"I like the way you do eyes."
"Oh?"
"Yeah...it's like...its got that realism, but you add that hint of fantasy. It's beautiful..."
"Like me?"
"You know me too well, Leonhardt. Hey...can you send me a picture of it?"
"I am not done with it."
"I know...just let me see your progress."
The woman sighed, but smirked at the phone next to her on the table by her easel. She reached over and grabbed it, holding it at chest level before snapping a picture of her art, sending it straight to him.
"Ahhh...you never cease to amaze me, Annie. Simply perfect. Those brush strokes...they woo me."
"Did you fall in love with me because of my brush strokes? Is this some kind of weird fetish?"
"Can a man just say good things about his wife's art?"
"Yes, but you're implying my brush strokes are sexy."
"Not sexy, persay...seductive."
"Oh. Well thank you, babe," she chuckled, carefully sliding the brush along the edge of a figure.
The other side of the line went silent, the sounds of a paintbrush filling in the gap left by its absence. Annie reached up with a couple of fingers to pull back a fringe of her light blonde hair back behind her ear, her eyes darting to the phone.
"Eren?" She asked, her voice rising in pitch, "You there?"
Almost instantly, his voice returned, "Yeah, yeah, don't worry. Hey, no stress, okay? It's bad for the baby."
She sighed in relief, her hand going down to her flat abdomen, nodding as she went back to brushing. "Right. Sorry, I just..."
"I thought I was supposed to be the weak one here? When did Annie Leonhardt become so mushy?"
Annie chuckled, resting her hand on her thigh. "When a child decided to grow inside of me and mess up my emotions. Thanks for that one, by the way."
"I am pretty sure we both agreed to it. It was a contract, Annie. The...baby-making contract, or something."
"Pfft, good one, Jaeger."
"Wasn't it?"
"Anyway, back to the previous topic. Even though I was the tougher one, you still decided that you must be 'the man'. Standing up to guys who beat your butt pretty fast."
"Did you just censor the word as-"
"Shh, the baby can hear."
"It's the size of a strawberry-"
"Don't hurt its feelings."
"Its feeli-...I just wanted to be that confident man, okay? I heard girls find that attractive."
"There's a difference between confidence and stupidity."
"What's that difference?"
"Not knowing when you should just back down."
"Never! I must protect my lady's' honor!"
As she was finishing up the figure she was painting, she shook her head. "My honor is quite alright, thank you very much."
"I still must protect it."
"Yeah, yeah, Jaeger, whatever you say. Just shut it and talk about something else before we devolve into an old husband and wife bickering at each other."
"Alright...do you miss my poems?"
Annie stopped midway through rounding the other eye, her voice becoming hitched in her throat, her lips slightly parted.
"Annie?"
"Yeah?"
"I wish I could still make them for you."
She sniffed. "Me too. I wish you were here."
"I do too, but just...can you read one for me?"
As a ragged breath left her mouth, she glanced over to the phone. "I don't know if-"
"Please? The first one, at least?"
She sighed, wiping her dry eye before nodding. "Of course, hun."
"Thank you, sweetheart."
"Be right back," she muttered, standing up and walking over to the door. Opening it, she stopped as she stepped out, looking back at the phone. "Don't go anywhere."
A laugh was heard from the other line. "I'll try my best, Ann."
She closed the door behind her, straightening herself out before walking down the hall of
their old home they bought in the country. A nice place for both of them to look out the window and see beautiful nature at work, with them both being into the arts.
The wooden floorboards creaked underneath her feet as she rounded the corner into his office, which was vacant. Annie walked over to the corkboard he had set up, which several poems he had written were pinned to.
Eren asked for the first one he had ever made, which was for her. She thought it cheesy, so did he, but he still liked it, and it made her smile, which was the most he could ever hope for. She unpinned it, taking the poem and putting the pin on the desk.
Before taking it back, she looked at it, eyes skimming the words and taking a deep breath before she took it with her, back to her office.
"I got it!" She cheered, sitting down and planting it next to the phone.
"Awesome!"
Annie traced her fingers underneath the words, mouthing them to herself before nodding and pushing her fringe back behind her ear. "Okay. Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"Okay, here I go." And, with another deep breath, she began:
"Spoiled by beauty rotten
Blessed with a heart of gold
Given the soul of an angel
An important piece of art
I wish I had the words
That can be used to
Put your kindness
To this poem, yet
Language is restricted
And so I will just say this-"
Her voice was starting to crack, so he took the reins, and continued it for her:
"Thank you for being you
And being there
For me"
A silence broke out between them, with the only noises being the sounds of ragged breathing from Annie, her eyes closed.
"Annie?" His voice grew concerned.
She glanced at the phone, her eyes opened to let out the tears that welled behind them. She balled a fist and bit one of her fingers, not enough to hurt, but enough to push away an emotion hidden deep within. One she just wanted to let out.
"Annie…"
"I...I...I'm here...Eren," she managed to murmur, her hands rubbing her thighs up and down as her face contorted to resist the emotion. To resist the feeling.
To resist the memory.
"Why'd you just leave me like that?"
Eren's voice sounded from the phone. "Like what, Annie?"
"Just...like that…"
"It wasn't my decision, Ann...I didn't ask for leuke-"
She, stood up quickly, toppling the stool she sat on, took the phone and spoke directly into the microphone, "I know that!" She shuddered, her legs failing her, forcing her to her knees, phone in her cupped hands, like it was water to drink.
Tears were streaming down her cheeks, teeth gritting as she shut her eyes, pulling the phone to her chest. Her voice softening a bit.
"Why did it have to be you? Why? You had so much to live for…"
"Fate dealt me a bad ha-"
"Stop it with the poetic bull crap! I just want you! I want you back! I want you here! I want you with me! Every day is like another knife to my heart! Every time I hear your voice on this phone, I hate it! I know it's not you! It's just...some dumb program! And yet I am addicted to your voice like it's a drug! I need you here! To help me in my time of weakness! To raise the child we promised to rear! I need you!"
With a shriek, she tossed the phone a few feet from her before falling to the floor, curling up into a ball on her side, sobbing uncontrollably.
The phone spoke to her as she cried. "I am sorry, Annie. I am sorry. I love you."
She picked herself up briefly to jab a finger at the red button, hanging them up before collapsing back to the floor, calming down from her crash into hysterics.
As the sun shined through the window, it landed upon her art.
A couple, sitting on a log, one leaning into the other's chest as they held a bundle of cloth in their arms, their eyes meeting as little hearts arose from their heads. She just wanted that scene to happen.
She just wanted him there.
Not as some program on a phone.
Not as some character on a canvas.
"I just want you to be here...for me."
A/N: So yeah...Black Mirror is depressing...but it's such a good show.
If you watched the show, it should be pretty obvious which episode I got this one from. Hayley Atwell is a great actress.
Please leave a comment, I always appreciate feedback. It's been a while since I wrote something this depressing, so I probably won't be doing another thing like this in a while. I need a break.
Anyway, thanks for reading! See ya!