Closed I'm Sneaking You Out

[Armin Kramer]

It had been months. Months when he met the pretty brunette and months when they caught glances of each other but never got the chance to talk. Eva had always been with her parents. He always volunteered for any NZ work just to chance upon her. It was not until he accidentally saw her came out of their house with her parents that he knew where she lived. He came up with a plan that he was hoping to the heavens would work. He even considered asking Alexis' help, after all, he defended her against Achim on her love life. He asked the girl to send a letter to the woman, asking to meet at a bookstore two blocks from her house. Thankfully, her little sister agreed to help a brother out.

Armin was now standing at a bookshelf near the window, heart thumping. He was hoping she received it and her parents would allow her. After all, a fellow Heta Omega sister sent her a letter. There's nothing suspicious about that.

 

[Eva Mariani]

Eva was bored. Her parents never let her go out on her own, without a chaperone - or what Eva always considered the person to be her babysitter. Frankly, it was humiliating. She hadn't been out in days, except during brightstone weekends to meet her brother. Or, to events her mother and father had planned. She wanted to do something else. Something fun. So, when the girl had received a note about meeting up with a former, fellow sisterhood sister that she hadn't seen in a long time she had been surprised. Surprised, but ecstatic. Then bummed. How was she supposed to sneak out unsupervised? She sighed, then decided to ask her parents. Surely, they could not say no. It took about an hour, but they agreed on the terms that her cousin Nick accompanied her. She had inwardly rolled her eyes. It was better than nothing, though. When she was on her way out the house, and to the bookstore, Eva wondered what this was really about. It seemed completely random that Alexis had wanted to meet up. She shrugged and said bye to her cousin, agreeing on a time where he would be back to get her and bring her home again. Man, was Eva lucky with such a nice family member. When she finally went inside, the brunette walked around, a little anxious because she didn't know if there were people her parents knew here. ​

 

[Armin Kramer]

The moment the woman came to his vision, Armin could not help but admire her beauty. He watched her entered the bookshop and looked around trying to see whether she would find someone her family knew or whether Alexis would be there. He rounded to the next bookshelf to meet her from the other side. It was a good thing that they were already concealed from the window view. He then slowly made his way closer to Eva and stopped directly in front of her. Keeping his head down and face hidden, courtesy of his cap, "Hello, Eva.", wondering if the woman could recognize his voice. He badly wanted to hug her for he missed her even after one talk and occasional glimpses.​

 

[Eva Mariani]

Eva felt a little tense whenever she went out, especially nowadays when she was sneaking out to meet her friends. Or well, not exactly sneaking out, but it was close enough. She almost jumped back in surprise when she heard a familiar male voice, and she turned around, a look of shock written on her face when she realised it was Armin. She recovered quickly, clearing her throat a little awkwardly. "Y-You're not Alexis," she said dumbly. Of course he wasn't, had this been a set up? She glanced around her anxiously but there was no sign of the younger girl. Her face turned pink when it hit her that she would be spending time alone with him. Her heart rate increased and when her brain was functioning again she pulled Armin to a much less crowded area of the bookstore, desperately wanting to catch up with him but not wanting to be overheard by curious ears. ​

 

[Armin Kramer]

Armin felt guilty about startling Eva but he could not help it. He missed the woman and he knew how much she wanted company outside her family. The woman was on the edge, looking around and this further worried the man. He knew a less crowded place would be suitable for them to meet but that would likely be the first place - noticeable too - for her family to look for her. He did not want to risk that. He looked up and gave her a smile only to find himself being dragged by the brunette to a quieter corner. "Can't I get a hug first?", he joked, opening his arms for effect. "And of course, I am not Alexis. She's a girl.", he added comically. "She's my baby sister."​

 

[Eva Mariani]

Despite the fact that they were in a public place and Eva was nervous about seeing people her parents knew here, she was happy to see Armin. She had missed him, not having seen him for a while. It was hard, but she was grateful that Alexis at least seemed to know what was going on. She sure knew how to get around these situations, she thought. She giggled when he asked for a hug. "Oh, o-of course," she stuttered, moving in to hug him. When she pulled back from him, she raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "I know you're not a girl, that would...be weird," she said a little awkwardly. "But thanks for the sarcasm," she chuckled. "I missed this."​

 

[Armin Kramer]

Armin's heart skipped a beat when Eva stepped into his embrace. He meant it as a joke but it seemed the woman wanted it too. He hugged her tightly, almost not wanting to let go. As much as he missed her, he knew how much Eva wanted to get out of her house and see the world. When they pulled back and she commented on how he would not be a girl, he chuckled deeply. "It is weird because it means I can't take you out on a date.", he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Do you miss me or my humor?", he teased back. ​

 

[Eva Mariani]

Was it weird that she was enjoying his hug a little too much? She had missed him, even though they'd hardly gotten enough chances to get to know each other better. There was a connection between them that Eva couldn't quite put her finger on. At his response, she placed a hand over her chest and fake-gasped, making it melodramatic. "Did you just assume I'm not into girls as well?" She waggled her eyebrows for effect. The young woman had not felt this light in months. Just being around Armin lifted her spirits a great deal. "Missing you means missing your humour too, you know," she laughed. "In all seriousness, I really needed to get out of that house."​

 

[Armin Kramer]

Armin held Eva at arms' length, gasping at what she said. "Please tell me you are joking. You are joking, right?" He knew she was but he was worried all of a sudden. He enjoyed their simple banter despite being in the middle of a bookstore. His ego swelled at his answer although he turned serious at what she said next. "Eva, tell me what I can do. Anything.", he promised her. He knew that she longed to see the world and with his job as a dragonologist, traveling to Romania and other places was a given. This gave him tge privilege to bring her with him. Taking her hand, he gently guided her to the inner corner of the store. He took his wand and quickly transfigured her hair color. She looked different, still beautiful no less. "Perfect. More beautiful.", he whispered, his eyes on her.​

 

[Eva Mariani]

Eva giggled at Armin's reaction, the gasping and all, it was quite funny to keep going along with it, but she didn't want him to doubt her seriously, so she shook her head at him. "Of course I'm kidding, Armin," she told him with a small smile. She had a feeling he would be quite disappointment if that had turned out to be the truth...although Eva would have probably indicated so from the beginning. At his statement, she sighed, and ran a hand through her hair, momentarily looking away, and back at the boy in front of her. "I don't think there's much you can do," she told him softly. "Unless you whisk me away forever," she added with a laugh, the thought he might actually do it crossing her mind. She didn't expect Armin to take her arm and drag her to a corner of the store, and she felt her hair. "What did you do?" she asked him curiously, and then blushed at his comment. "I-er...W..Thank-thank you?" she stuttered, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She couldn't take her gaze away from his.​

 

[Armin Kramer]

Armin chuckled, "I know you are." Seeing the brunette did wonders for his heart that Armin would want to stay in NZ permanently. He would have to go back to Romania at the end of the week and was glad he was able to meet her before he did. He watched the shift of emotion passed through her face before giving him an answer. If he was drinking something, he would have choked on it. "Travel with me then. To Romania. And everywhere." There, he said it. Not what he originally intended but close. With her gaze in his, he became serious and nervous. So much that he jokingly pulled her with him in the direction of the door. "Come on, pretty girl. We are not spending the day in a bookstore corner."​

​

Few hours later, they were strolling at the park with ice cream on hand. Armin's other hand was itching to hold Eva's. So far, their day had been great and the smile on the woman's face was proof of that. "Eva." He glanced at her. "Will you go out with me?" He stopped to face her fully. "Will you be my girlfriend?" The question had been in his mind for a long time already.​

 

[Eva Mariani]

i'm so sorry to change the font halfway lmao

Eva playfully stuck out her tongue at Armin, though she was glad to know that he knew that she had just been kidding. At his next comment, she simply raised her eyebrows. Her? Leave with him to Romania? It would be...probably the most wonderful thing that could ever happen in her life. But as much as she wanted to say yes and spontaneously leave her family behind, she knew that she couldn't. She wouldn't leave her siblings here in New Zealand. And she was afraid to find out what her parents would do if they ever found her. But again - maybe it was time she got a say in her future. She didn't want to be set up with some high class, wealthy man her mother and father picked out for her. She wanted to fall in love on her own. "I..." what on earth was she hesitating for? "Yes." She said it, it was out, and there was no turning back. "Yes, I would love to come with you." Hopefully Armin was being as serious as she meant it. She followed Armin outside silently, and after a few hours, they were eating ice cream.​

​

"Man," she sighed in content, "this ice cream is so good." She turned to her friend...or whatever he was. She was confused about that. "Thank you, really," she said with a smile. "You have no idea how much I needed this." Eva was only allowed to be out like this either for events, or when she was spending time with Marco and Alice, or a friend, but her parents always knew who she was with. She didn't know how she had managed to keep up with them for this long. The young woman almost dropped her cone on the floor and she swallowed, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. She honestly thought Armin was never going to ask that. The biggest smile ever spread on her face. "Yes," she said softly. "Of course I will."​