In Which Unexpected/ Unwanted Feelings Awaken

(Day 1-Missing You)

Today was one of those days.

One of those days where Annie didn't want to get out of bed, but was dragged out anyway. One of those days where nearly all of the 104th Cadet Squad avoided her. One of those days where she was happy for that.

Her fellow trainees sometimes argued over what made her so unapproachable on days like this. Connie would argue that her usual glare was a couple times more intense and cold. Mina insisted it was simply a feeling, an aura she had. Sasha thought she simply looked a little more tense than usual. Still, Jean was certain that she generally looked as though she would murder someone.

No one even attempted to guess the cause of her mood.

There were people like Marco, whose every thought and emotion was splayed across his face and in his eyes. There were people like Eren, who expressed themselves verbally rather than with body language. There were even people like Mikasa, who seemed unreadable, but were actually quite open, as long as you knew how to understand them.

Then there were people like Annie.

Actually, there was no one like Annie.

Annie's mouth never moved from its frown. Annie never talked. Annie did not have a coded body language like Mikasa. As a matter of fact, she didn't have a language at all.

Essentially, Annie was a girl-shaped hunk of ice that cared only about hand-to-hand combat and maybe sleep.

No one but a single cadet could read her.

Eren gave his best friend a look of confusion, as though he'd asked Let's make friends with a titan rather than What do you think is wrong with Annie?.

"What isn't wrong with her?" he replied incredulously. "You'd think she was planning mass murder with the look on her face."

Armin frowned at him from across the table. "That's a little thoughtless, don't you think? I bet something's weighing her down."

"Eat before you start talking," Mikasa advised. "We don't have much time left."

Eren rolled his eyes, ignoring her. "Ar, be real. She looks like that all the time. Some days, she just happens to look like that more than usual."

"She doesn't always look like that." Armin muttered.

"Eat," Mikasa repeated.

"I'm going to go talk to her."

"Armin, don't," chorused Eren and Mikasa.

Armin was beginning to look a little annoyed.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't."

"She's crazy."

"You need to finish dinner."

After giving his friends a look of irritation, he stood anyway, making his way across the mess hall to the small, asocial, terrifying girl named Annie Leonhardt.

It didn't take her long to realize they were talking about her. Annie had spent the entire time watching them bicker, anxious that one or all of them would come over to talk to her.

She liked and disliked the trio from Shiganshina the most. They were admirable, strong, and real. They'd seen what the real world was like. Even better, they didn't let it break them.

On the other hand, they were smart, friendly, and way too caring. That part scared her.

This made them the kind of people that she liked to watch, not know. Unfortunately, they were the kind of people she had to watch and know.

When Armin began to walk towards her, Annie seriously debated running away. She didn't for a few reasons:

1. That would be too obvious.

2. It was Armin, and

3. She really just didn't feel like leaving, which she supposed was probably because

4. It was Armin.

If she were being honest with herself, Annie liked Armin. If she were being even more honest, she liked him for the reasons she disliked his friends. If she were being I hate my birthday gift honest, the fact that it was Armin encouraged her to run away almost as much as it did to keep her still. And if she were being your baby is ugly honest, that was probably because Armin stirred...feelings. In her.

Fortunately for her, Annie was as honest as her nose was small.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?"

Armin's palms were clammy, which was unusual. He slid them into the pockets of his slacks once he took his seat across from Annie.

Unsurprisingly, they had a table to themselves. His gut wrenched for some reason.

Am I afraid of her? He wondered.

"Did you want something?" Annie asked. Armin looked up at her.

Pretty eyes. "I was just wondering. Is something the matter?"

"Not with you, no. Why would you think so?"

I kind of want to touch her hair; it looks so light. Wonder what it would do.

"You just...have this look," he tried to explain. "You seem upset."

She shrugged. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

She really doesn't look fine.

"Positive."

Annie was not positive that she was fine.

For one thing, those...feelings were stirring again.

Armin was looking at her with concern.

"If you have something you want to talk to me about, I'm all ears."

Why did Annie have these sorts of days?

"Thank you for your consideration."

She was finding the answer to that question at that very moment.

"It's no problem."

She'd thought of someone that morning, half-asleep and ignoring the sunlight.

As a period of inexplicably tense silence began between them, Annie realized exactly what feelings were being stirred, and who she'd thought of that morning, and why she'd had days like this since she'd met Armin Arlert for the first time.

Annie stood. Armin watched her in surprise.

"You're leaving?" he asked.

"I have some business to attend to. Thank you for your time, Armin."

Gorgeous lips. Wish I could touch them.

Wait, what?

Today was one of those days. Annie was miserable, her classmates were more scared of her than usual, and she was experiencing a kind of pain she hadn't thought existed.

She'd run away because, suddenly, she'd started to shake. She was hardly able to say his name before taking off.

This was because Annie had realized a few things:

1. Armin made her nervous.

2. The feelings he stirred within her were ones she could not express. And

3. She had days like this because some mornings, she thought of Armin Arlert. She concluded that

4. Thinking of Armin most likely meant a severe case of heartache.

As he took a seat back with his friends, all Armin could think was Wow, my face must be red and Maybe I should have gone after her.

Also, I am strongly attracted to Annie Leonhardt, and she'll probably never feel the same way. This is fantastic.

Worst of all, after a short two minutes, Annie already missed him like crazy.

Even worse, I already miss her.

Annie hated days like this with a burning passion.

A/N: ARUANI WEEK ANYONE?

I've already written all prompts. This first one sucks, just because. Others should be uploaded soon; they're better.

So these span across several genres- AUs and canon speculations and headcanons. There's even a tiny cameo of my OCs (literally just their names).

Sorry for any and all typos and weird formatting.

Um, this was just a warmup one, I guess. Next you have some dramatic poetry-like stuff, some psychological/slight horror headcanons, a really sad and unnecessarily depressing modern AU and a way goofier but less deep modern AU, and a tiny drabble from Armin's POV that doesn't have much to do with anything. This is kind of like a scrap pile of unfinished thoughts, especially since I prefer to write novel-length stuff (or one-shots that are more speculation than story). Finally, there should be a free-space prompt, but I think I'm going to base it off of Icarus & I. It'll be a short from the story. If I never get around to that, it's going to be based off of a song that had me in literal tears, Casimir Pulaski Day. You guys might hate me for it.

Speaking of I&I, I DONT WANT TO RE-WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER BUT I PROMISE IM GONNA DO IT SOON

Please review! Thanks for reading!

I own nothing but story ideas. Attack on Titan and its characters belong to Isayama Hajime , and any other referenced names or businesses belong to their respective owners.