She Who Seemed Heartless

Chapter 24

The roads and pavements were littered with small puddles of water from the rain. The potholes were filled of water as well, but the drizzle slowly began to cease. Armin took this opportunity to head home, bidding Jean goodbye. He opened the gates and front door of his home with his key duplicate and saw Annie sitting still on the couch, as if she was anticipating his return. His hair and clothes were slightly soaked wet due to the earlier rain. Before stepping inside, Armin placed the plastic bag full of books on the carpeted floor then took off his shoes and socks which were not safe from the deluge.

Annie stood up and grabbed the towel that was on the couch's arm rest. She handed it to Armin, which the latter gladly took and wiped his head and hair with it. "Are you alright?", she asked. Armin shrugged and smile. "A little rain won't do me harm." He then proceeded to close and lock the house's front door. "H-Hey, Annie..." The other blinked at him before acknowledging his heed. "What?" Armin sighed shakily. "What time will aunt and uncle come back?"

"Well..." Annie pulled her phone out from her hoodie's pocket to check her parents' last message. "They didn't specify, though they mentioned that they're going to be late and we should go to bed. Why?" Her eyes locked with Armin's wide ones that were brimming with ambivalence. His lips were shut tightly and quivered gingerly. He spoke no words, yet Annie came to understand his intention. A small gasp escaped her small lips after remembering his final message before arriving home and realizing his desires.

Armin placed his hands on her shoulders. His grip was tight, but his hands were trembling. He did his utmost best to appear and sound confident, however the cracking of his voice and unintentional stutters showed otherwise. "I... I may not l-look like it, b-but... I... I'm ready. I'm ready, Annie. W-What about you...?" His voice lacked any obvious vigor but he did sound sincere. Annie could only gawk at him, unsure of what to do. The boy never averted his gaze on her, proving that his decision has been made and he had no plans on turning back.

"Armin, I don't..."

"Please", he smiled. "It's okay i-if you're... if you don't want to. I'd understand."

Her mind yelled no but her heart screamed yes. Annie was completely conflicted on what to do. She sighed heavily in an attempt to calm herself down. Looking back up at him, she believed that his purpose was genuine. The fact that he himself was anxious of what was bound to happen but gathered up his courage to ask her already determines her answer. Finally, she spoke.

"I'm ready."

Hearing her answer, Armin languidly leaned closer to her face. He paused and bit his lower lip when he felt her breathes, before placing his lips on hers. It took Annie a few seconds to let the kiss sink in, then proceeded to reciprocate it. Armin thought of experimenting a bit, so he opened his mouth ever so slightly. Much to his surprise and strange delight, Annie mirrored what he did.

"Fuck...", he cursed mentally as he felt his body temperature rise a bit.

His hands, though still shuddering, made their way down Annie's arms, trapping her smaller body in a sturdy embrace. Armin adjusted his head a bit to get a better angle to earn deeper kisses. One hand worked its way to release Annie's hair from its usual bun, while the other shifted just above her rear, pulling her waist closer to his. A part of him was embarrassed that Annie may feel his growing erection, but a huge part of him didn't care.

Abruptly, Annie broke the kiss and pushed him away a bit. "Wait." This caught Armin off guard and sheer disappointment was visible on his face. She motioned her head to the side and pointed at the staircase with her lips.

--

Armin lead Annie into his room, secured the door, covered the windows with the curtains, and gently pushed her down on the bed. He didn't want to risk Annie being caught, so he briefly explained that he would be responsible for the mess they could possibly make. He placed both of their phones on top of the drawer next to his bed. Annie wondered why, so Armin expounded that it would be easier for the both of them to pack up just in case their guardians notify them of their way home.