(A/N:) upcoming season one spoilers!
Eren didn't know why he hadn't turned into a titan. Of course, he had been training so it didn't really matter. But if he couldn't transform during a simple test, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to do it during a battle when it would be important. He had attacked his hand so savagely, desperate to turn, he had left his skin a mangled mess. He refused Hanji's help, too ashamed of his failure, and ran off to the hospital wing, which was empty since they hadn't been on a mission in awhile. He cursed himself under his breath, frustrated and confused because he couldn't figure out why this had happened. Hadn't happened more like.
"Eren?"
The brunet knew that voice. He hastily tried to cover his injury, looking up to meet ocean eyes. "A-Armin!" he exclaimed, hiding his hand behind his back. The blond eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"
He stared at Eren a moment, something flashing in his eyes before he sighed, taking a seat on the bed next to the brunet. "I was actually looking for you. Hanji saw you go this direction and I thought this was where you'd come."
"Why, because I wanted to be alone?" he asked half-jokingly, giving Armin a smirk. "Because you're hurt."
The boy cursed under his breath. Armin always knew when something was wrong with him. Whether it be physical or mental, the blond could read him like an open book. Eren usually didn't mind this ability; in fact it was pretty useful when he couldn't quite find the words to express himself. But this was not like that. He was supposed to be able to transform into a titan and no one knew why that hadn't happened. It caused others to turn on him — believing that he could no longer control his ability. And the thought that they might've been right made Eren terrified. People already thought he was a monster and this wasn't going to make it any better.
"Let me see,"
The gentle voice reminded Eren that his best friend was sitting next to him. He raised his gaze from his lap, where it had been previously, and saw the worry etched onto the boy's face. Feeling guilt twist in his stomach, he grimaced before pulling his left hand out from behind him. Armin gently took his hand, careful not to touch the bite mark. He examined it carefully for a moment before rising to his feet. "Wait here."
He walked over to one of the drawers and pulled out a roll of gauze and a cloth. He hurried over to Eren, dipping the cloth into a jug of water on the bedside table. He took the boy's hand again, gently dabbing at the blood with the now wet cloth. Eren winced when Armin had cleaned the excess blood and had moved on to the wound itself. Ocean eyes glanced up worriedly, making sure it wasn't too painful. Once he was finished, Armin grabbed the gauze and took his time wrapping it around the brunet's hand. Eren's eyes focused on the boy's face, noticing the faint freckles sprinkled across his cheeks. They weren't usually noticeable unless you looked closely. His eyes still held their worried look from earlier, but there was something else there now.
Something Eren couldn't quite place. He had seen it before many times, but he still didn't know what it was that kept itself hidden in the blue of Armin's eyes.
His hand seemed to move on it's own, lifting to cup Armin's cheek. The blond looked up, seemingly surprised at the sudden movement. He still held Eren's hand, but stopped wrapping it, a pink hue settling on his cheeks. "E-Eren?" he asked questioningly. But the brunet didn't answer. He was mesmerized by the blond's eyes, his hair, his skin, his lips.
He ran his thumb along Armin's mouth, wanting to see how it felt under his finger. The boy gasped, his cheeks only darkening. Eren glanced up into his eyes again and felt something erupt in his chest. He didn't know what this feeling was, but all he knew was that he had to do something about it.
So he pulled Armin closer, kissing him softly on the mouth. He seemed surprised at first, letting out a tiny squeak. But he relaxed almost immediately, pulling away slightly only to come back stronger. Eren ran his hand through blond hair, fingers occasionally brushing Armin's jaw. It was relatively chaste and short, but to them it was absolute perfection and froze everything else around them. When Eren pulled away he didn't say anything. Neither did Armin. But the blond smiled that smile. The one that only Eren saw, and even then it was rare. And then he continued caring for Eren's wound as if nothing had happened, gentle smiles and blushes gracing their features.
