Pairing: AruAni

Setting: Modern Day AU

Rating: T, for some language and sexual implications

Summary: He was obsessed…obsessed with a smile he had never even seen.

Notes: So I've had this prompt written for a long time, like at least a month ago. I literally just came up with it one day when I was taking my sister's dog outside. So have a modern day AU where Armin is a photographer and Annie is a model.

We'll Be Counting Stars

"Hey, man, thanks again for doing this," Eren said as he lead Armin into the building. They passed by some workers holding a ladder, and Armin had to duck down to avoid getting hit in the head once, but Eren seemed completely unphased by it. But, the blond supposed, this must be how it was when one worked for a company like this.

"It was no problem, really," Armin assured his best friend, holding onto his camera bag a little tighter when some shadier-looking people walked by them. "Plus when you gave me the salary I couldn't resist. I need the money."

The brunet laughed as he led Armin into the studio where everyone was getting set up for the photo shoot. A dark-haired woman with stern gray eyes came up to them, gripping a clipboard with a firm frown on her lips. Eren grinned and wrapped his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Mikasa, babe, good to see you."

A light blush graced her features as she shrugged his arm off of her. "You're late."

"I know, I know, but hey, I found a replacement photographer." Eren grabbed his friend's arm, causing him to almost fall over. "Armin here agreed to take the pictures for us today."

Mikasa sighed and rubbed her temples before looking at Armin. "Thank you, Armin, I appreciate it. I'm sorry this idiot got you involved in this mess." She glared at Eren before turning to walk towards what looked like a small set. "Alright, people, ten minutes!"

Armin gulped and gripped his camera bag tighter, feeling his anxiety starting to build up in his chest. This would be his first try at a professional photo shoot, though he had been taking pictures since he could remember. Still, it was different to work with people who had actually done this sort of thing before.

Eren patted the blond on the back, giving him a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't worrry, you'll be fine. Just point the camera and click the button. It's that simple." Then he hurried after Mikasa, calling for her with a huge smile on his face.

Armin watched his friend go before hurrying over to set up, taking his bag off of his shoulder and reaching in to grab his camera. He took the lens off and turned it on, then checked to make sure it had enough battery to last the shoot. Eren had told him that these things generally didn't run for longer than an hour, especially with a small company like theirs. Still, one could never be too prepared.

He was pulling out his tripod when he felt someone bump into him. He had a moment of panic as he fumbled with his camera, but a pair of tiny hands grabbed it before it fell to the floor. He sighed in relief, reaching up to wipe some sweat off of his forehead. "Thank you so much!" He looked up and was stopped dead in his tracks.

Armin had seen his fair share of beautiful women in the photography industry, even in just the amateur business. But her...she took the cake. Pale skin, light blonde hair, and the most piercing ice-colored eyes that he had ever seen. He suddenly forgot what he had been about to say, forgot how to speak, forgot how to breathe. All he could do was stare into those eyes and wonder how so much beauty could be confined to one being.

She stood up straight and handed the camera to him, her bored expression never changing. "It would have been troublesome if you'd dropped it. They would have had to find another one, and then this thing would really never end." Then she turned and walked away, and Armin did his best to convince himself that he wasn't staring at her ass, that he was only appreciating her outfit from the back. Right...

"Hey, Armin!"

The blond stood up straight then, trying and failing to get the blush off of his face. "Y-yeah?!"

Eren waved him over. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Armin grabbed up his tripod and hurried over to his friend. He set up the camera on the tripod then gave a thumbs up.

"Alright, let's get this thing going!" Eren clapped his hands. "Annie, we're ready when you are!"

"There's no need to yell, Jaeger." The woman from before stepped out onto the set and Armin felt his heart drop to his stomach. She was the model? How was he ever going to be able to concentrate on this? He gulped and made sure the camera was ready to go.

Annie got into the first pose, her back to them, looking over her shoulder with her bottom lip between her lip. Armin felt sure that he was going to faint, but he managed to take the shots they needed. She turned around to face them, her hands going up into her hair as she seemed to look him dead in the eye. He gulped and took the shots, feeling his hands starting to tremble.

This better be worth the money...

A few other poses were done then Annie went to go change into another outfit. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in as he checked the camera over, trying to ignore the fact that his hands were shaking. He heard Mikasa and Eren talking next to him, but he had no idea what they were saying. He was too busy trying his get his heart under control.

Annie came out in her next outfit and the process repeated, and the same with the next outfit. She was of course gorgeous in every one and Armin was more than happy to be the one photographing her, but...there was something that he noticed.

She never smiled.

He took lots of pictures of her, and she looked beautiful in every single one of them, but there wasn't a single photograph of her smiling. Her expression was either lustful, inviting, or bored. And neither Eren nor Mikasa ever asked her to smile.

He wondered why...

It was all over before he knew it, and soon everyone was packing up. Armin blinked then hurried to go grab his bag to put his camera and tripod away. He caught Annie leaving the changing rooms and leaving the set out of the corner of his eye, and he looked up just as she stepped out of the studio, letting the door close behind her.

The sight of her leaving hurt him a bit for some reason and he didn't dare put too much thought into it at that moment.

An arm wrapped around his neck and Eren was grinning at him, green eyes bright. "You did great, man. I really appreciate you coming in at the last minute."

"This was a really good opportunity for me, so I appreciate you giving me this chance." Armin smiled at his friend, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

Eren gave the blond male a squeeze before letting go. Mikasa came up and the brunet reached over to take her hand in his, chatting about the shoot and how great it had gone. Armin hated to interrupt his friend when he sounded so happy, but-

"Why didn't you have her smile?"

The other male blinked and looked over at his friend. "You mean Annie?" Armin nodded and Eren just shook his head. "You're new to this industry, Armin. People don't look for sweet, smiling girls. They want sexy women, ones they can look at and instantly know that they want or want to be like. Besides, Annie really isn't the smiling type."

I don't agree, Armin wanted to argue, but he kept his mouth shut. He followed Eren and Mikasa out to their car, all the while trying to come up with an image of the beautiful blonde woman smiling. But...he couldn't quite see it. And he realized he wanted to see it in person.

He was obsesssed...obsessed with a smile he had never even seen.

A week had passed since the photo shoot and Armin couldn't get Annie off of his mind. When he fell asleep, he dreamed of her and her elusive smile. When he closed his eyes he saw her piercing gaze. It felt like she was haunting him...

So when Eren called him asking him if he would do another job and said that Annie was going to be the model again, he jumped at the chance. He packed up his camera and got the first taxi he could flag down.

He arrived at the set before Eren got there, much to Mikasa's annoyance. But Armin wasn't able to pay the Asian woman much attention when he saw Annie step out from her dressing room. She was in a long evening gown this time, with a fur wrap around her. God, she was so gorgeous...he wanted to go over and talk to her, but he had no idea what he would say.

Mikasa noticed his wandering eyes and snapped her fingers in his face to get his attention. "Be careful with her, okay?"

Before he could ask what she meant he heard Eren yelling as he came into the studio, and Armin hurried to set up his camera and tripod. Annie noticed him and nodded his way, and he could have sworn he saw the corners of her mouth trying to twitch up. The simple action brought his heart more joy than was healthy, he was sure.

The shoot started, and Annie was brilliant as always. They had her be more refined that day rather than sexy, and Armin found himself thinking that it suited her much better. She seemed like the kind of woman who would be at home sipping tea with aristocrats as well as getting some beer at a bar. She was versitile, and he found himself admiring her for it.

They had her change half-way through, and they brought out a chair for her to sit in. The blond felt his heart in his throat when she came out in short-shorts with fishnets with a pretty blouse. Good God, as if his dreams weren't bad enough as was! He forced himself to keep a hold of his camera to hide the fact that his hands were shaking so badly.

Suddenly in the middle of that shoot they heard someone clapping, and they all turned their heads to see an older man step into the studio. He just looked an ordinary man, the only prominent feature about him being his bald head.

Eren gasped and nearly fell out of his chair. "Mister Pixis! Sir!"

Armin's stomach dropped. Dot Pixis, as in the rich corporate, as in the one who was funding this whole shoot? Oh God, if he thought his hands shaking was bad he now fought to keep from shaking head to toe.

The man came over, an easy-going smile on his face. "Eren, Mikasa, good to see you as always." He looked over at Armin and quirked and eyebrow. "And who's this?"

"A-Armin Arlert, sir!" The blond stood ram-rod straight, sweat breaking out on his forehead. "I-I'm the camera man."

The old man studied the boy for a bit before nodding at him, a smile coming to his lips. "I saw your pictures from the last shoot. You have talent." He patted the boy on the shoulder before heading to the set.

Armin thought he would fall over from happiness. Dot Pixis liked his pictures! Nothing could ruin this day!

"And Miss Annie." Pixis walked over to the woman, still smiling warmly. "You're as lovely as ever, my dear."

"Thank you," Annie nodded to the man, fiddling with the edges of the fishnets.

"But." Pixis held up a finger. "I do have just on critique, if you don't mind me saying." He reached up to cup her face in his hands, his eyes warm. "A pretty face like this should be smiling. At least for just a few pictures." He looked back at Armin, a spark in his eyes. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Ah-" What could he say? If he didn't agree with him, it could displease the very person who was providing his salary!

But-

If he agreed...would it hurt Annie's feelings?

But he did agree...

Armin nodded slowly, not daring to look at Annie at that moment. He could only imagine what she could be thinking at that point.

"You see, my dear? It's not just me." Pixis patted her cheek before letting his hands drop to his sides. He turned to walk towards the door, waving at all of them. "You're doing a great job, everyone! Keep it up!" Then as suddenly as he had come, he was gone.

Everyone seemed to take a moment before going back to business. Eren cleared his throat and looked at the model. "Well, Annie? Think you could manage a smile for us?"

Armin peeked at the woman through his bangs, seeing her expression change just the littlest bit. He could tell that this was more difficult for her than she would have liked, but also that she didn't want to back down from what she viewed as a challenge.

The model nodded, slowly. "Yeah...I guess so, if it's what the boss wants."

"Alright, then. Back to work, guys!" Eren clapped his hands and sat back down.

Armin turned back to his camera, feeling his heart speeding up in his chest at the prospect of getting to see her smile.

Except...it wasn't real. It was a smile, of course, and she must have been doing this long enough to know how to make it look like it wasn't forced. But...it wasn't a true smile. It didn't reach her eyes.

And Armin found himself thinking that it was a real travesty.

When the shoot was over Armin packed up and said good bye to Eren and Mikasa before heading out. They offered to drive him home, but he had declined. He didn't want to be a burden to them, after all. So he slung his bag on his shoulder and shoved his hands in his pockets.

He turned a corner and jumped when he saw Annie leaning against the building, just staring up at the night sky. He gulped and gathered all of the courage he had before walking over to her. "H-hey."

She blinked and her gaze slowly slipped from the sky and to him. She didn't say a word, just lifted an eyebrow at him.

"D-do you have a ride home?" What was he doing? Was he trying to make himself seem like a pervert? He'd only met her two times, for goodness sake!

Luckily for him, she didn't seem to mind too much. She just shook her head and looked back up at the sky, leaning back against the building again. "I was just going to walk home. I only live a few blocks from here, so it's not a big deal."

He fiddled with the strap of his camera bag and took a deep breath before speaking again. He could do this. "I-if you'd like-if you don't mind!-I could walk with you?" He made sure to phrase it as a question so that she would have the opportunity to say no if she wanted to. He still couldn't look at her... "It's just that, well, i-it can be pretty dangerous for a young lady, like yourself, to walk around alone at night."

He heard her chuckle and looked up to see her shaking her head. "If it were anyone else, I would tell them to fuck off." She looked at him and he felt the breath leave his lungs at how her eyes were shining. "But for some reason I get the feeling that you genuinely mean well." She pushed herself off the building and nodded her head. "Come on, then. It's pretty chilly out tonight." Then she started walking, and he hurried to catch up to her.

They hadn't gone very far when he realized that he had no idea what to say to her, how to start up a conversation. What could an amateur photographer and an experienced model have in common? His hands turned to fists in his pockets as he racked his brain for something...anything.

"The stars sure are bright tonight," he heard her murmur, and he quickly looked up at her. Her gaze was on the sky again, her expression soft.

He found himself nodding. "Yeah. Around this time of year, the Big Dipper can be pretty hard to find." He glanced up and grinned, reaching up to point. "But look! There it is, all the stars shining and everything."

She eagerly followed his lead and nodded, her eyes shining. "I never could find it when I was a kid. I've never been too good at astronomy."

"My grandfather used to take me out star gazing," Armin found himself telling her, taking just the tiniest step towards her. "He used to tell me a bunch of fun facts about all of the constellations. They were his passion."

"Why don't you tell me one?"

He blinked and looked over at her, his blue eyes wide. "Really?"

She nodded, still looking up at the sky. "It'll help the time go by faster. And give me something to think about other than the cold."

"O-okay." He gulped and reached up to point again. "The Big Dipper is really an asterism – a star pattern that is NOT a constellation. The Big Dipper is a clipped version of the constellation Ursa Major..." And on and on he went, feeling himself getting excited as he told Annie the story of the Bear Constellation. He remembered the first time his grandfather had told him the story, and how eager he had been to hear more.

To his relief and pleasure, Annie seem to eat it all up, her eyes dropping from the sky to look at him as they walked. She nodded and piped in with some questions, which he did his best to answer. He wasn't an expert on stars, but he liked to think that he was pretty knowledgable.

"So what made you want to go into modeling photography?" she asked him after he had finished his story. "With how much you love them, I'd think you'd just want to take pictures of stars all the time."

"Modeling makes more money," Armin told her, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "My grandpa got sick last year and we needed the extra money, so I took whatever job I could get. Eren helped me find most of them, since he's the one with the connections." He looked up at the sky once more. "Stars will always be my first love, but models aren't so bad. Especially when they're as pretty and nice as you."

He heard her sharp intake and realized what he had just said. His face turned bright red and he stumbled, both hands shooting up to wave frantically in front of her. "N-not that I'm trying to flirt with you or anything! I mean, I totally would! But you're a successful model and I definitely don't have the right, and-!" Shit, he was rambling now.

He stopped when he heard her giggle, then suddenly she was laughing, loud and bright, and he found himself thinking that it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. She had to stop walking because of how hard she was laughing, her arms wrapped around her torso as she tried to keep from keeling over. "You are a riot!" She reached up to wipe at the tears of mirth in her eyes, her lips split in the most gorgeous smile he'd ever seen. "I'm telling Jaeger that we need to keep you."

He had no response other than to just stare at her with a stupid grin plastered across his face. He had finally seen her smile, and he could honestly say that it had been well-worth the wait.

They turned a corner and she headed up the stairs of a little brownstone. "This is me. Thanks for walking me home." She stopped just before she could open the door then hurried back down the stairs, stopping when her face was level with his. She leaned forward and pressed a long kiss to his cheek, shocking him into silence once more. She leaned back and smiled warmly at him. "I'll be seeing you around."

He nodded stupidly. "Yeah..."

"Unless you'd like to come in?" She tilted her head. "It's pretty cold out, and it's a little late to be calling a cab. Besides," her eyes twinkled at him, "I would like to hear more about the Ursa Major."

He couldn't stop the smile on his lips even if he wanted to.