#animin

WingsPhaeton Gordon

“Remind me again why we’re going to this party?” She murmured through her teeth, clenched with a bobby pin separated. She pulled the pin from her mouth and slid it into her hair, pinning the tiny braids back near the base of her bunned hair. She looked at herself in the mirror, admiring her sharp features. Strong Roman nose, thin lips, and piercing blue eyes with black eyeliner outlining the shape. Her tight black dress shone a bit under the yellow light and she sighed, applying her lipstick.

“Because, Annie, that upperclassman invited us, and you know his cute sister is going to be there.” Eren said as he combed his hair forward and back twice more.

“Riiight. Ackerman’s party. Levi, right? His little sister is…” She bit her lip trying to remember.

“Mikasa. And tonight’s the night I finally make a move.”

“Walking straight into the lamppost because you were staring at her isn’t considered a move?” Annie asked, laughing as Eren threw his comb at her.

“Shut up!” He whined, falling onto his bed and groaning into his hands.

“Aw, Eren, don’t beat yourself up over it.” She walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “She may not even remember it. I mean… She did get hit pretty hard in volleyball yesterday. Heck, she may not even remember her own name!”

“…That’s right. You guys are on the volleyball team together.”

“Well yeah, but I don’t see what that has to-”

“Annie! I need you to do me a solid. Can you manage that?” Eren asked, looking up at her more hopefully. That look. That damn puppy-dog eyed hopeful smile. Damn him. How could anyone say no to that face?

“I can’t promise I’ll do much help. We’ve never even really spoken before; minus, “watch the damn ball.” But I mean. I’ll try, okay?”

He let out an inhuman screech, and yanked her into a bear hug. Annie laughed and pushed him off. “Finish getting ready, I’m heading out to the car.”

They arrived at the party fashionably late, slipping into the house  and weeding their way through the congested crowd. Annie didn’t notice any beer, or weed, which made her relax instantly. She could, however, smell greasy pizza, and her stomach immediately began to growl. She nodded to Eren, and they moved towards the kitchen. The loud music was making her ears ring.

Annie was trying to maneuver through the crowd. Murmuring “excuse me’s” and “pardon me’s,” she felt suffocated. Her eyes were downcast, until she pumped straight into someone. She looked up to apologize, “I-I’m so sorry, I-”

“No, it’s okay. I’m sorry Annie, I wasn’t paying attention.” He smiled at her, and Annie felt her stomach drop instantly.

Armin Arlert. Blond hair, blue eyes, a button nose, and a perfect smile. Annie felt her cheeks heat up, and bit her lip. He was in her chemistry class, and he was top of the class. 4.8 GPA.

“I-It’s fine, just. Okay. Bye.” Annie bolted away from him, glancing back to find Armin talking to another boy from their class. She cursed herself internally. Why do you always act so stupid around him? You keep making a fool out of yourself. How the hell is he going to be able to look at you without finding you to be a total freak?

Annie immediately lifted her head as Eren and her reconvened in front of the kitchen door.

“You want me to be your wingwoman for Mikasa. You know how you’re going to pay me back?” When Eren shook his head, Annie smiled. “You get to set me up with Armin.” Annie felt her throat clench when she noticed Eren’s wicked grin. “You say anything to anyone else and you’re getting your ass kicked.”

Eren couldn’t help but laugh as they finally opened the door.

Mikasa was sitting at the round kitchen table, with two other girls from the volleyball team. Christa and Sasha, if Annie could remember correctly. Eren nudged Annie with his elbow, gesturing to Mikasa with his eyes. Annie couldn’t help but roll her own as she snatched a piece of pizza, and plopping at the table’s empty fourth chair. Christa and Sasha looked up at Mikasa, and glanced back at Annie. Mikasa nodded, and the two girls left, leaving Annie and Mikasa alone at the table. Annie swallowed her last bite of pizza, chugging down her red cup of pepsi before sighing. Eren left the room, and Annie placed her chin in her hand.

“I know why you’re here, Leonhardt” Mikasa said, fiddling with the corner of her red scarf.

“Really now?” Annie asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

“Eren wouldn’t know subtlety if it hit him in the face.” Mikasa grinned, matching Annie’s snort and chuckle. “There’s no need to try and talk him up. He’s as perfect as he can be in my eyes.”

“Really?” Annie asked, taking another empty sip from her cup, before furrowing her brows and grabbing the bottle next to her so she could refill herself.

“Hard to believe, I know, but he saved me.” Mikasa said and nuzzled herself further into her scarf. “We were eight, maybe nine, and I was walking home alone from school. I think this was right before you moved here. I wasn’t paying attention to anything, but I felt his hand grab me and pull me behind some tall hedges. When he showed me there was a big white van following me, I started to shake. I guess he thought I was cold, because he wrapped this scarf around me. He started walking me home every day for the rest of the year. I don’t know if he remembers it, he may. But, you can just send him my way. There’s a few ‘thank you’s’ I owe him. Also, thank you, for being a good friend to him.”

Annie didn’t know what to think or feel. She knew Eren had been crushing on her for a long time, but she hadn’t a clue that it was this intense. She nodded to Mikasa, and stood. “Just know, if you hurt him, you die.” They shared a laugh, an awkward one at that, but their faces immediately shifted back to stoicness and silence. “Not kidding.”

She left the kitchen to find Armin and Eren sitting together laughing. Annie snuck behind the sofa and placed her hands over Eren’s eyes. “She’s all ready for ya.”

Eren stood up and let Annie shift to where he was standing. “Thaaaaaaank you Annie!” Eren grabbed Annie’s face and left a big smooch on her cheek.

“Ew, gross.” She said, wiping  her cheek with the palm of her hand.

Armin laughed at the exchange, and once Eren ran off, Annie slid down to sit where Eren had been previously. Her breathing was shallow, and Armin squirmed, most likely being affected by the awkward atmosphere.

“Did you um… finish your chem homework?” She asked pulling her knees into her chest on the couch, letting her heels pop off of her feet.

“Yeah, I did.” Armin had his arm over the back of the sofa, and Annie wanted to lean back against him, but resisted the urge. “Are you having trouble with it? I’d be more than willing to help.”

Annie rested her head on her knees and tilted her head towards him with a soft nod, “Yeah, I’d really appreciate it. Bio is my forte, not chem.”

“I noticed. Last year we were basically fighting for the top spot in class.”

“There was no fight on my end.” But had I known you wanted it so bad, I’d have given it to you.

“Show off.”

“I’m sorry, don’t you have 116% in Chem right now?” Annie started to feel more confident, and let her legs cross under her instead.

Armin began to laugh, and he shrugged at her. “It’s not like I have people to sit with normally at lunch. So I go in and do my work before class begins. At least Professor Smith is really easy going about me eating in the classroom.” He sighed then.

You always can sit with me. You don’t have to be alone all the time. I know I’m normally by myself. We don’t have to isolate ourselves.

The music shifted then, from loud R&B, to slow alternative rock. Annie let her fingers beat against her knee, letting it take her in for a moment.

“Annie, do you want to dance?”

She was taken then, and looked at him. “Oh I can’t dance-”

“Live a little, Annie,” He interjected. “No one cares if you can dance or not. Just, don’t look away from me. Then you won’t have to deal with anyone else’s judgements, if they have any.”

Her heart began to hammer in her chest to the beat of the bass, and she let him hold her, as her arms wrapped around his neck. He was only a few inches taller. Four inches at the most. Armin smiled at her. “See? No one’s bothering us.”

It’s hard to notice anyone looking at me when I have my eyes on you. She nodded, letting the corner of her lip curl into a smile. “You’re not bad at this.”

“Neither are you.”

She looked up at him, tried to still her racing heart. He was smiling down at her, and she felt her stomach burst with butterflies, her mind going hazy before she realized he was leaning in.

Kiss me.

And he did. He held her waist against him, and kissed her. Slow, letting lips brush teasingly against one another before he let his hand move to cup her cheek. No magic could match this. Mermaids, witches, fairies, any sort of mystical thing could be in front of her right now and she wouldn’t care. This was magic. Annie felt like wings were growing from her back, because she wanted to fly. She pulled him in closer to her, and Armin was pressing a toothy grin against her lips. He continued however, letting Annie break the kiss.

“Marry me,” She thought out loud, causing Armin to laugh. She was yanked out of her daze, and realized the words had came from her mouth. Her ears began to turn red, and she turned her face away from him, about to pull herself away to go hide forever.

Just had to ruin the moment, you damn idiot.

“No, no, it’s okay! Just. How about we go on a date, first?” Armin offered, trying to ease the poor girl’s embarrassment. “Glad to know I’m a good kisser, though.”

Annie Leonhardt x Mina Carolina - Shingeki no Kyojin / Attack on Titan

The fan art made me love this ship. You can't believe how great these two are together. Almost beats Aruani or Mikaannie to me. I love how Mina is kinda innocent and a smiling kind of a person while Annie is quiet, serious and has probably seen some shit. They fullfill each other. :3 I should draw them... Because there just isn't enough fan art about them.

  L Lawliet x Touta Matsuda - Death Note