Tension

He's way too stiff under her palms; like he's trying to ease the tension by acting like a statue—shut down until further notice. And yet Annie thought she was the one with the major 'this kind of touching is really awkward for me' issue. Though it's not like he didn't want to be touched—more like he didn't know how to deal with her touching him—And sure, okay, she understood that.

Besides, she was the one who offered to give him the massage in the first place.

"Let me show you another one of my techniques." She purred to him behind the Boy's cabin hours earlier, fluttering her lashes in a terrible attempt to be flirty—which Eren had found quite terrifying, though still pretty hot.

But he agreed, after choking on his spit and coughing till tears brimmed at the corners of his eyes.

Now here they were in the supply shed, during the brief down time that they were allowed between supper and curfew—Eren, lying face down on his uniform jacket, a buttoned shirt tossed somewhere behind them, and his bare sun-kissed back put on display for Annie's wandering eyes.

She had to admit, the boy had some nice shoulders, slightly freckled, broad and wiry. Mikasa would surely bust a vein if she ever caught the two in the act—Annie smirked picturing the other girl fuming from the ears, face as red as the scarf around her neck.

That would be the drama of a life time play writers could ever hope to achieve.

Eren cleared his throat than, and Annie scooted further down his legs so she could work on his lower back, leaning forward to grab the lavender oil (that she totally did not steal from their Instructor) and dripped a decent amount onto her palm. She lathered until her hands were coated and the calming essence of lavender permeated the air.

Eren may as well have been playing possum with how still he was beneath her. Well, she was just going to have to change that. Annie leaned down, pressing her thumbs into center lower part of his back, splaying her fingers out to the sides. She pressed down sliding her thumbs up to the middle with the slightest bit of pressure—noting Eren's hitched breath.

She ran her fingers lightly down his sides, and repeated the motion a good five or six times, adding more pressure each time. The lower part of Eren's back was glistening with the oil, and really, Annie may have been having a hard time concentrating.

He flexed once, when she scooted up to sit on his thighs, and she liked the way his trapezius muscle's bunched together, and loosened beneath his skin—really liked it. Eren wriggled underneath her for a moment, and she already had her hands back on him to ease the tension.

"You need to relax." She murmured, smoothing her hands across his shoulder blades, and running them down to rest on the mid of his back.

Eren responded with something, speaking into the material of his jacket so she couldn't hear.

Annie slid her hands back up, stroking small circles on his deltoid muscles. "Sorry, what was that?"

He lifted his head a fraction to speak clearly, "I said that's impossible."

"And why's that?" She ran her knuckles down the curves of his spine.

Eren was silent for minute, probably basking in the magic her hands were working on him.

"You know why." He sighed, and her fingers started doing the rubbing thing again, Eren closed his eyes, and sighed again, more blissfully this time.

Annie flicked her wrist. "Hm, I don't think I do."

But she didn't stress him any further because he was already becoming pliant under her guiding touch. Let it be known that Annie did not offer this kind of service to just anybody—actually she'd never done this with anybody except —Okay, maybe a girl or two, but Eren really was the only guy she actually massaged. And he was cool enough with her for it to not be too awkward.

See. She considered him to be a very special guy, a little bit of an air head sure. But she admired those who talked a big deal, and actually acted on what they constantly protested about, instead of just being all ideas.

Regardless if they actually managed to pursue their goal or not. Annie found Eren to be the most interesting of all the 104th trainee boys. He was louder than the blaring horn when he wanted to be, he was selfless to the point of jumping in front of a gun to save a stranger, and he just carried all this…passion, this zeal that the other boys all just saw as being dramatic.

He was one of the most hard-headed people she'd ever met, her polar opposite. It was for that reason she found herself becoming attracted to him, she couldn't just ignore the urges like that.

He was also cute, and his hair was always messy, and she liked that.

She also liked his physique, despite her jabs at his puny biceps, and skinny legs. Sparring with him was always her favorite part of the day. Even though he practically limped away after each session like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs.

It's why she decided to give him a helping hand this time.

Eren stirred beneath her, and she was just about done with the lavender oil, smearing the rest of it over his back—it was getting to be a bit too warm in the dingy shed. Or maybe that was just her.

He groaned when she pinched lightly at his shoulder muscle, and Annie felt a dirty sort of thrill shoot through her.

Eren peaked an eye open when he felt more of her weight lean onto him, his cheek resting on his arms so he could see better.

"Annie?"

Her lips grazed over his exposed nape, it made him jump slightly—and then she pressed a feather light kiss to it. He tensed until he felt her weight lift off him.

Something vulgar snapped inside Eren, and made a lump form in his throat—A ferocious need building in his lower body was fighting his focus and so he shut down completely, and this time he really didn't move. Tensing all his muscles, and burying his face into the fabric of his jacket. That had felt…really good. Too good, it was almost strange how good that felt.

Annie was getting rid of the evidence, tossing the bottle behind some crates and coming back to still see Eren lying face down on the floor like a corpse.

She snorted, and walked over him to the water basin, dumping the rag in, and squeezing out all of the liquid.

"I have to clean all that oil off you now," She hovered over him, "So just bear with me until I'm done."

That answering low groan she got made her smile deviously.