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Post by Decoii on Apr 10, 2021 16:57:18 GMT -5
Annie chuckled softly feeling Armin's slight discomfort but decided to it in the car in silence rather than say anything in response. Looking out the window, she noted his quick change of direction but didn't question it because she knew he had listened to her. Still, she wondered if he knew exactly where he was going. Annie had been living in dirty beds and on dusty floors during the months of this mission. The living conditions had been extremely questionable but the need to learn more had driven her to actually work together with the other three members of her team. They always had a plan and she had managed to go off alone for the most part, not wanting to be held back. Of course, the one time she listened and went of with Gina the girl ended up dead.
A distant dark look crossed her face as she looked out the window. When had things gotten this screwed? She didn't recognize the members of Marley that had beaten the shit out of her but they knew her father and that was more than enough of a reason for her to not fight back. Her father had taught her how to fight from a young age. Beating discipline and training into her without hesitation. He was cold, distant, and cruel in his ways and Annie knew that's the reason she lived so well until now...
She remembered the day she lost her mind and beat up her dad. She'd been training for hours and he just kept going and going and she... Well, she blacked out on the wrong target.
She remembered the dread that filled her as she waited for him to come back from the doctors. Annie remembered the pride in his eyes as he limped back home and told her that she's done an amazing job and he was proud of her. That was the first time he's shown such feelings towards her and it left her conflicted, but with a renewing will to continue and get stronger for the two of them. Then, after the men of Marley came to talk to him and she was going to be taken away, she remembered the tears in his eyes as he broke down and told her that he was wrong about everything that he taught her and begged her to come home safely.
Was this what he meant?
What she saw in that place... It was hell. She had grown up knowing that New Dawn was the evil one. Growing and taking and killing as they personally saw fit for some sense of justice. Marley, they wanted to win a war. Then, people like her and her father would be forgiven and they could live well. But that place... The evil she saw in their and the shit she witnessed happen shook her to her core. She never imagined that Marley would have a hand in such an organization. It was sickening, it made her want to puke, and here she was fighting for Marley against New Dawn as New Dawn fought to stop the hell that was happening in that place.
Annie was tired and she felt confused and as she got lost in her thinking- she didn't even realized that she was following Armin silently as they reached their location and got out of the car.
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Post by Ventia on Apr 11, 2021 2:33:55 GMT -5
Armin found his gaze drawn to the rear view mirror a few times during those ten minutes. Catching a glimpse of dirty blonde hair there, her swollen cheek, a flash of icy blue eyes... Armin thought of the last time he had seen Annie Leonhart, walking alone and hurt into the forest. He had wanted to chase after her then but knew that if he did, Armin wouldn’t be welcomed. Hell, he was surprised about the sudden turn of attitude.
But then he assumed it was the mission, she was the only survivor. It must have had to been ugly. Armin watched her stare out the window and gripped the wheel, his attention back on the road. Annie had always been a survivor and Armin hoped that would never change. He didn’t want to even think of her dying. It sat wrong with him, that very thought, and then a crazy thought or maybe not so crazy at all filtered into Armin’s mind. If I had to kill her, could I?
Armin pulled into the right street and turned into the hotel’s garage, it spiraled down, going underground. Once they were on the ground floor, Armin drove towards the register booth and rolled down his window. All Pack windows were tinted and the truck big enough that the man working only saw Armin.
Armin paid Peter his going rate and got his usual room. He also ordered a few sandwiches and drinks. Armin rolled up the window once he was done and waited for the gate to open, taking yet another glance at Annie. She looked tired and Armin wanted to let her sleep but knew that he’d have to hurt her before that. He was amazed that she could breathe let alone walk.
Two floors down and around the floor, Armin stopped in front of the number twenty two. It sat on the corner and alone in the back and Armin felt his shoulders relaxing at the sight of it. Pale black concrete walls, a steel door, no windows. But inside of it, was like a second home. He had come by so much that Peter once told him that he rarely rented that room out to anyone else if he could help it. Armin had noticed and was appreciated by the gesture.
He cut the engine, his relief only growing, and watched Annie get out. She looked like she was on autopilot, and on her last legs. Armin grabbed his bag and followed her out, locking the doors behind him.
“Come.” Armin held out his hand for her, in case Annie needed something to steady herself with. He thought of the feel of her in his arms earlier and suddenly wanted to do it again.
“Unless you want me to carry you Leonhart?” Armin gave her a charming half smile, trying to tempt her into saying yes. “Or should I be the one to say please this time.” Armin said it softly, bending a little so his breath touched her ear.
“I have bones to break.”
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Post by Decoii on Apr 11, 2021 3:19:55 GMT -5
Annie only realized that Armin had been talking to her the moment she felt his hot breath on her neck. A strong shiver passed through her body before she could even suppress it and she found herself tilting her head upwards and towards Armin, eyes falling down at his lips before darting upwards into his eyes. She was met with two impossibly large blue eyes that felt all too familiar. "Well, that sounds like a date, doesn't it?" She said playfully before quickly reaching for the hotel keys in his hands and grabbing them.
She wasn't walking right and definitely felt like she would topple over at any given moment. Annie quickly unlocked the door and turned on the light of the hotel room, without giving the place much of a look she headed towards the bathroom and gently closed the door behind herself. The place was nice at first glance but she was happy to be in a safe place where she could finally take a much needed shower and so she set out to do just that.
She gritted her teeth in pain as she bent down and turned the water on, her back stinging in pain as she checked the temperature of the water and struggled to take off her damp stinking clothing. She placed her underwear inside her pants and then folded them and wrapped them up with her shirt into her hoodie before placing them on the sink. She slowly got into the water, taking a couple of seconds to relax under it but once she felt her eyes getting heavy, she focused on bathing herself, not paying much attention to the products in the tub but making sure she passed them heavily on her body to eliminate the stench of blood she still swore she could smell on herself. Annie focused on her hair, making sure she got most of the knots freed with her hands as she conditioned.
She didn't know how much time had passed before she turned off the water and slowly got out. Her body feeling heavier now. She dried herself before pausing and frowning. What the hell was she supposed to wear?
Sighing and rolling her eyes, she towel dried her hair before wrapping the damp towel around her body and wrapping one end around the other to keep it into place. She glanced in the mirror and fixed her hair into a semi decent wavy mess before moving her dirty clothes to the corner of the bathroom floor, next to her shoes, and making a mental note to ask Armin later about a place where she could get them washed.
Annie didn't know why she felt so nervous, but once her hand laid on the doorknob of the bathroom she found herself hesitating before opening the door. she felt what can only be described as butterflies in her stomach. Annie made a mental note not to think too much into it before she opened the bathroom door and stepped into the main sleeping area of the hotel room. She quickly glanced around before her eyes landed on Armin, "Finally, let's do this... Only if you're ready." She chuckled lightly, wanting to roll her eyes at what her words could imply in this situation but instead, she found herself staring at his chest.
She looked down at her towel, hands moving to ensure that it was still tightly wrapped in place before she stopped and moved towards him. "Take off your shirt, Arlert"
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Post by Ventia on Apr 11, 2021 15:56:35 GMT -5
“You tease me too much Annie.” Armin said from behind her, his heartbeat beating faster than it had been a second ago before her little date remark. Had she had fallen, Armin would have been there to pick her up, up until halfway into the bedroom. He watched the door close and hoped she’d be alright.
Armin stared at the closed bathroom door, hearing the soft sounds of her moving about, the water turning on and so forth. It felt strange to hear someone else in this room, since he hadn’t brought anyone here. Armin glanced at the king bed that took a big majority of the room. Then at the desk and chair on the side, the little kitchen in the corner, and a little sitting room of a couch and tv. It wasn’t much but it had all the necessities. Armin felt comfortable here, not as much as in his apartment back in the Pack, but it came close.
Armin went to the closet where he left some pack clothes, mostly sweats and shirts, some pair of socks too. He didn’t feel comfortable leaving any underwear, that was a bit too personal for Armin. Not that he saw Annie wearing his briefs. Though he’d bet she’ll still look great in them. The woman ended up looking good in anything in Armin’s eyes.
He dropped the pair of sweats and a plain black tee on the bed and moved towards the kitchen. Armin opened the fridge where he kept waters and took one out. It had been about two weeks since he was in here and Armin was pleased to see that once again, everything was where he had left it. He had some cans stored in the cupboards as well but wanted the sandwiches so held off on making anything. Instead his mind drifted back towards the sounds in the bathroom and Armin was left imagining what Leonhart was doing.
The knock pulled Armin out of his madman trance of imagining himself with Annie, behind her, scrubbing her, watching her bend over and then- Armin shook his head, forcing the thoughts to scattered even though they still hid at the corner of his mind. Ever so close. One of Peter’s employees waited with the food and drinks and Armin thanked her and sent her on her way with a little tip.
He placed the food on the desk and sat in its chair. Armin had a small laptop locked on the bottom of the desk but would check on it later. He opened the bottle and drank, suddenly parched. Armin couldn’t help noticing that the shower water had stopped by now and Armin found himself turning to face the bathroom door. He should be looking the other way, towards the wall so he could give Annie some privacy, but Armin couldn’t do that. Couldn’t miss the very moment she walked into the room. Wet and fresh. Armin drank the last of the bottle, his thirst unquenched.
The door opened and Armin sucked in a deep breath, instantly he was hit with Leonhart’s scent mixed with his own. The hot steam of the bathroom leaked into the bedroom as Annie, clad in nothing but a damp towel that melded to her body, came straight for him. Armin had stretched out on the chair and she practically stood right between his legs.
Armin stared up at her, his throat closing with pure want of her. Her words didn’t register at first and Armin glanced at her lips, then at her dripping wet hair, then back at her icy eyes.
“My shirt?” He asked confused. Armin found his eyes dragging down the length of her body, his hands itched to grab her and sit her on his lap. Her towel is damp, the last bit of his rational mind reminded him.
“There’s clean clothes on the bed. Put them on before you get a chill.” Armin had to growl out the words, his eyes glinting slightly with gold, making the blue that much brighter. Armin made no move to help Annie for he feared that if he moved right now, Armin would take what he had wanted for years and possibly ruin everything in the process.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 12, 2021 6:48:51 GMT -5
Annie blinked, a look of confusion furrowing her brows as she took a step back from the sitting Armin and turned to look over her shoulder's at the clothing that laid on the end of the bed. When had that gotten there? In fact, she found herself blinking slowly as she maneuvered her eyes around the room, giving it all a longer and more detailed look. It was the second time she found herself looking around but this time, she was actually absorbing more of the surroundings that she did the first time. A heavy weight settled low in the bottom of her stomach, reminding her that this wasn't the kind of behavior she was used to portraying herself in. She was secure and always made sure she knew of any threats or any nearby exits and obstacles in case the need arose.
But this was Armin. Something about the blonde that currently sat tensely on a chair always made her guard impaired. When in reality Armin was more dangerous to her than anyone else. He was smarter than she ever gave him credit and always stirred something inside of her when everyone around her made her feel numb and detached.
Annie glanced around one last time and pursed her lips slightly, the rooms details finally clicking in her head and she mentally cursed at herself for it having taken so long to register. But this room from the very beginning should had felt off to her, it didn't smell of cleaners that masked the smell of previous occupants. No, this room at the very moment felt like it was an extension of Armin. He had known exactly where to go without hesitation once he had made up his mind, Annie duly noted, wondering if he hadn't given her what she wanted but instead lured her into a trap with the sense of false security. If that was the case, she was thankful that she was at least showered right now. That was more than she could ask for given the situation she had placed herself in.
The bathroom had a brush, toothbrush, and now that she thought about it, it had also sported personal items that weren't standard hotel brands. In fact, Annie noted to herself that there where a couple of items both out in the small kitchen area and laying on the bed that he hadn't brought with himself. He didn't have a bag when he picked her up and they currently rode in a car that didn't even belong to him.
Frustration dipped into her veins when she found herself looking back at Armin.
Why did he have to use her last name currently? Was it a tease to let her know that he knew about her? In fact, Annie found herself having to bite back a sudden fierce wave of anger as her mind twisted and turned, thoughts flooding unwelcoming into her head. There was no way out of this situation and Annie felt like she might meet her maker sooner than she had hoped for. In a way, she wanted to lash out and yell at him, accusing him of blind things and letting out both the rage and sadness out, leaving it all in the open for Armin to lap up with his wide blue eyes and stupid unreadable look that he always seem to give her.
Did he look at other people that way too?
She found herself frowning as the pit of swirling emotions only grew in her stomach, then vanished completely before turning into a throbbing weight further down. No.. She had gone off into her head again but her thoughts and angers felt misguided and Annie blinked when she noticed that she had been looking at Armin again, not knowing for how long she had been openly staring. Why was it that every time she was near Armin she stumbled on her thoughts and her actions?
But at that very moment everything turned into a hum in the back of her mind, leaving her super focused on the male that sat in front of her. He looked relaxed, but Annie knew there was a tenseness to his façade and she wondered if he could also read her like that. She was going to die soon, maybe, so why not take a leap? Get the answers to the questions that she knew she couldn't find outside of the intimacy of this room. "What are you thinking?" She asked hoarsely before swallowing the lump in her throat that she hadn't even realized was there.
Without overthinking her actions, she found her body moving closer to Armin, upper body dipping down over his as her left hand held unto the arm of the chair he sat in and her right palm pushed on his shoulders, staying there. Her knees between his legs in the closeness that she brought them into. Lowering her voice, she tilted her head down to make sure she never broke her gaze into his impossibly deep blue eyes. "What are you thinking when you look at me like that? why... Why do you look at me like that Armin?" She had never really addressed him by his name.
But at that moment, Annie didn't find herself wanting to move away from him. No, this tension inside of her.... It had been there a long time and she honestly didn't understand the glowing depth of his eyes. The shifts of gold, the tensed jaw... All of it left Annie confused. But she felt it, had felt it for years.
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Post by Ventia on Apr 12, 2021 18:51:46 GMT -5
Armin wondered if Leonhart was doing this on purpose, if she knew of the effect she had on him and wanted to push him over the edge. Or if the girl simply didn’t know of her beauty, of the way that the towel clung greedily to every inch of her body. Even the sight of her cute bare toes sent a satisfied thrill through Armin. Didn’t she know of the dangers of looking like such a sweet snack in front of a ravenous werewolf? Which was how Armin was feeling with each passing second that Annie Leonhart stood in front of him, wet, with only a flimsily towel separating them. Armin could imagine ripping it away, revealing her curves, her wetness, and so much more.
Armin licked his lips at the mental image and watched Annie take in the room; a small part of him wanting her approval. He couldn’t guess what she was thinking and instead felt his eyes dragging low once more. Greedily Armin imprinted every inch to memory and when he brought back his hot gaze to Annie’s face, she was watching him.
They were quiet for a long moment until all Armin could hear was their heartbeats. It drummed in his ears and made him feel oddly relaxed, maybe because it was her heartbeat. His gaze snatched on the movement of Annie’s lips and had to focus to pay attention.
Though her words made his pulse spike. Armin met her eyes, wondering if it was wise to tell Leonhart the truth. That he couldn’t really think of anything besides her, practically naked, between his legs, like a fucking offering.
Armin opened his mouth to lie but then paused, lips slightly apart, as Annie drew close. As she bent over Armin could see more down into the towel and felt himself straightening a little, wanting to get closer to her. His arm flexed under her touch and Armin had to control his breathing to maintain some type of composure.
Each new breath filled Armin’s lungs with Leonhart’s scent. Her unmistakable fiery but sweet and alluring scent mixed with his own heady desire was enough to get Armin aroused. Top it off with her hand curled around his shoulder, her heat penetrating into his skin, making his shoulder feel like it was burning. And the cherry of it all? Anna was looking at him like she was interested as well.
“I...” he paused because she had said his name. Armin swallowed hard and shifted in his seat which only pressed his thigh against hers. She was too close and yet not close enough.
“I’m thinking of the time we’re wasting with setting your bones right.” He growled out and was truthfully worried about setting them straight.
“And for how I look at you Annie...” Armin reached for her but only his fingers traced the skin above her knee, resting his hand on his lap, feeling smooth and warm skin on his fingertips.
“Well that,” Armin’s voice was low and filled with his unspoken desire. “We can talk about that later.” His other hand came to rest on her right hip and he sprawled his fingers wide and pressing down on her enough to feel the bones underneath. He could feel the misalignment and reposition his grip on her. One hand on her lower back and the other right above the broken bone.
Armin’s eyes traveled up to her face again and he held her gaze from that moment forward. Once he felt that she was ready, Armin pressed hard into Annie’s side until he felt and heard the bone pop back into the correct alignment. It had taken only a moment but Armin knew all to well the flash of pain of setting a bone straight. He loosened his grip on the tender area but kept it there, hoping his heated hands would make it a bit more bearable.
“Better?” Armin knew she had broken ribs but there wasn’t much for him to do about those, it would heal for her soon. One of the many perks of being a shifter.
“What else? Or was that it?” and then Armin would be forced to remember her sweet questions. Be forced to answer them. For what though? He thought a little bitterly. To face rejection and have her laugh in his face. The woman almost never paid him any attention and now here she was, almost on top of him, asking him what he thought of her. She madden him. This Annie Leonhart of his.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 12, 2021 23:22:26 GMT -5
Annie hadn't really noticed how close she had gotten to him until his fingers brushed against her exposed thigh. Her head snapped down to look at his long thin digits as they brushed lightly against her. Her heart thumped roughly inside her chest and her eyes slightly widened. Now she was acutely aware of how close she had gotten to him and not only his fingers but his thighs touching hers. It was such a simple gesture but it left her feeling frozen in fright.
No one has ever dared touch Annie Leonhart in such a gentle and soft way. No, unless she was training, fighting, or doing something practical that needed physical touch- she hasn't been touched by anyone. Especially on her bare skin like this. In any other instance she felt like she would have automatically lashed out, not stared down at his fingers like they were some alien lifeform that she had been completely mesmerized by. This was in one of the many ways why she was terrified of Armin Arlert. He had a way of doing things, or looking at her, or even of speaking to her that she didn't mind. He always made her feel like she was acting out of character, and this was no exception.
Annie's heart was racing, her stomach twisting and turning, and a throb at her core left her feeling slightly dizzy, especially when his right hand gripped on tightly to her hip and his other hand followed nearby.
Swallowing lightly, she blinked rapidly before moving her face back towards his, freezing when her lips nearly brushed against his in their closeness. A small questioning 'hm?' rose from the bottom of her throat as she started registering that he had spoken to her and her mind slowly started to register what he had just said. Her brain was definitely not working up to full speed and it took her a couple of seconds to realize what he had said and as soon as her mouth opened to tell him to wait, she felt her body being swallowed up in a wave of white burning pain.
"Arm- nggh!" she let out a yelp of pain and a loud moan. The pain had been intense but as soon as it had happened, the worst part of it was done, and she felt her legs give up on her seconds after.
Her ears throbbed loudly, her vision felt blurry as they stung with unfallen tears, and she bit her lips in an attempt to muffle the sound of her surprised pain filled moans. She hadn't been mentally prepared to experience such an attack and now, she couldn't stop the trembling of her body. It took Annie a few seconds to regain herself and when she did, she gasped at her new situation. She had falling on Armin, her body tucked closely between his legs and her face had been buried into the side of his inner thigh, her fingers digging into his thighs as well.
Her breathing was uneven, chest bouncing up and down and a tint of pink staining her shoulders, neck, and cheek in embarrassment. Annie bit her lower lip as she looked up at him shyly, feeling apologetic as she removed her nails that had been digging into his skin. "I've known that you have a way of dodging questions, Arlert, but that sure as hell..." Her words started to die down as she spoke, hands rubbing lightly against the fabric that dressed the firm toned skin of his thighs.
What the hell was she doing? her hands are most definitely rubbing at an inappropriate place that she shouldn't be touching and as she quickly moved them away, she felt extremely insecure. The only thing she could do was look back up into his burning blue eyes, her own eyes wide in uncertainty and shock.
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Post by Ventia on Apr 13, 2021 2:04:06 GMT -5
If Armin didn’t know any better he’d say that Annie looked memorized as she watched his fingers. He held his breath, preparing himself for her rejection and yet it didn’t come. Her reaction plus her escalating beating heart gave Armin some much needed confidence that Leonhart didn’t hate his touch as he had feared. Armin felt excitement creep into him and sucked in another deep breath of Annie’s scent.
Armin wasn’t much of a ladies man and if he was truthful, he had barely any experience. There had been no time for a woman in his life and the only woman that did interest him hadn’t seemed to notice he was alive-unless she was beating his ass. During his time away, Armin committed himself to the missions which once again left little room for anything more than a little flirting. Even then, Armin hadn’t truly been in the mood. No, instead he had thought of Annie’s sharp icy blue eyes and the woman in front of him suddenly paled in comparison. Armin always went home alone. His thoughts full of Annie. Of how she was, what she was doing that very moment, if she had found someone...he had violent images of tearing that very someone to shreds on those nights. Other nights however all Armin could think about was what he’d do to her sweet little body.
She didn’t know it yet but Annie was already fulfilling one of Armin’s fantasies and Armin was enjoying every second. When their lips almost touched just moments before Armin forced the bone in place, Armin had to force himself not to kiss her. Even though all Armin wanted was to do just that, to swallow Annie’s cries, and then kiss her until she couldn’t remember the pain. But Armin hadn’t and watched as she cried his name, he couldn’t help enjoying that too.
He knew it had been a shout of pain and yet if Armin thought of it differently, it sounded like a moan of pleasure. Armin growled out when she fell from his grip, trying to catch her at the last second. His arms cupped under her armpits and he had squeezed his thighs together, locking her in place. She practically fell on his legs instead of the floor and he was holding on to her, leaning forward as she dug into his thighs. It didn’t hurt and instead only excited Armin more.
Something was wrong with Armin, he thought, getting a hard on from the feel of Annie’s trembling body, of her fingers digging into his thighs and god the sight of her against his thigh as if she was sucking on him.
“Shit.” Armin rasped, throwing his head back momentarily and closed his eyes, fighting for control. He dragged his gaze back down to Annie, eyes glinting gold hungrily, Armin curled his fingers around Annie’s upper back, trying to hold her in place as much as the towel. He couldn’t help noticing how her body blushed with color and had to end the thought of just where else did her pretty body blush and how he would enjoy making her blush over and over again. When Annie looked up at Armin after what felt like forever, her eyes still teary and wide, biting her lower lip and managing to look shy...Armin knew he was in trouble.
“You want to know what I’m thinking when I look at you?” Armin asked after her question, enjoying her soft caresses on his thighs. He glared at her when she stopped but then smiled because Annie just looked so cute to him.
Armin pulled her upwards, using both his legs and his grip under her arms until she straddled his legs and they were once more face to face. She was on the end of his lap and Armin tried not to tug her closer. This position wouldn’t be doing anything good for her newly set bone but Armin knew Annie was a tough girl and could get off of him at any moment she wanted.
“It’s simple.” Armin licked his lips and thought here it was-the moment he had been putting off for years. His confession. At first he hadn’t dared to tell her but over the years it had nagged at him and Armin, during one of those very long lonely nights, had swore that he’d finally do it. Lay it all out to Annie and accept what came. The worst thing that could happen to him was rejection and at least then, Armin wouldn’t be pinning after Leonhart like some silly puppy. No he’d eventually learn to get over her, he hoped.
Best case scenario... Armin let his fingers trail down the sides of her body, starting from under her arms, past the side of her chest, down her stomach until he rested his arms on his thighs, fingers clenched to fists to keep from touching.
“I like you.” Armin said slowly, holding Annie’s gaze. “I always have. Everyone else thought you were scary and better than the rest of us and well you are pretty scary.” He chuckled softly and continued in his earnest tone.
“But I think you’re wonderful...you really kicked my ass back then and it would frustrate me, I kept trying to get better and yet you still beat me. Despite you making a fool out of me, I was fucking happy back then, because I was with you. Every time we had the chance to be together, I took it, and yet it never seemed to be enough.” Armin licked his lips, feeling his heart hammering against his chest. He felt stupid for saying all of this and clenched his teeth together to stop himself from saying anything more. But Armin couldn’t help himself and grounded the last few words out, a bit angrily too. “When it was obvious to me that you didn’t care, I did my best to stay away and well here we are, years later.” There. Armin had summarized it for her, not wanting to get into too many details because he still feared her rejection and how lame would Armin look if he told her all the reasons why he had fallen for her. And she rejected him anyways. No he wasn’t fighting to win her over, at least not yet. Not until he knew what she was thinking.
“Was that the answer you were looking for?” Armin asked, sounding calm again, but knowing he was vibrating with anticipation of how Annie would react. His heart was still hammering and Armin found it hard to hold Annie’s gaze but for the life of him, he wouldn’t look away either. It was the moment of truth right now and Armin prepared himself for the worst and yet still hoped for the best.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 13, 2021 11:44:05 GMT -5
“Was that the answer you were looking for?”
In truth, no.
Annie felt a sting of pain in her chest after he spoke, the whole time she just stared at him stupidly, an open look of shock and confusion painted on her face. This was all so intimate that Annie found herself shaking and unable to control her body from doing so. Yet, as his words played in her head and settled in her thoughts, she couldn't break eye contact from Armin. Has she always hurt him? Back then and even now with the situation she was in, Annie realized she's done nothing but hurt Armin.
But in this room... It all felt like it didn't matter. Like she was stuck in this bubble of Armin and the world outside was nothing but a nightmare to them. His touches felt like waves of white heat across her skin, his gaze like something that she couldn't escape from and even though she knew she should have gotten off of him the moment he confessed to liking her, she found herself straddling him with no intention of actually getting off.
Liking someone could mean a lot of different things, but as Armin continued to talk, Annie was sure she could die under the feeling of daggers piercing her heart.
She had always wondered why he left all those years ago. He could have done so much with himself and yet he put himself in a position where he was constantly in some sort of danger. Doing jobs that obviously wasn't his forte and should have been given to other people. All these years of Arlert putting himself in so much danger and it was all because of her.
Annie closed her eyes for a long second, before turning her gaze down between her legs and towards his hands. Reaching for them, she willed herself to stop trembling and grabbed his hands, bringing them up towards her chest. It was then, out of all moments, that Annie noticed his erection and a new wave of red covered her cheeks hotly. If she had any doubts of him lying, they were all gone now. People could force their words but she didn't really think they could force their attraction. Or at least, Annie didn't believe she was the type of girl to genuinely draw out such a reaction from anyone.
"When you left, I felt so lonely I thought I was going to lose my mind." Her confession came out of nowhere and Annie found herself diverting her eyes to the carpeted floor. "Thank you, Armin... For liking me back then.."
Annie slid up his thighs, pressing closely against his body completely as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, squeezing lightly before placing a light kiss on the underside of his jaw. Just as quickly as it had happened, she got off of him. "I'm sure there are much more fun and cheerful girl's out there right?" With a small smile, she stepped back away from him and towards the bed.
"I should get dressed, then we should eat and sleep. Tonight must have been exhausting and the sooner we get it over with, the sooner you can get away from me again." Her words sounded teasing but she was being dead serious, diverting the situation and his confession into a direction that they hadn't been intended as. "I'm sorry it was you that was brought into this mess, Arlert."
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Post by Ventia on Apr 14, 2021 12:42:49 GMT -5
Armin wasn’t exactly holding his breath but it felt like it. It was a bit hard to breathe but Armin went through the motions anyways, watching Leonhart’s obvious shocked and confused expressions. His heart was hurting and Armin wanted to run away, out of the room-out of the territory just to escape Annie’s coming rejection. Just from her face he could tell and Armin felt himself start to tense up.
It was fine, he thought, better this way. Leonhart wasn’t for him-no she had always been too good for the likes of him. Out of reach. In a different world. Armin clenched his fists, his nails digging into his skin, his gaze cast downwards. Armin couldn’t bear to see her eyes as she rejected him, knowing that it would kill him. He had feelings for her for years now and now it would all end.
Annie’s touch on his fisted hands drew Armin’s attention and he watched her pull them towards her. Her touch had calmed him despite Armin not wanting it to and his fists had lost its vigor, feeling content in her grasp. Armin’s eyes darted to Annie’s face and was surprised to see a blush covering her face. He swallowed hard, feeling her heart slamming against his hands.
Armin wanted to say something-anything that would help his case but there were no words. All he could do was wait.
Leonhart’s words registered in his head and repeated over and over until Armin could feel that silver thread of hope become alive again. She had noticed? Noticed he was gone and it made her feel lonely? Armin couldn’t believe it but knew it must be the truth because why would she lie? Unless she was just trying to ease his pain but then why give him hope? Why thank him for liking her?
Armin held still when Annie drew closer and when she hugged him? Gods. Armin closed his arms around her, unable to help himself. He held her close, shaking when he felt her hot lips on his jaw, and closed his eyes. He wished he could stay in this very moment, with Annie Leonhart hugging him. But Armin felt her pull back and let his arms drop, at the loss of her body on his, Armin suddenly felt empty. He realized that she had only thank him and not really rejected him and gazed up at her, tuning in to what she was saying.
“I don’t care about any other girls.” Armin said instantly, already knowing full well the truth to that statement. He could feel Annie pulling away from him and from the subject and Armin should have let it be. But he had just confessed. After years of putting it off and worrying about it and now Armin didn’t even get a clear answer in response?
“So you don’t like me?” Armin asked softly, watching Annie move about the room. “Why ask me then?” He gripped the sides of the chair, feeling a wave of hurt and anger go through him. Making his heart hurt that much more.
“Why make me say it? Just to thank me? That’s bull Annie. That’s fucking bull.” Armin shot up, the anger building up inside of him. The hurt. He didn’t move yet, just stood, words raging around in his head.
After a long moment, Armin said calmly, “Fine. Get dressed. Eat. Sleep. We’ll go back to the Pack and then you never have to see me again.” He grabbed one of the sandwiches and tossed it by her clothes before making his way to the bathroom. Anywhere to get away.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 14, 2021 14:58:30 GMT -5
Annie hadn't planned on answering him from that moment forward. Instead, she fell into silence as she reached for the clothes, inspecting it as if it was the most interesting thing in the room. It wasn't. Annie was just good at doing things like this, deflecting. Making it seem like she didn't care, putting on a mask over her emotions and acting out without a care in the world. Annie couldn't have feelings of her own like this, she wasn't here all these years for this. No, she did as she was told. But she'd fucked up her own personal sense of equilibrium the moment that she was captured and made realizations she wished she hadn't. It was all further messed up when she killed two people and ended up in this room with Armin.
Now she felt like she was losing control of everything.
She'd never been in such a situation and honestly? She was a shit liar when it came to Armin. Instead, all those years, she's said barely enough to get her out of any conversation. Annie's never felt more out of control but more herself as she did in this goddamn room with him. Admittedly, her hands moved to her stomach when he told her there was no one else for him. The thumping in her heart increasing as did the butterflies in her stomach. She felt relieved and the mere thought of that made her frown.
Annie really wasn't planning on replying to him, she wasn't. But something inside of her snapped the moment he threw the damn sandwich at her and she felt a sudden bite of anger rise up in her that she couldn't control. She snapped her head to look up at his back as he passed her and found herself dropping the towel and angrily putting on the black shirt that annoyingly smelt too much of him.
She snatched the pants off the bed and started to angrily slide them up her legs and tying them tightly around her waist so they wouldn't fall.
She was going to get the hell out of there. But the moment she turned towards the door, she could smell his anger as well and found herself laughing. "I asked you because I truthfully didn't fucking know and- and you have the audacity to get mad at me!?" She scoffed loudly and folded her arms in front of herself, turning to face him completely. But he was running away from her again and without thinking she moved towards him and attempted to grab his shoulder and whirl him around to face him. "You're not- you're not running away this time."
"I can't, okay?" She yelled out angrily, cheeks red and tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I can't think of people like that. I can't personalize you because then you'd have too much power over me! and Armin- goddamn it- I- I- You're-" Mid sentence, Annie completely just stopped talking.
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Post by Ventia on Apr 14, 2021 15:54:06 GMT -5
Annie's laughter rang through Armin's ears and sent another shot of pain through his heavy heart. He clenched his teeth, trying to hold it all in, until the last few steps to the door. Her words slowed him though and he huffed out a long breath until he felt her sweet hot hands pulling him back.
Armin stared at Annie, a little amused that she had gotten dressed so fast, a little regretting that he hadn't known and stolen a peek, but mostly Armin looked into her eyes, searching for something-anything that would give him cause to stay. Armin found more than what he asked for. His anger sharpened into protectiveness, the predator in him seeing something he hadn't liked, not then and not now. Her words only fueled Armin's emotions and he reached out to clasp her shoulders.
"Why not?" Annie sounded so sad to Armin, he hated it. Armin continued in a low but strong voice that grew louder as Armin asked her all the questions he had bottled up inside for all the years that he had known her but had been too scared to ask.
"Why push everyone away? Why can't you ever let anyone in? Don't you hate being alone? Do you want to be alone? Come on Annie, why? What is pushing you to act the ways that you do? Whats wrong Annie....you can tell me anything, if you're in some kind of trouble-I'm here. I'll help you. Make you happy. Annie I just want to see you happy."
If she let him touch her, Armin would squeeze her shoulders when he really wanted to touch her cheek. He hated seeing the pain in her eyes. Armin bent down until his forehead pressed against Annie's.
"You're not alone anymore Annie, not really. You're just making it so. But if you just say the word, know that I'm here. That I want to be here. And I wish that you'll just let me in. So we don't lose this chance. You could change it all around Leonhart, right now, this very instant." Armin pulled back, searching Annie's gaze.
"But you won't, will you?" Armin said sadly, slowly he let his hands drop from her sides, instantly missing her warmth. Armin stayed right where he was and smiled down at Annie, knowing he was a fool.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 14, 2021 16:37:10 GMT -5
Annie's instinct would have been to hurt him. At that point, when he reached for her, she should have grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, landing a knee to his back to pop his shoulder out of place. At that moment, she should have grabbed on to his head tightly while she brought her knee back and up into his face, plowing it over and over until blood ran down her thighs and he couldn't stand anymore. Annie was small, but she could land blows easily and dance around anyone. It's all she's ever known, all she's ever done from day to night. When she couldn't stand up, she'd still hold on to something and lay hit after hit after hit until she wasn't even a person anymore.
Annie should have done so much to Armin when he grabbed her, when he yelled at her, when he brought her in so that he could rest his head on hers. She should have done so much- and yet, all she did was cry. She didn't realize when the first sob left her, but she could feel the cool sensation of her tears flowing down her otherwise burning cheeks. She was in pain, but this pain felt new and she didn't even know how to deal with it. She felt betrayed by her tears and so she silently looked down at the space between their feet and willed herself to stop crying.
Annie's throat felt like it was permanently shut, and even though she moved her mouth to speak a couple of times she found herself unable to let a single word out. Everything that Armin had just said to her had hurt her more than she could imagine. The pain felt physical in her chest and she wondered when he saw right through the façade that she had so carefully painted around her.
When had he just seen her? Struggling to be left alone, struggling to survive?
In truth, Annie felt embarrassed by the fact that she was so openly expressing such vulnerability but she couldn't stop. Somewhere in her silence, she found herself whispering in defeat. "Because I can't, you're right, I won't. Armin.... I refuse to compromise you like this. You are so much better than this, I refuse to do it, and besides... I... In a couple of hours you're going to be driving me to my death, don't you get it? There's no point to any of this."
She had to draw a line somewhere and this was it, she couldn't tell him what sort of situation she was in. He would hate her. Annie knew it and the frustration building up inside of her made her cry that much harder. Why had she bothered telling him anything. Yeah, she hadn't given him a simple answer, but she admitted to feeling the loneliness he had left behind for her. She had admitted that he had power over her, power no one else had. Power that made the words 'I like you' sound so small in her mind. He had so much power that Annie would rather die than let him lose his way because of someone like her.
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Post by Ventia on Apr 14, 2021 18:48:20 GMT -5
Annie was crying...the sight tore at his heart and Armin felt responsible for it, it was his fault for saying things that they both knew shouldn’t be said. But that was just it-Annie wasn’t crying because Armin had hurt her, no, she was crying because she was overwhelmed with everything she had going on. Crying because only Annie knew the full story and hadn’t allowed anyone to come close. Crying because she knew she could say nothing. Not unless Annie decided to trust Armin with the full truth.
Armin growled out, frustration starting to build in him. He felt like he could do nothing, even though now he was fully capable of doing whatever it was he had to do. But it was like Annie didn’t see that.
“Compromise me? Annie I can take care of myself now. I’m not that wimpy crybaby who couldn’t do anything back then. I’m not better than anything. I am trying to help you. Even without my feelings for you, I would still try because you’re my Packmate. Because I grew up with you for years by your side before I left. So please, just explain it to me so I can understand, why would I be driving you to your death? Because of Jean and Marco? Of Gina? Of the mission fucking up so bad that you’re the sole survivor?” Armin shook his head, he wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her, he couldn’t. Armin just couldn’t. Yet he couldn’t promise anything either.
Armin watched her tears and found himself reaching for her again, as if he were being pulled towards her on a gravitational level. He resisted and held his hands tight against his sides. Armin couldn’t do anything. Annie wouldn’t allow him to. Stubborn woman. He would have to figure it out on his own. Already Armin was thinking of where he should start his research but that would be for later. Right now?
Right now Armin just wanted to enjoy being next to her. He sighed loudly and took a few steps back until he sat on the bed. Armin felt tired and drained of energy, all his hurt and anger momentarily placed on the side.
“Let’s just eat hmm?” Armin said finally, hoping the change in subject would stop those tears. “I’m sorry for making this hard Annie, I just want to help you.”
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Post by Decoii on Apr 14, 2021 19:15:16 GMT -5
Annie's crying died down moments after he mentioned food to her. Nodding, she dried the tears on her face with her palm but kept her eyes to the ground. She was... Embarrassed, to say the least and focused more on moving towards the bed and eating the sandwich he had thrown on it. She didn't have the strength to keep fighting against his unwavering logic and instead, chose to eat silently while sitting next to him.
Once her sandwich was done, she sighed happily before dragging herself on the bed, prying the blankets back so she could lay in its welcoming embrace. "If you want, you can lay with me, the bed is pretty big and the couch doesn't look as inviting." She told him lightly, turning so that she was giving him her back.
She was tired and she found her eyes struggling to stay open. "I'm sorry about crying... That was such a bitch thing to do." She joked lightly before falling into silence again, falling asleep seconds after.
Before Annie knew it, it was morning, and she was working on autopilot.
She threw out her clothes in the trash and placed her shoes on her feet before exiting Armin's hotel room. She got in and tried not to think about the smell of the two dead bodies in the trunk. She kept her eyes on the road and avoided saying anything to Armin.
Sighing, after sometime, she realized that they had arrived to her destination and had a few people waiting for them outside. "Hey," She turned to look at him, "Don't throw food at me, it hurts my feelings." This was the first time that Annie went out of her way to openly share something about herself with Armin, something no one else knew. Smiling, she opened her door to get out of the car. "I'll forgive you this once but you probably shouldn't stick around too closely, okay?" She didn't want him to be questioned about what took them so long, or make it seem like he was close to her. In a way, she was trying to protect him.
Annie then got out of the car and headed towards the group of people that would be questioning her none stop about what happened.
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