There was something that Eren had always wondered about Annie.
He had wondered about many things and it wasn't just about her inhuman fighting skills.
He questioned almost everything about her.
Like why her eyes always held that same emptiness, why she never smiled a real smile, why she never laughed a genuine laugh, why she never allowed herself to have fun, and why she was always drifting away from everyone else…
Why she was so far, far away from the others.
However, this time, Eren began to question something else.
"Why were you drowning?" he asked softly, his green eyes resting on Annie's blank expression.
"How am I supposed to know?" she replied, slowly glancing down to stare back at him.
They held onto each other's gaze for a while before quickly turning their heads away.
"It was your dream after all." He grumbled, picking up another round stone.
"I don't remember much." She sighed. "But, I think there was something else…" she trailed off, trying to remember as much as she could. "I think…someone was crying."
"Well this is a very bright dream." Eren mumbled, rolling his eyes.
Annie didn't seem to hear him, she simply stared out at the lake, watching the delicate ripples lap up onto the stony shore.
"Eren," she started softly. "Have you accomplished anything in your life?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Have you ever had a goal and…reached it?"
"Are you mocking me?" he frowned.
"No," she blinked, glancing down at him. "I was wondering…"
Ironic, wasn't it?
How Eren always wondered about this ice queen while the queen always wondered about this fiery dragon.
"Well…I had a goal the moment I saw my mom get eaten by those damn…titans." He hissed, frowning at his own reflection in the water. "I had a goal in that very instant…a big one and I'm going to reach it. I know I will." He paused, anger radiating off of him. "I'm going to kill every titan in the world…I'm going to kill them all…even if it destroys me, I'm going get revenge for her."
Annie stared at him, her azure eyes slightly softening at his words before quickly hardening them once more.
Silence.
The breeze wafted between them, rusting the trees nearby.
Eren didn't notice how hard he had been clenching his fists together until blood began dripping down his palm, splattering onto the grass.
"Does that mean…" she paused once Eren looked up at her, that familiar fire burning his eyes. "Does that mean you'll kill me too?"
For some odd reason,
Something cut across Eren's chest.
Like a dagger, digging and twisting deep into his lungs.
Pain?
Why was he in pain?
Unconsciously, he raised his hand, gripping the fabric of his shirt in between his fingers.
It hurt…
For some reason, it hurt…
Why was his chest hurting?
"I am titan after all." She said softly, her eyes refusing to leave Eren's.
She was holding him there, keeping him hostage with just her gaze.
He found it difficult to breathe…
He couldn't breathe!
He opened his mouth as if he had something to say but slowly clamped it back shut.
"Well?" she whispered, the breeze picking up strands of gold before softly letting it back down. "Are you going to kill me as well, Eren Jaeger?"
"Yeah…" he choked, the pain refusing to die. "I'm going…to kill the traitors too."
Annie said nothing.
Eren said nothing.
Silence.
Then, Annie began to laugh.
The same laugh that sent chills down Eren's spine.
The laugh that he absolutely hated.
She was giggling, her eyes reflecting the same bitterness he had seen so many times.
That wretched, horrible, disgusting look.
"That's so like you…!" she laughed, her voice ringing out as she threw back her head. "I should've expected that answer, you suicidal bastard!" she continued to laugh, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "Then, answer this for me." She chuckled, her smile widening into something even more hideous.
Eren could've sworn that the pain in his chest was getting worse.
"Tell me, Eren," she said quietly, that ugly smile burning itself into Eren's memory. "Does that mean you'll kill yourself too?"
…huh?
…what…?
Wait, what?
Wait…
Huh?
Eren stared at her, gawking as she continued to give a few more giggles here and there.
"W-What?" he stammered. "What are you-"
"You're a titan too, aren't you?" she said sweetly. "Doesn't that mean you have to kill yourself too?"
Ah,
She was right…
He was also a titan…
He was also a monster.
He was also the enemy of humanity.
She…was right.
He hated the very thing that was him.
"…yeah…" he said, his eyes widening at his own words. "That means I have to kill myself too."
Annie stopped laughing, her smile fell almost instantly once the words left his lips.
She stared at him, shock flickering across her face before quickly disappearing.
"Ah…" she said softly.
Eren had to take a moment to realize what he had just said.
He had to take a couple of breaths to digest everything that had just happened.
Kill himself, huh?
A titan…
He was going to kill all the titans and yet he, himself, was a titan.
The pain…
The pain in his chest wasn't going away…
Go away.
Go away, please…
It hurt.
Dammit.
Why was he in so much pain?!
And then,
"You're not just a suicidal bastard..." she whispered. "You're also an idiot."
Eren jerked his head up.
That tone…
Her tone suddenly changed.
Shielding his eyes from the sun, he peered up at her before nearly falling backwards.
He gave a small gasp, losing his balance for a quick second before catching himself just in time.
She was smiling.
A strange, awkward smile, but it was different than what she had been showing a few minutes before.
It was…
It was almost bright, almost warm, and almost…beautiful.
Eren must be seeing things…
Annie was smiling?
Not possible…
This was not possible.
But there she was, the gentle rays of the sun softly hugging at her figure, the breeze playing with her hair, her blue eyes filled with such…beauty that Eren could do nothing but stare in awe.
She was smiling.
A smile that was serene, soft, and lovely.
A smile that seemed more delicate than the wings of a butterfly.
A smile that was just like the moon itself.
And just like that, the pain that was writhing and squirming around in Eren's chest only a few seconds before, was slowly fading away.
The pain that was clinging onto his heart, squeezing the life out of him, was finally gone.
"Yeah," he said softly, refusing to tear his eyes away from that silent smile. "I am an idiot."