Heart without a Beat

I- Online

"Stop telling people it's a hickey," Armin Arlert gave a subtle snort of laughter, eyeing the blotch of redness on his friend's collarbone. His lips were curled up in utter mockery, "It's just an allergy to pollen. Seriously, it's not hard to tell the difference between a hickey and a simple allergy to a certain type of pollen."

"It's good enough," Eren Jaeger gave the distinct mark on his neck a self-conscious rub, "It'll fool the fools and the wise men." The two were squandering their time away at Armin's living room, since the yearlies were completed and summer holidays were approaching. Eren had made himself comfortable by sitting on an overstuffed bean bag, right beside Armin, who was clutching a bag of popcorn to his scrawny chest.

"You can get a kiss or even something more from any girl at our school," the blond one stated factually, "You have striking good looks, you don't need to tell people that that mark is a hickey. Anyone would kiss you and give you a hickey anyday."

There existed one moment of hesitation. "Armin, are you implying something? 'You have striking good looks' and 'anyone would kiss you'? Are you throwing me hints? Is that what you're trying to do?" Eren tipped his head back and barked out a laugh, "You know, Armin , just open the closet doors, we'll all still love you the same."

It had taken his friend ten full seconds to understand what he just said. "For chrissakes! No, Eren, why must you do this to me-" Armin shook his head, as if to clear his jumbled thoughts, "You know what, we haven't played Mario Kart in a while. Let's get the game out, shall we?"

Scores: 5-0

Coconut head's status: ON-line.
Hot head's status: ON-line.
Horse head's status: OFF-line.

"Stop being a little shit and let me win once," Eren scowled impatiently, tossing the remote control for his gaming console aside.

"Calling me a 'little shit' won't make you a better person," Armin lifted his shoulder dismissively, plunging his hand into the bag of popcorn again, in a desperate attempt to fish out the caramel-coated ones. In his other hand was the second remote control. He was frantically thumbing the controls, biting his bottom lip as his car overtook Eren's. Since Eren had casted his controller aside, his kart rammed into a roadside boulder, took a sharp swerve and was hurled out the racetrack.

"Hate to say this, coconut head, but you win every damn time," Eren's lips arched up in an envious snarl as he watched Armin's kart whizz past the finish line, again.

"Not really," Armin muttered, his gaze still fixated on the screen, as if under a trance, "and maybe your fingers just aren't very... coordinated."

"Oh? Who's better than my little coconut head?" Eren raised his brow, cocking his head to one side, oblivious to the insult.

A pause. "I raced this user online, who goes by the name of RedScarf, " Armin faltered again, "race her once if you want, she usually goes online at around noon, you'll have to wait an hour or so."

"Girls are easier to beat in games," Eren let out a laugh, habitually rubbing his hands on his chest, "not being sexist or anything."

"You should see her skills then, they're mad," Armin murmured, throwing back a shock of his blond hair.

"Mad skills, huh? Guess I'll have to see for my-damn-self." Eren gave Armin a taunting look. "How could a girl be good at video games?"