Snow On The Beach | AruAni highschool fanfiction | Attack on Titan

16

~Annie's POV~

It's simple. If Armin agrees to that walk, I throw everything away and forget what I attempted tonight. If Armin doesn't agree to that walk then my fate is sealed. I sit in complete darkness until my phone lights up by the arrival of a message. It's him. 

Armin: "Go Out? This late?"

Annie: "Yes. Go out. This late. On a walk."

Armin: "Isn't it a little... dark and dangerous though?"

Annie: "It's fine. You don't have to."

I'm ready to put the phone down and go back to completing my previous goal when he replies. My hands are still trembling. 

Armin: "Where do you wanna meet?"

I don't know how to describe the sigh that escapes my lungs, On one hand, I'm relieved. On the other, I wish I never responded to him. We agree on a spot that works for both of us. It's exactly in the middle of both our houses and well lit up so we'd both be safe walking towards it. It looks like I'm staying. And it's all because of Arlert. 

The cold of the night pinches my cheeks. My entire fact is red and hurting. My eyes still feel swollen and puffy from all the crying. In the middle of the night, he's standing there under the streetlamp. He's smiling at me, his hands in his pocket. His ears are covered by his hat. He looks so happy. He doesn't realize he just saved my life. I wonder what he'd think if he knew that. He'd probably start crying. And then I'd start crying. And I don't want that. So I wont tell him. I also wont tell him because it would be too much for him to handle. He'll just leave. And I don't want him to leave anymore. I want him in my life. He's my anchor, my reason to stay, my lifeline. 

"Hi!" His smile grows wider as soon as I stand next to him. There's a slight hesitation in his eyes. I look at them. They're beautiful starry eyes sparking up my darkest night. 

"Hey." My voice is in a hoarse whisper as I try to stabilize it. It's shaky. I feel like crying again. 

"Where'd you wanna go?" He whispers in the dark.

I shrug. I'm not sure, actually. I'm not even sure why I asked him on a walk. I look around. The central park is right across the street from us. 

"The park seems fine."  

He nods and offers me his hand. I don't know why but I take it. I can't help but look at our intertwined hands. They feel like perfect puzzle pieces that fit right in with each other. His hand is just a bit bigger than mine but a lot softer. A fluttering feeling gusts through me.  

"Is this alright?" He asks, looking down at our joined hands. "I just wanna cross the street safely." Clever excuse. 

I nod, letting it slide. There's no cars this time of hour. His face is so red it stars to radiate heat. He's blushing. Which only proves my point that this isn't only about us crossing the street safely. But I let it slide. His hand offers me such comfort that I don't ever wanna let to. Just a simple gesture can do so much for me on a night like this. 

Armin takes the lead and walks across the street. I'm trailing after him, looking at his hand in mine. Now I'm the one turning all red. The warmth of my face is stronger than the cold. We find a bench and sit down. Surprisingly, there's no one here despite it being New Year's. I didn't expect to spend New Year's eve this way but here I am. Sitting on a bench in the park with a guy I just kissed and trying not to cry over my dead cat. In my defense, she saved my life. And I couldn't even do that in return. But tonight Armin saved my life. And now he's the one I'm clinging to. 

"You look upset." Armin remarks. He can read me better than I thought. Or I'm doing a horrible job hiding my emotions around him. I'm staring at my cold hands placed in my lap.