“Give yourself more credit, kid.” She flashed him that small, genuine smile he was always happy to get out of her.
“I’ll give credit where credit is due.” His eyes shifted to the side a bit as he returned her smile. This small change of visual focus, however, was enough to trip him up and almost fall on his ass, were it not for Annie supporting him.
“Or maybe you do have two left feET- AH, that was my big toe, Armin!” She scolded, giving him a small glare. “Watch it.”
“I’m sorry Annie, I told you I- nO!” He shrieked, as she started to tickle his neck again. It was obvious that she felt too powerful in that position. He laughed, trying his best to push her hand away. “A-Annie! My side hurts, come on!”
He was shocked to see her smiling so widely as she began to tickle him more. It seemed she was loosening up more than he was, making his imminent asthma attack all the more worth it. “Come on, Armin. Stand up straight.”
“I-I can’t! You’re- Annie!” He managed to finally get a hold of her hand, keeping it at a distance as he leveled himself back up. The sight and sound of her own melodious laughter only made him laugh harder. He pulled her in closer, and the two rested their foreheads together as they tried to catch their breath.
His breath was taken away once again when he felt something press against his lips.
She loved the snow and the sudden serenity brought with the icy chills that so often swept through the city in breezes, warning pedestrians of oncoming storms, biting at fingers and toes, flushing cheeks and reddening skin. Besides, nothing in the world beat climbing into bed after a hard day at work, shaking the frost out of your bones and curling up in a duvet or two, as Annie so often found herself doing.
Tap tap tap.
She froze in her burrow of blankets, not expecting company. Her neighbours weren't ones to bother her. Living in such a rural area meant her local community wasn't particularly extensive. Company was a rarity. Nevertheless, she hauled herself to her feet, reluctantly untangling herself from her nest of pillows and cushions and warmth.
Opening the front door welcomed a blast of cold air into her home. She wasn't too pleased, instantly fighting shivers that settled into her spine, but her irritation was quickly replaced with surprise when she realised who'd summoned her.
“Armin?” She gawked, trying to maintain her façade of composure and indifference.
Annie almost closed the door. She would've had she been greeted by any other person, but she didn't have the heart to turn Armin away. “Sure.” She mumbled, stepping aside to allow him entrance. “How come you're here?”
“My car broke down about a mile away and it's starting to snow pretty heavily.” Armin admitted, unravelling his long blue scarf and tugging himself out of his coat. “I still live in the middle of the city. That's a couple of miles out, and I remembered you lived nearby, so I was wondering if I could stay the night. If you don't mind, of course. I wouldn't want to impose.”
Truthfully, Annie was unsure. She wasn't used to having visitors, and Armin would have to sleep on the couch even he did stay, so he wouldn't be in for a particularly comfortable night. “It's fine.” She told him, gesturing for his scarf. He passed it over so she could find an unoccupied radiator to drape it across.
Armin breathed a sigh of relief, unlacing his boots and leaving them by the door so not to trek too much snow through the rest of Annie's house. “Thank you so much.” He grinned. “I'd be in serious trouble right now, if it weren't for you, Annie. You're a lifesaver.”
Annie nodded. “It's alright.”
Armin finished sorting himself out and Annie found him some spare blankets. She dumped them on the couch in her living room and turned on the electric fire.
“Do you want anything to drink?” She offered, but he waved a hand in dismissal.
“No thanks.” He beamed, plonking himself down by the fire, dragging a blanket onto the carpet. “I'm alright.”
There came a point in the evening where they found themselves sitting side by side with duvets around their shoulders, basking in front of the fire as the snow continued to pile up outside.
“You're lucky you broke down where you did and not any further away from town.” Annie mumbled, curling into a ball. “How come you were out so far anyway?”
“Job interview.” Armin smiled, turning to Annie with a somewhat dazed look etched upon himself. “For Survey Corporations, as a market researcher and campaign tactician.”
Annie pulled a face. She was a public services kind of girl, herself, working for the urban police a few miles down the road. She usually walked to work and back, or caught the bus if she were feeling lazy. The idea of spending her days cooped up indoors, working on some campaign for a product which was never going to sell – because really, who'd heard of Survey Corporations selling anything of note in the last five or so years? No, that definitely wasn't for her. “You sure pick the exciting ones, Armin.” She grumbled, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Just like back at college.”
Armin let out an unstrained bark of laughter from somewhere deep in his throat, and Annie's almost-but-not-quite grin widened. “I know.” He nodded, smiling from ear to ear. “But I could say the same for you, slacker.”
“Hey,” Annie shoved his arm playfully and Armin rocked to the side. “I wasn't a slacker. Just didn't see the point in working for something that wasn't going to get graded. There's no point in something that doesn't earn you points.”
“I suppose you're right, because you turned out just fine.” Armin recalled, leaning back against the front of the couch. Arguably, they should've been curled up on the cushions instead of sitting on the floor, but they were having a nice enough time on the carpet, sitting with their shoulders touching and their knees sticking into each other.
“Of course.” Annie nodded, and silence lapsed between them as they noted how long it'd truly been since they last spoke together like friends, since they last enjoyed each other's company and had a decent conversation, instead of just waving in passing on the street.
“It's been too long.” Armin chuckled hollowly, shaking his head. “Why didn't we stay in touch?”
“Life's always hectic, Armin.” Annie frowned. She hated this side of him: the sentimental fool that could never let go of anything. “Don't beat yourself up over it, it's fine.”
“But I missed you.” Armin protested, glancing at her sideways. “It's been too long and I've missed you and you're living in the middle of nowhere by yourself.”
Annie shrugged. “Bertoldt and Reiner live nearby. And that strange girl from second year, Ymir. She's from around here, too.”
Armin didn't press the issue. He drew his legs up to his chest. “Do you sometimes wish we could go back?” He asked quietly. “To how we were in college? To how things were?”
“...I don't know.” Annie confessed. “I'm not sure.”
“Alright.” Armin nodded.
The snow continued to mount higher and higher, until Annie's windows were half-obscured and the pair came to the realisation that they'd probably be snowed in for a little while. Or until morning, at least, when Annie would inevitably decide to take matters into her own hands by jumping from one of the windows on the upper floor, or by simply kicking the front door down. She and Armin continued to talk into the early hours of the morning, indulging in one another's company. It was like time had slowed to a stop and regressed back on itself. They were back in college again, chatting away with no regard for the time or world outside their conversation.
Eventually, a few tell-tale signs of fatigue started to make themselves known and Annie was struggling to swallow yawns.
“You're tired.” Armin observed, to which Annie rolled her eyes.
“Obviously.” She scoffed, grinning lazily. “It's three in the morning.”
Armin smiled and leaned back, before shifting himself to lie on the couch. “Is it really?” He mused. “Didn't notice.”
“Of course you didn't.” Annie murmured, her eyelids becoming heavy. Sleep was too irresistible.
She pushed herself up, glancing one last time out the window when Armin timidly reached for her hand, a little unsure. She was caught off guard. “Armin?”
“Stay.” He whispered. It was a request more than anything. He was so sure she'd turn him away and march back to her bedroom, leaving him in the cold instead of ending the night in his arms, like they had a few years back. He missed those nights, and he yearned for nothing more than the chance to hold her in his arms once more, to keep her close instead of allowing their paths to split apart, leading their hearts in opposite directions.
She stared at him, her tired eyes wide. Their hearts skipped a few beats each. “Alright.” She said slowly, cautiously, before slipping onto the couch beside him, letting him wrap her in a tight embrace, pulling the blankets and duvets around them both.
And before she fell asleep, safe and warm and loved – and no longer alone – he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, into her hair, and blessed her with pleasant dreams.
