A/N: For ereannieweek, Day 6: Predator and Prey

I'm using my timeskip au for this one!

Impulsive

Boots splashed into pools of water, one set of feet trailing after the other. Rain pit-pattered softly on the cobblestones, and on the trash bags that littered the narrow path. Forgotten quilts hung on a clothesline two stories up between the two tenements. The stench of mildew, damp linen and moldy food permeated the air.

The two strangers stopped walking. Or rather the first one had halted suddenly, that then caused the second one staggering to a stop before they collided into the others back.

He sighed, "How long are you going to follow me?"

She countered, "How long are you going to keep ignoring me?"

"Annie…" He turned to look at her, running a hand through his wet hair, his face a mask of indifference except for the crease between his brows that gave away the irritation he was feeling than. "Go. Home."

"I should be saying that to you." The small blonde folded her arms, drenched and as agitated as he was. They were both such stubborn people, neither wanting to back down. He hated how similar they'd become.

He sighed again. He was too exhausted for this.

"If it helps you sleep at night, I will be… soon." He turned from her, "Now, go home. I'm sure your father must be worried."

He didn't get to take one step before he was pulled back by the little force behind him. He nearly fell on top of the damned woman if not for catching himself.

"Get. Off." He growled, trying to wretch himself free from her hold. Annie clutched onto his overcoat tighter, her pale knuckles tinting whiter than the starch overcoat he was wearing, now soaked gray from the rain.

"You think I'm going to believe you're just going to leave like that?" She narrowed icy blue eyes, "You have a plan, I know you do…"

He squeezed his eyes shut as he exhaled. He was irritated. Wet. Tired. "I don't want to hurt you… Just let me go, please?"

"Hurt me?" Annie loosened her hold on him, and he pulled away instantly. She cocked her head, "How exactly are you going to hurt me?"

"I'm not." He shook his head. "I don't want too… Just, stay away."

"Why should I stay away?" She pressed. "What is it that you're planning?"

He blinked, his clothes felt like they weighted tons, the dress shirt he'd stolen was sticking to his body like a second skin—he was so tired.

"Eren."

"Annie."

"I know you don't trust me," she stepped forward, boots sinking into a rain puddle by his feet, "And I certainly do not trust you. But I have never been loyal to the Marley, I do what they tell me to do because I have no other choice, because the odds are against me. Do you understand?"

"If you're trying to empathize with me, it's not going to work."

"I'm not." She was closing in on him. "My point is, I do what I do for survival. To make a living in this cruel world. And you… there is a reason you're here, and I want to know if you're going to be disturbing the peace here, otherwise hindering what years I have left in this world."

"Peace?" He scoffed. Pausing for a moment just to peer down at her, take in her questioning icy gaze and down turned lips. She was probably afraid of the outcome of his plan—even if she did not know it.

But with Eren, she knew things always ended in guttural screams, and fire. So, she was taking an educated guess, and she was right too. But he will not relent. So again, he told her to go home. And again, she pushed, and prodded him for information.

And again, and again, and again.

"Is it so catastrophic that you're not willing to tell me? Does the Survey Corp even know of this? Do they even know that you're here?"

"Why do you want to know?!"

"Maybe I want to help."

That sentence stunned him into silence. He could only open, then close his mouth because no words were coming through. Yet he managed one— "Why?"

And Annie, nonchalant as ever, shrugged. "I'm not going to live very long, so I want to spend every second I can with my father—and if your grand scheme involves leading a revolt against the Marley, it's going to put me and him in further danger, I don't want to be on the losing side if that's the case."

"You're making a gamble with me?"

"Why not?"

"This isn't a game Annie."

"If you have a big secret plan—then you've already made it into a game. And you'll be gambling lives… is that it?"

He looked away.

"I don't want my father's life to be thrown into the fray, the Marley has ruled for years… and I know, I can feel— you're going to change that."

"… You'll take back those words, once you see."

At this, Annie glared at him, "Then tell me what your plan is, and who is involved."

He huffed a laugh, "Go home, Annie."

She was on him before he could react, grappling his damp shirt collar and forcibly tugging him down. But he did not cower—instead he wrapped his hands around her thin wrists, and shoved her back, he was stronger than her, he always had been, she was just more technical than he was. Not this time, though.

He pushed her against the dirty brick wall—using his height to his advantage. Annie craned her neck so she could stare him in the eye, intensifying her glare, hands still fisted at his collar.

She blew wet blonde tendrils from her face. "Let go of me."

"You let go first."

She did, slowly. At the same time and same pace, he released her wrists, but opted to instead rest an arm above her head, leaning over her. His damp hair fell limply over one shoulder.

He grumbled, "You are so very persistent."

"It gets annoying doesn't it?"

Eren cracked a small smile at that.

"I'm not going to tell you anything, don't you know that?"

"I'm not going to leave until you do."

"You're going to make me hurt you."

She straightened her spine against the brick wall, hands limp by her sides, her nose upturned to stare at him in defiance. "I'd like to see you try."

He just shook his head, not because he was refusing her challenge, but because of the sheer audacity that was Annie Leonhardt.

He leaned down, got in her face, so they could see eye to eye. "What… you're going to make me shift right here? Right between these two buildings? Don't you care about what happens to these people? Do you ever think about anyone else but yourself and your father?"

That got a visible flinch out of her. Still she spat, "Speak for yourself, you don't give a shit about these people, you only care for the Eldians back on that island."

She shoved a finger into his chest, baring her teeth, "Actually, I'm going to guess that you don't even care about those back on the island. No, to you, they're expendable. You do care about your friends though, don't you? You can sacrifice anyone— everyone in the world, as long as it's not Mikasa or Armin, or anyone else in your precious little circle of a family. Talk about hypocrisy."

Their names on her tongue felt wrong to him. Yet everything she said was true… but she was only attempting to get under his skin with those jabs. So, he was just going to have to get into hers.

He tilted his head, so instead of leering at her face, he breathed hotly onto the pale skin of her neck. The sudden change of position made Annie stiffen, "What're you doing?"

"Why don't you just go home?" Eren with his free hand, played with the collar of her uniform—the Marley's uniform, that was hanging off her lithe body like a loose skin from all this wet weather.

"I already told you—"

He roughly pulled at her collar before sinking his teeth into the juncture of her neck. She gasped, blue eyes widening, her hands immediately coming up to his chest, but she didn't shove him off, just rested them there. Unsure of what to do, unsure of how to react.

He applied pressure, locking his jaw, until he could feel the supple flesh give way—he could taste the slight tang of copper, and warmth in his mouth. He could hear Annie make a soft— "Uh!"—sound.

He didn't stop until the steam flooding his mouth made his eyes water, only then did he tear himself away from her. Wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his coat.

Annie was clutching at the fresh wound on her neck, staring at him incredulously.

Eren licked his lips, tasting blood and rainwater. "Go home, Annie. Go back to your father. Forget you ever saw me, and don't worry about what I have planned."

He turned his back to her, started walking down the alley before stopping halfway, looking over his shoulder to where she was still standing, still holding her neck like a toddler who'd just been struck.

"And… don't go to the Liberio Festival."

Annie furrowed her brows, puzzlement and fear washing over her at his words. "Why?"

But he had already continued down the narrow path, leaving her there in the light afternoon drizzle with his teeth marks melded into her healing flesh.

She didn't follow him this time.