Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin.
This is pretty long as a one shot but I hope you'll read it and enjoy until the end.
It is almost midnight when Armin drives in the middle of the dim road with his black Toyota. He become accustomed to hospital night shifts but overtime is a must especially during holiday season. Indeed, being a doctor is a noble profession. Aside from his hospital shifts, driving at night has been his daily routine. He still has a big heart for offering free check-ups and consultation to the marginalized people of their country. If helping people is not his passion, he may have resigned from his career and become a novelist.
As the night goes deeper, his mind gets drown with millions of logical ideas about community health campaigns. At an age of 28, he never expects to achieve the things that he is experiencing in his life. When he reached his current age, his life moved at quite a speedーbe appointed as the country's Minister of Health (apparently the youngest Minister), travel around the country for medical missions and government health programs, and meet new people around the globeーsuch he enjoys the busy life of being a single professional.
The moon hangs low in the deep blue sky with the stars flickering above. Roads outside the capital are not convenient for a night travelーlack of street lights, under construction roads that are left for years and very few road signsーwhich mainly cause accidents occasionally. Leaving the thought of the government's corrupt system, his ringing phone interrupts him from shifting to a new thought. He takes a quick glance on it and discovers that it's Krista, one of the hospital nurses and apparently his friend since college. Why is she calling in the middle of the night, he asks at the back of his mind. Hospital stuff, maybe? He picks up the phone and answers it.
"Krista?"
"Hello, Armin. Can I ask a favor?" Krista says anxiously.
There is no response so she decides to barrel on.
"Can you at least drop by the Capital's General Hospital? A tour bus met an accident earlier and there are 28 seriously injured survivors. We can't administer medication in one blow and more doctors are needed."
Armin halts his car in the middle of the broad highway while uncomprehending on the situation. He suddenly feels nervous and there is no way that Krista won't notice it over the phone. "I-I think I can't go there now. Call me tomorrow morning." he answers and hangs up.
Krista knows Armin well. He is not the type of doctor who will risk humanity's sake, but tonight is kind of odd for him to reject a favor. She compensates with the situation anyway. However, Armin has to deal with something important right now. Even though he wants to go to the capital for the patients, he just can't. There is a sinking feeling in his chest as he steps outside his car to check if his intuition is right. Did he bump into someone or it's just his delusion? He slowly walks in front of his car and to his surprise, a lady who is lying on the road appears before him.
She has light blond hair in messy bun and her messy fringe covers her close eyes. Her royal blue dress and silver stiletto perfectly suits her pale skin. A small pouch bag is anchored in her wrist and it looks like she attended a certain party, but he didn't bother himself to know who she is. He sits on one knee and gently taps her cheek to wake her up but there is no response. To assure himself that everything is alright, he checks her pulse and feels relieve afterwards. Her pulse rate is normal and that makes him quite ease on the situation.
When the cold wind blows, a scent of alcohol blends in the air. That's when he finds out that the lady is under the influence of alcohol. His eyes inspects if he really hit her by scanning her exposed legs and arms but it seems like he has no responsibility over her slumber. She has no scratches or injuries and it seems like she just lost her consciousness on the road due to drunkenness. He sighs but he looks irritated. He forsaken 28 lives just for this drunk stranger that he has no responsibility with. A thought of leaving her in the middle of the cold road strikes his mind but he knows well that his conscience will not spare him to hell. How ungentleman of a young professional to leave an unconscious lady on the road. In the end, he decides to carry her and put her on the passenger seat. He has no other choice.
xxx-xxx-xxx
"Doc, this is not the perfect place to bring your drunk girlfriend." the police officer judges with a mocking grin. Since Armin is the Minister of Health, he is recognized by the authority.
Armin almost drops his shoulders down in exhaustion of telling the truth. "She is not my girlfriend. I just saw her on the road andー"
"How dare you deny me!" the blond lady exclaims as she walks towards him with twitched eyebrows.
To Armin's surprise, he can almost reach the ceiling when he jumps from where he stands. She almost gives him a mini heart attack, asking himself why and how she wakes from her slumber on that freaking moment.
"Excuse me Miss, but I don't even knowー"
A loud slap catches the attention of a few police officers on the nearby desks. He can't react quickly because that's the first time a woman slaps his blemish free face.
"I hate you." she yells before his face and runs outside the police station. Her messy fringe still covers her mysterious eyes but he can see how pronounced her nose is.
The police officer coughs and lets out his final judgment. "You should follow your girlfriend now, Doc. Have a good night."
Hopeless as he can be, Armin runs outside to look for his instant girlfriend. He finds her walking on the street until she loses her consciousness again, seriously wasted and messy. He doesn't know but he suddenly feels obliged to take her, not because of running out of options or choices, but because he has to deal with this troublesome person and prove that he is a better manーmatured enough to handle things on his own.
xxx-xxx-xxx
Armin wakes up with his phone ringing beside his pillow. He picks it and answers in a hoarse voice.
"Hello?" he says with his eyes closed, his blanket is still covering him. Laziness starts to embrace his exhausted body as he struggles not to move too much. He feels a little stiff in his comfortable bed.
"Armin, are you on your way?"
Krista's words didn't sink immediately on his mind and he just moans in irritation. He turns to his side slowly, his body feels tired.
"Hello Armin! Will you please wake up?!"
It is very unusual for Krista to shout over the phone. Setting aside the thought of talking with the Minister of Health, a slight rage comes from her impatient voice. She just worries so much for the patients' conditions and it appeals to her that Armin has no interest to go in the capital. What is happening to him since last night, she keeps on asking herself.
Her voice startles him. "I'm sorry, Krista. I'll go there later." he replies, hangs up and throws his phone beside his pillow.
Even if it's out of his will, he pulls his back with him and sits lazily at the edge of his bed. He scratches the back of his head and a thought suddenly strikes his mind. When he opens his eyes and turns his head over his shoulder, he quickly jumps out from the navy blue sheets and nail his widen blue eyes on the blond lady who is sleeping beside him.
"What in the world!" he exclaims in surprise that awaken her motionless body on his bed.
She slowly gets up and leans on the wall. Her messy blond hair drapes on her nape and the annoying fringe still covers her now open eyes. Armin stands frozen beside his wooden closet, greatly shock. She looks from left to right and finally dawns her sight on the blond young man.
"Who are you?" she asks and pushes her right fringe on the side of her face for better visibility. Her feminine voice seems to drive out the demons in his room but there is a hint of slight surprise on her facial expression. She has cold demeanor that sets fire on Armin's belly. At the back of his mind, he is quite afraid that his neighbors may hear her if ever she screams, but on the sight of her slightly surprised look, he can somehow chill on his position.
"I should be the one to ask you that question, Miss." he answers, still not moving a muscle from where he stands. Why does he act so tame in front of her when she's awake, just like last night? He keeps on asking it in his mind. He doesn't even know her.
She steps her feet on the carpeted floor and ties her hair into a bun, leaving her fringe draping on the side of her cheeks, revealing her lovely face. The sullen vibe on her eyes are dazzling blue that brings a slight lift on Armin's heart. "I am Annie. And you are?"
He thinks twice. Though he somehow doubts her about the name that she told him, it's impossible for her not to recognize Minister Doctor Armin Arlert unless she is always out of the country. Nevertheless, he decides to tell his name. "Armin." he replies shortly.
"Where am I?" Annie asks, merely puzzled. Her blue eyes are struggling to know the most honest answer. She seems innocent, but that doesn't guarantee Armin a hundred percent.
His mouth slightly drops open and twitches his eyebrows. This is the first time that he encounters a woman like this. "You don't know?"
"I won't be asking you if it's legit." she frankly replies. She is straight forward and that makes Armin quite convince of her innocence.
Her words almost slap his face but still, he tries to relax himself. Just the one thing that bothers him is how did she enter his room and sleep beside him. He is 100% sure that he left her sleeping on the large couch with a warm blanket on the living room last night.
"I found you unconscious on the road last night and brought you in the police station. They thought you're my girlfriend. You suddenly woke up and slapped me when I denied their judgment. You said you hate me and ran away so I followed you and witnessed how you lost your consciousness in the middle of the street. I have no choice but to bring you home and I left you in my living room." he explains in one blow the shortest yet most honest answer. He decides to make it a bit formal. "But I woke up with you and I don't know how you..." he cuts off. He doesn't know but he's the one who feels embarrass of what happened between them. Well, nothing really happened. They just slept soundly all night and he is completely clean, innocent and still on the running to becoming a saint next to Maria, Rose and Sina. He is still a 28 year-old virgin but that's the first time in his life to sleep with a lady. Too bad, he slept with a stranger.
"That slap is a handful of brownie points." Annie says and picks her stiletto and purse on the floor. She slowly walks towards the window and wipe the blinds. She opens the wide glass and shafts of sunlight reflects on her blond hair. Stepping her bare feet on the window sill that is just above her knees, she looks back at him over her shoulder and says, "Sorry to trouble you, and thanks for the night. I'm glad to meet you, Armin."
She jumps off the room quickly before Armin recovers from the situation. After less than half a minute, he looks outside but he doesn't able to track where she goes. One of the advantages that she finds in his room is its locationーfirst floor of his two-story houseーand he has no dog to chase her when she skips on the yard. That day, he can't focus on his work and his mind has been boggled with the thought of Annie, the mysterious blond lady.
xxx-xxx-xxx
"So what's the real deal?" Krista asks him when they finished assisting a woman to deliver a baby. She has been observing his unusual manner since he went to the hospital that late morning. He will absentmindedly stare on a wall occasionally, as if he is thinking about something of a real deal.
As they enter the Minister of Health's office, he sighs and exhaustedly sits on his swivel chair. "I'm just tired, Krista. The number of patients are increasing and obviously, we have to deal with them until midnight. That said, can you order a pizza?"
Krista blinks and nods. It is rare for her to see Armin in a stressed mode. Much to her concern, if he gets sick, his patients' life will be in danger especially those who are in the emergency room. There is insufficient number of doctors in the capital and it will be a serious problem if he absents from his duty. Or maybe, she is just overthinking.
That evening, Armin drives after his midnight shift until he reaches home quite disturbed. Somewhere in his mind, he can't remove the thought of Annie. Where does she go? He doesn't have any idea. He wants to think that she's a ghost but he finds no reason. She is real. He enters his house and exhaustedly sits on the couch. His tired blue eyes land on the celebrity magazine that Mikasa gave him. To his surprise, he stares intently on the cover and quickly flips the pages. He checks the cover again and his heart skips a beat.
It has been two weeks since he and his close friend Mikasa unexpectedly met in a certain café several blocks away from the capital's general hospital. That time, he couldn't imagine how years gone by so fast when they parted ways after middle high school, saw her moved from their province to the capital, witnessed how she became famous until her second album entitled 'Cruel World' boomed in the international music industry.
"Is it true that you are dating someone now?" he asked her, his glistening eyes were looking intently at her while waiting for an answer. He knew that his friend was too shy to admit it so he decided to give her a fierce look. He was also aware of the few people on the nearby tables but he assured that they won't hear their chat.
There are rumors that the international pop singer-songwriter has been dating a non-celebrity guy. A stolen photo has been posted on different social networking sitesーMikasa Ackerman having dinner with a guy in suit who looks the same as her age.
A blush attempted to paint on Mikasa's face while she was thinking of the right words to answer because Armin is not someone stupid to believe easily on alibi. "It's not like that." she mumbled.
"Then, who exactly is this Eren Jaeger?" he clarified and dived his spoon on the creamy soup settled in a small bowl. "According to the news and rumors, he's a prosecutor."
Unfortunately, the blush won. Armin wanted to think that Mikasa's cheeks were just naturally rosy or her blush-on was just too emphasized but it's really not. She was certainly blushing but not too exaggerated.
"He is my college bestfriend." the words rolled out from her tongue heavily, a tortured jalapeño was lying on her plate as she mercilessly stabbed it with her fork, unconsciously.
He let out a sigh and just gave her a convinced smile. He would wait for her next album to be released and comprehend with the lyrics of each songs. He might get the real deal when he listens and analyze the composition of her music.
"How about you?" she asked back, trying to gain some composure after her pretty-obvious-but-not-quite-exaggerated reaction.
Armin gave her a faint smile, unsure if she's asking about his career or love life (or love lack). "I'm busy enough to serve the country. I think you're aware of the fact that our population has been dominated by marginalized people. I need to salvage even just half or quarter of them as long as I can." he replied, "I can still consider myself normal as a young bachelor though." A small smirk was on his lips.
"I think I will write a song for you." Mikasa said, wearing her usual demeanor.
She wasn't trying to be humorous and that's not her nature, thus she sensed something void on Armin's answer. Maybe his heart is far empty from this issue called love life, and at their age, he should look for someone to lean on. Mikasa knew him since childhood and there is no way that he could hide even a single hint of pain or emotion from her. She is a young counselor before she pursued her singing career, and to anticipate his answer based on the way his eyes looked away, how his lips released the words, and the tone of his now manly voice, she was able to assess that he was lacking something that only the human heart can fathom. No counselors or psychologists could understand or read what Armin was thinking.
After that unexpected encounter, Mikasa traveled back to the states to finish her fourth album entitled 'Numb Romance' and got busy with her upcoming tours while Armin remained in the country's capital to serve the people. He is somehow contented with his life right now and singleness is not a big deal for him (but rather a REAL deal) though some interviewers used to ask him about it. Everytime questions like this throw a punch on him, he will always flash a fake smile and answer them "There is a right time to love and be loved."
Another two days passed by, Armin is in deep thought while burying his back on the swivel chair. His mind floats in blank space while swirling his seat from left to right. He focuses his attention on the magazine that he holds in his hand. He decides to bring with him the magazine that he has read two nights ago. The idea of calling Mikasa strikes his mind, she may possibly answer his questions. Not until Krista knocks on the door, he forgets his attempt to call the international singer.
"Armin, we have a patient."
He sighs and pulls himself from the chair. The office is two blocks away from the patient's area so when he arrives outside the door, he hears fangirling screams of the nurses inside. His brain waits for several seconds before processing the auditory stimulus that entered his ears. When he holds the knob and twists it to open the door, a very familiar person seated on the chair appears before his blue eyes.
"A-annie!" he exclaims. For some reason, he feels so delighted to see her again.
"Armin?" the blond lady replies as the furrows beneath her blue eyes slowly vanished.
Armin walks towards her, concern can be drawn in his eyes. "What happened?"
Annie gives him a bored gaze. "Sprained foot and scrapes." she answers in a quite annoyed voice, "So you're a doctor."
"Yes, I am. Where did you get them by the way?" he asks worriedly while scanning her arms and knees. Her outfit is rather casual than the first time they metーblack tank top underneath a grey hooded jacket and navy blue fitted shorts.
"None of your business, Doc." she answers.
"How about the bruises?" he said as he catches a sight of blue and violet spots on her thighs.
"It's your fault. You're a bit aggressive that night." she answers with a smirk and simply looks at the eavesdropping nurses. 'Gossipers are sure to spread the news.' she tells her mind. Armin misses her point so he thinks that she is just kidding. Honestly, she wants to make the nurses believe to something that doesn't really happen. She has a plan.
"Oh my Sina!" the nurses exclaims with a surprised tone on their voices. They jump on a conclusion that their ever-saint Doctor Armin Arlert is privately dating with Annie Leonhardt. Their paradigm shift dawns on the single bachelor who never had a girlfriend. Poor guy. Nevertheless, he keeps silent and reaches the medical kit on the nearby table.
'What a troublesome lady,' he thinks while getting a cotton and an alcohol. He kneels and starts to clean the scrapes on her knees. "Please leave us for a while. Thank you." he tells the nurses with an apologizing smile.
A frown slowly crease on their faces, except Krista who just nods in agreement but is thinking of what she heard from Annie, and though they still want to stay on the room to eavedrop they left the two alone. Looks like the young doctor is having a serious personal business with the lovely blond patient.
When Armin hears the gentle closing of the door, he sighs and looks at Annie. "You're an international singer."
"What about it?" she asks, watching how Armin gently taps the cotton ball on her scrapes.
"I never know, and I didn't figure that out immediately." he answers, "I don't exactly know what is going on in your life. And I don't know anything about you except being famous. I mean...ferociously popular. Of course you have fans all over the world and they are looking at you, some might be imitating you, but you're wasting your life. Just like that." he says with a hint of disappointment in his voice, "What if they are looking at you as their role model? Can't you at least think about such possibilities, Annie?"
"Oh, Armin," she sighs. "I guess you're better than my father." she says and gives him a bitter smile, "But I'm gonna ask you... Will you marry someone that you just met three days ago?" she asks, but the sullen vibe on her blue eyes seem to tell him something deeper.
He looks at her straight on the eyes. "I will if she's worth for me." His words are plain but it comes from his heart.
Annie just looks away and didn't say anything. She ponders over his answer.
"Are you getting married?" he asks curiously. He is aware that it's something personal but who knows if she will care to tell him.
She does not answer and remain silent so he just continues to clean her injuries, this time on her arms. Will you be alright? He wants to ask her, but the wall of being strangers stops him from doing so. He read on the magazine that the pop singer-songwriter-advertising model, Annie Leonhart, is going to release her latest album entitled 'Loving a Stranger' for the next two weeks and has her tour schedules in the northern hemisphere. She is supposed to face the media for interviews about her upcoming album but the latest news reports that she is nowhere to be found.
"Don't tell anyone." she says after he finished treating her injuries.
Armin puts the blood-stained cottons and other equipments on the table. Upon hearing her request, two things hit his mind. Is she talking about what happened three nights ago? Or is she referring on the current situation? Nevertheless, he just nods and gives her a smile that says 'Don't worry. I'll take care of you.'
Three days passed by, Armin decides to go and relax himself on the city. He needs a break after days of late night stay in the hospital for his patients. He even takes care of Annie for two days until her foot gets healed. She would often ask him questions that he assumed to have significant in her life. He may not be a registered guidance counselor like Mikasa but comforting people has been one of his discovered skill since he entered his profession. On the other hand, Annie found comfort in his presence and the day that she left the hospital somehow affected both of them.
Coincidence or not, Armin doesn't know why there are couples everywhere. Strangely, it's his first time to feel the loneliness of singleness on a balmy evening. It's been 28 years that he lived single on top of this dirty planet, and he always used to spend his nights with books and cadavers during his student years, blood and surgical apparatus during his practicum, and a whole bunch of injured people that he will encounter in his lifetime. This time, he suddenly feels empty. He ponders over Annie's question to him, 'Will you marry someone that you just met three days ago?' A faint smile paints on his face while he continues to walk alone on the street with his head down. Avoiding every couple passing by, he accidentally bumps into someone but he doesn't mind to look.
"Hey, stop running! Please!"
He raises his head and sees a crowd of media and paparazzis at the distance who are running towards him. They are shouting and begging for someone to stop from running. Suddenly, a hand grabs his arm tightly from behind.
"Annie?!" he exclaims in surprise when he turns his head and witnesses the celebrity being chased. For some odd reasons, the white fabulous wedding gown that she is wearing almost tears his heart.
Grabbing his arm with her strong hand, her dazzling blue eyes intently look at his startled eyes, and she says, "Save me this time."
He feels a wild thumping on his chest, as if his heart wants to get off his ribcage. "Get in my car!"
"Where?" she asks desperately.
Since she's wearing a gown and her four inches heels prevents her from running fast, he carries her quickly and brings her on his black Toyota that he parked nearby. By standers witnessed how he takes Annie away from the chasing media. Starting his engine, they quickly drive all the way from the city until they successfully escape and reach his house that is located outside the capital, about several kilometers away from the buildings.
"Why do you keep on avoiding the media?" Armin asks curiously as they drink coffee in his living room. They're sitting comfortably on his couch with warm blankets, still not bothering themselves to change their clothes.
"It's troublesome to answer their stupid questions." she replies and drinks on her mug.
"But you're wearing..." he cuts off and lets her continue what he intends to say. His eyes scan her outfit. It's a fabulous wedding gown.
"My wedding was held this afternoon," she starts telling her story, "But I ran away so the media looked for me everywhere in the city." she sips on her mug again, as if what happened to her isn't a big deal. Her wedding gown looks great on her and it makes her more fabulous and lovely. "I'm a runaway bride."
"You don't love him, do you?" he asks, referring to the brideless groom.
She shakes her head from left to right. "I don't even know that someone like him exists. I didn't expect that arrange marriage is still a trend in the elite society. Do you remember the night when you saw me on the road drunk?"
He nods while recalling the past and feels quite guilty for attempting to just leave her there.
"That evening, I escaped from my engagement party and spent the whole night in a bar until I got drunk and wandered in the city." she explains, "And I sprained my foot and got scrapes because of escaping from the media that keep on chasing me for interviews. You know, I can put their lives in danger anytime I want to but I still consider the fact that they're just doing their jobs."
"You'reー"
Annie dawns her gaze at him. "I'm a terrible person."
"No, I think you're awesome. You just fight for your freedom. You just have to face the situation and tell them what you really feel."
"You can't understand, Doc."
"Maybe. But I think you should gamble even just for a while."
She snorts, pulling her fringe away from her right eye. "Gamble, you say? I already did."
"So how did it go?"
Annie tightens her grip on the mug with half filled creamy coffee. "My dad lost a bet." she sighs, "He's old enough to face the trouble that he started. Sorry if I involve you."
He shakes his head. "I am just here to help. Helping and saving people is my profession."
Annie gives him a soft punch on the cheek that surprised him.
"What's that for?" he asks curiously.
"You've just received another handful of brownie points."
He smiles genuinely at her as he remembers the slap that she gave him on the police station. He turns towards her on the couch, "It must be a dozen of brownie points." he says cheerfully, "You're not drunk, right?"
She sighs and looks at his blue eyes. "I am not." she replies, "And I think you're better than anybody else...at least for me."
"Am I?" he clarifies, his eyes brightens. For the first time, someone tells him something that will change his perception of himself for a lifetime.
She nods in agreement. "By the way, I sleep walk when I'm drunk. Is that normal, Doc?"
He smirks and the thought of waking up beside her five days ago has been already answered. She has sleeping disorder.
That night, two people who accidentally met each other start to breach the walls of being strangers, and learn to open their hearts for a new chapter of their lives.
Author's Note: A review is well-appreciated. I am open for suggestions and constructive criticisms.
Thank you for reading.