He just blurted it out, out of nowhere. One minute they're laughing and the next, he's saying I love you. They got so comfortable, it just slipped out.

Armin sits on the end of his bed, barely looking at Nathaniel. He knots his hands together between his legs, constantly shifting and readjusting, practically kicking himself for just having said it out loud like that. The longer Nathaniel goes without speaking, the more he feels the need to cover the silence. There's no taking it back now. "Yeah so, I like you. Sorry for making it awkward."

"Don't be sorry," Nathaniel reaches out and grasps one of Armin's fidgeting hands, steadying it. He pauses a moment, his head catching up with his heart. "I feel," he swallows, "I feel the same way."

Armin exhales and laughs at the same time, incredulous that his dreams are coming true right in front of him. His heart is going a mile a minute and it only quickens when Nathaniel leans in.

Nathaniel approaches for a kiss but pauses midway between him and Armin, waiting for the go-ahead. Armin smiles and leans in too, giving him all the approval he needs. Just are their mouths are about to meet, the door swings open and they pull apart in a hurry.

Alexy appears in the doorway and thankfully doesn't seem to notice anything strange. "Mom wants to know if Nathaniel's staying for dinner."

Armin quickly looks at Nathaniel and points his thumb back at Alexy, "Dinner?" Nathaniel nods and Armin swings back around to Alexy. "Yeah, he's staying for dinner."

Having gotten his answer, Alexy departs and Armin throws his head back and catches his breath. "Christ that was close."

"Yeah, that would've been a lot to explain away."

Despite the interruption, the moment isn't lost and they soon find their way back to square one. "So where were we," Armin says, as Nathaniel leaves the desk chair and resits himself next to him on the bed.

Before anything can happen, the door is flung open again and again it's Alexy. "Nathaniel, Mom wants to know if you have any food allergies."

Armin throws himself back on the bed. Why now? Why here? Nathaniel lives alone for god's sake; the worst they would've had to contend with there is his cat jumping on the bed.

Nathaniel answers quickly, trying to get Alexy out of the room. "No, no allergies."

"Alright, and you eat meat, right? It's beef tonight."

Frustrated now, Nathaniel plasters on a fake smile and powers through. "Yes, I eat meat and beef sounds great."

Alexy goes to leave but stops himself in the doorway, "Oh, one last thing."

Armin leaps back up on the bed, his patience worn thin, and throws a pillow towards his brother. "Jesus Christ Alexy, get out already."

Alexy picks up the pillow and fires the pillow back at him, it not quite landing on target and then slams the door. "Damn, I just wanted to borrow your science textbook."