They sat in a cold, stone walls and floors, basement. There was straw at every corner, a lantern hanging in one, and blankets and pillows in another. Eren looked over at Annie. The blond was bound to the wall by a single chain, one that was held around her neck, tug her chain, and it'd choke her. Nobody hardly trusted Annie, so if she tried to resist, they'd give her chain a rough, merciless, tug, and she'd be brought to the ground. Eren was held back by nothing, basically everyone trusted him, but once the two titan snifters were handed over to Hanji, they made sure that she had to keep them down here, against Hanji's will, she favored her two titans and thought it wasn't fair to them. Annie refused to look at Eren, she felt afraid.
"Hey, Annie?" Eren asked, getting up from where he sat, standing in front of her. Annie looked up at him from where she sat, her eyes wild with fear. "Annie talk to me." he tried to coax her into talking.
"It's not worth my while." Annie murmured.
"Annie..."
"We're fucked in life! We're Hanji's little puppets!"
"Annie, Hanji's just trying to help out humanity, once she finds a way, we'll be released."
"Yeah, you will, but I'll probably be killed." Annie murmured solemnly.
"I won't let it happen, you can live with me once we get out of this hell. Then, we can go with Mikasa and Armin to see the ocean. Okay?"
Annie nodded. This is how they have lived for two months. They both looked up when two military people came down the long flight of stairs leading to the basement, opening the door of steel bars.
"Leonhardt, let's go." one muttered.
Annie looked at him fearfully as he came over, unhooking the chain off the wall, but leaving it around her neck.
"Come on." he ordered again, tugging gently on her chain, Annie stood, but didn't move otherwise.
"I said haul ass!" he yelled at her, tugging roughly on the chain, it made her fall forwards onto her hands and knees. Annie looked down, breathing heavily. She looked up.
"Never." she resisted.
"So we're going to play this game again?" the soldier asked mockingly. Eren looked over to where Annie struggled to breathe.
"Annie, please, just go."
She closed her eyes and silently cried, was she really going to give up? Annie stood, wobbly on her legs.
"Finally." the second man muttered, relieved. There was a gentle tug on her chain, Annie looked back at Eren.
"I'll come back."
Eren smiled, "Good."
Annie faintly smiled, tears still in her eyes, then followed the man that gripped her chain. Eren watched as Annie was led away, he felt his heart sink.
Why does Annie have to go through all this pain? She never wanted to do all those awful things.
Annie sat later that night. It was cold and quiet. She was so damn cold, the chain that held her from resisting was too short for her to get a blanket.
"You alright Annie?" Eren noticed her shivering.
"So damn cold..." she trailed off.
Eren got up and went over to get her a blanket. He knelt down next to her, and gently nudged her shoulder with his hand, indicating that she lean forward a little. When Annie did, Eren wrapped the blanket gently around her.
"Thanks Eren." she murmured as he put an arm around her to share body heat. She leaned into his tight embrace. Annie nuzzled the side of her head into the side of his chest and he held tighter.
Eren sighed.
This is what she deserves, someone who loves her.
Eren looked down at Annie's sleeping body. To Eren, she was so peaceful, so innocent... so beautiful. Eren shook his head, how could one love the crazy woman?
She's sure a-
Eren hesitated the thought, looking for the right words, then accidentally whispered it,
"-pretty little psycho..." he let his voice trail off so Annie wouldn't wake, and she didn't.
Hanji came down the flight of stairs to the basement, opened the cell door, and walked inside towards Eren, who was already awake, and didn't bother shutting the door, she trusted her two titans. Annie was still wrapped up comfortably in her blanket, snuggled up against Eren on her side, the side of her head resting on his lap.
"Goodmorning Hanji~san." he whispered, trying not to wake Annie.
"Morning." she greeted cheerfully as always, also keeping her voice low.
It was silent for a while, she looked down at Annie's sleeping body.
"I was going to ask that I could borrow Annie for a moment, but, I can wait for her to wake."
"No, I can wake her up if you want."
Eren gently shook Annie and she sat up, not noticing Hanji at first.
"Goodmorning Annie, I was wondering if-"
Annie cut her off by almost screaming and wipping around to face Eren, burrowing her face into his shoulder as she hugged onto him.
"You're okay." he cooed to her, putting a hand on the back of her head.
"Here." Hanji murmured, loosening the chain around Annie's neck and tugging it gently to pull her head back a bit so she could slip it off. Instantly, once free, Annie tried to seek comfort in Eren's embrace again.
"Don't let her touch me...please." she choked out to Eren.
Hanji tipped her head to one side.
Annie held tighter.
"Come on Annie, you'll be fine." Eren told her, picking her up in his arms and standing as Hanji stood.
"What'd I tell you?! We're just Hanji's damn puppets!" Annie cursed.
Hanji's eyes grew wide, Annie either liked you or she didn't, but Hanji didn't know that Annie talked about her like that, after Hanji favoring her, doing every thing she could to comfort her.
"Annie, you need to trust us. Relax." Hanji tried to calm her, reaching out to touch her shoulder.
"Over my dead body!" she told Hanji, burrowing her face into Eren's shoulder again, trying to find sanctuary in his hold, as she felt herself silently crying.
"Come on Annie, it's all worth it, remember? After all this, we can go see the ocean, there won't be need for the walls anymore." Eren handed Annie to Hanji, and Annie quickly wrapped her arms around the tall girl's neck so that she could hang on. Eren knew what was happening, the West Wing was reloacating, and Hanji had to move her laboratory into Levi's basement and stay in one of his guest rooms, and Annie and Eren were going to stay in Mikasa's basement. Hanji walked up the stareway with Annie in her arms, she was about to be forced to have Annie put in a crate that would only be big enough for Annie to sit with her knees hugged to her chest and hunched over uncomfortably. Annie didn't know, all she remembered after that was Hanji sitting her on the metal top of her experimentation table and being given a sedative, her world went black.