Nest & Wings (Annie Leonhardt x Male Reader)

Chapter 51: A Promise Fulfilled

You and Falco bring Reiner to the temporary HQ of the Eldian Restorationists. It was the basement of one of the families who originally volunteered. There you meet up with Jean, who had been spending time with Pieck for the past few weeks. Pieck was one of the warriors, the Cart titan to be specific. As it turns out, she was the unknown titan who helped Reiner and Zeke escape during your face off four years ago.

Pieck was pleasantly surprised to see Reiner with the restorationists. After introducing yourselves, Jean explains how she had become a warrior to get her father the medical care he needed as he was ill. Their family couldn't afford it, but by becoming an Honorary Marlean, he would get better medical care for free as one of the perks.

Her father however, disliked the idea of Marley sending his daughter on dangerous missions and had recently disputed against it, which made the Marlean authorities threaten to remove his Honorary Marlean status.

With his newfound distaste for Marlean authority, he had joined the Restorationist movement and brought her daughter along to one of the rallies. It just so happened that Jean gave the speech that day which caught Pieck's attention as she recognized him from when she saved Reiner in Paradis. She started having conversations with him afterwards, where he eventually convinced her to join you.

After he said that you take jean to the side and give him a little elbow tap saying, "You lucky bastard, it finally paid off for you huh?"

"Wha-what?? N-No way! I've only got eyes for Mikasa." He denies it, but you wouldn't give up on it that easily.

Jean has been obsessed with Mikasa for as long as you've been friends with him— so much so that other women may as well be invisible to him. While you would've ideally supported him with Mikasa the same way he supported you with Annie, it was rather obvious that Mikasa was a lost cause seeing how she was just as— if not more obsessed with Eren.

That coupled with the fact that Jean himself stated that he respected Mikasa's wishes and didn't want to get in her way made the prospect of it ever working out virtually impossible. As such, you've been desperately trying to get him to move on as it physically pained you to see your best friend like that.

After years of trying and more women than you could've kept count of, Jean had yet to even bat an eye at a single one of them. For that same reason, the fact that Jean slightly stuttered when you teased him about Pieck stood out to you. Perhaps he took the advice you have him on the ship to heart and actually kept an eye out, so you try to persuade him a bit more.

"C'mon, she's way hotter than Mikasa, also she's the Cart Titan, right? It works perfectly with your Horse Face!" Jean still insisted he didn't think about her like that and you decided to call it a day.

Afterwards, you take part in the Eldian Restorationist meeting there to see how things had progressed. You were shocked to see a man with a crutch who fits a very specific description. Your eyes widen as you realize that it was Mr. Leonhardt— Annie's dad. You meet him privately after the event and ask him why he decided to join the revolutionaries, despite being an Honorary Marlean.

He touches his armband saying, "This used to be all I ever wanted. I wanted this life so much that I made my daughter suffer by putting her through hell to become a warrior. I thought I'd be happy when I got it, but I soon realized I made a mistake when they sent her on a dangerous mission. She never came back and I regret everything to this day. Joining the Restorationists was my way of making up for all the terrible things I did."

After hearing his heartfelt regret, you tell him, "Sir, Annie's alive! She's safe in Paradis and... she doesn't hate you. In fact, she spoke very fondly of you when she taught me the techniques she learned from you. Annie's been working really hard to make this work so she can keep her promise and see you again." Hearing it brought him to tears.

You let his emotions settle down and continue, "Umm... Sir? We're bringing a few of your people to Paradis next week to act as Envoys. You can join us if you want. That way you can see An-"

"Yes! Please, I'd do anything to see her again!" He says before you could finish the sentence.

❋❋❋

A week later,

You sail back to Paradis with Reiner, Falco, Pieck, Mr. Leonhardt and the rest of the envoys after sneaking them on to the ship Hizuru had docked in the port for your return. The mission was an outstanding success considering how the Restorationist movement turned out way better than you could've hoped and you managed to get two of their titans to actually work with you.

Jean and Armin returned to Paradis with you and the others while you left Rico behind with the Restorationists to keep an eye out for Magath, Willy Tybur and Marley's activities. On the way to Paradis, you were sitting next to Mr. Leonhardt when he asked you what your relationship with Annie was.

You start sweating as you nervously answer, "I... umm... I'm her boyfriend, Sir!"

He smirks and says, "Then stop calling me Sir, you dork! You're really clueless about these things, aren't you? But still... I'm proud my daughter ended up with someone like you." You were confused as to why he said that, having just called you a dork.

He points at Jean and says, "That gentleman over there told me how it was you who came up with the plan to liberate us from the internment zone."

"Dammit Jean, you keep making me owe you time and time again." You think to yourself. You were beyond grateful for having a friend like Jean, as he was very considerate to the people close to him. Besides his cool personality, he even aged pretty well; having grown from the horse-face to a straight up stallion. "Pieck would totally drool over him if he just gave it a shot." You think.

Once you arrive at Paradis, you send a message to Annie asking her to meet you at the HQ. She arrives, expecting to see you. But you watched from a distance as her face put on an expression of genuine shock and relief as she ran in to hug her father, who was standing there instead. After nine years, Annie had finally fulfilled her promise and reunited with her father.

Mr. Leonhardt was in tears as well as he embraced his daughter, whom he had thought to be dead for so long. There was a look of unexplainable happiness on both their faces. You're taken aback by the stark contrast between how Annie looked hugging her father and the lonely blonde girl who ate by herself at camp.

After they had caught up, Mr. Leonhardt heads to the capital to take care of his citizenship documents with the rest of the envoys. As he leaves, Annie notices you watching and approaches you.

She grabs you by your wrist and forearm and pulls you towards her. She offsets your weight and throws you to the ground saying "That's for putting me in trouble!"

As you sat there about to dust off yourself, Annie immediately hugs you from behind and kisses you saying, "That's for everything else." She wraps her arms around your neck and tucks your head between her shoulders.

"Thank you! I don't know what to say... you actually followed through what you said... Thank you for not being another empty promise that I put my hopes on. I love you!" She says while her tears wetted your face. Annie was finally her real self and didn't try to suppress her emotions anymore.