"I haven't brushed my teeth since this morning," Armin muttered. "And I rode all the way here... I'm all sweaty."
Gently pushing Armin's face away from his, Eren whined, "I can't believe you just ruined a perfectly good moment. Go shower then, smelly."
Eren got up from the bed, walking towards the door. "I'll get you a toothbrush and a towel. You can wear my clothes while yours wash. I've never worn the boxers in my closet, so don't worry about that."
Armin nodded appreciatively and gave Eren a small "thank you".
As Eren stepped out of the room, Armin sorted through Eren's closet, grabbing a black hoodie and grey joggers.
He went downstairs to the bathroom, finding that Eren had already placed the promised items on the counter.
Armin locked the door and peeled off his clothing before stepping into the shower. He lathered his body in lavender-scented soap, letting the hot water rinse away both his grime and his troubles.
While he massaged his scalp, he thought of the memory.
Particularly, he thought of how the topic of Mikasa had hung heavy in the air above him and Eren upon that ledge.
Even then, it was Eren choosing between you and me, he thought to himself.
He stepped out of the shower, drying his body and putting on Eren's clothes.
Doesn't that mean something?
Armin left the bathroom and went back to Eren's room, seeing him sitting on the bed and watching the Korean film.
"Is this No. 3?" Armin asked, sitting down on the bed next to Eren.
"Mhm. You watched it?"
"Only about the first half of it."
"Same."
Armin stared at the screen, not really watching the movie and instead focusing on the proximity between him and Eren.
What if he tries to kiss me again?
Why did I agree to it earlier?
I can't let him kiss me, I care about Mikasa too much for that!
God, I'm so nervous...Why am I so nervous?
Armin was snapped out of his thoughts by the weight of something warm resting on his thigh.
He looked down to see that it was Eren's right hand.
Still looking at the screen, Eren voiced, "You're really tense."
Your hand on my thigh is only gonna make me more tense!
Eren turned away from the screen and looked at Armin, slowly moving his left hand up to cup Armin's cheek.
A pale pink was spattered about both of their cheeks as they stared at one another.
"Eren," Armin said quietly. "We can't do this."
Eren chuckled softly, his face so close to Armin's that he could smell Eren's pleasant, minty breath.
"We can do this. We just shouldn't."
"Exactly, so why are you--"
"Armin," Eren said sharply, making Armin falter.
Eren pressed their foreheads together, gazing into Armin's eyes with a serious expression.
"We may never get another chance...to be together like this."
He leaned in even closer to Armin.
"Think later. Right now, be mine."
Armin felt his heartbeat quicken, his brain sorting through endless options and even more endless consequences.
"And," Eren added, noticing the strained look on Armin's face. "I'll only be yours."
Armin's mind stopped racing at this, his eyes darting down from Eren's eyes to his lips.
Swallowing his better judgment, Armin leaned forward, his mouth meeting Eren's in a passionate embrace.
Armin wrapped his arms around Eren's neck, holding on tightly and causing Eren to fall on top of him, all the while not breaking the kiss.
He inhaled the zesty scent of the cologne on Eren's neck, intoxicated by the feeling of Eren's fingers running through his hair. A small sigh escaped from Armin's briefly parted lips, electric sparks flying between him and Eren's lips as they shared one breath, and Armin felt himself falling even farther into the abyss of his love.
Armin froze as he felt a vibration against his leg.
He and Eren reluctantly broke away, both panting quietly with red faces.
Not getting off of Armin, Eren pulled his phone out of his pocket and grimaced when he saw the caller's name.
"Is it Mikasa?" Armin asked between breaths.
Eren nodded. "Yeah."
Armin felt his heart drop.
"You...should answer that."
"I don't want to."
"Again, you should answer that."
A smirk crept onto Eren's face. "Yeah, I should answer that."
Armin looked up at Eren with a puzzled expression, watching him tap a button on his phone to answer the call. He brought the phone to his ear, his other hand resting on Armin's waist.
The phone's speaker was loud enough for Armin to hear what Mikasa was saying.
"Eren, baby, hi. Are you doing all right?"
Eren looked at Armin and smiled. "Hey, Mikasa. I'm doing just fine."
"You sound happy, did something good happen after I left?"
Still looking at Armin, Eren said, "Something like that. I realized how lucky I am to have you in my life."
Eren quickly placed himself on mute, the sound of Mikasa giggling becoming faint as he tossed the phone to the side.
"Oh, my mom's calling me from downstairs. I'll be back in a couple of minutes, Eren!"
Eren leaned down to plant kisses trailing from Armin's collarbone up to his to the top of his neck. He moved on to kiss both of his cheeks and the tip of his nose before resting his lips upon Armin's, the two appreciating Mikasa's absence.
After too short of a time, Mikasa announced her return.
As she spoke, Eren wrapped his arms tighter around Armin, pulling him closer. In response, Armin held Eren's face and peppered it with sweet kisses, deviously using the closeness to better hear what Mikasa was saying.
"Listen, Eren, I...I'm so thankful for you. I've loved you since we were kids. Maybe since the second we met."
Armin frowned, and Eren placed a hand on the top of Armin's head with a smile as his other unmuted the phone.
"I've always loved you," Eren said, staring straight into Armin's eyes. "Deep down, I've always known it was you."
"Geez, Eren, you could make a girl cry!"
Eren placed himself back on mute, wrapping Armin in a tight hug and pressing kisses along his neck and shoulder.
"Just make sure you say all those things when your propose!"
After planting a quick kiss on Armin's lips, he leaned on Armin's shoulder and unmuted, replying, "I'll say all that and then some."
"Eren, I don't know how much more of this my heart can handle!"
Inspecting the rosiness of Armin's cheeks, Eren smiled in satisfaction and placed his phone beside him.
He cupped the sides of Armin's face and didn't bother to go on mute as he said, "You mean the world to me."
"I love you, Eren."
Eren promptly turned away from Armin to return the "I love you", making Armin frown.
Eren slowly turned back around to meet Armin's gaze, grabbing the phone and holding it up to his left ear.
"I love when you say that to me," Eren said, looking at Armin as he spoke into the phone. "Can you say it again?"
"I love you," Armin whispered into Eren's right ear, as Mikasa spoke the same words into the other.
"I love you."
Armin was pressed against Eren's chest, and he could feel the speed of Eren's heartbeat, matching the quickness of his very own.
"How much?" Eren asked, never looking away from Armin.
"So, so much", Armin said quietly.
"So much."
"That's a lot," Eren chuckled.
"It is."
"It is!"
"Bet a thousand bucks I love you more," Eren said.
While Mikasa laughed, Armin smiled and whispered, "Not a chance."
"Eren, I just can't wait for Germany! It's like the beginning of the rest of our lives together...I'm so glad that it's you."
Armin felt his heart break a little at the sound of Mikasa's words.
Eren slowly broke the kiss, turning away from Armin and swiftly grabbing his phone to unmute himself. "Mikasa, my love, you're my past, my present, and my future. That's reserved for you and nobody else."
Eren muted himself again as Mikasa squealed.
"If Mikasa is your past, your present, and your future," Armin said, looking at the phone in Eren's hand. "Then what am I?"
"She can be all of that," Eren said, kissing Armin's forehead. "And you can be my forever."
Armin froze.
Forever?
Eren caressed Armin's cheek with his free hand, averting his gaze as he unmuted and spoke into the phone.
"I'm actually really exhausted, Mikasa. It's been a hella long day, so I should get going to bed. You should rest too, love."
He looked back to Armin, who was staring at him intensely.
"Before I go...Can you please say it again?"
"I love you, Eren."
"I love you, Eren, baby! Have a good night."
With that, Eren ended the call, falling back onto his bed with Armin in his arms. Eren held him close as they shifted so Armin's back was on the mattress.
Eren grinned, pressing his lips against Armin's again.
Armin returned the kiss delightfully, yet his mind was someplace else.
'And you can be my forever.'
It had only been hours since Eren had told him that when he thought of the word 'forever,' it was Mikasa who came to mind.
Now he gave her his past, present, and future, things that stretched on for what seemed to be infinity, but never truly lasted an eternity.
Could things have changed in such a short amount of time?
Or, is it that Eren was lying?
And, if it is the latter, then to whom?
The pleasant sensation of earlier was bursting between Armin and Eren.
Could we really ever be a forever thing?
They had known each other since they were only two, snotty-nosed brats with big, toothless grins and even bigger imaginations.
They had gone to every awkward elementary school dance together.
They had experienced voice cracks and growth spurts and all the joys of puberty together.
One would provide an alibi for the other and matter-of-factly say "he's at my house right now" when a suspicious parent called.
One would rub the other's back when they cried.
One would bring junk food galore to binge-watch chic-flics on Netflix at the other's house.
One would take care of the other when they were sick.
They had volunteered at hospitals, soup kitchens, animal shelters, and nursing homes together.
They had spent Christmases and Thanksgivings together, and nearly all the holidays sprinkled throughout the year.
They had gone on trips outside of the country together.
At one point, they had regularly spent so much time together they each had a suitcase with clothes and basic toiletries at each other's house.
Truly, their relationship already seemed like it was endless.
His lips engrossed in Eren's, Armin felt the adoration and passion Eren had for him.
He drank in the feeling of Eren's tender, gentle touch, and he bathed in the warmth of Eren's body above his.
He felt like home.
Armin felt enough of it to wonder if Eren's love for him could really last an eternity.
Armin held Eren's head firmly and deepened this kiss, wanting to continue experiencing what a forever with Eren would feel like.