After Armin realized he was starting to develop deeper feelings for his husband, he finally fell asleep. Only to be woken up by May's soft voice, not even three hours later.

"Sir Armin," she whispered.

Armin heard but didn't bother to respond.

"Sir Armin," she said again and gently shrugged his shoulders.

When that didn't work she walked over to the curtains and pulled them open, causing the bright sunlight to shine right upon the man's face.

"Hmmm," Armin grunted and pulled the duvet over his head.

"Sir Armin, yesterday, you asked me to wake you up, remember? Sir Kristof and you will join for breakfast together; he will be ready for you in half an hour."

That knowledge made Armin's eyes spring wide open in a millisecond. He immediately sat up on the bed. "Why didn't you say that sooner?" Armin cried out.

"...?"

"Uh, cause... I'm- I'm hungry, you know?" Armin cleared his throat.

May shook her head and pushed her cart with a bowl of hot water on top of it towards Armin before she went to his closet to pick out his clothes.

"No! I- I will choose what to wear today!"

Armin remembered what was still hidden in that closet! And May stood right in front of it, the door already opened! Luckily, his protest had drawn her eyes away from the closet and she automatically closed the doors without looking back. "As you wish, sir."

Armin exhaled in relief. He really needed to find another spot for that painting.

May left the room and Armin undressed, took the cloth out of the hot water, and started washing up. After he was done, he rubbed in a little rose oil on himself so he would smell nice. He then got dressed and took an effort to comb his hair as neatly as possible.

When he was pleased with what he saw in the mirror's reflection, he went to sit on the chair in front of the window, waiting for Kristof to knock on his door. May had said that he would be there at nine o'clock.

Armin looked at the big standing clock every thirty seconds, his leg bouncing with impatience and nervousness. When it was one minute past nine, Armin got nervous. Did Kristof forget that they would meet up to eat together this morning?

There had been a weird awkward tension between them after that stupid King's ball. Maybe Kristof didn't want to have breakfast together because of that? Or maybe he'd forgotten it?

Then came a knock!

Armin raced to the door but calmed himself down before he opened it. He rubbed his sweaty palms against his pants and answered the door. When he saw Kristof, his heart skipped a beat. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Armin. Are you ready?" the older asked.

"Yeah- y-yes." Armin cleared his throat. "Yes."

Why was he acting like an idiot?

At the dining table, Kristof accidentally scraped his knee against Armin's knee and the younger almost gasped his breath as electricity zapped throughout his leg.

"Oh," Kristof said after hearing Armin's breath hitch. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Armin shook his head. "No. I just... was a little startled."

Was this what it felt like to be in love?

Armin had never felt these feelings before. Not even when he was with Roan. What he felt for his former lover was nothing compared to what he felt right now. He wanted Kristof to touch him again. It felt good, scary, and exciting. It made him feel alive. It made his stomach feel funny and wonderful.

"Is something wrong? You're not eating," Kristof asked.

Kristof asked when he saw Armin only stirring his spoon in his food and not actually eating it.

"No, everything is fine," Armin said before he quickly took a bite.

Kristof debated if he believed the answer or not. Armin had been weirdly staring at him ever since they sat at the table.

Kristof wondered why Armin looked at him like that. Maybe he looked uglier than he normally did? Maybe he had puffy eyes? He almost hadn't slept last night, so it was possible.

"Is there something funny about my face this morning? You keep staring at me..." he asked.

Kristof then held up his knife and looked in the mirroring reflection of the blade. He didn't see anything wrong.

He'd heard the people whispering at the party yesterday. He heard all about the young handsome man and his ugly deformed husband. Maybe Armin felt ashamed of him after all?

"No, you look... good," Armin responded.

"Good?"

"Hmm-hmm."

"I never look good." Kristof chuckled.

"Uh... Are you going to the mine today or can we spend today together...?" Armin asked hopefully.

That question took Kristof a little by surprise. "You- you want to spend today with me?!"

"Yes."

"What would you like to do? We can do anything you want."

Another whole day with just Armin...Kristof's heart skipped a beat! He thought about their last whole day together, at the lake, where they'd laughed together for the first time. It was such a great day.

"Maybe we could go to the lake again...?" Armin proposed. He was actually thinking the same thing as Kristof.

"Yes, let's do that."

✧══════•❁❀❁•══════✧

"May, do you know where sir Armin is?" Adam asked.

"Oh yes, he is walking with sir."

Adam saw the poor girl struggling with the heavy laundry basket. "Please, let me help you with this." He took the basket out of her hands.

"Oh, thank you, Adam," May replied, gratefully.

It was the way she said his name that almost made him trip with the whole basket.

"Why do you need sir Armin?" she asked.

"Oh, there is another letter for him. I just received it."

"Okay, I will give it to him when he gets back. Where is it?"

"In my pocket."

Adam was startled when May suddenly placed her hand in his pocket to grab it. She was so close he could smell her.

When they arrived at the washing room, Adam put the basket down and May started to take the linens out and placed them in the tub with hot water. She sat down and started to rub them with soap over the washboard.

Even this was mesmerizing to Adam. Unfortunately, he really needed to go.

"I will go to the mine now," he said. Whenever Kristof took a day off, it was Adam who made sure the mine was operating as it should be. "I'll be back before dinner."

"Okay, see you around."

✧══════•❁❀❁•══════✧

Kristof showed Armin all kinds of flora and fauna that could be found on his property. The younger was fascinated by everything Kristof explained and again impressed with the knowledge the older man had. Kristof taught him as much as the man could and he was eagerly learning new things.

"And this one is called a blue Morpho." Kristof pointed towards a blue butterfly. It was the same as they had seen the other day. It reminded him of how he'd touched Armin's cheek.

"It's beautiful."

Arriving at the waterfall, Armin's eyes fell on a familiar green bush and he felt the heat of his blush burn through his cheeks, recalling he'd hidden behind that bush, spying on his husband.

"Are you hot too?" Kristof asked, noticing Armin's flushed face. "Because I am. I think I'm gonna go for a swim. You want to join me?"

"..."

Armin stood there watching with a gaping mouth while Kristof started to take off his shoes.

"Armin?"

"..."

He just couldn't answer back. Images of the other day came flashing back before his eyes. The image that has been haunting him for days. And now he would get to see it again!

"Okay, I'm going in," Kristof said as he walked towards the water with his pants and blouse still on.

"Oh." Armin replied.

He thought Kristof meant something else...

He watched the man walk deeper and deeper into the water until Kristof threw himself in, head going underwater.

When he came back up Armin yelled, "But I've told you before. I can't swim!"

"Walk into the water! I'll help you, I'll teach you!" Kristof yelled as he came swimming back.

"Okay...I'm- I'm coming in."

Armin stopped when the water reached his hips and Kristof guided him by his hand, walking deeper.

He stood beside him and gently lifted, and flipped Armin on his back, who was splattering his arms around like a fish on dry land.

"Relax. Let me guide you. I probably won't be able to get you to swim today, but maybe I can teach you to float."

Armin let himself relax at the soothing voice of the other and felt Kristof's arms support him under his neck and lower back. Armin felt weightless. The only things he felt were the two strong arms supporting him.

He had his eyes closed and Kristof gently began to move him a little in the water, almost rocking him. It felt wonderful. Until he opened his eyes and noticed that Kristof had let go of him. That's when panic hit him. Kristof grabbed him and brought him to his feet again.

"It's good Armin, relax," Kristof chuckled. "You were doing great."

"I still think I've had enough of the water for today."

"Okay, let's go out then. I've cooled down anyway."

They went to lie down on the bed of grass, their heads under the shadow of a tree, and their bodies in the light of the sun so their clothes could dry.

"God, I'm so tired." Armin yawned.

"I didn't sleep so well last night. Let's take a short nap?"

"Yeah. You read my mind."

Armin thought about how it was becoming their thing, taking naps in nature. He closed his eyes and heard the birds chirping while the white noise of the waterfall was audible in the background. Before he knew it, he fell asleep, his hand resting against Kristof's...