Forgive & Don't Forget

[Eren]

"Hey... Eren..."

I was laying down in the dark, the moon peaked through my window.

I was showered in messy sheets, with her.

We both were half bare, sweaty, and blushing.

Annie.

It was Annie.

She was crawling toward me, softly calling my name.

I couldn't speak, all I could do was stare at her. Truly admire her beauty.

~

"Tell me Eren, what's on your mind?"

This is it.

"You."

YOU?!

ARE YOU SHITTING ME RIGHT NOW?

YOU?

Why are you acting like this Eren? You've never been this weak before. Where did all that fury and manliness go? Now your courting with some women you only admired at a mentor?

Get a grip dude.

But I didn't want to. I wanted this, for so, so long, I just hadn't realized it until now.

She bit her lip. Her cheeks began to pinken.

"Me?" She let out an intimidating breath.

"Yeah." I husk out.

She grips my collar of my shirt and bows her head.

Her grip becomes stronger.

"Why, I just don't get it. Why? Why are you so forgiving? After everything I've done to you and your loved ones. Why?"

She looked up at me, tears streamed down her face.

I wiped the tears from her soft skin.

"Because." It was going to be hard to say, but one way or another, I knew what had to be done. Annie was special, very special. She was someone who I could understand, and someone who could understand me. We had a connection, and I wanted to exploit that. "You. You are the one who taught me how to fight, to talk to women, to defend myself. You taught me so much, and this is how I'm thanking you. You deserve to be forgiven, because you aren't a bad person Annie, your just misunderstood. But I... I understand your pain. We understand each other's struggles and feelings. It's hard to face this world alone, so why don't we just face it together?"

I catch my breath.

Her face is frozen. Her eyes are wide. Her grip on my shirt loosens.

"Th... thank you. Thank you for everything, Annie." I smile and caress her cheek. "You don't deserve to be alone, or sad. You deserve a long, happy life. And I wanna be there for you. I wanna fight by your side, I wanna be there when no one else can. I wanna be your shoulder to lean on. I wanna ma—"

A kiss.

Her lips pressed against mine.

It was so beautiful and tender. Nothing less from Annie.