"Eren... Thank you..."

"Eren, I wish I could tell you this before I die. I know by now that I will never be able to gain your trust anymore. I know that you will hate me no matter what I said. I know you probably wouldn't believe a single word you read here. I know everything will end this way, but I just want you to know that I am grateful I had met you.

I was trapped inside my own darkness for years, and it was scary. The world is scary and cruel, yet so beautiful when you get to open your eyes and see it clearly. For years I had been chasing emptiness, and all I knew was to obey the orders without question. All I knew was to be a good warrior, make sure that I will never be underestimated even though I'm not as powerful as the others and way weaker than you.

But you saw through me.

The act I kept all this time was meaningless when I came face to face with you. You managed to make me feel like... human. I thought that part of me was lost long time ago, but you proved me wrong. You managed to make me smile. You managed to show me a little beauty of this fucked up world.

I am sorry for my betrayal. I am no more than just a loyal warrior that had to finish her duty. It pains me to see that expression on your face the day you realized I was the one who killed your comrades. I thought... I just had to do what they ordered me to.

I'm sorry, Eren.

Even though I know just a simple sorry is not enough for your loss, I hope you could somehow forgive me one day. When you finally found your real meaning to this world, when you finally reached your goals, when you finally saved humanity... I hope you can look back just a little bit and remember me. Remember that there was once a girl who acted like an irritating lazy brat in your squad. Remember that she betrayed you. Remember that she was actually grateful to have you around. Remember that she would do anything to make up for her sins.

Remember that this irritating girl... is in love with you.

I've taught you everything I know in combat. I've taught you how to defeat me. Because I know that it's the only way I could repay for everything.

When the time comes, I want you to be the one to free me from my sins.

Even if I have to die, let me die in your blades.

I will never be able to forgive myself if I couldn't make up for everything I did to you and the misery I had put you through.

Please don't blame yourself, Eren. Please don't shed a tear for me. Please don't be sad or mourn over me. Because it is the death that I want. If I die in your hands, I would die smiling. So please don't feel guilty, because it's the only thing I can do for you.

But if there's one thing that I could wish for... please stay by my side until my very last heartbeat. Please stay by my side when I close my eyes. Please stay. Until my very last breath.

This traitor, could only wish for that small thing.

Eren, thank you for making me feel like a normal human. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for making me feel alive.

Thank you, Eren."

The blood dripping from the blade that pierced through her chest covered the green grass. Her blond hair was loose, her cloth stained in red. The boy who held upon the blade said nothing, just keeping silent as the limp body in his arms leaning right onto his chest. There was no more sound of metal clashing or people shouting. Everybody around them were speechless as they witnessed the scene in front of them with mixed up emotions.

That letter had come this morning, slipped through the gap of his room's door. Nobody knew who sent it or how it even got in. But ever since then, Eren hadn't talked much. Mikasa and Armin thought something was wrong, but every time they asked him about it, he only shook his head and walked away. Until not long after, a report arrived about the appearance of the female titan. He didn't need to guess twice to know who it was that time. He already saw her escaping the crystal with some help a few weeks ago. He knew she was going to come back.

But he didn't expect her to come back to die.

That day, he came to the Commander's room and requested for an outrageous thing. He requested to face the titan alone. He practically begged on his knees, asking for the approval from Erwin and Levi. The two men took a fine time until they finally approved. However, they had to deal with the garrison squad who went against it.

They gave him time. They gave him a short time to finish his business with her before her comrades came for rescue and turn the situation worse.

What surprised them was that the female titan didn't fight back even a little.

They watched her return to her human form, Annie Leonhardt. They watched Eren approaching her with his blades ready. They watched the blade pierced through her heart easily, and Eren catching her as she fell.

The expression on his face was empty. As if he felt nothing. Even when he pulled out the blade from her chest and she coughed up blood.

She stared at him with those tired blue eyes, her hands limp on his shoulders. The boy didn't say anything, only holding her like he was trying to keep her safe in his arms. As Annie savored the last moment of her life, she tried to move her hand to touch his face, but failed when she couldn't gather enough energy to do so. Eren's hand caught hers before it fell, and he brought the tiny hand onto his chest, staring at the girl's eyes.

She smiled, genuinely.

Eren had been slightly taken aback by that expression, almost broke down in tears. But he had read every single word in her letter this morning with enough tears falling down. He couldn't possibly break his promise to her now. Not when she had asked him not to cry when she was dying.

"I'm... sorry..." she whispered those words with all her might.

Eren stared at her for a while, his grip on her hand tightened. "I forgive you, Annie. I forgive you."

Her smile grew even wider. "That's... great..."

She held on to her last moments as long as she could. But Eren could feel her heartbeat getting weaker. And as seconds passed, he had to struggle to hold back his tears. "Thank you... for granting... my... last wish..."

He didn't say anything. He couldn't.

"I... love you... Eren..."

And he lost it.

Without hesitating, he pulled the girl into his embrace, burying his face on her hair as she was breathing her life out. "How can you expect me not to cry?" his voice was shaky. "You irritating slacker, how can you make me do this?"

Annie didn't say a word. She could only let her last energy used to hug him back, savoring the moment as much as she could. The boy's shoulder started to shake as he let his tears out, holding her like it was his last moment too.

"Thank you... Eren..."

No one knew how much time had passed. No one was able to say or do anything. Not even Mikasa who only stood stiffly with her blades in hand as she watched Eren and Annie in front of her. A new scar that would be permanent in her heart.

Because as she witnessed the scene, she knew that deep down in his heart, Eren might have loved the blond girl as well. No matter how small her part in his heart, no one would be able to replace it. She knew, but she couldn't feel even a single hatred towards Annie anymore despite everything she had done. The scene was too heartbreaking.

Until finally, Eren could no longer feel the touch of Annie's hands on his back. His chest felt heavy, his heart broke even more as seconds passed. He couldn't bring himself to pull away even a little to see her face. He would lose control once he saw those lifeless blue eyes.

He cried. He screamed on top of his lungs time and time again. But none of his tears or anger would bring Annie back. None of it will return her life.

No one could even move from where they stood at. No one but Erwin and Levi, who finally stepped in and tried to pull Eren away from Annie's lifeless body. He struggled to escape from them, almost losing himself in temper and tears, but Erwin managed to hold him up as Levi closed Annie's eyes. He ordered the squad to bring her back inside the walls.

Bring her back home.

With the people she loved, cherished, to the place where she learned the meaning of friendship, and the beauty of life.

She was no longer a traitor. No longer seen as a threat.

Funny how people started to notice that after you died.

But as people started leaving the battlefield and returned inside the wall, a few of them stayed behind. A few of them, the 104th training squad, Mikasa on the lead.

A salute in front of their chest, honoring the memory of another fallen comrade.

Not an enemy.

A comrade.

A friend.

Annie Leonhardt.

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This is my first AoT fan fiction. I hope you enjoyed it.

Please tell me your honest opinion about this fic and don't hesitate to give critiques as I need them to improve my writing skill.

Thank you so much for reading!