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Post by Ventia on Oct 9, 2022 19:58:34 GMT -5
Did he really want the cat to be out of the bag at this very moment? He was still debating that as Annie moved closer to his backside, her warmth awakening him from the cold, hypersensitive to her as always her voice lulled out everything out in front of him, the rare personal comment she told of herself to Armin made a electric shock rage through him, rewiring his circuits.
No. He didn't want this to end yet. It was barely beginning. He was finally starting to see the real Annie Leonhart the girl he couldn't keep his eyes off on. The lights, what little there was to begin with, all shut off randomly, casting the entire premises in utter darkness, even the flickering lights of the few strategic placed candles were blown out at that exact moment.
Armin found Annie's hand and bolted for the cover of the large thick curtains that covered half the wide balcony, had he been quick enough to fool Marley's men in that one second of opportunity the change of light had given him? Even if shifters could see in the dark, even if the Titans could, a drastic change should stun their vision for at least a second. Now they were hiding behind the darkest corner in the room with a curtain to hide their bodies and most of their scent.
A single light came into being, aiming up the large staircase to where a double door room waited on the second floor, everyone began to clap and gasp in awe, laughter and giggles filled the room as a easy going voice replaced the music in the speakers. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, it is a delight to welcome you into our home this fine evening, may I take a little of your time to announce the man of the hour, and the reason we're all here. The last son of Marley..."
Armin didn't stay long to listen to a false name of a false person and instead urged Annie out of the half open glass window. The balcony was wide and open, showing a beautiful maze like garden out from below, the walls so high that even from their vantage point on the upper floor, Armin still couldn't see past the row that was right below them.
"Come on." Keeping to the shadows Armin let go of her hand to press both palms to her waist, his fingers gripping her body tightly as he picked her up. She was light, weighing way less than what he had to wear during some endurance training. He picked her up higher, getting her feet over the balcony's edge and then bent, easing her down bending all the way the railing digging into his gut as he leaned over as much as he could.
"Yes I know you can jump down yourself." He told her gently as he got her as close as he could to the landing. "Ready?" Without waiting for a answer because Annie was always ready, he let go of her and made quick work in hiking his leg over the railing and then the other, he glanced back at the glass doors and couldn't see anyone chasing after them just yet or any faces lurking behind the glass. Armin let go of the rail and jumped down into the dark greenery of the garden.
The impact vibrated through his legs and crouched low, Armin gripped the floor to steady himself as he stared at across from him at Annie. He raised himself to his feet once more and taking her hand, dashed into the path that would take them away from the mansion.
"I like books. I like the sea. I like your eyes."
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Post by Decoii on Oct 10, 2022 1:46:18 GMT -5
Annie was utterly taken aback by the sudden darkness that filled the room. The music and voices all hushed as a dull excitement filled the guests. She was burning with the need to run, eyes still glued to the last place she'd seen Derek. Pride and her Titan told her that she shouldn't be cowering and running because this was her home. Before she could sort through any logical thought, Armin's warm hands grabbed hers and she was stumbling off with him.
The sound that filled the speaker made her freeze momentarily and Annie almost drew the curtains back so that she could see who it was. But she didn't need to see, she knew his voice as well as she knew her own. The years of brainwashing had her pull away from Armin with a gasp, eyes widening and chest filling to the brim with a mixture of feelings she couldn't place.
He is our salvation, he is our home.
Just as easily as that thought came, so did the dread of her failures, and Annie found it easier to run after Armin, unable to swallow down the lump that had formed in her throat. The height of her heels made her a bit slow, but with one quick look behind herself, she realized that Derek wouldn't dare follow them even if he wanted, and she swore she heard the low vibration of his growl bouncing off of her skin like a cold warning.
The serum was like the worst kind of drug. The kind where it's hell and time seems to crawl slowly forward but it's just so rewarding at the end of it. She was already there, filled with a blossoming euphoria that seemed to swell with the rush she got from being led away by Armin.
She tightened her hand in his, grinning at the idea of being a bad child.
"Come on." He said, voice stern. She halted her steps and turned to face him. Wide curious eyes hooded in a seriousness she couldn't remember ever seeing, and since when did he feel comfortable taking a more dominant roll? He'd always been so meek. She let out a soft sigh when he grabbed her waist, his hands feeling awfully big against her skin. He used to be almost as small as her, she realized with a blink. It'd always been there, he's always been there, but somehow the fact that he's grown struck her the hardest at the moment as he lifted her up as if she weighed the same as paper.
He's never done that.
Being dangled over the ledge of a balcony was as thrilling as it got for Annie at that moment. Her eyes seemed glued to his since he touched her and as he lowered her further, she used her feet to kick off her shoes, the dangers of falling with heels and landing on soft dirt becoming obvious somewhere in the depths of her mind. Despite the hard pout that was plastered on her mouth at the idea of being given a hand when she didn't need it, Annie couldn't help but feel her heart race at being treated so gently.
She dropped, then Armin right besides her. Annie had enough time to grab her shoes before grabbing his hand and following him through the tall intricate maze of the garden. Her cheeks felt warm, and she kept glancing behind herself to make sure no one was following.
Books, the sea, her eyes.
She glanced at him in surprise as they kept walking.
The euphoric feeling she had previously blasted into her again. The cool wind of her thighs, the warmth of his hand, the clanking of her heels besides her, everything felt nice to her, including the silence of her Titan. She wanted to tell him more, but realized she had very little to say. After all, she'd never been allowed to be her own person. "My eyes?" She questioned with a soft chuckle, keeping her gaze glued to the ground. "They're as dull as the dead." She felt, always hooded in defeat.
"I've.. Never left this place." She admitted, Marley was her home. "Only once, really." She's only stepped foot into New Dawn. "Have you been there? I imagine it's as far as it gets from here." She likes the idea of him having that freedom as much as she likes that both of their hands are still together. "I like... The feeling of crisp cool mornings and sweet things."
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Post by Ventia on Oct 13, 2022 19:16:02 GMT -5
Armin chuckled lightly as he took her deeper into the maze, taking the correct turns and twists that would lead to a exit of the southeast of the property, despite the urgency of the situation and the fact he should have been feeling afraid or worried about what was to come, Armin could only feel the bubbly beginnings of joy going through his person. He was holding her hand, she was talking to him, really talking to him, and essentially running away from the people that demanded her loyalty.
For him.
With him.
"You should get out more then, it's a big world out there I'm told." Armin glanced back at her to show her his grin, his fingers tightening over hers as he started to make the next turn. He came to a sudden halt, his next words placed on hold and held out a hand for Annie to stop then placing a finger to his lips for silence. He eased her into the hedge, keeping to the shadows as he let go of her hand and peered once more from the corner.
Bending down, he grabbed one of the white decorative rocks and then threw it over on the other path. Easing into the hedge himself, he watched as the guard began moving in the rock's direction, the itchy branches digging into his back. He took another glimpse of her before reaching for her hand again and this time jogging past the guard to the path he had just left, running down the path and then turning out of sight. He'd rather not leave any bodies in his wake and have their trail found that much faster.
He paused into a clearing of a fountain and slowed down, not sensing anyone around for the moment.
"I like that you're telling me these things. What kind of sweet things? Any favorites I should know about?"
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Post by Decoii on Oct 13, 2022 20:32:32 GMT -5
It's been so long since Annie has wandered through the depths of these mazes. She's almost forgotten how beautiful the hedges lined with flowers could be. How the rocks and the lights tucked away giving a soft glow to what otherwise would be harsh shadows. She walked alongside Armin down paths she'd previously walked alone, and while Annie always thought she'd be better off alone, she didn't mind his company.
"I don't think I'd ever have the courage to get out," She adds slowly, after another turn. "I don't think the world is big enough to allow that freedom either." She sounded sad and tired.
She quickly followed Armin, hiding from the guards. She followed him as he chose directions and took turns. "I don't think there are any favorites anyone should know about... It's not that interesting." She adds slowly, her steps slowing down as she lets him guide her, each time, it becomes more obvious that he was leading her. Through a maze of a garden, he should know nothing about.
After a bit, she stops completely. "How do you know where we're going?"
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Post by Ventia on Oct 13, 2022 21:03:44 GMT -5
"Courage and Hope, Annie." Armin said softly even if he felt like a hypocrite while saying it. He didn't have the courage himself to push away his father's demands and wishes of him, he didn't have the hope to believe that he could have a life without worrying about his father's past, he didn't have the courage to let Annie find out everything back there, didn't have the hope that she would still choose to believe his side of things.
"Being afraid of the unknown, I get it, it makes you keep your head down and do what you've been told, it's easier like that to stay in the same place, even if staying there is hard as hell, it's easier than stepping into something unknown. To me, that's both right and wrong. You shouldn't have to live for anyone else but yourself. Your own goal. Your own mission." He scoffed, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing back at her.
"It's interesting to me, everything about you is interesting to me..." he sighed and came to a stop with her.
"Does it really matter Annie? Do you really have to know? Just as you're keeping things from me, I'm keeping things from you. All I can say at this moment, is my feelings for you are genuine. I am interested in you and I don't wish to see you in harm, I don't want to see you living for someone else rather than yourself."
Armin paused, looking into Annie's eyes, and gave her a half timid smile. "Choose Annie, go back or come forward with me. I wont stop you whatever you choose. Hell I might follow you if I need to. So make the decision for the both of us."
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Post by Decoii on Oct 13, 2022 21:39:04 GMT -5
She lets him speak. Let's him unpack the pretty words he's carefully chosen and woven for her. She let's them settle on her tongue and in her chest like thick honey. Sweet and hard to swallow. She lets the fear of what he's admitting stab her in the chest and let's the silence that her Titan has left in her mind to get filled with his voice and his words.
She let's the silence settle between them until paranoia at being caught makes her feel restless. "Courage and hope has killed countless, Armin." She says carefully, shifting her free hand to rub at the goosebumps that had formed on her arm. "And I'm not afraid of the unknown. I'm afraid because I do know. I do live for someone else. I don't live with my own goals or my own mission. I am not and I will never be my own person. Are these things interesting to you too?"
She could go back, she could kill him, or she could pretend that a member of the New Dawn got too close to information he shouldn't have gotten too. She could still pin this on Derek and his temper. She could still spin this in a way that would allow Armin to live. That would allow Marley to stay unaware of his sensitivity to the serum.
"It feels nice to be seen. What you did in the bathroom was fucked, but it felt nice. I'm curious about what it would feel like... If only for a short time, to be the person you can be interested in. " She bit her lower lip, breaking their stare when her gaze felt too heavy.
"I can still morph this into something believable that would allow me to live. That's the one thing I do know, Armin, that I want to live. Whatever shit you have going on, I'll forget all about it tomorrow when we go back to the pack. I have a feeling you could do the same for me, right?"
She licked her lip and turned to look at him, gaze as shy as the blush dusting her cold cheeks. "We can blame it on the drugs. We can blame it on lack of information and a lack of evidence towards our mission. But tonight, I'm willing to come with you and for the few hours we have left, I'm willing to allow myself to act on my own interests too. We can live for ourselves for a short while, can't we? Or is that too selfish."
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Post by Ventia on Oct 13, 2022 22:34:52 GMT -5
She had confirmed everything he had already guessed about who she was at her core, at where her loyalties laid. He accepted it with another small smile, looking down to their still attached hands and giving her a gentle squeeze and began walking again, this time slowly and by her side, their shoulders brushing against each other every so often.
"It's not selfish." He said finally answering her, taking the time to look at the beauty in the hedges the flowers the stones the moonlight streaming in, a few hours, it might as well be a lifetime. It would have to, Armin realized. Then tomorrow would come and they go back to each of their worlds, pretending the other didn't exist and continued to act on their own separate missions.
"Let's do that then, everything is already fucked, so what shall we do? What do you want to do Annie? First thing that comes to mind, let's do it." He nudged her with his shoulder, brushing his thumb over hers, as they were reaching the ending of the maze. The start of their adventure, for one night only.
"I want to give you a night you'll always remember Annie Leonhart." He told her watching her as she called it, dulled eyes, that were to him, the least dull thing in his sight. One only needed to look very closely to see the play of colors only begging to be noticed and Armin was always a sucker for the little things.
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Post by Decoii on Oct 13, 2022 23:01:26 GMT -5
What did she want? She's given the golden opportunity and her mind goes blank as she nibbles on the inside of her cheek and struggles to figure out what to say. After a couple of long moments, her hands start fidgeting and her blush dies down. What does she want? "Can it be about what we want? I... I'm not interesting Armin," she gives him a chuckle, trying to seem casual but the worried look on her face seems anything but. "I don't know."
She wanted to feel safe. She wanted to get out of this dress. She wanted to be kissed again. She wanted to know what it felt like to be touched by someone who saw her as more than a belonging. She didn't want her first experience to be with Derek and... And she wanted Armin to look at her the way he looked at her in the bathroom.
Letting go of his hand, she worked on securing her heels back on her feet before freezing as a sudden realization settled heavily on her chest. "I want to run." She said lightly, straightening up and dropping her heels on the soft dirt. "I want to feel the freedom everyone talks about. I want to run, and run, and run until I'm not standing on this tainted dirty land. Or New Dawn. Until I'm touching a part of this earth that isn't covered by them."
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Post by Ventia on Oct 13, 2022 23:24:37 GMT -5
"You're far more interesting than me." He said in a low voice, knowing it was true even if Annie didn't believe it so. He watched her face as she let go of him and seemed to fumble with putting her heels back on and taking them off a second later. He chuckled lightly, finding the motion cute, and waited for her to decide what to do.
Her words making his smile widen that much more.
"Let's do that."
Armin hadn't shifted in a while, his shift took a lot out of him compared to other shifters, another example of how he was different, how he was sick, though his time in New Dawn had strengthen him enough that he could hold onto the wolf form longer than he could previously. He was confident he could last until they reached the place Annie wanted to, where that was, Armin wasn't sure but he was determined to find it for her, even if it would only be for the rest of the night.
They were coming to the end now, the only thing in their way was the large gate that circled the whole premises. He unbuttoned another button from his shirt and let the start the change kick in. A flush rolled through him, strengthening his bones and muscles, that expected tingling sizzling through him, luckily for them there was no one around this side of the territory and any security cameras weren't posted here.
"See you on the other side." Armin told her, feeling himself getting larger before taking a running start towards the gate, if it seemed like he went up the gate with too much ease it was because he had practiced the height back at New Dawn, the sharp edges at the top of the gate only cut his palms a bit as he twisted his body around letting go and dropping down to the ground, this time he barely needed to bend down to get his balance, the animal instincts in him already taken over control.
For a moment he watched her on the other sides of the bars, for a second he felt she would give him a sad smile and then return into the garden maze never to be seen again at least as foes. He swallowed hard, not wanting that to be true and waited for her decision as he backed up going deeper into the neighboring forest and trees, watching and waiting for her to follow.
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Post by Decoii on Oct 13, 2022 23:53:31 GMT -5
He was beautiful.
The way his eyes shined as he smiled at her, the silent sadness that lingered like his fingers in hers. The way his smile showed small boyish dimples. Armin was beautiful with how easily he could take off the weight of his shackles and be unapologetically himself.
It wasn't the first time she was seeing his golden wolf. But it was the first time she was left breathless at the sight of him. He paused on the other side of the gate and she stepped forward to follow, willing her body to shift, but with each step towards the gate, she was met with nothing.
She still had nothing when she placed her hand on the cool metal and sighed. "Please." She pleaded with herself, with her Titan. The being inside of her silent and sad. She was given nothing. "Just for one night. I'll come back tomorrow." She was mumbling to herself, even as she started climbing the gate, metal digging into her feet as she reached the top and looked down at Armin.
If she couldn't shift, she couldn't leave.
The burden fell heavy on her shoulders as she pleaded with her wolf to listen. Just this once. Time passed and Armin stared with his big blue eyes. "You're giving me anxiety." She joked. "Run off and I'll follow." He kept watching, she kept waiting, until eventually he caved and turned towards the trees, slowly darting off out of view.
With a sigh, Annie dropped. Intending on making her way around the gate and back to Magath. When was the last time you ran? When was the last time you tasted freedom?" She asked, the sadness of her titan ripping through her body. Her equilibrium was lost and when she hit the floor, she was on all fours. A pale small agile wolf that itched for that familiar longing of the run.
Huffing, her body buzzed with anticipation and she rushed after armin, instinct taking over as she stalked after his scent. Then sprinted until she was bursting out of a bush and jumping on his back, playfully nipping at his legs in a lighthearted and all too animalistic need to gain dominance.
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Post by Ventia on Oct 14, 2022 0:13:41 GMT -5
Armin shifted easily after the jump, landing down on four paws instead of two feet, the clothes he had been wearing getting sucked into the transformation and storing away in a magical storage that some shifters could and couldn't do. He didn't want to leave her, wanted to watch her transformation as she watched his, but at her urging all Armin could do was hope that she'd come as she said even if it sounded like a lie to both their ears.
He trailed slowly at first into the woods, continuously looking back behind him for any signs of Annie following, when he couldn't see her or the gates anymore, Armin picked up the pace a fraction lifting his nose in the air and inhaling deeply, taking a path that had the least scents of any of Marley's men and any other wildlife.
With the night sky and its stars and moon peeking from the tops of the trees, Armin had enough light to maneuver around the dark underbrush until he caught a whiff of Annie's scent before her warm body tackled him to the ground. They rolled down a few paces, Armin yipping at her with a low warning sound and pawing at her body.
When they came to a stop with her above him, Armin panted hard his wolf's eyes extremely bright blue as he took her in, she was definitely smaller than him, his size nearly doubling hers, and yet he laid back his paws up in submission, his tongue rolling out as he cocked his head to watch her more. Gently, he pawed at her face urging her away before rolling out from underneath her, quickly coming over to rub his muzzle against her warm fluffy neck.
Then he darted away, running as fast as he could away with only a hushed excited howl leaving his wolf's throat.
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Post by Decoii on Oct 14, 2022 0:40:29 GMT -5
Annie ran after him, the golden hue of his fur making him almost shine under the moonlight. She raced after him until her lungs burned and her eyes watered. The excitement in her barely contained, as she kept her pace to his. Their sides touched as they ran, fur against fur as they raced south past state borders. Where Marley and New Dawn didn't reach.
Occasionally she would mess with him. Nipping at his legs and making them lose balance and tumble into the ground. Armin's growls only made her more mischievous, making him stumble and lose speed as she ran in unexpected zigzags. She was happy, playful, and proud of her speed. Easily gaining the upper hand multiple times.
She would have guessed they ran between fifteen or thirty miles before the forest thinned out and the stars started fading with the pollution of a new town. Each time they slowed she would press against him, urging him forward. When the wind became too much, she'd cut a new path for them. Then once, in her excitement, she licked and nipped at his muzzle in a way that was far too intimate to be done so casually.
Time wasn't a factor.
But her body, unused to shifting, started straining far too soon. Still, Marley had no footing on the land they had ran towards and after gaining speed on Armin with one last rush towards freedom, she stopped and stumbled back into her person.
She laid on the ground, under the stars and the moon panting. Her hair clung to her face in a mess of knots. Filled with dirt and pieces of branches. Her dress felt odd on her body, her lungs ached and cramped under her ribs. Her legs and arms burned. Her nose was red, along with her naked legs and arms. The wind was far too cold for the warmth of her body.
And she laughed.
Pure and unforgiving. Laying on top of a small hill, the sight of an unfamiliar town below. She had sped past Armin when she felt her shift giving way in hopes of cooling her body down and having her titan marking dull out before he saw her.
But she was still panting, still aching, still buzzing. Still feeling the euphoria. She couldn't find a single ounce of worry at being exposed.
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Post by Ventia on Oct 29, 2022 21:57:50 GMT -5
Their run as wolves felt like a dream to Armin, almost too uncanny to be real, yes surely it was a dream. To have Annie by his side, playful and competitive, rubbing her body against his as they ran, playing with him as if they were the mates he had seen playing in the forests occasionally back at New Dawn rolling around in the grass, each of them pinning the other down until one of them succeeded in rolling over, chasing after her after she sprinted off, her warm tongue licking his muzzle the sharp momentarily pain from her nip at his nose, Armin found himself obsessed with this side of Annie, how could she only want freedom such as this for one night only?
Armin wanted her to be free each and every day, to see her smile without worries, to chase after her as she ran forward into the light, into a different path, the right path for her. Armin watched as she disappeared out of sight, she was fast, he was still so far behind her, so ignorant of the weight of the chains she had weighing her down, that was why she could run so fast, why she could soak in this moment of freedom, because she knew it wouldn't come again so easily.
Armin huffed out, his breath hot, and let the change take over him again, he leaned his arm on a tree catching his breath, he could see her now laying down on top of the hill, her arms and legs stretched, staring up at the sky. Her hair spread out around her, she looked like a star, untouchable and faraway, Armin stepped out from the line of trees, taking his time to walk down to her, his feet were bare the grass tickling his toes, the coat had disappeared leaving him only in his pants and white dress shirt, the buttons were loose showing off more of his neck and chest than he would usually show, his hair a mess, Armin ran a hand through it taking a moment to touch his face to ensure the marks were gone, they were.
He sighed, standing above her, wiping off the sweat that had build up from his hairline as she laughed, her nose was pink her cheeks were as well, her eyes were wide, her chest kept expanding and lowering, she looked beautiful like this, like a fairy or a siren coming out to play. His lips tugged, addicted to her good mood, and he knelt down turning around to his back and sprawling out opposite of her, their heads next to each other.
Armin stared at the night sky reaching out with his hand towards the brightest star in the sky, he closed his hand as if he could catch that star, and tilted his head towards Annie. If only it was so easy.
"You're so cute when you smile like that." He grinned at her, then closed his eyes and relaxed, taking the time to catch his breath again, his hand resting on his wildly beating heart.
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Post by Decoii on Nov 1, 2022 12:07:48 GMT -5
"Whatever." She scoffed, but despite how hard she tried to rid the smile from her face, the stupid thing seemed permanently plastered. She was glad that he closed his eyes. Her cheeks no longer just painted pink from the run alone.
The night air was nice, the grass was nice, and the stars seemed so impossibly bright, the moon so impossibly big. A lump formed in the back of her throat, knowing she'd never be here again. But more than that, it was the sense of freedom and happiness that was choking her up.
The wind drifted and she could smell Armin. The warmth of his blood, the smell of the wood across his heated skin was unique to him. It was intoxicating and it made her fingers tremble. His closeness didn't help either.
"You look... Nice, too." She offered awkwardly, his disheveled appearance and the erratic rise and fall of his chest as he caught his breath was making her blush even more. Annie felt like a schoolgirl with how much she was fretting and trying not to look at him.
But it was hard.
He looked beautiful under the glow of the moon and all she could think about was how roughly he had kissed her. She's had rough before, every time anyone wanted her or anything that had to do with her it was rough. But his lips had been soft, too, and that part was making her feel crazier.
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Post by Ventia on Nov 2, 2022 23:18:12 GMT -5
"Thank you, I'll take nice any day of the week." Armin chuckled lightly, eyes still closed enjoying the light breeze that was cooling his body and ruffling his hair a bit. He still couldn't get over how bizarre today had been, first with Marley and how openly they were acting with the public, then how he had acted with Annie...he blushed.
He had kissed Annie Leonhart. Even though he had personally done it, it still didn't sound true. How could Armin Arlert kiss Annie Leonhart? No one would believe it, Armin barely did. She had kissed him back too..
Armin felt his skin warming even more, remembering it, he knew he would never be able to forget it, tonight was truly a one in a million kind of night. He shifted his head, turning in her direction, peeking at her from under his long lashes, his eyes raking over her. Her dress rumpled in all the right places, the swell of her breasts pressing against the thin fabric, her hair wild and free and spread out around her, her bare legs and thighs...
Armin closed his eyes again, she was just too pretty, he wanted to touch her to kiss her again to feel every dip and curve of her body, to immerse himself within her and imprint her, taint her with him, he wanted her to want him too, wanted Annie to only see him, to only want him, he wanted to be her whole world, to be enough that she wouldn't need to look back ever again.
Could he do the same? Could she be enough to forget everything? Duty and vengeance?
"I wish time could stop." He said softly, opening his eyes again and making eye contact with her.
"But it's stupid to wish for things that can't come true. You said you wanted a night to be free yes?" Armin eased up, shifting his body so that when he leaned down, he was leaning over her. He stared at her, his hair falling down his face, his eyes bright blue, he reached for her face but his hand stopped just before he made contact.
"I want to touch you Annie. Can I?"
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