𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓮𝓶𝓹𝓸𝓻𝓪𝓻𝔂 | 𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏 | ✔️

𝓸𝓷𝓮 | 𝓫𝓮𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮

It was a place he never saw before, yet he felt like he knew it his whole life.

He tilted his chin slightly upwards, a small smile etched across his face as he let the sunlight to warm and embrace his exposed skin. A great, pale blue lake stretched out before him; a welcoming breeze gave flight to the glossy blond hair about his shoulders, his sapphire eyes dazzling brightly and blinding the boy next to him.

Swiftly, Armin turned his head to the side, his eyes meeting Eren's intense stare.

Eren sat cross-legged next to Armin on a blanket of green, a green that matched the viridescence of his own eyes. His long, dark hair sat pulled back in a bun at the back of his head, allowing his deadpan expression to be fully seen.

After a few moments, Eren tilted his head as he continued to stare at Armin, his face turning from stoic to confused.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Armin's faced reddened instantaneously, the boy looking down hurriedly to his own crossed legs, hoping his hair cloaked his face to hide the blush.

"You were staring at me," Armin muttered.

Eren sighed, propping his arm up and holding his head in one hand, face still turned to the side. "I was staring at you because you were looking up at the sky with that...creepy dreamy look."

Armin's head shot up, brows furrowed. "It's not creepy," he retorted. "And you're one to talk about creepy."

Eren's lips curled up in a grin. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

And suddenly, everything around Armin began to dematerialize.

Darkness, unforeseen, swallowed him slowly.

His mouth opened to scream in shock.

Not a sound escaped from his throat.

In the darkness, he felt a hand clamp about his.

Although he could not see him, the comfortably calloused fingers entwined with his own told him it was Eren.

"Let's go, Armin," said Eren, his voice misty and barely audible.

When Armin's world of vision returned, he was standing upon a ledge of a mountain overlooking a body of water. There was a ringing in his ears, as if a bullet was shot while he was wrapped in darkness moments prior. Armin whipped his head around, seeing Eren walking in the opposite direction, his back facing Armin.

Armin reached out for Eren.

Armin was suddenly running after Eren, as if in a trance.

This doesn't feel real.

His legs told him to run, and so he did.

Have I been here before?

Armin caught up to Eren, roughly grabbing his shoulder and turning Eren to face him.

It's like a puppet show.

The vibrations in his throat and the movement of his mouth told Armin he was talking to Eren. Eren opened his mouth to reply, but the sharp chiming in Armin's ears did not allow him to hear.

Abruptly, Eren's lips crashed onto his. Armin's fingers found refuge in Eren's hair, feeling the latter's hands resting on his waist.

Once more, Armin spiraled into a world of darkness, though he tried more desperately to hold on.

When Armin opened his eyes again, he found himself...

Sitting in the chair of a book cafe?

He blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to his surroundings. Tall, tawny brown shelves of books lay lazily against the walls on all sides of the small cafe. Industrial pendant lights hung from the ceiling, illuminating the sepia walls and warmly lighting the cafe. The sweet and smoky scent of freshly brewed coffee danced in the air, mixed with a comforting afternoon chatter.

As Armin rubbed his back and internally cursed himself for falling asleep on a hard, wooden chair, he thought about the dream that he just had. The events of the dream were fresh in his mind, with a sense of familiarity nagging him.

Was that really a dream?

Out of nowhere, a voice cleared its throat.

Armin looked up, minding a man sitting across the table from him. He was wearing a denim hooded jacket, hand drumming at the edge of the table with his pink lips pursed slightly. Half of his dark, wispy hair was up in a messy bun, the rest falling a bit beyond his shoulders. Now he stared at Armin intensely, just as he had in the dream.

"Were you up late last night?" Eren asked softly. "You even let your muffin get cold, and you usually scarf that thing down the second you get it."

Eren smirked. "Well, you looked like you were having a really nice dream, at least."

Armin's eyes trailed momentarily down to Eren's lip.

The image from the dream of Eren kissing Armin that had been wafting politely at the back of his mind now burst right into Armin's face.

Wait...Did I really dream...that?

Armin flushed deeply, wondering if he was really so hopeless he had dreamed of something like that.

Eren's eyes opened wide briefly, surprised at Armin's reaction, before squeezing shut as he burst out into laughter.

"Oh, so was it that type of dream? Gosh, you are down bad... I didn't peg you as the type for that kinda thing, Armin-"

Eren paused, barking out a harsh laugh, making Armin flush even deeper.

Was he really, 'down bad'?

Armin began to recollect himself, trying to wrap his head around the lucid ambiguity of his dream.

It was beyond nostalgia.

It played out like a fantasy, yet was wrapped in the impression of actuality. Armin's dream trapped him in a world he did not know of, and at the same time, he knew everything about it.

Armin rubbed his temple, brows furrowed.

"Armin? Armin!" Eren said sharply. Armin snapped his head upwards.

Eren huffed and half-heartedly rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "And you just decide to space out while I'm talking, yeah?"

Armin nervously laughed and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Eren...What were you saying?"

Eren let out a sigh. "I was only saying that I hope you find someone to satisfy your...libido, y'know?"

Eren winked at him, causing Armin to flush deeply.

Armin quickly averted his gaze down to the cold blueberry muffin before him.

I wonder if I could end it all here by purposely choking on a chunk of it...

His thoughts were interrupted by the chiming of a bell, and Eren and Armin turned their heads to see Mikasa and Annie entering the cafe.