Eren woke me up in the morning with a kiss, and it tasted absolutely terrible and resulted in a bump on Eren's head when I tossed him off and he hit the floor. I ended up having to kiss him more to make up for it, but not before he'd given his mouth a thorough cleaning. Honestly.

It was an awkward affair, to say the least. Though we'd established supposedly mutual feelings for one another the night before, neither of us was entirely sure how to proceed. It was clear that we each had separate boundaries, and it was going to take us a while to lay them out to each other.

So we kept it to the small stuff. He'd wrap an arm around my waist and press a kiss to my lips or cheek or forehead whenever he thought he could risk it, and I'd let him, giggling to myself when I thought he wasn't looking. And that's about as far as we took it, for nearly a week.

Nothing really changed until I worked up the confidence to start stealing kisses of my own. I was a miserable failure the first time I tried it, totally missing my mark. I ended up kissing the side of his nose instead of his cheek. He just laughed it off and gave me a proper one. Knowing that he wouldn't get mad at me or anything gave me the confidence to try it more often, and my aim got better with time.

That went for maneuver gear too. After that first success, I started to get more comfortable using the equipment. The new ease that it came with went against my better judgment, and I reminded myself not to get around to thinking I was fantastic or anything. But I'd pretty much caught up to most of the others. Marco and I were training buddies, much to Jean's chagrin.

He was partnered with either Eren or Annie, depending on the day, since his skills were higher. I was at the end of more than a couple glares from him, especially when we were working on hand to hand combat skills.

But I was more worried about Marco. I could tell that he'd be an incredible asset, if only he hadn't lost his limbs. He was better than me even without them, and the only reason he wasn't considered as strong as Eren or Jean was because of the liability that came with his replaced limbs. While it was rare, a gear would break on occasion, or he might run out of gas, rendering one of his metal limbs entirely useless. It could be very dangerous, especially if he was maneuvering, which explained why he wasn't the first choice for 'missions.'

It was easy to see that this bothered him, though he did his best to mask his humiliation. I couldn't even begin to fathom how hard it must be to have to accept that you'd reached your potential. Truly, there was not much else Marco could do to improve. It all depended on technology, which he couldn't control. It was out of his hands. It felt so unfair to me, yet I knew he didn't want my sympathy, so I kept it to myself, trying to get better so that he wouldn't feel as terrible about being paired with the weakest of the 'soldiers.'

Levi started inviting me to strategic meetings. I recognized most of the participants, like Hanji, but had to be introduced to Erwin Smith. That was nerve-wracking the first few times, but I quickly earned his respect, and he'd often ask for my opinion on things. I was always glad when my suggestions were put to use. It was, truly, an honor to be considered equally competent as the amazing minds I was surrounded by.

Eren did start to get jealous though, waiting for me outside the meeting room and smothering me with kisses as soon as I stepped out. He even did it in front of Levi once, and I wondered what he was trying to prove. It wasn't like I was hanging out with them for kisses. He didn't try to pull that one again, though, after Levi kicked his feet out from under him and nearly broke his nose for PDA.

Marco took it much better, making fun of me for doubting him, then making us dinner one night to celebrate. Jean grumbled a bit, but he'd get quiet for several minutes any time Marco kissed him, so Marco ended up kissing him a lot, and Eren tried to match their pace, apparently determined to not be out-romanced.

When we went home, he pulled me over to the couch, snuggling up against my stomach and pulling the biggest blanket over us, wrapping us up in a sort of cocoon. He asked me to read again, and I was careful to pick a happier story this time, reading to him until he fell asleep. I sat the book down and blew out the candle, trying to get comfortable without waking him.

My attempt failed, of course, and he stirred. We ended up playing the shifting game for about ten minutes, neither of us able to decide on a comfortable position. He admitted defeat, flopping down on my legs, face in my stomach. It tickled, and I giggled, letting him know about it.

He, of course, exploited this weakness, nuzzling into my tummy with abandon, sending me into a fit of laughter, unable to even push him away.

"E-Eren! Oh my gosh, s-stop!" I gasped out, trying not to fall off the couch. He ignored me though, adding his fingers to the mix, and it was over for me. I accepted my fate, rolling onto the floor and taking him with me. He yelped as we hit the floor, and I took advantage of his surprise, sending us into a roll across the floor.

That eventually melted into something of an impromptu wrestling match that he'd occasionally let me get the upper hand in. But, lucky for me, he was apparently pretty tired, for I eventually managed to pin him down, grinning as he stopped protesting. I'd never once bested Eren in something physical, and, even though he'd obviously gone easy on me, it was nice to see that I was finally catching up.

Sadly, he didn't let me bask in my win, throwing me off balance and flipping our position, grinning back just as cheekily. I sighed dramatically.

"You couldn't let me have just one win?" I whined. He laughed, kissing the tip of my nose. I expected him to let go, but he didn't, just staring down at me, eyes not leaving mine. The mirth fell from his expression, settling for a somewhat blank gaze for a while. Then his eyes slid shut, and his lips slotted with mine, hands letting go of my wrists to tangle in my hair instead.

It truly took my breath away, these moments. I was never prepared for them, and was never sure what to do with myself when they happened. It felt like everything just stopped for a single beat of my heart, and that moment belonged solely to Eren and I. That one beat of my heart was ever his, and no one could hope to take it from him.

And then it would be over. Just like that moment, when he pulled away. And our eyes opened, and we stared, but time moved again, even as he leaned down and kissed me again, and again. Even when his legs wrapped around mine, even as his pressed his chest to mine, even as his breath ghosted across my cheeks and sent my hair fluttering to the floor. None of it compared to that first moment when he'd abandon everything that wasn't me. His breath, his thoughts, his life even. It was all mine, and I was his, in that moment.

His sudden passion fizzled out, and he collapsed against me again, head fitting into the crook of my shoulder, nose against my neck. He inhaled, and then laughed as some of my hair tickled his nose.

"You smell a little sweaty." He pointed out. I elbowed him in the ribs, but he only shrugged. "I figured you'd want to know. It's not a bad thing. But you seem to like baths a lot…" He mused, mussing my hair. I rolled my eyes, shoving him off.

"Hint hint?" I quipped, and he grinned, following me out to the river. I made sure to grab some towels on the way, and sat them on a dry rock near the bank, slipping out of my clothes and into the cool water. I wondered what we would do when it started to get colder out. We would probably have to melt snow over the fire and fill up a basin to clean up. But, at least for now, I could spend as much time in the river as I wanted.

Eren made more of a splash, wading in faster than I had. As if that wasn't bad enough, he fell over as he tried to walk my way, splashing all over me. I groaned, wiping the water from my face as he surfaced. He was still grinning, and grabbed my hand, tugging me behind him as he headed for the middle, eventually taking us deep enough that we had to swim.

"Eren, it's a bit late for swimming, isn't it?" I quipped. He turned and gave me a smirk, yanking me over until he could wrap his arms around me. We sank into the water, and before I could start struggling, he kissed me, the water between our lips feeling cool and invasive. I decided I rather liked the feeling, and gave him a kiss too, my hair fanning out in the water until we surfaced for air, both of us smiling as our bangs stuck stubbornly to our faces.

He tugged us under again, this time convincing me to swim behind him, and we swam up and down the little stretch of river a few times, colliding to kiss more often than we probably should have, considering how short of breath we were. But we didn't care.

As it started to get later, the moon finding the highest point in the sky, he led me back to the shallower part, finding a few protruding rocks that we could lean against. He sat next to me, just holding my hand and stealing kisses every few minutes. I caught him in the middle of one, and he yelped in surprise, falling over into the water without much grace. Of course, with our fingers laced, I ended up falling after him, landing unceremoniously against his side. He grunted with my weight, working to right us without drowning.

We finally got upright, and had to laugh at how ridiculous were to have not let go of each other's hand, even to get back up. Honestly. He shook his head, letting go of my hand in favor of wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me close to his chest to cuddle. I went without a fight, rather liking the contrast of Eren's too-hot skin and the coolness of the river water.

At some point, his arm fell to rest against my waist instead, and his fingers traced patterns in my hip until I was nearly asleep. What with the gentle lapping of the water and the sensation of Eren's fingers and heartbeat, I was more relaxed than I'd been in a long while.

He went ahead and ruined it though, tugging me into his lap and using his knees to keep me angled just right to attack my lips. I rolled my eyes drowsily at this aggression. I'd learned to expect things like this from him rather quickly. Eren was nothing if not spontaneous.

I was surprised, however, when I felt his tongue against my lips. That had never happened before, nor had I been given any warning. But it wasn't urgent, and he didn't force it. He just let me know that he was ready to take that next step, and wanted to know if I was too.

And he let me think about it, just kissing me the regular way till I made my decision and opened my mouth a bit, meeting a kiss of his. He got the hint and poked his tongue out again, brushing it against my own.

It felt weird. Unlike anything else I'd experienced before. I wasn't sure if it was in a good way either. And I didn't even know if he was good at it, since I'd never done it with anyone before. Had he? Well, considering he seemed about as lost as me, it wouldn't seem so.

Still, there was determination behind it. Well, anything Eren did was done with determination. But I could tell he was doing his best to figure it out, so that it would be nice for the both of us. And, after the first few seconds of uncertainty, I decided it wasn't entirely terrible.

I felt close to Eren, closer than before. This was new, uncharted territory for me, maybe for both of us. It was something I could safely say I'd only ever done with him. And that was special, weighing on my mind as I tried to mimic all the things he was doing, eventually finding a pattern of things we both liked more than others.

When we pulled apart, we could only stare at each other for a long time, having one of those strange conversations that involved no words, then I let my head lean forward till my forehead rested against his, a bit of water dripping from our bangs and speckling our noses and cheekbones, the coolness acute against our flushed skin.

I hummed, and he pulled me closer, till our chests were flush against each other, rising and falling in comforting dissonance. He kissed my cheek, and then sighed.

"I love you." He breathed. And my heart ached, for I couldn't immediately return the sentiment. I knew that I loved him, truly I did. But I still felt a lurking uncertainty that it was in the same way. I liked the things we did, but the idea of romantic love seemed so farfetched to me. I'd never actually imagined myself with someone, nor had I ever imagined that it would be Eren. Yet, I felt the love, and I liked to hear him say it. Why couldn't I say it back? What was I afraid of?

But then, truth be told, there was a lot to be afraid of. No one was safe, not ever. No matter where you were, in the walls, protected by the Military Police… It didn't matter. No one was truly safe in this world. And Eren led a very dangerous life, all things considered. He was the first line of defense as far as the Titans were concerned. If I was being frank, he could die at any moment. There had been plenty of times, even just since I'd been working with him, that he'd come close to death.

And he wasn't the only one. I was just as vulnerable, if not more so. Small and fragile, Eren himself could crush me in the palm of his hand without even knowing it. I could be eaten while trying to help him, or killed by a human that held a grudge. I'd already died once, what was to stop such a thing from happening again?

In a world such as ours, where individuals weren't important, what right did I have to feel this way for this precious boy? What good did my affections do for the whole of the race? Because that's what it was about; Survival of the race. Your life was meaningless if you didn't manage to contribute something important to the human population. What could my love accomplish?

And what if I lost him? Wouldn't it only hurt more? Or if I was the one lost? Eren would have to live knowing I died loving him. Is that what he desired, or would it be an unwanted burden weighing on his conscience? Even alive, what role would I play? Would I be someone to stay alive for, or a reason to push himself too far for? Would it end badly?

He frowned, jostling me out of my thoughts with a gentle shake.

"Armin, you're overthinking things again." He sighed, kissing me. It felt wonderful, like a breath of fresh air. Had kissing him always felt so nice?

"Just stop thinking." He commanded, holding my face in place, forcing me to look him in the eye. "Don't think about consequences, or what you think I want you to say. Don't think about what I'm thinking, or what I want. Because I'll tell you; all I want is for you to tell me you love me, if you do." He promised, kissing me again. "And it's alright if you can't say it right now. I can wait." He added.

I blinked, staring into his eyes, the color of life, and I kissed him back.

"I-" I began, voice trembling with the words on my lips. He waited patiently for me to work through it, but wouldn't let go of my gaze, eyes holding mine captive and not allowing me to think properly.

"I… I love…" I tried, still stuttering. But no, I meant it. It was the truth. What sense was there in keeping it from him? He deserved to know, to hear it.

"I love you." I finally managed, and he smiled, kissing me gently, hands grabbing my thighs and tucking my shins behind his back so he could hold me tighter, squeezing me till I feared a rib would crack from the force. But even then, his lips wouldn't part from mine.

Though his skin was beige compared to my milky white, I was having trouble distinguishing where his flesh ended and mine began, but it didn't really bother me. I was too wrapped up in how much he loved me, and I him. It was such a peculiar way to feel about a person.

My heart hurt with every thought of him. Every kiss was bitter, and every touch set my skin on fire. It was painful, and I lived in fear of losing him every day. Even as he was wrapped up in my arms and breathing against my collar, I still feared that his chest would stop its pattern of rising and falling at any given moment. What would I be left with were that to happen, which it inevitably would?

But then it was beautiful, and filled my heart with wonder, with elation. I'd feel a rush of happiness every time I saw him, and relief with every breath he took. Each kiss felt like a divine reward, but what I'd done to earn it, I didn't know. The warmth that surrounded me was from heaven as much as it was from his body, and I wouldn't trade his embrace for even an eternity in paradise.

It was peculiar, something I couldn't wrap my mind around. Nothing makes me as uncomfortable as not understanding something. It would torture me, plague my thoughts until I had it figured out. Even then, I'd lament about the period of time it took me to understand.

Yet that need to learn was also what made me who I was. Without ignorance, I would have no motivation to learn. And this was something I was very motivated to understand. This captivating, terrifying thing that Eren had pulled me into. This thing that I had willingly followed him to. This thing that now reigned over my life. This love.

Such a curious thing.

A/N: And today KuroRiya brings you shameless fluff. There's more plot to be had, but I always like to stop and take a moment to focus on a new relationship when it happens. Hence, you know, a whole chapter of figuring things out.

Armin's ability to rationalize things and think them over is what makes him important, but sometimes you just have to go with it. So I hope you guys don't think that Eren is trying to dumb him down. He loves that Armin is so smart. But the kid does tend to overthink things sometimes, and Eren was just reminding him that not everything has to be picked apart.

This story has such a strange timeline. Time passes in random intervals, but I hope you guys kind of have a sense for how it's flowing. Armin's been out there for a while now.

This is most likely it for a while, I'm afraid. I'm going to Planet Comicon this coming weekend, and then next month I have Anime St. Louis, which is not a lot of time to sit and write. I'll have to work a lot to have the money for a second convention so soon. I'm sure there will be a chapter or two between them, but I just wanted to warn you that I'll be a bit slow, what with cosplay, work, and school. I've just started embroidering my Anna skirt, and I'm hoping to have the whole costume done in time for ASTL. Wish me luck~!

Speaking of, I have to get back to work! Much to do, much to work on. Till next time!

KuroRiya

九六りや