I'm using this chapter to manifest a happy ending for AruAni next week, lol.

I do see this chapter as set a while into the future, just because I think Armin and Annie would need some time to work out their self-worth issues before becoming this open and comfortable with each other.

Annie had never needed much sleep. Even during her grueling training as a warrior candidate, seven hours a night was sufficient to restore her exhausted body. Now, as an adult, she could sleep longer than six hours only in extenuating circumstances, such as illness or several sleepless nights in a row.

Armin, though? He took care to get a solid eight hours each night. That big brain of his needed all the rest it could get, Annie supposed.

Her eyes softened as she looked at the man lying next to her. As usual, he was stretched out on his stomach, with one arm wrapped around his middle and the other curled up beneath his pillow. His head was turned to the side, and his right knee, which was bent, just touched her leg. How exactly that position could be comfortable was a mystery to her—didn't it hurt his neck?—but he assured her it felt nice.

"I guess I just feel safer like this," he'd said, and as far as Annie was concerned, anything that made Armin feel safe was good.

She reached over and gently began running her fingers through his tousled hair. His face was peaceful. The nightmares must not have started yet. They plagued him most nights. Sometimes, he awoke quietly, and only his tossing and turning signaled to Annie that something was wrong. Other times, he would jolt awake, his pulse quickening as he tried to sort out where he was and what had happened. But every time, Annie would wake up (if she wasn't awake already) and put a comforting hand on his arm.

"It's okay, Armin," she would murmur. "It's okay."

Then, as his breathing slowed, she would kiss the top of his head, and then his temple, and then the tip of his nose, and if he wanted to talk, she would let him. Usually, though, he simply nestled his head against her shoulder, sometimes crying and sometimes not, and let her soothe him back to sleep.

At first, in the morning, he had apologized for keeping her awake, but she told him to knock it off.

"You would do the same for me. Besides, I don't need that much sleep," she said firmly. Then, almost shyly, she added, "And even if I did… I would still want to be there for you." Because she loved him. Because it felt good to use her hands to comfort and to heal, not to kill. Taking care of him lifted some of the heavy burden of guilt from her heart and replaced it with the fragile feeling that maybe, just maybe, she didn't have to be a monster. She could just be a human being who loved and was loved by another human being.

Armin stirred a little in his sleep and, after a moment or two, slowly opened his eyes. Annie untangled her fingers from his hair and cradled his face in her hands.

"Armin?" she said, searching his eyes for any hint of anxiety. He didn't seem upset. In fact, he looked content.

"I'm okay, Annie," he said. "I just woke up is all."

"Hm." Annie shifted closer until their foreheads were touching. "You should go back to sleep."

Armin smiled and leaned into the touch, making Annie's heart tighten with affection.

"Okay," he said, and closed his eyes with a sigh. Then, in a voice heavy with sleep, he whispered, "Thank you, Annie."

In answer, she kissed him softly, and soon they were both asleep.

Just a quick programming note: I'll probably need to take some time off once the final chapter comes out next week. Endings are a lot for my ADHD brain to process. Ideally, I'll have a few chapters queued up to post while I'm on my mini-sabbatical, but I wanted to give you all a heads-up in case that doesn't happen.

Drop me a line here or on tumblr (where I go by fullmetalmaple) if you have any requests for upcoming chapters!