Saying that the place she was currently scouting was eerily vacant and mute was an understatement. The search for survivors dragged on, but it was their only choice for survival. Some of the remaining population was becoming frantic, unhinged even, as they desperately sought humans that were unaffected by the virus. No stone was left unturned.

Annie used to only think of how much she hated being pestered by her boyfriend Eren, but now being without him for over eight months, she solely thought of scenarios leading to him contracting the virus and slowly transforming.

She knew she should have gone on that patrol with him; why she ever sent him away without an answer makes her want to get swallowed up by a swarm of the mindless creatures roaming the Earth. As much as the girl wanted to end all of her suffering with a loaded pistol, she knew that wouldn't save him or even herself.

The blonde trudged through the streets of a once-bustling city, full of people, that was now reduced to a playground made of broken down buildings for zombies. Each time she took a step, the small silver ring hanging from a chain around her neck jumped up and down. Sometimes it makes her think he's still there, jumping up and down like an excited idiot like he did the day he gave it to her.

"Is there a reason you called me here, Eren?"

Annie knew that her boyfriend was spontaneous, or rather just impulsive, but telling her to meet him where they first met had to mean something special.

"What, I can't ask you to see me when I'm lonely?" The brunet asked, looking down at the petite blonde in front of him.

She sighed, "We haven't been here since we met five years ago. You know I'm not an idiot, but I also know you're a terrible liar. Spit it out, Eren."

The boy never understood how blatantly obvious his advances could be, but he still tried to be romantic and able to mix things up.

"Alright, alright, I know. I can't hide anything from you, Annie."

"Yeah, especially that new phone in your pocket. Don't wear a baggy hoodie, it makes it extremely clear that you want to give me something. Why not just say it?"

"I, uh, I...N-Nice weather, huh?" He spat out nervously.

"Eren...we're insi-"

The next thing she knew, Eren roughly clasped her hand in his, "Marry me!"

Annie was so caught up in his actions that his proposal went in one ear and out the other, making him think that she was going to say no. "I-If you don't want to then that's f-"

"Why?"

"I mean if you think this is a bad deci...Wait, what? What do you mean 'why'?"

"Why do you want to marry me, Eren?"

His jaw dropped slightly as he stared at her, bewildered by her question, before warmly smiling at her, "Annie...We've known each other for five years and you've seen how much I care about you. Would I do all the embarrassing things I've done to impress you for any other reason?"

"Probably…"

"That's not the point, though. I just...You're so special to me and I can't even say why! I just want to be with you and whenever I'm not I feel alone even if I'm with someone else! There's no one else I want more than you, Ann."

"Are you sure you want this?" She asked him one more time when suddenly he jerked a small box out of his hoodie, took out a platinum ring, and slipped it on her finger with haste like it would disappear.

"Does that answer your question?"

"No, but...I will."

"Will what? Come on, Ann, saaaay it!"

"I swear, you act like you're five years old or something…I will...marry you."

Eren embraced her with such intensity that Annie felt as if she were locked in a cage, but one she didn't want to escape from.

"You'll be happy, I promise!"

Now she found herself in the place where it happened, coming to a halt and looking around like a panoramic camera. It was surprising that not a single being, alive or undead, was present apart from her.

The survivor sighed before taking out her Glock, getting into a defensive stance, and doing the one thing she loathed: calling out for the living.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Granted, surveying an old and worn down train station was an awful idea if you were hoping to survive, but everywhere else had already been searched or deemed too dangerous.

I have to get through this

With that resolve, Annie slowly approached the bench they used to sit together at when she heard the shuffling of feet slowly coming closer.

"Who's there!?" She frantically asked, backing up to the closest wall.

Slinking out of the shadows was someone all too familiar to her.

"No...Eren, get away from me. I don't want to be forced to do this!"

It was surprising to her that she could even recognize him with all the changes. His formerly tawny skin was now pale with specks of dirt and dried blood that made him look like a Jackson Pollock painting. What were once green irises had now become hazy and a blank gray with no hint of life. The brown hair she used to secretly ruffle while he slept had patches of baldness. He truly had become a mindless zombie.

"A...An...n..ie."

"How do you know my name still? You're a zombie, you idiot! You're supposed to be dead in the head, unable to comprehend or remember. Why did you have to come here now!?"

"So...r..ry."

The shock of him talking held her in place as the undead boy limped up to her and slowly reached to her ring.

"P...ro...mis….Ha...ppy."

"What do you want!?" Annie desperately asked, hair now stringing in front of her face, and tears streaming down from her puffy eyes like a waterfall.

Struggling to contain an urge to lunge at her and attack, what was once Eren raised his hand to her pistol.

"You...want me to kill you?"

At this point, he couldn't stop himself from getting closer to her, now starting to give in to his hunger. Even though the brunet couldn't convey any of his feelings orally, if he even had any at this point, she could see the pain in his morose eyes and could swear she saw a tear fall from them.

"Pro...mi-"

"This isn't a promise, Eren! I won't be happy if I kill you! I've...been torturing myself over letting you go on that patrol for eight months now and you just leave me with this fucking ring like it would fix everything! Even as a zombie you're a complete trainwreck!"

"Ple...eas…e…"

"Eren...I'm sorry…," The blonde apologized, steadying her aim and looking away, "Are you sure you want this?"

Unlike before, he couldn't hug her. He couldn't love her. He couldn't even talk to her. She never thought in her wildest imagination that she'd miss that loud boastful voice of his, but even his grunts made her heart feel like it was being stabbed.

As a sign of approval, the zombie dropped his head to the ground, prompting her to shoot but her hand kept shaking.

"I will...kill you."

BANG

"Eren!" Another voice screamed out before someone tackled the boy to the ground.

"Get away from him! He's not your brother anymore, Mikasa!"