Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan or its characters. However, I do own the plot.
Broken hearts & shattered dreams…
-Unknown
They were walking around in the big yard in complete silence when he asked that question for the first time.
''What do you most dream of, Annie?''
Annie, instead of replying, remained silent and just threw a sideways glance at him.
He was staring straight ahead, a faraway look on his face.
''Where did that come from?''
Eren shrugged lightly,'' I don't know. Curiosity, perhaps?''
Silence fell over them again. This time it wasn't comfortable at all.
Annie wished he hadn't asked that question.
O-O-O
They were doing the dishes in the kitchen. Others around them were chattering away nonstop about anything and everything while Eren and Annie washed the dirty dishes wordlessly side by side.
''I dreamt last night,'' Eren said suddenly, breaking the silence.
''You did?'' She didn't seem interested.
''Yeah.''
When Annie said nothing and merely kept on rubbing the tattered dishcloth against a plate, Eren looked at her.
''Aren't you going to ask me anything?''
''No,'' Annie refused to meet his gaze, frowning slightly because the stubborn stain on the plate couldn't be removed.''Why would I?''
''Dreams are an interesting topic to talk about, you know.''
Having just removed the stain eventually, Annie handed him the plate and reached out to take another one,'' Dreams aren't interesting at all.''
Eren raised a brow and looked at the plate in his hands with disinterest.
''Dreams are only destructive.''
Eren wondered how it was possible, but didn't ask her anything anymore.
O-O-O
''Do you remember that once you told me dreams are only destructive?''
Annie looked at him, her eyes empty of any emotion.
''Why are you so much interested in dreams?''
''I really don't know,'' Eren looked up at the sky, pondering.''I can't stop thinking about the dreams I have every night.''
''Told you they are just destructive.''
''They're beautiful.''
''Destructively beautiful, you mean?''
Eren said nothing.
O-O-O
They were lying on the ground by a stream; it was one of those rare days when they were off-duty and had the whole day to laze around.
''Are you still dreaming?''
Eren was surprised,'' Now, you are the one asking about dreams? How Ironic!''he teased her, smirking slightly.
''You haven't been talking about them recently,'' Annie decided to overlook his teasing.
Eren's smirk disappeared gradually and he sighed audibly,'' Yeah. Realized you aren't fond of them, so I decided not to bring the subject up again.''
Silence.
''Why don't you like dreams?''
Now that she's the one who just mentioned the subject, Eren thought, then why don't discuss it right now?
''I don't like dreams,'' Annie said slowly, as if she was thinking about something.''Cause they're merely destructive. Make you feel happy for a second and once you wake up you're miserable again. They are just an illusion. Nothing about them is real or used to be real. They're the devil's soft words to hurt your soul and mind harshly.''
Silence.
Eren was too surprised to comment.
O-O-O
Later, when Eren thought seriously about what Annie had said about dreams, he realized that she was right.
Dreams weren't what he thought they were.
Now he understood why he would feel a dull pain in his heart every time he woke up.
Dreams could end up hurting you, he deducted.
But still, to him, destructive or not, dreams were beautiful.
O-O-O
''All right, listen, dreams can be destructive—I accepted the fact— but you gotta admit that they're still more beautiful than destructive.''
Eren said solemnly, looking at Annie as she meddled with her maneuvering gear.
''Why don't you discuss it with someone else? Isn't Armin the smartest one among us?''
''Yeah, but your opinion about dreams differs from others'. Everyone I've met thinks that dreams are just beautiful, but you're saying that they're just destructive.''
''Maybe I haven't dreamt a beautiful dream yet?''
Eren found nothing to say.
O-O-O
''What do you most dream of?''
The question caught him off guard.
''Huh?''
''What do you most dream of, Eren?''Annie asked again, a bit annoyed, rolling her eyes.
''Why do you ask?''
''I'm curious to know what is so beautiful about your dreams,'' Annie replied frankly.
The silence dragged on and Annie became sure that he wasn't going to answer her, but finally he opened his mouth, his voice faraway.
''Every night, I dream of good old days. Of days before that day. Of my room, the view outside my window, my favorite meal, our neighbors, our city before it was destroyed, my favorite places to hang around,'' He stopped talking abruptly. Gulping, he continued,'' Of my mother mostly, though.''
Annie said nothing, merely nodded awkwardly.
''They used to be more beautiful before you mentioned that they're destructive. They're still beautiful to me, though.''
Silence.
''What do you most dream of, Annie?''
''Of home.''
She missed home so much, but she wasn't going to admit it to him, however, he understood.
When Annie realized that he was holding her hand tightly, she didn't withdraw it. She merely squeezed his hand back to show that she was appreciating this act of his honest kindness.
O-O-O
To him, dreams didn't seem beautiful at all now. They were damaging, destructive, devastating.
He didn't want to dream of good old days before that day anymore.
He didn't want to dream about her rare smiles.
She was a traitor after all.
Dreams didn't stop haunting his sleeps and hurting his soul though.
O-O-O
To her, dreams didn't seem destructive at all now. They were beautiful, alluring, full of lovely lies.
She didn't want the dreams to stop.
She enjoyed the illusive dreams of that day.
She liked dreaming that he'd forgiven her, had stood up for her, had run away miles away from everyone with her.
Her dreams became her new companion.
The End
Strange, wasn't it? Think I could write it better…
Anyway, review and tell me your opinion :)
Also, an OVA is going to be released about Annie's story (part 1) on 8 December. I just wanted to make it clear that even if they show that Annie had feelings for—I don't know—Armin or Bertolt or whoever else, I will NOT stop writing about Ereannie. This ship is my OTP and even if it doesn't become canon, I still will write about them.
-Royal Blossom