Work Text:
Aviator glasses did a great job with saving Armin’s eyes from the Californian sun, but he was much more grateful about the fact that soon they’ll also cover his eyes from the huge crowd outside of the car. He took a deep breath in.
“Damn,” Eren said beside him, voice full of amusement and anticipation.
Armin swallowed. “Hell,” he nervously scratched the side of his neck.
“Hey, it’s alright,” a hand landed on Armin’s shoulder with a firm pressure, making him turn his head. “Just a small award ceremony, alright? Not an Oscar.”
“Feels like an Oscar,” Armin replied pointedly, scratching the neck more aggressively.
“Armin, it’s alright,” Eren repeated, hitting Armin’s hand after. “Stop scratching, it’s already red.”
Armin’s heart dropped into his stomach. “Is it visible? Is it bad? Is it bright?”
Eren blinked. “Dude.”
“Alright, guys,” their driver said, stopping the car. “We’re here.”
“Oh my god,” Armin muttered, readjusting his blue tie. Cameras flashed on the outside, adding a fuel to the fire of anxiety in Armin’s chest.
“C’mon,” Eren waved his head, “C’mon, let’s go.”
Armin glanced at him with a frown. “I can’t,” he said, voice weak.
“The fuck you mean you can’t?”
Armin shook his head, “No.”
“Yes!”
“I can’t!” Armin hissed.
Eren blinked again. “Arlight, that’s it.” And just like that, he was out of the car. And a moment after the door on Armin’s side was open. “You’re a lady for today, get out of the fucking car.”
Everything was a blur.
“Oh my god,” Armin muttered, awkwardly getting out from his seat. As he closed the door behind himself, the flashing of cameras immediately got more intense.
His heart was about to explode.
“And the first stars of Attack on Titan movie are here! Ladies and gentlemen, Armin Arlert and Eren Yeager!” seemed to be said by several voices at once, in different forms.
Armin smiled, awkwardly raising a hand, as Eren did the same beside him, much more confidently. They moved forward along the dazzling red carpet, and Armin’s head started to spin from the amount of requests and questions from all sides.
“Mr. Arlert, give us a smile, please!”
“Mr. Arlert, right here!”
“What’s your next project is?”
“Mr. Arlert!”
“How did you and Miss Leonhart managed to create this chemistry between the 104th commander and Female Titan?”
Just move forward. Just. Move. Forward.
A flash.
“Mr. Arlert!”
Too much noise.
They don’t see your eyes, just move forward.
“Mr. Arlert!”
Is this carpet fucking endless?
“Hold up, seems like someone else had just arrived!” a voice declared loud enough to make Armin’s ears ring. He stopped and turned around, meeting his eyes with the white limo on the place where his and Eren’s black one just was. He walked up to Eren, who was giving an autograph to someone, and patted him on the shoulder.
“They’re here.”
“Yay,” Eren giggled, giving a pen back to the fan. “Now we have to go back.”
Armin exhaled. Alright, it’ll get better from now. He walked the distance back much faster; while Eren was still making his way around the car, Armin had already opened the other door.
Annie glanced up at him soothingly as he gave her his hand to help get of the car.
“You’re shaking,” she said.
“And you’re looking beautiful,” Armin smiled a little, looking down at her blue dress. He was about to take his hand away, but then Annie squeezed it with a firm pressure. His heart skipped a bit. “Annie–”
“You’re wearing a sunglasses,” Annie cut him off, leading him forward by the hand.
“Yeah, I feel more secure,” he rambled. “Annie, they’re gonna–”
Annie glanced at him. “It’s okay,” and then squeezed his hand a little.
He blinked. “But–”
“It’s okay,” Annie repeated, voice soft and gaze of her blue eyes like a caress.
Armin felt like his heart was about to explode again, but this time for a different reason.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Eren Yeager with Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert with Annie Leonhart!” a voice declared as loud as the last time.
***
“This is,” Armin sighed, “All over the Twitter, TikTok, Instagram…”
“Yeah,” Annie settled down on the couch beside him with two cups of coffee in her hands. Armin put his phone down and took one from her.
“Thanks,” he said, smiling weakly, placing his cup on the coffee table.
Annie placed her own beside his. “But you know what else is all over the news? Drunk Eren,” she smiled wickedly, eyebrow raised.
Armin giggled. “Yeah, he’s got two hundred thousand likes on TikTok.”
Annie’s eyes widened, smile dropping. “Oh my god. There’s a much smaller number on Twitter.”
“Not a good idea to do a Glambot hammered.”
“Uh-huh.”
Then, Armin sighed. “It feels wrong. I’m so sorry.”
Annie raised a hand. “Seriously, Armin, you need to stop.”
“But I mean it!” he straightened up.
Annie raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean it, too.”
“It was basically just because of my anxiety, it’s so stupid, you had to do it and—”
“Armin,” Annie cut him off pointedly. “Please, stop. I don’t give a flying fuck about what the press says. Besides, it’s not like we could’ve been a secret forever.”
“But there’s so much pressure now,” he winced, picking up his phone again. “Look,” Armin turned the screen to her, “Leonhart and Arlert seen together. Leonhart got a strong grip on Arlert. Teen romance on Maria’s award. Leonhart and–“
“Armin. Not a flying fuck. Let's try to calm down."
Armin clicked his phone off with a sigh. “Okay.”
“Just,” she smiled softly, “lay down a little, okay?”
“Okay,” he repeated with a nod, settling himself back on the couch.
A moment later, Armin was surrounded by the comforting weight. Annie placed one of her hands on his chest and another on his neck. He inhaled the faintest trace of her perfume, closing his eyes.
“You’re still shaking,” Annie said and then Armin felt her hand pressing firmer on his chest. “And your heart is still racing. You need to take some rest. Everything’s okay, Armin. It really is. You know perfectly fine that I wouldn’t lie about it. I wouldn’t be here at all.”
Armin sighed.
“It was my choice,” she continued. “No one held a gun beside my head, okay? I didn’t want you to die right there.”
She got quiet for moment.
“And you’re much more important to me than any stupid article.”
Armin opened his eyes, feeling a warmness in his chest. “Annie.”
She looked up at him.
“I love you,” he said, watching Annie covering her face in his chest after.
“I love you too,” she mumbled, her breathing heating his skin even through the fabric of his t-shirt. “Did they really said teen romance?”
Armin laughed, running his hand through her hair. “Yeah.”
“They aware that we’re above twenty, right?”
“Apparently not,” he shook his head. “Attacking Titan’s actor is as much attacking as his character. That’s what they’ve said about Eren’s Glambot.”
“Oh my god.”
Armin giggled. “Yep.”
“You know what they’ve said about your look?”
“What?”
“It’s very Hayden Christensen-ish.”
Armin squeezed his eyes. “Oh my god. Probably because of the aviators.”
Annie shrugged. “Maybe. I think you're hotter than him, anyway.”
He smiled and said, a couple of moments later, “Thank you.”
Annie scoffed. “No problem.”
“No, I mean for what happened. Thank you.”
Annie looked up at him, placing her chin on his chest. “No problem, Armin.”
Armin felt as if he's been hypnotized by her blue eyes. Then, he placed a kiss on her forehead.