A knock at the door. That's how it always started. A knock at the door, a gunshot, then silence. She hid frozen in the kitchen cabinets like she was instructed. Her breathing was slow and drawn out as she tried her best not to make even the smallest of noises.
Another gunshot caused her to jolt. She covered her mouth in a futile attempt to conceal the whimper that was trying desperately to escape. Heavy footsteps approached the kitchen and she curled into herself, tears brimming over her eyes as she tried to mask her sobs. The little girl closed her eyes tight, her cheeks damp with freshly spilled tears.
When her eyes opened, she was no longer crouching in her cabinet, but standing in her front yard with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She breathed in the fresh night air right after a spring rainfall, and looked around. Sirens, bright red and blue lights, police officers rushing in and out of her house with wary faces. Some glanced her way, most chose to keep their distance. One officer came out carrying a baggy with a kitchen knife broken at the handle inside. She recognized it and glanced down at her own hands. Where had that strength come from?
She looked up with a blank expression, and immediately to her right noticed a tall man with dark hair and glasses wearing a suit and carrying what looked to be a heavy briefcase. To her left, a boy about her age, wearing a red scarf, and holding a rage in his eyes more befitting of someone much older. She saw that expression melt into one of genuine understanding and sorrow as he turned to look at her. He certainly looked more his age like that, she thought. He slid his hand into hers and squeezed, tears swelling up at the corner of his eyes. His hands were rough, but she found an odd comfort in them. She found hope. It was then that she noticed she was trembling terribly, and the air became much colder.
Across the lawn, stretchers rolled in and out of the house, blankets covering whatever, or whomever, was on them. The boy said something to her, but it sounded muffled. Slowly, he began to remove the scarf from around his neck and moved closer to her. Before she knew it, it was lazily slung around her neck, and after closing her eyes, she breathed in its strangely familiar scent. She opened her eyes up again just as he was saying something else to her. Much to her disappointment, she couldn't quite catch it before waking up in a cold sweat.
Mikasa shot up in her bed, and took in several heavy breaths as reality finally started to come into her view. She ran her fingers through her hair as she processed her surroundings.
No, she wasn't a scared and confused ten year old girl standing in her damp front yard surrounded by police cars. She was a slightly groggy and confused eighteen year old girl sitting in an uncomfortably silent bedroom surrounded by various pillows and stuffed animals. At least she took some comfort in that fact. She swallowed the lump in her throat and scanned around her room, eyes resting on the red scarf draped over her desk chair. Even in the moonlit room that simple red scarf stood out from everything else. She tentatively stood up from her bed and made her way over to the desk chair, grabbing the scarf and wrapping it around her neck.
After eight years it smelled faintly of dawn fabric softener and fabreeze, but it was still his scent underneath it all. It was him, and it was home.
The air in her room grew suffocating as she stood there for minutes on end. The initial silence was broken by the faint sound of Armin talking on his phone across the hall, which she would have found more than a little curious any other night. Tonight though, all she wanted to do was see Eren and reassure herself that they were actually alright.
As quietly as she could, Mikasa slipped out of her room and tiptoed down the hall. The creaking floor boards would be a concern if it weren't for the fact that Hannes was on the night shift and Armin was apparently wide awake. Eren's door was already opened just a crack, making her job at least a little bit easier. Inside, she could hear him grumbling and turning in his sleep, no doubt throwing around a few sleepy curses. She couldn't help but smile. Mikasa pushed the door open and slipped in, taking a deep breath before quietly making her way over to his bed. He laid on his stomach, and his head was turned to the side so that one could just barely see the stream of drool falling out the corner of his mouth.
"Eren?" She whispered as she sat on his bed and nudged his shoulder. "Eren? ...Eren!"
"H-Huh-what the-who the hell-" His head perked up and he turned to look at her with a somewhat urgent expression, which melted into confusion laced with irritation when he realized the situation. "Mikasa? What the hell are you doing, it's…" He rubbed his tired eyes and found his alarm clock, "It's almost 3:30am, what the hell are you doing up?"
She looked at him for a moment. "I can go back if you want."
"...no, it's okay." He scooted over and made just enough room for them both to fit. Mikasa hesitated for a moment before slipping under the covers with him. "I can't believe you think I wouldn't know when something is up with you after eight years."
"I just...I had a dream. About that night." She curled in close to him.
"I thought so." He turned over on his side to face her and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Eren's own eyes were just about adjusted to the dark so that he could make out small details of her features. He gave her a small grin. "You know I'm not as stupid as you think."
"I've never once thought you were stupid, Eren." She furrowed her brow and curled further into the sheets.
"Hm." Eren decided not to push it further than that. "Do you want to talk about it maybe? I mean, it's cool if you don't. We can talk about anything." He yawned and stretched his arms.
She stayed silent for a moment. The air between them was calm but heavy, and she absolutely reveled in it. Mikasa didn't know what to say. "I just haven't had that dream in a while, that's all…It was unsettling, seeing everyone...my parents, your father..."
The image of the man in a suit kept flashing in her head, telling her over and over that Eren wasn't safe and he was a danger to himself and others. Her brows furrowed at the very thought of that short agents obnoxious sunglasses wearing face. Sure the dream wasn't new to her, but neither were its implications. Mikasa inched in closer to Eren, and took several deep breaths.
The mention of his father put Eren on edge almost immediately. The only thing keeping him from the dangerous path his mind would go down if he kept thinking about him was Mikasa's obvious discomfort and distress.
I refuse to let anything happen to you. You saved me, and I owe you so much more than you'll ever know. The scowl on her face deepened the more she thought. If something, or someone, was really after him, she needed to know who or why. Of course, the why in and of itself wasn't hard to figure out. Eren wasn't normal even by mutant standards, and she realized that. None of that mattered, however. Eren was still Eren no matter what he could do or what was inside him.
The problem was, Mikasa was very much also aware of the fact that her strength and love alone weren't going to protect him forever. And it's likely the cracks were starting to show.
Mikasa was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts when she felt a tickle to the side. "E-Eren!" She giggled out, accompanied by an ever dignified snort. Eren smiled and laughed back at her as he continued to tickle her side. "S-Stop that!"
Eren had a more than satisfied smirk on his face as he took his hands away. "I don't get to hear that laugh anymore."
"And you thought now was an opportune time?" She took deep breaths as her laughter calmed down.
He nodded his head. "You looked angry. I knew you wouldn't tell me anything if I asked. I mean, you came in here to feel better right? So it's my job to make you feel better."
"...I see." Mikasa finally settled down and simply smiled back at him. Her grin was small, but sincere. The two entered into a comfortable silence, and it seemed they were each about to drift back to sleep before Eren spoke again.
"Do you remember my thirteenth birthday party? It was just me you and Armin. Dad stayed home from work to be with us, and mom spent all day baking this chocolate cake from scratch…" A far more solemn smile flashed across his face at the memory of his mother. "We were getting up to eat and you of all people managed to trip over a lamp cord…"
"I accidentally punched a hole in the wall when I tried to stop myself. I remember." Mikasa sighed, and closed her eyes for a moment. "I still think somebody planted that cord there."
"Maybe." Eren's more genuine smile returned. "Actually, you didn't just punch a hole. Your hand got stuck. It took us a half hour to get you out. My mom was mortified!"
They both shared a chuckle at the memory. Mikasa was quick to note his change of expression at the mention of his mother, and debated whether it was worth the pain of bringing it up. After all, it wasn't that long after his thirteenth birthday that her health had started to fail. Then it was soon after his sixteenth that she passed, and soon after that nothing was the same. The memories of the day Eren's other abilities manifested were as clear to her as yesterday. "Eren, are you trying to make a point to me?"
"It's just...I'm frustrated as all hell that you won't tell me what's been bugging you. You've been acting strange since the break in. Stranger than me!" Eren chuckled, and settled back down. His need to drift back into sleep was obvious at that point. "I guess it was to remind you that whatever it is, we've gotten out of a lot tougher shit in the past. And we're a lot stronger than we were. A lot smarter too."
"...That was a lame example to use."
"Hey, I can't help that I'm sleep deprived." Eren yawned, and turned over, leaving her with one last groggy remark. "Just trust me, would you?"
Mikasa was silent. It wasn't long before Eren's breathing became slow and steady, and he was back asleep. She sighed and turned over on her back, resigned to staring at the dark ceiling in silence.
It's not you I don't trust, Eren. She thought as her mind drifted to sleep. It's everyone around you.
To: Annie
Which floor is yours?
From: Annie
4th. My room has a lovely view of the alley way. I'll keep my window unlocked for you.
To: Annie
Well isn't that romantic? :)
From: Annie
The not-so-romantic alternative would be meeting my dad. If you'd prefer that, go ahead.
Armin laughed and slipped his phone into his pocket. Standing in front of Annie's brick apartment building, the anxiety started to set in. In truth he didn't know what it was. They'd finally been able to hang out alone outside of school since April, and Annie's presence had almost become a constant in his life. Maybe it was the risk of meeting her rather surly sounding father on the way. Maybe it was the risk of her inviting him there only to tell him bad news.
Or maybe it was the fact that the two of them would be alone in her room. Who knows. In a way, Armin wished he'd just been a little rebellious and snuck out last night. After all, if someone had caught him or questioned him he could have easily just...
He glanced over at the clock hanging on a near by store front; 1:30. Armin took a deep breath before crossing the street and making his way over to the side of the building. Staring down the rickety fire escape, he wished he could have Eren's healing ability. Or at least Marco's phasing. Either of which would make this trek somewhat safer.
The rails were damp from the mornings rainfall, doing nothing to help his nerves. He hopped up twice to get a hold of the ladder and pulled himself up, pained whines escaping him in the process. Armin paused to take several deep breaths once he reached the first platform. Luckily, the stairs on the way up would be kinder to him.
Armin's heart started racing the moment he saw the light out of her fourth floor bedroom. One more flight of the fire escape and he'd be there. He took a deep breath and tried his best to keep the ridiculously stupid grin on his face down. For a moment, he closed his eyes and concentrated. There it was, amongst all the bustle was the distinctive sound of her thoughts, speaking louder than she ever could.
He took his sweet time climbing the last flight, his heart pounding faster with each step. The sound was drowned out only by the passing by cars and his own thoughts. Finally, her window was right there in front of him, unlocked, wide open, ready to climb over, and-
With Annie clearly still in her sports bra and gym shorts getting ready to change standing on the other side of her room. Holy hell wow.
Annie turned to face him, her eyes wide and her cheeks red. "...A knock would have been acceptable too, ya know."
"Wha-AH" His mouth was agape as he gracefully fell through her window face first. Annie tried not to make it obvious she was holding in a laugh, but dang was it hard when he was that cute. Slowly, Armin sat up and covered his beet red face. "Y-You could have said something about the fact you were going to be stripping for me!"
She shook her head with a smirk and turned away again, reaching for a t-shirt and bra that were thrown on her bed. Annie's movements were a bit slow, her limbs sore from that mornings activities. Armin bit his lip and took a very small peak through his fingers, getting a nice view of her bum in those tight gym shorts in the process.
Oh god, she does have a nice ass. He thought, covering his face completely again.
Annie's face grew just as red as his. "Someone's a peeping Tom."
Armin squeaked, and buried his face deeper. "P-P-Please don't tell me you heard that!"
"For a supposedly powerful telepath, it doesn't take much to get your powers out of focus does it?" She turned to him with her arms crossed, finally with her t-shirt on, and grinned.
"I-I never said anything about being powerful, oh god…" He peeked out and looked up at Annie, his face completely flushed. The look in his eyes indicated that Armin Arlert was very much dying inside. He was a stuttering mess completely collapsed on the floor of his not-girlfriend's bedroom. Smooth operator, thy name is Armin.
Annie held out her hand. "I'd be willing to help you work on that. One can never be a powerful telepath if he keeps going haywire and transmitting his own thoughts, Armin."
"Another excuse for us to spend more time together?" He smirked and grabbed her hand, hoisting himself up. You're sneaky, Annie.
Not really. She held Armin's hand for just a little longer. I just can't think of a better way to ask-
Her thoughts were abruptly cut off by a knock at her bedroom door. "Ann? Are you decent?"
"Shit-" Annie bit her lip and frantically searched around her room. Get under my bed now.
Armin barely had time to stutter out a response before he was being shoved on the floor and rolled under her bed. Not the view of her room he expected to get that day, but okay. At least her floors weren't cold. The mess under her bed would have to take a while to be forgiven, though.
He peaked out and saw Annie glide across her bedroom floor, kicking aside various objects to get to her door. On the other side was, of course, her father in all his chipper glory. Armin didn't need a peak into his head to know that he would be less than thrilled to meet him.
Her father stepped into the room, and Armin noted that he walked with assistance of a cane and had a very prominent limp. He spoke with a gruff voice that was only slightly less intimidating in person than over the phone. "I heard a thud in here, did you break something?"
"Nope." She peaked to the side to see how well Armin was hidden. Luckily he was barely visible under her bed, and her dad would at least be easy to distract. Maybe. "A couple books fell over. Nothing serious." Annie nervously wrung her hands together as her gaze flitted from her fathers to Armin's hiding space. Please go, I don't need this right now.
"Must have been an enormous couple 'a books." Her father scanned the room and cracked his knuckles on impulse before looking back at her. "Whatever. You did okay today, Ann." For a moment he smiled at her, and put his hands on her shoulders. "You could do better. Your kicks were shit but you still managed to come out on top, so good job."
"Thanks." Annie mumbled through gritted teeth. It was easy for Armin to sense that she didn't take that as a compliment. Really, I love hearing this I really fucking do. "This could have waited till later."
"With all the important things you have to do on a Saturday?" Her father retorted sarcastically.
Yes, actually. Thanks for that. Armin almost felt bad for staying in her head at this point.
He leaned on his cane and continued, "Besides, I'm actually here to tell you that I'm leaving for a couple days on business."
Annie and Armin's heads both perked up at the comment. "Business? What do you mean?"
"It means what it means, Ann." He grinned and stood back up straight. "Something's come up, and I'm needed elsewhere."
"That answers absolutely nothing." She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. Whatever the reason was, she was more than happy to have free reign over the house and her own schedule for the weekend.
Armin squinted up at him from his spot under the bed and had to strongly fight the urge to get answers for her himself. He'd only technically spoken to the man once and the vibes he got from him weren't the best. And if there was one thing Armin trusted above all, it was his own instincts. Annie on the other hand dropped the subject.
"I know I can trust you to hold the place down while I'm gone, so don't make me regret that." He patted her head and stepped towards the door before Annie came trotting after him.
"You're leaving now?"
" 'fraid so, it's urgent." He turned around to pat her on the head and give her a light hug. "You don't look too devastated about that."
"What?" It was then that Annie noticed her small grin. She didn't comment on it. "...See you in a couple days then." Or not.
"Yup." He smiled at her and kissed her forehead before heading out of her room and making his way towards the front door. "Oh, and Ann? Keep your guard up."
Annie didn't question this and simply nodded, waiting for him to close her bedroom door. She waited a couple minutes until she was sure he had left before she would let Armin out of hiding. The footsteps lasted a couple more minutes, then the apartment was silent.
"You can come out now, tiger." She moved to close the window and blinds.
"That was lucky." He chuckled as he crawled out from under her bed and sat against the frame. "Annie, what does your father do?"
"He was a corrections officer, but...wow, that really was lucky." She sat down across from him and smirked as she brushed her blonde hair behind her ear. "Good job keeping quiet."
Was? He's not anymore? "I wasn't aware corrections officers had business trips." He leaned against his palm and smiled back at her. "Thank you! Weeks of talking to you at ungodly hours of the night have been great practice."
For a moment, the two gazed at each other in a comfortable silence. Armin could feel his heart beating out of his chest, and he wondered if Annie's was too. Of course, it figured it could be from the rush and fear from hiding from her dad, but he liked to look at the more positive option. Annie, while certainly enjoying the view, was simply waiting for him to speak up.
He wanted so badly to lean in. After all, they were mere inches away from each other, and the opportunity couldn't have presented itself more perfectly. Armin had been pining after Miss Leonhardt for months, more so, and this was a lot further than he thought it would ever go. He gulped, and concentrated on her eyes. Those piercing icy blue eyes that he loved.
"You're thinking that you want me to talk right now because you're not very good at conversation. Which is, frankly, B.S."
"Can't stay out of my head, can you?" Armin couldn't deny that one. "If you see something you don't like, you only have yourself to blame."
"Understood." He curled his legs into his chest and beamed. His smile slowly faded as he continued to gaze at her and his own thoughts turned to the fact that her father so casually insulted her. From the sound of it, it was a common occurrence. A quick glance around her room, and it was incredibly obvious how accomplished she was. One doesn't collect that many trophies or medals for no reason, after all.
"Hey, Annie?"
"Hm?" She seemed to be in a bit of a daze for a moment, but was quickly snapped out of it.
"Why am I here?"
Annie stared at him. It hadn't occurred to her that there even needed to be a reason until she remembered their conversation the previous night. All she remembered feeling was uneasiness, and she cursed herself for letting it get to her as much as it did. "...Maybe I just wanted to speak to you-"
"Wait." Armin put a finger to her lips and glanced around the room. His eyes narrowed as he concentrated hard. "I hear someone."
"I don't hear anyone."
"I mean, their mind. I can feel someone else's presence in here…" He stood up, followed by a somewhat confused Annie. "There's someone in your apartment."
"It could be my dad. He probably forgot something."
Armin's eyes grew frantic and he shook his head. "It's a woman. No...there's a man too."
Annie's eyebrow knitted. She stood up next to him and tiptoed over to her door, giving Armin a look to let him know to shut up.
Has someone broken in before? Is that what was bothering you last night?
Annie looked at him and didn't answer, instead choosing to open the door and peek out. What she certainly didn't anticipate was the pistol being pointed at her.
For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Armin's breath hitched and his heart was pounding in his chest. His palms were sweaty, and he saw Annie, of all people, shaking. Her eyes went wide as she stared down the barrel, completely unsure of what to do.
She gulped and met Armin's eyes, her breath painfully audible.
Armin?
Y-Yeah?
Duck.
Armin obliged, just as Annie swung the door open and grabbed the assailant's wrist. Apparently not in time, as the bang from the gun caused Armin to finally break out of whatever fear induced trance he was in. He covered his ears and looked up, only to see a bullet hole in the wall and Annie going head to head with a small, red headed woman in what appeared to be a black jumpsuit.
With a blow to her side, the woman's grip on the gun loosened, and the weapon went skitting out of the room and into the hall. Annie had her in some sort of choke hold when Armin snuck behind them to try to grab it. He was more than determined to be useful in this situation. A stomp to Annie's foot before she could crystallize, and a bite to her hand, and the woman was free from Annie's grasp. Annie stumbled back into her dresser, causing a picture to fall and shatter on the ground.
She regained her footing and took a stance. Wiping her face, she was pleasantly surprised to see the blood that appeared on her hand. It was unusual for her to be so sloppy in a fight. Yet the remaining fatigue from her match that morning was enough to slow her down. Annie was quick to crystallize before the red headed woman regained enough stamina to come charging at her again. She blocked a left hook, and stumbled back again. Annie was fully prepared to meet her halfway with the next punch before the red headed woman jarringly stopped. Quite literally. She was frozen mid punch. She would be easily mistaken for a statue if she wasn't still breathing.
Annie's eyes widened. She didn't know whether to touch her, push her down, or what. Behind her was the source of it all. Armin held the gun in one hand, while his other was out in front of him in the woman's direction, keeping her frozen in place. He locked eyes with Annie and gave her a nervous grin.
"Uhm...s-should we call the police?" He asked with the utmost sincerity. Annie raised her eyebrows and straightened herself up.
"Not a powerful telepath?" Annie walked closer to the woman's frozen form. Examining her belt, she found a badge and subtly removed it. "You shouldn't underestimate yourself…" She looked it over with a quizzical expression.
Armin swallowed the lump in his throat and shrugged. "I-I really hate using this aspect of my power, a-and-" He wiped his brow, earning a slightly concerned look from Annie when she noticed he was using the hand he was holding the gun in. "-and it t-takes a lot out of me, to be honest!" Armin grinned at her again and tried to keep his focus on the woman frozen in front of him. The last thing he wanted to risk was her getting free again. "What does the b-badge say?"
"Ral, Petra. Agent." She turned it over in her hands and looked up at the woman apparently known as Petra Ral. "...the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division? That's...quite the mouthful." She glanced Petra up and down and sighed, getting up close to examine her face. "And what does my apartment have to interest you exactly?"
Petra's eyes moved to meet Annie's. She very obviously looked like she wanted to say something, or bolt out of the room. Armin wasn't planning on letting her go however, even if it was a strain. "I've never exactly t-tried reading someones mind like this before, so I don't know how m-much help I can be in figuring that out-"
Suddenly, the room was spinning. Armin's head was throbbing, and he was sick to his stomach. He stumbled, and leaned against the wall. He could barely make out Annie calling out his name before his vision went black.
Armin opened his eyes, the light from the window hitting them in the most painful way they could. He cringed, and rolled over onto his side. For a moment. he forgot where he was. For all he knew, he could be lying on a street corner in the middle of Brooklyn. No, that certainly wasn't the case though. Beneath him, he felt carpet and loose clothes scattered around. Annie's room, of course.
He tried to get up, but was instead hit with a wave of light headedness and nausea that he'd never experienced before. Armin fell flat on his back and curled into himself, waiting for the wave to pass. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to recall what exactly happened to land him in that position. He was with Annie, some woman from some sort of agency broke in and he froze her, then he was hit over the head with...something. The last thing he recalled was Annie calling his name.
Annie. Armin shot up, ignoring the pain in the back of his head for a moment as he frantically looked around the room. The gun was lying across the room facing her bed, while a pile of broken glass from a picture frame lay only inches from him. Her dresser was almost on its side, and the bullet hole on her wall was all too noticeable. Armin thought of Annie's father telling her to keep her guard up and hold down the fort. Did he know…?
Slowly, he stood up, grabbing onto her door knob for support. A surge of worry washed over him when he realized Annie wasn't any where to be seen. They couldn't have-
Armin rushed out of her room, searching around her apartment. To his horror he found nothing. He concentrated for a moment and tried to get a mental lock on her, but there was no connection to be made. "A-Annie?!" He yelled out in distress, eyes scanning everywhere twice. He rushed back to her room and looked around again, knowing full well he wasn't going to find anything. "Annie!"
Her window was wide open. Armin didn't know whether to feel hope or even more concern at the site. Slowly he walked towards it, then climbed out onto her fire escape. He surveyed the alley below, finding that from his view it was empty besides a couple stray garbage cans. Armin closed his eyes and concentrated again. Annie, please answer me!
-min? Armin's head perked up. His head shot back and forth as he searched for the source of that little thought.
Annie?! Where are you?!
Down here. If Armin could describe the sound of her thoughts in that moment, it would like turning a radio on AM in a bad service area. It was static, and a bit hard to listen to. It certainly did nothing to help his headache. He rubbed his temple and immediately wobbled over toward the steps of the fire escape.
Armin held on to the rails for dear life, fearing a slip at any moment. He was dizzy and more than a little unnerved by how wet the steps still were. His own eagerness got ahead of him however as he skipped a step on his way to the last platform.
"SHIT-" He frantically grabbed onto the bars of the guard rail, but not in time to stop himself from dangling upside down on the edge. His hands clutched tightly onto the platform as the world flipped on him, probably doing more harm than good on his head. His blonde hair spread like a dandelion around his head.
The only bright spot in this situation was the girl in front of him. Annie stood about eye level with him, her eyes wide through her completely crystallized form. "Nice of you to drop by, tiger."
Armin smiled at her weakly, before grimacing at the strain of holding on. "I think your c-crystal form throws my telepathy out of whack, heh. It's like your own personal mental barrier- Jesus, I might puke. I-I really can't pull myself back up, help?"
Annie smirked and looked him up and down. She changed back into her regular form and gestured toward his hands. "Let go. You're not that high up. I'll grab you."
"I'm at least five feet above the ground by the looks of it." He chuckled nervously and loosened his grip on the platform, only to hold on tighter when he felt himself slip. His heart was pounding as he changed his focus from Annie's face to the concrete at the bottom.
"Hey," She snapped her fingers to get his attention back. "Trust me. Just let go."
"Uh, A-Annie it's not that I don't trust you. It's the situation, I mean…" He gulped, and took in a shaky breath. "I probably already have enough of a concussion, uh...w-what happened exactly?"
Annie sighed, and chewed on her bottom lip. "Just relax. I'll tell you everything when we get you back inside." She reached her hands out again and glanced him up and down, an idea striking in her mind, heat rising on her cheeks. "...Just relax."
Before Armin could move anymore, something changed. He felt something soft against his lips, and it took him a moment to realize that it was Annie. She held his face and kissed him deep, long and soft.
It was out of place, but at the same time Armin couldn't be more content. He relaxed into the kiss, and smiled against her lips. His entire brain went fuzzy as he processed what was happening. He couldn't tell whether his face was growing redder from his position, or from Annie. His stomach flipped.
Oh my god this is happening.
Oh my god she's kissing me. Oh my god I'm kissing Annie. Oh my god. I'm about fall.
Annie broke away chuckling and leaned her forehead against him for a moment. "You really need to work on your transmitting." She kissed him one last time, lighter and more playful, before simply staring back into his practically dazed eyes. "Now will you relax?"
Armin was speechless. He nodded, a grin wide on his face. She held out her hands, and he let go of the platform. For a moment he panicked, feeling himself slip, but Annie quickly caught him. She looped her arms around him and dragged him the rest of the way off, bringing him to the ground as softly as she could. Armin took in several shaky breaths as he finally felt the effects of the pressure on his head. "T-Thank you…"
"No prob." Her cheeks were burning as much as his, but she certainly showed more composure. "Can you stand?"
"I think so." With Annie's assistance, he got up on his feet, feeling the familiar lightheadedness from before. He stumbled into her, and she held him up as they started walking. "So did you plan that?"
Annie didn't look at him, but her red cheeks were indication enough. "I was just trying to get you to relax."
"Really?" He teased, giving her his best shit-eating grin. "Something tells me that's not quite the truth. Oh yeah. It's your own thoughts."
Annie shot him a glare that melted quickly when she got a good look at his face. "I guess I did have ulterior motives then." She gave him a big smooch on the cheek before leading him towards the front of her apartment complex. "Now shut up, save the talking for after I patch you up."
A/N: When I was writing Armin and Annie's section of this chapter, I started laughing like an idiot to myself because Petra got petrified. PETRAfied. You may proceed to kick me.
ANYWAY You have no idea how much I love the idea of an aruani Spider-Man AU. However, since I couldn't quite do it here, I settled with just a couple shout outs! The one in this chapter is pretty obvious and self indulgent, but hey, that's how I roll. The other one's been recurring since Annie came into this fic. Armin's certainly hit the jackpot. wink wink nudge nudge.
So this is the last of the chapters I've uploaded onto AO3! From this point on I'm uploading them on both sights simultaneously! However, since I'm very busy these next couple weeks with midterms and a 20's AU that I'm very excited about starting, it may be a bit late. I'm not giving up on it though! This fic is too much fun to write, and I'm far too stubborn. Enjoy!