A/N: Uhhhh...... hi.

You thought you wouldn't see me with an update ever again? Well now guess who's back with an update, even if half a year later. Yes, half a year later. I'm sorry. It's not like I didn't write anything at all during that time because I did! But not for this fanfic. To be honest, I wasn't able to focus on it for most of the time. But now here I am and if you want to read more of my story, then feel free to do so.

I have a few things to say so I would appreciate it if you READ MY WHOLE AUTHOR'S NOTE PLEASE!

I think that not updating for several months must mean that I lost tons of readers because they were sick of waiting/lost hope for more updates/weren't interested in my fic or Ereri or SnK anymore/etc. I can't and I won't blame them! To be honest the most important thing for me is to write and to (HOPEFULLY) finish this story one day. It doesn't matter to me if, by the end, there are only a few readers left. I wouldn't mind if at some point I didn't have any readers anymore. Because I'm telling you that it will probably take me more than a year to finish my fic. I checked and there are at least 20 more chapters to come, which means at least 200k additional words. That's a lot of work. But I really really really wanna finish this fic! It's because of the remaining plot I have planned. Even if it doesn't seem like that at first, but there will be heavy plot and angst soon again. I want to write it all because there will be moments where I have that feeling that I will be challenging myself again. Moments and chapters where I want to give my everything to it and create something that might evoke thrills and feels in my readers.

If you think that the biggest shit has already happened, then you are wrong (⊙▽⊙✿)

There is much more to come. And I will write it. No matter how long it'll take me. No matter how many writer's blocks I will have and how much doubts I have to go through. "I'm Levi's" has become special to me because of what I have planned for it. I want this to be the fic that I put my most efforts and feelings into.

So I hope some of you want to accompany me on my journey, my gratitude is endless.

Now to this chapter: Well, I had wanted to write a filler chapter after Levi's confession so here it is. One of my readers suggested a day in the onsen. This would have been a good idea, but I opted for something else because it seemed more suitable for more than one reason.

I think it's good for Eren and Levi to relax a bit before shit is going to start again— I MEAN WHAT AHAHAHA (⊙▽⊙✿)

By the way: This fic will have switching. Yes, Levi will bottom at least once later in the fic and I will write an explicit scene about that at least one time. Soon you all will realise that the story doesn't depend on who is top and who is bottom. Eren was a bottom the whole time now, but in the end this won't matter. I hope it doesn't discourage you to go on reading. Once the bottom Levi chapter is posted, I will give a little warning, if you want.

I was genuinely surprised when I found out how many new readers and comments I got during the time of not updating. It gives me a feeling of people actually wanting to read my story and tbh that makes me really emotional. Thank you for all the views and likes and comments and praises, some of them even made me cry for real :')

Okayyyyy. I think I've said everything I wanted to say. Enjoy the chapter!

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Levi

Time passed where Eren and I spent time together and Eren would tell me occasionally that we were doing great as a couple, by means of acting as naturally as we could. Since I still had some struggles with that.

Surely, I did notice that my relation to Eren was different from the time when we used to be fuck buddies. The cold distance I had made sure to establish between him and me back then had vanished remarkably, Eren's words and touches would reach parts inside me I didn't know I would ever discover feelings in; his voice and his fingers seemed to graze my soul and revive them with genuine love, glint a spark that had diminished long time ago. Also, the way I saw Eren with my eyes seemed altered, too. Since quite a while now had I willingly dropped the thought of thinking of him as a source of pleasurable entertainment.

If I may say so, I even tried my best – the most that was within my power – at understanding what that concept of having infatuated feelings for someone was like. While Eren had acted more naturally, I had that feeling that I had fought with myself in all this. Thinking of all that had happened I would even go as far as to say that sometimes I had acted like an immature idiot. I was more than certain that no one at my age needed to ask their lover if this or that was alright to do when they were trying to comfort their partner (like back then when Eren's fight with his best friend had still been ongoing). Or I should have realized sooner that even after all these months there had been something unresolved between us which led to shenanigans (the problem with Erwin at Hanji's Halloween party).

The major thing, though, that had left me most anxious at times was my decision to have gifted Eren with flowers as a sign to truly and wholeheartedly apologize to him (my confession hadn't really been part of my plan; but thinking back to it, I didn't regret my choice).

The arty flowers were still surrounding our bed, many of them already wilting honorably, but there were few that didn't give up yet to sweep its vivid colours around. Sometimes I would look at them and question whether I had done the right thing. The time I was to myself, alone, allowed all kind of thoughts to roam my mind and coax me to figure out my position in my own life.

In my life that Eren had much influence in, and I let him. I would even beg him to do so because without him I was incomplete.  

Today was one of those days where I regarded the flowers again, shortly—with an inquiring look and a feeling of wanting to do more. Wanting to be more for Eren.

I had revealed my love for him, but even then I desired to make everything right and not let anything slip. This wasn't the end in our relationship, but I was stuck. Just like being trapped in quicksand in the deserts, I was unable to go back or forth, sinking deeper and deeper.

But I wasn't alone. Not anymore. Loneliness and unfulfillment that I had suppressed as part of myself weren't part of my life anymore. And knowing that Eren would huddle against my body, drape his arms around me from behind and reassure me in sweet cooing whispers that everything was alright, gave me strength. I was strong, but not in the emotional sense, which I used to think I'd be fine with in the past. The way I had dealt with my feelings was wrong and, with Eren by my side, I felt like being with someone who I could trust unconditionally. I was willing to give in to that. However, at the moment, I had no clue how I should express my devotion to his love. But one day I would.

"You're doing great." Eren's honey-like voice filled my ear with beauty (if the vibrations of voices were to have colours, Eren's would certainly be a silken and pure and precious gold). I took one of his hands that rested on my collarbone and squeezed it fondly. "Really." he finished, and I broke my gaze away from the fragile and rusty petals and came to sight with a profile, presenting a genuinely smiling Eren. His eyes sparkled the most vibrant green, so it seemed to me, and viewing him and listening to his words gave me safety.

I liked that feeling and would never get tired of it.

That there would exist someone in the first place who could trigger off these emotions inside me, causing my chest to twirl with affection, was an astonishment in itself. At least for me.

Only after a few minutes have passed did I eventually nod to Eren's words and said, "Yeah."

One word, but enough for both. For Eren. For our love.

There was no need for me to have doubts. Eren was honest with me and I trusted his words. So whenever he would tell me that I was doing well, I mustn't question that. I mustn't seek a way to be better, greater, when the way everything existed already did its purpose. In the end, I realized...

All I had to do was go on like that and live. I would go on in my life together with Eren and we'd please each other's needs without having to do much for it.

Waving around with my whole body, I faced him and cast a curled smile at him. He did the same and I took in his admirable beauty that I was granted to savour every day. Fingertips of mine brushed his cheek, right under his eyes and Eren's response, light fluttering through the rills of his eyelashes, doomed me into a world of sweetness.

Eren was everything I didn't know I ever needed.

Since it was early in the morning, we switched to the kitchen after a while, preparing breakfast. I was already sat with my omelette and toast, Eren still busy making his sandwich on the kitchen counter. Some random music was playing on the radio and Eren seemed to recognise it, singing along to the catchy tone it had while smearing butter on his toast. His head whipped softly to the sides, hips swaying as well and Eren seemed to be engrossed in that song. As if no one was here, he unraveled an easiness that was a perfect accompanion for a peaceful Thursday morning.

Despite of the fact that this was probably my first time listening to Eren's smooth singing voice, it felt like I had heard it so many times. And I would listen to it just as many more times. Attempting to describe how well of a "good singer" he was would be the false direction. It sounded pretty; pleasant, soft with a speckle of raw deepness, blissfully calming.

So it was no surprise that one edge of my mouth crooked up as I watched him awefully with one side of my head resting on my open palm.

"'cause I will spoil you with love! Oh, yeah.'" Eren finished singing along the last line of the song, whipping around to face me as he gunned his pointer fingers at me (actually it was a pointer finger and a kitchen knife in the other hand). Lastly, he glowed an enthusiastic smile, winking.

My own smile grew ever so faintly. "Can I have you as a take-away?" I joked, amused, and eyed him up and down once, biting my bottom lip to show off how irresistable he was, no matter what he did.

Eren huffed out a delightful chuckle. "You can always have me." he claimed languidly, stroking one side of his hair by running his fingers though them.

This guy was so fucking great.

"Oh, trust me, I want. And I will. And I know you want it too."

"What is this? Dirty talk with an open outcome before we even had our breakfast? Don't even dare think of that. Not with empty stomachs, honey."

Placing the knife down on the counter, he planted the top layer of toast onto his sandwhich, grabbed it with a rigid grip, pupils and eyes blown apart in hunger – perhaps this was still from the extraordinariness of his prior act – and he raised his meal to his mouth, taking a generous chunk.

Eren was probably the only one who could deflate the suggestive vibes that had barely even begun to swell between us. He looked like a dork right now with his face stuffed to hamster cheeks, no trace left of that sexy beast side of him from a few seconds ago.

"Mm, oh, yeah. My sandwiches are the best." Eren's full mouth produced, his face peaceful while eating, and I snorted to myself. He was so unbelievably extra. He licked some of his fingers.

"Oi, what are you trying to achieve with that? Come sit down already."

Eren beamed a smile first thing first as a reply, and despite of the width of his grin, I was gratefully spared from seeing the mushy interior of his mouth. When he joined me at the table with a brisk walk, he chattered to me. I should have guessed it and yet it got me unexpected when he sat down on my lap, doing so ever so casually. Though I adjusted to his very spontaneous idea quickly because at least I had appeared to welcome him, with my arms extended and ready to curl round his hips, whereas my legs shifted clumsily to grant Eren a rather – hopefully – comfortable seat.

"You're very extra, you know that?" I mumbled and nibbled on his earlobe as I made out the chewing motions of his jaw.

"Am I not allowed to when around you?"

"Of course you are. I was just stating a fact. An adorable one. I can't resent you for it."

"You're so sweet. I don't wanna go to work now. Wanna stay here with you." he whined and clung to me with what bore similarity to a death grip.

"Let's skip work then. Only for today." I took a deep breath of his natural body scent. Smelled fine.

"Okay." Eren was quick and eager to answer, taking another bite.

"Cool. Then, what shall we do first...?"

"No, Levi, I can't." Just as fast as he had swung to his reply, he changed his mind now again. He looked conflicted. "Pixis will kill me if I skip work again. Not only did I slack off most of the time the past few months, but when I was absent for more than a week, I got to understand that I'm putting my job at risk! Even if the latest incident for my absence wasn't my fault and had a plausible explanation, I can't do this. I'm sorry, Levi?"

He swept a flat and rough hand across my cheek and I was able to sniff parts of his sandwich.

"Well, okay. I surely understand that. It's nice of you to think about us and the time we should spend together, but, hell, no big deal, we will be apart for only 6 up to 8 hours, not days." I gave him a wicked smile, winking. With one of my hands losing themselves in his untamed mop of brown locks, I scidded his face closer to mine, until noses were brushing each other. "You think you can endure that?" I asked raspily, intended to make it sound more dramatic than it was.

Eren nodded with lips pouting meekly, though playfully acted.

I grabbed him by his cheeks and kissed his lips fondly. "Good boy."

"Only for you."

"Now move your ass. I'm sure you're already running late."

Eren darted his eyes to the clock once, slight panic written on his face with the way his eyes widened slightly for a split second. "Nooooo," he spit out sarcastically, "only maybe, haha." He scratched the back of his hair, clawed his sandwich then to stuff his mouth fully with it as he made his way to get ready for work. Unlike him, I still had some time left.

I patted his back as he paced past behind me and I could only smile to myself at how adorable Eren was, whining and complaining with a full mouth and inhumane growls.

"See you later. Stay safe."

He left me with a roar that was probably supposed to be a 'yes', I think.

It was no more than 15 minutes later that I got a call from Eren. When answering it, my ears were abused with an unintelligible stuttering and Eren seeming to go on with his complaints. "Levi! I can't do this. Oh my goodness, I can't stay away from you for so long. Save me, please."

"Eren, we've parted barely 15 minutes ago." I scoffed, but couldn't deny that this was lightening the moodiness a morning would always carry along for me.

"Please, my White Knight, please save me from this pain." He sounded exasperatedly exhausted and the way he acted spilled over from how staged it is, so that I couldn't refrain myself from rolling my eyes. It wouldn't be a wonder if Eren had heard it from the other side of the call. A cue of an upcurve at the corner of my lips indicated that Eren would certainly always find a way to be bratty; bratty but still cute. Not that I had desired this in a person ever before, but with him, and experiencing that on him, I figured I didn't find it obnoxious.

"Eren, go to work. And don't drop dead on your way."

Eren mewled. "Psh, fine." A little span of static silence. "Levi?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, okay?"

When his words reached my ears, I was enthralled by its lovely tune. Sweet and so earnest.

I smiled genuinely. "I love you, too."

From then on, I didn't get a call from Eren, which meant he would be all the more enthusiastic when coming back again. It was me who had returned home first and decided to kill time by cleaning first and then make a proper dinner. My first chore, however, got interrupted midway as I heard the door bell being ringed. Indecisive over whether I didn't mind or actually loathed the idea of a most likely unexpected guest, I trotted to the front door, taking off my rubber gloves in the process.

I did let out a sigh, but only seconds before twisting the door knob to reveal myself to whoever thought today and right now would be a good time to disturb.

With the fact of who I encountered, I was a bit taken aback, out of surprise, but didn't feel opposed to the idea of having to interact with them.

"Armin." I casually called out as a greeting.

"Hi." He glowed a sunshine smile at me, face split in two from it.

"Oh, sorry, but Eren is not here yet."

"Yes, I know." I stunned. It had come naturally to me that Armin would always visit us because of Eren. "I'm here because I need to talk to you."

I held in my breath. There was a tiny, whiny howl singing lowly in my throat; as if my soul was crying in panic and leaving my body soon.

I contemplated.

Thought very deeply and tried to figure out what it could be that would have summoned Armin to me. I averted my eyes discreetly to the sides, swaying them in every direction with eyes narrowed to a slit as I tried to remember everything I did with or to Eren that might have upsetted him and was reason enough to send his best friend to me, even if not initially planned for this to happen.

But there was nothing.

I hadn't done anything wrong. Why would Armin want to talk to me, what the heck. I was and moreso had been a good boyfriend.

Awkwardly, I released the breath I was holding in, and proceeded with giving Armin a silent gaze. When I saw him still beaming at me expectantly, not minding that way more seconds had passed in silence and with us still in the front door that was actually not the suitable place for social actions, I freed myself from my reverie.

I shook my head quickly, flinging the door open and stepped aside to shove some free room for him to enter. Waving my hand in a beckoning motion, I said, "Oh-okay. Come inside."

"Thank you." Armin shrilled happily.

"Want some tea?" Armin seemed to not have forgotten where the living room was and headed to said place elatedly and all by himself while I closed the door and tossed my rubber gloves aside.

"No, thanks. I'm fine like this."

I decided I wouldn't have to linger on that, so I didn't, and followed Armin into the living room.

He stood there, in the center of the room, quiet, back facing me, for quite a moment. And when he turned around and faced me, he suddenly mustered a frowning glare. He didn't waste a second. "Jean and Eren finally have to get along." He murmured in a growl, mouth barely opening.

Second time this day and within a short time span did he succeed in catching me off guard and make me hella confused. I did nothing beside offering a passive startled furrow of my brows. "Yeah... right."

Armin loosened up his face and sighed. He went back to looking lax, but with light exhaustion grazing his features. "What I mean is that their childish rivalry can't go on forever."

I nodded in understanding and motioned for him to sit down. He did, literally plumping down onto the couch. He sighed again.

"I already got to experience a little of their hateful bickerings."

"Oh, trust me, if it was only a little, then you haven't seen them acting the worst way when being around each other." He rubbed one eye with the heel of his hand and smiled weakly.

I gave another nod, much slower, as I turned my gaze forward, elbows on my knees and fingers threaded as I pondered over the thought of actually making some tea. It could make him feel good; better, that is.

"You see," he went on before I could finish my thought, "Eren and Jean could get along well if they weren't so stubborn. Their little fights stemmed from nothing but little differences on attitude and opinions, all incited by hormones in their teenage years anyway. It's not like they really hate each other, they just want to appear superior and better in front of the other which is ridiculous."

I stared at his face where that sheen of despair was ghosting over. "What do you want to do ab—"

"I mean," he cut off my words, as though I had never started to speak in the first place. He must be really desperate. "On Jean and I's wedding day, they were doing fine with one another! Well, Jean knew he better shouldn't ruin this day for us and Eren had his sister around him most of the time, but of course this is no solution. I believe that those two are actually compatible as friends, deep in their cores, they are more similar than one would expect at first. They are the type of 'buddies roasting each other mockingly', you know?"

Eventually, Armin turned to me, shoulders shrugged, waiting for me to agree. I agreed. "You're probably right."

He produced prominent nods for every word he uttered now. "Yeah. Right. Cool." He pressed his lips together, likely mulling over something and looked me in the eye then. Finitely, he said, "I have an idea. I want us four to go to Kirmin and spend some time there."

"Kirmin?" I raised a brow.

"Oh, yeah. Kirmin is an island Jean bought for us. For me, actually, but I insist on calling it our island."

"Wow, that's... impressive." How high were the chances of ever meeting someone and become friends with them only to find out that they owned an island—that was outstanding.

"Well, yeah, I want them to have to be around each other for a while so that they can grow nicer to one aother. I would have them interact as much as possible. And... well," Armin scatched his hair and viewed me for the first time in a way and with an expression that said he was really talking to me, "I wanted to ask you now if you'd play along with my plan. And maybe... also help me, at least being on my side—that would be enough."

I didn't take long to answer to that. "Sure. Of course I would fancy the idea of my boyfriend having one rival less."

"If this goes well, Eren's amount of enemies would die down to zero."

"Even better." I leaned back on my seat and crossed my arms behind my head, thinking everything over. A little thing sprang into my mind. "Eren can't afford days off at the moment, though."

"I had planned to spend a whole weekend on it, so it's no problem." Armin wanted to finish with that, until something else occured to his mind. "Unless you have work on the weekend. Do you?"

"Nope."

"Good." he said, relaxed.

"Sounds like a good idea, I guess. Do you want to leave both in the dark?"

He snorted. "No. I will openly tell them what my general plan is. However, I won't tell any details."

"And what are the details?" I wondered idly.

Armin cocked his head to my side, tilting it down, and shimmered a pure smile. Feigning angelic innocence when he had actually sly methods planned out. "You'll get to know them when the right time comes. Please, all I beg of you is to play along." He pleaded by planting his palms together, flatly, raising the tips of his fingers to his rosy lips. He surely had some wicked side on him.

"Well, yeah, okay. If you think it works best like this."

"I'm certain it will."

"Fine." I shrugged. Then, when half a minute passed where Armin loosened completely, making himself more than comfortable on the couch, telling he would like to stay here until Eren came back so that he could get informed right away which I was totally fine with, I roused myself from the couch. "Want some tea now?" I asked when I had already reached the kitchen's threshold, whipping around.

Armin's features shone brighter than I had witnessed on him so far today, it almost blinded my dull eyes. "Yes!" he cheered. "Sure. I'd like to."

~~~

About an hour later, Eren arrived home, originally having wanted to jump into my arms and embrace me and elaborate on plans for shared intimate togetherness for the rest of the day, but stilled his ecstatic outburst at a speed of light as soon as he spotted his best friend.

He looked ridiculous, halting in the middle of the living room, arms spread wide, ogling Armin with wide eyes and an equally wide mouth. "Oh. Hey, Armin." He sounded fine with the idea of an unexpected visit.

All three of us spent the following time on telling Eren all that was worth being mentioned of Armin's plan.

"A some sort of 'holiday' to get me and Jean to come to better terms, huh?" Eren huffed as he crossed his arms, leant back and placed one leg over the other. Traces of his prior enthusiasm were barely audible or palpable. I – and Armin too – had expected that.

"Yes, Eren." Armin scrambled closer to him, caging him with a look of honest sincerity. "You know you and Jean can't go on like this forever."

Eren waved a hand sluggishly. "If Jean wasn't such an idiot with his general attitude, I wouldn't—"

"Passing on the guilt to the other won't help at all. Besides, it's not as simple-threaded as that. So just listen to me, okay? Let's use that opportunity for you two to approach each other more nicely. Try to acknowledge and respect, and Jean shall too. You can't be wanting to fight with Jean every time you see him. You don't really want to continue like that, do you?"

It was only after leering scowling glances, and low incoherent muttering, that Eren gave in with a hieving sigh. "Yeah, you're right. Things could be better between us."

"Are you willing to agree on the purpose of this trip?"

"I am." Eren's snort had a whiny undertone, whether it was because of defeat or the fact that he probably had to get familiar with such an idea, I couldn't tell. Perhaps it was because of both. "Though, I'm sure it will be difficult if we want to convince Jean. There are many reasons why."

"Oh, don't worry. Let me handle that."

We also decided to tell Jean on the same day, so all three of us gathered in Armin's living room after every matter between Armin and Eren had been discussed, giving us reason to finally approach the last person who was an important factor in Armin's plan, Jean.

Armin had opted to give his husband a quick résumé, finishing with sentences of 'Let's all of us go to Kirmin.' and 'It's a good possibility for you and Eren to break off your rivalry.'

The response we got was vocal—literally.

After some seconds of gazing dumbfoundedly at us, Jean fell into a big and roaring laughing fit. "Never!" he barked, a vicious grunt and a gleaming glare – mostly directed at Eren – peppered his face and voice.

I heard Eren huffing. "I fucking knew it." Tilting my head back to him, I saw his arms being crossed and a scowl radiating from him.

Armin sighed indignantly. "Oh, Jean. Please."

"Oh my god, baby, you really think...? You really think I would agree to such a thing??" Jean stepped up, his mocking tone steadily gained audacity. He gesticulated wildly while he joined Armin's side. "First of all, you want Eren and I to 'make up', wow, that already sounds too ridiculous. And then, you think, for that, we should go make a trip to our island? Haha, no way!" Armin had his arms crossed too, giving his husband an annoyed, stern look. Jean patted his shoulder, with an entertained demeanour swirling around him. "Armin, babe, I love you. But this idea is pointless, we don't have to waste time on something like this. As if either Eren or I—"

"I think it's a good idea, though," Eren intervened gruffly. As much as he would like to deal with something else that wouldn't involve Jean, he was willing enough to take such a sacrifice. Eren was reluctant but rational.

"Good for you, but no one asked!" And with Jean spatting this at him it was clear that he making peace with Eren and vice versa was very needed.

"Jean," Armin softly dragged Jean's arm from his own shoulder. Jean thought it would be a fine idea to spoil his husband with loving gestures, but Armin wouldn't have any of those, sticking to his determined plan despite all. "Do you remember what you told me about Kirmin, 'our' island?"

"Yes, that it's a gift from me to you. And that you can do and decide over it the way you wanna." The airy response gave hint about how clueless Jean was, not getting what Armin was actually trying to say with that.

"Yes, and I always said we should treat it as an island that is for us both. That we would always make plans together." Jean only grinned like a child, cocking his head lightly. He still didn't get it. Armin noticed that too and let out a slumped sigh. "Well, I thought there is no other way than me using your words this time and really being the only one to decide what would happen with Kirmin."

Slowly, it deemed on him. His face fell in slow motion until it hit him like a solid rock. "What?! No!"

Armin shook his head. His locks waved gracefully. "For today I want to say 'oh, you're right: My island, my rules, my decision.' These were your words. And for once I would like to do as I like, okay?" He cooed that last word, finishing with a sly upcurve of his mouth and knowing, mischievous eyes.

"But, b-but, no..." Jean stuttered and whined, attempting to plead for the opposite with puppy eyes.

"Nope." Armin flicked his nose high, popping the 'p' in his mouth. "I say all four of us – Levi, Eren, you, and I – shall go to Kirmin and have some fun there. Also, you and Eren have to get along. It will be interesting. There is no reason not to agree to it." He stole a glance at his husband with one opened eye, smirking. Jean was at his disposal, unable to oppose. Useless, he uttered more vain whines, though.

"Jean is such a child, heh," Eren hooked his hands around my arm, pressing his temple on my shoulder. He smiled spitefully.

"Don't be too self-confident. You're the other half of the reason why we're doing all this."

He formed a tiny pout. "Yeah, yeah. I will behave, you'll see. It can't be that difficult when Armin is with him."

This was probably the first time I had heard something that would soon turn out to be the grave opposite.

~~~

"What a beautiful sight!" Eren extended his arms upwards, lolling his head back, and embraced the feeling of windy breezes dancing around and passing his exposed skin and causing his summer shirt and shorts to flutter. His hair was nudged back by the wind, but still it rocked in waves and prickling sensation.

Eren stood fixed on the deck of the motor boat that carried us to the island. Like that we would reach our destiny faster than with a sail boat. Besides, Jean had quickly been able to find someone who would take us to a ride to Kirmin. Even if Jean himself could have driven that boat, this time he didn't want to in order to be by Armin's side.

It was impressive how fast the boat ran and the weather played along more than gratefully. Cloudless azure sky, a prominent sun in zenit and a cooling wind, although right now the last one was due to the speed we were forwarding with. I joined to Eren's left, cupped a hand above my eyes to get a sight of anything that would expand it front of us. Soon, I found more interest in studying Eren's gleeful gaze, taking in every small detail of it. Crinkles around the corners of his lips that shaped because of him grinning open-mouthedly and in joy; eyes pressed shut, creating faint creases; the sun trickled onto his tanned skin, dipping it in a golden hue; and his hair played prettily on his forehead and on the sides of his head and nuanced the beauty of such a gorgeous face.

Eren looked mesmerizing.

"It's a wonder though, right? Such a bright and warm weather, even on a November day." he mused, very happy.

"Of course, duh," Jean's spiky voice sounded off next to us, coming to the railing with an arm thrown over Armin's shoulders, a bottle of beer in hand and a snobbish look on his face. I assumed he was trying to look cool with his appearance; blue shorts with Hawaiian prints, an orange summer shirt which buttons were opened down to the middle of his chest and revealed plain brown chest hair, a golden necklace sporting the name 'Armin' hanging down from his neck. Armin, on the other hand, was dressed in simple airy summer clothes, turquoise and blue and white. Jean sipped on his beer. "You think I buy my gorgeous Armin an island without any thoughts? The one I chose has a combination of tropical and deserted vegetation, which means it's sunny weather on that island most of the time a year. Hah!" He laughed out loud, bragging, and received a nudge in the rips as reward from Armin.

"To be honest, I like it too!" Armin cheered then, shining a smile at us. "A hot sun and warm temperatures on a November day is a rarity but awesome, right. You like it too, Levi? It's the first time for you seeing Kirmin. Jean and I had our wedding on our island, but Eren told me you wouldn't have wanted to come." He pressed his lips together, wary, as if he had said something offensive.

"Yes, I like this. It's not bad, I guess. And, yeah, I had really not wanted to. But it would have been kinda weird too, I think, if I were to have attended your wedding without knowing you two at all back at that time." Eren discreetly tangled his finger with mine and squeezed. I had a vague guess that he felt this was a difficult topic since the story consisted of our fuck buddy relationship, and I couldn't tell whether what I told Armin just know was the honest reason I had had back then, but what I did know was that it was something in the past and couldn't influence me or Eren anymore. Everything was different now, we didn't have to look back at the what-used-to-be. I kissed the top of his messy mop of brown hair, soothingly.

"Mikasa and Levi would have been better than Mikasa and Eren, though." Jean started and it was more than obvious that this was the beginning for something really bad being triggered in a few seconds.

Armin realized that too and wanted to stop him. But his late attempts were to no avail. I tugged Eren back by our connected hand, but he wouldn't stay silent for long, anger displaying on his face.

"Jean, please behave—"

"But it's true, Armin! You remember how he acted, right? All extra nice and always sending me glares when he thought I wasn't looking and that 'I can behave even without Mikasa' thing. Haha! Then why did you stick to her the whole time? People acting all fake are lame, tell me in the face how much you hate me. I dare you, oh my God, imagine you really having done this on my wedding! It was Armin's wedding too. Oh goodness, this would have been some fun, everyone would have hated you after that!"

"Are you provoking me on purpose?! Shut the fuck up! You're asking for your face to be punched ugly by my fists, huh?!" Eren, a riled up mess of a guy, had freed himself from my grip and pressed himself against Jean, sending him and himself backwards until Jean hit the railing with his back, upper body hovering outward. One push and he'd be off the boat.

He grinned at Eren, not giving a shit that he would most likely see the boat from the bottom if he kept going.

Seriously? Why were these two such enemies, messing with the other for fun?

"Eren, stop it!" Armin cried out, and I took a hold of Eren's shoulders and backed him away from Jean roughly but quickly.

"Eren, this is going too far." I said with a chiding tone.

"He was going too far!" Eren raged and tried to wiggle free from my grasp.

"What the heck! I was only saying the truth!" Jean still had the audacity to laugh and maintain his grin further, straightening his shirt that got misplaced and crinkled where Eren had balled his fists into. Armin was tugging at his right sleeve, talking sense into him with how much of a scowling he directed at him. But from where I stood I couldn't make out the things he said. Instead, I frowned between Eren and Jean, huffing out a heavy sigh then.

"This will be a lot of work." When I shared a look with Armin, I saw him nodding in agreement, as though he had heard what I had said just now.

We arrived Kirmin island after half an hour and – luckily – without any more fights between the two troublemakers.

It started, though, even if only with a little fight so far, with them wanting to climb down the boat first and at the same time, so they would try to get what they want, fighting and pushing the other away from the ladder attached to the boat. It resulted in both of them falling into the narrow water by the shore. Splashing sounds being heard, a loud shared exclaimation of "Idiot!" followed.

Armin approached the ladder next, me right behind him, and he put a hand over his eyes as if he didn't want to believe nor even see that Jean's and Eren's childish act had truly happened just now.

"The whole weekend, you say?" I asked in a mocking tone, not preventing the amused smile from twitching over my mouth.

Armin glared at me, finding it noticibly less funny than me. "One whole weekend." The resolution in his tone spurred me on to anticipate the outcome of two days on an island with Eren and Jean seeing each other every day.

"Guuuuuys." Armin whined, casting his yelling down to the two sitting figures in the ocean water. They didn't seem to stop chanting curses at each other so soon, if we were to leave them alone. This was going to be a very funny weekend.

They stood up and made their way to the grounds; and we slowly – Armin inertially – followed, mild warm water weltering around our shins. Eren and Jean rather trudged forward, clothes heavy from the wetness and waterdrops trickling down from everywhere on their bodies. Eren flicked his hair back and spit on the crystal-like sand.

Jean saw it and riled up. "Hey!" he yelled, pointing at the spot Eren had released his spit onto. "Don't spread your bacterias on Armin's island, I'm gonna sue you!"

Eren just scoffed to it. With growling mutterings huffed at him, which he didn't pay attention to, he took a few more steps before he sat down on the sand. Knees bent and shoulders propped on his hands, he sighed and tilted his head. It seemed he wanted to dry himself under the sun.

That was close to being interrupted, though, when Jean came close to him, a dangerous glare running through his facial features.

"Jean, don't." Armin stopped him by his elbow, in time, because his foot had been ready to kick sand—towards Eren.

"What? That dumbass might as well can eat the sand he spit on."

"Jean." Armin reprimanded sternly, and Jean fell silent; reluctant and crude.

Meanwhile Eren had opened one eye, practically seething frowns into Jean's skull.

"What you wanted to do is very low. No matter how much you two fight, Eren doesn't deserve that." I growled at Jean, throwing a judging side-eye at him, and lent Eren a hand. "Stand up. You can dry inside the beach house." Eren took my hand gladly and was quickly on his feet, proceeding to give me a full-body embrace. "No, wait. Don't do this when you're dripp—" I sighed. It was too late. Minutely, my own clothes drenched soaking wet with Eren's body pressed on me. "Whatever."

"Let's go." Armin solely said and led the way to the inner of the island. He had told me their house was located at the middle area of Kirmin. Eren and I parted from our bodies and we traced Armin's covered distance hand-in-hand.

"I'm not interested in that 'Jean and I gotta get along' bullshit anymore." Eren whispered coarsely into my ear, chin on my shoulder. "A date sounds so much nicer. I bet we could even have alone time here. I was here only once, but there are nice places to visit and stay at for a few hours."

"No." Eren whined. I rolled my eyes. "Armin's plan stands. There is no room for objections." With how the defeaning silence seemed to drop the mood, I thought of something encouraging that would motivate Eren to last out for a weekend. "Perhaps we can consider a single date as reward if you do well with Jean. On the last day, though."

"Hmph," Eren didn't sound very satisifed, but he ought to realize that this was better than nothing. "Promise?"

"Can you promise me to do fine with dealing with Jean?"

"We shall see." Eren muttered, not liking the idea very much. Oh, I hoped it wouldn't turn out too annoying with those two.

After we had settled our stuff inside the cottage that the guy who drove us here kindly brought us, we went outside again, in the direction of the small exotic forest taking in the west side of Kirmin.

"Okay," Armin clapped his hands together, smiling all too brightly. It looked like he wanted to lift the mood for what was to come... or maybe prevent us from believing that the thing he had planned wouldn't sound nice. "I thought we shall make a hot pot outside on a campfire as dinner. Which means we need wood from the forest." He raised a finger and turned to the rest of us. I had guesses for what he would say next. "Eren. Jean. Can you two chop us some woods? Together?" I knew it.

Eren and Jean looked at Armin incredulously, bordering more than subtly on annoyed.

"This is how obvious your plan is? What next? Do you want us to hug??" Jean spread his arms to Eren's general direction.

One corner of Armin's mouth twitched. He glowered at his own husband with narrowed eyes, dark vibes surrounding him and he said through ground teeth, lips itching up. "Are you doubting my intelligence?"

Jean wanted to retort, tripped on his own words, tongue like twisted into a strong knot, and gave it up in the end. "No, of course not." He murmured almost without any volume in his tone.

Eren didn't object verbally, but he wanted to do this just as less as Jean.

"Fine." Armin's sunny smile was back. "Now would you two please?"

A groan in unison erupted as Eren and Jean shuffled their way to the forest with at least a ten arms distance kept between each other.

Armin passed them in the middle of their ridiculous broad distance. He had his arms crossed and sighed when he reached me.

"You think this is a good idea?" I let my eyes wander off in the general direction of where Eren and Jean had dipped in the forest.

"We will see." Armin tugged a loose blond strand behind his ear. He showed off relaxation but also faint wariness.

"Mind telling me now what your other plans are?"

"No. You will see later. It would be too staged and probably wouldn't help reaching success if several people knew about what I have in mind."

I quirked a brow at him. Several people? It was only the two of us. I was certain there wouldn't be much difference.

"I know what you're thinking right now." He waved his hand in refusal. "Just play along. That will be more than fine. We will—"

"What the fuck?!"

Our heads instinctively bent to the direction of the source of the yelling. It was coming from the forest. Of course. Who else here would be doing that.

"Oh God, no." Armin exasperated and was the first one to move. As we reached nearer, messy shouts and profanities mixed together and decayed the air. By the time we had Eren and Jean in our sight, we had arrived right when both were holding up branches their own sizes, about to attack the other with that. They had looks of villainy in their eyes, ready to seriously hurt the other.

"Jean! Eren!" Armin screamed at them, not wasting a second to stop the worst from happening. My senses reacted only a split of a millisecond later, so I was quick to help him. While Armin shoved Eren's branch away, I grabbed Jean by his shoulder and discarded the weapon from his hold.  "Are you two fucking insane?! What was that just now?! Couldn't you two collect some woods like normal people!" Armin swept his angered glare between Eren and Jean, madness striving in those baby blue orbs.

"He shouldn't have doubted my qualities as a husband!" Jean exclaimed first, barking and throwing guilt at Eren.

"You started lowering me to an insufferable useless guy who wouldn't understand anything about relationships, as if you're the only one who'd master a thing like that! And what qualities of a husband are you talking about?!! If anything, they are all failures!"

"Shut the fuck up, at least I am already married. You don't know shits because your shithead is hollow as fuck and you suck at dealing with other people. You always did! This is why we can't be friends at all!"

"I never would want to be friends with you anyway—"

"Hey! Eren, shut your mouth. Jean, you be silent now, too." Armin tugged Eren farther back, hand hovering over Eren's mouth and he spiked Jean a rapid glance. "Making false reproaches about the other's relationship is stupid and very disrespectful. How could you two dare and do that? And that you even went violent. God, you could have seriously hurt each other! Guys!" Disappointment was evident on Armin and he blinked between the two fast.

"Eren is a good boyfriend." I told Jean eventually, shaking his shoulder once to make sure he wouldn't miss my words.

"And Jean is a good husband to me." Armin said to Eren. A shuddery outake of breath left his lips. "You two scared me to hell. Come on. Now grab the woods you found so far and let's go. We still have two nights to spend here. Don't make it the worst on the first day." Armin beckoned Eren and Jean to pick up the branches that were spread on the floor. They gathered a few in their arms each at the same time. "A serious apology maybe?"

Eren frowned at the items in his hands, finding it seemingly hard to get off of his pride trip. "Sorry. Didn't want to hurt ya." he eventually mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

"Uh, yeah. Wounds wouldn't have looked good on you, either. Sorry 'bout that." Neither did Jean meet Eren's eyes. He stood up first, woods carried in his arms, and he strode back to the cottage, absolutely in silence. Eren was the next to walk away, just as mutely. His expression looked firm and stoney-faced.

"I can't believe their prides are this hurt." I soliloquised, watching them distance themselves from me and Armin.

When I turned to him he looked at me with big, empty eyes. "That was close."

"I think everything would have turned out only half as bad as what it looked like when we saw them attacking each other like this." I tried to reassure, while I myself was secretely glad that it hadn't come that far.

Armin huffed, combed his hair back. "I have to try harder. Heh, they're so stubborn and stupid. This will be some journey."

A hot pot dinner outside by a campfire was cancelled for today, too.

Back inside the cottage, we were, oh what a surprise, met with them bickering again. When Armin opened the front door for both of us, slipping inside, we didn't only hear their roaring barks but the sight of them in the living room was presented to us like a cheap, ludicrous premiere show. Eren was jumping up and down on the sofa, raging and snapping loudly at Jean while Jean was hoaling at him from a few inches away. There was lots of incoherent brawling, but in between I could make out a "Fucking get off the couch, you damn dog!" coming from Jean and Eren did everything but doing as told by him.

"Guys." Armin was drawing out that word, attempting at best to stay cool. Both silenced when Armin stopped his stretched out warning, meeting with an innocent smile that was too bright to be genuine or hide signs of irritation. The tilt of his head was pointed and a threat lingered faintly in that motion. "How about showering and then calling it a day, hm? It's not a bad idea if we go to bed earlier today. Tomorrow we have some things planned."

"And that would be what?" Eren questioned hard.

"I will go shower first!" Jean ran off with that, as if he wanted to be faster than Eren, not even giving him a chance to compete with him.

Armin shrugged that off with a sigh and said, "You'll see tomorrow, Eren." He waved his hand to his left side, cupping his forehead with his fingertips then. "Oh, and don't. You don't have to tell me why you were on that sofa or what initiated the fight this time. Honestly, right now I am not very eager to know."

"Am I getting on your nerves with my behaviour? Armin, this is not my fault!" Eren sounded humorously ridiculous.

"Eren, please. Not now. I know what I agreed to. This is all my idea in the first place. Let's just get ready for bed, okay? You will have to take a shower, too; you fell into sea water."

"Yeah, yeah. Fine." He climbed off the couch and made a beeline to where I was, grinning widely. Knowing that I shouldn't fight against or dodge his embrace attack, I let it happen to me.

With an 'oof' I rounded my arms around his lower waist and he rested his chin on my chest, looking up. "Do us a favour and don't be too obnoxious." I said and brushed his front locks away.

"Hey." he complained, offended.

"Most of the time your fight with Jean is exaggerated."

"Jean is the drama queen, not me." Eren huffed sourly.

Armin seemed to not even bother listening, rummaging in what seemed to be a storage room, first door in the hallway.

"Go and get prepared for your shower. We can talk later." I gave his ass a soft pat as he dashed off smoothly, and the fight from before seemed to have been forgotten by him as if it had never happened. How they kept up with this, I didn't understand.

Armin came back with a box that had some dark blue material placed in it. "We have a king size bed and a guest room here. But I think, to meet with the conditions of my plan, we should all sleep together on an air mattress." He took out the flat material and spread it on the floor. I helped him sticking the electronic pump in and in a matter of a few minutes there was a blown and bouncing sleeping place established.

"And who will sleep where is also determined?" I didn't need to ask this question because I had that feeling Armin would have planned even that.

"Have three guesses."

"Oh, I think I don't want to. Or have to." I wandered my gaze off to the side, bored, looking at nowhere in particular.

Meanwhile, Armin sat down on the sofa as he tied his hair into a lose pony tail, releasing a heavy sigh.

"Already exhausted?" I approached him, but didn't sit down.

Armin raised his full dark-blond eyebrows. "No, I shouldn't be exhausted yet. There's still two days ahead of us."

I casually pocketed my hands in my shorts. "I don't understand how you could endure this for so long. Isn't it too annoying seeing them yell at each other every time they see each other?"

Armin rolled his eyes up, as if in thoughts, pursing his lips. "They—we all made it somehow. But as you can see this is not the optimum. Jean and Eren have to interact with one another like friends not foes." I merely nodded to that.

Half an hour later the two boys had cleaned themselves off – having been in the showers seperately, or else a third World War would have been triggered off – and Armin wanted us to lay down already, though offering that we didn't have to sleep yet but could talk or watch a movie together.

"What the fuck is this?! Armin, babe, there is a very comfy kingsize bed waiting for us in the bedroom. The bed in the guest room is alright for Eren and Levi, too."

Armin looked up to his husband, sweetly smiling and explaining in a soft voice, "Yeah, but I want us all to sleep together tonight. The other beds can wait for us one more day."

"What the..."

Armin fluttered his eyelashes at him, pure and candid. An argument between him would probably mean an easy win for Armin.

"Okay, but I will sleep by the edge of the mattress, right."

"You'll sleep on one half of the middle." Armin tapped his palm next to him.

"At least tell me Levi is going to sleep next to me on the other half." He sounded hopeful but despair crawled up for what was most likely to be revealed.

"Eren will sleep next to you." Armin said in the same voice he had mustered the past few minutes.

"Oh my god! Armin, please!" Jean put his face in his hands, groaning as he threw his face back.

"Are you always going to decide as you like without asking us?" Eren whined at his best friend, not looking the least more impressed by this than Jean.

"Yes, seems so. Most likely." Armin's sweet words didn't falter.

"You shouldn't try complaining." I growled at both, taking my own place on the mattress. "It's just for the night when you two are asleep most of the time. Don't start yet another fight because of this. Eren, come here." I beckoned him by patting the empty spot beside me.

Eren did so and Jean imitated him on Armin's side.

"Shall we watch a movie?" Armin suggested.

"No, I would rather sleep already." Eren made it himself comfortable on his sleeping spot, scowling softly and I did register a faint scowling leeriness towards Jean.

"For once I agree with you, Yeager." Jean said that without giving Eren a look, not even turning his head to him. He fumbled with his blanket.

"Don't you dare roll your body to my side. I won't hesitate to kick your legs or arms off me." Eren warned.

"Oh, dude, don't worry. The mere knowledge of the atrocious existence next to me will keep me away from you, my body doesn't feel attracted to someone like you anyway, not even in my sleep."

"Jean, don't say that." Armin grazed a hand over Jean's mouth.

I held back a gradually fuming Eren who sat up quickly to mess with Jean. But I stopped him. "Don't start a fight now. Please." I whispered to him. He sent Jean a few more glares before laying down again. "You stink." was all he said. He must have meant it in a practical sense, just aiming for an insult, since both had showered barely an hour ago.

Jean snorted. He had found his sleeping position and it was, of course, with his back facing Eren. At second thought, this appeared to be the best for all involved. Jean snickered, though, seconds later. "When Eren is asleep, one can make many jokes on him."

"Jean, you won't do that." Armin stroked his cheek.

"If you fart, I will stick my foot into your ass." Eren snapped louder than suitable for the night.

"Keep your weird fetishes and kinks to yourself, Yeager."

Armin shushed both to silence and I coaxed Eren to face me, calling out his name lowly to reprimand and make him forget mostly about who lied on the other side by shuffling him closer to me. Eren welcomed that gesture and kicked off Jean's foot only once when the other had annoyed him with that, snickering mischievously.

For the most part, the night was slept through nicely.

The next day breakfast was monstly spent peacefully, reason being in both Eren and Jean having ignored each other thoroughly. Each of them had their attention turned to their respective lover. Not that I would complain about being washed over by Eren's love in general, but I knew it didn't help the actual situation. One look at Armin, which was returned, told me he was thinking the same.

He didn't take action until around lunch time. Armin suggested we shall cook outside by an open fire. So it was him and me peeling off and chopping vegetables and other ingredients (having Jean and Eren use knives to do that was a bit too early and thus too risky at a time like now), but instead Armin sent them off to prepare the kettle.

He instructed, "There's a kettle outside by the watertap in the backyard. Fill in the kettle almost to the rim. Since it's big you two have to carry it together to the fire place. Each of you will have grab one handle and move in sync. Got it? It's not that difficult if you've settled on a pace and some mutual understanding of how the other is carrying it."

They answered with unintelligible noises, shrugging their shoulders. They left off without anything more to utter.

For several minutes we didn't hear much beside the distant sound of running water wafting inside from outside at the back of the house. Then our surroundings fell into complete silence again and it brought a proud smile to Armin's face. "You hear it?"

"I don't hear anything."

"Exactly." Armin had halted chopping his potato before he had asked, presenting me the silence he meant. "I had already guessed that a rather easy task like this would work out. They just have to carry something together."

However, suddenly, voices rose and it ascended from nowhere else than outside. I stole Armin a knowing but questioning look.

He moaned with annoyance, fixing his stare on the ceiling. His chopping got ragged and hard and his potatos looked like big cubes. "I should say it's alright, but I know that once they start talking with their voices gaining volume it wouldn't end well most of the time. Gosh, why were they doing this. What happened this time?"

On a different occasion I'd have laughed this off, seeing it as a joke. But not now. Not when Armin slammed the knife down and stomped to the front door. Not when Eren's and Jean's voices became louder and the amount of curses piled up. By the time I had reached the stairs leading down to the front yard that was basically all sand and a few exotic bushes, Eren was on the ground, Jean looking down at him with balled fists and a spilled over kettle between them, transparent liquid colouring the sand a darker brown plus a slight tone of grey.

Armin had already passed half of the route to them. He wasn't exclaiming anything yet. He didn't even call out their names yet.

Instead, Eren shouted angrily, "Why do you have to ruin everything for me on purpose?! I'm sick of it!"

Jean screamed back just as loudly, "I am not ruining anything for you! But you seem to have fun ruining my mood every damn time!"

"How could you two mess up such an easy task?" Armin threw his arms in the air as he paced closer to them.

"It was his fault!" Eren and Jean said in unison, fingers pointing at the other.

"You wanted to shove me aside with that kettle first!" Eren reproached.

"No, you!"

"Stop it." Armin's harshness seeped an underlying danger. One more false word and they would get to know the other, less enjoyable, unpleasant side of him. "You two have to stop thinking that the other wants to mess with you so that you think you have to pay him back first, before the other would do so. You two could easily do something together if both of you seriously wanted that."

Jean snorted first. "As if Eren thinks of me as someone on the same level as him."

Eren puffed out breath, his irritation just lightly tamed. "You're the one who thinks that you're better than me."

I barged in with, "The actual problem is that you two think it becomes toxic when the other is around you. Stop thinking the other is like some venom."

Armin added, "You two are decent humans. Eren, do you really think Jean has some nasty villainous attitude and wishes to harm you? If you really think so, then can you explain to us how I am still together with him if that were his real personality? Do you think I would love someone who seriously thinks ill of you; you—who is my best friend?"

"I can vouch exactly the same for Eren. He doesn't wish bad things upon you, Jean, and he does really mean it. I know that because..." A suave feeling in my chest had me remembering some vague memories about Eren that all held nice moments. It always felt nice when being around Eren. I found that out at some point while spending my life with him and I had that guessing it would be the same with his friends. He wasn't the type of person who could purposely hurt his friends. "Eren is the most righteous and genuine and kind-hearted human ever. Because else I wouldn't have fallen in love with him. And with these things, he can only be a good friend as well."

Eren had his head turned away from us, taken the opposite direction and Jean had his arms crossed, looking in the same direction as Eren. It was almost simultaneously that they shifted their gazes forward, lowering their heads ruefully. Vulnerabilty and regret were displaying on their faces.

"Jean. Eren." Armin spoke calmly, "You two don't have to act childishly."

Silence.

Jean spoke up first, holding out a hand to Eren. "Geez, man, I didn't want to seriously hurt you. Never wanna."

"Yeah. I wouldn't stand the idea of cruelly ruining your life either. That's so below our levels." Eren grinned lightly, taking Jean's hand and stood up.

"You all fine?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Besides the fact that I wasn't kissed by Armin the past few hours yet, everything else that is part of Jean Kirstein is hella damn alri—"

"Spare your words, Jean. That doesn't fill the kettle with water." Armin grabbed the rim and watched me with pleading eyes. "Can you help me carrying this to the backside and filling it with water and then bringing it with me to where it should have actually been standing by now?" The choice of his words was condemning on purpose.

"Sure." I replied and didn't bother glancing at the other two who must be going through feelings of scalding guilt.

"Hey, Armin, I'm sorry. Jean and I can do this now."

"Yes, right. Right, babe. Please let us do this. Don't be mad, okay?" Jean's fingers found Armin's cheeks.

But Armin wasn't having any of that. "No, I want it like this. I want you two to follow us and watch how we do this. How it is properly done." The last thing he said surely hit the part of Eren and Jean that had to endure the guilt defiling them now.

With a few hours having passed after lunch and new energy floating through Armin's system, the next step on his plan was taken. We all were sat together outside (because Armin had wished for that), but after some time he stood up, face lit up, stretching his body and he rendered.

"How about we play something nice? There's a table tennis table nearby. Let's play ping-pong, it'll be fun!"

Jean was planted on his feet right away, seeking Armin's proximity, and Eren stood up, wiping sand off his clothes.

"That's a very good idea, babe. A very good idea. I'm in for sure."

"Well, uh, yeah. Ping-pong sounds nice. I don't have anything against that either." Eren casually retorted. Armin nodded, he couldn't be any more content.

"Haha," Jean laughed mockingly, proud, a hand smugly thrown over Armin's shoulder. "I don't have anything against you, Levi, but Eren," His eyes flamed up with blazing fervour, "I'm gonna crush you."

Before Eren could twitch a muscle, Armin was already at the receiving end, his fast reactions surprisingly showing off as casual. "Impossible."

Jean was at a loss for words, startled for a second, babbling with tongue and teeth. "Babe, have some faith in us. We can do this. We will beat them."

"No, I'm saying this is impossible because you and Eren will be a team."

"What?!" Both shouted in unison. Eyes and mouths were dropped open.

"I thought this was kind of a couple against couple game!"

"Yes, for once I am on Jean's side with this idea!"

"Nope." Armin was too gracious, too gracile, to have to shake his head vehemently. Instead, his locks smoothly swayed around his face as his head whipped to the left and right. "This is how I want it. Jean, Eren. We are not done yet with the actual purpose of being here."

"Why not??" Jean asked, enraged.

"If you think you and Eren are all fine already, then you two wouldn't make a fuss about this team matching, right?" That, I had to admit, was a very good point.

"But—"

"No buts," Armin's statement was final, but still nice; must be because of the angelic upcurve of his mouth.

Their raw sighs met in a chorus, but both gave in reluctantly. "Let's hope for a nice game." Eren steered a glance at Jean and got a similar firm and stolen glance back.

Once settled around the table, Armin and I were on one end of the table, holding a ping-pong paddle each, Eren and Jean opposite from us, indulged in a dead silent staring contest that bordered on glares. May this game end well. I gave Armin a side glance, and he understood.

Without tearing his gaze apart from the two in front of us, he explained, "It might be that they aren't disrespectful towards each other anymore, but there's still the problem that they don't get along when doing something together. We have to make them act as a team, so that they can interact better as friends."

I had nothing to object to this, finding it a solid reason to set up this game.

"Ready?" Armin asked the other two, already placed in position with his paddle and ball. Eren and Jean answered with taking their own positions. Eren slightly nodded in addition. "Here we go." And with that the ball was hit and flew.

It made a curve and slipped right in between Eren's and Jean's position, taking the middle. They had not predicted the ball's direction fast enough so their bats missed the little white thing by generous inches. Neither of them said anything, but both were squinting their eyes at the other.

"That's a point for us." Armin announced, raising the hand that held his bat above his head. "Can you pass me the ball, please?" It was Eren who picked it up and threw it in Armin's direction. He caught it and offered me the next serve. His expression basically said something along the lines 'just play along'. Oh, I will.

I hit next and aimed for a similar spot that Armin had chosen. This was actually a good choice to force Eren and Jean to communicate and coordinate together, to arrange their teamwork and cover the other when needed. When they realized the ball's curve and approximate impact either one of them chased after it. Only resulting in them bumping into each other.

So they were this dense, huh? This would be a long game.

"The fuck. Can't you watch where you are going?!" Eren snapped, rubbing his sides.

"Same goes for you." Jean cursed under his breath.

"You have to talk to each other to come to agreements about who is going to do what next." Armin said, and swung the tip of his paddle between Eren and Jean.

They muttered something that was too quiet for us to hear, but their angered faces that wouldn't ease told me that nothing good would come out of this, if it were to go on exactly the same as right now.

"It's still your turn, right?" Eren seethed the words out through gritted teeth and I could swear the ball was bending in his balled fist.

"Yes." Armin seemed unfazed, smiling.

The next few rounds were a catastrophy. It got worse and worse because when either Eren or Jean were able to hit the ball back on their sides and it came back, reaching red zone – in this case the middle of their side – it would always end in aggressive shoving or bumping—there was no in between. Things like "Move!" or "This is my ball!" or "Don't stand in my way!" were screamed on a far too regular basis each round. They would continue with a few more yellings and insults before even thinking about going on with the game, and Armin and I would sometimes give them condemning glares, though we didn't say much because they should and had to realize that they were being immature with this kind of act.

That had been the plan. Up until now.

Right before Armin made his serve, Eren and Jean were situated threatingly close to each other already, and as the ball was hit they, just like I had guessed it, threw their upper bodies against the other's, pressing hard to shove and get to the ball. There was literally no teamwork at all. To no surprise, at least to us, they missed the hit.

"Oh my fucking god! Can't you be useful for once and not stand in my way?!" Eren tossed his bat to only God knew where, furious.

"You are the one who not even once let me hit when it was a hit to the middle! Look at this! We didn't make a single score! The fuck is that!!" Jean accused with his paddle almost touching Eren's nose.

Eren slapped his hand away. "You're the worst teammate ever!"

"Hey! Guys! Do you two really want to lose?" Armin played innocent.

"No!" Two voices combined to one.

"Then you have to communicate." Armin pressed out each word as if he had to explain it to an oblivious child. "Now you know that aggressive body language isn't working at all. So talk to each other, tell the other when and where it's your own turn to play the ball, support each other, make agreements. Got it?" His closure was poignant and accompanied by two defined hard nods.

I opted for provocation. Heating up their will to win and thus make the compromise to work as a team. There was no other way out of this. "If you two want to lose, then do that. I don't care. Even if this is just a game," I silenced shortly for mounting tension, eyes focused on both alternatively, and I made a relentless declaration with, "We will crush you two."

It worked. It appeared to work. Their expressions faltered for a split of a second. As though determination and a motivational fire had sprung into their bodies and souls now, bubbling up, feral, enveloping them like a powerful aura.

Nice.

Things were getting interesting.

"Oh, this looks good." Armin whispered, smirking with contentment.

"I will take care of the right side." Eren pushed out monotonously but harshly, robotic. He stared emptily at us.

Jean was no different. "And I will take care of the left side."

"The one who is closer to the middle will hit."

"If necessary, we will cover the other."

"Let's show them how good we are at this."

The real game started here. Right at this very moment. And it was bursting.

Armin and I had to actually try hard to keep up with them, sometimes missing, other times using false timing. We got tangled up in coordination too when Eren and Jean were especially fierce to mess with our formation.

But it was fun, and we got Eren and Jean to where we wanted them; they were a team and worked as a pair. They talked to each other like normal teammates and behaved accordingly.

It was the last round and it was Armin's turn. He was panting noticibly and I was breathing out quicker than usual, too. It was no different with the other two opposite of us. Last round and we were in a tie.

Armin hit, Eren hit back, firm, I received it and shot the ball to Jean's direction much harder than Eren had done it, making it almost impossible for him to hit it properly back. Jean, however, managed some fluid and fast motion, so skilled, that it earned amazement for a short moment, almost paralyzing, Eren was wondrous at that, and both Armin and I realized too late that Jean had given us the ball back. It passed next to our bodies. An out.

"Yes, fuck, yes!" Eren and Jean cheered, roaring victoriously. They leant their heads on the back of their necks and shot their fists in the air. Without much thinking, so it seemed, they gave each other a manly hug in enthusiasm—only to notice seconds later what they were doing. They parted, pretending to act cool. Both cleared their throat and avoided eye contact.

"Ew." Eren muttered.

"Don't touch me and have any kind of hopes. I'm not gay for you." Jean fixed his collar, awkward.

At least they weren't fighting.

"Well," Armin shrugged his shoulders. "We kinda won too, right?"

"Yeah." I agreed.

Eren's expression was filled with amazement soon again. He bumped Jean's arm playfully. "Dude, now tell me. How did you do that awesome move?! Looked so crazy, I wanna do it too."

"That's what Kirstein blood is." Jean bragged too self-confidently, but all of us let him do for now.

We let them talk and discuss and joke around a bit more before someone rose the question of a second play.

This time Armin suggested beach volleyball instead and this time it was couple against (married) couple. After a little break we headed to the side of the beach that was decorated with a volleyball net. With the knowledge of finally being partners in a game, Eren clung to me and hugged and kissed me for a long while before he would even think about actually playing.

At times like these, Eren could be so cute.

The volleyball match was just as ferocious as the second half of ping-pong. All of us where kind of good at it, tossing and spiking and attacking and defending. When I smashed the ball to the sand on the other side of the net, Jean would do that too a bit later; when Armin made a good serve that neither I nor Eren could catch, Eren did the same later as well.

In the end we called it an end with a tie as a result.

We were satisfied with that, though. And not once did Eren or Jean quarrel in any way.

It seemed to have worked. Armin looked content with the outcome as well.

"How about a campfire next?" He made two thumb-ups.

- - - 

Eren

"It's good to see this development. You did well, Eren. Jean, too."

I hummed approvingly, taking one of the branches Armin was offering me and I put it on top of the pile that was soon going to be the campfire.

"I hope you and Jean won't fall back to being rivals."

"Nah." I gave him a crooked smirk. "We won't, I'm sure. Jean is," I thought of a suitable word, "acceptable. He can be endurable, and I am alright with that side of him."

"Good."

We took some more sticks to fill the pile with and by the way a small talk was being held.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow for all of us? Because Levi and I had wanted to—"

A sound of a sudden snap came from Armin's hands, branches cracking into halves as his hands hooked around them, as if he had used more force than necessary but at the same time hadn't planned to crack them. "He was doing fine without them." he said slowly, grinding his teeth. He forced a smile while his eyes twitched in subtle madness.

"Huh?" My head took the direction of his and I came to sight with Jean and Levi sitting down on sand, looking out to the sea. Levi was smoking, which was no surprise to me even if I detested that, and Jean was... "Jean smokes? I didn't know that."

"Last time he smoked was when he was in university. He did that only occasionally, though. But since then he didn't do that. I think he understood I would prefer if he didn't smoke."

"I see. I think it was Levi who offered him some?" I looked back at Armin and saw slight disappointment in his eyes.

"Maybe." he mumbled. "I hope he won't start again."

I contemplated for half a minute, and stood up then. "Okay. I will go to them and shoo Jean away from there, to you."

"No, Eren. You don't have to do that."

"It's okay." I beamed a smile.

Witt that, I left him behind by the fireplace, aiming for the two smoking guys. It was now that I remember my failed attempts of making Levi stop smoking back then when we hadn't been a couple yet. Levi had told me once that I had been so close to making him give it up, but when I had broke up with him, he seemed to have started again. And since then I haven't picked up my efforts once more.

It was time for that soon, I guessed. When I reached them, I lowered my gaze to Jean. "Jean, Armin is alone there preparing the fire. Maybe you want to help?"

Jean did no more than looking past me, shooting his head back, cigarette still between his lips, taking a drag. Disgusting. "Armin is alone? My Armin? That's unheard of! I will go to him. Don't worry, I will take care of this."

He stood up rapidly and when we were basically face to face, I hissed at him with a growl, "Not with that cigarette." and glared at him.

At least he got what I meant right away, cursed, and threw that thing away. He looked regretful.

"Don't worry, Armin still loves you." I imitated some of his words, and tried really hard not to sound too mocking.

Jean dashed off and I sat down on his previous spot.

"Yo." Levi didn't share a glance with me, but wrapped his arms around me and slided my body closer to him.

I squirmed a bit. "You should stop smoking."

"Mhm." His vibrating hum was not telling much. "Listen. There are many things I did when I was a teenager. Smoking is the only thing I continued with when I got older and more mature."

I gazed at him and was sure that there was more to Levi's story. However, I didn't know if I should and if Levi wanted me to ask about it. So I just stared questioningly.

Levi noticed my light internal struggle. "I will tell you on some other day."

"Maybe I should start using my methods again to make you stop smoking."

"Eren, it might have almost worked back then. But now it would just be," Levi seemed to fumble with words in his head, "Well. You used to always kiss me when I had the urge to smoke. And many times it led to more. You want that again? Pointless make out sessions that can go further to more sexual stuff? I think it was fine back then before we became a thing. It was more suitable because of what we were. But now I want to kiss you and you to kiss me because of feelings. Not because you have a job to do."

He pecked my forehead, and while it was some sort of smokey kiss, I appreciated it, giggling. "That was nicely said." A little pause. I whipped my head to him, fast. "Doesn't mean I won't stop you from smoking. I will find other ways if I have to." Levi was more than amused about this, taking it far less seriously than he should. "Really! How about, um, I don't know, you seek my mere presence and spoil me when you feel like smoking."

"That can't always work."

"Why not?! I love getting spoiled. Especially when it's you spoiling me." I purred in his ear.

"Eren, it—"

"Heyyy!" Armin's voice reached to us with a dragged shout. Additionally, he was waving. "It's all done. Come here! We will roast some bread and sausage and marshmallows, and watch the sunset. It's almost time!"

"Let's go." Levi got us both up and took my hand. I snapped away the cigarette between his lips with my finger and a scowl to which he rolled his eyes and smirked at the same time.

"Better." was all I said, grinning.

"Let's go."

Hand in hand, we ambled leisurely towards the campfire.

The hot dog and s'mores were delicious, all of us ate much, maybe even too much, and now we were all lazing around the blistering fire, blankets under us and around our bodies. I was the farest to the left, leaning on Levi's chest to my right. Next to him Armin was cradled on Jean's lap, Jean's arms wrapped around his torso. The silence we drank in was luminous and peaceful. Our senses were calmed down by tranquility and all burdens were washed away by the soft sounds of waves in the background.

A stellar night. Harmonious and kind.

"We did it." Armin said and it seemed to be directed at Levi.

He looked at him and smiled. "Yeah. Your idea was okay after all."

"You helped me out. Thanks. The way you played along helped a lot."

I tugged at Levi's shirt. Levi's eyes lingered on me now. "Give me attention." I whined, pouting.

Levi huffed a smile. "Okay, you brat."

Not affected to the slightest by his name-calling, I snuggled more into his chest and Levi covered our bodies more in the blanket, kissing my hair.

"By the way, Armin. What do you want us all to do tomorrow. Are we free from your torture now?" My words left my lips, muffled by the blanket.

"Yes. You can do whatever you want with Levi tomorrow." Armin chuckled.

"Levi, you promised me a date on this island." I said quickly, excited.

"There are some options for a date on Kirmin. Choose whatever you want." Armin said, and Jean stroked his face lovingly.

"A date it shall be then." Levi smiled down at me, genuinely.

Without having to say more, our lips met in the middle and we fell into a long slow kiss.

It was not like Armin and Jean wouldn't do something similar, they should because it would be cool, I think, but I was already super excited because to me a date on an island, being almost all to ourselves, was special.

I couldn't wait to enjoy it with Levi to the fullest.

-----------

A/N: Anyone else who thought Armin's island would play some role in this fic once? Welp, me neither lmao XD

In case you didn't figure it out: Kirmin is a combination of Armin's and Jean's name. It comes from Jean KIRstein and ArMIN Arlert. I wanted it to be something Armin/Jean related but it would have been too ridiculous to call it Jearmin or Jeanmin or whatever. Kirmin does sound decent though, lmao.

So... next chapter will be a side-chapter but it will be a hella important one so DON'T YOU DARE SKIP IT!!!!

(I have a feeling that the side-chapter will turn out very long....... *prays* please don't let it become 25k+ please don't let it become 25k+ please don't let it become 25k+ !!!!)

Yes, I know. This chapter wasn't very plot-relevant beside Eren and Jean having made up. Maybe it was boring to some of you? I don't know. But tbh I am satisfied with the outcome.

I hope you liked it at least a bit <3

See ya!