[SnK] EreMin; 30 day challenge: stuck someplace together in winter
day 07: stuck someplace in winter
Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin
Pairing: Eren/Armin
Warnings: none
Word Count: 540
Descending unhurried the snow filled the air with a silent dance of ice. Even after the ground reflected the colourless sky it continued to fall, and the only sounds amongst the trees were branches creaking under the weight and an occasional fwump of collapsing snowdrifts.
“It’s beautiful,” Armin said.
Eren hummed in agreement. He was still more concerned about how they would continue to drag the deer carcass if they didn’t get back to the long-abandoned cabin they’d stumbled upon and made their temporary base of operations. The mountains had cast a dark shadow over the landscape, but Armin had calculated the easiest path to travel, and they had made good progress before the uniformly grey clouds had overflowed. The cabin was a reminder that they had regained human territory, that they weren’t the first ones to climb the forested slopes no matter how bleak they appeared.
“You really don’t feel the cold that much anymore,” Armin murmured.
It was a quiet observation, meant to be carefully tucked away amongst the softness of the snow, but it prompted Eren to an insight of his own.
“You’re cold!” he said. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“It’s not unbearable,” Armin protested, just as the chill started his teeth chattering.
“Don’t be stubborn,” Eren said, and could have sworn he heard Armin rolling his eyes. “Let’s hurry.”
It was true Eren wasn’t shivering the way Armin was though. His coat was protection enough, and his heart still pumped rapidly from the hunt. The snow that clung to his face stung, and it blurred his vision with frost forming on his eyelashes. But it didn’t cut him to the bone.
They reached their base before the darkness obscured the way. The snow covering the cabin twinkled in the last of the fading light, but Eren was too preoccupied with Armin’s wellbeing to appreciate it. Despite Armin’s many objections that really he was fine, and even though Eren knew he was a survivor, he’d never grown out of worrying about his childhood friend.
After establishing a fire and slicing the meat for cooking and storing, Eren took all of their extra blankets and coats from their packs and made a cocoon around himself, sitting beside a still shaking Armin by the crackling flames.
“Come here,” Eren said, opening the cocoon and beckoning Armin to sit between his legs.
It took a moment to get settled. Eren gently rubbed all the bits of Armin he could reach in the tangle of material, coaxing the feeling back to his extremities. Once Armin was comfortable, back resting against Eren’s chest, they finally took a moment to relax. They could afford to do that now, but it still seemed a luxury. The clean scent of snow still lingered on them, mingling with the less pleasant but ever present odours of their furs and woollens and Armin’s coal tar soap. Despite how Armin’s hair tickled his nose, Eren buried his face in it, humming as Armin twisted free enough to pet his head in return.
Outside, the snow continued to knit its frozen blanket. Inside, the fire continued to hiss and spit its glow against the darkness of the winter’s night. And both melted into insignificance as Armin kissed Eren his thanks. They might be there a while, but time meant nothing to lovers.
Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin
Pairing: Eren/Armin
Warnings: none
Word Count: 540
Descending unhurried the snow filled the air with a silent dance of ice. Even after the ground reflected the colourless sky it continued to fall, and the only sounds amongst the trees were branches creaking under the weight and an occasional fwump of collapsing snowdrifts.
“It’s beautiful,” Armin said.
Eren hummed in agreement. He was still more concerned about how they would continue to drag the deer carcass if they didn’t get back to the long-abandoned cabin they’d stumbled upon and made their temporary base of operations. The mountains had cast a dark shadow over the landscape, but Armin had calculated the easiest path to travel, and they had made good progress before the uniformly grey clouds had overflowed. The cabin was a reminder that they had regained human territory, that they weren’t the first ones to climb the forested slopes no matter how bleak they appeared.
“You really don’t feel the cold that much anymore,” Armin murmured.
It was a quiet observation, meant to be carefully tucked away amongst the softness of the snow, but it prompted Eren to an insight of his own.
“You’re cold!” he said. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“It’s not unbearable,” Armin protested, just as the chill started his teeth chattering.
“Don’t be stubborn,” Eren said, and could have sworn he heard Armin rolling his eyes. “Let’s hurry.”
It was true Eren wasn’t shivering the way Armin was though. His coat was protection enough, and his heart still pumped rapidly from the hunt. The snow that clung to his face stung, and it blurred his vision with frost forming on his eyelashes. But it didn’t cut him to the bone.
They reached their base before the darkness obscured the way. The snow covering the cabin twinkled in the last of the fading light, but Eren was too preoccupied with Armin’s wellbeing to appreciate it. Despite Armin’s many objections that really he was fine, and even though Eren knew he was a survivor, he’d never grown out of worrying about his childhood friend.
After establishing a fire and slicing the meat for cooking and storing, Eren took all of their extra blankets and coats from their packs and made a cocoon around himself, sitting beside a still shaking Armin by the crackling flames.
“Come here,” Eren said, opening the cocoon and beckoning Armin to sit between his legs.
It took a moment to get settled. Eren gently rubbed all the bits of Armin he could reach in the tangle of material, coaxing the feeling back to his extremities. Once Armin was comfortable, back resting against Eren’s chest, they finally took a moment to relax. They could afford to do that now, but it still seemed a luxury. The clean scent of snow still lingered on them, mingling with the less pleasant but ever present odours of their furs and woollens and Armin’s coal tar soap. Despite how Armin’s hair tickled his nose, Eren buried his face in it, humming as Armin twisted free enough to pet his head in return.
Outside, the snow continued to knit its frozen blanket. Inside, the fire continued to hiss and spit its glow against the darkness of the winter’s night. And both melted into insignificance as Armin kissed Eren his thanks. They might be there a while, but time meant nothing to lovers.