Airplanes

I'm sorry guys, but the chapter would have been seriously too long. I'm putting it together now though, so, Smut IS in the next one, and if you stick around, it will probably be up within an hour or so.

I'd like to give a shout out to Sekre, who leaves us many comments and is very exhuberant ^_^ thank you, and I'm so glad you enjoy the story!

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The day was busy, Armin knew, even though he was at school. As soon as he got home, his mother was all over the place, trying to shove him into the simple, suit like outfit his father had worn on his wedding day. Unfortunately, it was too narrow in the shoulders, which caused his mother to fret even more. The blond couldn't even imagine what Eli had gone through, being near her all day. And now it was the big day.

"As soon as we get there, Armin, you follow me, and Eli, you follow your mother. We have it planned, so as long as you to behave, nothing will go wrong."

Eli was a little surprised at first that, for some reason now, Armin's mother frightened him far more than his own, who was surprisingly quiet and dolling out kisses on the tops of their heads and all that, not worried in the slightest, it seemed. They were so very confusing... The whole day while Armin was away at school, Alice, normally like a cheerful canary had turned into a terrifying, shrill harpy. Eli had been dressed, stripped down, made to wash- and then she had washed his hair in the sink with something fancy, despite his obvious protest. Redressed again, fitted, undressed, redressed, and rehearsed. When Armin arrived at home, he was exhausted already, and he hadn't even left the house yet.

Having been given some free time, he sat up in the room carefully asessing the work he'd done on one of the jets. He knew that Armin had arrived and that Alice was panicking as she made him go through a condensed version of what Eli had done all day. Finally, he cringed as he heard her call, and moved to slip on his plain shoes to head down the stairs.

The brunette's hair nearly sparkled even in the lacking hallway light. He was dressed in a simple but old... dress. White with lace and all things frilly, with long sleeves and a high neck. Despite its sparse nature, it was rather flattering as it naturally gave a far more shapely womans physique, which was something he was often lacking in his other clothes. He felt something of a Victorian woman who couldn't really move much at all.

Armin was waiting at the base of the stairs, holding his mothers bag, dressed rather nicely in a suit- although Eli noticed he looked uncomfortable. The blond blinked, watching as his 'bride' descended the staircase, and for a few moments he couldn't hear his mothers useless ramblings about all the things that could go wrong and what they were missing or should have gotten. However, his looking was cut short as his mother started to drag him out to the waiting car.

Climbing up into the vehicle- as quickly as possible lest he anger the Harpy- Eli settled in the seat, and bit his lower lip nervously. Looking over at Armin with slightly bigger than usual brown eyes. He hadn't thought it would really bother him that much, but it was starting to, he could feel his pulse racing and he was starting to get hot in the confines of his clothes.. When they arrived at the church he stepped out of the car to follow his mother as he had been ordered, taking an arm and clinging to her like a lifeboat, glancing at Armin again and feeling sorry that the boy was stuck with his mother...

"Don't look so petrified! It'll only make people suspicious!" Not words of comfort in the least. Armin's mother failed at being a pillar of strength as soon as she got stressed out...and apparently, this sham wedding was doing just that. Armin, on the other hand,
simple yawned and dawdled after her as his hair was combed, tie checked, shoes shined. And then he was stuck in a room all by himself. 'Tradition', was all that Alicia had said before shutting the door in his face. Resigned to waiting and too tired to really understand just what all was going on, he sat down in one of the fancy little chairs available and closed his eyes.

But then the music started.

That age old wedding march, with a few well placed bell peals in the back ground. The blond's eyes opened slowly and within moments his palms were sweating, heart going a little too fast. That music was meant for him, he was going out there. There wouldn't be many people though, that was the one saving grace, as they didn't have any family close enough to come for the big event.

"Armin!" His mother at the door. His eyes flashed open, and he jerkily looked up as she once again descended upon him to heave him out of his not-very-comfortable seat.

"Get up! It's time to take your place at the altar!" He felt feint.

Eli looked up as the music started, trying to continue breathing normally. After Armins mother left to get Armin to the Altar, his own mother waited a few moments before leading him out and down the isle. He felt sick. He wanted to throw up. Have an excuse to run, hide in the bathroom... He kept trying to not faint and be dizzy, but breathing had gotten rather difficult and it was all getting a bit overwhelming. He was 'led' down the isle (more like dragged) and finally given away to Armin. Taking one of his hands, surprisingly tight, and glancing at him, he looked up at the priest as the man started to talk, first in latin and then in words he ought to understand, but at the moment, words were beyond his comprehension

It was like being half asleep at the theater, and dreaming you were in the movie but knowing you weren't...except this was no movie and it was very real. Armin hardly noticed how tightly Eli was gripping his hand as they stood, facing each other as the priest said his
lines, blue eyes possibly wider than they'd ever been before. He couldn't even look out at his mother, eyes locked on a little spot just to the side of his wife-to-be's head as the ritual went on. Yet now it had gone silent, and turning his head just slightly, Armin knew the priest was waiting.

For him.

To say something. But what? "Er..." And quickly the man in robe repeated what the blond was to say, the annoyance in his voice not very well hidden. It didn't exactly go smoothly, but it wasn't... terrible. And then someone else was pressing a ring into his hands for after Eli had said his part.

Tentatively, Eli slipped the ring onto Armin's finger. It was like there was radio static all around him, and he couldn't very well tell what was going on. He knew they were supposed to kiss- the idea made his heart leap and sink all at once, so it simply beat faster to compensate, since it didn't know which way it ought to go.

Armin watched as if disembodied as they exchanged the rings, little bands of gold slipping oh-so-neatly onto one another's fingers, Armin's vision seemed to blur slightly, but he took a deep breath and reminded himself of why this was happening. But now the whole thing seemed totally ludicrous, whereas before it had made such perfect sense.

"You may now kiss the bride." Those words floored him entirely, and Armin looked over at the priest, almost in shock. The elderly man simply smiled- it was more of a smirk, really- and nodded his head. Nodding. No where to turn but back to Eli, and nothing to do other than what he was supposed to, the Aryan youth looked back at the brunette, both of them so wide-eyed, and leaned in to seal their fates with the traditional kiss.

If Eli had been somewhat aware of his surroundings he would have noticed Armin's mother nearly having a heart attack on the first pew at all the slight mistakes and things. However he was not aware of anything, and he leaned just a bit into the light but chaste kiss, for a second, and then pulled back a little, still feeling light headed. There was some clapping and some congratulations, though from where he wasn't sure, and then Armin's mother was pulling them off towards the car, and giving Armin instructions on how to check in to the hotel, giving him the key and an envelope of money, likely for room service or something, and then pushing them into a car, and telling the Driver where to take them. It probably would be a while until Eli was at least... breathing properly again.

Shell shocked and overwhelmed, there were not enough words to describe this feeling. Did all just married people feel like this? Because it was final now, they had the rings and audience to prove it. As Armin was forced headlong into the car, he scrambled to sit, gripping the leather seat and pushing his back into it, hoping it might engulf him. His breaths were coming in long, shaky streams, and he had to put the key and envelope down as his palms were starting to make them soggy. At least he didn't have to talk to the driver, his mother had taken care of that, so he was able to just sit and collect his wits for the hurdle of talking to a hotel employee. He'd never even been in a hotel!

Eli wasn't really sure what to expect, and he waited quietly as they drove. It wasn't too far, after all it was a rather small town. The hotel was nice enough- Armin's mother could afford it after all. She'd already reserved the 'honeymoon suite' for them, that was why they had the key. When they got there, He moved out of the car. Slowly walking in after Armin, he watched the boy a bit worriedly as he started to check in, just telling the people that they were there. They seemed pleased, though Eli couldn't place why, and lead them up to their room, and said a complimentary bottle of wine would be sent up. Wine? Eli had never had wine...

The room was very fine, a little over the top as far as fancifullness went, but he didn't care. Stepping into the room he waited till the door was closed to finally sit down, letting out a slow breath. There. No more. Armin could simply breathe, and no longer worry about talking to... people. Or doing things. Or moving. He was now in a gaudy yet comfortable looking room with too much red and pink for his tastes, and his tie was suffocating him.

Yanking at the thing to loosen it, he let his slip off his arms before tossing it onto a nearby chair of a little table embellished with fake gold before looking around. A large washroom through one door with a huge tub, a huge closet...and a huge bed. All of it decorated in what he assumed was a very romantic way.

"This...is nuts..." He managed to squeak out, voice feeling scratchy and sounding strange to his own ears. "Isn't this nuts?"
Eli slowly but surely gave a soft, admitting nod, as he replied "A bit..." waiting a little before shifting some, reaching behind himself where a slew of buttons kept the garment on him, managing to undo two of possibly thirty or more. Sighing before he asked "Would... Would you mind helping me with this?" turning his back to show his predicament and hoping Armin wasn't insulted by his asking for assistance.

"Hmm?" Armin looked...well, completely distressed. There was a crease in his brow where it seemed to have permanently folded, making him looked troubled, but he nodded and walked over. Of course, dresses were really out of his league, so he had to take a few minutes to examine the set up before he started undoing the throng of tiny buttons. "Jeez...must have taken a while to get this on," Mumbling as he worked, it was finally done, and Armin stepped back to make sure he'd gotten all of them. It then occurred that, although they'd been given money, they'd been given no extra clothing, and although the blond had his suit...he hoped Eli at least had decent underclothing. Because he was not prepared to leave that room anytime soon.

"Ah, yes, sort of... " he said quietly, waiting until they were done before managing to pull his arms from the sleeves with a bit of difficulty. He was wearing a pair of loose pajama pants underneath the dress, but he lacked a shirt. Folding the dress carefully and setting it
over the chair he sighed a bit before he said "Much better... " looking around the room before moving to sit on the edge of the bed, not entirely sure what to do now, continually glancing at Armin.

After watching Eli remove the dress, and realizing he was watching with a terrible blush, Armin had begun to pace a bit, not sure what to do either. They had the rest of the day to sit and call room service, or whatever else, and it was only early evening, not even dinner time yet.

Going out was a no, he wouldn't dare, and people simply didn't leave their hotel room whilst on a honeymoon. No, they were usually busy with... activities. The thought made the blond blush a little more. Never in his life had he thought he'd be spending a wedding night like this.

"Anything you want to do? We could call room service and see what kind of things they have, or..." Well, there really wasn't an 'or', now was there. He was married now and he couldn't even touch the bride for fear of being strange.

Armin sank faintly at Eli's mumbled reply of "I'm not that hungry..."

Eli sat silently on the bed, chewing his lower lip and averting his gaze to the puke pink carpet before he said "Armin..." licking his lower lip, wondering how to ask such things... how to say such things. He knew Armin wasn't... like that, wasn't interested in that. "You know how... How you had said this marriage could be just as real as... any other real one...?"

Armin gave him a jerky nod, and Eli continued, hesitantly.

"And I said... that a real marriage was for lovers, not for friends...?"

His gaze was still rooted to the floor, but he could hear Armin's foot steps slowing down until they came to a halt. Armin was looking at him. He could feel his gaze searing his skin, in that way that they did. Half the time Eli was thankful that Armin didn't quite have it in him to look at him more than a few moments. When he did, it was as if those eyes would set him on fire.

"Yeah, I remember that. Why? I mean, if you're bringing it up again because you feel bad like before, don't, please, because there's nothing to feel bad about..." He was almost certain that that was not what Eli was getting at, but it was taking him a few moments to put two and two together. And even then, he couldn't be sure. "Wait...you mean, this isn't real, unless...we're..." Armin paused, unable to move the word from his mouth. There was a funny feeling in his stomach, like being terribly excited and happy, yet nervous enough to run away, all at once.

Eli nodded slowly, before he said quickly "I don't... I don't want you to get upset, I know that you... you probably aren't interested in me as anything other than a friend but... I... I do like you Armin, a lot... and... Please don't be upset, I was only... Only asking, really... " he wasn't even sure what he was asking, but he couldn't be too bold about it, since he hardly knew himself. He just knew... that he liked kissing Armin, the two times he'd done it, he also knew he didn't want to spend the rest of the year alone, yet married.... And Armin was kind, and giving...

"Ah..." And a slightly awkward silence followed. It almost made him sad to hear that Eli still felt that way, felt this wasn't real, but at the same time he couldn't be sad, not in the least. After a few moments, he worked up the nerve to respond properly, "I'm not upset...and it...it isn't that I'm not interested..." he could feel his cheeks burning, "It's...well, you wouldn't be upset? Or...or weirded out?" That was Armin's biggest fear really, rejection. So many times in the past couple weeks had it been tempting to do something more than just cuddle up to Eli at night, but the conviction in his mind that the other would be mortified made his gut ache, and stopped all thoughts.

"I'm sorry if I'm confusing you...but, I do like you... a lot, even...but it's confusing..." The words were barely there as the blond stared at the floor, that distressed look appearing again. Knowing that the hot gaze was averted, Eli dared to glance up at him. He smiled faintly, moving to get up and stepping over to him, just a little bit hesitant, before he said "I'm the one that kissed -you- first, remember?" it was almost a tease. He was... happy that Armin had responded so well in comparison to what he'd thought the blond might do.

Moving just a little bit closer before he said "Its... confusing for me too but... after all, we are married... "

"Y-yeah...married," the blond looked at his ringed hand, and suddenly felt a little bit more calm. Eli watched Armin for a little while before reaching up to lightly touch his hair. The hand so close nearly made him flinch away, but he stood still, trying to get used to the fact that he did like Eli...and he wasn't going to just stop liking him. He didn't want to.

Eli finally murmured "I wouldn't be upset, or... weirded out. I just... after the
way you reacted to the kiss at the movies, I thought you... would be angry, if I suggested such a thing..." watching him still, hopefully.

Nodding almost fervently, it hadn't occurred to him that the kiss in the theater had been for any other reason than to shut Daniel up, or that it hadn't been a wholly strange and wrong thing to Eli as well. "I only reacted that way because it shocked me...and all my life, it's been that a relationship consists of a man and a woman...and that's not easy to just forget that, you know? I don't know whether it's right or wrong, but I don't want it to be either. I just...want it to be..." He sighed heavily, eyes moving up from the floor, over Eli, and finally to his face, almost pouting at the fact that he was so messed up by this.

Eli smiled a little bit, before he said "I think it doesn't matter, really, just that you love them." Eli always had been accepting- after all, he didn't hate Germans for what they did. He knew there were bad people and there were good people, on both sides.

Love? Armin almost squirmed. Could that feeling in his stomach be love? He didn't know... Eli waited a little bit before leaning up a little bit, very slowly, in case Armin wanted to pull away, before kissing him lightly, a light thumb tracing the round side of his ear, having to go up just a tiny bit on his feet to be of equal height with Armin, since the blond boy was a few inches taller than he.

The thoughts on love and what was bothering his stomach hardly mattered to Armin as Eli was moving closer, and he knew what was coming. It was so simple and discreet, the blond bringing a hand up to cup and hold the other youth's cheek as he pressed forwards a little. As if set on fire, those butterflies in his stomach were moving like mad, and there was adrenaline pushing along with his teen hormones, goosebumps appearing on his arms. Without thinking for even a moment, Armin's other arm moved to circle Eli's waist and pull him that much closer, the kiss not so delicate anymore.

Eli relaxed quite a bit into the pull, pushing back into the kiss, excited and short of breath all in an instant. That didn't stop the kiss though, and his fingers gently combed through the soft blond locks, closing his eyes completely as he felt himself pressed flush up
against the other teen, his heart rate jolting forward in the excitement at the kiss. Armin was kissing him! And really kissing him, for no... real reason. No need, no nothing. And that delighted the youth to no end.

Finally breaking the kiss out of necessity for air, finding he could hardly even get a breath for his heart pounding so quick, Armin couldn't stop his eyes from traveling, remembering as he saw that Eli was without a shirt or much clothing. "I, um..." He breathed, not sure what to say, or do even. Had the brunette been female, well, he knew what to do, theoretically, with girls.

Eli was breathing hard, flushed, but it was hard to see such things with his caramel colored skin. However, he looked something like a cat that had eaten the cream, the canary, and blamed the whole mess on the dog.

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Smut next, I promise ^^.