Here's something I'm gonna do every now and then: song cues. The way this works is that when you see a number like this (1*), you play the song listed in the AN next to the number. When you see that same number again, stop the music.
1. Mr. Hans Kung Fu from The Karate Kid Soundtrack
Chapter 8: The First Confession
"It was 850. Graduation was drawing near. I was not the same boy that stepped into the Training Corps all those years ago. Now, I'm stronger, smarter, and a soldier. Whether or not I made it into the Top 10 was irrelevant, though becoming an MP to help take down the corrupt sons of bitches in the Military Police was a nice prospect. Then again, my chances of getting into the Top 10 were very slim. I didn't know everyone in the 104th. For all I knew, there were 10 other people that were as strong as Mikasa Ackerman. I knew she was going to make it in. We all did.
"I have many memories that I have yet to jot down. I could talk about how I took on Jean and Connie at the same time and they beat me out of sheer dumb luck. I could also bring up the most embarrassing moment during these three years: being given The Talk. Those were images that I did not need in my head. However, one memory stands out as being the one that, in my opinion, changed everything.
"It was my birthday. I had turned sixteen, and I had the craziest dream that night. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well. I stumbled into the mess hall with dark circles in my eyes…"
Dillon rubbed his eyes, trying to ward off his sleepiness. What he'd give just to take the day off. He didn't realize he was mindlessly wandering around until he bumped into Marco. "Oh! Sorry, Marco."
"It's fine, Dillon." Marco said, although he looked concerned. "You don't look too good. Did you sleep at all last night?"
He answered with an open-mouthed yawn. "I did, but the dream I had last night wore me out."
"So, you're tired? But you still have—" Marco was cut off promptly.
"What!?" Came a yell from behind him. All of a sudden, a hand turned him around and Dillon found himself face to face with a worried Sasha. "What do you mean you're tired? Your rematch is today. You can't be tired."
"What re—oh shit," Dillon swore, his eyes bulging out. "It's today?"
"Yes, you idiot," Sasha said, shaking him. "Oh, God, we need to get you coffee now. Hold on, let me go see if I can steal some!"
Once again, Dillon found himself cursing his stupidity. He promised Annie that today would be the day he defeated her in a sparring match. Naturally, word got passed around, and now everyone was looking forward to watching the two fight again. Heck, Jean even started a betting pool… secretly of course. No need to get the always-so-pleasant Shadis involved in any illegal activities.
Marco shook his head as Sasha ran off. "Dillon, I know how much this means to you, but you can still walk away. There is time. And despite what some people say, knowing when to stop shows wisdom just as much as being able to win the fight."
"Normally, I would agree with you," Dillon replied with a sigh, "but this is Annie we're talking about. She treats any sparring session as if she was actually fighting someone no matter the circumstances. If I back down now due to fatigue, any respect I have from her will vanish."
"Do you really believe that, Dillon?" Marco asked, moving beside him and putting his arm on his shoulder. "Annie likes you, Dillon. And I mean, likes you. If you just explain the situation to her, she'll understand. I know she will."
Dillon gave him a look of astonishment. "Wait, what did you say?"
"What, that she'll understand?" Marco asked, confused. "You honestly don't think she will?"
"No, before that."
"That you believe she'll lose respect for you?"
Either Marco was playing dumb or seriously not getting the point. Whatever the case, it irritated Dillon. "Did you say Annie seriously likes me?"
"Well, yeah," he answered with a shrug. "Everyone knows that, much as she tries to hide it. I thought you did, too."
The blacksmith frowned as he thought about their interactions over the past two years. They were friendly, she was opening up a little more, and they seemed to get along fine together. In fact, it was like she was… enjoying… his….
A grin broke out on Dillon's face. "Oh. My. God. She likes me!"
Marco chuckled a bit, shaking his head. "You are staring down the barrel of her kicking your ass, and that's your reaction?"
"This is my chance, Marco," Dillon said after he made sure the girl in question wasn't around. "If I defeat Annie, it will not only increase her respect for me, but it shows that I can handle myself against a trained opponent. It will prove that I'm worthy of her affections!"
Marco put one hand to his face, groaning. "Dillon, that attitude is going to get you killed. You don't need to prove yourself worthy of her affections."
"Nonsense," he assured. "We're using fake knifes. I'll live."
"No, that's not what I—"
"Dillon," Sasha shouted, coming running up to the duo, carrying a cup covered in a saucer. "Here, I got this coffee from Shadis. Don't ask me how."
He wisely accepted her generous offer and gulped it down. He almost spat it back out as he felt his throat light on fire. What kind of person puts himself through a torturous drink to stay awake? Swallowing the bitter taste, he said in a raspy voice, "Well, that was something."
"He might have spiked it, I honestly don't know." Sasha chuckled nervously, thinking about how she obtained it.
"Commandant Shadis," Sasha said as she walked into his office and saluted. "I am sorry to interrupt your morning, sir, but it is a matter of life and death!"
Shadis turned to look at her, and she shrank back under his icy glare. "It better be nothing less than that, Cadet. Speak quickly."
She gulped and stood up straight. "Cadet Amsdale is challenging Cadet Leonhart to one hand-to-hand fight. However, due to a dream last night, he is fatigued and irrational."
Shadis closed the distance between them fast and spoke in a dangerous, low tone. "You'd better pray there's more to this story, Braus."
Her pupils shrank in fear, backing up against a shelf. "Well, uh, I was thinking-."
"Thinking requires intelligence, something you lack, maggot," Shadis continued. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be wasting my time. Now, here is what will happen: I'm going to sit down in my chair and forget this incident. You will take two seconds to get out of my sight, or I will shove my boot down your throat until you love it! Is that clear!?"
"Yes, sir!" Sasha bolted out the door.
If Shadis had investigated the shelf, he would've noticed a small bag of coffee beans missing.
Marco facepalmed. "Sasha, please tell me you didn't-."
"Regardless, you need to have it," Sasha interrupted, ignoring him. "Otherwise you are screwed in this fight!"
With a disgusted look, Dillon downed the last of the drink. To its credit, the coffee did make him feel more energized. "Well, it's doing its job. Thanks, Sasha." As he handed her back the now-empty cup, he said, "You know, you were in my really weird dream last night."
She blinked. "I hope you don't mean what I think you do by 'weird'. I don't want Annie using those knives of hers on my throat."
"Not like that!" Dillon took a deep breath and began his tale, getting more rapid and energetic as the story went on. "So, what happened was you and Jean got into a fight over something stupid. I can't remember what it was about, though, but then Commander Pixis ordered you two to settle your differences with a cooking competition. You killed a giant boar with a bow and arrow for its meat, Jean was a complete asshole to his mom, but then he created an omelet to fight against your boar meat. Then Jean, Mikasa, Armin, Connie, and Krista transformed into Titans and Jean won the cooking match."
Marco and Sasha just looked at him. "Oh, my God," Sasha said, putting her hands to her head in panic. "Shadis did spike the coffee. He's gone insane."
If Dillon's stupid grin was anything to go by, the caffeine was kicking in. "If by insane, you mean ready to kick Annie's ass in an epic duel that will have me as the victor, then I am insane!"
"You sure sound confident," came a voice from behind him. Marco and Sasha both froze and promptly ran away. Annie walked around to the front of him. "If you couldn't win before, why do you think you can win now?"
He began listing out the reasons with his fingers. "Let's see: I've been training for this moment ever since I lost, I'm not gonna screw up this time, and coffee."
She raised an eyebrow at the last one. "Coffee? You expect me to believe that? Cadets don't get coffee during training."
"Shh! It's a secret for some reason."
Annie shook her head. "You're going to lose this, Amsdale. I don't know why you think otherwise."
"Because I'm not gonna hold back," Dillon answered, crossing his arms. "Last time, I underestimated you, but not today."
"Right… well, I'll try to remember that when I dislocate your shoulder."
He smirked. "Think you can reach it from down there?"
She gave him one of her patented glares. "Say that again, and I won't even wait for breakfast to be done."
Dillon's eyes widened when he remembered something important. "Oh, crap. I didn't have breakfast yet!"
"You're right. I did, though." She moved around him and patted him on the back roughly. "Eat up. Don't want you at a disadvantage."
"Aw, you do care!"
Annie rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Just eat."
As Dillon went off to get his meal, he paused as horror etched on his face. He just made fun of Annie's height before their match… again! Forget trying to win her affections. By the time she was through with him, he would be sent home in a box.
After breakfast, they had leisure time due to it being Sunday. But instead of relaxing, everyone had gathered in the training yard in order to watch the two go at it.
Nervously, Dillon did a few stretches. The coffee wore off several minutes ago, and he was already preparing a five-minute apology speech for his behavior to Annie, who was currently eying him like a hawk. He hoped that she wouldn't make him suffer too much. Taking a breath, Annie walked towards the center and put her arms up in her usual stance. She wanted to get this over with, preferably without killing him, but at the same time making him hurt for the joke about her height earlier.
"Brings back memories, doesn't it, Cold Eyes?" Dillon asked as he tossed the fake knife up and down. Yeah, that name will never catch on.
She didn't reply, hardening her gaze as she prepared herself for his charge.
At the same time, the audience were chatting amongst themselves about who would be the winner.
"No offense to Dillon, but I think Annie is gonna beat him," Mina predicted. "She's too good."
"Yeah, but Dillon is a good fighter as well." Jean replied. "He taught Connie and I both."
"Except Annie has the best footwork I've ever seen," Eren pointed out. "Trust me. I've been on the receiving end of it every time she trained me."
"It's an even match," Mikasa commented. "It could go either way."
"Bullshit!" Connie said. "He can kick her ass from here to Utopia."
"I'd like to hear you say that to Annie's face, dumbass," Ymir muttered.
"Don't be rude," Krista scolded.
Gulping, Dillon stepped into the ring, knife at the ready. This was the moment that would change everything. Either he lost and Annie would view him as she did before: a pathetic nuisance, or he won and earn more of Annie's respect. Like Mikasa said, it could go either way. Unfortunately, his mind started to wander to the worst-case scenario where he was on the ground, battered and broken, with Annie staring down at him with disappointment. "I thought you were better than this!"
"I'm not pathetic," he stated suddenly.
This caught her off guard, causing her guard to drop slightly. "What do you mean, you're not pathetic? Who said you were?"
Wait, did he say that out loud? Dillon's guard dropped slightly as he realized there was no going back. "I'm not going to lose, Annie. Your respect is too important to me."
There was no response until she chuckled. "Is that really what you think?" she questioned. "You deserve this beating, if that's the case."
Dillon gave her a confused look. "What?"
"Dillon, you're one of the smartest people here, but, bright as you are, apparently, you aren't as perceptive as I thought."
"Then would you please tell me what I'm missing?" he asked.
"If you're too thick to see it, I'll just have to pound it in," Annie said, retaking her stance.
All right, Annie. He thought to himself, getting ready to attack. Let's rumble.
1* Dillon made the first move, aiming for her neck with the knife. Surprised by his speed, Annie was forced to back from his slashes and jabs. He was aiming to end the fight quickly. Once he got close enough, she grabbed his wrist and tried to sweep him off his feet with her leg. Prepared for that, Dillon jumped over it, trying to stab her. They wrestled with the knife, with Annie pounding his side with her fist. He got out of her grasp by punching her in the face, making her stagger back. A spin kick, however, knocked the knife out of his hand.
"Damn it," he swore, moving in front of the knife while holding his wounded hand. He took a risk by kicking it back so that neither of them would get it.
"Easily breakable as ever, Amsdale?" Annie questioned, taking her stance again.
"Fight's just started, Leonhart," he said.
Annie charged at him, throwing several punches and kicks at him, though it was mostly kicks. Dillon blocked each one, stepping backwards. He knew he couldn't let Annie get the knife, but if he kept moving back, that's exactly what was going to happen. So, to rectify that, he grabbed her by the shoulders and kneed her in the gut. Then, he shoved her back and spun around, his foot crashing against the side of her head.
As Annie got back to her feet, Dillon was already on her, throwing several quick, precise jabs at her. It was like fighting a completely different opponent. Any preconceived notions she had about him vanished as she actually struggled to stay on the defensive. She ducked under another spin kick and she kicked him right in the chest. Now, she was on the offensive. Quickly, she tried aiming for his shins, but he was blocking each blow. And he was smirking too. With a growl, Annie finally landed a punch on his face, making him stagger back. She grabbed him by the wrist and performed a successful leg sweep. What she didn't count on was him rolling backwards, wrapping his legs around her neck, and pulling her down to the ground with him. He kicked her away before she could try anything else and got to his feet. However, his smirk vanished the moment he saw her pick up the knife.
"Whoops," he said sheepishly.
'"Whoops' indeed," Annie replied with an evil smirk.
Naturally, the blond-haired girl was the first one to charge, slashing at him. He was barely able to block the knife from hitting anything by grabbing her wrist. She almost got him, but he managed to get behind her and wrap his arms around her waist. With a loud yell, Dillon lifted Annie up in the air and bent backwards, slamming her hard into the ground. Dazed, Annie lost her grip on her knife, which the blacksmith promptly snatched up. By the time she was back on her feet, she felt the wooden blade slice her throat in a quick movement. It was over! *1
Annie was panting, eyes wide as she realized that he had defeated her. Instead of disappointment, as most were expecting, she gave a small smile to Dillon. "Just like Shadis said: you are capable."
The 104th spectators applauded, even the ones that bet on Annie.
"That was awesome!" Connie exclaimed.
"He's…really good," Eren admitted.
That smile alone made the entire fight worth it. "Good fight, Annie. I think it doubles as your birthday gift to me, too."
"If I had known, I'd have gotten you flowers," she teased.
"Flowers aren't my thing," Dillon chuckled, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"Will you two get a room already?" Ymir interrupted, looking miffed.
If Jean's smirk was anything to go by, she lost the bet.
Annie's smile dropped as she blushed, clearing her throat. "Good job, Cadet Amsdale. It is nice to see one person took it seriously."
Suddenly, it hit him like a ton of bricks. "I wouldn't have lost your respect if I lost because I take this seriously. Is that it?"
She rolled her eyes. "It took you long enough, Dillon. Do all blacksmiths have hard heads? Or are you just especially thick?"
He shrugged. "Take your pick."
"I think the second is more applicable." she said, walking past him.
"You always know what to say, don't you, Annie?" Dillon joked.
"I'm smarter than you. Of course I do."
Dillon couldn't help but appreciate the way she swayed her hips as she walked away. Wait, when did she ever do that?
Jean wrapped his arm around him. "You, my friend, are getting a birthday celebration tonight."
"Um… okay?"
(That night)
The party at the mess hall was about the same as any gathering, except when the blacksmith arrived, they all toasted to his victory and for turning sixteen. Naturally, he faded into the crowd after a while. Even after thirty minutes, the subject of the conversation was still on Dillon and Annie.
"I can't believe how incredible Dillon is at fighting," Mina commented.
"He took on Annie and not only lived, but beat her," Samuel added.
Ymir scoffed. "Please. Blond, short, and cold was pulling her punches. The two clearly rigged the whole thing."
"Better not let Annie catch you saying that," Connie stated with a smirk.
"Watch it, Springer," she warned.
"I'm impressed he was able to beat her," Mikasa commented.
"I haven't seen a fight like that that since you and Annie went at each other," Armin added. "Evenly matched, properly trained, they are a force to be reckoned with."
"Shame that their hand-to-hand combat isn't going to mean much against Titans," Eren said sadly. "That being said, Annie seemed to be enjoying herself in that fight."
Armin nodded in agreement, mulling it over. "It's quite a contrast to how she usually acts around us."
Eren snorted. "Not exactly a 'pointless skill,' is it?"
Sasha and Krista, on the other hand, were having a different conversation.
"So, you risked bodily harm just to get her birthdate?" Krista asked.
"It was completely worth it," Sasha responded. "The two are made for each other."
"That is so true," she agreed with a smile. "I never thought I'd see the day when Annie Leonhart would fall for someone, but it happened. I thought she was going to end it before it began, but she never did go for it."
"She'd better go for it," Sasha warned. "I did not get busted up just so that the two would never become a thing."
It was then Jean, after bragging about how good Dillon was, realized something. "Hey, anyone see Dillon?"
Marco shook his head. "No, and I don't see Annie either."
A smirk appeared on the brown-haired boy's face. "Someone is about to get lucky tonight."
Marco sighed. "Jean, I doubt either of them would go for something like that. You saw Dillon's face after he walked out after hearing the Talk for the first time."
He chuckled, remembering that incident. "Yeah, you're probably right, Marco. I'll go find him."
(Outside)
I'm gonna do it. The blacksmith in question thought to himself as he searched for Annie. I'm gonna tell the truth, that I have mind powers, and that I like her. I'm sure things will be fine, but what if they aren't? What if she rejects me? What if she stabs me in the—no. You are not pulling this stunt tonight. Keep. Calm.
Finally, he spotted her, sitting absentmindedly on the steps of the girls' barracks.
"Hey, there you are!" Dillon greeted, getting her attention. "I didn't see you at the party."
"I don't do parties," Annie responded in her usual monotone. "Why were you looking for me?"
"Firstly, I was missing you," he answered. "Secondly, I wanted to talk to you about something important." He took a seat on the steps, making sure there was enough room for her sit down.
Annie had a huge suspicion about where this conversation was about to go, and she had been dreading it. She cursed herself for not ending it at the start, but she could never find a way to do so…or she wasn't looking hard enough. Now, Dillon had provided the best, and worst, opportunity for her, and she was going to take it. But first, a false sense of hope.
She sat down next to him. "What's going on, Dillon?"
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "To be honest, Annie, I'm not sure how to tell you this and I'm don't know how you're gonna react."
"Just say it," Annie urged calmly. "Get it over with." She had never seen him this shy.
"Uh, okay," Dillon replied, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Well, um, Annie, we've known each other for almost three years, and, uh, we've been through a lot, haven't we?"
She nodded cautiously. "Yes."
He was fiddling with his fingers as he tried to find to right way to admit the truth. "You see, Annie, I figured that since I trust you and I like you, I want to tell you something."
…
…
"Well?"
He cleared his throat nervously. "Right. Uh, first things first." Finally, he looked and spoke in a serious tone. "Before I say anything, I want you to promise me that you will never tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."
Annie was a little taken aback at how different Dillon was acting. She had a feeling that this wasn't a confession of his feelings towards her. This was something else entirely. Wait a minute…
"Who knows, Leonhart? I just might surprise you!"
She kept her expression neutral when she answered. "Fine. I promise not to tell anyone, Dillon."
"Thank you," he replied, realizing there was no turning back. "Annie, I have an…ability that I've had since I was a kid. You see…um…" Take the plunge you moron. "I have mind powers!" He blurted out that last part before he could stop himself.
Slowly, Annie raised an eyebrow in disbelief as she repeated what he said. "'Mind powers?'"
Dillon nodded quickly, realizing he was about to lose her. "Yes. I know you think I'm crazy, and I don't blame you, but before you write me off as insane—"
Too late.
"I can prove it to you."
It was so tempting to just walk away and leave the crazy teen to his own delusions, but Annie was curious to see if he could prove it. "Okay, Dillon. I'll humor you, but if you waste my time, I will kick you so hard you're gonna lose some teeth."
Dillon's anxiety increased when he could tell she wasn't kidding. Wait, why am I nervous? I know I'm not lying! Deciding to grow a backbone, he began to speak in a confident tone. "I want you to think of four random numbers. I want them to be so random that it would be impossible for me to guess. Tell me when you're ready."
It only took her a few seconds before she said, "Done."
"Just to warn you, you might feel something…weird in your head," he told her, looking at her intently.
Annie stared right back at him, wondering what he was going to do, and then his eyes glowed briefly. She wanted to lean away, but something kept her from doing so. It was as if she was locked in this position. Suddenly, she felt something tap her head from the inside.
"17," he said.
Another flash of his eyes and another tap.
"93."
Tap.
"48."
Tap.
"956."
When his eyes died down for the last time, Annie was finally able to break away from his stare via clambering to her feet in shock. "What the hell!?"
"I know it's a lot to take in," Dillon admitted, slowly getting up, "but I'm not your enemy, Annie."
"Stay out of my head," she demanded while backing up, but then a horrifying thought occurred to her.
Dillon stiffened as he was given the infamous Leonhart Stare. Last time he was given that was when the two first fought almost three years ago. This was not going to end well. "Annie, I know what you're thinking right now." Real poor choice of words.
"I wonder how long you've been doing that for?" she asked in a sinister tone, approaching him one step at a time.
He needed to pacify her fast, that image of him getting stabbed by her coming to mind. "Until tonight, Annie, I have never read your mind!"
She scoffed in disbelief. "And what makes you think I would believe you?"
"Remember that sensation you felt in your head?" Dillon questioned. "The tapping? That's how you would know if I was trying to get something from your mind whether you knew it or not. A memory, a passing thought, things like that. If I was being aggressive about it, it would be far more painful than a tap."
She crossed her arms, still unconvinced. "How do I know you're not lying?"
Carefully, Dillon approached her, hands raised in surrender to show he wasn't gonna try anything. "All I can tell you is that I never invaded your privacy like that. Whether you believe it or not…" He sighed, a little downcast at how things were spiraling down. "I can't do anything about that."
For a while, Annie looked at him, trying to decide if what he was saying was true. He was right about one thing: he couldn't prove it to her. This was a choice she had to make on her own. She thought about the interactions they had and how he just wanted to get to know her a little better each time.
She massaged her forehead, getting a headache from all this new information, though another thought came to mind. "This is how you were able to take on those kidnappers."
"That, and my skills as a fighter," he added, trying not to brag. His next statement helped. "I got cocky, and I would have died if you didn't save me. It was a much-needed reality check."
"Does anyone else know?" Annie wondered curiously.
"Only Krista," Dillon told her. "I made her vow not to say a word to anyone, too."
The blond-haired girl sighed, coming to a decision. "I'm going to trust that you haven't done anything to invade my mind." She held up her hand to stop him from saying anything. "But, there is one thing I need to know: why did you tell me this?"
Once again, his anxiety came back for revenge. "Um…because…" Come on, Dillon. Man up and say it. "I really like you, Annie!"
And there it was. The words she feared he'd say. "Why?"
Calm down, Dillon. He composed himself properly before explaining himself. "Annie, I think you are an amazing girl, and you've helped me get better while I've been here. You are also beautiful, and when you smile, it makes you even more beautiful."
Blushing, she turned away, fiddling with her hair a bit. "I'm not that beautiful."
"Yes, you are," Dillon assured. "I wish you saw what I see right now."
So do I. Annie willed herself to look at Dillon, finding it harder and harder to do what she needed to do. "Dillon, stop. We can't do this."
His face fell a bit, but he wasn't about to give up just yet. "Why, Annie?"
She sighed, her expression morphing to one he hadn't seen on her before: sadness. "Dillon, I'm not good for you. I'm not someone you should like, let alone love."
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" he asked calmly.
Please walk away. "I'm only going to hurt you!" she protested.
"If you don't want to hurt me, I can roll with the punches," he replied. "Heck, the only time you've hurt me intentionally was when you slugged me in the infirmary." His eyes widened when he realized what was wrong with her. "Annie… why are you so afraid?"
The walls around her heart chipped away by the second. Dillon was getting a glimpse at the real Annie Leonhart: someone who was afraid to get close to anyone. He had no idea why, but he had to venture this guess.
"Do you think I would hurt you?"
Annie shook her head, turning away from him. She didn't want him to see her turmoil anymore. "There are things about me that you don't know, Dillon. Things that I've done that I'm not proud of. I can never tell you what I'm hiding because when you find out, you will hate me for the rest of your life, and I won't blame you for it." She tuned back around, her eyes glistening with tears. "So, please, save yourself from me."
Slowly, Dillon approached her with that caring expression on his face and placed his hands on her shoulders. He wanted her to feel his sincerity. "Annie, I am going to promise you two things right now. First, I will never force you to reveal your secrets to me, with or without my powers. It is up to you to tell them to me on your own terms. Second, when that day comes, when you decide to tell me the truth, I can't say I won't be mad at you if your secrets are as bad as you say they are…but I won't leave you. I will be there for you despite them and we'll take it one day at a time. Do you believe me when I say that?"
Stop doing this. Annie pleaded inwardly. Stop being… you! "Don't make promises you can't keep."
"I'm gonna do my damndest to keep them," he said.
The two stared at each other for a long time. Annie looked up at those brown orbs that stared down at her with compassion. She felt inferior to Dillon in ways he could not comprehend. She couldn't believe that out of all the girls in the Training Corps, she was chosen to be his special somebody. On his end, Dillon was lost in her beautiful eyes. It was like looking at the sky, except it paled in comparison to her. He knew she wasn't perfect, and neither was he for that matter, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was be there for her and be with her.
He didn't realize they were leaning in until their lips met.
The two felt a surge of energy within their bodies as if their own bodies were approving of their first intimate moment together. There was a rush a warmness that flowed through them that made it all feel so… right. There was truly no way to fully describe their very first kiss, but, needless to say, it was something they both enjoyed.
Dillon was the first to pull away, blushing furiously. "So… did I do okay?"
Annie chuckled, which helped her own blush start to disappear. There was a word to describe him right now: dork. "Yes, Dillon. It was a good kiss." With a sigh, she decided to throw caution to the wind. "All right. Let's do this and see where it goes."
The blacksmith wanted nothing more than to do a happy dance right then and there, but that might be a little too much. A grin, however, broke out on his face as he realized Annie Leonhart was officially his girlfriend. "This is gonna be great." He embraced her, taking her by surprise. "Thank you so much, Annie!"
"Easy there, Dillon," she responded, hugging him back.
It was like he received the greatest gift in the world. Then again, he probably thought he did.
When he ended it, she could tell he wanted something from her. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. "You want to kiss me again, don't you?"
"If that's okay?"
If there was any evidence to prove Dillon had never been in a relationship with another girl, this was it. The kid who could take on four adults was shy about wanting to kiss his newly-established girlfriend. It was hilarious, and kind of adorable. He'd have to work on that.
"Don't ask," Annie advised. "Just do it."
Before he could respond, she initiated their second kiss. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were really enjoying this.
"Hey, Dillon, there you—huh!?"
The two pulled away from each other and looked at the person who dared interrupt this moment. Of course, it had to be Jean, who looked completely dumbfounded at the sight he stumbled into.
"Umm…" The brown-haired intruder scratched the back of his head nervously due to the glares he was getting. "I'm gonna go somewhere else and leave you two alone."
"No, stay," Annie offered, pulling out her boot knife with an evil grin. "In fact, this would be a good time to get to know you better, Jean."
Never in their lives did they see a human disappear out of sight so quickly.
I definitely chose right! Dillon thought before he busted out with laughter. In a few seconds, Annie soon followed, though hers was less vocal than his.
That morning, they started out as friends, and now, for better or for worse, they ended their day as a couple.
Remastered Edits: Some blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments from the fight scene, the Shiganshina Trio having a different conversation about the fight, and the biggest change is how Sasha obtained the coffee. Seemed more in character that way.
I hope you all enjoyed this trip down memory lane, and I'll see you all in the next chapter.
