Amaranth

Chapter 12: Red Roses

I've literally had half this chapter planned out for like a week now, so I hope it turned out okay LMAO

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"Annie, you ready?" Reiner asked as he knocked on her door.

"I will never forgive you for making me wear this," Annie hissed

"It's just a dress, don't be so dramatic," Reiner said as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed, "Can you come in and zip this?"

Reiner cautiously opened the door and zipped Annie's dress. "See, it looks good on you!" he assured her.

"It feels like I'm being suffocated," she complained.

"Well, if you wore tight clothes more often it'd feel normal," he said as he led her out of the room towards the main floor.

While looking through clothes for Annie to wear for homecoming, Annie's father had silently given Reiner a dress and told him to have Annie wear it. Apparently, it had been her mother's dress for her senior prom, and her thought she'd appreciate the opportunity to wear it. Annie's father's only condition was that she not know it was her mother's until she returned from the after party. Reiner suspected it was because she wouldn't want to wear it if she knew.

"Bertholdt is waiting in the car. Let's go!" Reiner spoke again, trying to get Annie to pull her shoes on quicker.

"Fucking heels. Damn beauty standards," Annie grumbled under her breath as she put heals on. The heels were short and thick, so they'd be easier to walk in compared to other pairs. Of course, Annie, the girl who always wore sneakers and combat boots, wouldn't like to wear heels at all.

"Let's go," Reiner repeated as he opened the door.

Annie made her way out the door, shivering a little as the cold air hit her legs. Her dress was around knee-length, so the rest of her legs were left to freeze. "Damnit it's fucking freezing," she hissed, "This is why I don't do dresses."

"Calm down," Reiner huffed, "It's just a few hours. You'll live."

Annie shut up as she climbed in the car with Reiner. "I see you got her in it," Bertholdt commented.

"Barely," Reiner sighed.

"Alright, ready?" Bertholdt asked.

"Just drive," Annie said as she crossed her arms, trying to warm herself up. "Why the hell'd you make me wear a dress in the middle of fall?" Annie huffed.

"Because everyone's wearing dresses," Reiner told her matter-of-factly.

"Ymir isn't," Annie huffed.

"Ymir's a lesbian," Reiner answered easily.

"One, women can wear suits without being a lesbian. Two, so am I!" Annie explained.

"She's an out lesbian," Reiner added.

"That doesn't change the fact that you don't have to be a lesbian to wear a suit," Annie told him.

"I guess, but don't you not want to draw unnecessary attention to yourself?" Reiner agreed.

"I guess," Annie sighed.

"Good, not shut up and suck it up," Reiner said as he turned up the heat.

When they finally made it to the school, they got out of the car and walked to the cafeteria where they were supposed to meet the rest of the group. Homecoming itself was being held on the football field before going to the gym to celebrate, but the group wanted to meet before entering the gym.