"Hello Annie!" Bertholdt shyly but cheerfully enthused as she opened the door. Glad to see a familiar (and gorgeous) albeit neutral face.

"Oh… Hi. What are you doing here?" she slowly muttered. He noticed she spoke in an uncharacteristically dismal manner, instead of her usual stoic tone. Had something happened?

"I was spending some quality time with my parents, but then they went to their night shift." he looked down and chuckled as a way to convince himself that he was already used to the extreme loneliness and that it didn't affect him anymore. Deep inside his subconscious, such a pleasant lie wasn't as convincing. "So I came to pay a visit. I thought you might want some company." he comfortingly gazed at her sad eyes, hoping she would open up for once in her life and allow him to offer her solace.

"Oh! I see… Well thanks for thinking about me, but I have a lot on my mind as of right now. I feel like being alone for a while." she hummed melancholically, not even bothering to raising her gaze at his head's direction. She has just learned that her mother vanished because of her, the last thing she wanted was to spend her energy tying to interact with an annoying brat who didn't understand her.

"Umh… Are you okay, Annie? You don't seem so good, did something happen?" he pressed harder, genuinely concerned by her sudden mood drop.

"Don't worry about it. Certain irreversible things happened and… All I can do now is try to forget them." she quickly explained, trying her best to maintain an emotionless tone. She refused to show weakness, and for her, there was nothing more weak than the inability to dissociate one's feelings from the obstacles life sadistically casts.

"Umh… well… Every time I'm not feeling good, I always talk to my mother and I always feel a lot better afterwards, because she listens to me and understands me and then hugs me and tucks me until I fall asleep… So if you want to talk to someone…" he shyly suggested, struggling to maintain eyes contact with her frigid (and beautiful) expression.

"As I already said, I want to be alone." she raised her voice, frustrated by his annoying persistence, but what irritated her the most was the fact that he seemed to think she actually needed emotional support. Yeah right! Such a pathetic futility was for the weak, and anything other than undeniable strength was unacceptable for Annie. "I am sorry. But I must ask you to leave." she demanded sternly.

Her aggressive outburst caused him to flinch and blink his watery eyes repeatedly. Why was she reacting like that? He treated her nicer than humanly possible and that is how she repaid him? However, for some strange reason, that didn't seem to waver Bertholdt's resolve of helping Annie. He believed that he had done something wrong and that it was entirely his fault that she was feeling worse. He was that naive.

He didn't know what to say, as he stood there frozen by indecisiveness and guilt. The longer he stared at her furiously impatient expression, the louder his whimpers and sobs became.

"Fuck off, you sad loser! Go cry to your mommy and see if she tucks you until you fall asleep." she wrathfully thought in her mind. She desperately wanted to say that out loud, but she stopped herself purely because she treated others with the same amount of respect she demands.

"Greetings, Bertholdt. What brings you here?" Mr. Leonhart asked with forced enthusiasm after he wondered why Annie was taking so long answering the door.

"I… uhm…" he whimpered as he tried to hold back his tears, so her father wouldn't think Annie was responsible for his tears.

She stared daggers at him. Her eyes clearly yelled "Don't you dare tell him I was mean to you." Her father was behind her, so he didn't see her menacing look. Sweat was gushing out of the boy's skin, as he panicked from her silent threat.

"You're crying. What happened?" the man inquired, more curious than concerned.

He couldn't hold it any longer. At that moment, he was crying his eyeballs out and screaming his sorrow out of his lungs. Annie cringed at his pathetic display of weakness. It repulsed her. It disgusted her. A strange desire of punching his ugly wet face and proceeding to stomp his fallen body was growing inside of her. It took every single shred of her willpower to stop herself from giving in to her desires. In fact, she was starting to seriously considering doing so, she didn't even care if her father saw and punished her. Never did his face seem so 'punchable' before.

"Come here." the man kneeled and gently held his tiny shoulders. Funnily enough, the man wasn't much taller than Bertholdt, despite being about 4 times older than him. "What did I tell you about crying? Warriors don't cry, remember? Have you ever seen Annie cry?" he soothed calmingly.

He avoided looking at her scary face and he was sobbing too hard to coherently speak, so he waved his head horizontally, silently saying 'no'. He never really thought about it, but it was true. He had never seen her cry, or even remotely sad for that matter, except when she opened the door earlier. He envied her strength. He felt like a fragile little greenhouse flower, easily damaged by the tiniest adversity, next to a resilient camel, capable of resisting scorching temperatures without breaking a sweat and surviving months without food or water. He wished he had a quarter, no a tenth of her mental fortitude would be more than enough.

"You're still very young, so it's okay. But I don't want to see any more tears, understood? I know your parents would hate to see you sad. They are so busy already, I'm sure that if they came back and saw you happy, they would feel a lot better." he comforted smoothly, with the most believable smile he could forge. Not out of civic obligation, but out of genuine worry for a former student.

"Is he taking an indirect jab at me? More importantly, why is he treating him so nicely? He is a lot more strict with me. Does he think that loser is better than me? I'm better than him in every aspect except height. That does it, I'm gonna beat the shit out of him later." she raved internally. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so angry.

"It was very kind of you to pay us a visit. Did you come to keep Annie company?" he asked. He was honestly quite disappointed. He was very looking forward to spend some quality time with his daughter and make up for the time he prepared her for the Program.

Nevertheless, he also wanted her to have a friend. Even though he wanted her to be as anti social as him in order to avoid betrayals, he had a slight trust in Bertholdt, at least as long as he was a child. He knew how harmless and innocent he was, he doubted he would harm her, in fact, he was more worried if she harmed him. They didn't seem to get along much when he taught them together, but that clearly changed. He wanted her to feel that addictive feeling of camaraderie while she could.

"Y-Yes. But she doesn't want me here. I-I should… leave." he informed in between sobs before turning back and leaving.

Annie initially thought Bertholdt only visited her to numb his own loneliness. She believed his intentions were purely selfish and that he didn't really care for her. Once again, she lost sight of her cruelty and forgot that not every one is secretly plotting against her. She knew Bertholdt wasn't a bad kid. She told herself she would start treating him better, after being so mean to him and she would stand by that. After all, no one who cries like a little bitch all the time can be that bad, right?

After seeing how hurt he felt because of her, she realized she was unfair. She had to shamefully admit that she succumbed to her emotions, something she personally condemned and deemed 'weak'.

"Wait! Bertholdt, don't go. I want you to stay." she swallowed her pride and reached out for him.

"Really?!" he rejoiced, quickly turning his head toward her. His crying fit came to an abrupt halt. As if nothing ever happened.

"Well, I'll give you some time alone then." Mr. Leonhart informed somewhat downhearted and left the house to practice his skills on the punching bags near their cabin.

"Come on, let's sit. We have to gather our energy before going back to the academy." she put all her effort in forgetting what hurt her and trying to be a more approachable person. They sit on the wooden table where she ate in between her short breaks.

"L-Listen Annie, I'm… I'm so sorry for making you mad earlier. I can't believe I was so insensitive. I bet you want to beat me. Heck, I'd beat me too if I were you." he apologized shamefully, his fingers fidgeting while he looked down.

"Don't be silly. I don't want to beat you." she chuckled, surprised by learning that there are actually people in the world who are willing to take the blame and lose moral ground for the sake of others' wellbeing.

Surely, someone like Bertholdt was rare, right? He was fresh oasis inside a colossal blazing desert. And for some inexplicable reason, she felt the need to preserve that oasis.

"Well, at least I don't want to beat you as much now." she added mentally.

"And you weren't insensitive at all. You were actually very sweet, I just got mad because… because of stupid reasons…" she refused to open her heart. Not even to an innocent wimp like him.

"W-What happened? I-I mean... If you want... of course." he muttered nervously.

"I really don't want to talk about it. It's water under the bridge anyway, so I might as well forget about it." she hummed avoiding eyes contact. The fresh story her father told her still persistently lingering in her mind.

"A-Are you... Sure you don't-"

"Yes. I'm sure." she asserted with a momentarily raised tone.

He nodded awkwardly. Still unable to stop shivering from nervousness and look her in the eyes.

Then, there was uncomfortable silence. It was clear as day that Bertholdt lacked the most basic of social skills, but Annie wasn't much better than him in that regard. Words didn't come out of the boy's mouth so Annie had to break the ice.

"So… I noticed you barely speak when you're around Marcel, Reiner, Porco and Pieck. In fact, you practically only open your mouth when someone talks to you. And yet, you're a lot more extroverted around me. Why?" she honestly didn't care that much about the answer, she just wanted that damn silence to end.

"Well, I spent so much time on my own for so long that I don't really understand how should I act in certain situations. Everyone around me seem like they were born with an instruction manual on how not to act like an embarrassing moron. Marcel is super cool and Reiner is probably one of the only ones who I feel comfortable with. I wish I was like them. And as for you.. well – I know you're going to wrinkle your nose after I say this… but, I actually consider you my friend, even if the feeling isn't mutual… " he whispered longingly. She was amazed by how well he predicted her.

"Don't say that. No one is better than anyone. No one is better than you, Bertholdt. Yes, the ones you mentioned have qualities to them, but they shine because they have something you lack. They have confidence. Why do you think Marcel is the top of the class?" she was almost felt defensive when he insulted himself. "After me of course." she smugly added.

"Uhm… Well, mainly due to the fact that he excels in literally everything he does." he enviously answered.

"Yes, only a fool would deny the talent that guy has. But trust me when I say this, as someone who has observed and examined your skills and limits closely, I assure you your potential is about as almost as good as his. The difference is that he trusts in himself and his not afraid to use his skills to achieve his goals. Case in point Reiner, that kid still has much to learn and yet he's doing fine. This is also because he has an objective in mind and is willing to go to great lengths to achieve them." she tried to get that speech into his thick, unconfident skull. Again.

"I… I don't know… I g-guess deep down I know you're completely right… As usual… but it's like I have this constant voice in my head screaming «Don't bother doing that, you'll just screw up again like always» and «You're good at pretty much nothing, no wonder no one wants to talk to you». And most of the time, that voice is right." his voice was starting to crack.

"Nonsense." she spat as she turned her eyes. "Stop wallowing in self pity and take advantage of what you can do. If I had your body, I'd have the world at my feet by this point. But with this small female body I'm far more limited, so I have to take advantage of my entire arsenal, and so far, that hasn't failed me. Trust me, what's holding you back is in your head, and you're the only one who can do something about that." she took a more aggressive tone.

"You're right." he mumbled apprehensive.

"That's the attitude you gotta stop. Show some spirit! Do you want to become a titan and help your family or not?" she hissed antipathetically.

"I do!" he said confidently.

"Then stop repeating the same mistakes and grow up!" she yelled angrily.

He started thinking about his faults and how to correct them. His gaze was directed at the floor and his fingers were fidgeting. More awkward silence.

"And… I don't think you're a moron. Especially not an embarrassing one." she admitted.

"Really!?" he gasped and rejoiced.

"Yes. You're a great guy."

That compliment accelerated his breathing just as much as his heartbeat. The blushing he was fighting off since their conversation finally emerged.

"No, I was kidding. You have way too many imperfections to be qualified as a 'great guy'." she confessed emotionlessly.

"Oh…" he softly whimpered. The tears she loathed were threatening surface once more.

"There! That's the attitude you have to drop. Someone as insecure as you will never become a warrior. Warriors are brave and lonely. They do everything perfectly without anyone's advice or support." she exhorted, completely disregarding his feelings. She didn't care if he cried again. She'd rather help someone get up than licking their wounds.

"Annie… thanks for being honest to me. You want to help me improve as a person and for that… I'm grateful." he meekly acknowledged her distinct way of helping. He didn't seem bothered at all by her brutal honesty.

"Wow! He's not crying? Guess he improved a little." she thought surprised.

"Umh… you're welcome." she jabbered quickly and quietly. Almost as if she was ashamed of expressing her kindness.

"But what makes me really happy is the fact that you don't seem sad anymore. Knowing I helped you forget whatever it was that was tormenting you fills me with joy. Guess I'm not as useless as I thought." he giggled proud of himself.

"Right…" she whispered under her breath.

Why did he have to bring that up? Now she was starting remembering everything she worked so hard to suppress.

"I'm sure someone as strong as you will overcome what is making you sad. I have to rely on my parents' support to forget what saddens me. When I'm feeling blue, I wait and wait until mommy arrives home. And then she always says something along the lines of «Mother is here with you, and I will do anything to protect you, there is nothing to fear. You have a father and a mother who love you, you have everything to be happy.» Just knowing that I have someone who wants to see me smile, makes me feel better." he warmly imparted.

"Mother…? Love…? How lucky you are… I do have a vague memory of her. Even as a baby, an image got stuck in my head. Time stained it and blurred it out, but it still hasn't left me. She was – stroking me, I think. I can't help but wonder the amount of affection I missed. What I'd do to bring her back. If I had to kill this kid to bring her back, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Stop it, Annie! You're better than this. You're strong. Warriors don't wallow in pain. You just have to forget. Forget. That's right. Suppressing is always the best thing to do. Only the weak share their pain." she struggled internally.

"But of course, after she'd say that, she'd fall asleep, because she always comes home late and tired. And the next morning, I'd wake up alone once again. Yearning for her touch." he almost mewled at the repetitive thought.

Those 2 last sentences did what Annie feared the most. They wormed their way into her heart and touched her caged emotions. Annie hated that. Being emotional is being vulnerable. And being vulnerable means being weak. She hated the very concept of weakness and she would do anything to convince others, and especially herself that every fiber of her being was bathed in strength. However, deep down she knew that there were traces of weakness that could very easily shatter her beautiful, strong illusion.

She wasn't affected because she empathized with the boy, though. Her feelings were originated purely by the fact that he had said what she refused to say out loud.

Her neglected lacrimal glands were functioning for the first time in a long time. No! She had to hide her tears, she would die before she let anyone see them. He might warn her father if he sees her liquid feebleness. She couldn't just block her eyes or walk away, even an idiot like him would see right through her.

In a fit of despair, Annie did something so surreal that not even Bertholdt's childish imagination could fantasize about. She hugged him. She hated herself for embracing him, but anything would be better than being seen cry. Never did his body ever felt so disgusting for her.

She was only hugged once in her life, when her father sent her to the academy for the first time. Her arms hanged lifelessly on her sides while he held her forcefully, because the gesture was simply too foreign to understand the affection value attached to it. She remembered feeling uncomfortable and surprised as her father exclusively showed coldness up until that point. But now she felt forced to imitate the loving act.

"A-Annie…" he gasped after he returned the gesture.

"Shut up. If you tell anyone I did this, I swear I will break your skull." she threatened with an animalistic tone.

"B-But… But… A-Annie… It's okay… There is nothing to be ash-"

"Hush. And if I see you cry again without a justifiable reason or cowering away from something I know full well you can do, then I will beat you to a bloody pulp. Understood?" she menaced slightly more loudly. As her tears grew bolder, she tightened the grip of their hug in order to fight them off more easily. However, he naively took this as a sign of increasing affection.

"All right… It's a… It's a deal…" he whispered. He was satisfied and proud of himself for making Annie open up to him. He smiled softly at the idea of growing closer to her.

Tears didn't descend that day. The water drops in Annie's eyes simply watered her eyes, nothing more. She was strong enough to prevent that from happening.

"What am I feeling? I'm blushing like a tomato, I'm sweating my insides off, my heart is pumping like a machinegun. And I feel… good. It's like reality is melting away and this wonderful person in front of me is the only thing that exists. I think… Is this love?" Bertholdt thought ecstatically.

"Come on. Let's train a little with my father. He seems to like you a lot." she hissed after she abruptly ended the hug. She never established eye contact though. There were still some evidence of tears left to destroy.

"O… Ok… O-Ok…" he stuttered incoherently. He wanted to say the short word 'Okay' but he was so nervous that every muscle in his body was trembling.

In a way, she envied his lack of shame in crying. She wished she was just as comfortable in exposing her pathetic weaknesses as he was. But unlike him, she had pride. And she would protect it by any means necessary.

Author's Notes:

I initially wanted to include some Marcel/Porco in here and show what they were up to, but I promised myself I would keep chapters smaller, since they were getting ridiculously large lately. So the Galliards will have to wait until the next chapter.

Anyway, I'm feeling so lazy. It took me so long to write a chapter that is smaller than usual, I seriously got to stop this and motivate myself more.

P.S. If you drop a review, I'll give you a cookie.