"Sit still."

Kristof could see Armin's tongue slightly sticking out of the corner of his mouth, clamped between his lips as he was dipping the brush in the paint and concentrating on the canvas in front of him.

"Oh...so bossy," Kristof teased.

"No, I'm not! I just can't focus if you keep moving all the time."

And Kristof couldn't focus on sitting still with those beautiful eyes on him constantly. Those piercing black eyes that were decorated with long, curly lashes.

Armin had decided to paint Kristof's portrait as a farewell gift. He'd been busy with that task for four hours now, and it was almost finished. He just wanted to add the last details to Kristof's face. However, if the man kept moving around every damn second, it would only take longer.

"I'm almost done."

"Do you know how long I've been sitting here already? And I'm also very curious how it looks, can't you show it to me real quick?"

"No, I'm almost done. Sit still." Just a few more touches of white and he would be all done. "Just this little... touch here... and then..." One last time, he dipped the tiny brush in the paint and added a few more strokes. "There. I'm done!"

While he said it, Armin looked at the portrait with a smile. It looked good; he was proud of his work. He hoped Kristof would be too.

The older stood up and walked towards Armin with eagerness. He turned to the portrait and was completely blown away by it. "Wow, Armin...This is amazing." He almost had no words for it.

He saw himself in oils and he couldn't believe Armin painted him so accurately. Everything was painted just as he was. His hair, eyes, nose, lips, and scar. Kristof had wondered if Armin would paint his scar and he had, something that made Kristof happy. After the time they spent, Kristof got the feeling that Armin was getting used to the scar and became accepting of it.

"Thank you. I'm glad there is something that I am better at than you are," Armin replied.

"Don't speak so low of yourself, Armin." Kristof was serious.

"..."

"I love it."

"Anyway...where will you hang it?"

"I don't know. Do you have any suggestions?"

"The hallway," Armin answered.

"Okay. Then in the hallway, it shall be hung. Thank you, I am thrilled with it." Kristof looked at the painting with a thankful smile.

"You're welcome."

"Armin?"

"Yes?"

"Before you leave... Can you paint me a portrait of...yourself?" Kristof asked in the softest voice.

Armin wanted to ask why, but he didn't. He didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer.

"I will," he replied.

Kristof thankfully broke the awkward silence that followed. "I'm going for a walk. It's beautiful outside, and I really need to stretch my legs after sitting this long. Want to come with me?"

Armin thought over his answer. He had fun yesterday, but maybe it will be a bit too much for them to hang around again for a whole day. He didn't want to give Kristof any false hope...

"No. I will stay here and maybe paint a little more," he said finally.

"Okay, I will be back before dinner," Kristof said, looking at his pocket watch and seeing it was one o'clock.

He was a little bummed out that Armin wouldn't come with him. The three weeks were slowly turning into two weeks, and he wanted to be with Armin as much as possible. Yesterday they had such fun and it was a beautiful day for him. A day he would remember for the rest of his life.

✧══════•❁❀❁•══════✧

Adam held an envelope in his hand and offered it to May. "May, could you give this to Armin? It's addressed to him."

"Of course, I'll bring it to him right away." As she took the envelope out of Adam's hand, she accidentally brushed her fingers against his.

Adam could feel a tingling feeling remaining in the place where she touched him. He accidentally let out a soft sigh and hoped she didn't hear it.

Nobody knew he had a secret crush on the girl for almost three years already. He hadn't even told his friend Kristof.

He hoped that one day he could find the courage to tell her his feelings. That his head was constantly filled with thoughts of her, that he found her to be the most beautiful creature on this earth, that he was in love with her, wanted to marry her, and wanted her to be the mother of his children. He wanted it all. He wanted it all, with her.

~~~~

"A letter? For me?" Armin was surprised when May gave him the letter.

He waited till she left his room and then hastily placed his brush down and ripped the wax seal open to read the piece of paper that got his curiosity.

From whom could this letter be? Was it from Roan?

He unfolded the letter and began reading. It was from Klaus, his friend!

Klaus asked if he could come to visit Armin in his new home. The man had to miss the wedding because he had other obligations, and the two friends hadn't seen each other for a while.

Armin smiled. He really wanted to see his oldest friend again.

He sat behind his desk, dipped the quill into the ink jar, and started writing a letter back.

~~~

Three hours later, Kristof still hadn't returned home from his walk.

Armin caught himself secretly waiting for the man. Why was he, though? Maybe he was a little bored right now? Yes, that must be the reason. Just boredom.

Before he knew it, he'd put his shoes on, and went outside, heading towards the lake. Armin remembered Kristof had told him he often visited that place, especially when the weather was nice. They were just there yesterday, but since the weather was nice today, Armin thought he could give it a shot.

With the waterfall already in his vision and the sound of the pouring water in his ears, he walked closer and closer until he caught a glimpse of Kristof in the near distance. The man really was there again! Armin smiled. He opened his lips to call out the other's name, but nothing came out of his mouth when he saw something that he was never expecting! His mouth dropped further open while his eyes grew wide. He stood as still as a statue before he snapped out of it and quickly hid behind tall grass and a large bush.

The bush made a rustling noise and he saw Kristof's face turning in his direction. Armin stayed completely still, even holding his breath, and saw how Kristof turned his head again and walked into the water, dipping himself under. He stretched out and began floating backside on the shimmering water, while the rays of sunshine reflected on his wet body.

His wet, naked, body.

Armin curiously peeked through the leaves of the bush. He wasn't a perverted kind of man, but he couldn't help himself right now; his eyes were drawn towards the naked man in the water.

He'd never seen someone naked before. Not even Roan, as their lovemaking was with their clothes still on, and had lasted only a minute.

And so, Armin observed every inch of Kristof's body, watching every little detail that he locked up in his brain as a memory. It was mesmerizing to him. The light brown lean muscled figure, softly floating up and down in that bright turquoise water. The sparkling silver drops on his body, glistening in the light.

Kristof had his mouth ajar and his eyes closed, so now should be the right time for Armin to slowly leave his hideout and run home, but he was frozen to the spot. He could only keep staring at the soft manhood located between Kristof's legs, which was carelessly drifting from left to right, moving along with the movements of the water.

Armin swallowed and snapped back to the real world. He quietly crouched and backed away from the bushes and as silent as he could, and then walked away from the lake.

When he got home, he was out of breath. He had run home as fast as he could!

He closed the door of his room and leaned against it, trying to catch his breath back, but for some reason, it didn't work all too well. He clamped on his jacket at the level of his heart. A weird feeling was inside his chest. It was as if his heart was pounding its way out of there or something.

Armin walked over to the mirror and saw his face was all red and sweaty, and his hair was stuck to his forehead. "What is wrong with me?" he questioned himself.

~~~

"Is everything okay with you?" Kristof asked Armin.

"Uh- Yes! W-why?"

"Your face looks flushed. Your cheeks are all red. Do you feel hot?" Kristof laid his hand on top of Armin's forehead.

The younger man almost spat out the piece of cheese and then coughed when he choked on it instead. Kristof quickly offered him a glass of water.

"I truly hope you won't become ill. You look slightly feverish," Kristof said, looking worried.

"I... I feel fine," Armin said after he was done coughing. He didn't want to talk about his strange feelings. He luckily remembered Klaus's letter. That would be a good distraction! "So, uh...I got a letter from a friend today. He wants to visit me here, so I wrote him back, saying he could. I hope that's okay?"

"Yes, of course."

Kristof couldn't help but wonder who that friend was. Was it the man that had captured Armin's heart? The man he was in love with?

"Thank you," Armin replied.

"When will he be coming?

"I don't know yet. I wrote him back today, so I must wait for his answer."

"The day after tomorrow is the ball at the palace where we were invited for, don't forget that," Kristof replied.

"Aha, yes." The ball where Armin would meet the King again. He wasn't looking forward to that at all.

"What will you do tomorrow? I must get to work and handle some business, so I will be out most of the day," Kristof asked.

"Actually, I don't know... Nothing interesting I guess."

"I could ask someone to teach you horseback riding? If you like that," Kristof suggested.

"Oh...uh... I thought you would teach me that?"

"Would you like me to do it?" Kristof curiously asked.

"Uh no, no, no! It- it's fine. I understand you don't always have time for me."

Kristof could have sworn he saw something unfamiliar in Armin's eyes. Something that looked a lot like disappointment. But he quickly got rid of that thought as he shouldn't be hoping for something that wasn't there!

~~~

Armin laid in bed. He once again couldn't sleep. Not with these images in his head. Every time he closed his eyes, he was back at the lake again. Looking at a certain someone. A certain naked someone. Certain parts of a man's body he shouldn't think about.

"Get out of my head," he firmly told himself.

But... it didn't work.