Unwavering | Annie Leonhart x Male Reader

6. Priorities

Annie felt herself growing increasingly uncomfortable as she continued looking off into the night with nothing but darkness and emptiness to greet her. In all the time she'd known him, Y/N had never bailed on her once, it just so happened that this time she truly felt she needed his comfort more than ever.

"I-I really didn't think he'd just... Not come. I should've figured, this whole thing was too good to be true." Annie felt her head sag down towards the ground briefly before hearing a voice cut through the darkness "Ohh..!"

"I thought you forgot about me..." Her voice crackled a bit, the tinge of sadness fading away quickly as he got closer "I'm glad you came."

She felt her spirits rising back as they continued to talk, though she couldn't say why. Without her  conscious effort it seemed that what started as an inconsequential crush had truly become her lone safe haven, even if it was here in this land of devils.

"I'm just happy you're feeling better, honestly. Not gonna lie, you had me worried there for a minute..." His voice seemed to hit her ear with all the sincerity imaginable as she leaned her head against his shoulder "... It looked like every ounce of life got sucked out of you."

Her chest rose and fell, a deep sigh escaping her lungs as she tightened her grip on his hand. She hated to do it, but she pieced together the best response she could think of, wanting to stay as close to the truth as possible without saying too much.

"No, I promise I'm ok. It really just was exhaustion." Lying to him didn't feel like it used to; it used to be easy, almost happening without a thought but now her heart felt heavy each time "I guess it's these beds... I really don't know."

"Not completely false, I guess. One day I swear I'll tell you the truth..." She looked up at him, the sincerity in his eyes causing her to blush immediately "One day when all of this is over, once we've captured the Founder... I'll take you with us. You deserve better than a life behind these walls, destined to die along with the rest."

"Poor thing, I'd give you my mattress if I thought it would help." His thumb began to caress the side of her knee as his chin fell to rest against her head "That or I could just be your pillow every night, you damn near fall asleep on me every night nowadays."

"I wish... You honestly are a better pillow than those sad little things they give us. Maybe a little mouthy at times, but still supportive."

"You wouldn't know what to do with yourself if I weren't so mouthy." He chuckled softly, nuzzling his chin in between her head and his shoulder "We'd just wind up sitting out here silent every night."

"Even that would be a highlight here." Too late to stop herself she continued, immediately feeling her stomach lurch at her own words "Silence with you beats anything else here every day."

"Fuck... I didn't mean to say that out loud." His hand left her knee, nearly causing her to protest outright before she felt his arm wrap around her shoulder "I... I-Why can't I stop myself? Why am I letting myself do this?"

"Truth be told, I agree." What started as a lurch turned into a full on battle inside her, wanting to ask what he meant but being too content to question it "I'd pick time with you, silent or not, over anything else."

In spite of herself, she let her body sink silently into his embrace, all other cares in her head faded as they continued to talk for hours. It wasn't until the moon began its descent through the sky that the two finally made their way to their separate cabins, begrudgingly so in Annie's mind.

The next day passed faster than she ever could've wanted, the night's trip to the capital weighing heavy on her mind even before noticing Reiner's prying eye from across the mess hall. Shortly after lights out she silently slipped out of her window open and disappeared off into the night.