This is a fandom blog. Fandoms include, but are not limitied to, Shingeki no Kyojin, Steven Universe, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fire Emblem, etc. etc. Draws and occasionally writes. Ao3 account is BagofTricks!!
Okay I'm re-reading Miscomisky, and I forgot that me reading that basically boils down to screaming 'I HATE THESE PEOPLE' at the screen while laughing hard enough to scare my golden retirever fluff.
OK HONESTLY... I’m RLY GOOD at convincing myself Everything Is A Mistake And I Should Never Show My Face Again so.. from the bottom of my heart thank u anon.......... MiK was a fun thing and i’m glad people are still enjoying it
And like as for your summation of your MiK experience: Same. Every time I was up at six in the morning writing a new chapter my thought process was always basically “these idiots are idiots i hate them and I love them”
Also: Miscomisky? Is that what people call it or is that just you? Either way I love it
In regards to your dog: give them pats for me oh my god i love dogs?????
so my friend managed to get me into Akame ga Kill recently. I watched the entire anime and read the entire manga in like the span of three days aND I'M EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED SO IF ANYBODY SEES THIS AND WATCHES/READS AKAME GA KILL AND WANTS TO TALK TO ME ABOUT IT I WOULD APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE I JUST HURT MYSELF WITH HEADCANONS AND I WOULD LIKE TO HURT OTHERS WITH THESE HEADCANONS AS WELL
Annie doesn't seem to know how text messaging works so she does the next most logical thing instead.
---
She remembers feeling so absolutely giddy, standing there in her room with Mikasa at the end of the room, remembers the satisfaction of seeing Mikasa fumbling and flailing as she- the ever logical one- pointed out, “You know, there’s this thing called texting? Amazing.”
Okay, maybe Annie was fumbling and flailing too and maybe she currently is now and she wishes she had never mentioned the texting thing because she just can’t seem to do it.
It’s not a problem with her phone and her thumbs aren’t broken or anything. It’s just, every time she opens her contacts and selects Mikasa’s information, her brain goes numb. What is she even supposed to say? ‘Hey’ seems too casual but she isn’t sure she’s allowed to just dump a detailed report of her day on Mikasa out of the blue either.
It doesn’t really help that Mikasa hasn’t texted her yet, either, but that’s an entirely different can of worms that Annie doesn’t even want to guess the contents of. As of this moment, she’s managed to convince herself that Eren probably crushed Mikasa’s phone in his hand in a fit of rage-induced melodrama and so she had to get it replaced, but unfortunately could not salvage her contacts.
She refuses to think more in-depth about it; honestly, her theory is just as likely as anything else and she is satisfied with it because in this scenario it means that Mikasa probably wants to talk to her but no longer has the means, rather than the flipside where Mikasa has all of the means but none of the desire.
Of course, that just means responsibility for contacting Mikasa falls squarely on Annie’s slim shoulders. It is a weight she is not sure she is comfortable with bearing, but it’s also not like she can just ignore Mikasa for the entire summer and then expect her to still be her girlfriend when school starts up again.
“Just fuckin’ do it already.” Annie breathes as she stares down at the damned gadget clutched between white-knuckled fingers. “You really gonna be like this, Annie? She’s your god damn girlfriend. Just. Just select her name… send a text…”
Her fingers hover over her phone’s keyboard but she can’t bring herself to punch any buttons. She knows she doesn’t have to write an essay or anything but she figures she should at least make up an excuse as to why she hasn’t tried to talk to Mikasa until now. The problem is, she doesn’t know what to tell her besides the truth, but that just makes Annie seem lame and pathetic and like she cares far too much, which is obviously a bad thing. Well, maybe caring isn’t bad but she doesn’t want to seem like she’s trying too hard is the thing.
Her hands shake as she tries to will herself to at least punch in one single letter, maybe two (she’s thinking she’s just going to go for a simple ‘hi’ because ‘hey’ is far too many letters for her knotting stomach to handle) but she can’t even manage that. She flips her phone shut and, deciding that the hellish piece of technology needs to be out of her sight immediately, chucks through the doorway.
Reiner happens to be walking by right then, halfway through a pilfered Hot Pocket. The phone hits him right in the forehead and Annie immediately feels better about her dilemma.
Reiner, to his credit, doesn’t even react. He just stoops down to pick up Annie’s phone and tosses it back to her.
“No I don’t want it!” Annie scrambles to the other side of her bed and kicks the phone away from her.
“You need to text her eventually.”
“Or call her.” Bertl adds monotonously from the living room, where whatever weird infomercial that happens to be playing has him trapped in morbid fascination. “Chatting on the phone is nice.”
“Did he steal one of my Hot Pockets too?” Annie asks, deciding that is a far more important thing to be discussing. She isn’t made of the things, after all, and would very much like to still have some left over come morning.
“You said everything in the fridge was fair game.” Reiner points out.
“Spontaneous visits are nice too.” Annie hears Bertl shuffle down the hall towards her room. He pokes his head around the doorframe, and she knows he is sheepishly hiding a Hot Pocket and a quiet fury builds inside of her. “You know, just showing up out of the blue every now and then with flowers or dinner reservations.”
Reiner scoffs. “He’s talking from experience, not fantasy.”
Annie heaves the heaviest sigh and falls back on her bed. “Oh my god you’re so damn lame.”
Reiner makes a disinterested noise and digs around in his pocket. “Hey, Annie, pay attention. I’m about to show you how to text the person you’re dating.” As he pulls out his phone, his car keys slide out of his pocket and jingle obnoxiously on the floor.
Annie sits bolt upright. “Reiner.”
“What?”
“You’re my best friend.”
Bertl lets out the most indignant shriek she has ever had the displeasure of processing, but Annie won’t let it deter her.
“I need to steal your car.”
---
Right now, Mikasa is alone with Armin for the first time since the start of summer. Eren is getting a very stern talking-to from their mother about keeping up with his chores. This could give Mikasa anywhere from half-an-hour to an entire day to get the information she needs. He’s curled up in an armchair with one of her books, content with the silence left in the wake of an overzealous sixteen-year-old boy. He is relaxed, not at all expecting the hell about to rain down upon him.
The time to strike is now.
“Armin.”
“Yes?”
“You need to tell me.”
Armin’s previously cheery disposition suddenly vanishes, only to be replaced by an impressively indifferent expression containing only slight traces of terror. “Tell you what?” He says smoothly.
“Cut the crap, I know Eren told you where he put it. He tells you everything.”
“Not true.” Armin disagrees, glancing warily from side to side. “I mean, he doesn’t tell me why he hates lemons so much. I try to ask him and it’s just a bunch of incoherent screeching for an entire hour.”
“Everything makes him angry, Armin, now tell me where he put it.”
Armin carefully avoids looking Mikasa in the eye and says slowly, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She slams her hands down on his armrests. To his credit, he only flinches a little. “Armin, I know you’re lying, you’re doing the thing!”
“What thing?”
“The thing where you miraculously get good at talking!”
Armin’s eyes snap onto Mikasa’s, mouth hanging open. “Wha- I- that’s not a thing! I don’t get good at talking! I mean- I’m always good at talking, I- you-,” He puffs his cheeks out, face growing red. At first Mikasa thinks he has made the decision to go down with the ship; to hold his breath until he passes out and is no longer a threat to Eren’s plan.
But then he recognizes his defeat, and his resolve leaves him with the air he has stored up in his lungs. “I… don’t know where it is, Mikasa. I really don’t.”
She examines him carefully, wary that he has adapted now that she has made him aware of his tell. After a few moments, she decides that there is no way even he could have adjusted so quickly and therefore is probably not lying.
“Am I really going to have to take this to Carla?”
“What?” Armin’s face screws up in a new kind of terror. “No, she’ll hate me forever!”
“He took my phone, Armin. I need that for… things.” Mikasa says. “Like, you know…”
“… Talking to people?” Armin prompts.
“Yes.”
“Like who? Aren’t Eren and I typically the only people you talk to?”
“No!” Mikasa snaps. “I talk to Sasha!” And also her girlfriend, theoretically, if she had her phone to talk to her girlfriend with. She doesn’t say this out loud, though, because with the way Armin and Eren have been acting they do not deserve to be privy to this information. (Also Mikasa has no idea how to bring it up at this point.)
“Oh. Well.” Armin slumps in his chair. “I wish I could help you, Mikasa, really. But I honestly don’t know where Eren put it. I could barely even understand why he took it. Something about,” Armin waves a hand aimlessly, “Um, payback.”
“For what?” Mikasa asks, exasperated.
“For conniving together behind my back!”
Armin yelps and hides behind his book. Mikasa straightens up and turns to fix a stern glare on her brother.
“This is your last chance to tell me, Eren, and I mean it.” Mikasa says firmly. “If you do not return my phone to me right now, I will bring this to Carla’s attention.”
Eren visibly pales and Mikasa knows she has hit close to home. With the memory of one of their mother’s infamous lectures fresh in his brain, he won’t be wanting to go through another one so soon.
“Okay.” Eren says, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay, just- don’t do anything we’ll regret, Mikasa, okay?”
“Phone.”
“Look, I took your phone because you were avoiding Armin and me and I got a little upset-,”
“I’m going to count to three.”
“-because I assumed you just suddenly thought you liked your new friends better-,”
“One.”
“-Jean was bragging about all his medals or whatever but that’s beside the point-,”
“Two.”
“-and by the way someone really needs to clean the men’s bathroom, I’m off track again shit sorry-,”
“Three.” Mikasa starts to step around him, but Eren falls to the ground at her feet.
“I lost it Mikasa I’m so sorry!”
“You… what.”
“I was going to hide it in the basement.” Eren says frantically. “Just for a day or two. Then I was going to give it right back. But when I went to get it back it was gone! I wanted to give it back to you like two weeks ago but when I realized I couldn’t find it I just- I panicked and pretended that it was all according to plan and I was just trying to string you along and see how long you’d play along but I’m so sorry I have no idea where it is I’m a terrible brother and a shitty excuse for a human being.”
Before Mikasa can agree with him or give him the punches he has earned, Carla calls her downstairs.
Mikasa lets out a long sigh. “You’re going to tear this house apart to find that phone, Eren, or so help me I will burn every single colorful note you have made me.”
“No.” Eren whispers. Armin holds a shocked hand to his mouth.
When she is certain she has made her point, she heads down to see what it is Carla requires of her.
“There’s someone for you at the door.” Carla says as she passes her in the hall. “What was Eren screaming about up there?”
“Nothing. Just typical Eren things.” Mikasa answers.
“He’s so excitable.” Carla sighs. “I wish he’d find other ways to channel all that energy. Anyways, you probably shouldn’t keep your friend waiting.”
Mikasa shrugs. She’s certain it isn’t actually someone she knows. It’s probably a case of the wrong address.
---
“What are you doing here?” Is the first thing Mikasa says when she sees Annie standing in the doorway. She doesn’t seem overly delighted to see her.
Annie tries to formulate a response, but she’s panicking. Instead of apologizing for just randomly showing up without even sending a heads up, or for the weeks of silence, she says, “I just drove three fucking hours to get here. A ‘hello’ would be nice.”
She wants to punch herself. Is that any way to greet someone she wants to not hate her? But it’s too late, the words are out there with all their bitterness.
To her relief, Mikasa seems unaffected. She steps forward and pulls Annie into a hug. “It’s good to see you. I’m so sorry I haven’t called. Eren lost my phone.”
“I figured it was something like that.” Annie responds. She isn’t sure what to do with her hands. Hugging isn’t a thing that happens often with her. Is she supposed to pat Mikasa’s back? She thinks she is. That’s what people do, right?
“Do you want to come in?” Mikasa asks. “Eren and Armin are upstairs, but we can just go to my room.”
Annie is still trying to process the invitation when Mikasa pulls her into the house by her hand. “I have- Reiner and Bertl are still in the car.”
Mikasa pauses. “Oh. Okay.” She turns around and heads outside. Annie follows because she can’t think of many other things to do aside from stand there like an asshole.
When she reaches Reiner’s car, Mikasa knocks on the passenger-side window. Bertl quickly rolls it down and pokes his head out. “Hi, Mikasa.” He says meekly. “Sorry for showing up unannounced.”
“It’s fine.” Mikasa answers. “Do you want to come in? I’m sure Eren and Armin will be happy to see you.”
“We’d love to!” Reiner exclaims before Bertl can politely decline. He scrambles out of his car without so much as turning it off and runs up to the house, hollering at the boys to come down and see him.
Bertl sighs and reaches over to the ignition.
“What would Reiner do without you.” Annie deadpans.
“Pay a large sum of money in locksmith fees, probably.”
---
“We’re not bothering you, are we?” Bertholdt asks Carla for what must be the thousandth time. “We showed up out of nowhere and it just seems rude of us to barge in like this…”
“You’re so polite!” Carla remarks, and it seems she isn’t sure if she wants to put her hands on her own cheeks or Bertholdt’s. “Make yourself at home, sweetheart, it really isn’t a problem.”
Reiner takes that as all the invitation he needs to thunder up the stairs and make Eren put on a violent TV program. Bertholdt offers Carla a weary smile and follows him.
“Your mom is pretty cool.” Annie remarks as Mikasa leads her down the hall to her room.
“With spawn like Eren, I’m sure she has the patience for anything.” Mikasa replies.
“With spawn like Eren, I’m surprised she hasn’t snapped. What are we doing?”
“I don’t know. Hanging out.” Mikasa flops down on her bed. She scoots over to make sure there is plenty of room for Annie, too. “Want to watch a movie or something?”
“Alright. What do you want to watch?”
---
They’re half an episode into whatever it is Mikasa has decided she absolutely must make Annie watch. Annie had initially hoped she could stick it out because she had moderate amounts of faith that maybe it would get better, that Mikasa’s taste couldn’t possibly be this bad. But she can’t do this for another minute.
“Mikasa. I don’t even know what we’re watching right now. It sucks.”
Mikasa gives her the dirtiest look. “Pardon me?” She says softly.
“I’m just saying. This show sucks. It doesn’t make any sense and also the effects are terrible.”
Mikasa puts a gentle hand on Annie’s shoulder and says very softly, “No.”
“No?”
“No.” She turns back to face the TV.
Annie is about to press the issue when Eren bursts in, screaming and waving something in his hand.
“I found it Mikasa! I found your phone! Now you can’t tell Mom!” He throws it at them, cackling.
“Where was it?” Mikasa asks.
“Bertholdt found it behind the desk! It was plugged into the charger and everything! Man, I can’t believe I forgot I left it-” Eren screeches to a halt when he spots Annie. His lips curl. “What is she doing here.”
“She brought Reiner and Bertholdt, and you’d better go play with them before they forget you exist.”
Eren narrows his eyes suspiciously, but ultimately decides that Mikasa’s warning holds merit. He eases the door shut.
Mikasa picks up her phone. “Three weeks.” She sighs. “It’s been charging behind his desk for three weeks.” She starts checking all of her missed calls and looking through her text messages.
Annie settles back into the pillows and makes a half-assed attempt to pay attention to the show when Mikasa says, “I don’t have any texts from you?”
Her blood freezes. “Um… I… I was waiting for…”
“You know,” Mikasa says, and Annie can feel the glower beginning to alter her features, “There’s this thing called texting. Amazing.”
Annie and Mikasa stare each other down for a minute. Annie runs through all the excuses she can throw at Mikasa, but the longer she thinks the sharper Mikasa’s smirk becomes.
Annie faces forward and says, “So, this warrior chick is, uh, she’s pretty cool, huh? Tell me more about the, uh… The disk thingy.”
She can feel the smugness practically radiating off of Mikasa as she turns up the volume on the TV. “It’s called a Chakram.”
crevangrietje replied to your post: Hey everybody I’m so sorry for the lik...
I LOVE U WELCOME BACK :D WAGS TAIL
IS2G 90% OF THIS APOLOGY IS FOR YOU YOU'RE THE PRECIOUS BAGEL THAT'S ALWAYS ON MY DASH MAKIN ME THINK OF FICTIONAL LESBIANS AND IT'S A STRUGGLE BECAUSE MY TIME AND INSPIRATION ARE EQUALLY LACKING BUT THEN YOU PUT BEAUTIFUL KORRASAMI ALL OVER MY DASH OR THAT POST YOU REBLOGGED ABOUT XENA AND CREV
CREV
I DON'T THINK U UNDERSTAND
MY ABSOLUTE LOVE
FOR XENA THE GODDAMN WARRIOR PRINCESS AND THE LIGHT OF HER LIFE GABBY THE BADASS BATTLING BARD WHO IS MORE PERFECT THAN THINGS THAT ARE PERFECT
Hey everybody I'm so sorry for the like total radio silence from over here. At first I just wanted to give myself some time to settle back into things back in Texas and then there was a wedding and now my family is in the middle of a huge move and several different people are coming from/going to several different places and it's hectic and disorganized as heck, but now thankfully the end is sight. Idk where I am with that Annie POV right now but I'm in the middle of writing a quick post-MiK summertime oneshot. It'll get put it up when I finish it later tonight/morning because normal-people hours are beyond me always. love you guys uwu
“Are you okay?” Annie deadpans. “You look constipated.”
“Trying to kiss you.” Mikasa mumbles.
“By just sitting there? Amazing.” Annie breathes. “So you were trying to draw me in with your powers of seduction. How could I have missed it? That was obviously that sort of face.”
Mikasa frowns and pushes Annie’s shoulder. The blonde sways, but she doesn’t topple over, and that’s sort of disappointing because she deserves it.
“Here.” Annie starts to lean in, but stops abruptly. “Do not give me another nose bleed.”
“Are you okay?” Annie deadpans. “You look constipated.”
“Trying to kiss you.” Mikasa mumbles.
“By just sitting there? Amazing.” Annie breathes. “So you were trying to draw me in with your powers of seduction. How could I have missed it? That was obviously that sort of face.”
Mikasa frowns and pushes Annie’s shoulder. The blonde sways, but she doesn’t topple over, and that’s sort of disappointing because she deserves it.
“Here.” Annie starts to lean in, but stops abruptly. “Do not give me another nose bleed.”
MiK is by far my fav. fic of this pairing, by far. I've always felt Mikasa to have this cool confidence. And your Mikasa represented it beautifully. She wants something and she went for it. As soon as she realized it was Annie, she went for it. I have headcanons about this story it's so awesome. How Armin, Eren, especially Jean and Reiner will react, or how awkward it'll be when they start officially fooling around. I am excited about Annie's chap. I wonder how long that "something" really was.
Thanks >////<
The most I can really say about that something is that I'm shakin my head
Annie laughs under her breath. “You know, even if we don’t see each other all summer, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ve…” She trails off, though, reconsidering what she’s about to say.
“What?” Mikasa prompts.
Annie groans and hides her hands in her face. “Look, I’ve felt this way for a while, okay?”
Part two sorry. I owe you 22 chaps worth of comments. Random question did eren ever draw that new sign? Their relationship evolved beautifully. Their downs soo much cause we can relate. And their highs splendidly done so. I wonder if Annie was goong to make a move or maybe she did but it flew right over Mikasas head. I hope this won't be yout last project in this fandom whether you decide to write a sequel or not. Because your writting is gold. All of their growth and affection. Ugh i love it.
Ahhhhh you guys are too much!! Thanks thanks thanks this is so sweet I just
MAYBE. It was MAYBE Twilight. (Idk I'm torn between that and Demolition Man and basically the entire list of movies you sent me but the thought of Annie unironically liking something like Twilight just cracks me up. Mikasa just Doesn't Understand.)
What movie were they watching before the incident? The awesome awkward situation. God they were so awesome. I hope you write the crack and the sequel. It would be and will be fabulous. Amazing fantastic great and a bunch of other synonyms that represent its awesomeness. You're so great. Idk what to say anymore, except i hope you keep writing. Its glorious.
AHAHAHA THAT'S A SECRET. Maybe Twilight. Maybe some old early nineties action thriller. Maybe a gritty western shoot-em-up. (My personal bet is Twilight, but really it could be anything; not like Mikasa was paying attention. What an unreliable narrator.)
Thanks so much for all the nice adjectives!!! You're the one who's great, anon!!
When saying your final goodbyes, be sure not to panic. Remember to breathe. Things that are not immediately within your line of sight still exist. That's called object permanence.
---
Arms wrap tightly around her shoulders and Sasha buries her face into Mikasa’s neck. “I’m going to miss you so much!”
Mikasa pats her back hesitantly. “It’s just for a few months.”
Sasha wails and grips her tighter.
“If you’re like this saying goodbye to me, I fear for Connie.”
“It’s fine, he’s going camping with me. What about you? Will you be okay when I’m gone?” Sasha asks worriedly. “You and Eren are staying for a few more days, aren’t you?”
“I’ll be fine. Armin will be here, too.”
Sasha sniffles. “How about Annie? It’s totally fine if she sleeps in my bed… it doesn’t belong to me anymore, after all.”
Mikasa tugs at her scarf. Sasha hadn’t even questioned it once when she walked in sometime Saturday morning and found Mikasa and Annie curled up on opposite ends of Mikasa’s bed (which had been disappointing to wake up to; Mikasa had hoped, when she invited Annie over, they would cuddle or something, but Mikasa fell asleep as soon as she sat down so that obviously didn’t happen). This is actually the first Sasha has mentioned it.
“I’m not sure when she’s leaving, but I’ll be sure to let her know.”
Sasha nods sadly. “I would make Connie promise to take care of you if I weren’t taking him home.” She says. “I’m sorry.”
“No, he should do something fun for his birthday to forget that it happened on the last day of finals.” She says this because Sasha needs the reassurance, not because she is actually sad that there will be one less person for her to not hang out with.
Sasha still looks like she’s fetching wildly for anything she can say to make this better. Mikasa fights back a sigh and reminds herself to appreciate the fact that Sasha just cares about her a lot. “It’ll be okay, Sasha. I promise I’ll be fine.”
The tension finally leaves Sasha, but she still looks unsure. “I stocked up my food drawer.” Sasha rests a hand on her shoulder. “To sustain you while you’re trapped here.”
It’s a huge gesture coming from Sasha, so even though Mikasa doesn’t think much of the food itself she offers a heartfelt, “Thank you, Sasha. That’s really sweet.”
Sasha smiles, eyes watery, and picks up her suitcase. “Well, I shouldn’t keep my dad waiting.”
“Have fun.”
As soon as the door shuts, the room feels incredibly empty. Sasha’s half of the room- previously covered in posters and food wrappers and the occasional discarded article of clothing- is totally empty. She doesn’t know how Connie went an entire semester without a roommate; it hasn’t even been a full minutes for her and she already misses Sasha.
She guesses it’s just natural to feel that way when saying goodbye to people you enjoy, even if it’s just for a little while.
But she’ll be alright, she thinks as she starts digging through the drawer of food Sasha left for her (Sasha seems to have gone out of her way to stock it with things she knows Mikasa likes, and again Mikasa is touched by her roommate’s thoughtfulness). It’s just for a few days, and she likes privacy. She has always liked privacy. And it’s like she said; in the rare event that she gets lonely, she always has Eren and Armin. Maybe Annie, if she isn’t leaving today. And anyways it’s just a few days; then Dr. Jaeger will be able to pick them up, and then summer will really begin. Eren will be able to get outside and burn off all of that excess energy all hours of the day and night. Maybe she will finally talk to Armin about Annie. Maybe Annie can come over.
Except, Mikasa remembers very suddenly, that Annie lives three hours away.
Mikasa had originally thought that Annie being on the exact opposite end of the floor was a pain in the ass, but in a few days’ time (maybe sooner) she is going to be three hours away for three months.
To Mikasa’s knowledge, Annie doesn’t drive. Mikasa certainly doesn’t.
Suddenly, she doesn’t want the semester to end. She doesn’t want to go home. She isn’t sure that whatever it is she and Annie have is sturdy enough to handle three entire months apart. What if it fades away?
She has to be sure that won’t happen, but she and Annie haven’t even come close to kissing again, or using the g-word at all, and even though she spent the night on Friday it’s not like they stayed up talking or cuddling or doing whatever people who are sort of dating do. They haven’t even talked since then.
Jesus Christ, why do neither of them ever talk.
Mikasa surges to her feet, the food drawer forgotten. She has to take care of this immediately. If it’s going to end, it’s going to be with dignity and clear communication. No dodging around it, no letting it quietly wither and then avoiding each other’s gaze for the entirety of senior year, none of that at all.
Literally, hopefully none of that at all. Mikasa isn’t sure why she’s going into this assuming they’re going to break up. She should probably approach Annie with a bit more optimism than this if she wants to avoid that scenario.
She goes straight to Annie’s room, almost aggressively ignoring everyone else in the hall. Reiner tries to say hi, she stalks right past him. Jean asks if she needs anything, she steps deftly around his suitcase. Thomas asks if she’s seen his keys- sorry, Thomas, Mikasa has more important things to do.
She only comes up short when she reaches Eren’s and Armin’s room. The door is open. She can hear some of Eren’s music drifting out into the hallway. She recognizes this as something from one of the playlists he listens to in order to unwind, though to be honest all of his music sounds like what you’d listen to in order to pump up before charging into battle or participating in a sporting event.
She needs to get past without them noticing her. She doesn’t have time to be delayed by them, nor does she have time to hastily explain why she doesn’t have time to be delayed by them. The clock is ticking. Annie could be gone any second and Mikasa can’t have that.
Maybe if she darts across fast enough, they won’t see her. Considering that Eren is listening to his “relaxing” music, she can assume he is taking a nap. Armin could be doing a number of things- reading, browsing the internet, playing solitaire- at his desk, meaning his back would be facing the door.
The odds are in her favor. She’s going to dash past their room. From there, it’s just two doors to Annie’s room.
“Mikasa!” Calls the person she probably wants to run into even less than her boys.
An elbow comes to rest on her shoulder. She closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath. Maybe this isn’t real. Maybe, when she opens her eyes, Ymir will go away.
“How about those finals, huh?” She scratches at the bottom of her chin. “How’d you do?”
“Fine, I suppose. If you’ll excuse me-,”
“What’s the rush, huh?” Ymir asks. “It’s not like you’re gonna be late for class.”
“I’m on my way to speak with someone.”
“Eren and Armin?” Ymir guesses.
Mikasa holds her breath and prays that by invoking their names, she didn’t just summon them to the hall.
“You three basically live together, you see them all the time!” Ymir continues with a little more volume and proximity than Mikasa is actually comfortable with. “Can’t you spare a little time to talk to me? We’re friends aren’t we?”
Mikasa’s list of people she considers to be her friends is very short. It consists of Eren and Armin, probably Sasha, and maybe Annie (she’s still really confused about that). She is pretty sure none of those people are Ymir.
She’s about to tell Ymir as much when Krista, her saving grace, comes around the corner looking stern. “Ymir, quit antagonizing Mikasa. She’s obviously in a rush.”
Ymir immediately leaves Mikasa to latch onto her, cooing. The sound might actually make Mikasa more uncomfortable than Ymir’s lack of respect for personal space.
“Sorry.” Krista sighs, supporting her girlfriend with as much dignity as she can muster. “She’s been doing a bit of… celebrating.” She looks up at her and says softly, “Hey, why don’t you go finish packing?”
Ymir straightens up with a groan. “We’re leaving tonight.”
Thank God, Mikasa sighs inwardly.
Krista starts to guide Ymir back down the hall until Ymir finally starts shuffling her own feet. When she is satisfied that she won’t topple over or something, she turns back to Mikasa. “Thanks for all your help, by the way.”
“With what?”
Krista gestures vaguely at Ymir. Mikasa squints at her. Krista gestures again.
After a few moments of awkward silence she adds, “You know…”
Mikasa shakes her head.
Krista sighs and fixes her gaze on the ceiling. “Your advice. I’m not sure that I ever thanked you for it, but it’s been helpful for more things than just that.”
“Oh.” Mikasa breathes. “That. Um, no problem. And I guess I should thank you too?”
“For what? Wasn’t the entire last half of the semester a living hell because of all this? Ymir told me you cried at one point.”
“Ymir is awful and a liar.” Mikasa answers firmly.
Krista’s eyes narrow. Her glare isn’t particularly impressive, but considering that it is Krista, the fact that she is glaring at all makes Mikasa feel ashamed. “Mikasa.”
“Sorry.” Mikasa sighs. “I think seeing Eren interact with Jean has left me with a few bad habits. Ymir isn’t… awful.”
Krista taps her foot expectantly.
“I’m not taking back the liar comment.” Mikasa says firmly. “She told you Annie and I were dating at a time when we clearly weren’t.”
Krista sighs and looks off to the side, clearly unsatisfied but willing to concede the point. “To be fair, the conversation didn’t go entirely like that… But, taking everything into consideration, that’s probably the best I can expect.”
Mikasa nods and glances over her shoulder at Annie’s door. She still needs to get past Eren and Armin.
“Well,” Mikasa says, gearing up to stealthily close the distance between her and that door, “I should be going.”
“Me too. If Ymir runs into a teacher, she’ll get into trouble…”
“Good luck.”
Krista laughs drily and hurries off to catch up with Ymir.
She spares another glance at her boys’ open door. Eren’s music is still filling the hall with a screeching guitar solo that sets her teeth on edge. Good, he’s probably dead asleep.
She still has no idea what Armin is doing. She doesn’t have any more time to waste, though.
She darts past the doorway, sparing a glance in against her better judgment.
As se suspected, Eren is asleep. Armin is on his bed, writing something in a notebook. He looks up. For a split second, their eyes meet. He starts to call out to her.
Then Mikasa is past the doorway. She pounds on Annie’s door, praying that she will answer quickly.
The doorknob has barely even turned all the way before Mikasa pushes her way inside, shoving the door shut behind her and slamming her back against it.
Annie frowns at her from a safe distance away, hand half-raised to cover her nose. “What are you doing?”
Mikasa exhales slowly and starts to explain, but then there is a light tapping on the wood at her back.
“Don’t answer it.” Mikasa says. “It’s Armin.”
Annie rolls her eyes and waves at Mikasa to move. She shakes her head. Annie pushes her aside and cracks the door open. “Yeah?”
“Hey!” As Mikasa feared; it’s Armin. She’s standing silently on the other side of the door, but she can hear him clear as day. “Have you seen Mikasa? I could have sworn she just passed by.”
Annie stares at him for a moment. “No.”
“Oh. Well-,”
Annie shuts the door on him. She stands there for a few seconds, frowning at the wood. Then she raises an eyebrow at Mikasa. “Why are we avoiding your best friend?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
She nods slowly. “And we’re avoiding Armin because…?”
“It’s personal. About us.”
Annie’s nostrils flare, but that’s the only response she offers. Mikasa can hear the blood roaring in her ears.
“Nope.” Annie reaches for the door.
“Annie.” Mikasa catches her wrist. “Summer is coming up.”
“I know.”
“You live three hours away.”
“I know.” Annie wrenches her arm out of Mikasa’s grasp.
Mikasa sighs and rubs at the corners of her eyes. “I just want to know what’s going to happen.”
Annie shrugs. She looks down at the ground and reaches back to pull her hood up.
Mikasa waits for her to make the next move, because she honestly has no idea what she’s supposed to do.
Annie shoves her hands into her pockets. “I don’t want to break up.”
“Me neither. I’m not here to break up with you. But can we do three months away from each other?”
“We did sixteen years up until now.”
“You know what I mean.”
Annie groans and tilts her head back. Her hood falls off. “I know what you mean.” She turns away from Mikasa. “If you’re going to do it, then do it.”
Mikasa can’t help but crack a little smile. “I just said I didn’t want to. Quit being so dramatic.”
“You know, there’s this thing called texting?” Annie holds her hands out in front of her, though she’s still facing away from Mikasa so she isn’t sure what Annie is trying to accomplish. “Amazing.”
Mikasa… actually hadn’t thought about that. She’ll pretend that she totally did though. “I know.”
“Plus, Reiner has a car.” Annie adds. “I could probably persuade him to loan me the car for a day or so.”
“He’d drive all the way out there and trust you with his prized possession?”
“He owes me.” Annie shrugs. “Anyways, he doesn’t have to know.”
“Do not steal your best friend’s car.”
“That’s a really strong word.”
“Steal? Or best friend?”
“Both.”
Annie flops down on her bed. She pats the spot next to her, and Mikasa obediently sits down.
“Are we friends?” Mikasa asks.
Annie shrugs. “I guess. I don’t know. There’s a difference between wanting to know someone as a friend and wanting to know them as a… person.”
“Person?”
“You’re my person. Remember?”
Mikasa turns away to hide her smile. That really does sound weird, but it’s cute coming from Annie.
“Anyways, I always thought dating and friendship went hand in hand.” Mikasa tells her.
“Okay, then we’re friends.” Annie sits up to look at her. “But not as much as we’re girlfriends.” She stops and makes a face. “That sounds weirder than person.”
Mikasa’s lips stretch out of their own volition.
“You look like a dork.” Annie grumbles, cheeks growing red.
“I like it.”
“Looking like a dork?”
“The g-word.”
“The g-word.” Annie repeats sardonically. “How’s third grade going, Jean?”
“Shut up.”
Annie laughs under her breath. “You know, even if we don’t see each other all summer, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ve…” She trails off, though, reconsidering what she’s about to say.
“What?” Mikasa prompts.
Annie groans and hides her hands in her face. “Look, I’ve felt this way for a while, okay?”
“A while? Like, what, a year or something?”
“Sure.” Annie agrees. “Or something.” She sighs and forces her hands into her lap. “The point is, Mikasa, I know some time away won’t change that for me.”
Hearing that makes her heart flutter. That seals the deal, then.
Mikasa is gonna do it. She’s totally going to do it. She’s going to kiss Annie and not physically injure her face. She’s pumping herself up- all she has to do is just sort of- lean in and- maybe- tilt her head?? So that she doesn’t. Annie’s nose is beautiful, but a bit of an obstacle. Mikasa should be careful. She’d feel bad if- two for two would suck-
“Are you okay?” Annie deadpans. “You look constipated.”
“Trying to kiss you.” Mikasa mumbles.
“By just sitting there? Amazing.” Annie breathes. “So you were trying to draw me in with your powers of seduction. How could I have missed it? That was obviously that sort of face.”
Mikasa frowns and pushes Annie’s shoulder. The blonde sways, but she doesn’t topple over, and that’s sort of disappointing because she deserves it.
“Here.” Annie starts to lean in, but stops abruptly. “Do not give me another nose bleed.”
Mikasa starts to make an offended noise, but then Annie closes the distance between their lips and suddenly Mikasa isn’t so irritated anymore.
“So,” Annie mumbles without even properly pulling away; the movement of her lips against Mikasa’s sends pleasant tingles up and down her spine, “When were you going to tell Armin?”
Mikasa is more civilized, though. She leans back and says, “At this point, it’s sort of like I’m waiting to see how long it takes him to figure it out.”
