Woooo ten chapters already! Now I've reedited this chapter due to recent reviews. Hopefully it's a bit smoother. I've taken all views into consideration. Story will explain more as it grows. As usual, leave as many reviews, tell me your thoughts. Or Pm me on here. I always check emails, but i haven't actually gotten messages on the app itself. I'm curious. Let us begin.

Training-Anniversary

Tonight was different. Usually he'd be in the forest mourning, before shifting and raging about till he tired. For the first time in years James actually had company, people to talk to. He had family from Sasha this time, and some good friends. He knew the other 3 survivors from home must be having a rough day today.

Sasha met him earlier that morning, hugging him fiercely, which caught some of the other recruits attention. They snickered, thinking potato girl had a crush, until the fierce glare James sent their way shut their mouths. When he left, they were yelled at by Sasha for nearly ten minutes about why she hugged him.

Annie had walked by hearing the end of the rant with "..don't fuck with him today or I'll shove my foot right up your asses!!" She never heard potato girl this angry before, but didn't stop to ask about it. Annie figured she was talking about Connie, Sasha's obvious crush, that she hadn't thought it would be about her own little crush.

James sat across from Annie now, he just grabbed them both dinner. It was the first time they ate together alone, and anyone could see they were both a bit nervous. A few of the cadets who knew his hometown including Reiner, Bert and Krista, gave him looks of sympathy. He was grateful for them, but he was surprised to see Eren and Mikasa come up to him. He thought they would be angry about earlier.

He knew they nearly had someone important taken from them today, 3 years ago. But thanks to him, they still had their mother. But they were saddened with where their father was. Neither of them knew, and neither did their mother. It'd been a sore subject when James had asked, genuinely concerned. Just like his family was when Eren had asked. He'd apologized immediately when he saw the look on James face, but the hurt didn't change.

So it was quite a surprise when Eren gave him a half hug and a pat on the shoulder. James thanked him for it, but was confused when he nudged Mikasa. She certainly didn't look like a hugger unless it was Eren or Armin. Instead She tried to apologize about earlier, when James cut her off.

"It's fine, you don't need to. I'm actually sorry. I hurt you out of anger, because I couldn't keep my emotions controlled. I'm usually alone on this day, so I usually don't have to act...reserved. Again, I'm sorry. I'll try to keep myself together next time."

Mikasa stood there, she had a hard enough time trying to apologize. She felt guilty, seeing that she went too far before. Yet he was saying sorry to her. She nodded slowly, and smiled a little, before tugging Eren back to Armin.

Annie watched with a bit of confusion, becauseJames was the one who seemed the most in pain today, and yet he was sorry to Mikasa. Sorry for brutally taking down the strongest cadet (or so it seemed) in the camp when she fought dirty. She tried to see what his reasoning was, she knew she hadn't forgiven the half asian girl for hurting him. But she couldn't find a reason why, except that he really did feel bad for hurting her, though she hurt him first.

She thought to take his mind off of things, but she herself wasn't great with emotions. But it wouldn't hurt for her to try. "So..I saw what you did in the woods. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked quietly.

He stiffened a little, before he told her "It was more...relieving if anything. I decided I need to move on with myself. I can't keep dragging myself down, because I'll take others down with me. I didn't act then because I was afraid, and it cost them their lives. I know now...that I can't stay trapped in the past, or else I'll miss the present." She was a little shocked at that, and went to ask more when he obliged her.

"I didn't talk for those 3 years before I came here, I kept to the forests mostly. I began to lose myself, but I had a wakeup call. I'm sorry if im acting a little...off. But I don't want you to worry yourself over me, if that's what it's doing. I'm sor-" He was cut off as she took his hand and told him with a strange look in her eyes.

"No, don't apologise. You shouldn't feel guilty for things that weren't in your control. Just try and move past them, it's the easiest way to live with yourself. I have my own share of guilt. In my eyes, I'm not a good person myself." She told him with, what 'regret?'

He looked at her with a confused expression, he saw self hate on her face. He told her firmly "Hey. Don't be hard on yourself, your a good person to Me. Your strong, smart, a great fighter. Beautiful too. I think your great." He looked down to keep eating, leaving her with the flurry of emotions that rushed into her head.

'No, I'm not good. Not to myself or for anyone else...and yet he keeps telling me that I am. That I'm great. He can't mean it like that, he's just...confused about today. That's it. It has to be, he cant think that Im good, of all people?'

She shook her head, before new thoughts worked their way in. 'But what if he's serious? What if he means it? But..Why me? I'm nothing to him. Not family like Sasha, or a good friend like Jaeger and Connie or Reiner. I'm just Annie, the girl who stays away from everyone else, the girl he likes to fight and talk with.

And he's..James. The boy she likes to spar with, and talks to whenever he wants. The guy she eats lunch with during training, the guy she likes to see happy. The guy who makes her smile with the simplest of things, who makes her feel happy, alive, inside. Who makes her feel special, feel lov-'

She stops there, staring at him eating his portion of meat for a moment. 'He does make me feel that, doesn't he?' She realizes, her body shaking a little. 'He makes me feel..as if I matter'. She looks away as he looks up at her with a small smile on his face, oblivious to what he's done to her. He notices her distant look, "Hey. Annie, are you ok?". But she stays silent.

James notices she seems...off. 'Was it something he did?' She looked very uncomfortable to him at the moment, avoiding his eyes. Maybe he said something wrong, thinking hard for a moment. He remembered her comforting him when he was having a hard time talking, and calling herself a bad person. He remembered him telling her she wasn't by any means, complimenting her. That she was good, even great to him. That's what he remembers saying, when it hits him.

'Shes uncomfortable, because I told her what I think of her.' He saw the sadness in her eyes when she told him what she thinks about herself. 'She doesn't like who she is. But why? She isn't bad, a little quiet at times if anything, but that's not bad. A bit blunt sure, but then again so's Ymir and she's fine with herself.' Then again, Ymir's a bitch sometimes.'

Shaking his head, he calls her name. "Annie. Hey look, I'm sorry if what I said was too much. I just don't want you to feel bad about yourself, You don't deserve to be-".But she stopped him

"No, I do. But...you did make me feel better. You do make me feel happy. It's just..your the first to say it to me. No one else does, except Bert and Reiner, but it's like family coming from them. I just never heard it from anyone else. Thank you, thank you so much". He sat there for a moment, before a small smile grew.

He took her hand lightly, and told her with small joy in his voice "Your welcome. If your feeling down, and want to talk, just ask. I'll listen, like I said I would. I promise". Those words rang in her head, the meaning of them so foreign to her.

She never heard them from anyone before, not even her father when she was struggling during her training. 'He actually cares.' She tries not to cry in front of anyone, especially him, but feels herself failing. She thanks him for dinner and leaves. He doesn't stop her out of respect, but he feels again confused. "I can't get it right, can I?" Sighing, he finishes his dinner as Sasha and Connie come over to sit with him.

Connie was first to ask "Dude, what'd you say to her? She looked ready to cry" James shook his head "I think its just how I said it, i told her what I thought of her".

Sasha gasped, knowing what he said. "Ouch man, that's a little harsh don't you think?" Connie said, not realizing how James felt about Annie.

"Connie, I told her I liked her. What are you blind and bald?" James snapped frustrated, before sighing. "Look, I'm sorry Connie. I just wanted her to know how I felt. She's always so sad, like she hates herself, it hurts me to see her that way. Its also why I like fighting with her, she looks alive. I just want her to be happy. I care about her, Connie. I just hoped that she felt the same."

With that he excused himself to go to the barracks. As he stepped outside the door to the mess room, he was pulled roughly to the side. As he turned to see who grabbed him so rudely, he found a set of shaking arms wrapping around him. He stood there shocked for a moment, before he saw that it was Annie holding him.

James was flustered, 'She hugged me, SHE'S HUGGING ME?!' too stunned to do anything. His heart was soaring. Annie broke the hug.

In a whisper, she asked "Do you mean it, about.. making me happy? Actually caring how I feel?" with an anxious look, almost as if she were going to cry. He looked at her, and saw how much she needed this. He looked her dead in the eye and took her hands in his, with the same tone he used before.

"I mean it all. I do care Annie. You shouldn't be so sad, all alone. I know what it's like, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone, especially you. You interested me so much in the beginning, I couldn't find out what drew me to you. Then we fought each other, and I saw how much you enjoyed it. I saw how happy you looked then, and I wanted you to be that way more. I grew to like you even more when we talked. I care about you, Annie Leonhardt"

She smiled, tears flowing, and hugged him. He returned it, and she felt warm. A warmth she never felt before, in the cold all her life. He could be her hearth, her warmth. No matter how short it might be in this cruel world.

She'd like that.