Did his twin planned something ? Did he tell him he wasn’t ready for that ? Or maybe he said he didn’t even want to marry her at all ? Could he maybe chea... 

“STOP.” She froze while Alexy sighed with dismay. “Candy, just, stop, please. It is nothing like that. And he doesn’t cheat on you. He never did.” 

He made her wait the time to put her on the couch and serve her a glass of water. His best friend could be a veritable ordeal when she decided it.  

“You can breathe. Girl, of course Armin already thought to you and him as wife and husband. Well, maybe not in the classic way, but wathever, you know in what you are stepped.”  

“He... Seriously ?” She blinked with consternation and relief. Before frowning as she was thinking about the reason he still didn’t propose yet. “But if... Why... It doesn’t make sense...”

“I know, for me neither. He has a particular logic. In fact, I never saw him so serious and concerned by anything else. Like, you are still a student, with your thesis he thinks it’s not the time to bother you” Candy raised an eyebrow at this senseless argument — how could his proposal bother her ? — “you don’t live together yet and he believes it is a strict condition for you, and everything like that.”

She could pratically be hurt. Since when Armin forgot who she was ? Right, she wasn’t so free and glib than him — who could ? — but they already lived so many unbelievable stories together, essentially because they were both adventurers. They were sort of jack-of-all-trades. Compared to those moments, what was an engagement ? 

However, the answer was simple : if for her, it was a logical suite to their couple, for Armin, who traditionally had to propose — since he was the man, and she was the woman — it was so much more. They never spoke about marriage, and he maybe took it as a sign she didn’t want it. Of course, in this condition, he had all the right to felt insecure and anxious. In fact, Armin was maybe purely and simply afraid she could reject him. The same feeling she had because he didn’t propose anything. They had a little bit of a tag team. 

“Well, I’m not agree. Honestly, I’m more than ready, and if he is too, well, we will not wait like that until the end of the world.”

“Do you want me to speak to him, and give him all the signs he needs ?”

“No. If that moron continue to doubt like that, there is only one solution. Come on, take your jacket, we have a shopping to do.”

“What the... Candy !”

“I’m gonna cry. Really.”

“Don’t, or I will begin too.”

“It’s the most beautiful day of my life. My brother will finally have what he wants, and my best friend will also become my sis'. I can die in peace.”

In front of them, the jeweller had all the difficulties to keep his smile for himself. It wasn’t every day he had the occasion to help a woman who needed an engagement ring for her boyfriend — unfortunately, about that subject, traditions were still a little to much anchored in their society. It was quite a hard choice, by the way — and the twin’s lucky guy didn’t really help. 

Once they were out of the shop, Candy took her phone and called her boyfriend to fix a date.  

“Hey princess, what’s up ?”

As soon as she heard his voice, Candy knew she was doing the right thing. More than ever.  

He was late. Of course he was, until evidence to the contrary, he was still Armin. It was too perfect until now. 

She was alone on the bench, and she just started to realize what she was doing. Oh god. How did men manage to do that, honestly ? She was fighting against herself to stay concious. Candy remembered those meditation stuffs her father tried to teach her, and closed her eyes, trying to relieve her anxiety.

“Is it for a yoga class you asked me to come ?” 

She flinched and opened big eyes. Armin was just in front of her, totally amused by the situation.

“Oh god.” 

His smirk grew up. He raised an eyebrow before giving his hand to lead her into a walk.

“No, it’s just me. But thanks for the compliment. I will remind you next time we argue.” 

She was so nervous that she couldn’t even get in his game. He certainly saw it, because he started to caress her wrist — with time, he learned how much that simple gesture had a relaxing power on her. 

“You know, you’re really pretty like that. In which occasion ?” 

No. Could he know ? Did Alexy... ? No, no, no. He wouldn’t.

“Usually, when the boyfriend says something like that, the girlfriend answers by “oh Armin, on you, it would be even much better! You’re so handsome!”. But I understand if you don’t want to admit it.” 

As she was still froze, he straightened her head with a finger and gently smiled at his apparently anxious and distracted girlfriend.

“If you told me what kind of thoughts are inside your pretty head right now, it would be easier, don’t you think ?” 

That was exactly at this moment she remembered why she was just so eager to marry him. A lot of jokes and sometimes sarcasms, but always with respect and kindness. Even his little smirk he practically always had on his lips showed how attentive to her he was.  

Armin was Armin. Maybe not totally perfect, but enough to make her fall in love with him day after day.

“Still nothing ? Well in that case, let me relax you first. Dare or truth ?”

“Wha... Armin, seriously ?”

“Dare or truth ?” He replied, and she couldn’t keep a little laugh he took for a victory. 

“Dare.” 

Just because Candy was absolutely not ready to make her proposal right now, and because of course he would ask her if she choose the other option.

“Mimic me what’s in your head.” ... Oh. OH. 

She was officially trapped right now. This little...

His eyes expressed his pride, and she knew she already loose his game. If she postponed it to tomorrow, she would be exactly in the same condition. She always would, with him around her. That was one of the effects he had on her. 

That’s why she looked at him in the eyes, took his hand, before kneeling in front of him. People all around suddenly stoped, but she was focus on her boyfriend right now. His eyebrows were frowning, and he really looked like he tried to understand why the hell she was almost sitting on the floor. So, she just took the ring in her pocket. 

Candy offered him a shy smile. 

“Normally I am supposed to say something with that, but as I have to mimic it, I can’t do more”.

A weird silence accompanied her speech. He seemed like if he was in another galaxy.

“Wait... What does it mean ? Hum, I have an idea, but are you... You are ? Really ? It’s not... A trick ?” He couldn’t be more lost than that.

“I love our jokes, but it would be a really, really bad one. So... yes, it is really happening. Well, only if you want it, and I could understand if...” Her voice was no more than a whisper. She was tamed by uncertainty. 

However, she didn’t have the time to continue, because the second after, he was with her on the ground, being busy to kiss her like if it was the last time.  

People all around them applauded, but it was like if they were somewhere far away from them. He was the only one who matters, and Candy felt those million butterflies in her stomach relieved her stress, while his delicious laugh came to her. 

“It’s exactly why I love you.”