#daaaw

Anni's neck throbbed from after a mission, but the painless medical ointment EJ had put on it eased her pain for only a little while. With her eyes closed, Anni could hear and feel her heart pounding in her ears. But miraculously, Anni picked up the sound of footsteps on the grass and looked up curiously. Someone began to practically stomp towards the manor, Anni looking over the side of her peripheral while narrowing her eyes. Kellin ripped open the door and she heard stray gasping coming from outside.

"I heard a gunshot…." Jeff's voice became audible from the outside, "What the hell? Why do you have blood all over you?" Anni's legs pushed her up out of the seat and she noticed the door was already open, half the hard work already done. Her wobbly legs stumbled down the stairs and she practically tripped, her hand reaching out and grabbing the doorframe at the last second. The brown eyes that occupied her face finally found Jeff in her tired gaze, Anni stumbling sideways against Kellin.

"You're back…" She breathed and Jeff's eyes narrowed as he saw the bright, white bandages wrapped around her neck,

"What the hell happened to you!?" He asked rather loudly, Kellin putting his hand up and standing in front of Anni defensively,

"Calm down now Jeff." Jeff only kept his eyes focused on Anni, concern and irritation washed over his face with his breathing slightly unsteady. Anni watched as his jaw muscles tightened and he gritted his teeth, now staring at Kellin with his eyes ready to kill. Kellin put his hands up with reason, "She was attacked while we were both on a missio…I got to her before things went sour. Now let's be civilized here and don't start shouting. I had the chance to properly clean her wounds." Kellin looked back at Anni and saw the fatigued, solemn look on her face. He sighed and nodded, "I'll give you two some privacy…" He brushed past Jeff, who stared Anni with nothing but a hard look. She could see the tension in the muscles of his face, as well as his thick set of shoulders. She wondered if he was mad at her personally, or if he was mad at himself. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Kellin put a hand on Fang's shoulder and they both walked into the other room, closing the door behind them.

Let the awkward silence begin.

"What the hell did you do? Goin' out by yourself without any protection at all, you tryin' to get yourself killed!?" His tone continued to voice his anger and she crossed her arms while looking at him; his blue eyes grew darker by the second,

"I didn't know that I was going to be attacked. Besides, I was on my way back to the mansion anyways."

"You're supposed to be ready for anything! You know… for some educated girl, you sure are stupid." By this time he began to slowly pace, chewing on the inside of his cheek anxiously. Anni sighed and put her hands down on the car behind her, leaning on the hood. Her arm and clothing were lightly covered with dry blood,

"Yeah I know… I wasn't expecting you to go off on another mission all over again, or I would've stayed here." She admitted and he stopped, watching her as she uncomfortably shifted on the seat, now sitting on it again. She leaned over her legs and clasped her hands together, "I don't even know why I was walking off away from here. It's just like my legs carried me without me knowing. I wasn't even paying attention and when I finally realized I was around them, I hid in a car and managed to kill one. But the other broke through the window and pulled on me. A big piece of glass from the window cut me open." She rubbed the bandages around her neck, feeling her wound pulse from her touch. Jeff's mood shifted and he calmed somewhat, but not completely. He walked up to her,

"You're not gonna be going off on your little depressed walks anymore, that's my only say on the matter. We can't be losing people no more and I can't be losing you either!"

The two only stared at each other in the moments of silence.

Jeff felt it was partly his fault for her being attacked. When he had decided to leave and go off for another mission, after what Kellin had told him, his mind was split in two. Pure instinct told him that he should go find Anni and he had felt completely uneasy as he walked to the forest, but he ignored it mostly. During that time, his mind told him that she wouldn't need him anyways and he should just keep at his long-distance missions and killing sprees. He felt bad, and he knew that the choice he had taken was wrong and could have very well been devastating if Kellin wouldn't have gotten there when he did.

"I'm sorry…" He heard her soft voice beat through the air and into his ears. His mind drained and he looked up to see her staring at the ground, her face glowing softly in the dull moonlight above them. She had a grave look on her face after she finally realized she could have died that night, easily because she couldn't protect herself without her weapons. Jeff huffed,

"No need to apologize anyways, it's over and done with, and you're alive, aren't you?" He asked, glancing over at her. She nodded and stepped onto the pavement below her, walking up to Jeff a bit wobbly. She smiled softly and looked up at him,

"I know you probably don't get this much… but I'm really glad I met you." She laughed to herself, looking shyly down at the ground. His eyes narrowed,

"Why? Just some asshole trying to survive like everyone else." She looked back up at him,

"Yeah, but… I'd be dead without you. And I wouldn't want to be in any other mansion but this." She saw the confusion and cloudiness in his eyes. He didn't know what to say, what to do, or react to the words that she had said to him. No one was nice to him and he could return with the same hate and anger that was thrown at him. But he was completely indifferent to the kindness, gentleness, charisma, and loyalty she had displayed towards him. She never got angry easily, at him for that matter and only showed her mental and emotional strength when times were tough. She didn't care much for herself or her safety; she only displayed compassion for others. But like him, he had nothing to lose and nothing much to fight for but survival.

He didn't understand why she was so interesting.

He was caught completely off guard as she walked up closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in with a soft, but tight grip. He had never been hugged in that manner before in his entire life. She rested her chin on his shoulder and took a breath, letting it out slowly as she took in his warmth. He didn't move and he looked down at her, not knowing what to do in the certain situation. Even though they had been through hell, her hair still smelt oddly sweet. He lightly flinched when she put her hand on the back of his head, but his muscles relaxed when he felt her soft hands run through his hair. She smiled when she could hear his heartbeat, and it was beating fast.

"Thank you for everything." Anni's arms around him tightened, pressing her head even closer to his bloodied chest, "I missed you, you fugly asshole." His expression was priceless, and he tried to suppress the giggle threatening to emerge from his throat. That didn’t stop him from grinning internally, even though he attempted to maintain his tough guy act.