The Key

      Connie Springer sat in the dining area of the Trainee camp, his head in his hand. He stared into space as he heard small chattering going around. It had been a boring day, and it was almost over. Another four hours and he could go to bed. It was a Thursday, one where the instructors are ready for the two days off and do nothing but make you run kilometers for most of the day.
     And so he was sitting there, the uncomfortable and splintered bench seats of the tables hurt, if you wore shorts you would be spending the rest of the day picking splinters. The tables were the same, so you made as little skin contact on the wood surfaces of the camp as possible.
     Connie saw Eren's key dangling from his neck. Why? The short boy wondered. Why would he have a key around his neck of all things? He could have a diamond, a necklace, a locket, a picture. But instead he picks a key. Of all things. A key.
      He just couldn't get over it. He thought about asking him, but wondered if it was something personal. What if Eren went nuts if he asked? That would be terrifying. Eren may seem nice, but if he gets mad, he gets mad. It's not slightly frustrated then mad. It's straight I'll-Kill-You. So he was hesitant.
      It was a fancy key, most likely made of steel. It was shiny, and had plenty of nicks and scrapes on it, and was thick as hell. Most keys were smaller, but this one was at least six inches long and a quarter of an inch thick. It was probably heavy as hell to.
     Connie continued to stare at it, its shiny glare blinding him as ir reflected off of the kerosine lampsmon the tables. He rubbed his eyes and continued eating. But every once in a while he would catch a glance at the key, and would put together a plan to figure out what the key was for. This could cost him his life, because Eren sure as hell would take it.
     Connie switched his thoughts to other things as he decided to eat. The boy finished his food quickly and headed for the dorms, planning on figuring out why the key was so important. The evening sun sat, its glare no longer cursing him as he walked west toward the barracks.
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     Connie layed in his bunk in silence. Everyone else ws asleep as he sat there, Eren's bunk was across from his. And his key was dangling from a crooked nail on the bunk. Connie had spent a full thirty minutes on his plan and would put it into action.
     He slowly sat up in his bunk and he cringed as it creaked and a mumble came from Jean, who was above him. But he continued. He did his best to avoid creaking floorboard as he tiptoed over to Eren's bed. The fuzz headed buy saw the key dangle at the head of the bunk, its string hanging on the rusted and crooked nail. He reached for it.
     As he made contact with it for the first time, his heart started to beat a little faster. And the reason was because Eren would kill him. He slowly started to pull it up, the cold metal shocking his warm hands. Eventually though, the metal conducted the heat. The short boy continued to pull it up, until the string caught on the head of the nail.
      He then pulled the string up and pulled it over, mission halfway accomplished. He then slowly tiptoed over to his bed where he carefully placed the key under his mattress and slipped into his own bed, his heart was still thumping as he heard Eren let out a mumble and turn over. Connie Springer fell asleep rather quickly.
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     "Where is it?!" A voice roared out, followed by a crash. Connie jumped up.
     He jumped out of the bed, still disorientated, and tried to look around in his drowsiness. There was another crash. At first he thought they were attacked. But then he remembered the night before and paled. Crap. Eren was looking for his key, and Connie had it. His drowsiness quickly subsided as he gained balance and looked around. A table was flipped over and Eren had Jean pressed against the wall, his feet off of the ground. Eren's eyes were filled with qsychotic rage as he looked Jean dead in the eye.
     Usually Jean was able to retaliate against Jeager and give some snarly comeback, but this time was different. A dark patch appeared and grew on his sleep clothes and he started to cry histerically. His blubbering was undecipherable as Eren dropped him and walked to the next person thought cpuld have possibly taken it. Connie was worried a dark spot would appear in his own pants if he wasn't careful.
     Connie quickly got dressed in his uniform and quickly walked to the dining area. He made quick, almost painful looking strides there with his short legs. His face was straight, but held a hint of fear in it. He knew Eren would go after him eventually.
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     Connie was near crying, Eren swore he would find the person and kill him, and he was no closer to finding out why. Many people had asked him, and he would respond with a glare. The only person he wasn't rude to was Krista, he told her. And people had asked her but she refused adamently.
     Eren had attacked Reiner during ODM training, and nearly broke Bertolt's arm during hand to hand combat. Both times he was saying,"where is it?! I know you know that I know that you know where it is!" He screamed out as instructors pulled him back.
     Connie would be next, and when his time came he would die. He would spill then Eren would end his life. He would lose his nerve. He thought about putting the key on Eren's bed, but decided that he wouldn't get to the barrack before Eren interrogated him as well. Mikasa and Armin were looking too. Although to a smaller degree. Mainly warning that if he found them with it, that Eren would most likely kill them. At that Connie felt a dark spot of his own forming and had to excuse himself.
     Surprisingly, Connie survived the day and had taken his shower and gotten ready for bed. Eren was emotionless, he sat in his bed and stared at the plywood that held the mattress above him up. The nail that once held his key was empty. It was strange seeing the crooked nail, and also strange not seeing the shiny key glimmer from the moonlight that came through the windows.
     Eventually, Connie saw Eren close his eyes and turn over. Although he was pretty sure Eren was crying not sleeping since his shoulders were softly jerking. He felt bad honestly. But more than anything he felt fear.
     After a while he knew Eren was asleep, and skowly got out of his bed, trying to keep it from creaking. And Jean's arm was in the way since it was slung over his bunk. But Connie softly pushed it out of the way and stood up. He then lifted his mattress. He had planned on putting the key back on the nail for Eren in the morning. But the problem was that there was no key under his mattress. He paled visibly. He hopped in his bed and covered himself. He. Was. Dead.
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     Krista walked away from the boys' dorm, tossing Eren's key up and down in her hand. She had an annoyed look on her face, the sun was setting and everyone else was in the dining area. She had found it under Connie Springer's mattress. The reason she knew it was his was because his very small Trainee jacket was on the bed. No one had a smaller jacket than Connie in the whole male gender of the 104th.
     She was gonna make Connie pay in her own way for making Eren so sad and scared. A smirk appeared on her lips as she devised a plan for Connie Springer. It would be horrible. She'd make him wish Eren had found him. She laughed evilly as she put the key in her jacket pocket and went to dinner.
   

     Krista sat in the dining area as Eren ran around the tables, interrogating boy and girl alike. Although he didn't touch the girls. The boys were abused. He headbutted Reiner, and pressure pointed another Trainee so hard he fell out of his seat. Eren was pissed.
     The blonde went through her day, watching Eren closely. He interrogated every person in his path. Some more than once, and Connie seemed terrified. She was getting suspicious, he tensed up every time Eren cinfronted someone near him, and he was sweating profusely all throughout the day.
     When dinner came she went to the male barracks and searched the bunks and suitcases. She found some thinfpgs she wished she hadn't. Bad pictures and other things like that. But she found Connie's bunk, the small jacket gave it away. She checked his back, his jacket pockets. She as about to give up until she sat on his bunk, and felt a lump in the cheap and thin mattress that all cadets had in their bunks.
      She stood up and lifted it, there it was, Eren's key was sitting there on the plywood that the mattress rested on. It was shiny and nicked all over. It had clearly seen better days. It had slight rust on it and was even chipped in a few places.
     She picked it up, it made a slight scraping noise against the wood. She picked it up. It was heavy. The leather string was worn and old, as if it had never been changed. She would do that for him before she gave it to him. Her heart fluttered st the thought of giving it to him.
     Connie was in for a world of hurt.
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     The next day approached and went, Connie was finally confronted. He was left with a dark spot as well on his pants. The day passed after that, and Connie really got scared when Eren walked into the barrack with the key around his neck. Eren found it. Or someone did.
     "You found it?" Connie asked, his voice slightly shaky.
     "Krista did," he replied. A boy spoke up.
     "So you attacked us when we didn't do anything?" The boy asked. Annoyed.
     "No, she came in here and found it, someone here took it. She didn't tell me who. But she has plans for you," he replied through bared teeth.
     She had plans for him alright, she made him streak during ODM training. It was embarrassing. She gave him a knowing look as he flew through the trees. When people asked, he replied with "it was a dare from Jean," Jean refused, but no one believed him. Eren never found out, thankfully.
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     Krista walked to Eren during their noon break, his key in her pocket. He looked down and tired. His head held low as he leaned against a crate with his arms and legs crossed. She continued to walk to him, she had a smile on her face began to form a smile at the thought of giving him the key. She reached him and leaned against him.
     "Oh, Eren," she cooed. Hed eyes fluttered as her body pressed to his.
     "Yah?" He asked her, a look of sadness on his face. Her smile grew.
     "I have something for you," she fished the key out of her pocket and pulled it out, slowly.
     "What is i-"
      He suddenly pulled her into a hug, she could feel the happiness radiating off of him. They were bothleaning against the crate in the cargo load off area. He picked her up by the waiste and swung her around. She laughed with joy. He suddenly pulled her in close.
     His lips pushed into her soft ones, he wrapped his arms around her waiste, and she wrapped her legs around his. Now her legs were off the ground and her hands were raking through his hair. The kissing didn't end until they were out of breath. They seperated, their breathing heavy.
      "You're the sweetest girl, I've ever met," he told her between pants. Their lips were together again.
      "You're the greatest guy i've ever met," she told him, between pants as well.
      They made out for the rest of the break, and after training. He took his key and put it on, the weight in his neck brought comfort.
     5 years later
    
    Eighteen year old Krista Lenz was eventually Krista Jeager. Historia was dead, she had spent her whole life as Krista, and it would stay that way. She told Eren her secret and he kept it, not even Ymir knew.She loved Eren, and she loved her kids. And she certainly loved living outside of the walls!