Beruani Week Day 5: Drunk
There’s a slow blink of Annie’s eyes, staring ahead despite the rowdiness of the boys’ cabin. Someone had managed to smuggle in alcohol from the higher ups’ office and everyone had hid themselves in this poor building to partake in a night of self indulgence.
She can hardly hear herself think over the loud, more or less intoxicated ramblings and jeers from her comrades and it wasn’t that she was the odd one out here, but merely the fact was that she had a high tolerance for alcohol to both her and the others’ surprise.
“Hear me out, Bert! S’like, the shorter you are, the more you can take! You can’t tell me I’m wrong!”
An almost unfamiliar sound of a full bellied laugh rings through the dormitory followed by a snort, and it almost brings a vague smile to the edges of Annie’s lips. For a man as quiet as Bertholdt, his laugh was always so loud and boisterous but she liked it. It was genuine and himself.
Though her own head is a bit fuzzy and she knows she will have trouble walking perfectly, she’s still content with sitting where she is. Across from Reiner, right besides Bertholdt and comfortable around familiarity amongst the loud and overwhelming obnoxiousness that came from the other cadets.
“Maybe you just talked a lot of trash- you aren’t as much of a heavyweight as you thought, huh?”
Reiner’s mouth opens to protest but he pauses upon hearing the extremely rare snort that came from Annie. But before anyone can react to it, she’s already burying her face into Bertholdt’s sweater to hold back any further laughter than she would have liked to have been heard.
But her reaction causes Bert to start acting up again, both bodies trembling with restrained laughter and Reiner trying desperately to defend his honor. A private moment shared between the three of them despite the small gathering of people in the building.
It’s only at the dark of night that Bert walks Annie back to her dorm, both of them nearly stumbling over feet and very quiet laughs shared between the two before they part ways. But Bert’s smile disappears as he walks back alone, knowing full well that such a smile and laughter that came from Annie is a rare sight he wants to see more of, but knowing what they are here for; Bertholdt knows he won’t see much of it any longer.
