Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

This was all decidedly unnecessary. It wasn’t like Erwin was starved for social interaction; he liked to think of himself as having a pretty good social life, even if it was nothing special. Maybe it was just that he was a good guy who was willing to go out of his comfort zone for the sake of his friend. Yeah, that had to be it.

The house itself was dingy to the point where Erwin wasn’t sure it was the right address (the notoriously cleanliness-obsessed Levi would normally never be caught dead in a place like this), but based on the muffled rap music blasting from its interior and the large number of people he could hear in the backyard, it was definitely the party. The house had dirty, pea-green paneled siding and what appeared to be a pair of boots trapped on the rooftop. Two girls (looking very drunk) sat on the stoop, one of them fishing for chips out of a large plastic Christmas bowl. An enormous orange cat lay yawning in the upstairs window. It looked, for all intents and purposes, the last place a fairly well-to-do businessman such as Erwin should’ve been spending his Saturday night. Maybe in his college years, or perhaps grad school, he wouldn’t have looked so out of place. As it was, he felt awkward, too big, like a grown-up sitting at the kid’s table.

From what Levi had told him, he really wasn’t that much older than the house’s owner. But he felt it. 

He approached the door. A battered straw mat lay at its entrance: “ Welcome…I Hope You Brought Wine! ” it declared. No such luck, Erwin thought, knocking gingerly on the door. One of the girls behind him giggled.

“You can just go in.”

Erwin, a little embarrassed and eager to find Levi, did just that.

The party in question was a birthday party, Levi had explained to him, and it was being hosted by a friend of a friend of his younger cousin’s. Or something along those lines. Erwin had admittedly been a little drunk when Levi had called him asking him to come with (as a wingman, Levi had said, but Erwin suspected it was really because there was no way Levi could bear to be around that many younger brats without a man his own age to snark to). Inside, the party was in full swing. The house was a little gross, but it wasn’t any worse than any of the frat houses or college apartments he used to frequent. The faint smell of cigarette smoke clung to everything in the little living room, and a cooler by the coffee table that was ostensibly meant to keep the drinks within it cold was filled with melted ice and numerous cans of something called a ‘Four Loko’. Erwin made a vow to stop answering calls from Levi after he’d already had a few.

Backyard , Levi texted him minutes later. Fishing a room temperature Corona out of the cooler, Erwin weaved his way through the throng of gently bobbing partygoers, grateful to get some fresh air.

The backyard was small. The early summer air was fresh. Relatively speaking, at least.

A sizable group of people milled about the yard. The youngest amongst them looked to be in their later years of college. The oldest amongst them were, well, Levi and Erwin. Some of them were sitting, some of them were standing, some of them drinking, some of them not. Almost all of them were smoking something. A large Ping Pong table was being unfolded by two boys, next to whom stood a disinterested-looking girl holding a stack of Solo cups. Levi immediately walked up to greet her, patting her on the back in a half-hearted embrace.

"Mikasa, how are you."

"Good, thanks. Good to see you."

The girl, Mikasa, spoke with the same cool detachment Levi did. Definitely related. Must have been the cousin Levi had mentioned.

"This is my friend, Erwin." Levi said, gesturing vaguely towards Erwin. "He's kind of boring and doesn't get out much, so I brought him here."

"Thanks." Erwin said dryly.

At the same moment, Mikasa arched a thin eyebrow.

“Why would you bring him here, this party sucks.”

"We can't be picky, we don't get invited to many parties."

"You weren't invited to this party."

"We were kind of invited. Were you invited?"

"Yeah." Mikasa handed off the Solo cups to one of the boys setting up the game of beer pong, a boy even shorter than Levi with close cropped hair and the biggest joint Erwin had ever seen in his life balanced between his lips. "Whatever. We're playing beer pong if you want in on that."

"Hard pass. I don't know where that alcohol or those cups have been."

"Fine." Mikasa said with a slight eye roll, although she didn't seem surprised. She eyed Erwin next. "How 'bout you?"

"I think I'll stick with this for now." Erwin said, raising his bottle. "Maybe later."

Mikasa turned away from them without another word, apparently helping the shorter boy with filling up the cups as the other boy switched places with her, clapping Levi on the back with much more mirth than Mikasa had.

"Hey, didn't think you'd be coming!"

"Didn't have anything better to do." Levi said coolly, taking a sip of his beer. The boy was taller than Levi, not that that was really saying much, and judging by the slight flush to his cheeks, was already inebriated. How many of these younger friends did Levi have that Erwin didn't know about?

"Who's your friend?" he asked, glancing over to Erwin. 

"Erwin. He and I go way back."

"Nice to meet you." The boy said, firmly gripping Erwin's hand and shaking it vigorously. "Eren Jaeger."

"Nice to meet you." Erwin said cordially.

"You guys greet the birthday boy yet?"

"I don't really know the birthday boy. You?" Levi asked, removing Eren's arm from his shoulder. Eren didn't seem to notice.

"No. I don't really know him either." Eren admitted cheerfully. 

"Mm. Say, that boyfriend of yours isn't coming, is he?"

At that, Eren's face took on an even redder hue, this time not from alcohol.

"Uh...you know, he's not really my boyfriend...he's just this guy I'm around a lot..."

"Yeah...a lot..."

"Hey-"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. He's not here, then?"

"No..."

"Too bad. I liked him. He reminds me of me." Levi took another sip, humming into the bottle.

Eren chuckled at that. "That sounds exactly like something he would say." He craned his neck to look behind him at the Ping Pong table, fully loaded and ready for beer pong. A small group of people had already begun to gather around it. 

"Well, I'm gonna go join the game. You guys wanna play?"

Erwin and Levi both shook their heads, to which Eren immediately pouted.

"C'mon, Levi, you can't just come to a party and just sit in the corner."

"I can, I have, and I will. It's a lot more fun to watch other people get drunk than to get drunk when you're my age. Besides, I have to make sure Erwin doesn't get lost."

"I can take care of myself." Erwin said at the same time Eren insisted Levi wasn't going to join simply because he 'knew Eren would throttle him'. Levi seemed more interested in what Eren was saying anyways. Oh well.

"You're not going to goad me into playing your stupid drinking game. Besides, we all know I handle my alcohol better than you and everybody else at this party."

"Prove it."

"No."

An unstoppable force met an immovable object. Erwin decided he had seen enough and, figuring by the looks of it, neither Eren nor Levi would be budging anytime soon. His beer was close to empty at this point, but he was decidedly too sober. The kitchen would have drinks and people to talk to, even if those people were mostly drunk grad students. Levi didn’t even look up, clearly not actually invested in whether or not Erwin got lost. 

The kitchen was emptier than earlier, with a sizable group of people joining the game outside. The cooler looked empty now, and all that remained in the kitchen were cans of Sprite and an old-looking punch bowl. Inside it was a too-bright, sickly orange concoction that didn’t smell much better than it looked, like old fruit punch mixed with gasoline. The bowl felt lukewarm to the touch, and there appeared to be a stray Ping Pong ball floating in it like the world’s saddest and grossest maraschino cherry. Erwin couldn’t help but make a face at the thought of actually drinking any of it. He hoped he wasn’t the only one turning his nose up at it; if he was, he might be deeper in the clutches of pretentiousness than he had ever imagined. Based on how full it was, compared to the nearly empty beer cooler, he supposed he couldn’t have been. 

Once upon a time, he probably wouldn’t have thought twice about drinking something like that. But he was older now, and had more refined tastes.

“Not sure I’d drink that, either.”

A voice from beside him made the normally observant man start a bit, realizing with a touch of embarrassment that there were probably other people waiting for him to finish so they could get their drinks. He turned to apologize, maybe crack a joke at the poor punch bowl’s expense. The man standing beside him was young, smiling bemusedly, and holding a drink that looked far better than whatever the table in front of them had to offer. 

He also looked vaguely, faintly, ever-so-slightly familiar. But that couldn’t be right.

“Looks can be deceiving. Maybe it’s delicious.” Erwin said. The younger man smirked.

“Just needs someone to give it a chance, right?”

“Maybe so.” Erwin glanced at it again. “Not sure that person should have to be me, though.”

“I guess we’ll never know, then.” The other man smiled over his drink.

“I feel the need to ask where you got that from.”

“Follow me. I know where they keep the good stuff.”

-0-

 His name was Armin, and he made a stiff drink.

“I don’t think that a gin and tonic is supposed to have that much gin.”

“The light’s no good in here, so I kinda have to eyeball it.” Armin said, squinting and bringing the glass close to his face to inspect it. He was squatting down low to the ground, having retrieved the gin from the bottom of a bar cart sitting in a back room of the house. Erwin wondered if the younger man knew the homeowners (surely he must’ve, to know where they stashed their real liquor), and if he was in such standing with them as to be able to freely help himself to their alcohol. Erwin wasn’t too worried about someone walking in on them; it wasn’t his idea to go in there, and he didn’t feel too bad about snitching on Armin, low as that may have been. Anyways, by his relaxed and aloof demeanor, Armin didn’t seem too worried about it, either.

“Friends with the hosts?” Erwin asked as Armin handed him the drink. The other man clinked his own glass against it, shrugging his shoulders as he took a sip.

“Sure.”

“Hm, that’s not a ‘yes’.”

“I’m friendly with them. I’ll put it that way.”

“Friendly enough to steal their alcohol.”

“It’s gin. No one ever misses gin. No one drinks it.”

“Except you.”

“And you, clearly.” Armin smiled, raising his glass and nodding to Erwin as the older man tried the beverage. Erwin had had better gin and tonics in his life; the tonic water was room temperature and a little flat, and the gin looked cheap. But it felt pleasant and warm as it settled in his stomach.

“And the people who live here, apparently.”

“Apparently. Although, to tell you the truth, I suspect the gin’s only here because of me.” Over the top of his glass, Armin gave him a secretive smile. In the dim light of the room, some of his features were difficult to make out, but his eyes were big, bright, and intense. They looked blue, and they had dark circles beneath them. Erwin couldn’t help but feel they were the kind of eyes you’d remember; his earlier feeling of deja-vu had to have been wrong.

“So, very friendly with the hosts.”

“Formerly.” Armin took another, significant swig. “With, ah, one of them.”

“I see. So, I’d wager to guess an ex-girlfriend is involved.”

“Right idea. It’s actually the birthday boy. And yes, I know stealing liquor from your ex on his birthday is tacky, but it is a party.”

Ex-boyfriend. Something turned over in Erwin’s gut at that. The feeling was small but potent. Maybe it was trepidation. Maybe interest.

“I’ll change the subject.” Erwin said briskly. Armin chuckled.

“Please do.”

“What is it that you do?”

“Ugh, that’s such a boring question. Why don’t you ask me something like what's the worst, most illegal thing I’ve ever done?”

“I think I ought to have another drink in me before I ask you that.” Erwin said, arching an eyebrow.

Armin smiled and looked away, shrugging and drinking more from his glass. 

“I recently graduated and have a lab job downtown. Water testing, impact studies, that sort of thing. Nothing too interesting.”

“More interesting than me. I’ve got a desk job.”

“Sounds fun.”

“It’s not.”

“Is it at least lucrative?”

“Not scandalously so, but sure.”

Armin nodded. He had begun to absentmindedly twirl a lock of his short, golden hair in his fingers. The slow, circular motion utterly mesmerized Erwin.

“My turn.” Armin said after a moment, “If you weren’t invited, why are you at this party?”

“A friend of a friend, or something like that, was invited. Sad as it may sound, I didn’t have anything better to do.” Erwin took another sip of the gin and tonic. He wasn’t drunk, nowhere near it, but he was beginning to feel the loosening effects of the alcohol. “How about you?”

Armin tapped his chin thoughtfully. 

“Pass.”

“What?” 

“ Pass . Ask me something else.”

“Seriously?”

Armin quirked an eyebrow at him, challenging him to question him.

“Seriously. C’mon, anything else.”

Erwin twirled his glass around and exhaled sharply. If Armin was telling the truth and was an ex of one of the party’s hosts, he could guess at why he was really there (and the reason he might not want to divulge that to Erwin).

“Have it your way. You said you had recently graduated.”

“Yeah, about half a year ago.”

“Undergraduate, graduate, or otherwise?”

Armin gave him a cool, bemused look.

“I think that’s just a roundabout way of asking how old I am.”

“Which is it, then?”

“I’m older than I look, you know.”

“Uh-huh.”

Armin took a hearty swig from his glass.

“Graduate.”

They continued drinking. He learned that Armin had earned his Master’s in biology, that he was hoping to someday go for a PhD, that he liked dogs, that he desperately wanted to travel, and that he was from Michigan. All good things to know about a person, Erwin supposed. It hadn’t felt like they had been talking for that long, and it couldn’t have been more than an hour, but the room was significantly darker than it had been when the two first entered. 

“Someone’s going to come in at any moment, you know. Gonna ask what we’re doing with their liquor.” Erwin said, even as he poured more gin for himself. Armin was still sitting on the floor, his long, slender legs stretched out comfortably.

“Ask me, you mean. Pretty sure they’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, seeing how I’m the one who opened the gin.” 

“True enough, but it still might not reflect well on me.”

“Then you shouldn’t be in a back room at a party you weren’t invited to, with a boy you don’t know, drinking in the first place.” Armin smirked fiendishly and punctuated his statement with a swig from his glass. He maintained eye contact with Erwin as he raised the glass to his lips, his eyes cold and sharp as flint.

“I do at least try to keep myself out of such compromising positions.”

“That’s too bad.”

Armin’s glass was empty. Without taking his eyes off Erwin, he stood up fluidly and set it back down on the desk.

“Shall we get out of here?”

“Pardon?”

“This room, I mean. We can go dance or something.”

Erwin stood up, discarding his empty glass in a spot next to Armin’s. The other man had an expectant expression, his head cocked slightly and his gaze boring holes through Erwin’s skull.

Bad idea , one of the more responsible parts of his brain yelled, bad idea . 

“Great idea.” Erwin opened the door for Armin, who stepped forward and slinked down the hall, reaching behind him to gingerly take Erwin’s arm as he weaved in and out of the crowd that had formed in the living room. A smooth but pulsing R&B song was playing loud enough for Erwin to feel the bass pounding in his chest. At least, he hoped it was just the bass, and not his heartbeat as Armin’s hand snaked its way down from Erwin’s sleeve to his hand, slender fingers gently wrapping around Erwin’s. The living room-turned-dancefloor wasn’t overly crowded, but filled with enough other dancing couples that he didn’t feel too self-conscious. 

The song switched over and Armin placed his hand on Erwin’s upper arm, a little hesitant despite his earlier bravado. Erwin placed one hand on Armin’s waist (at a respectfully high position) and took Armin’s free hand with the other. The two settled into an easy rhythm quickly, especially considering dancing wasn’t something Erwin received regular practice in. It seemed as though Armin wasn’t the most experienced dancer either; his movements were a little clumsy at first, very unlike his coy and smirking demeanor from earlier. But he seemed to grow more comfortable after a few minutes, his hand traveling up Erwin’s arm to rest high on his shoulder. Armin was content to let Erwin lead them in a lowkey, relaxed sway. 

“This is a good song.” Armin murmured.

“I don’t know it.”

“Well, it’s good.” Armin’s eyes snapped between the doorway into the kitchen and Erwin’s face. He seemed distracted, had been since they left the back room. Erwin didn’t care for his dance partner looking away from him. Armin scrunched his face up in a light chuckle as Erwin gently twirled him around, allowing himself to be pulled a little closer into Erwin’s comfortable but secure grip.

“Not hoping someone is gonna cut in, are you? Because I think I’m enjoying dancing with you too much to let that happen.”

Armin rolled his eyes, but he had a smile on his face nevertheless.

“Do you use that line on all the boys?”

“Only the pretty ones.”

The hand on Erwin’s back beckoned him closer with a light pull. Erwin happily acquiesced and slid his own hand further down on Armin’s waist. The responsible part of his brain had quieted, though it had not gone completely silent. 

Erwin was a measured, commanding, and put-together man. He was polished. Respectable. He certainly wasn’t messy , at least not anymore. But even he had to let loose now and then.

“You’re still not going to tell me the reason you’re here, are you?” Erwin murmured into Armin’s ear, his voice low. He was close enough he could almost feel Armin’s smirking response.

“Nope.”

Erwin drew his face back to look at Armin, his hand staying firmly on Armin’s waist. Armin looked back at him with a challenging gleam in his eyes. Eyes he’d remember, for certain. In this light, Erwin thought he could make out a light smattering of freckles across his cheeks. Erwin hoped his own heated gaze was just as compelling for the other man.

“That’s fine by me.”

-0-

Armin was hot under his hands by the time Erwin was maneuvering him through the door to Erwin’s apartment. Erwin could still feel the loosening effects of the gin in his system, not enough to be properly drunk but certainly enough to feel warm and comfortable. The door shut behind the pair with an authoritative thud and suddenly Erwin’s arms were wrapped around Armin, bringing the younger man in for a rough kiss. 

Armin gasped into Erwin’s mouth, recovering quickly enough to wrap his tongue around Erwin’s as the kiss deepened. Erwin fumbled behind him to drop his jacket on the floor, barely missing the coat hook, and pushed Armin up against the adjacent wall, a little more forcefully than he had intended. Armin moaned excitedly as he did, surging against him and kissing him again, cutting Erwin off before he could mouth an apology against the man’s lips. Erwin pressed against him firmly enough to feel Armin’s heartbeat through his shirt. Armin, for his part, didn’t seem to mind, his hands sliding up to rub appreciatively at Erwin’s biceps before moving to rest on his chest. Armin smiled into the kiss as Erwin’s fingers wormed their way beneath the fabric of Armin’s shirt, pressing firmly into the soft skin above his hips and nudging his thigh in between Armin’s.

“You want this?” He growled low and deep, leaning in to nip at Armin’s neck and pressing into his lithe body more. He was already beginning to harden in his pants, and from what he could tell, Armin was in a similar state. Armin looked up at him, his lips pink and full and puffy from kissing Erwin. In the moonlight filling the entrance to Erwin’s apartment, his tanned skin looked far paler, almost pure white, and the dark lines ringing his eyes only accentuated just how bright and blue they were.

“Yes.” 

“You want me?” 

“Yes.” Armin whispered heatedly as Erwin ground his arousal against his leg. Armin arched forward once more, eyes hazy and desperate as he gazed up at Erwin, his cheeks flushed and his lips dark. 

Erwin took Armin’s hand in his and from there led him down the dark hallway to his bedroom, depositing Armin down on the bed. As he stripped his shirt off, he leaned across Armin to hastily pull down his window’s curtain. He didn’t want any prying eyes looking in on this next part.

-0-

It was later than Erwin would've normally slept in. He didn't need to look at his alarm clock to know that; the sunlight filtering in through his curtains was significantly brighter and warmer than it would be at his usual six a.m. wake-up call. He groaned, rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his palm as he turned around to look at the bed's other occupant.

Armin still looked deeply asleep. He was tangled in Erwin's comforter, clutching at one of his pillows and snoring softly, his mouth slack and his hair swept messily all across his face. Erwin smiled affectionately as he pushed his own hair out of his eyes. Armin was handsome, especially in the early morning sunshine. Erwin wondered how long the guy would be asleep. That was the thing about one night stands; the morning after, you could never really be certain how long the other person was going to stick around.

Erwin swung his legs over the side of the bed, sitting and staring down at his rug for a few moments. One night stand , he thought to himself, that’s exactly what this was . The room was silent except for the low, rhythmic hum from Erwin’s ceiling fan and Armin’s quiet snoring. Coffee sounded like a good idea.

Setting up the coffee maker took only a few minutes, leaving Erwin more time for his morning contemplation. He hadn't really been looking forward to the party, a party where Levi knew more people than he did and he would be left to mingle aimlessly. He hadn't been counting on striking up a conversation with someone who interested him. That and his circle of friends was, quite frankly, limited to the same people that had been in it for nearly a decade. It was nice, he supposed. Someone new.

The sex had been good too, of course. It might have been an understatement to say that Erwin had been around the block more than a few times, but it didn’t change the fact that it had been longer than Erwin cared to admit since he had been with anyone. Erwin had changed quite a bit since leaving college, and that was just fine by him. But there were times, late at night in his bedroom, driving down the empty highway, walking home in the dark, that he missed it.

"Morning."

Erwin spun around to see Armin, already dressed in his rumpled clothes from the night before and sleepily rubbing at his eyes, padding into his kitchen.

"Morning to you."

"Is that coffee I smell?"

"Sure is. Want any?" Erwin asked as he turned the coffeemaker off. Armin nodded, taking a seat as Erwin grabbed two mugs and filled the both of them up, joining Armin at his kitchen table.

"You live alone?" Armin asked as he sipped his coffee, glancing around the kitchen and adjacent living room. Erwin had always been a sparse decorator, and he imagined his apartment didn’t look well lived-in. A photo of his old cat and a Bob Ross-looking landscape he’d bought at a yard sale were all that hung on the wall by the kitchen table, and except for the handful of old Madden NFL discs and the guitar in the corner that he never played anymore, the adjacent living room held no real signifiers of its owner.

"Living alone has its advantages. Not awfully polite to bring someone over when you have a roommate."

Armin smirked knowingly over his mug as Erwin shrugged a bit helplessly.

"Lucky you. Nice to have some privacy."

"You have one, I’m guessing.”

"Sure do."

"Do they know why you didn't come home last night?"

“Yeah, more or less. Although I probably shouldn't be too long. He doesn't like it when I get home terribly late the next day, you know."

That could have a lot of implications. Erwin narrowed his eyes at him across the table.

"Your...friend?"

"Yes, my friend." Armin responded simply, smiling sweetly. "Anyways, I don't want to keep you from anything."

I'm not doing anything , Erwin almost responded. He swallowed the response down along with his coffee. Armin’s chosen method of exit was about as graceful as any, he supposed.

"I had a lot of fun last night." Armin said. Erwin prepared himself for Armin's inevitable departure.

"I did too."

"And not just the sex, either. You're fun to talk to."

"Uh, thanks." Erwin couldn't help the little flush of blood that rose to his cheeks. He was genuinely pleased at the compliment. He had been sure Armin had enjoyed the sex as much as he had, after all. Armin made it quite obvious at the time. 

"I do need to get going, though. My roommate's cool and all, but he is gonna give me some shit for staying out." Armin shrugged ruefully as he quickly sucked down the rest of his coffee.

"Hope I didn't get you into trouble."

Armin waved his hand dismissively as he checked his pockets for his phone and wallet, already heading towards his door. Erwin quickly stood up to walk him out.

"Don't worry about it. I'm an adult, anyway. What's he gonna do?"

Erwin nodded as he led him over to the front door.

"Do you need a ride?"

"Nah, bus stop's right down the block. I need to go run an errand in town, anyways."

Armin stood perched in his door frame for a moment as Erwin waited for him to leave, unceremoniously and disappointingly hurriedly.

"If I..." Armin turned back to look at Erwin, worrying at his lower lip. "If I gave you my number, would you use it?"

"Um."

"Don't feel pressured or anything. Do whatever you feel like."

"I..." Erwin heaved a deep sigh. The little alarm in the back of his head was going off again, and it was really beginning to annoy Erwin. Maybe Armin was the type to ply strangers with liquor stolen from his friends, maybe he had terrible judgment and was hoping leaving a party with someone else would make his ex jealous, maybe he was considerably younger than Erwin. But he seemed like a nice enough guy, and Erwin was bored, god damn it.

 "I probably would, actually." Erwin said it resolutely, determined to not regret anything. Armin beamed at him, bright as the sun, and Erwin couldn't help but smile back.

-0-

"You never did tell me where you ran off to."

Erwin looked up from his latte to where Levi was sitting opposite him staring him down, inscrutable and unblinking while he sipped his coffee. It was early, a gray, misty Monday morning, and the only other people in the coffee shop were the baristas and a college student desperately typing away at their laptop in the corner. Erwin enjoyed the early morning coffee runs he and Levi had made tradition for Mondays, preparing for the monotonous work week ahead, but today he suspected the otherwise pleasant experience was going to turn into an interrogation.

"You seemed like you managed just fine by yourself. At least you actually knew people there.”

"That's not what I'm on about." Levi heaved a deep sigh as he set the coffee mug down. “And it’s not like I forced you to go.”

“I suppose not.”

“So, you gonna tell me?”

"I went home. Like I said."

"Really."

"It's the truth." Erwin stated firmly, leaving no room for argument (he hoped). Levi was an old friend, and remembered more about Erwin than Erwin would’ve liked. Levi continued to stare him down, waiting for Erwin to crack. Waiting. Waiting.

"I mean, I may not have gone home alone-"

"I knew it!" Levi declared victoriously, startling the poor barista. "I knew it, you bastard.”

"Keep your voice down." Erwin grimaced. "And don't be crude."

"Please, no one here cares." Levi rolled his eyes. "I'm certainly not here to judge you.”

"Thanks. Besides, at least one of us has to have a sex life."

This time, it was Levi’s turn to grimace.

"Fine. Don't really wanna hear about it, if that's alright with you."

"If you don't want to hear about it, why do you keep asking about it?"

"Don't get your old man panties into a twist. I’m just…"

Erwin raised an eyebrow, still feeling a bit trepidatious. Levi wasn’t normally one to show more than a passing interest in Erwin’s personal affairs, but to be fair, there hadn’t really been any personal affairs since…

"I don’t remember you mentioning doing anything like that since your split.” Levi stated cooly and bluntly, never one to mince words. The split, as they and most of their friends had taken to calling it, was old news at this point, but it was still something Erwin’s friends (and himself) felt the need to tiptoe around. 

It wasn’t something they needed to talk about, anyways. Erwin was fine, mostly, and moving on with his life, mostly.

“Not something I’m in the habit of doing.”

“Right, that I believe.” Levi smirked humorlessly as he downed the last of his coffee. He seemed, for once, to be considering his next words carefully.

“Not in the habit anymore, you mean?”

Erwin hadn’t finished his latte yet, and decidedly did not have the energy for this conversation.

"Ugh. Shut up." He replied with as much grace as he could muster. When Levi simply chuckled back, Erwin glared at him, doing his best to seem intimidating to the shorter man. Levi didn't seem to care.

"But you didn't know them or anything. A one night stand."

"...Yes."

"You hesitated."

"I did not."

"Some little party animal isn't gonna go breaking your heart now, are they?"

"No." Erwin said in the firmest, most resolute voice he could find. "And that's the end of it.”

It evidently wasn't the end of it. Although Levi temporarily conceded as they threw their cups out and left the shop, as soon as they were out the door and onto the sidewalk, he continued his questioning.

"Can I at least get a description? Of the person, I mean."

"Guy. Young. Blond, short. What do you want me to say?"

"You at least get his name, or is that also something you’re not in the habit of."

"Like you would even know him, Levi."

“I could. I have friends in lots of strange places.”

“Of that, I am fully aware.” Erwin rolled his eyes, perhaps a bit childishly. “His name was Armin, he was handsome as hell, and the sex was amazing. Now, drop it.”

Levi immediately stopped in his tracks, though Erwin didn't even realize Levi was behind him until a few moments later. When he turned around, Levi looked to be a little disgusted and intently working something out in his head.

"What now, Levi?" Erwin said wearily.

"Armin? Armin Arlert?"

"I didn't get a last-Wait a minute." Erwin focused in on the conflicted expressions flashing across Levi's face, an enigmatic cloud of surprise, realization, and confusion. That wasn’t good.

"Oh my God, you know him, don't you."

"Not necessarily-"

"Oh my God. Oh no."

"Shut up, I've only met him a few times-"

"God dammit, who is he-”

"Pull yourself together, for God's sakes." Levi huffs in annoyance, running a hand through his hair as he continues to think things through.

"How, exactly, do you know him?"

"He's a friend of my cousin's."

"Mikasa?"

"You went home with him? Really?”

"I'm assuming we're thinking of the same person, so yes."

Levi’s expression had cooled a bit, now more surprise than anything else as he contemplated his next question.

"Was he…well."

“Spit it out, Levi.”

Levi huffed and sped his pace up. The sky was beginning to clear, and soon the early morning air would be humid and muggy and irritating.

“Oh, don’t listen to me. He just didn’t seem like that kind of guy to me, that’s all.”

"What kind of guy?" Erwin shot back, head still reeling at the fact that his casual bed-mate outside of his social circle might not be quite as out of his social circle as he had thought.

"Don't get defensive. Like, one-night-stand kind of guy."

"...He did give me his number."

"Really?" Levi muses, quirking an eyebrow. "You gonna use it?"

"Maybe. Yes. I don't know."

"You liked him?"

Erwin paused, reflecting on the night of the party. Armin had been funny, seemed clever, and made a good gin and tonic.

"As much as one could, I suppose."

"You should use it, if you want to. Maybe. I won't tell you how to live your life."

With that, Levi continued to walk. Erwin smiled, despite himself.

“Don’t tell your cousin, Levi. That might get awkward.”

“Ugh. There’s no way in hell I’m telling her.”

-0-

 It was definitely punishment for scrolling through Facebook when he should’ve been working.

‘Nile Dok and Marie Veidt got engaged’

The post had just been uploaded an hour ago, but it had already racked up over a hundred likes and as many comments congratulating the couple. If Erwin’s name wasn’t among those hundreds, would anyone really notice or be offended? 

‘Don’t be a baby,’ Erwin thought to himself, liking the post but feeling he could probably get away without commenting on it. 

Erwin wasn’t sure what to feel. How was one supposed to feel when their ex got engaged to their former best friend? Sad? Angry? Lonely? More than anything else, Erwin felt old . 

Marie had uploaded a photo of her and her beloved shortly after the announcement was posted. The two were on vacation somewhere tropical-looking, sitting in a (rather chintzy) beachside bar. Marie looked happy, with a wide grin and an arm pulling Nile close to her. Nile looked, well, like Nile. Even when Erwin had known him, he seemed to have a permanently sour expression on his face no matter what he was feeling, but he was at least smiling and looked about as pleased as Erwin supposed he could.

Erwin decided to use the number Armin gave him.

-0-

It was a coffee shop on the other side of town, different from the one he and Levi frequented. That one was too close to the office, too close to his morning commute, and he certainly didn’t want to take the guy anywhere he associated with his friend. The secrecy wasn’t really necessary, Erwin knew. But something deep and selfish inside of him didn’t want to have to share his time with Armin with the more mundane aspects of his life.

Erwin sat outside the shop, waiting for Armin to arrive. It was past 8:00, late enough that the coffee shop was open but not bustling with activity. This corner of town was quiet this late in the evening. The midsummer sun had set not long before, and the faintest strokes of orange and purple light could be seen in the inky indigo sky. It was late May and warm outside, the air and the pavement still saturated with the earthy smell of the rain from earlier. 

“Hello, stranger.” 

Erwin hadn’t even realized he had been staring absentmindedly at the sky when he was meant to be meeting someone. His eyes snapped down, suddenly remembering what he was here to do, and looked down the sidewalk to see Armin.

Armin had a light sunburn across his nose and cheeks; the bluish-yellow light of the streetlamps, hazy from the light steam rising off the pavement, illuminated the top of his blond head with a halo-like effect. With that kind of smile on his face, however, he looked anything but angelic.

“Hello yourself.” Erwin rose, slowly, deliberately. Armin stayed where he was, craning his neck upwards to maintain his gaze at Erwin. It was hard to tell in the dim evening light, but Erwin thought Armin might’ve had that same challenging expression he’d had before.

“What’s with the coffee shop?”

“Problem?”

“No problem, just curious. It’s a bit late for coffee, although I’m certainly not opposed to staying up late tonight.”

There it was, that small, wry little smirk. Armin didn’t lay it on thick; his voice had a breathy, straightforward quality to it that made even the more salacious things he said sound relatively innocent. But Erwin was at least glad Armin seemed to be on the same page as him.

“I thought it rude to just ask you to come over without at least buying you a drink first.”

“Well, you’d be different from most guys in that sense,” Armin said with a disaffected shrug. “But I’m down. Though a bar might’ve been more, well, typical.”

“I want somewhere we can talk, and I hate going to bars.”

“Too old for them?”

Erwin smirked as he held the door to the shop open for Armin, who obligingly stepped in ahead of him and examined the menu.

“I’m just gonna get tea,” Armin said, “I actually do have things to do tomorrow, you know.”

Erwin looked away from the menu, determined to just get a black coffee, and glanced at Armin. Unbidden, an image of Levi sitting in their usual cafe filled his mind.

“He just didn’t seem like that kind of guy to me.”

The two ordered their drinks and sat at a window table in the corner. The coffee shop wasn’t empty, as there were patrons at some of the other tables, but it was quiet and relaxed. Erwin wondered if Armin knew they had a mutual acquaintance. Even if he did, the relationship was admittedly a tenuous one. Levi had indicated that he barely knew Armin, at any rate. 

The topic probably should’ve been broached that evening. Instead, Erwin opted to keep the conversation focused on just about anything else, from how things were going at Armin’s work to the weather to their surprisingly similar taste in books. Armin seemed a bit shyer than the other night, but he was an animated and engaging speaker when the topic interested him, and the conversation flowed easily between the two of them. He was clearly intelligent and driven, warming up quickly and easily keeping up with Erwin’s banter.

When was the last time he’d had this?

Erwin’s thoughts had been quietly swirling at the back of his mind all day. Weddings, friendships, complicated feelings, the good old days. Armin kept his thoughts occupied, at least for the moment. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea, but he could use some distraction for a while longer.

“It was no gin and tonic, but I hope grabbing coffee with me was still acceptable.” Erwin said, opening the door for Armin once more. After talking for a little over an hour, the coffee shop had finally closed up, employees hoisting chairs onto the tables and mopping the floors as the last patrons trickled out. The evening air had cooled while they were inside, though it was still comfortable, and fireflies were beginning to light up in the darkened greenery of the nearby park.

“It was an adequate substitution, I guess. Bit too respectable for me, though.” Armin smiled slyly, making a point to stand close to Erwin as they walked down the street to where Erwin had parked his car. The city bus stop was not too far away, and Erwin could see the dim glow from its fluorescent light at the end of the street. Armin stopped in front of the parking meter, eyes still on Erwin. For being in the city, it was quiet, the air filled with the distant hum of highway traffic and cricket noises. The wind blew, light but still enough to sweep hair into Armin’s eyes. Erwin carefully tucked a soft strand behind Armin’s ear. Armin still did not break eye contact with him. He was probably just imagining things, but he thought Armin’s sunburned cheeks looked a little more pink at that moment.

“Would you like to come home with me, Armin?” He asked, gently and undemanding.

Armin nodded and slid his hand into Erwin’s, lifting himself up on his toes to press a quick but firm press to Erwin’s lips.

“Now you’re speaking my language.”

-0-

The alarm came as it always did, loud, shrill, and uninviting. What was different this morning was the shower, which was already running by the time Erwin’s eyes opened wearily.

The bed’s other occupant was missing and ostensibly helping himself to Erwin’s shower. Not that he minded; if he was feeling more awake that morning, he may have even joined Armin. As it was, his bed was just a little too comfortable at the moment. Last night had been enough for him anyways, and there was no harm sleeping in on the weekend.

It was dark outside. The sun rose early in July, but today, a summer storm was hurling buckets down on top of them. In concert, the rain and the running shower were almost enough to lull Erwin back to sleep, but he found the willpower to turn the alarm completely off and sit up at the edge of his bed. 

Armin had quickly gone from a one-time thing to a habit of Erwin’s, coming over and usually staying the night at least once a week. The encounters themselves tended to follow a similar format; Armin would arrive, very occasionally by car but usually by bus, they would engage in a round (or two) of vigorous sex, fall asleep, wake up, and go about their days as usual. Time allowing, maybe they would watch a movie or chat out on the small balcony of Erwin’s apartment. But they always ended the same way.

The arrangement worked well for the both of them and was really quite practical. Their schedules lined up nicely, and Armin never had any issue getting up early and making a graceful exit. And although each time it was, on paper, the same thing, somehow Armin never felt routine.

The shower turned off, and not long after, Armin emerged, disappointingly fully clothed and juggling his phone in one hand and one of Erwin’s towels in the other, doing his best to dry his short, wet hair.

“Go ahead, help yourself to anything in my bathroom.”

“Stop complaining, it’s the least you can do to make up for spilling wine all over my windbreaker last night.”

Ah, that was right. Erwin’s eyes shifted down to where Armin’s teal polyester jacket lay, a suspicious red stain across the front of it. It looked like it belonged in a gruesome crime scene rather than Erwin’s floor. He’d been distracted when he spilled it, to say the least, but he seemed to recall it had something to do with him hoisting Armin up on one of his countertops.

“I can get that dry cleaned if you’d like. Though really, it’s your fault for wearing a jacket in July.”

“I get cold easily,” Armin shrugged, snatching the jacket off the floor and tying it around his waist, “And that’s okay. Though if you really want to help me out, you could give me a ride to the bus station. It’s cats and dogs out there.”

“Not up for another round, then?”

“I’ve got to get to work.”

“But it’s a Saturday.”

“We’ve got field work upstate today, I told you that last night.”

“No you didn’t.” 

“I totally did. I’ll make it up to you later.” 

Erwin huffed, a bit petulantly, but stood up to look for his keys anyways. For the strangest reason, he always had a hard time saying no to Armin. He didn’t have anything pressing, and figured it was a bit of a dick move to make his partner walk in the rain.

The bus stop wasn’t far, and Armin seemed grateful to have been able to avoid the worst of the downpour. He smacked a kiss on Erwin’s cheek as he gathered up his bag and his jacket from his lap.

“I’ll see you when I see you, Erwin.”

“You want me to wait ‘til the bus gets here?”

“I think I’ll be fine. You’re sweet, though.”

Erwin swore in his heart of hearts he did not feel any heat rising in his cheeks at that.

“Anyways, the bus to my block should be here soon.”

“Your block? You’re not going to work?”

“Field work upstate. My co-worker’s gonna pick me up at my place.”

“I could just drop you off at your place, if that would be easier.”

Armin’s hand came up to the back of his neck, nervously smoothing out the hair there as he tapped against the car door’s lock.

It’s too far away, I don’t want to trouble you, etc., etc.

Erwin had heard plenty of similar excuses in his time. He’d offered up plenty just like them, too.

After a moment, Armin finally turned to look at Erwin. If he was at all distressed or trepidatious, his face didn’t betray it.

“I’m not sure that would be a good idea.” He said with a small, humorless smile. His eyes, at least, seemed apologetic.

You’ve been there before, too, Erwin .

“No worries.” 

Armin opened the door and stepped out into the downpour, hurrying along to make it to the small, dirty plastic shelter of the bus stop. He gave Erwin a little wave as he sat down, and Erwin gave him a wave and a smile back. 

No need to get worked up.

-0-

Armin: i do like you, you know

The text came through thirty minutes earlier, but Erwin had decided to wait until he was away from his friends to consider answering it. Hanji and Mike were already walking back to their respective apartments, leaving him and Levi waiting outside the bar for their Uber to arrive. The four of them made a point of going out every now and then, even as their friend circle gradually dwindled. More and more of their friends were relocating out to the suburbs, away from the sprawl and grime of the city. 

Erwin: I am very likable.

Armin: my roommate’s gonna be out of town next week if you want to come over

Erwin: Not scared I’m going to serial murder you?

Armin: i wouldn’t put it past you, patrick bateman

By the time that next week rolled around, Erwin was more than ready for some distraction. He liked his job, the work he he did, his coworkers, but the mundanity of life had a way of getting to him lately. Maybe it was the harbinger of an oncoming midlife crisis, but when he received Armin’s text asking him to come over, his heart leapt at the prospect of doing something remotely different.

He needed a change of pace, and Armin was, for the moment, the easiest way to achieve that.

If that’s all this is , Erwin thought to himself as he pulled into the parking lot of the address Armin had given him, why is my heart beating so fast?

It was late enough that the parking lot and adjacent street were mostly empty. Armin’s solitary figure stood beneath a blinking streetlight, smoking a cigarette and waving coyly as Erwin strolled up to him. 

“Those will kill you, you know.” Erwin wasted no time in taking Armin by his waist and pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth as soon as he was close enough to do so. Armin’s lips curled into a thin smile beneath Erwin’s, pulling back and dexterously flipping the cigarette in his long, slender fingers so the filter faced Erwin. 

What the hell , Erwin thought, taking the cigarette and inhaling deeply. The smoke felt good as it hit his lungs, warm and buzzing.

“So will most things that are fun.” Armin said dryly, taking the cig back from Erwin. “It’s all about balance, right? To make up for this, I’ll eat a salad tomorrow or something.”

“Sounds like you’ve got life figured out.”

“Of course I have, I just graduated school.” Armin said with a chuckle. When he was this close, he had to crane his neck a bit to make eye contact with Erwin. 

They stood there silently regarding each other for a moment. Armin finished the cigarette and stamped it out on the ground, his hand reaching up to shyly grasp Erwin’s. His hands were smaller than Erwin’s by a fair sight, covered in calluses and light freckles. He tended to speak with them a lot, either when gesticulating wildly while he was making a point or when languidly twirling around locks of his hair.

“Well, no point in just standing around here, is there? Let’s head up.”

“Hold on.”

Erwin stood and kept his grip on Armin’s hand, watching as the younger man turned back around to face him with a quizzical, arched eyebrow.

“You good?” Armin asked.

“I just wanted to say that we don’t have to do anything you don’t want. I know you were…unsure about bringing me here earlier.”

Armin huffed and, in a soothing gesture, rubbed the back of Erwin’s hand with his thumb.

“It’s not like that. It’s just…my roommate can be a bit much sometimes.”

“Your roommate?”

Armin worried at his lower lip.

“He’s not super judgy or anything. But he is a childhood friend, and he can get a little…weird about the guys I bring home.”

“Do tell.”

“Ugh, I’d rather not.” Armin said, rolling his eyes with a smile. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to worry about him slashing your tires or anything.”

Erwin chuckled and allowed Armin to lead him to the door of the building. He was also tired of standing in the parking lot, as he had other things he’d much rather be doing with Armin. There was still one thing he had to say, however, having strategized the best way to bring it up on the drive to the apartment.

“I know this is a bit random, but do you know a Mikasa Ackerman?”

Armin’s fingers hovered over the building’s door code keypad. 

“I sure do.”

“I’m friends with her cousin. I guess he kind of knows you.”

“Levi?”

Armin’s eyebrows were furrowed with intense concentration as he turned his gaze to Erwin. He had an inscrutable expression on his face.

“The same.”

Armin nodded slowly, then turned back and quickly punched in the door code. The door unlocked with a quiet buzz and the two crossed the threshold into the dimly lit lobby.

“That’s funny.”

“I suppose I should’ve mentioned it earlier. Sorry about that.”

“Makes no difference to me.” Armin shrugged. The building was old, but it had a working elevator at the end of the hall Armin was leading him down. The elevator had to have been old, too, from the way Erwin could hear it creaking and groaning from the top floor as Armin called it down. “Why didn’t you mention it sooner, though?”

“I guess I didn’t want to encourage you talking about me with Levi behind my back. He has no shortage of embarrassing stories about me he could share.”

“I’ll definitely have to call him, then.” Armin said with a smirk, his eyes trained on the pale yellow glow of the elevator button. “So, he told you he knew me?”

“He said he didn’t know you very well.”

“I see. He didn’t say anything weird about me, did he?”

“Why would he?”

Armin shrugged again. For his part, he didn’t seem to care too much about this conversation. Who knew what machinations were going on behind those eyes, though.

“I just…used to have a bit of a reputation, is all. I wasn’t sure how much Mikasa told him about me.”

Erwin nodded. That wasn’t what Levi had made it seem when he had first spoken to him about Armin, but who knew how well Levi knew the guy, anyways. The elevator was still creaking its way slowly back down. It had to be getting close.

“You and I might be alike in that way, Armin.”

Armin took his hand once more, squeezing it gently. After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator finally arrived with a soft ding . Without a second thought, Erwin stepped in after Armin, the door shutting solidly behind them.

-0-

Gym days with Levi were brutal. Leg days especially so. Erwin had always prided himself on being a physically fit individual, and had never had too much trouble keeping up with Levi (who seemed to have been born with an unfairly inhuman degree of strength and stamina), but their workouts recently had gotten more intense. That, or his recent physical exertions were beginning to take a toll on him. Erwin was spotting for Levi, who he was beginning to suspect only ever brought him to the gym with him in order to have an excuse to gossip. 

“By the way, it looks like it’s gonna be a June wedding. Hanji’s cousin is apparently one of the bridesmaids.”

“Of course. Everyone gets married in June.”

Levi didn’t respond. His mouth twisted with exertion as he continued to lift the leg press, but Erwin knew that wasn’t the real reason he wasn’t saying anything.

“Levi, if you want to ask me something, you might as well just ask it.”

“Do you think you’re gonna go?”

“I haven’t been invited yet.”

“No shit, no one’s been invited yet. They just started planning the damn thing.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be so certain that I’m going to be on the list, anyways.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You know how Marie is, everyone’s gonna be invited.”

Erwin hummed indifferently, taking Levi’s place on the machine as the other man swapped out and chugged down his water. Erwin was eager to focus on the feeling of the weight digging into his feet, the strain of lifting the press, anything else. 

“I’m just saying, I don’t think anyone would think less of you for skipping.”

I would , Erwin thought ruefully. 

“We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it,” Erwin grunted, “and I think you care about this too much.”

“Despite all appearances, you are my friend, you know.”

Erwin completed his set and the two finished the circuit together. As they stretched their way through their cooldown, Erwin felt his phone vibrate in his pocket with an incoming text message. As they finished out and gathered their things to leave, Erwin surreptitiously glanced at the message.

Armin: wyd?

What a way with words he has , Erwin thought wryly. He knew Levi could see him texting someone, but this time at least, Levi had the good sense to stay out of it.

“We’ll talk later, Levi. I’m gonna hit the showers.”

If Levi wasn’t pleased about that, he didn’t show it. The shorter man shrugged and turned to the exit towards the parking lot. The gym they went to was one of the nicer ones in the city, but its showers were still not up to Levi’s impossible standards. Fine by Erwin, really. He had a call he wanted to make now, and he didn’t need Levi further sticking his nose in things.

It only took a few rings for Armin to pick up.

“Hey old man.”

“Hey yourself.”

“I hope you’re calling for the reason I think you’re calling.”

“What are you doing tonight?” Erwin asked hopefully. Armin breathed a slight chuckle on the other end.

“Getting stoned and watching Star Trek . Could use some company.”

Erwin showed up an hour and a half later having taken the bus, a glass of cheap wine in his system. Armin opened the door in nothing but an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of (heart-patterned!) boxer briefs. His skin was pink and the ends of his hair were slightly damp; he must’ve just gotten out of the shower. Best of all he was wearing, though, was a devilish smirk.

“Was wondering if you were gonna show up,” Armin quipped, “and if I was gonna have to take matters into my own hands.”

“I’m sure that would’ve been quite the sight.” Erwin said, already stepping across the threshold to take Armin into his arms. Before he could do anything beyond that, Armin had grabbed a fistful of Erwin’s jacket and yanked, kissing him just how he liked, hot and filthy. Erwin fumbled to close the front door behind him, keenly aware of Armin’s neighbors despite his lightheadedness at the kiss. Armin’s skin was warm, maybe from the shower, and his hair smelled like lavender. 

“Thought about you all day.” Erwin mumbled into Armin’s neck, a hand snaking down to grab his ass. Armin took Erwin’s chin in his hands and directed his lips back to his mouth. Erwin acquiesced gladly, his free hand reaching to lightly grasp at Armin’s neck. 

Armin continued to heatedly kiss Erwin, arching into his touch before placing a hand on his chest and pushing him away.

“C’mon, I’m not finished with my episode yet.”

“But-“

“It’s the season finale,” Armin interjected forcefully, “And you can wait half an hour. About time you learned some patience.”

“I think you just get off on teasing me.” Erwin grumbled (taking Armin’s hand and letting him lead him into the living room anyways). Armin smirked.

“That too.”

Armin repositioned himself on the couch. He had a habit of placing himself into very odd positions, like an overly relaxed cat. One leg was curled beneath where he sat, the other stretched all the way out across the sofa’s arm. Erwin wasn’t sure if he was just more comfortable sitting like that or if he was maybe trying to show off his flexibility. It certainly reminded Erwin, whose joints were eternally tight these days, that he should maybe start picking up those yoga classes at the gym again.

“This is still half full,” Armin said, juggling a blue glass pipe in one hand and fumbling with the television’s volume controls with the other. “I can pack more if you want it.”

“Is this what you do when Eren’s not in the house?”

“It’s pretty much the same with him here, actually. Except we’re playing video games usually. He doesn’t have the attention span for television.” 

“If he’s watching Star Trek , I don’t blame him.” Erwin said, taking the lighter Armin handed him.. It had been awhile since he smoked, maybe since he and Marie were still together, but he still knew his way around.

“It’s a good show.” Armin pinched his side, snapping Erwin back to reality. “Some people just have no taste.”

“Well, we already knew that.” Erwin lit up and inhaled deeply, enjoying the sensation of the smoke entering his lungs and exhaling with a cough. It irritated his lungs and tasted awful, but Erwin didn’t care when weed’s effects began setting in almost immediately, a benefit of having abstained for so long. Erwin scooted closer to Armin, wrapping his arm around his waist and leaning back into the couch’s soft, clean cushions. Armin followed happily, adjusting himself to allow Erwin to rest his head on his shoulder.

“How was your day?” Armin asked quietly, almost a whisper. Erwin closed his eyes, nestling himself further into the crook of Armin’s neck and shoulder. He smelled so good. Armin always smelled good.

“It was fine.” Erwin murmured back, leaning forward to take another hit off Armin’s pipe.

“I’m glad.”

“How was yours?”

“Stressful.” Armin said with a sigh, holding his hand out for the pipe. Erwin passed it to him and lit it as he raised it to his lips.

“You wanna talk about it?”

Armin exhaled and shook his head.

“Nothing really to talk about. Just glad I’m not there right now.”

Erwin hummed and took the pipe from him, taking one final hit and settling back into the cushions, Armin leaning against him. He moved his hand from Armin’s waist to his shoulder, gently rubbing it in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

“Anything I can do?” He murmured into Armin’s hair. Armin turned his face towards Erwin’s, his lips curled up in a tight, wry smile.

“Oh, I can think of a few things.”

Armin’s eyes were droopy and relaxed, but still focused intently on Erwin. There was something about his eyes that constantly had Erwin transfixed. They were bright, clear, and so intense in their focus, even while slightly bloodshot from the weed. 

“Not until this episode’s over though, right?”

“You got it.” Armin patted his arm and craned his neck to place a kiss on Erwin’s cheek. He gave a slight giggle as he did, probably from the feeling of Erwin’s rough stubble scratching at his cheek.

“Well, when’s it gonna be over.” Erwin asked, his arms growing a little tighter around Armin. He thought he could feel Armin’s heartbeat through his sweatshirt, fast and excited. Realistically, it was probably just his own pulse.

“When it stops.” Armin didn’t take his eyes off the screen, but he did allow Erwin to haul his lithe body onto his lap, craning his neck as Erwin rested his chin on Armin’s shoulder. “Do you like it?” 

“Yes.” Erwin whispered into Armin’s ear, pulling him even closer to his chest and enjoying the little thrill that went through Armin’s body.

“Really?”

“Yes.” Erwin’s hand snaked under Armin’s sweatshirt, pressing gently into the soft skin beneath it.

“Ugh, Erwin, I’m talking about the show.”

Erwin chuckled, hoping it sounded smooth and suave rather than stoned and giddy. 

“I know. It is good.” It was probably just the weed, but he was enjoying the program. The colors on it looked way more vivid than before, as though he was watching an old Technicolor movie instead of a cable show on Armin’s cheap TV. His body felt like it was humming at a low, tranquil frequency. And Armin still smelled amazing. Erwin couldn’t resist nosing at his hair once more. Not just lavender, but something else, too. Peach, maybe. 

“Anything left in this?” Armin leaned forward as Erwin reluctantly allowed him to escape his grasp, checking the bowl and lighting up once more.

“You’re amazing, Armin.” Erwin mumbled. Armin chuckled as he exhaled. 

“You’re stoned, Erwin.”

“I mean it.”

“Right.”

Armin took another hit and leaned back onto Erwin’s chest. The warm, tranquil feeling settling deep into his bones combined with the feeling of Armin’s body weight resting against him was beginning to have quite the effect on him. The credits hadn’t begun to roll before he started to press gentle kisses into Armin’s neck. Armin, for his part, didn’t discourage his ministrations, moving his hand up to the back of Erwin’s head and running his fingers through his hair. 

“Doesn’t it make you feel good?”

“You make me feel good.” Erwin murmured into his neck, pushing his sweatshirt aside to kiss his shoulder. The skin there was soft, warm, and dotted with pale freckles, and Armin sighed sweetly as Erwin’s lips traced a line to his neck.

 “I can keep making you feel good if you let me turn off the TV.”

 Armin leaned forward to grab the remote. As he did, Erwin rose from the sofa, primed and ready to sweep Armin off his feet as soon as he stood up. Armin let out a surprised squeak as he was suddenly lifted off the floor, hands clutching desperately around Erwin’s shoulders. Erwin might’ve felt bad if the squeak hadn’t been so adorable (that alone was enough to make all the hours in the gym with Levi worth it).

“Ugh, you’re so lame. I can’t believe you just did that.” Armin said after recovering from being lifted so suddenly, rolling his eyes despite the pink flush that had bloomed on his cheeks.

“I’m not lame, I’m a gentleman .”

“You just wanted to prove you’re strong enough to do that.”

“Are you complaining?”

“...No.”

Hours later, he briefly awakened in Armin’s bedroom. It was too early to get up, so he opted to lay quietly in Armin’s bed, the dawn’s pale blue light just beginning to illuminate the room through his cheap plastic blinds. It was dim, but enough for Erwin to study the details he was otherwise too preoccupied to notice; the math textbook compensating for one of the night stand’s too-short legs, the small but verdant philodendron on his paper-strewn desk, the weathered hiking boots resting by the door. Armin’s wallet lay atop a pile of worn books on his dresser. Pride and Prejudice , one of the spines read. Tales from Earthsea . A Sand County Almanac . 

Armin stirred, turning onto his side to wrap an arm around Erwin’s stomach. 

“Wha’time is it?” He murmured.

“Time for you to go back to sleep.” Erwin whispered back, reaching back to gently place his arm over Armin’s.

“Awesome.” Armin mumbled into his skin, already nodding off again. 

Who knew what the day would bring. But right now, at least, it was peaceful.