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If there existed a place in which Annie didn’t feel safe, it was Lakua. The city that once used to house Marley’s military base still stood proud and opinionated on the glories of war. If there was one place that would give Armin and the Ambassadors a hard time, it was this. She’d rather be stoned to death in Liberio, honestly, or tortured in Paradis.
After the Rumbling, one of the first places Armin led them to was Lakua. He said that if any place had the power to try to go after Paradis and continue the war- it would be them. He hadn’t been wrong and despite the welcoming smiles and hospitalities, they had been attacked by the second night.
It had been early on in their mission and a sobering reminder that the survivors wouldn’t just change. A lifetime of conditioning and hatred was hard to override, even with the outcome of the Rumbling and all the sacrifices that had been made. On instinct, Annie had blocked an attack with her arm, instead of moving out the way.
The experience overall had been humbling. Not everyone wanted peace, not everyone could forgive. It was the first time that it really dawned on Annie that she wasn’t a Titan anymore. Not that she didn’t already know that, because she did, but old habits die hard and she almost died along with them.
As the years passed and the hardship didn’t let up, some of the original group disbanded. It had been bittersweet, but everyone deserved a new beginning. Now, five years after the Rumbling and after their initial visit to Lakua, the remaining six ambassadors found themselves returning with hesitant steps.
They chose to stay in a small three bedroom house rather than to be separated into different rooms at a hotel. The first couple of days had been hard, Armin and Reiner swept the house room by room, Pieck inspected every piece of food that was brought into the house, Jean checked the perimeter to make sure there would be no unknown entry points to the house.
They’d even been given weapons to carry hidden by Connie.
“We can never be too sure and given our history,” Armin paused, eyes lingering on Annie before gazing around the room at the rest of them. “I’d rather be safe and not sorry.”
“I get that, man.” Connie was the first to speak, breaking the silence that had fallen on the room. “But do you think they actually want this?”
Annie had wondered the same. Lukua was made on the promise of war. Every pillar, every stone, and every nail that glued this city together was made to soak up the blood of the fallen. Sighing, she turned to look over at Reiner, then Pieck.
“Knowing this place… It’s hard to say. But there had been a recent overthrow of some of the government here. So perhaps….” Pieck’s voice died off as she looked down and played with Jean’s hand. “It doesn’t feel nice being back, if I’m being honest.” She finally said, eyes drifting up to look at Armin.
“The end is in sight, I believe. The only real threat to everything we worked so hard on is this place. We can’t let them start the cycle again, I -we- can’t go through this again.” He looked as frustrated as he felt. They had all been getting horrible sleep huddled together in the small living room they currently sat in and despite meeting the new council and being reassured that they wanted to break away from the cycle of war, they still felt uneasy.
“All I really have left is Gabi, I’m dying to go back home.” Reiner said, stretching his arms high above his head. “This is it, guys, let’s make it count.”
Connie and Jean looked over at each other, a happy smile on their faces. Their mothers had been living together safely off of Paradis for some years now and although Annie had no one to go home to, her father having died a couple of years ago, she still felt incredibly happy for them.
“So I guess it’s safe to separate into our rooms now? I’m tired of getting kicked in the face by Connie every night.” Annie said with a scoff directed over to the sheepish looking Eldian.
“I believe so.” Armin said, nibbling at his bottom lip in thought.
“Well,” Pieck was the first to stand, stretching as she did. “If that’s the case I want to room with Jean.”
Everyone turned to look at her, then at Annie. Being the only two females, they had always roomed together. “Pieck, can I talk to you real quick?” Annie tried her hardest to keep her annoyance out of her voice as she stood and exited to the foyer.
She heard a chuckle before turning to see Pieck follow her with a grin on her face.
“You’re not doing this to me.” She whispered angrily as soon as Pieck was within hearing distance, the other girl seemed to find her frustration amusing but Annie didn’t think her panic was worth laughing at.
“You know it’s about time.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You and Armin? He’d need you now more than ever plus this whole ‘we’re not together but we’re in love’ thing you guys have going on-”
“That’s not what we have going on!” Annie snapped.
“Hm, then what is it?”
“I…” Annie fumbled with a reply. Pieck wasn’t wrong, Annie knew of Armin’s feelings for her and after five years, Annie knew of her own feelings. She’s not stupid. That doesn’t make it any less easy. “What makes you think I’ll be rooming with Armin? I just don’t want to share a room with Reiner.” She said stubbornly.
“No one will let that happen. We’re all team AruAni!” Pieck said excitedly.
“Team-what?” Annie’s anger reaches a new high, before freezing and disappearing instantly. Leaving her with a headache. “What’s up with you and Jean anyways?”
“Nothing, I… I like his face.” Pieck lied, playing with the pendant around her neck. “We’re finally seeing the end to this, so maybe I’m feeling a bit sentimental. Anyways, this isn’t about me, it’s about you and Armin. He’s going to need you there for him.”
Pieck and Annie had grown extremely close these last five years. Both of them found each other in their lowest moments, finding faith in their practices, and finding hope in the people around them. Annie hadn’t known who she was, or if Armin’s feelings for her had been truly his. She owed a lot to the small group that chose to not only welcome her, but help her grow.
Still.
“It’s terrifying.” Annie finally confessed.
“I know, but it’s about time, you know?”
They were stuck in a stage of being nothing to one another, but meaning absolutely everything to each other. From the beginning, Annie didn’t want to be a distraction, but in a way, she used that as an excuse to push him away. She knew she cared about him and she knew he wouldn’t commit to his goals if he was too busy worrying about her. He proved that much after her injuries in the Lakua attack.
Annie calmed her mind from spiraling down the path of history. “I’m not ready tonight. Please? Tomorrow.”
So she slept with Pieck for one more night.
The next day, they met the council. Pieck had been right, a lot of the old government was gone and after their introductions and brief mentions of what they all wanted to discuss within the next couple of weeks, the group had been let off early with promises that the real work began the next day. Their hospitality and honesty brought everyone’s spirit up, and by the time it was over, no one was ready to go straight back to the house.
“I dressed up for literally nothing. So now I demand we put good use to our clothing and at least visit the city.” Pieck said, dusting off her skirt dramatically.
Everyone’s eyes fell on Armin, who rolled his own. “I never said anything about going back, just no venturing on your own. Should we meet up here around seven? Four hours sound like enough time, right?”
Everyone agreed and Annie turned around to see where Pieck was going since she didn’t have anywhere specific that she wanted to go to.
“Annie?” She turned around to look at Armin.
“Yeah?”
“I was actually hoping you’d come with me.”
Annie blinked in surprise, biting her lower lip in an attempt to hold her blush. She hated that she still got flustered by his words so easily, especially in public. But regardless how flustered she was, her heart was beating harder in excitement. “I think I’d love that.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Annie answered, a small smile on her face, she tried not looking at anyone else as Armin stood next to her and they interlaced their arms as they walked away, him in lead. Annie was shy and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to talk about the future. But she never questioned where she belonged anymore. “But where are we going?”
“To the movies… It’s just down the block, actually. I know it’s early… But we can’t really risk coming out by ourselves later.” Armin explained a bit sheepishly.
“No, that's fine, I think this is perfect.”
“Yeah?”
Annie chuckled, “Yeah. Less people, right?”
The walk the rest of the way was full of comfortable silence, their arms still linked together. Annie’s thumb rubbed light circles on his arm absentmindedly as she bit her bottom lip in thought. They would glance at each other every so often and he kept that small accomplished smile on his face the rest of the way.. His cheeks a bit more pink than normal.
It turned out the movie theater was less than two blocks away and Annie went into autopilot for the most part. Internally freaking out the fact that this was a date, it had to be, right? And although she and Armin had spent time together alone throughout the years, well, she wasn’t sure why it was all getting to her right now. Or, well, she knew…. But…
“What’s wrong?” Armin asked, guiding them towards the middle of the theater room. The place was empty and Annie was surprised to see that not only had they made it, but she was carrying a bag of snacks in her hand while Armin carried two drinks. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I guess I'm stressed, I’m sorry my mind wandered.” She licked her bottom lip lightly as she sat down.
“You wanna talk about it?”
“I’m not sure… Everyone’s talking about the future and… I don’t think I’m ready for any of this to change.” Annie glanced over at the large screen. There was no one else around, something she was thankful for. It gave Armin and her some time to themselves, which was something they rarely had.
“Connie and Jean are going to live with their mom, Pieck is going back to Liberio with them and Riener. I guess everyone found a home to go back to… What about you? I haven’t heard about what you plan to do next.”
“I haven’t thought about it… Well,” Annie paused to settle into her seat. Clearing her lap by placing the food in the empty seat to her right before shifting left, towards Armin. “The future I want to have isn't just my own to think about. Have you thought about it?”
“Yes.” Armin reached to hold her hand, and she allowed him to do so.
“What about it?” She asked softly and curiously.
“I’ve thought about asking you to marry me.”
“Yeah?” her heart leapt in her chest.
“But I don’t need a big wedding to show you how much I love you. I don’t need a piece of paper, or a ring, I think those are things people do for other people. To me, I just want to be able to love you. Commit to loving you and getting the chance to just be us. Armin and Annie. In love and learning.” He took a pause to take a good look at her. Cheeks pink and eyes focused down on his knees. With a smile he continued.
“I learned a long time ago that I didn't need to go around telling you that I love you for you to know that. You told me you didn’t want to be a distraction, and I respected that. With much insecurities, I must add. But when you told me that you stayed because you believed in me and that you loved me and you knew it was the right thing to do. I believed that.”
The lights dimmed and the screen turned on. Armin blinked as if remembering where they were and Annie looked back at him to smile. “I love you.” She said lightly, squeezing his hand.
“I love you too, Annie. So when I think of the future, I only think of one thing: You. Of getting the chance to hold you, kiss you, truly love and cherish you. I want to be with you wherever life takes you, Annie. Which is why instead of asking you to marry me, I want to build an actual future together. Do you want to create a home with me, after all of this is over?”
Loud music played from the speakers, but Annie was too stuck observing Armin to turn towards the screen.
“I’d love that.”
“Good,” He grinned and leaned in to give her a light kiss. “Me too.”
Annie wasn’t a girl of many words, but she didn’t need to be. She just needed to continue to show Armin that she loved him, the way he showed her that he loved her. She was excited for the future and what it held because Armin would be there with her.
She laid her head lightly on his shoulder, curling up in her seat as the movie started. He didn’t stop rubbing light circles against the back of her hand the whole time and every once and a while, they would chuckle at something or another and turn to look at each other with a smile.
The movie was over far sooner than she would have liked. When the credits rolled, she turned towards Armin just to see him already looking at her. “What?” She asked a bit defensively, a blush on her cheeks.
“You didn't fall asleep, I'm surprised.” He said with a smile, letting go of her hand to stand and stretch.
She normally does fall asleep when Armin takes her to the movies. She blames it on having to sit still, and feels guilty for missing the movies when she wakes up. Sometimes they have time to go again. But while she’s embarrassed, Armin assures her that it’s adorable to get the chance to watch her sleep and as long as they’re together, he’s more than happy.
She hates it though. Ignoring the warmth pooling to her cheeks, she rolls her eyes. “What can I say? I was really excited thinking about stuff.”
“Like?”
“Like you.” She said shamefully. As soon as the words leave her mouth, she’s blushing and looking away. He’s adorable, but his excitement is contagious. Annie isn’t used to him brushing his shoulders against hers playfully while holding hands in public. It was all new, exciting, and it felt wonderful being able to share small intimate moments without the worry of others finding out.
It wasn’t that her friends didn’t know about their feelings. But a big part of the reason why they haven’t moved forward with being together was due to Annie feeling as if it was almost disrespectful to do so. The remaining ambassadors all put their lives on hold and their faith in Armin. Who was she to distract him from what needed to be done?
She had been a distraction too. Armin would trade research for looking at her, writing for holding her hand, even his studies would be rushed if it meant spending time with her. While Annie had loved all of it, she felt guilty at taking up his time when so many people's lives relied on him and his work.
Instead, she had chosen to motivate him.
It had been hard keeping her distance from Armin. It had been hard to try to find the right words to tell him that she couldn’t be with him until this was done because she wanted it to be done right. But looking back at it, she felt an immense sense of pride in what they had done. Holding Armin’s hand was a lovely reward for their years of struggles and hard work.
Now, they weren’t fretting about the present but excited about the future. That was enough to warm her cheeks and make her heart race.
“That blush looks really pretty on my girlfriend’s face.” The blush that rushed to her face was immediate and before she could pull away, he tightened his hold on her hand and brought it up to his lips kissing her knuckles.
Annie could almost melt.
“Is that what I am?” Her voice was soft, attention glued to the floor in embarrassment. He was staring at her, and she was sure if he kept looking at her like that she was going to evaporate.
Luckily, her question made him chew on his bottom lip in thought. She took a deep breath and looked over at him as they walked forward. He was staring off into the distance, scrunching up his nose in that adorable way that he often did while thinking. He wiggled his nose, as if swishing the thought from cheek to cheek before speaking, “For now, but only if you’re comfortable with it? Frankly calling you my girlfriend doesn’t feel like enough.” He chuckled, free hand moving to scratch the nape of his neck.
But she understood what he was saying anyway. Armin felt like more than a boyfriend, but someone who didn’t fit into the mold of being a Husband. Annie didn’t care for the idea of marriage, so the word husband meant very little to her anyways.
“I know what you mean,” she said, scrunching up her face for lack of better reaction, “labels are so… “
Armin nodded as they rounded the corner. She realized they'd been walking aimlessly, hand in hand. She thought she would struggle with the idea of public displays of affection. But it was a nice surprise to realize that she didn't care about what others would think.
“Where do you want to live, after all this?” She asked as they reached a bench in a nearby park.
“With you.”
“I know,” She fought the urge to roll her eyes, “But where?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, shifting closer to her. “I haven’t thought too much about where. Been thinking a lot about who I want to live with, however.”
“You’re impossible.” This time, she did roll her eyes at his shameless flirting.
He grinned wider, “What about you?”
Annie looked out at the distance, at the trees and the skies and the birds and the squirrels. A land untouched by the rumbling, almost existing in its own bubble. She tried not thinking about it too much.
“I’ve grown attached to everyone. Even Reiner… And Connie. So maybe I’d like to follow them back home, to Liberio.”
Armin smiled, leaning forward to place a light kiss on her shoulder. “That sounds perfect to me.”
They fall into a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and the light breeze of the afternoon air. “Are you going to be okay sleeping with me?” As soon as the thought entered her mind, it left her mind. Annie realized what she had said a bit too late, her embarrassment was immediate. “N-not l-like that, I’m sorry-sorry.” She flushed, letting go of his hand to cover her face with a groan. “I know that- I meant like in bed with me, not like that- I mean not that I- wait.” She groaned into her hand before lifting her head to look at him, trying to collect herself as best as possible, “I’m sorry I’m making you wait… For that.”
Armin stared at her blankly before bursting out into a fit of laughter. Immediately, Annie gave him a deadpan stare before standing up to leave. Her embarrassment was too much for her to handle, especially with him laughing at her.
“Annie?” Armin stood, grabbing her hand. “It’s okay, I get what you're saying. Frankly I love that you pushed me to focus on our goals, because I couldn’t imagine coming this far any other way. I love you, and I’m okay with waiting. But yes, I am a little excited to sleep with you.”
She stares at him for a minute, until he awkwardly shuffles and loosens his grip on her hand. She lets him stew in his own insecurities for a second long, as punishment for her embarrassment. Eventually, she caves. “You’re a pervert.” She scoffs.
“Am I? Because I wasn’t even trying to hint at anything.” He stared at her openly and she realized that this was a fight she wasn’t going to win.
“Armin?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Of course five years was hardly enough time to bring the surviving world to peace after the rumbling. But for the six ambassadors that put their lives on pause to try, it was a good place to start. Now, they had the opportunity to also rebuild a home. To make a life for themselves and to find peace within their homes and families. They didn’t think their fight was over, hardly, but they were excited to start building their own future.