never happened and it was all a dream.

His reality was Armin. Armin's body writhed under him and Eren kissed him while pulling him into a tender embrace.

It was a tender moment in itself.

It was a tender moment that could only be ruined when two people walked into the room.

They hadn't noticed at first. They were so lost in each other that when one of their friends chimed a loud voice, they stopped and pulled away.

"Aw man, what a day!" It was Connie, effervescent as ever. In front of him was Jean.

Jean had seen them first. His mouth nearly dropped in shock at the sight as Eren and Armin sat up and pulled the blanket over themselves to stay hidden. His eyes widened and his face went from pale, paler than his own skin color, to bright red in his cheeks and to his ears.

Connie bumped into a stone-still Jean and looked at him. He followed his eyes and saw the two boys before making a rude remark. His reaction was similar, but he looked more afraid than shocked. Afraid of what though? No one knew.

An unbearably silent and stomach-turning moment passed slowly.

"Oh!" Connie suddenly boomed. "We forgot to go to dinner!" Connie lied and left the room. It was a fact that the two had just returned from dinner. Jean was still frozen where he stood. Noticing this, Connie came back in, his face as red as the two boys in bed, grabbed the back of Jean's vest and yanked him out if the room.

"Dinner!" He barked.

The door shut and the two were left alone.

Eren was so frozen that he felt like his blood had turned to ice. He almost missed Armin shaking beside him. His eyes slowly moved to see Armin who was indeed visibly shaking. His hand was clenched around the blanket so tight that his knuckles went white. His bangs were covering his face though. He was purposely hiding his self from anyone.

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He couldn't speak. He didn't know why though. He kept staring at his friend until he started seeing something slip onto his hands and the blanket. Something wet that was slipping from his face.

He was crying...

"Ar-"

Armin pulled the covers back and started to dress. He got dressed so fast that Eren felt like he got whiplash. As Armin slipped on his shoes, he hesitated. His feet dangled at the edge of the bed. Eren reached a hand out to him, but just before he could touch his friends shoulder, Armin wiped his face with his sleeve and stood up. He didn't look back at Eren, nor did he say anything.

Eren watched hopelessly as Armin left after that. Not another word from either of them. Armin left the cabin and didn't look back. This left Eren alone, the blanket still bundled at his hips.

Eren closed his eyes and sighed at the memory. Why did Connie and Jean have to walk in at that moment? It couldn't have been before or after, no; it had to be while they were kissing, while they were still naked. He opened his eyes and looked around the lunch room.

Connie was sitting with Sasha, Christa, Ymir and Daz. They were talking up a storm and laughing like there wasn't any care in the world. If Connie had any worries or concerns about Eren and Armin, he definitely didn't let on about it.

Jean was sitting with Marco, Reiner, Annie and Bertholdt. He wasn't as good at hiding things that bugged him. He had been on edge since he found the two together. Eren had overheard a conversation between him and Marco two days ago. Marco noticed the tension with his friend, but Jean insisted nothing was wrong. Eren decided to assume that their secret was safe from anyone in the unit.

Eren looked down at his food again and poked the small piece of bread in front of him. He sighed quietly and pushed it away. He really didn't have an appetite today.

"Eren, is something wrong?" Eren's green eyes looked to the side and followed the contours of her body until he saw his sisters face. Mikasa reached a hand out and touched the back of his hand. She frowned slightly. "Why aren't you eating?" She asked. Her voice was small but soothing and Eren relaxed a little to her touch.

"I'm not all that hungry." He mumbled. Mikasa frowned and pinched the back of his hand. It didn't hurt, but it was a reminder as to what would happen if he didn't eat.

"Even if you don't feel like eating, you need to. You have to keep your strength up." She lectured.

"I know..." Eren mumbled. But even though he understood, he didn't make a move to eat the food. Mikasa picked up the bread and tore it apart into smaller pieces. She held up one to Eren's mouth.

"Please, Eren, eat it. You'll get sick if you don't." She said with a sad expression. Eren looked at the food in her hand and smiled a little.

"I have a bigger chance of getting sick from eating that crap than getting sick from not eating at all." He said. He intended it as a joke, but Mikasa didn't think it was very funny. She pushed the bread into his mouth forcibly.

"I said eat it." She said more determinedly.

"Alright," Eren said around her fingers. "I'll eat it-" She pulled her hand away so he could speak properly. Eren coughed a few times before taking the food away from her and taking his time to eat it.

"Thank you," She spoke with a faint smile.

"Don't ever think about working in a hospital." Eren mumbled with a piece of bread in his mouth.

"Why?" Mikasa asked.

"You're too forceful; you'll kill someone." Eren said. Mikasa looked away, trying to contemplate what he said.

"Oh..." She mumbled. Eren sighed and drank some of the water in his cup.

"Don't take that too seriously." He said. Mikasa nodded her head and went about eating her own food. For a few minutes it was quiet, minus the people around them talking. Eren finished his food slowly, but finished it all the same. Mikasa finished faster, giving her the chance to think her own thoughts. She looked up and then around the room.

"Why won't he come eat?" She asked quietly. Eren paused with the spoon near his mouth and looked at her.

"Huh?" He asked, lowering the spoon.

"Armin... He keeps skipping dinner... Didn't he skip lunch today too?" Mikasa pushed some of her black hair out of her face and spoke causally.

"Um..." Eren looked away. "I... Think so." He said. Mikasa quickly noticed the change in atmosphere around her brother and touched his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "Does your stomach hurt?"

"What? Oh, no, no, that's not it." Eren smiled a weak smile and waved his hands in his face.

"Oh... Is Armin sick?" She asked.

"Um, no, I don't think so." Eren started drinking his water so he could avoid his sister's questions. To his terrible luck, it was already low and gone within a few gulps. He set the cup down and placed his arms between his legs.

"Where is Armin anyway?" Mikasa asked.

"I-I don't know." Eren replied.

"Why don't you know?" She asked. She was already catching on.

"I don't know; I just don't." He responded.

"Why?"

"Because I don't; alright?" He snapped. Mikasa instantly backed away, her face looking like she had been critically injured. Eren groaned and lowered his head. "I'm sorry..." He mumbled.

"Eren..." Mikasa put a hand on his shoulder again and waited until he looked up at her. "Did you and Armin have a fight?" She asked.

"What makes you think that?" Eren looked away and asked.

"You both haven't been talking to each other much less talking to each other at all. Armin hasn't been coming to dinner and now lunch and you don't seem to care." Mikasa listed off her reasons as to thinking why this was true.

'I do care... I'm worried for him...'

"You won't even look at each other much anymore." Mikasa continued.

"We've just been... Busy." Eren lied.

"You were busy before, but you still made time for each other... What happened?" Eren could feel Mikasa's eyes staring at the side of his head, burning a hole straight through to the other side. That saying, "looks could kill," rang in his head.

"It's nothing, really..." Eren didn't dare say what really happened between them. He wouldn't dare say it out loud, especially with his sister within earshot.

"You can tell me, Eren. You know you can, right?" Mikasa touched Eren's cheek. Eren looked up to see the most pleading look she'd ever given him. He almost broke down at that moment. Had it been any other subject he probably would have too.

"We... We got into an argument... That's all..." Eren said. Mikasa could already tell how much was being left out, though she decided against pressing too much. She thought that if it was personal or painful or anything, Eren would come to her on his own. She wanted to know what it was plaguing her brother and her friend. She terribly wanted to know. But if they really wanted to, they would tell her on their own time.

"Are you sure?" Mikasa asked. Already he could tell she doubted him. He had never been one good for lying.

"Yeah... That's all..." He turned away and looked at his empty cup. He ran his finger around the lip of the cup while Mikasa rubbed his back a little and scooted closer to him.

"Eren... You need to make things right with him..." Mikasa said quietly. Eren looked up with his green puppy eyes and sighed.

"I don't know how, though." He said.

"It doesn't matter." Mikasa's voice became a little stern. "You two are friends... And it's obvious that you're nothing without the other." Eren's eyes widened from her statement and how openly blunt it was. "And it doesn't matter what the argument was about or who started it. You two are friends... Why let something so simple ruin what you two have?" She asked.

'It's not as simple as it sounds.' Eren thought. 'If you knew, would you still be saying this?'

"I don't think he likes me right now." Eren said.

"That doesn't matter either." Mikasa held Eren's hand within her own. "He's still your friend. He needs you as much as you need him."

Eren looked to their hands. His sister's words were strong, empowering even. She was normally so quiet and calm, normally so collected and cool. There were times where she'd let her guard down. This was one of them. Only for Eren did she ever do this for.

Mikasa began to rub her thumb over the back of his hand and he smiled lightly. She was normally cold and distant, but when she wanted to (or needed to), she could be someone you could trust with anything. He wasn't sure if he was ready to tell her what really happened between them yet, but he could at least trust her to make him feel better.

"You're right..." He said and nodded his head. Mikasa smiled sweetly.

"I hate having to see my family fight." She pointed out.

"I know... When I see him again, I'll try and work things out." Eren said with hope stringing along his voice.

"No, you will make things right." Mikasa corrected.

"Yeah alright," Eren laughed a little and nodded again. "I'll make sure we settle things." He said.

Mikasa smiled wider and pulled Eren in for a hug. It was a little surprising for him to see Mikasa relax that much, but all the same he returned it. It was almost a little awkward, but then he felt her pulling the edge of his shirt out from under the rim of his pants. He looked down just as Mikasa pushed a piece of bread under his shirt.

"For Armin," She said. "The next time you see him, give it to him. Tell him he's going to get sick if he skips meals." She added. Eren smiled and tucked the piece of bread firmly away. She wasn't hugging him; she was just making sure no one saw her sneak food.

"I will." He said. The bell for dinners end rang. The two looked up at relatively nothing and got up to put their dishes away. Eren made sure the piece of bread was tucked under his arm so it didn't fall or look obvious to anyone around them. They put the dishes away and left the lunch room.

Mikasa stayed relatively close. Eren wasn't sure if that was because she felt extra protective at the moment or because she didn't want anyone noticing the bread. Either way she stayed close. Somehow it was a little comforting.

"Hey, Eren." Mikasa tugged on Eren's shirt sleeve and pointed forward. Eren followed her finger until he saw what it was that she was pointing at. "There's Armin." She said.

Armin was a few yards away. He was walking along the path down past the barracks to the training ground. But why? Eren's heart began to pound. After not seeing Armin all day it was nice to see him.

"Go on, Eren." Mikasa gave Eren a little push in Armin's direction. Eren blanched and staggered in his spot, but he soon began walking forward slowly. He turned to look over his shoulder at Mikasa who then waved her hand as a signal for him to keep moving. Eren did as told and turned to walk to Armin.

His heart began to beat faster with each step he took. He found that he was walking slower than Armin and inevitably fell behind. He tried to move faster, but it didn't happen until both were out of the view of the lunch cabin. Armin wasn't even aware he was being followed until Eren finally spoke up.

"A-Armin," He said. His voice had suddenly become scratchy and hoarse like he had been deprived of water. He noticed the light sweat on his brow and the pounding of his heart in his ears.

When Armin heard his voice, he jumped and turned around. All the color seemed to drain from his face instantly when he and Eren's eyes locked. His blue eyes seemed to start scanning the area, hoping someone else was there with Eren it seemed. It only meant though that he couldn't look Eren in the eyes. He looked down to his feet and his fingers tangled at the end of his shirt nervously. He would do anything if it meant he wouldn't have to face him.

Eren looked at the ground for a moment and then back up to Armin. The moonlight was slipping through the gaps of leaves in the trees. It shined on him, making his hair brighter and his eyes seem to glow. Though he was looking down it seemed to add to the effect.

'Why does he do this to me?' Eren distantly wondered. Of course he realized Armin wasn't intentionally doing it. Eren noticed thought that even in the dim light Armin looked a little pale. It could have been the lighting or his nerves or even his own eyes playing tricks on him

He forgot what it was now that he wanted to confront Armin with in the first place. A simple shift of his arm changed that. He felt the bread crumble a little under his shirt and he made quick work to pull it out. He held it up in the moonlight and waited until Armin's eyes gained the courage to look up and see the food.

"Here," Eren said. Armin didn't make a move. "M-Mikasa gave it to me. She said the next time I see you I should give it to you..." Eren took a step forward to give it to Armin, but the smaller boy backed away. This gauged Eren's idea on how much conflict was between them. "She says you're going to get sick if you keep skipping meals..." He added.

Armin still didn't move. His eyes fell to the ground and he didn't look back up. His hand clenched around his left arm so tightly that even in the dark Eren could see that the blood drained from his hand. Eren waited, but he still didn't move or say anything.

"Well?" He asked. Armin didn't speak. "Come on, take it... It's from Mikasa. She went out of her way to get it for you." Eren's voice raised a little. Armin still didn't speak. His head was slowly drooping down and his bangs began to cover his eyes.

Eren couldn't help but become irritated. Why wasn't he answering? Why wasn't he saying anything? Didn't he bother to acknowledge the sacrifice? Did he even care that Mikasa stole food for him?

"Armin," He moved forward and once again Armin backed up. Somehow this pissed Eren off more than it should have. He bolted forward before Armin had a chance to move and grabbed his wrist. Armin immediately jumped at the contact and tried to pull away, but Eren's grip was vice and firm. He wasn't letting go anytime soon.

"Hey, answer me!" Eren barked. Now he was so angry that he forgot who it was he was talking (yelling) to. "Mikasa stole this for you because she's worried you'll get sick! Don't you even care?" Eren asked.

Armin began to pull again, but it didn't work. He pulled harder, but Eren was too strong for him. He began to whine as he started to yank on his arm until his own feet slipped out from under him and he sat on the ground. He kept his head low and his hair covered his face. He refused to look at him.

"Armin, what the hell is wrong with you?" Eren asked and pulled on his friend's arm so Armin would stand. It didn't work. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"I don't want it!" Armin cried. Eren's eyes widened at the tone of Armin's voice and how scratchy and wobbly it was. Was he crying?

Eren tried to see his face, but Armin lowered his head. He really didn't want his face to be seen.

"Why...?" Eren asked. "You've got to be starving..."

"I'm... N-Not hungry..." Armin mumbled. Eren lightened his grip on Armin's arm. It was true. He really was crying. His voice was shaking too much for him not to be.

"Just take it." Eren pushed the bread to Armin's face.

"I said I don't want it!" Armin snapped and slapped Eren's hand away.

The bread was knocked back a few feet.

To free himself from Eren completely he grabbed Eren's arm with his hand and with the other he bent his wrist down. Eren yipped with pain and instinctively let go. Once free, Armin bolted.

Eren watched, once again, hopelessly as Armin left him alone. Eren was wide-eyed, shocked, surprised; he wasn't even sure if there was a word to describe the utter disbelief he felt.

Could Armin really hate him? If not, was he mad at him that much that he would use self-defense against him? Did he regret what they did? Had he lied?

Eren sat in the dark, dumbfounded and depressed. He looked over to the bread that had fallen out if his hand. It had fallen into some extremely dry sand.

'Even though it was Mikasa's gesture... He still wouldn't take it...' Eren stood up slowly and patted off his pants. He walked to the bread and picked it up from the ground. He shook it a little to get rid of the sand; he wasn't one for wasting. Though in their times, who wasn't?

He huffed as he began walking to his cabin. Armin had been heading in that direction. If he had to he would put up the biggest, most embarrassing argument in the world if it meant Armin would eat the stupid bread. Even in front of everyone he didn't care. Armin was going to eat the bread one way or another.

He didn't notice that his footsteps had become stomping. He was so flustered with anger that he had stomped to the cabin and stomped into the room. He was quickly greeted with odd stares, but he didn't care. He looked around the cabin of guys, all of them who had become quiet, and noticed that near his own bunk was empty.

Armin wasn't there.

'I swear I saw him come here though.' Eren thought, his shoulders slumping and his anger slowly dying away.

"Is something wrong, Eren?" Reiner asked. Eren looked a little longer at the empty bunk and shook his head.

"Um... No... N-No, nothing is wrong." Eren slowly trudged over to his own bunk. He plopped down on his bed, his anger fully sizzling away. He couldn't be angry. Not anymore. What was it he was angry about again?

He looked down at the bread in his hand and then to his wrist. He pushed his sleeve back a little to see that his wrist was a little swollen and red. Armin had really done a number on him. It ached slightly and when he rolled it, it stung. He sighed and looked to the empty bed next to him.

'... No, I shouldn't worry. He'll come back. He has to sleep. He can't skip that...' Eren thought confidently. He nodded his head.

"Oi, Eren." Eren looked over to Jean who was across the cabin at his own bunk.

"What?" Eren asked curtly.

"Where did you get that from?" Jean pointed to the bread in the Eren's hand. Eren looked down at it and paused to think. A small smirk came across his face.

"My loving sister gave it to me." He said and lifted it up a little. "What about you?" He asked. Jean clicked his tongue with a blush and looked away. "Oh, right. She loves me... How sad." Jean scoffed and hid under his blanket.

'That shut him up,' Eren leaned over the divider of his and Armin's bed and hid the piece of bread under Armin's pillow. He smiled to himself a little and sat back. He sighed; Armin would have to come back. When he did Eren would make sure he ate.

Eren did as everybody else did. He undressed himself and redressed into his sleeping attire. He crawled into bed and once situated he realized just how tired. He may have been sleeping normally, but his sleep was restless and for the past week even a cricket would wake him up. He felt his eyes close against his will.

He wanted to stay up until Armin came to sleep, but his mind was exhausted. He didn't last very long. He fell asleep so fast that the rude awakening that followed wasn't even as fast.

"Up, up! Wake up!" I voice racked through the cabin. "Get up!"

Eren's eyes opened slowly just as someone had been pulled off of the top bunk. They fell to the ground and the thud from their head hitting the floor made him shoot out of bed. He sat up so fast it made him sick. Had he slept in? No, everyone was being woken up at the same time. That only meant one thing.

They were going to skip breakfast again and run for a few hours.

They had been given a new commander a few months back while the previous one was on leave. This one was harsh, but all the cadets made it clear he was being a hard ass so he would get respect. That and he was trying to be better than his previous officer. He's the one who made them start skipping breakfast.

"Get up, get dressed, and get to the endurance course!" The commander shouted. He then left without another word. His boots clobbered the floor while his hands held a whip behind his back. The door shut loudly.

Everyone began to groan and whine. None the less everyone did as told. They got dressed and trudged away, arms dangling by their sides and feet dragging along the floor. Eren sighed as he pulled the blankets back and left the warm spot in his bed. He didn't like having to get up and do laps, but he couldn't complain. Well he could, but that would just get himself killed.

He rolled his neck around to stretch his muscles. He then stretched his arms over his head, sighing when his back cracked and his muscles woke up. He stood up and rubbed his eyes. He was rather glad he slept through the full night. Maybe running laps wouldn't be as bad today. He was also glad Mikasa made him eat well last night. If not, whatever was in his stomach would be coming back to pay him a visit.

Remembering the food, Eren looked through his half lidded eyes to the bed beside his. His eyes widened when he saw the clean sheets still intact. He bent down to the bed and touched the sheets.

Still cold. He pulled the pillow back to see the bread still under it.

Armin never came back last night.

Eren felt angry all over again. What was wrong with Armin? Did he even come back to the cabin? If he had, had he seen the bread? Was that what made him choose not to sleep there?

Eren huffed and pushed the bread under his jacket. There was absolutely no way Armin could get out of training. None. Eren would corner him after they ran. He'd be too tired to run away too.

Eren adjusted his belt strap as he followed his fellow soldiers out the door.

And like he predicted, Armin was there by his commanding officers. Something didn't look right though.

Armin looked pale. Really pale. It could have been Eren's tired eyes, but Armin also seemed like he was staggering too. He looked a little thin as well. When was the last time he ate anything?

Eren clenched his fists together, prepared to go over there and yell his head off, but his commander beat him to it.

"You know the drill! Get moving maggots!" He barked. Eren grumbled to himself.

"Later..." He mumbled and began to run. Mikasa quickly joined him and ran next to him.

"Eren," She said. Eren took his eyes off of Armin for a moment to look at his sister. She looked a little tired herself.

"What's wrong?" Eren asked.

"Something tells me you didn't fix things with Armin." She said.

"No I didn't... It only got worse." Eren said.

"What about the food? Did he eat?" Mikasa asked.

"No... He didn't even sleep in the cabin last night..." Eren looked over to Armin who was starting to fall behind already. It had only been half a lap.

"Something's not right. He looks sick." Mikasa looked back at him with concern written all over her face.

"When we're done I'm shoving the bread down his throat whether he likes it or not." Eren commented harshly.

"Maybe we should stop now." Mikasa suggested. Eren shook his head.

"No. They wouldn't let us anyway. We have no choice." Eren said. Mikasa frowned and nodded her head. They decided this was their only option, so they kept running. On finishing the first lap, everyone was coming up from behind Armin who was terribly behind.

"We're already overlapping him," Eren said. Mikasa nodded. Getting closer, Eren could already see Armin's poor posture. He was starting to trip over his feet.

"Pick up the pace Arlert!" They heard the commander yell. Eren slowed down as they caught up to him. Everyone else began to overlap him, but Eren wanted to stay behind to make sure he was okay. Mikasa followed in his idea.

This close, Eren could hear how badly Armin was wheezing. He could barely breathe. Eren looked over to their commander, wondering if he noticed. He definitely saw it.

"Arlert! Just stop already if you can't do it!" He called out. Armin slowed down until he finally stopped with heavy feet. He leaned over his knees, panting like he had been running for hours. Normally it took a few laps before the boy was in this condition, but today something was really off. Eren and Mikasa stopped short behind him.

"Armin, are you okay?" Mikasa touched Armin's back and asked soothingly. Armin didn't answer. He was too busy bending over and trying to breathe.

"Jeager, Ackerman, who told you to stop?" The commander asked. Mikasa pretended not to hear him. Eren, however, looked over at him with a rather unhappy look. "I better see you two running." The commander said in a threatening tone.

And then it happened.

Armin collapsed out from Mikasa's touch and fell to the dusty ground. He stayed there, completely unmoving.

"Armin!" She gasped and bent down to help him. Eren was as quick to Armin's side as Mikasa had been even though he was farther away than Mikasa was. Mikasa rolled Armin onto his back and pulled his head up into her lap.

"What happened?" Eren asked in a panic.

"He fainted," She said. Despite the situation, she was trying her best to remain calm. She pulled his wrist into her hands and pressed two fingers just to the side. At the same time she felt his forehead. She frowned. "His pulse is weak. He's got a fever too."

She undid the clasp around his chest and pulled his jacket off. She was attempting to keep his body cold, lest he suffer from a heat stroke. Eren reached forward and felt his forehead and then his neck. He was stricken with fear to find out her observations were correct. He was burning with a fever and his skin was clammy and damp with sweat from the small workout.

By now, the other cadets had run to Armin's aid. There was a surge of questions as everyone gathered in a group around the three teens.

"What happened?"

"What's wrong?"

"Is he sick?"

"Is he alright?"

"Everybody back off!" The commander yelled over their irritating voices as he joined the crowd. "What happened to him?" He asked.

"Armin fainted." Mikasa answered.

"Get him to the infirmary then." The commander ordered. It sounded more like a threat to not only their ears, but the ears of everyone around them. Eren shot a stern glance, as if saying with his eyes that Armin deserved a little more respect than what was being given at the moment. The commander didn't seem to notice.

Without waiting for another approval, Eren scooped Armin up into his arms, ignoring Mikasa's protests, and ran away to the medical ward with him in his arms. Mikasa grabbed Armin's forgotten jacket and caught up to him quickly. She went ahead to let a doctor know.

By the time Eren got there, Mikasa was holding the door open. A doctor was standing behind her with a set of sterile gloves on and a coughing mask over his mouth. Eren pushed his way into the room and looked for the closest bed that was empty.

"Go ahead and set him down there." The doctor said calmly. Eren followed his instructions and took Armin to the bed he suggested. He gently set his friend into the bed, watching him to see if Armin reacted at all to anything that was happening. There was nothing because he was truly out cold.

The doctor pushed passed Eren and took a seat in a chair next to the bed. He leaned in close and began to examine Armin.

"So he fainted. Do you know from what?" The doctor asked.

"No sir," Mikasa answered. The doctor lifted Armin's wrist up and took his pulse. A few moments went by before he frowned under his mask.

"Is something wrong with him?" Eren asked hurriedly.

The doctor completely ignored him and pinched the back of his hand. He watched as Armin's skin retracted slowly. He hummed to himself as he opened Armin's eye and looked at his pupil as it reacted to the light. He didn't bother to take off his glove but still felt his forehead. He nodded his head a little. He looked at Armin's body a little, noticing the weight change in him. He was indeed thinner.

"Well?" Eren pried in a paic.

"He's terribly dehydrated." The doctor said. "He's got a high fever and he doesn't have enough water in him to flush out his system." He stood up to go find something that would take care of that one thing. "The last time I saw him he wasn't this thin. Has he been eating?" The doctor asked.

Eren and Mikasa both exchanged glances at each other. Both frowned and Eren couldn't help but feel guilty. He felt the bread in his inner breast pocket and mentally beat himself for not giving it to Armin sooner. Why did he bother waiting?

"No, sir... I don't think he has been..." Eren admitted solemnly.

"That would explain the weight loss." The doctor said. "He looks like he hasn't slept very well either. I'm judging that based off of the bags under his eyes." He continued. Of course for that one it was obvious he was just guessing.

'I would know better than anyone...' Eren continued to beat himself up.

"His pulse is weak but his pupils are still reactive to light. He still has a functioning brain." The doctor pulled out a swab and began cleaning a spot on Armin's arm. Once done, he pulled out a clean needle and pushed it under his skin. The needle was attached to the IV with a bag filled with water. "This will help with the dehydration."

"Thank you, doctor." Mikasa said calmly.

"Normally I get people who come in here because they've been hurt while training. Severed limbs, broken bones, skin cancer, the list is endless." The doctor began. "This is something that could have been prevented had someone watched over him. The only way you can thank me is if he gets well. That's all I ask for." Finished with the IV, the doctor pulled off his gloves and mask and went to get something else.

Eren took the doctors chair after he stood and sat by Armin. He took Armin's hand into his own hands and squeezed, but not too hard. It was true what the doctor said though. With all of the training, lack of eating, sleep and water, his hand felt a little thinner than usual. Eren swallowed and rested his forehead down onto the back of Armin's hand. He let out a shaky breath.

"This is my fault..." Eren mumbled and closed his eyes tightly.

"Eren..." Mikasa said quietly. Eren looked to her to see she was holding Armin's other hand. She was looking down at Armin with a frown and sad eyes. "... This isn't your fault." Mikasa looked up at him with her black eyes and said. She said it almost like she was lecturing him.

"... Even if you say that... I'm pretty sure it still is..." Eren mumbled.

"I don't care whose fault it is; make sure the boy eats." The doctor's snooty comment made the two look over at him with questioning looks as he sat at his desk. As the room went quiet they could hear the chatter of the other rookie cadets waiting outside to hear what happened to Armin. They could then hear the boom of their commanding officer's voice over their friends.

After some silence and a quick exchange of odd stares between Eren and Mikasa, the commander walked in. Everyone was peaking in through the crack in the door or through the windows to see what was going on.

"How is he?" The commander asked.

"Sick." The doctor replied.

"Well I know that already." The commander looked over to the three teens.

"If you had known you should have done something." The doctor remarked.

"How bad is it?" The commander ignored him completely and asked.

"It could be a whole lot worse. But then again he's got it pretty bad." Eren swallowed shakily and tightened his grip on his friend's hand. He watched Mikasa push some of Armin's blond hair out of his face and weakly frown.

"When do you think he can resume training?" The commander asked. Eren ground his teeth together. He was somewhat sure the commander was just trying to find out how sick Armin was with a certain time frame, but it sure didn't sound that way.

"Oh no. He's not going anywhere until he gains back the weight he's lost and he's able to stand on his own." The doctor said with sarcasm. "How he even got up this morning surprises me."

'Because he never fell asleep...' Eren thought. He looked from the corner of his green eyes to his friends outside. They were all gawking at the news. He was sure they were creating scenarios in their heads, trying to come up with a reason as to why Armin would stop eating and let himself get sick.

It pissed Eren off immensely.

'Stop that...' He thought. 'It's my fault anyway.'

Eren hissed under his breath. He stood up and leaned over Armin's unconscious form. Slowly he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Armin's forehead.

'Look at me... And leave him alone...'

The reaction from everyone outside was something he expected: surprised gasps, eyes widening, people nearly screaming with surprise. Maybe even screaming as realization hit them.

Connie didn't seem bothered by it, but Jean was in absolute shock. He must not have expected Eren to do something so personal in front if everyone. Or maybe he even thought that Armin and Eren wanted to keep it a secret in the first place.

Eren smiled against Armin's skin and leaned back to look at his face. He didn't look as peaceful now though as when he did a week ago when he was in bed with him.

Eren looked up at Mikasa to see that she didn't seem too surprised by the affection he showed for Armin. In fact, the sight of Eren kissing him made her smile a little. She was probably used to it. When they were younger, the two boys were nearly inseparable. She rarely found a moment when they weren't together. The memories made her smile a little more.

Eren blushed and rubbed the back of his neck a little. He sat back down, his eyes staring at Armin so he didn't look at his sister. He was smiling like an idiot.

"Oh shut up, Mikasa." He said. She shook her head. She hadn't said a word, but she was sure he read her mind.

"Ackerman, Jaeger, let's go." The commander said. The two looked at him with sullen faces.

"But what about-"

"He'll be here when you get back." He interrupted Eren and said harshly.

"But I won't." The doctor jumped in.

"What?" The commander turned to the doctor and asked.

"I have to leave to aid some people at the wall. They need help over there." The doctor said. He looked at the two teens, tipped his glasses down the bridge of his nose and pointed at them. "One of them stays here." He said. He didn't say it as a question or a recommendation either. He said it as a command. One of them had to stay to watch over Armin.

"Eren will do it." Mikasa volunteered for him. Eren opened his mouth to protest, but Mikasa was already up and walking over to his side of the bed. She patted Eren's shoulders gently and leaned over him to press her lips to his ear. "Take this opportunity to make things right when he wakes up. You can't let this go on anymore." Mikasa whispered.

Eren looked up at her as she smiled at him. He frowned, worried about leaving her to train on her own, but she touched his cheek reassuringly.

"I'm not important. Worry about Armin." She said as if reading his mind. "Besides, if you don't fix things now, I'll be forced to intervene. You don't want that, do you?" She asked in a demure tone.

Eren shook his head. He definitely didn't want that. Mikasa would probably kill them (Or at least him). Mikasa smiled and lightly pinched Eren's cheek. Not hard; it was more like a simple way of showing affection, something she wasn't very good at. It was enough though and Eren smiled while rubbing his cheek.

"Don't push yourself too hard, alright?" Eren watched as his sister followed the commander to the door. She turned her head back to look at him and waved her hand.

Eren watched as they left. Now all that was left was him, a sleeping Armin and the doctor who was already packing his medical bag. Eren looked down at Armin, feigning interest to the doctor's actions. He kept Armin's hand in his own. His thumb lightly grazed the back of Armin's hand in a soft gesture. He could indeed feel the fever just in Armin's hand. It made him worry at the probabilities that could happen.

Meanwhile the doctor had finished packing and threw a coat on his shoulders.

"I'm off." He said coldly. Eren looked up at him, his smile fading.

"What if something happens to him?" Eren asked, breaking his stare from Armin long enough to look at the doctor. "Who would take care of him if he got worse?"

"Nothing is going to happen to him. All he needs to do is sleep, eat, and keep that IV on." The doctor opened the door to the room. He turned and pointed to Armin. "I'll be back tomorrow; I'll take it out then. Until then, nothing should happen." He turned and left, the door shutting behind him.

Eren felt like his heart had dropped. What if something were to happen? Sure, the doctor said nothing would, but what if he was wrong? What if Armin's fever got worse or he didn't sleep well? What would happen then?

He stared at Armin with a frown and held onto his hand a little tighter. He trapped Armin's smaller hand between his own and brought their hands to his face. He pressed gentle kisses to the tips of his fingers. His heart froze when he felt Armin's hand tighten around his. He looked up at Armin, but the boy was still sleeping. Armin's hand tightened a little more, but then slowly relaxed within his own.

"Are you dreaming?" Eren asked particularly to no one but his friend. Eren smiled when Armin shifted in his sleep a little like he was answering him. "I hope they're nice dreams... Dreams of the outside world. A world beyond these cages. A beautiful world at that..."

"You deserve it too..." He reached forward and brushed his fingers against Armin's cheek. His skin was still as soft as before; that hadn't changed. He was warm and clammy though. Eren sighed as he lowered their connected hands onto Armin's chest. He rested his head down on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes. There wasn't much to do but sleep now.

Maybe, he thought, he could dream about the outside world. He was one hundred percent sure that Armin's dreams of the world beyond the wall were much more beautiful than his. He wished that were true. He wished he could have those beautiful dreams too, but he decided against it. He would see the world some day and it would be as beautiful as they both imagined it to be.

Those pools of burning water. Or maybe the land of ice that floats on that huge expanse of salt water that Armin called the ocean. The book was old so the pictures were slightly warped. They were a grey and yellow color so they couldn't possibly show the colors of the true world outside of the walls, but in his head he imagined that they must look slightly like what's inside the walls, but better. Oh definitely better. There was no way the outside world could compare to what's behind these cages called walls.

What would it be like, he wondered? He imagined the feel of the immense amount of sand under his bare feet. He could feel the wind blowing through his brown hair. Maybe he could feel the water of the ocean sinking in the sand and making his feet wet and then the water would be cold when it hit his face. The smell of the ocean was unknown to him, but he tried to pick out a scent. He supposed it smelled like water, if water even had a scent. Maybe a mix of salt?

… Did he remember what salt smelled like? Did it even have a scent?

He really didn't remember.

He imagined the smell of the grass instead. He knew what that smelled like. He imagined that there were flowers everywhere and he sat in the grass so he could pick them and smell them. Some daisies and wildflowers.

It all seemed so realistic. However, their beautiful petals wilted on impact of his hands and he frowned.

"Sorry…" He murmured. He put the flowers down and looked around him some more. He could see a pond in the distance. The water was glistening in the bright sunlight and looked really inviting. He felt like going in and swimming a bit, but decided against it. He didn't know how to swim and felt like if he got the opportunity to, he would be really bad at it.

He sighed, lied back in the grass and put his arms behind his head. The blue sky above him was endless. He watched some clouds go by and smiled at the beautiful sight.

"That one looks like… A fish…" He mumbled to himself.

"And that one looks like a tree." Eren looked behind him to see Armin sitting behind him. He had pulled his legs up to his chest and his head rested on his boney knees. He was looking up at the sky with a big smile on his face.

"When did you get here?" Eren asked. Armin looked down at him with his big blue eyes and smiled.

"The same time you did; remember?" Armin asked. Eren shook his head. Armin giggled to himself and scooted to Eren's side. He lied down on his back and gently rested his head on Eren's shoulder. Eren smiled on contact and wrapped an arm around the smaller boy. Armin cuddled closer until there was no space between them and sighed in content.

"We got here together…" Armin whispered into Eren's neck. Eren smiled when Armin's warm breath tickled his neck. He rolled them over until Armin was the one laying on his back in the grass. Eren hovered over him, his arms on both sides of his friend's head and his legs between his.

"Yeah… I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." Eren said. Armin turned his head to the side and smiled a little more. Eren brushed his fingers against his pink cheek and smiled. He bent down and pressed a sweet kiss against the white column of his neck. Armin sighed and Eren closed his eyes.

'How does he do this to me?' Eren wondered. Again he remembered that Armin was more than likely not intentionally doing it, but all the same the effect was impactful.

"E-Eren…" Armin said through a light breath.

Eren opened his eyes, but Armin wasn't there. It was dark and colder than he remembered. The grass, the ocean, the pond, the clouds, the flowers; all of it was gone. He remained still, trying to figure out what had happened. When he realized it, he felt like he really had been splashed in the face with water.

'It was just a dream…' He thought. He didn't move his head but looked around the room to see his surroundings. It was dark, but he was still in the infirmary. He looked outside a window to see that it was night time. He must have fallen asleep when he put his head down. It was what he intended to do, but even so…

"Eren…" He felt a tug on his hand.

Eren lifted his head up to see Armin looking down at him. He was sitting up on his elbows, his hand still trapped in Eren's own hand. His hair was a little messy and his eyes were half-lidded like he was still tired. He probably was.

Eren rubbed his eyes and sat up. He looked at Armin for a few more seconds before realizing what was going on and remembering what had happened previously.

"You're awake," He said. Well he was still tired.

"What happened to me?" Armin asked. His voice was scratchy and he winced in pain when he talked.

"You fainted while training." Eren said. He stood up, his hand leaving Armin's as he went to light a candle. He noticed as he moved that Armin's eyes were on him. He kept looking from the corner of his eyes to see this and doing so caused him to shake.

'Why of all times are you staring at me?' He wasn't really complaining, he just didn't understand.

His hands shook a little as he lit the candle. It was a rather surprising amount of light for something so small, but that didn't matter. He sighed as he turned to look at Armin. Armin hadn't stopped looking at him yet. Eren looked at him as he went back to sit in his chair. He sat down and noticed something different. When he noticed Armin, he saw the color in his face.

Eren lifted a hand to touch Armin's cheek. He didn't think there would be consequences. It just seemed normal to do. Armin didn't move to reject him either. Eren slid his hand against his cheek until his fingers were behind his ear. He pushed some hair from the boy's face and looked at him.

"… Your color is coming back." He said quietly. Armin seemed a little surprised by the comment. "Your fever broke too. That's good." Eren pulled his hand away for a moment to feel his own forehead. Indeed, Armin's fever had broken. His temperature was cooler and his skin was a little wet from sweat.

Armin looked down into his lap. Eren pulled his hand back and looked away. In the candle light, Armin looked like he did a week ago when they were together. It made him blush a little at thinking about his friend that way, but it came out of nowhere; he couldn't really not think about it. Either way he was happy.

Even if Armin detested him he was okay with it. Armin was already getting better. That's what was important. Then he remembered something…

"Oh yeah." Eren reached into his inner breast pocket and pulled out the bread. At some point he must have rolled onto it because it was a little flat, but he was sure it wouldn't matter either way. "Here, you need to eat this." He said and held out the bread.

Armin looked down at the bread in his hands and then back to Eren. He didn't say anything, but he looked a little confused and surprised. He must not have thought that Eren would have kept the bread after swatting it from his hand the night before.

"It, uh, it's probably a little stale but… It's something. You need to eat." Eren said. Armin looked back at the bread again and then up to Eren. He looked into his eyes, giving him a questioning look. He opened his mouth to speak, but Eren stopped him abruptly.

"Look Armin I don't want to start this crap. Eat the fucking bread or I'm shoving it down your throat." He said. He really didn't need to be as harsh as that, but he didn't want any rejections. Not from Armin and especially not when he was so sick. Though, he didn't think that since it had been a week since they last spoke it would have been good to try and say something a little less… Intimidating.

Armin, on the other hand, seemed so shocked that he felt he couldn't really answer. A little bit of Mikasa had come out of him for a moment. Eren had only snapped at him a couple of times in his life. A few were small, nothing to worry about outbursts. Only one had ever been so serious, and it was after Wall Maria had been destroyed and they had lost everything. Now that he thought about it, that fight was over bread too.

Armin was trying to make Eren eat.

"… Okay…" Armin took the bread from Eren without trying to put up a fight. Eren was surprised, but he didn't question it. He watched as Armin pulled the bread apart into smaller bits (a small habit of his with everything he ate) and started to eat.

"Thank you," Eren smiled and said. Armin didn't react too much to it. He nodded his head though and continued eating. Eren assumed it was a good sign though. He was happy about it. It may have only been a week since they last had the chance to be together in any sort of way, but it felt like a blessing.

"Have you eaten today?" Armin asked. Eren looked at Armin to see him staring full force at him again. Armin hadn't looked at him that much since the incident. It was almost unsettling to see Armin giving him attention. It almost felt like when a stranger would stare at you and you had no idea why. That was the feeling he was getting. Eren went brain dead for a moment, but soon regained his conscious.

"Um… No actually, I don't think I have. I came in here with you and fell asleep after that and I'm here now… Come to think of it, we never even got breakfast." Eren had looked up at the ceiling the entire time he spoke, trying to recall if he had eaten. "I guess it's a good thing Mikasa had me eat last night, right?" Eren laughed a little and looked at Armin.

Just as he did, Armin tore a fourth of the bread apart from the bottom. He held it up to Eren and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Here," He said.

"Armin, you need that more than I do." Eren scolded and pushed it back to him.

"I know but…" Armin looked down at the bread with a sullen expression. "You have to keep your strength up too…" He held out the bread again. This time he looked more determined. "So please eat it!" He said.

His voice instantly cracked at the pressure and he whined in pain. His throat was still raw and dry. He touched his throat with his cold fingers and frowned. He looked up from the corners of his eyes just as Eren sighed and shook his head.

"Alright, give it here." Eren said. Armin smiled and gave it to him. Eren froze, nearly dropping the piece of bread at the sight of Armin's smile.

He could cry. He could sincerely cry. He missed that smile on those lips of his best friend. The touch of his hand was almost barely noticeable. He only caught the feeling of Armin's fingers brushing against his, but his heart beat so fast he almost covered his chest. He didn't do it despite how it hurt a little.

He collected himself quickly and ate his piece of the bread. He had been right. It was stale. It tasted sour too. It surprised him that Armin wasn't complaining about it. He may later though because it could seriously mess with their stomachs.

"Thanks…" Armin mumbled and ate his own share. Eren smiled a little.

"… H-How are you feeling?" He asked. Armin paused from eating to answer.

"… A little better… I was just tired…" He mumbled. Eren frowned at that. He didn't appreciate that Armin was trying to lie to him. He was lying even though it had been bluntly obvious that he had so many things wrong with him. Why was he still trying to cover it up?

"That's not what the doctor said." Eren said bitterly. Armin froze in place a little and looked at the small crumbs left from the bread. His face seemed to go pale again, but Eren knew that it wasn't because he was sick. It was because he had been found out.

"Oh… Um…" Armin couldn't come up with an excuse now. Eren rolled his eyes and shook his head as he stood from his chair. Armin watched as Eren went to the doctor's desk and started looking through the drawers. "W-What are you doing?" Armin asked timidly.

"Looking for chocolate." Eren replied as he started pushing papers away.

"Chocolate… What's that?" Armin asked. Eren walked past him to a cabinet and opened it. He sorted through the medicines in it, his lips pursing slightly with anger.

"I dunno really… My mom gave me and Mikasa some when we were younger. Whenever we would be really upset about something, like someone in our family passing away or… Just something bad; she would give us this chocolate stuff and it would make us feel so much better." Eren moved to another cabinet and started looking through it.

"So it wasn't for physical injuries?" Armin asked.

"No; I guess that's what surprised me the most. It was only for when we were sad. She never had a lot of it so we couldn't have it any other time." Eren sighed when noticing that the second cabinet was also empty of chocolate. He moved back to the desk and swept through it one more time. "My mom also said that it was a girl's best friend… I didn't really get that one though… I still don't get it," Eren spotted a small wrapper in the back of one of the drawers.

He reached back and pulled it out. He undid the wrapper until a small brown substance was revealed. He lifted it up to the nose and smelled it. The sweet scent filled his nose and instantly he smiled as the happy and sad memories flooded his mind. It was like all of his memories had been hidden away into this one little bar of medicine. It was like as soon as he could smell it, anything he had forgotten was back to make him smile or frown.

"I found it," He cheered and praised himself in his head. Armin looked at the medicine in his hands and frowned.

"Are you sure that's it?" Armin asked. Eren pulled a small piece of the chocolate off of the bar and ate it. There was a small moment of silence before Eren smiled wider.

"I almost forgot how sweet this is." He walked back over to the bed and sat back in his chair. "I wonder why he was hiding it. This could make everyone here feel better." Eren looked up to Armin who was still looking at the chocolate with curious blue eyes. Eren held up the chocolate for him. "Here; go ahead," He said.

"Oh… A-Are you sure?" Armin timorously took the chocolate from Eren.

"Yeah; don't worry. It's good, I promise." Eren vowed. Armin looked at the chocolate in his hands. He let the texture slip under his fingers and then brought it up to his nose to smell. "Don't be such a coward." Eren said with a smirk.

Armin frowned a little and pulled a small piece off. He sucked in a mouth full of air and pushed the piece of chocolate passed his lips before he could decide against it. Eren watched Armin closely, watching as the first emotion on his face was shock. The second was… Sad.

Armin began crying.

The smaller boy looked down to his hands at the chocolate and cried. He bent over his legs and cried into the blanket. The tears seeped from his eyes and ran down his red cheeks relentlessly. The tears pooled at the end of his nose and chin and dropped onto the blanket below him.

"Armin, what's wrong? What happened?" Eren was immediately out of his chair and by Armin's side again. He put a hand on Armin's back and the other tried coaxing Armin to sit up. "Is it your stomach?" Armin shook his head and cried more.

Eren pulled Armin to sit up and looked at his face. Armin's eyes and nose were red and his eyes were swollen from crying even though he hadn't been crying for that long. Armin tried to look away, but Eren wouldn't let him. He kept his palms against his cheeks and held his face still, locking their gazes.

"What's wrong?" Eren pleaded. Armin's body shook a little and he dropped his head onto Eren's shoulder. His hands clung to the sleeves of Eren's jacket and he closed his eyes.

"S-Sorry… I'm sorry. So, so sorry," He cried against him. Eren sat still for a moment as Armin cried to absorb what it was he was saying. Not before long he closed his eyes and sighed. He rubbed the back of Armin's head and slowly moved his way onto the bed. Armin willing moved over until Eren was sitting by him.

Eren pulled Armin into a close embrace. Armin gladly returned the embrace and wrapped his arms around Eren's neck and shoulders. Eren didn't even bother to relish in the closeness of the moment; he was too stricken with worry for his friend that he didn't even remember what happened between them. It was normal to comfort his friend, so he didn't question it.

"Can you tell me what's wrong?" Eren asked in a whisper. Armin clung to him a little more and nodded his head. He pulled back a little and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands, mindless of the IV in his wrist.

Eren touched Armin's cheek to wipe away a stray tear lingering on his skin. He didn't want him messing around while there was a needle in his arm. Armin looked up at him and smiled slightly, but the tears were still falling from his eyes. Eren felt his heart miss a beat again and couldn't resist himself. He cupped his hands around Armin's cheek and kissed him.

Armin didn't push him away or do anything that would show that he didn't want it or that it was only a bad idea. Instead he pushed into the kiss, his body shaking and a sigh escaping his lips as he wrapped his arms around Eren again. Eren wrapped his arms around Armin's frail legs and pulled until Armin was sitting in his lap. Their kiss broke and Armin sniffled as Eren pressed their foreheads together.

"S-Sorry, I…" Armin trailed off. Eren trailed his fingers along Armin's forehead and pulled his bangs out of his face.

"You already said that." Eren said. Armin reached up to rub his eye, but Eren stopped him. He gently brushed his thumb under Armin's eye, wiping a tear away to be forgotten.

"I didn't... Mean to cause so much trouble, I just… I was afraid." Armin weakly admitted. Eren looked at him, confusion.

"Afraid; afraid of what?" He asked.

"Afraid because… I was afraid of losing you…" Armin hesitated to say and it came out as a whisper.

"Of losing me?" Eren repeated. "How would you lose me? I'm not going anywhere." He stated.

"Because… I thought maybe since people saw us they would hate us for it and… And you…" Armin swallowed down the painful lump in his throat forming. Eren pushed Armin's bangs from his young face and the gesture got Armin to look at him. Fresh tears started to spill over his eyes.

"Go on," Eren said gently. He didn't want to startle Armin.

"I thought that maybe they'd pick on us… For being this way… And you would leave because of it…" Armin hid his face into Eren's shoulder, fearing the look that he was sure would come from his statement. He could feel Eren's hands tighten around him and he closed his eyes.

"Wait, that wouldn't make me leave." Eren said. Armin swallowed again. "I would fight back. I wouldn't let anyone mess with you." Eren assured.

"That's not what I want though!" Armin whined. Eren paused to listen as Armin tried to collect his breathing. After a steady minute, Armin spoke again. "You've been fighting for me all this time. For years now you've been doing it and I don't want you putting yourself at risk because of me." Armin finished.

Eren's eyes widened at the realization. Now he understood why Armin was so anxious about this. It was because of how Armin was treated when he was younger. It was because of them and that Eren always came to fight for him and stayed by his side. He was afraid for his wellbeing. Eren almost laughed at how stupid it all seemed, but he didn't, not wanting Armin to get the wrong idea.

He sat back a little, a smirk on his lip as Armin looked at him. Armin's eyes were wide and red from crying, but he looked just as confused as Eren had.

"First off, that's never going to change. I'm going to keep fighting for you-" Armin opened his mouth to protest, but Eren stopped him. "Because I know that you would do the same thing for me. You'd never let anyone pick on me and get away with it. Of course I'd never let that happen myself, but that's how it works. So long as we so much as know each other I'm going to be there for you."

Armin's tears began to roll down his cheeks again. From such a tender remark he could barely think about anything other than him. Eren leaned forward to him and kissed his tears away. Armin felt stupid for crying because now he was happy, but still the tears kept coming and still he kept fighting with his body.

"Also, I don't know if it helps but Connie and Jean haven't said a damn thing about what they saw. No one besides them knows and they pretty much blew it off." Eren informed. Armin smiled and wiped his eyes, but the tears still kept coming.

'Although after I kissed you I think everyone has a hunch… I shouldn't tell you that, should I?' Eren thought for a moment.

Instead of trying to pry some more, something that he was so used to doing that it took all of his willpower not to do again, he smiled sheepishly and made a joke. "The chocolate was supposed to make you feel better, not make you cry." He said with a wired smile and wiped away more tears.

Armin shook his head, his lips holding a ghost of a smile. He laughed a little, a sound Eren closed his eyes to listen to carefully. He really did love that laugh.

"Actually…" Armin returned the hold by pressing his hands against Eren's cheeks. The notion had Eren opening his eyes to see Armin's shiny blue eyes looking at him. "It did a little." He said.

"It did?" Eren asked. Armin nodded his head, another small laugh leaving his lips.

"Yeah, it helped." Armin rested his head down onto Eren's shoulder, taking in the warmth from Eren's strong body.

"How can crying make you feel better?" Eren asked while nuzzling Armin's head with his.

"My mom used to tell me that sometimes… Sometimes holding things inside was bad for you. Sometimes crying was the only thing that made you feel better." Armin explained. Eren smiled and cradled his head into his shoulder.

Things were starting to feel normal again. The close contact, the talking, the ability to open up to each other; all of it was coming back. Eren thought that maybe Armin's mother had the right idea. Armin did seem happy after his crying spell. That or it really had been the chocolate he gave him.

Remembering the chocolate, Eren looked down to the side of Armin where he had dropped it at some point. He picked it up with a free hand and held it up for Armin who slowly pulled back to see what it was Eren had been doing. Eren waved it back and forth, trying to tease the boy who was more than likely still hungry.

"I don't think he'll notice if it's gone." Eren said with a smirk. Armin smiled and picked a piece of chocolate off the full thing. He popped it into his mouth and smiled when the sweetness spread across his tongue. He could feel his own cheeks flush brightly at the taste that had nothing but a pure sensation. It was something he really didn't know could be so sweet by its appearance, but then again appearances could be very deceiving.

He knew that much from Eren.

Eren laughed a little when Armin started giggling. He didn't intend to, but the chocolate seemed to be doing it for him. It almost felt like it was tickling him as it slid down his throat.

"Is it good?" Eren asked, already knowing the answer but finding humor in asking him anyway.

"Really good," Armin answered and pressed his forehead to Eren's. He ran his fingers through Eren's hair and sighed as the moment of giddiness left and his body relaxed. He opened his eyes to find Eren's green eyes staring back at him. His eyes were half lidded as he looked up at him. (Being in his lap, Armin was an inch or two higher than him.)

"Eren…" Armin mumbled quietly.

"Yeah…?" Eren asked. Armin remained silent for a moment.

"… N-Nothing really, I just… I-I just missed saying your name." Armin started to whisper like it was a secret. Eren smiled at him. "I… I missed you…" Armin felt his eyes start to burn with tears again.

It had only been a week but he couldn't handle it. Not having his friend there to talk to was something that killed him. He missed Eren. He missed having his friend to talk to. He missed having the person he could tell all his secrets to. He missed talking about the outside world with him. He missed the connection they had together.

"… I missed you too, Armin." Eren touched Armin's chin and tilted his head a little. Armin allowed the guidance and leaned forward to kiss him. The quick touch of their lips had them sigh simultaneously. Armin arched slightly so that his chest could press against Eren's. He wrapped his arms tightly around his friend's neck and moaned with content as Eren's hands fell to his hips.

The heat in his body was lit. He felt Eren's cold fingers from one hand slip under his shirt and he shivered to the sensation of his cold fingers. The other hand went to run along his thigh over the buckles of his uniform. He missed this.

It had only been once. It had been one brief affair that led to arguments and serious tension, but despite those factors Armin was still willing to do it again. He couldn't handle even the week of separation they went through. That whole time they were apart he tried thinking of what his life would be like without Eren. Every time he tried he ended up crying.

He couldn't do it. He didn't want to picture it nor did he want to have that type of life. He didn't want to lose Eren. He pulled back from the kiss to look Eren in the eyes. He needed to see them. He needed to know that this was reality and not his mind turning renegade.

"Are you okay?" Eren said in a breathy whisper. Armin nodded his head and kissed Eren again. The kiss was short though and Eren didn't even get a chance to kiss back before Armin pulled back and looked at him.

"Eren," He said. He sounded somewhat distracted. "Can we do it again?" He asked, his cheeks turning red. Eren's green eyes widened from the sudden and blunt question his friend asked. His blush went from one ear to the next, but despite the embarrassing question he felt himself become slightly aroused.

"Huh…?" Eren asked.

"I-I want to do it with you again…" Armin started to shift in Eren's lap until his legs straddled Eren's hips. His hands fell into his lap, but didn't move. He simply looked into Eren's eyes, waiting for a response.

"R-Right now?" Eren asked. Armin answered with a nod of the head.

"Yeah, right now… I need you." Armin quietly said. Eren looked away to the floor and tried to think clearly. With Armin sitting on him it was hard to do.

He had to remember that Armin was in the infirmary for a reason. He was there because he fainted. He was still sick, still underweight and still dehydrated. He didn't want to push him while Armin was like that, especially since he still had an IV line in his arm.

"Armin, I-it's not like I don't want to, but you're sick and you need to rest." Eren said. Armin shifted slightly and he closed his eyes to block out the pleasurable feeling burning between his legs.

"I'll be fine." Armin said weakly. Eren shook his head but Armin began kissing his cheek, trailing his lips to his ear where he gently blew softly.

"A-Armin, don't." Eren's voice cracked as he tried to restrain himself.

"Please," Armin whispered in his ear. Eren felt something break in the back of his mind. He mentally apologized over and over again as he grabbed Armin's forearms and pushed him off. Armin tried to sit back up, but Eren pressed himself against Armin, pushing the blond down onto the bed. Eren cupped his cheeks in his hands and pulled him in for a kiss faster than Armin could collect his breath.

Armin whimpered but not in pain. He wrapped his arms around Eren and held onto him as their kiss lingered, their lips locking together and coaxing the others open. Tongues entered the familiar territory without hesitation and Eren groaned with eagerness as Armin began rolling his body forward. Eren's hands began roaming over Armin's body, mindful of the IV still in his arm. He ran his fingers along Armin's thigh, receiving a quivering sigh in response and for Armin to wrap his leg over Eren's hip.

With one goal in mind, Eren left his friends sweet lips and began kissing down his exposed neck. He took a moment to suck on a specific spot for a moment, leaving behind a small red mark. He didn't know the exact reason behind it, but it was there all the same and made by his mouth.

"Hah…" Armin squirmed under him, releasing those sounds of pleasure that had Eren's mind spinning. Eren bit down at the junction of Armin's shoulder and neck, leaving a small mark like Armin had done before. He hadn't noticed the serious bruise until the next day when he was bathing. His soap had run over the mark and it stung. He wasn't attempting to bite as hard as Armin, but just enough so there was something left behind. "E-Eren-"

Eren licked at the freshly made mark and moved down to the collar of his shirt. He huffed with impatience as he began undoing each button in a hasty act. It wasn't like last time where they were slow about it. He wanted to be slow, but desire was clouding the better part of his judgment and he couldn't seem to focus too long on holding back. He pulled the ends of his shirt back to reveal the skin Armin's flawless chest. In the moon and candle light he was glowing. The sweat from his broken fever and desire was creating a small shine on his chest and it left Eren breathless.

"You look like you want to eat me…" Armin remarked with a shy blush. Eren smirked before leaning back down to press his lips to a soft nipple on Armin's chest. Armin quickly recoiled and started to fidget under the treatment. "Aha… E-Eren, that's-" He stopped when Eren's hand went to take care of the other side of him.

Eren's lips and tongue were non-stop on him. He didn't hesitate to try nipping a little and it seemed to have goose bumps rising on Armin's pale skin. He lowered his mouth away from the hard bud and started kissing a long, desperate trail of kisses to his stomach. He licked around his naval before his fingers began to pull on the straps around his legs. Armin hadn't been aware that he was still in his training uniform until Eren did this and somehow the thought turned him on a little more.

Eren's fingers were quick to start undoing the straps of his harness. First came the straps on his legs, then the belt around his waist. He then pulled on the buckle that had been undone by Mikasa hours before. The whole section came off easily while Armin was sitting up and his shirt followed with it. Armin didn't even notice the IV slip out of his arm, nor did Eren. Eren stared hungrily at Armin as the boy was left with his upper half exposed. Armin blushed to the exposure. Just because they did this once before didn't make it any less embarrassing.

Armin grabbed Eren's hand which had been wandering on the inside of his thigh and slowly laid to rest on his back. He pulled on Eren's hand and Eren followed until he was hovering over Armin. Their eyes connected and the adoration could be felt by anyone within ten feet of them.

"Armin…" Eren breathed his name before kissing him again. Armin felt Eren's tongue glide over his lips and mewled in appreciation as Eren began pulling on his pants. Armin lifted his hips up for the boy and Eren slowly glided them halfway down his legs. He didn't go any further, fearing that if he broke the kiss he'd somehow not get another chance to taste the blonde's lips. Armin kicked the rest of his pants off, letting them fall wherever they wanted. He then started to paw at Eren's own pants.

With Eren still in his training gear, Armin found it to be a great opportunity to return the favor. He sat up, forcing Eren to do the same. He started with removing the brown haired boy's jacket and tossing it away like his pants. He then undid the buckle around Eren's chest and pulled the section of straps off all together. He took his time pulling Eren's shirt off. He wanted to slow down only to get a moment of breath.

He still wasn't as healthy as he was a week ago. He couldn't keep up with how fast things were going, but he didn't care. He decided this way he could tease his friend like Eren had with him. He unlaced the string on his collar and pulled his shirt out from the rim of his pants. He pulled up and Eren lifted his arms up so the shirt could go away.

Armin was once again questioning if he was jealous or turned on by the sight of Eren's naked upper body.

Armin pulled himself close, not caring that he was naked, and slowly undid the straps around his legs. Each set came off both legs and then the belt which was nearly forgotten. Eren shifted backwards so he could get his own pants off and Armin watched breathlessly. Once done, Eren looked back at him with an adoring smile.

Armin looked up, his face red as he looked into Eren's eyes. Eren's smile widened and he pulled Armin into an embrace. Their hearts landed together and beat in unison as their tongues began to dance together in an ancient ritual. Eren's hands went under Armin's body and pulled him up until Armin was back in his lap, his legs wrapped around his waist. Their kiss remained connected once again.

Armin began rolling his hips forward, grinding their erections together. The passion from the other night was back and it had him moaning wantonly. He truly did miss this sensation. Only Eren could make him feel this way. It was so tender that it was almost unforgiving.

Eren snaked his hand under Armin's backside and began running his fingers over the smooth skin of his butt. Armin shivered and sighed, breaking the kiss so he could focus on breathing. Eren's hands began kneading his skin and he rolled his head back at the sensation, a small moan leaving his lips. Eren took the chance to suck on the skin of his neck and shoulder.

"E-Eren… Un…" Eren's fingers began rubbing over his entrance and Armin squirmed. With little preparation for what was to come he was sure it would be painful, but he didn't care. He didn't want to care about anything at the moment. Whether it hurt or not didn't matter to him. All that mattered was what was happening and who was doing it. "D-Don't t-tease me, Eren…" Armin stuttered and whimpered as Eren's finger penetrated him.

Eren murmured soft sayings too quiet for Armin to hear against his heated neck. His finger began a slow thrust, pulling out and pushing back in slowly. His lips ran along Armin's neck and kept kissing along his skin, almost apologetically for what he was doing. He kissed a hallow spot on his shoulder and then down just above his nipple. He was kissing as the pain intensified, as if saying he was sorry for not being able to hold back.

Armin knew he couldn't hold back though. He was the one who started this. Of course he knew. He knew and he was fully aware of the consequences. He was prepared to face them.

Eren moved back to kiss his lips. His finger became two and as Armin whined in pain Eren swallowed his sounds down. He was trying to make it go away. Armin applauded the boy's self-restraint. He thought that all of it was gone, but apparently he was just holding back so he didn't hurt him later. His two fingers held still, letting Armin get used to the intrusion. Armin made sure this time that he didn't cry. He didn't want to upset Eren, not after all that happened.

"E-Eren, it's okay." Armin covered his mouth with his hand to hide his stuttering and pain. However, he wanted Eren to move. He would probably get used to it faster; at least that's what he thought. Eren looked up at Armin, his eyes silently questioning him. Armin gave confirmation with a nod of the head.

Eren's fingers began slow, steady and deep strokes. Armin whined and shuffled his hips, hoping to find more pleasure. The sensation, at once familiar and painful, also brought back the previous pleasure. He reached down between their legs and found Eren's erection. He rubbed his own length against his, hoping he could be of some help in some way. This had Eren moan against his neck and his fingers go all the way in to the third knuckle.

"Ah-!" Armin bucked forward when Eren had hit a spot that made his skin crawl with desire. He tightened his grip on Eren's member and sighed against his ear. Eren's body shuddered deeply. Just from the response he could tell already that neither was going to last much longer.

Eren pulled his fingers out of him and adjusted Armin in his lap so that his erection was against his entrance. He sat back a little to look at Armin to see the boy's shining eyes in the dim light. Armin was near tears, but again he hadn't said anything. If Eren stopped now, surely he would die from desire and loss. He touched the back of Armin's head with his clean hand and the boy leaned forward to kiss him.

Their lips connected as Eren began to push inside of him. Armin's hands tightened around Eren to the point where his nails scraped at his skin. Eren didn't notice, however. Armin was still so tight around him and he was not only lost with pleasure but worried that Armin would get hurt if he pushed him too much.

Armin was still sick.

"Armin," Eren whispered hoarsely against his friend's lips. Armin moaned loudly as more of Eren slipped into him. He couldn't help but hate that Eren was taking it slow. Why was it of all times he needed to be slow, this one time was a time he chose to do so and Armin hated that, but he couldn't really argue. He knew Eren would fight back anyway.

With one more kiss, Eren slowly helped Armin's hips down all the way on him. Armin moaned, feeling complete.

He missed this so much; the sensation of being complete, of never needing anything again because you feel like you have it all, it only happened when he was connected with Eren. He wanted this so bad it made his tears fall down his cheeks. It wasn't because he was in pain. It was because he was happy.

"You okay?" Eren asked with a soft but deep voice. Armin had never heard Eren's voice get that deep.

"Y-Yes…" Armin rolled his hips a little, trying to get comfortable in this position, albeit getting a sudden jerk of pleasure. "E-Eren, please, please I-" Eren cut him off by kissing his lips. The kiss was unbelievably tender. He then rolled his hips up into Armin's and the blond lost control to hold back his voice.

"Ahh!" He wrapped himself around Eren as if the boy was a giant body pillow. He clung to him, his nails scratching his shoulders and god knows what else. He panted against Eren's ear, finding it hard to keep his voice down even though he was right next to Eren's ear. "Hng aha!"

Eren did it again and again. He soon developed a rhythm that set with their position. It was slow, but deep and it had Armin's flesh crawling and Eren groaning with pleasure. Eren wrapped his arms around Armin's waist to assist in the thrusting.

"Armin," Eren moaned against him. Armin made an attempt to sit back so he could look at Eren, but then he felt something deep within him being hit. It had his face turn red and his mouth to open, but no sound came out. Eren looked up to see Armin was crying. He looked like he was in serious pain, but then Armin let out a pleading beg.

"Eren- ah!" Eren smiled against Armin's skin as he aimed over and over again for it. Armin cried, not caring if anyone could hear them anymore. He was sure at this point that anyone could walk in, anyone at all, and he really wouldn't care for it. He didn't want to stop. Armin rolled his hips down to meet with Eren's thrusting. It felt so good that he couldn't tell if it was sweat or tears dripping off of his face.

"Hgn, A-Armin," Eren grabbed Armin's bleeding wrist to help hold him up. He looked at Armin with his green eyes which had turned almost twenty shades darker. He was silently telling him what words couldn't say. (Or words that he couldn't think of at the moment) Armin nodded his head and pulled Eren up for a kiss.

He was close too. He couldn't handle how good it felt. He felt complete. He felt whole. He loved this feeling and he didn't want it to go away. At the same time he knew it was going to end sooner or later. He hoped for later, but with what Eren was doing to him he didn't have much time. He decided to make the moment the best it could be while it lasted.

"More," He begged. Eren complied eagerly with another kiss. His hand left Armin's thigh down to his swollen erection and started pumping him. He really didn't have long and he wanted to make sure Armin wasn't left behind. Armin cried in response.

"E-Eren, Eren I-I like yo-" Before he could finish his sentence, he felt the wall of pleasure erupt. He cried, dropped his head down to Eren's shoulder as every muscle in his body flexed and un-flexed, tensed and un-tensed in sheer seconds. His body gave out on him and he fell loosely into Eren's waiting arms. Dimly he could feel Eren release inside of him, but he barely registered it. He was so focus on the haze surrounding them that he was lost.

Eren finished moaning, his energy subsiding as his arms fell by his sides. He didn't even have the strength to keep them up to hold Armin. Noticing this, Armin simply leaned forward. The small amount of pressure was enough for Eren to fall backwards onto the bed. Armin reluctantly pulled him out and fell against his heaving chest. He rolled over so he wasn't directly laying on Eren, this way at least Eren could breathe properly.

Eren rolled onto his side and draped a tired and lazy arm over Armin. He wanted to keep him warm. Armin looked at him with his foggy vision and smiled when seeing Eren's green eyes through the haze of gray. Eren smiled too at the sight. He tightened his grip on Armin and pulled his body as close as he could get him. He rested his chin on top of Armin's head, making the smaller boy smile. Armin kissed Eren's neck and sighed.

"Are you okay?" Eren asked. Armin giggled with how tired Eren sounded. It reminded him of how he sounded the first time they had sex. He sounded tired.

"I'm okay," Armin whispered. He felt the sweat on his body cooling and it made him shiver. Eren noticed this and tucked Armin close to his chest while both of his arms wrapped around his back. "What about you?" Armin lazily asked. "Are you okay?" Eren smiled; Armin sounded just as tired as he did.

"I'm great." He answered. Armin's smile widened with such an answer. He closed his eyes, ready to let Eren's heartbeat be his lullaby once again, but Eren pushed himself up onto his elbows. Armin watched with his big, curious eyes as Eren leaned forward and reached behind him. He waited as Eren pulled back with his shirt in his hand and draped it over Armin's shoulders.

"Thanks," Armin said and pulled the shirt closer to him. Eren's scent was practically doused in it and Armin vaguely thought that if he breathed in enough he could get high off of it, and with him being smaller, the shirt, when laid out flat, was big enough to go down to his hips. It was still warm too.

"Any better?" Eren asked. Armin smiled as he sat up to reach Eren's height. He nodded his head and touched Eren's cheek.

"Yeah, but what about you; won't you get cold?" Armin asked Eren nodded and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine. You're the one who needs it anyway." Eren said. Armin relished in how his friend's cheeks turned pink in a blush of embarrassment. He hummed as he handed Eren back his shirt. Eren shot him a confused glance, (attempting to glare but not having the courage to scare Armin) and took the shirt.

"I'll get dressed. You should too so we don't have to worry who is cold." Armin said, his smile bright in the dim light. Eren nodded, understanding what Armin wanted to do. He waited for a moment as Armin looked around for his shirt.

As Armin leaned over the side of the bed, Eren's eyes followed the contours of Armin's body. Naked, Armin was actually thinner. It was frightening to see. His spine stuck out a little and his ribs were more visible than before. Armin had always been a thin boy to begin with, but this was over the top. Without realizing the actions, Eren leaned over Armin and wrapped his arms around his body. His forehead fell to the left of Armin's shoulder blade and his mouth pressed silent kisses to his skin.

"W-What are you doing?" Armin asked.

Eren didn't like seeing Armin like this. It made him worry so much for his friend. But then he thought about why Armin did it in the first place. It was because of him. It was because of their relationship and what they had done that changed it.

Eren assumed it was safe to say there was more to them than meets the eye.

"Eren?" Armin turned around so he could face Eren, his shirt and pants in his hand. He frowned, realizing that the actions he took must have put serious stress on Eren. He hadn't intended it that way; it was only to keep distance while he tried to figure out the rampancy of emotions in his mind. "… I'm sorry, Eren," Armin felt like he could cry again.

Eren looked up to him, his eyes letting up on the serious look he had. He reached up and touched Armin's cheek, guiding him forward for a kiss. Armin bent down and took the invitation willingly.

The kiss wasn't like the others. It was small, sweet and simple. It was only their lips and breaths. When Eren pulled back, Armin nuzzled his forehead against Eren's, smiling when he caught Eren's attention.

"Hurry up and get dressed before someone walks in on us." Armin mumbled, a small laugh escaping him. Eren chuckled and did as instructed.

Neither bothered to put the rest of the gear back on; they didn't need it and it would be a bother when they would have to take it off at some point to sleep. Once fully dressed, Armin settled himself on Eren, his head resting on his lean shoulder as Eren lied back down on the bed. He wrapped his arm around Eren's chest and his hand played with the strings of his shirt. Eren smiled and ran his fingers through Armin's blond hair. He pushed Armin's head forward and kissed the top of his head.

Armin looked up at him, his blue eyes shining when the light from the moon outside shown down on them. His pale skin seemed flawless in the light. Eren touched his cheek, his smile fading. He was so awestruck that he didn't really know if he could make an expression. All he felt was amazed.

'I wonder if you realize what you do to me…'

"Is something wrong?" Armin asked. Eren shook his head.

"No," To keep him quiet, Eren pulled Armin up so he could kiss him again. Armin didn't protest and let Eren do as he pleased. He closed his eyes slowly, letting the last image before darkness being Eren's peaceful face. He felt Eren wrap his arms around his body and start to hover over him. Again he didn't protest.

Eren's hand felt like a protective barrier. With it he was safe. It kept him warm and was his shelter. Armin felt that at this point he didn't need anything else.

"Hey, Armin," Eren murmured against his lips. Armin moaned before the kiss broke. He looked up with eyes that asked why Eren had stopped. Eren looked at him, a smile lingering in his lips.

"Yeah…?" Armin questioned.

"Maybe we shouldn't have put our clothes back on." Eren said with a laugh. Armin chuckled and punched Eren's arm, though it was an affectionate touch more than something meant to be threatening.

"You started it." Armin turned his head to the side and smiled. Eren blushed, remembering parts of his dream where Armin had done that. In reality, though, he was more beautiful than in his dream. The light from the candle gave his pale skin a porcelain look and Eren thought that if he stopped breathing and blinking long enough he'd look like a doll.

"You started it." Eren fought back and kissed Armin before he could say anything in defense. He made sure he kept Armin close while his hands traveled along his body with no real destination. A hand of his went to the small of his back and Armin rolled against him. He thought now that maybe it really was a bad idea.

And then they heard the unmistakable sound of someone clearing their throat.

Both boys shot up so fast that for Armin (Who still was unaware of the missing IV and loss of blood) it made him nauseous. He was even sicker to his stomach when he saw who it was standing in the doorway.

"M-Mikasa!" Eren gasped in surprise.

Mikasa was looking at them with one of her unreadable expression. She stood still for a moment, her hands balancing a tray of food and two cups. The room was intensely quiet and Eren wondered with horror if all of what happened would happen again. He looked over to Armin who was looking down, his bangs covering his eyes and his cheeks bright red with embarrassment.

'Not again…' He thought. He looked over to Mikasa and then back to Armin who was starting to tremble. 'No, not again…'

"So are you two hungry?" Mikasa asked. Both of the boys looked up at her in surprise. She walked over to the bed and set the tray of food down on the bedside table. "You didn't come to dinner, Eren and I wasn't sure if Armin had eaten anything yet." She turned to look at the two boys who in turn were looking at her as if she lost her mind.

"What?" She asked. "You aren't hungry?" She picked up a bowl from the tray and held it out to Armin. "You have to eat, Armin. The doctor said so." She stated.

Armin didn't bother looking at the bowl of soup in her hands. He was too busy looking at her, his eyes wide with surprise and his cheeks still red. She was looking at him with her normal, everyday apathetic expression like she didn't see what was going on between the two. She nudged the bowl forward.

"I'll make you eat it. I do it with Eren, don't think you're any different." Her voice held a small tone of stern and Armin quickly reacted by taking the bowl from her.

"O-Okay!" His voice cracked and his hands shook so bad that the contents in the bowl nearly slipped out. She reached forward and took his hands into her own to steady them. He looked up, afraid of what he'd find, but Mikasa looked to him and smiled.

Armin's muscles immediately relaxed and he took a deep breath. Mikasa's kind smile and the gentle look she rarely had showed that he had nothing to worry about. He didn't have to worry because it was just Mikasa. She wasn't one to spill secrets or gossip for fun. He knew for sure their secret was safe with her. He wondered for a moment if she already knew about him and Eren, but he left it alone. He thought it'd be better not to know himself.

Mikasa patted Armin's head as the smaller boy began to eat his soup as instructed. Mikasa turned back to the tray and pulled the second bowl off. She then handed it to Eren who was less panicked, but a little more confused than before.

"Here, Eren. You should eat too. You haven't eaten since last night, right?" She asked. Eren nodded his head and took his food from her. He decided to leave out the information of Armin sharing the bread Mikasa stole for him. He didn't want to upset her in any way.

"Oh, Mikasa…" Armin mumbled. "The bread from earlier… It really helped me. Thank you for that." He said. Mikasa smiled another warm but rare smile.

"I'm glad you ate it." She said. Eren watched the two talk as he sipped on his own food. He was glad to see that for Mikasa he was okay.

To him it was a hundred time more embarrassing than it had been for Connie and Jean. Mikasa was his sister. Sure they were related by blood, but it didn't matter to him. Connie and Jean, well he didn't care for them. They didn't say anything and while the moment awkward, seeing Mikasa staring at them like that had him in a near mental panic.

Still, if Mikasa would be okay with this and Armin wouldn't run away every time they saw each other, he supposed it wasn't as bad.

"You had me worried, Armin." Mikasa frowned a little at the small boy and Armin patted her arm.

"Sorry…" Armin mumbled. He looked over to Eren shyly, and smile tugging on the ends of his soft lips.

"I won't do it again."

A/N: If you read through this whole thing without skipping anything, I will take any request you've got for a fanfiction. I don't care who or what it is! I will do it!

... But could it be a Shingeki fanfiction since I know it? XD