Hi, everyone! Here's the second chapter of my fanfic! Enjoy!

Eren and Annie trudged through the dirt and mud, cursing to themselves. The rest of their little group was ahead, joking with each other and laughing despite the onslaught of rain that had begun barraging them not even an hour earlier. Eren turned around to see Annie's deadpan-as-usual face. He cocked his head to the side playfully and said, "What's wrong with you?"

Annie frowned ever so slightly, but Eren saw it anyway. "I never really had any friends..." She admitted. Eren laughed, and he sounded so innocent, Annie wouldn't have guessed how much rage boiled in his heart. "Well, you've got me, and don't forget it."

Annie giggled and quipped, "That's all I've got? That sucks." Eren stopped abruptly and punched Annie on the shoulder lightly. She responded with a punch as well, knocking Eren on his butt. The two laughed, and Bertholdt called out, "Aww, they look so cute together!" Annie growled, and started towards Bertholdt, but Eren held out his arm to stop her. "Don't worry, I've got this." Slowly, he raised his arm to his mouth and bit down.

The group sat down around the campfire, roasting their deer kill from earlier in the morning. Reiner was nursing a large cut on his forehead, Bertholdt massaged his stomach, and Connie was still trying to pull a small splinter of a twig from between his toes. Sasha didn't seem to notice the fact that she had just gotten a concussion, while Annie's sides still hurt from laughing as Eren chased their friends in Titan form. Eren himself sat at a slight distance from the others, staring at the ground in embarrassment. Annie scooted over to him discreetly, her features shining in the dim light of the fire- which, in Eren's opinion, only made her all the more beautiful.

"Learn some self control, Yeager." she remarked. Eren's embarrassed frown turned into a shy grin as he said, "Well, some of us aren't stone-cold like you, Annie..."

The blonde's face turned serious, and she moved slightly closer to Eren. She let her head flop down, almost resting on Eren's shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Why did you allow the others to come? They're your friends, but they are still part of the Recon Corps, and one of them could be a spy... By the way, why did you tell me about the Recon Corps' plan? Why are you risking yourself for my sake?" Eren frowned and replied, "Remember that last time we sparred, right before we graduated from the academy?" Annie only nodded.

Both of their minds wandered back to that day, and to their first kiss.

A/N: I'll be writing another fic after I finish this one, a prequel, basically. It's going to be another Annie/Eren, only set during their time in the academy.

Eren cursed under his breath as agony erupted in his leg. He bit his lip in order to stop from roaring in pain. He forced a grin towards Annie and remarked, "That was a dirty move, you know." Annie's face remained in its intense state, save for the barest hint of a grin. She loved the fire in Eren's eyes, loved the blazing intensity she saw in him.

"You should know me that well by now, Yeager," Annie shot back. She went for a jab to the head, but Eren's hand shot up, parried her blow, and grabbed her wrist. He slid his leg in between Annie's and jerked his limbs backwards, flipping Annie onto her back. He got down onto his knees and forced a leg over Annie's chest, pinning her down. With both his hands, he forced hers to the ground. "Yes... I know you very well now, Annie. Which is why I know you're hiding something. Why are you holding back on me?"

At a short distance, Mikasa and Armin were watching from the shadows. Mikasa frowned and said, "I can see what's happening... And they don't have a clue. They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line... Our trio's down to two."

A/N: sorry, I just had to reference the lion king.

Eren scowled and whispered softly, "Ignore her. She's just being overprotective, just like my mom. Now answer the question, Annie. What's up with you today?

Annie tried to tuck her bangs behind her ear before remembering that Eren sill had her pinned. She had no way to hide her fastly reddening cheeks, and so, in full view of Eren, she whispered, "It's just... Do any of us really know if well survive this war with the Titans? We could easily be in a battle, and someone could die... We all could die. And... Theres still so much to do in life... And I have a lot of regrets... And-"

She was cut off as Eren's lips came crashing into hers. Annie's face somehow flushed an even brighter shade of crimson, and she slipped her hands out of Eren's. She made to push him away, then decided against it, and instead pulled Eren in closer. She felt the intense warmth of his lips, his erratic breathing, how soft and moist he felt against her. He pulled away abruptly and simply said with a smile, "Well, I don't know about you, but now I have none." Annie frowned and sat up, looking Eren straight in the eye. Shaking her head, she wiped her bangs away from her eyes and hugged him. Her eyes began to well up with tears, and she whispered into Eren's ear, "Don't ever leave me..."

Running his fingers through her hair, Eren replied, "Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of it."

Annie's face turned a fiery red at the mention of her first kiss. "So... What does that have to do with your helping me?" she muttered. Eren frowned and replied, "It's because... I don't want anything to happen to you. You're my frie-" he frowned, hoping in his mind that he was wrong. Friends didn't have as deep a bond as he and Annie did. Friends didn't kiss. Friends didn't... Fall in love with each other. So how could he and Annie be true friends?

Eren lowered his voice even further and finished, "It's because... Ever since my mom died, you're the only thing that made me happy. Nothing else could console me, but when I was around you..."

Annie leaned in closer. "What about when you're around me?"

"It's... It's nothing. Just forget I ever said anything."

"Eren..." Annie sighed, and without warning, grabbed Eren by the cheeks and forcefully kissed him on the lips. His eyes widened in surprise, but he stopped resisting, and pulled Annie towards him, savoring her soft, delicate lips. Suddenly, she pulled away, and Eren's pulse slowly started to descend back to normal levels. gathering up his courage, Eren finally admitted, "When I'm around you, I feel whole again."

"Eren, I-"

Yet again, Reiner decided to break into their moment. His footsteps thundered over to Annie and Eren, followed by the others of the group. "Oi, come on you two lovebirds! Join us and have some dinner!"

"Well, when you're in love, nothing else matters! You don't even feel hungry!" Connie added with a smirk. Sasha gave him a suggestive raise of the eyebrows and asked softly, "Oh? And how would you know that? Don't think I forgot all the times you have me your share of bread during dinner..."

"Stop, you two! You're stealing Annie and Eren's spotlight!" Bertholdt chuckled, finally speaking for the first time since Eren turned into a Titan earlier.

Eren raised his hand to his mouth again, and everyone backed off, but Annie took it with both of hers, and held it tightly. "It's okay, Eren. Let's just eat. You and me." With a pointed glare at their friends, she hissed, "Alone."

Reiner nodded, and signaled for everyone to join him around the campfire as he told scary stories, giving the young couple a brief respite.

Annie leaned against Eren as she swallowed a large chunk of deer meat. In a voice so low, so nobody could hear, she asked, "Eren?"

"Yes, Annie?"

Annie lifted her head up and pecked Eren on the cheek. Looking down at the ground again, she muttered, "Don't ever leave me, okay?"

Eren realized, with a shudder, that Annie had just said the same words she uttered on the day they first kissed.

He slipped his finger under Annie's chin, lifting her face up to look at him. His eyes shined with affection, and he kissed Annie on the forehead.

"Don't worry... I wouldn't dream of it."