Old Tumblr Dialogue Prompt: "You have a cute nose, don't make me break it."

Cheat

Close quarter combat training was always difficult, combat training in general was difficult. Combat training with Annie Leonhardt was not only difficult, but dangerous. She didn't have a limit to how much she could subdue her opponent, the petite blonde always opted for full force. even for a defensive move that shouldn't hurt so much.

"Couldn't you let up a little?" Eren panted, wiping sweat from his brow line. Over-exerted and aching all over from constantly having to block Annie's powerful kicks to his shins.

Annie tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, patiently waiting for him to regain his composure. Just so she could kick his ass all over again.

A couple of yards from them, Jean sparred with Marco, occasionally throwing a nasty look Eren's way. He was waiting for the day Eren would challenge him to an actual fight. Eren just liked to humor the taller boy by choosing to spar with Annie so close to the spot where Jean and Marco would train.

Of course, this meant Jean got a full show of Eren eating mouthfuls of dirt every time Annie knocked the brown-haired youth off his feet. A dumb idea popped into Eren's mind than.

"Hey Annie," Eren beckoned to her, "C'mere for a second."

Annie raised an eyebrow, she sauntered over, arms folded. "What is it?"

"I know we're technically training and all, and you obviously have the upper hand here, but uh…" He scratched at his nape, "Do you think you can… let me win a round. Just once?"

He felt stupid as soon as the words left his mouth, Annie even gave him the kind of expression that read 'Are you serious'?

"It's just—ugh…" Eren's cheeks flushed as he mumbled, "I want to show-off… since Jean is an asshole, I want him to see that I'm better than him, so he could shut up about all the fights he won against Marco. Just this once, please?"

Annie put a hand to her chin, considering Eren's dumb idea to boost his sore ego. "And, If I let you win, what's in it for me?"

"I'll give you my bread rolls during supper for a week."

"How nice, but I'm notSasha." She rolled her eyes. "Give me something that's worth losing over."

Eren racked his brain for a better trade but found nothing he had was worth the price of him cheating in combat. "Uh…"

"How about this, Jaeger." Annie snapped her fingers. "If I let you win, from this point on, until our graduation day, only I will be allowed as your sparring partner."

"Wait but," he furrowed his brows, "Aren't you already, I mean, I don't really ask anyone else so…"

The look on Annie's face said she was serious. Well, she was always serious, but there were different types of seriousness she conveyed, and this one said, 'Take it, or leave it'.

"Okay, deal! I'll only spar with you from now on."

He almost missed it, but Eren could have sworn he saw the corners of her lips quirk up in a small smile. "Let's get started than."

She took her defensive stance, Eren stepped back. Bringing his fists up, ready to block whatever she dished out at him. Of course, he was still going to have to work for her defeat. Annie stared him down, clear blue eyes narrowed, lips pinched in a slight frown. Perhaps she was going about how to make his win look convincing.

Then she charged, taking Eren by surprise. She almost never made the first move. Annie swiftly brought up her left leg, caught his hip, and stunned him. Eren winced, staggering back, just as Annie swerved, swinging a right hook to his cheek, the punch made Eren's head snap sideways, he nearly tripped over his own feet but caught himself.

A quick glance to Annie from the corner of his eye showed him that she wasn't putting up any guard, her arms stayed at her sides, slightly bent with her fists clenched.

She's giving me an opening!

He acted immediately, ignoring the ache of his bruised cheekbone, he dashed forward and hooked his arms underneath her armpits, promptly kicking her ankle. Annie buckled and Eren pivoted himself so that he grappled her swiftly, they both went down in a cloud of dust.

He had used the very same grappling technique Annie used on him countless times. He finally had her trapped beneath him, using the strength of his arms to press down on her slim neck.

Annie kicked out her legs, grasping at the sleeve of his uniform. Sweat beaded from her temple, she grunted, beating at his arm a couple of more times before sighing exasperatedly, "Alright, alright. He's done looking, you can let me go now, show-off."

Eren didn't move, however. Except to loosen his arms around her neck a bit. Annie furrowed her eyebrows, puzzled.

"Hey, Eren?" She tapped his arm impatiently.

He still didn't budge.

Eren heard her but being that he was slightly distracted at the prospect of being on top of an opponent who has brought him to his knees many times; who happens to be a female—and who he happens to sometimes find himself thinking about more than he should be thinking about certain females in the trainee corp. He wasn't exactly in the most responsive state right at that moment.

What he did let out was a soft squeak. And that was only because Annie had pinched his ear.

He let her go after that, sitting back, and immediately crossing his legs. He folded his arms tightly against his chest and purposely avoided Annie's quizzical stare. His face flushed from the battle, and the proximity.

"What the heck was that?" Annie side-eyed him, leaning on her arms.

He shrugged humming an 'I don't know' sound, and—goddesses Annie stop asking questions!

She quirked a blonde eyebrow, before releasing a huff that sounded very much like a throaty chuckle. "Oh, I see."

Eren's face flushed a darker red.

"You wanted to give me a taste of my own medicine, is that it?"

He snapped his attention to her with an incredulous look, as if she had grown three heads. Is that really what she thought?

Eren shifted uncomfortably, "Well… maybe?"

Annie gave him a dead eyed stare that only served to unnerve him further and make him cross his legs tighter.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed that while it lasted. Next time, it will be you laying on the field with my foot on your throat."

Eren winced but gathered his confidence, what little he had of it. "Y-yeah, well—maybe, you'll be the one laying on the field… for real next time!"

The blonde stood, dusting off her white uniform pants, "Mm-hm, talking big for a cheat." She stepped over to him, leaning down slightly, and at this angle, with him having to look up at her, she was far more menacing.

"You have a cute nose, Eren," she tilted her head, causing blonde fringes to fall over one eye, "don't make me break it."