The Wallet : Pianist Mikasa Snippet
@eremikaweekevent | Day one
The lesson with Carla had just ended; it was her first music theory class. She was starting slowly, focusing mainly on reading sheet music and notes. Next time, Mikasa would show her some harmonies to memorize, as well as intervals.
Carla was an exemplary student; her eagerness to learn inspired Mikasa to do her best to give her all the tools she needed so she could start playing as soon as possible, but at a gentle pace. They complemented each other perfectly during that half-hour; Mikasa informed, instructed, while offering advice, adapting to the difficulty, and Carla listened, wasnโt afraid to ask questions, and, above all, picked up the information very quickly.
But coming to Carlaโs house wasnโt just a half-hour lesson followed by simple goodbye ; she often stayed well past an hour, as the lesson was interspersed with lively, passionate discussions about everything and nothing, and Mikasa couldnโt help but love those kinds of moments, she found in Carla more than just a student, she was a lovely presence who admittedly, talked and laughed too loudly, it seems like a family thing, and who offered her tea every five minutes even though Mikasa turned down kindly the offer countless times, but Carla exuded a kindness and heartfelt passion that made Mikasa feel comfortable and allowed her to let her guard down too, without any judgment between us even with their difference of personality, just two women finding happiness in the simplest things of their daily lives.
But deep down, Mikasa knew in her heart this wasnโt quite her favorite moment.
It didnโt last very long today; he had to leave at the end of lesson with Carla to go to a family dinner his brother organized, and Carla had asked Mikasa if she could stay at her place to feed Catniss Ervermeow, Carlaโs cat (she tried not to comment or laugh on that veryโฆpeculiar name, only Carla could call her that she thinks.) Sheโd done this several times before, Even though Carla always insisted that she join to eat with them, which Mikasa politely declined for now, it was already really touching that Carla trusted her to do that, and she can't lied that she enjoy this cozy, welcoming home and let her heart beat normally again after he always leave.
She didn't know why, (oh she knows) but as soon as he was there, the atmosphere in the room changed completely; it became heavier, more...charged with a tension she couldn't describe, perhaps something she was only imagining in her silly head.
She tried not to look at him, even though she could feel his gaze on her constantly. She did her best everytime to lighten the mood, knowing full well that the more she pretended to be relaxed, the more she made terrible jokes that only made things more awkward, luckily, Carla was a good audience and saved the room from a deathly silence, she told herself.
She could lie to herself, but she couldnโt resist but smile slightly when she heard his deep voice, his laughter that warmed her heart and resonated through her body. She could try to convince herself to make small talk with him as mere friends and out of politeness, but she cherished every second of his presence, her heart threatening to explode the moment his body would brushed against her arm, her legs clenching together when green and grey met.
From the outside, she seemed normal, she think... right? Slightly uptight and a little odd maybe, but inside her lay a fireworks display of budding emotions that she was trying her best to control.
The end of the afternoon had arrived, and after Carla and he had said goodbye to her and left, she completely relaxed on the couch, taking advantage of the fact that no one was there to watch her; like a puddle of water melting onto the mattress. She feel odiously stupid for reacting that way, even more so today, because it wasnโt like usual; he had the same wooing smile, but he was more distant, had spoken less, maybe sheโd done something wrong? Or were her jokes begin to annoy Eren? Was she annoying? Oh god she was. Was she not -what was the word- chill enough?
A sense of guilt was growing inside her and weighing on her stomach, as if she were hiding an immoral and vile secret, that probably means nothing, but was that really the case? Because why did her heart tighten when she saw him disappear? Secretly wishing heโd stay a little longer, wanting to have a moment just with him, even just five seconds, why did she linger longer in her bathroom the morning to apply a little more makeup or put on the perfume she knows Eren loves, when she knew heโd be coming over to Carlaโs? Why did her face burned when he is on the couch during her lesson time, watching her with his smirk and piercing eyes as she discreetly turned around to look at him?
That mix of joy and feeling alive, combined with guilt and the sense that she was doing something wrong, especially toward Carla, stirred up far too many doubts and questions within her, preventing her from wanting to do what sheโd like to do with him.
But what does she want to do exactly ?
The vibration of her phone abruptly snapped her out of her unanswered daydreams; she checked who had texted her and saw Carlaโs name :
Carla : Eren forgot his wallet, donโt be afraid if you hear the door open! ;-)
The air in her lungs caught, she didnโt even have time to process the message before she heard well and truly the door open. She leapt off the couch, smoothed out her long olive-green dress, and tucked her hair behind her ears as quickly as possible until she saw him appear at the entrance to the living room; their eyes locked immediately, as if under a spell that made it impossible to look away, she decided to speak first so as not to show that she was surprised : (and completely panicked)
"Oh E-Eren, your mom just told me you forgot your wallet, right? If you want, I can help you look for it-"
She hadnโt even finished her sentence when he approached her very slowly, the sound of his footsteps muffled by the creaking of the floorboards, never taking his eyes off her. Mikasaโs breathing quickened until he was just two steps away from her, and at that very moment, she forgot about the wallet, the cat, Carla, or even who she was, because all that mattered right then and there was that Eren was so close to her face she could feel his breath; wild berries and lemon, on her lips and she had absolutely no idea what to do except just stare at the curve of his lips, imagining how soft it would feel to gently touch them with the tips of her fingers, until she saw them slowly curve into a smile and says:
โI didnโt come here for the wallet, Mikasa.โ
It was over. Her heart was definitely going to explode; she was acting like a ill-mannered teenager about to experience her first kiss. She was ashamed of it, but she couldnโt help herself; it was instinctive, terrifying, irresistible.
She had to step back now, turn around, and pretend nothing had happened, go back to looking for his wallet, that had to be her mission of the utmost importance...but her body was unable to move; Erenโs warmth was like a magnet to which every part of her was desperately drawn. She surrendered to her terrible fate, began to slowly close her eyes, her long, fine lashes brushing the tops of her cheeks, tilted her head back slightly to feel him even closer to her, and waited, waited, waited.
She felt him leaning toward her; every movement, every sound, every breath drove her crazier with anticipation of his touch, until she finally felt his lips brush her cheeks like a gentle caress, her whole body threatened to give way under the shivers he sent through her; she tried as best she could to stifle her moan, but instead of her dream destination, he moved slowly, agonizingly down toward her jawline, gently tracing a path with the mere touch of his lips, without ever applying pressure, all the way down below her ear, then finally, to her neck to plant a kiss in the hollow, right next to her pearl necklace, the cold metal that had now been replaced by the burning sensation of his kiss, like a mark that will never fade. He stay like this for few seconds until it was, unfortunately, already over. He straightened up haltingly, Mikasaโs gaze never leaving him, as she had to tilt her head back to look up from his height:
โThatโs what I forgot.โ
He walked backward, a light smile on his lips, while Mikasa had turned completely red from head to toe without yet fully realizing what had just happened, until Erenโs figure disappeared from her field of vision, she tried, as best she could, to relearn how to breathe normally when the vibration of her cell phone snapped her out of her daze once again. She saw it was Carla again, and she couldnโt help but let out a nervous laugh as she read:
Carla : What an idiot!! His wallet was in the glove compartment! Oh god, tell him to come back, I found it !!!! (you know what, he's the one who's paying for my share of the meal, just for good measure :-/) Sorry for the inconvenience my dear !
