The First Puzzle Piece
Annie slammed him painfully to the ground, his neck and right arm rendered useless by the girl's application of a perfect arm triangle choke.
She crawled a few paces forward, dragging Eren along while increasing the pressure on his throat.
"Annie..." He groaned, "You win… I give up."
"Give up? I don't need you to give up, I need you to learn." Eren could barely hear her, more focused on his slowly fading consciousness, "How to use your strength," Pulling on her arm yielded no results, "and how to talk to girls."
"A-Alright… I will!" At this point he would agree to anything just to breath properly again, "Just let go!"
Annie decreased her pressure slightly, giving him just enough room to breath, "Oh? So you really want to learn more?"
Eren felt a shiver run down his spine at the way she spoke the words, her breath gently tickling his ears.
Reiner's shout shook the pair out of their own world and the girl suddenly leapt away, allowing the large blond to land on his stomach painfully. Groaning with effort, he sat up and nearly vomited in the process, "W-Why did Reiner fall on us?"
"Hey Annie," Mikasa spoke, "why don't you teach those moves to me as well?"
The blonde stared back at her with a look of aloofness, "These moves are meant for humans, I'm not sure someone like you needs them." Annie rolled her sleeves and assumed a fighting stance, "But I am curious if they work on a beast."
With an impending fight between the two of the strongest close combatants of the 104th Trainee Corps, a group flocked around them discussing odds and bets. Eren could hear Jean vehemently defending Mikasa's strength, while Sasha and Conny argued back and forth about whether it was actually happening.
"Who do you think is going to win, Eren?" Reiner asked beside him.
He couldn't decide. On one hand, Mikasa was family and he felt the need to root for her. The girl was also freakishly strong – always has been. On the other hand, Annie was someone he had come to respect; he knew her strength, her own brand of tenacity, and she did mention that her techniques were made for those stronger than her.
It does help that Eren was also charmed by her to some degree.
"I…"
The ground was cold and stiff, while Annie was warm and soft – the contrast was not lost to him despite his uncomfortable position of being choked out.
During his fading consciousness, Eren remembered how to counter the move. With a forceful grunt he wedged his left hand between his chin and her arm, creating some breathing space. Annie reinforced and tightened her hold but found that the leverage he made was solid – they could stay like this all night.
"I don't remember teaching you how to defend against this." She grunted.
In the current situation, Eren knew that there was nothing else to do except wait for Annie's energy to falter, "I figured it out, somehow."
"Do you know your next move?"
"Wait until you're tired, then counter attack."
Annie hummed in approval, "Before that happens, what should I do?"
"Fight for side control. With my left arm placed here, it's easier for you to pull off."
Annie eased her hold and he felt circulation returning to several appendages, making him sigh in relief, "You win, Jaeger." She proceeded to rest her head on his chest as she broke down the lesson, "You beat a surprise attack, an unknown technique, and thought of your opponent's next move in the process."
"Thanks." He replied sheepishly, slightly taken aback by the compliments she was throwing his way.
"The ground's pretty cold." Annie then slowly crawled on top of him, using Eren as a bed to distance herself from the frigid earth. Her head nestled itself in the crook of his neck while her hands gripped his shoulders gently. The boy could feel his heart racing at the intimacy of the situation, finding it odd that even with all the grappling and very close physical contact they've had with each other, this moment just affected him differently.
"A-Annie…"
"My back's cold too, Eren."
"Uhh…" Wrap your arms around her.
Trusting his instincts(?) the boy embraced her, tightly, possessively, rubbing her back a little bit in an attempt to warm her up. Annie sighed, the heat from her breath caressed his neck and sent shivers down his spine, unrelated to the cold. Despite the weather, this was the most comfortable he'd felt in a very long time, and Eren closed his eyes peacefully.
That is, until memories of an earlier vision raced throughout his mind.
Memories of Annie choking him.
Of her crying.
Of her not wanting to kill him.
Of lightning clouding his sight.
Of his heart being filled with nothing but pain and regret.
Eren clenched his jaw and tightened his embrace, holding on to Annie as though she would disappear at any moment; unreachable, forever gone. I won't let that happen.
"Hey," She spoke, "do you really think I'm cute?"
"Yes." He answered without any hesitation.
Annie was silent, but from his view looking down on the top of her head, he noticed her ears turning red, "I never thought anyone would, especially someone like you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm… a worthless, evil person, who puts my own interests ahead of others. I ignore injustice when I see it and get swept away by the flow. But you're someone who goes against it. You're an upright person who says what's right and acts on it. Maybe people who can do it are just stupid, but I think it still takes a lot of courage to do that."
"Did you just call me stupid?"
"Hush, Eren." Annie chided gently, while planting two fingers on his lips, "Like I was saying, it takes a lot of courage to go against the flow, and I respect that very much. People like you are rare – special. That's why a special person like you, finding an evil, worthless person like me cute… well, I didn't think it was possible."
Placing a hand gently on the back of her head, Eren replied, "I don't know why you're calling yourself worthless and evil, when to me, you're neither. Isn't it just human nature to put yourself ahead of others? We talked about that when you asked me why the Corps was structured the way it is, and how that's a reflection of humanity. Going with the flow is also a part of that isn't it? Because going against it only brings misery. At least that's what I think."
"You always manage to surprise me." Annie propped herself up by her elbows and looked down at him, their noses barely touching, "Would you say that you see me as a human?"
Her question confused him, "What else would I see you as?"
The pair remained silent after his answer, the two of them staring into each others' eyes, a tense energy hanging in the air. Annie brushed her bangs behind her ears and spoke low, almost whispering, "I don't exactly know how to do this but…"
Her head moved down towards his, and it was at that moment when Eren realized just how soft and warm Annie's lips truly were.
He had never kissed anyone before, with the exception of his parents kissing his cheeks. For all intents and purposes Eren was green, inexperienced. Mostly because he never really gave much thought to anyone that way, his anger consuming most of his passion for anything else.
Even Annie was just someone he'd come to respect and admire due to her personality and strengths. He respected her physicality as a part of her well-disciplined combat ability and nothing more – sexual attraction was never part of the equation.
So, it was with great surprise when he found his mouth and hands moving in ways that his imagination couldn't even comprehend. Eren's left hand found itself tangled within Annie's blonde hair, her bun undone (when did I do that?), pushing her head deeper into his own lips. His right arm was wrapped around her small waist, locking her in place.
She was moaning as they kissed, making him dizzy for reasons he doesn't understand, but can only comprehend as sweet poison. Something awakened within him, a sense of desire; an insatiable want that has him grappling with a lonely sentimentality which has never previously pulsated in his veins. Their lips parted and he rolled, taking Annie with him, pinning her to the ground.
"Eren…" His name escaped her mouth, breathy, panting, her chest heaving up and down from trying to regain her bearings.
It only served to arouse him more, and he swooped down to continue kissing her.
Eren's eyes were closed as his lips moved to Annie's neck, savouring the taste of her skin and the sound of her moans. Their heat pooled, making the pair warm, sweaty, despite the cold and damp conditions of the room.
"Stop making me wait." She whispered lovingly in his ear.
He separated from her and knelt upright, removing his shirt in the process. Eren quickly scanned the dark, seeing worn stone and the ajar iron door to the prison. He knew he shouldn't be here, but was anyway, his desire winning over the captain's orders.
Fumbling with his pants, the cloth flew across the room in his haste, landing on top of Annie's own discarded prison rags. He felt her taut legs rubbing against his own, making him tremble in anticipation.
"I've never done this before." He admitted.
"That makes two of us."
Eren kissed her quickly, "Well, we'll figure it out, right?"
Annie's arms looped around his neck and pulled him down, kissing his cheek, "I'm sure we will, Ere-"
The prison bars flew open and slammed against the wall, sending broken pieces of stone flying. The two looked at the doorway in shock, seeing a silhouette of a womanly figure holding a long rifle. His heart was beating furiously against his chest for another reason entirely now, and not because of the naked blonde underneath him.
"M-Mikasa," Eren stuttered, "w-what are you doing here?"
The three of them were frozen in various states of shock and terror. Annie kept her mouth closed as she realized that the gun was pointed at the two of them, only opting to hold the boy closer
"Captain said you're not allowed here, he told us to kill you if we saw you down here." Mikasa's voice was colder than usual, monotonous.
"I-It's not what it looks like!"
"Really, Eren? You're not down here fucking the enemy?"
"W-Well technically-"
"After everything I've done for you?!" She screamed hysterically, before a loud gunshot rang out and echoed throughout the stone walls.
He thanked the dark that censored the true extent of gore before him, but Eren Jaeger could tell that the girl's aim was true – Annie lay still, her head practically severed from her body. Mikasa truly was superhuman, being able to shoot the cervical vertebrae connecting a person's skull to their spine at such a distance, in a dimly lit room too.
Loss. Pain. Despair.
Anger. Hate. Fury.
He saw red.
"MIKASAAAAAA!"
A second shot rang out.
"You apes! Stand up!"
Quick as a bullet, Eren and Annie simultaneously stood up and placed their clenched hands over their hearts, looking up at the towering form of Keith Shadis. Hearts hammering painfully, they endured the instructor's piercing glare, nervous and afraid.
"Stay here." He commanded.
"Sir!"
He entered the latrines, picking up the lamp they left by the doorway. The man delved deeper in the building, eventually disappearing from their sight. Eren didn't dare move an inch except to give Annie a quick glance, noticing a facade of calm hiding her true feelings of absolute fear.
As odd as it was, he felt lucky that Shadis chose to show up when he did, otherwise Eren didn't know what he would have done. The event he saw left him reeling, dizzy, and close to a mental breaking point that would surely have had him screaming bloody murder at the top of his lungs. The fear elicited by the instructor distracted him and allowed his emotions to focus on what's in front – not what (Could? Will? Was?) might be.
It will all be fine, The words were a sweet lie that served to calm him a little bit.
The instructor eventually reappeared and stood in front of the two, looking down at them. "Latrines are clean, very good." He paused and pinched the bridge of his nose, before resuming his lecture, "Private liaisons aren't exactly against the rules, and you two are in the top five, but if you get pregnant and lose your opportunity to join the Military Police, you only have yourself and Jaeger to blame, Leonhart. Think of the consequences."
"Yes, sir!"
"Back to your barracks." And he left, headed towards the officer quarters.
Eren let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, before turning to Annie and offering a forced grin. What the hell did I see? Mikasa killed her?
She was looking at anything but him, noticing that her cheeks and neck were flushed red (embarrassment?) while the girl re-tied her hair into its usual bun, "W-We should go."
"Yeah." Hold her hand, he waited until she finished fumbling with her hair, then held Annie's hand gently, making the girl jump slightly at the unexpected action.
Her palm remained open and loose, "What are you doing?"
Eren scratched his cheek, "Umm… my hands are cold."
She gave him a look of disbelief before shaking her head, "You're ridiculous." Despite the comment he felt her fingers intertwine with his, followed by a squeeze, "Here, you're welcome."
They began walking to the sleeping quarters in silence, every once in a while rubbing her hand with his thumb. Now that the threat of Shadis disappeared, Eren's thoughts were consumed by the vision he just experienced, and his choice of ignoring them were put into question. I can't ignore them if the things I see are the future. Why do I only see them when…
He glanced at the girl beside him, When we do things similar to what happens in the memories?
Eren's mind felt like a complicated puzzle that were missing pieces, unable to be completed or comprehended. The voices brought more questions than answers because oddly enough, it all sounds like his own thoughts, pervading his mind like an idea deep within his consciousness. But he knows they're not his, Am I even my own person?
"Hey, what's wrong?" Annie's look of concern shook him out of his musings.
"Nothing, why?"
"Because," She unclasped his hold on her, "you've been crushing my hand for the last minute."
"Oh! Sorry, I was just… thinking."
"Hmm," Annie tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "feel like sharing?"
Eren's smile didn't quite reach his eyes, "Maybe another time."
She gave a curt nod before walking towards him, suddenly realizing that the women's barracks were right behind, having reached their destination a while ago. Before Annie could pass his hand grasped her bicep gently, stopping her in her tracks. Eren then proceeded to kiss her cheek, which made her flush a gentle pink all the way to the tips of her ears, eliciting a familiar excitement.
"Good night." He whispered.
Annie opted to stay silent and didn't even so much as look in his direction, but she did pinch his nose with her other hand softly, before continuing towards the barracks and disappearing into the darkness. Eren began making his way towards his own barracks, still trying to grasp at straws of whatever the visions might be about.
More than anything, he was trying to squash down the emotions that came with what he had witnessed. Annie's violent death, right before they were to be intimate, perpetrated by Mikasa of all people, left him shaky and nauseous. There was anger for sure, betrayal, but more than anything Eren felt a sense of emptiness.
An existence devoid of Annie just felt wrong; she had become a part of him so deeply, that for her to just disappear was incomprehensible. It also confused him, after all, someone he's only known for about a year shouldn't have this much impact on his being. But perhaps meeting someone relatable and being able to connect with them in a deep level can leave such an impression – even if the time hasn't all been that much.
To you.
"Wh-"
"Eren!"
Even though it was cold, late at night, and the recruits had a gruelling trek scheduled in the morning, Armin was surprisingly outside the building waving at him.
"What are you doing up?" He asked the blond once they were right in front of each other.
"Waiting for you, what else? You took a while, did you and Annie spar?"
"How did you know?"
Armin scoffed, "Everyone knows you and Annie practice close-combat whenever you get the chance, Eren. The two of you would be attached at the hip if Mikasa hadn't done it first."
The mention of his adopted sister's name brought unpleasant memories into his mind, "Did she ask you to wait for me?"
"Yes, you know how protective she can be."
"I don't need protection, I can look after myself." Eren grumbled.
Armin grabbed his hand with both of his, looking him intently in the eyes, "She wasn't asking me to protect you, we know you're strong. She was asking me to protect us."
"Us?"
The boy's grip on his hand was quite tight, but Eren could feel a slight tremor as he answered, "It's always been the three of us for a long time, way before the Walls fell. But even when we were younger, you've always been running off on your own, leaving me and Mikasa behind. All she wants is to be close to you, but you're making it harder for her, especially now with Annie around."
His chest felt tight as a sense of guilt washed over him, Armin's words ringing true, "Well, what about you?"
"I just want to be with my best friend," The blond's smile was genuine, tinged with sadness, "especially when we see the ocean together."
"We made a vow, didn't we?" Eren said, returning the smile, "Flaming water, frozen earth, even snowy plains of sand – we'll explore the world beyond the Walls. I'm sure that everything will be-"
Disappointing.
"-dis-" He stopped himself, knowing that saying the wrong thing would jeopardize their friendship.
Armin tilted his head in confusion, "Dis…?"
"D-Distinct."
His diminutive friend chuckled and embraced him, an embrace he reciprocated with little hesitation, "We'll see it all, Eren; everything this world has to offer."
Eren whispered, "And anyone who saw those things…"
"Would be the freest person of all." Armin concluded.
Author's Notes:
As foretold/promised, chapter 6! Chapter 7 will be another 2-3 weeks, but it feels like I've been able to hit the two-week mark fairly consistently. We'll see how long that lasts. Thanks again to Lucadina for proof-reading, her additions really helps the narrative flow better.
A guest asked if there will be romance, I hope this chapter answered your question, and there will be more to come. The following are replies to reviewers that I couldn't directly PM in order to say thanks:
To vigigraz: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! Thanks for your reviews and support, and I hope you continue to read (and hopefully enjoy) the story as it goes! Chapter 132 hit a lot of people for different reasons!
To Moony: The writers for Eren/Annie pairings are dwindling, but we shall never surrender! You might already know them but check out Lucadina, Dorminchu, LunarCallisto, and Euregatto for some top-tier stories. There's more but those are the few authors I can think of off the top of my head.
To ILikeFoxes828: As always, thank you for your support! Noticed you made an account, thanks for the shout out in your bio!
To Forevershine: Thank you for shining your light on this story of mine (see what I did there?), and pretty glad you're liking the sparring scenes. Don't wanna spoil THE BIG REVEAL so I guess you just gotta keep reading!