Sunlight filtered through the window facing Eren, shining softly onto the hardwood floor below him, revealing swirling dust spinning round and round and round and drifting down and landing on his nose, to which he promptly sneezed and sighed. He shivered and pulled his blanket around himself, bringing Armin closer. Why exactly had they decided to sleep on the floor with nothing but a blanket separating them from the ground when the bed was quite literally three feet away? Eren poked his head under the blankets and blushed.
Oh. That's why.
He looked down at Armin and put a hand on his cheek, trying to provide some comfort against the wintry temperature coming from the open window that Eren was simply too lazy to close. His thumb brushed back and forth, back and forth over the soft skin, and he studied Armins face. His hair wasn't fanned out across the floor; instead it lay under his neck and behind his head, probably from turning in his sleep. His pale skin glowed in the light, and his lips were slightly parted. He didn't snore, but he did this strange sort of puffing thing every few seconds, where he would breathe in deeply and blow all the air out quickly in one small huff. It made a few strands of hair in front of his nose fly towards Eren, and then fall gently back into place. His eyelids fluttered, and he let out a small sigh, shifting closer to Eren, and wrapping himself up in the taller boy's warmth.
Erens heart ached, and he pulled Armin into his chest, and place his head next to Armins. He rubbed their foreheads together and kissed Armins nose, closing his eyes contentedly. But he didn't sleep. He lay there, on the cold wood floor, in the middle of winter, and listened to the birds chirping outside. He rubbed his feet against Armins colder ones, and felt warmth travel from one to the other. He breathed in the smell of cheap coconut aftershave and vanilla scented shampoo.
He remembered how Armin blushed as Eren pulled him onto his lap (even though Eren was on his bike) and rode to a place that "was a secret" because it was the last day of high school and to hell with being shy and nervous. He remembered Armins wide eyes and slack jaw when he saw the small three room cabin in a woodland clearing that Eren had spent a good 8 months building (with the help of Mikasa, Reiner, Bertholt, Annie, Connie, and Jean) . He remembered how Armin has proceeded to tackle him to the grass and hug him and squeal and kiss him and kiss him and god was he happy that he did that. He remembered telling his parents that he would be sleeping over at Armin's house, and that no, he wasn't too old for sleepovers, and throwing small pebbles at Armin's windows to catch his attention, and running running running to the cottage and spending all night cuddling and kissing and talking and laughing and other things that made Eren glad he had built the cottage in the forest and not anywhere near other houses. He remembered biting and nibbling and kissing and sighing and moaning and pleading and soft fingers brushing against his sides, and big blue eyes looking up at him and saying 'I love you' without really saying anything at all. He remembered mornings of sore bodies and slow kisses and velvet skin and warmth and snuggling and a tightness in his chest and stomach that he called happiness. He remembered pulling on his clothes and running back to Armins house so his grandfather wouldn't get worried about them, and trying to cover any purple or red marks on collarbones or shoulders with scarves and turtlenecks even though it was summer. He remembered introducing Armin to his parents, and having dinner at his house, and laughing and playing video games in the living room with all of them because Erens parents were ok with that, as long as he was safe and sure of himself.
He remembered arguments. He remembered screams. He remembered tears. Insults. Vows to never come back; to run away and forget him completely. He remembered the jeers and laughs from people in the street who saw them holding hands, or showing affection in public. He remembered the sighs of exasperation and feeling helpless as Armin just felt more and more lost.
But they would still go home, and Eren would still tell everyone goodnight, and wait for all the lights to turn off. He would still sneak out his window and jump from the second floor and run to Armins house and throw pebbles at his window, and they would run run run to the cottage and laugh and talk and kiss and do other things that were too special and personal and close to their hearts for anyone else to see or hear. They would still wake up and cuddle and run back to their respective homes and wear winter clothes in the summer and spring and fall and winter. They would still have dinner at Erens house and they would still play video games and Eren would beat Armin by a landslide but that's as ok, because Armin would beat Eren at Brain Age, because they still had their old consoles and used them for this sole purpose. They would still be them.
Eren would still be happy.
He came back to reality for a moment, looking at Armin. He smiled and let a breath out, closing his eyes once more, feeling sleep take over. He was happy. Because he was here with Armin.
And as time went on, and the jeering and laughing and comments and insults stopped, and Armin said he loved him, and they cuddled some more and kissed and loved and lived, Eren became even happier.
And he would remember sighs of bliss and feeling loved as Armin felt more and more found.