Summary

Armin takes Annie out on their fourth anniversary which is full of surprises, something Annie is not fond of.

Chapter 1

Our anniversaries is always the same; I wake up to a rose next to my pillow with a card underneath it. The card will have the usual Arlet charm written inside that makes a great start to the rest of the day. I walk down to find Armin waiting for me with breakfast. He greets me with a kiss and a 'Happy Anniversary'. After breakfast we go for a long stroll down the beach where we talk about shit that matters. Once we come back, we get ready for dinner. We both dress fancy and Armin will take me to a restaurant that I have never been to before. Then to end our anniversary, we go home and drink red wine together then stagger upstairs to have drunk sex until the sun rises. I always look forward to it every year.

I agreed with him on our first anniversary that Armin would be the one to plan all subsequent ones. He's good at planning and making things happen, but that was not the reason why I had him do it. The thing is is that I don't like surprises. I don't like it when someone is keeping something from me. It makes me paranoid and suspicious of everything. I hate it when my mind is like that and Armin knows it.

But here I sit in the car in silence with my gut telling me something was different this year. I look at my blonde boy and he's quieter more than usual. As if he is keeping something from me. He knows I don't like surprises and I'm sure that whatever he has planned for this evening will be nice, but I don't like this feeling I had.

'So where are you taking me tonight?' I ask.

'Somewhere very special.' He replies in a clam manner. 'We're almost there, so don't worry.'

'I'm not worried.' I pout at him. He gives a small smile in response. He knows me too well.

I see the car turn into a car park outside a restaurant. I feel familiar with the surroundings. Armin reverse parks into a space, turns off the car and turns to me. 'We're here.'

I look up from inside the car and see the big red capital letters on the side of the building. My familiarity was correct. I knew this place well. MARIE. I look back at him with a smile growing on my face.

'Marie's.' I said out loud to him. 'Our first date.'

'I thought it would make a change.' He looks at me with those blue puppy eyes. How can I resist him when he looks at me like that? I lean forward and give him a small kiss on the lips. 'You thought well, blondie.'

He smiles widely at me and jumps out of from his car side and walks around to open my door for me, like my own personal chauffeur. He takes my hand, locks the car behind him and walks, hand-in-hand, up the old stone steps to the reception area.

'It's doesn't look different from what I remember.' I reminisce to him. I've not been to this place in four years and it looks and smells the same. The only difference I could find was that it had a new coat of paint on the doors.

Armin opened the door for me and I walked through to find the place empty. There was no staff or customers. It was quiet. I scanned the entire room for bodies and there was no one. Not even at the small bar in the corner.

'Looks like it's closed.' I stated.

'It's not.' Armin replied behind me. 'I made request in the reservation for it to be just the two us.'

I was confused to say the least. 'And they were okay with that?'

He wrapped his arms around my waits and leaned his head on my shoulder. 'Yeah, I know the manager, he and I made a deal.'

'You know the manager?' I ask curiously while digging into his fair hair.

'Well we both know him actually.'

Before I could say more, the kitchen door opened with a beam of light. A tall blonde man with thick eyebrows came waltzing out. He wore a red suit which made him the manager. He spotted us immediately. He clapped his hands together and opened his arms out wide.

'ARMIN!' He bellowed across the room.

Armin opened up his arms wide too. 'ERWIN!'

They ran forward and met in the middle of the room. They gave each other a massive, crushing hug that Armin would normally be uncomfortable doing unless it was with a close friend. One of them being Erwin Smith, the new manager of Marie's.

Erwin was a guy we knew from college. He became a successful business man and owned several restaurants in this town. Armin and him were good friends and I only met him a few times in person. I could never get a hold of the guy but he seemed like a decent man, from what Armin tells me.

They both parted and laughed, until Armin ushered me to them. 'Erwin, you remember Annie, don't you?'

Erwin turned to look at me as I walked to Armin' side. 'How could I forget about the women you keep raving about?'

I didn't have to look to see Armin blush. His silence told me everything.

Erwin crept forward and took my hand in his. 'You look ravishing as ever, my dear.' He gave it a peck and looked deep into my eyes with his. For a millisecond, I felt so enchanted by his charm that I was wondering if Armin was jealous.

'Is everything set for tonight, Erwin?' Armin piped up. Just as I thought. He was jealous and Erwin knew it. He got up from my hand and faced Armin. 'Just as you requested.'

Armin got closer to me and held my hand tightly. He was either being stand offish with Erwin or being protective over me. Either way I could not help but feel lucky to have such a chivalrous man.

'And the table?' He asked Erwin. Erwin gave him a nod. 'You know where to find it.'

Armin nodded back and tugged my hand, like a child would do to his mother if he wanted something. I knew what he meant however and so I followed him as he guided me past the empty seats and tables to the far end of the restaurant. I began to wonder why Armin chose a particular spot to sit at when there was plenty of options all around us. Then I got it.

It was the table next to the wall and across from the window. It was our table. The one we sat at on our first date. Memories began to flood back to me as if it were yesterday. When he asked the waiter if he could have this table knowing I didn't like people eating and talking all around me. Then him taking my hand to take me through the maze of tables and chairs. Then he pulled my chair back and tucked me in ever so gently. Then the fumbling of words we both committed while waiting for our meal.

He has always been thoughtful. Ever since I met this boy, he drives me crazy. I felt so sincere and happy that he did this for me. I began to well up inside.

'Armin...' I tried to say with out feeling like my eyes were going to leak. He put his hand around my waist and planted a small kiss on my forehead. I look up at Armin and he gives me his smile. He then brushed one of my bangs to the side and wiped away the little tear from my cheek.

'Your such a romantic sap.' I deadpan him. I placed my head in his shoulder before whispering 'I love you.' He rubs my back and takes my hand in his. 'I love you too.'

He guides me like he did four years ego. He takes my chair and I sit on it. He tucks me in and goes to his side. He takes my hand and smooths it over with his thumb. I blush and rub his hand back. A bashful grin emerges and my chest tightens seeing him like this.

The waitress, Nanaba, comes over with the menus. Armin mouths a 'thank you' when she is handed his. I just nod. I tried to look at the menu and kept trying to get my thoughts together.

But how could I when I have Armin Arlet as my boyfriend?