Annie is a diligent student, a responsible daughter and an outstanding employee. All of her duties, she'd accomplish them above anyone's expectation.

Today she was leaning back at the counter, hands spread on the smooth edge as she watched her fellow crews storming around the kitchen.

"You work fast." One of the cashiers, Bertholdt Hoover, noticed her.

"We have the easiest job here." Annie said without taking off her eyes at the kitchen.

"Mm," Bertholdt gave it some thought, saying, "Not really," before a customer entered the famous sweet shop on the corner of the street across a university. He motioned his head to the customer to get Annie's attention.

Armin Arlert, a certified sweet tooth person and a loyal customer of the shop walked pass Bertholdt's lane as he scanned the hanging posters even though he already memorized the menu by now. He stopped in front of Annie who forced a smile.

"Hey." He greeted as he tapped his finger at the countertop.

"Banana pudding and a coconut milkshake." Annie curtly recited.

"Whoa!" Armin's gasp turned into a chuckle as he rubbed his nape, "You got it."

There's no harm in talking, Annie reminded herself, finally giving the thought a shot. She can feel Bertholdt's eyes widening in surprise when she casually talked to their customer.

"It's Tuesday." She blurted before turning around to stick the next order on the queue.

"Oh—yeah. Of course! You have a good memory." Armin's finger tapped slower until it stopped, meaning he was comfortable to talk to her.

"You're alone today. Where's your girlfriend?" For a second, she cursed herself for assuming that the raven-haired girl who always accompany him at the shop is his girlfriend.

How bold. She thought, as she started to tap her fingers at the counter this time.

"W-Wha—err, I—" Armin's face started to show the effects of blood rush, "Uh, she's my friend."

"I see." She cocked her brows though her eyes stayed the same, cold and unamused.

"I like your eyes." Armin muttered out of the blue causing her eyes to change into a unique one that not him or even Bertholdt had seen on their entire encounter with her.

It was rather unexplainable. It was a mixture of different hues-- mocking, disbelief, surprise. They could not read her eyes, not until the tiny chuckles escaped her lips.

"You're the first to tell that." She smiled, this time a genuine one.

"A-And your smile." Armin continued to compliment her, ignoring her remarks.

Annie didn't even notice that she already stopped tapping her fingers on the counter.

He's too straightforward and innocent. She thought as her smile grew wider from his words of compliments that she will eventually dump and forget. She pushed herself away from the counter when she heard Niccolo yelling the order,

"Banana pudding!"

"Can you put some extra cream?" She asked making Niccolo and the other crews stopped from whatever they are doing. Everyone was surprised because it was her first time to show favor towards a customer. So, the next thing they did was turning at the counter simultaneously like some predators spotting their prey, to see the person behind Annie's change in mood.

"Ahh..." Niccolo hummed as he filled the pudding with cream and sprinkles until the pile overspilled.

"That's enough. Thank you." Annie grabbed the bowl before it's too late, and that snapped out everyone on the unnecessary attention.

Armin's eyes widened when the tray was served in front of him, "You don't need to do this--" He looked back at Annie in disbelief.

"You're welcome."

Armin never planned to get free toppings when he unintentionally flirted with the cashier. He just said those words, but he was amused by the undeniable fact that he felt pleased. He was throwing brief glances at her, noting that she smiles differently to other customers, and he would immediately avert his gaze whenever she looks back at him, or when his eyes catch Bertholdt's glare.

He waited for her to leave her spot so he can execute another fulfilling shenanigan. And when she finally did, he impulsively went to Bertholdt.

"Hi! Can I ask you something? What's her favorite sweet in this shop?" He asked, leaning against the counter as he subconsciously fixed his clothes by hiding the hem of his shirt under his school uniform vest.

"Excuse me?" Bertholdt gave him a perplexed look, "You mean, Annie?"

"Yeah!" He beamed.

"I have no idea. Haven't saw her order or eat anything yet." Bertholdt shrugged as he shook his head.

"Then, what will you suggest?"

"Suggest? Wait, are you interested in her?" Bertholdt's perplexed look intensifies until it turned into a frown.

"Why? Is she dating someone? Please tell me before I sort things out." Armin slowly tiptoed as he swinged his body forward and back down, and his smile remained still.

"N-Not really. But someone's planning to make his move."

Armin can see the uneasiness in Bertholdt's face. Reading somebody's behavior is something that is innate in him, so it was hard for him to invalidate other's feelings.

"Alright, I'll let you do the first move then." He suggested out of his own justice and sympathy.

"W-What?" Bertholdt on the other was not expecting his answer. He thought that Armin would give up. Is he challenging me?

"I'll wait on my table."

"Wait--" Before Bertholdt could process everything, Annie was out on her counter again.

He's pressuring me! He internally whined as he darted another glare towards Armin who was watching them from the other side of the shop.

"Uh," Bertholdt cleared his throat, and he never thought that starting a proper conversation with Annie would be this hard. But before he can even make a move, another customer came in. He straightened up as he watched the lady proceed to the tables, a sigh of relief escaping from his nostrils when he found out that the lady was looking for Armin.

"There you are!" The lady with eyeglasses yelled, gaining some attentions, including Annie's. Armin seemed startled as he got up on his feet and gestured that he still needs more time. However, the lady dragged him out by his collar as they marched towards the counter.

"I'm sorry for that. Tell me what happens. I'll be waiting." He winked at Bertholdt as they passed the lane.

"No waiting. Levi needs you right now, dammit." The lady in glasses, Hange Zoe, groaned. And Bertholdt watched them disappear in the street.

"Hey, Annie." He straightened up when Armin were already out of sight, "Will you go out with him?" He nervously asked, and he only wished that he just asked something else, something for himself.

"Him?" Annie raised her brow and gave him another incredulous look.

"That guy."

"Ah," This time, her face relaxed and Bertholdt could somehow sense that he will not like her answer, "I don't want to link my personal life to my job and my studies if possible."

That was the longest sentence that he heard from her, making him think that she's interested.

"...but I think I can sort things out." She muttered before pulling a smile on the approaching customer.

...

Armin arrived at the shop the next day, the only thing that Bertholdt hoped to not happen.

He stopped at Bertholdt's lane with his usual thrilled smile, greeting, "Hello!"

"What do you like for today, sir." Bertholdt tried his best to act normal with formalities in front of his customer, who happened to be his rival.

"I want her." Armin said with a demanding and determined tone though the smile was left unchanged.

"We don't offer that here." Bertholdt was holding his temper as he refrained to show a hint of impoliteness to their customer.

"But I already gave you a chance."

The tension between them seem to rise as they stared at each other while trying to intimidate one another.

"It's Chocolate Sundae." Annie butted in when she noticed that there was a growing hostility between the two, and it was bothering her for some reasons.

"No--"

"No." The two suddenly yelled at her, making her jaw drop in embarassment.

"..."

"Annie!" Bertholdt was the first pull himself together, thinking, it's now or never, "I think I like you. Not just as colleague. Will you go out with me?" He said straight to her face as a tint of red crept on his cheeks. He ignored the increasing anticipation at the back of his mind as he waited for her answer.

Annie, however, was taking her time to process if everything she heard was real. Nobody confessed to her before. She's inexperienced and it's making her want to completely turn down Bertholdt's confession without overthinking. But it was out of her intention to hurt somebody. It's just...I don't see him in that way. She tried to reconsider for a whole minute but it's not quite right. It was like something's missing.

I should feel something, right?

"You." She made up her mind to leave the question hanging, and finally recognizing Armin's presence whose shoulders tensed up with the sudden touch on.

Honestly, Annie just wanted to run away at that time, but she can't find enough reason to do so. Armin was open so she could use him to freeze the time and think of a way to turn down Bertholdt's confession without hurting his feelings.

"Let's talk." She went around the counter and dragged Armin outside the shop to an empty alley beside the building.

"Why am I always being dragged out of this shop." Armin chuckled before he felt his back slammed against a wall of bricks. Annie on the other hand was puzzled on why he was laughing.

"Do you have something to do with this?" She asked as she pinned him against the wall.

"What?"

"Why my colleague suddenly lost his mind-- did you say or do something to him?" She coldly asked, but not impatient. Besides, Armin is still their avid customer.

"I just said indirectly that I'm interested in you, telling him to confess first before I sort things out." He explained the exact event the happened 24 hours ago.

"So, did you already sort things out?" The words just slipped, and Annie regretted that she didn't properly organized her thoughts before verbalizing them.

"Yes." Armin smiled, blushing when he realized how close her face was.

His determined eyes only made Annie perceive her second mistake for the day. The first mistake was when she left Bertholdt's question hanging even if she knew the answer is a flat 'NO'. And second...

"I don't want an ice cream today. I just want to see you." Armin said as he gently stroked her locks that almost covers half of her face to see the fullness of her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Annie pinned him further until he felt his back hurts.

This feels odd. She frowned to counter her rapidly warming face.

"I feel something that I never felt before. Each passing day, I think you're becoming more like an angel or a fairy." Armin chuckled on his own blabbering. He wasn't even sure if Annie understands what he was saying because he admittedly doesn't understand his own, "Like—like..."

"L-Like what?" She stuttered and she can no longer hide the blood rush on her face.

Is this the missing feeling? She gulped as she tried her best to stay composed but the nauseous sensation in her stomach up to her frantically beating heart failed her.

"A growing fondness. Like, I'm obsessed with you and you're making me crave for more." Armin continued to describe his thoughts and his words didn't help to ease the developing pleasure and excitement within her.

Dammit.

"I see. We must see a doctor." She sighed, finally surrendering to the unknown feeling that she's trying to figure out.

Armin blinked, "We? You mean—"

I feel the same.

"I'm occupied on weekdays. We can meet during Saturdays." She said, marking the conclusion.

"So?!" Armin's eyes widened in excitement, "Does that mean we're dating?" He asked but she's already gone.

...

Friday came along the worst thing that could happen. Armin got a severe tooth ache when he woke up in the morning, but he still managed to go to school. After class, Mikasa and Eren accompanied him to his dentist for a checkup but the only remedy that the dentist recommended for a growing wisdom tooth is a pain reliever.

Later that night, Armin was stressing out on how he will say to Annie that he can't go with her tomorrow. So, when he finally got the courage, he talked to her on the phone to cancel their date.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"I-I can't meet you tomorrow."

"Why?"

There was a growing guilt and disappointment inside of him that he couldn't say to her. And the fact that he really wanted to see her was getting that feeling worse.

"I have a fever due to my growing third molar. B-But I promise to meet you at the sweet shop on Monday!"

Annie didn't answer him immediately. That made him think that she's doing something and the echoes around her only add up to his prediction.

"You should have said it earlier. I can stay with you for the night if that's fine with you."

Really?! She wants to take care of me! The idea made him sat up on his bed as his head started to overheat.

"Y-You mean it?!" He asked in a shrill voice, making Annie move her phone away from her face.

"Of course."

...

"Are you sure you live alone?" Annie scanned the well-organized apartment saying that it was quite big for a single boarder.

"Yeah. I thought about it too, but my father bought this place, telling me to study well." He sheepishly rubbed his hair.

"Here, I brought medicines."

"No sweets?"

"Impossible." Annie bluntly turned down his imploring tone as she rolled her eyes, accidentally darting at the kitchen, "No sweets for today or tomorrow, Arlert."

She cooked for him and all he could say was pure compliments. She would laugh at his overwhelming appreciation, noting that his eyes always show transparency. It was easy to read him, but he was deep at the same time.

"This doesn't happen every time. I can't even remember the last time that someone took care of me." He answered when she mentioned that he's overcomplimenting her,

"Besides, I am too lucky to have a perfect girlfriend! Your skills, I swear, is second to none!"

"Now, now. You need to quiet down." She snickered at his remark as she continued to wash the dishes.

"Tell me, do you not believe me?" Armin stood behind her and she could feel his warm breaths that comes out in heaves against her nape, reminding her about his fever.

"There's something in you that makes me believe to literally anything that you say."

"And what was that?" He rested his chin on her shoulder, reached her hands from behind and held them as he gently played her fingers under the running water.

"I don't know." She whispered before turning around to splash water on his face. That started their late-night water fight and they ended up all drenched that caused Armin to catch a cold.

...

"I can't believe this is happening to me." Armin sneezed while his body was covered with thick blankets.

"This is fun." Annie teased as she sponge-bath his face and arms with the towel that she found in his things.

"You're starting to scare me."

"It's fun taking care of you." She chuckled.

"Well then, Miss sweet tooth fairy, can you give me a good night kiss? Right—here." He playfully pointed his cheeks, close to his jaw where his wisdom tooth came out.

Annie complied and kissed every part he points at, but he can't seem to point his lips. He wanted to let her do what she wants when he stopped requesting her the same thing—to kiss his cheeks.

All the same, she didn't need any request from him. She can do it herself and then she did. For the last sweet touch of the day, Annie shortly kissed him on his lips.

"That would do the magic." Armin smiled before he embraced her closer to him,

"Thank you, Annie."

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