A/N: So I've never written a modern AU before but someone on tumblr suggested the prompt: "mikasa/sasha grocery store au. like mikasa works as a cashier and Sasha gets that cliche crush on the clerk" and it was just such a neat idea I had to run with it. Though I have to say, I didn't know getting a crush on grocery clerks was a thing, so maybe it's not quite that cliche :P

Everyone in the fic, btw, is aged up to their early or mid twenties.

Titan Food was the only grocery store in the town of Dauper. It stood out from the other buildings downtown, reasonably spry in comparison to the aging brick storefronts that lined up across from it, sad and faded. It was long and freshly painted and well-lit, and Sasha loved going to it.

Inside it had vast heaps of fresh vegetables and fruits, and Sasha had never found a moldy tomato among the many ruby red offerings, unlike the one time she'd shopped in Yalkell. Sasha wrinkled her face just thinking about it; that had been a sad experience. So much food, so potentially delicious, but left to go overripe and rotten, or wilted and sad.

As she hefted ripe, firm tomatoes and gathered up fresh, crisp lettuce, all thoughts of the yucky grocery stores in other towns left her. She hummed as she headed for the dairy section where she picked out sour cream and a few containers of plain yogurt. As her natural joy at being surrounded by food built, she started whistling as she strolled through the pasta aisle, grabbing up bags of rotini (buy one get one free!). By the time she'd wandered into the largest meat selection in the county to pick out some steaks (she had stores of venison and pork, and kept goats, but she wanted nothing to do with the upkeep of cows) she was singing under her breath (or at least, she believed she was), and was working her way through her favorite songs that touched on her favorite subject: meat.

She was still singing when she arrived up at the checkout counter. There was no line; Sasha woke at dawn every morning and usually got her shopping out of the way be ten, before any store was crowded. The clerk waiting at the end of the conveyor belt was speedy; as soon as the customer appeared in her field of vision, she was spinning around and racing to her cash register.

As such, Sasha didn't see anything unusual about her at all, at first. Just the back of a slim young girl, clad in the usual black work pants, white button-up dress shirt, and green apron. Sleek black hair whooshed through the hair for a second, but Sasha was already grabbing up handfuls of food to stack on the conveyor.

The rapid beeping of the scanner made Sasha glance up. The cashier's hands moved in a steady blur, the packages of food barely having time to register their prices on the digital readout before another took their place, and the girl was somehow managing to bag them all the while.

That wasn't what made Sasha gape like a moron at the girl though.

Instead it was her face; seemingly expressionless but full of a gentle wisdom. Sasha could tell by the soft, relaxed curve of her lips that she was kind, the kind of girl that wouldn't hurt a spider, that would never utter a harsh word or a curse. She was full of laughter, love, and shyness. Sasha could practically see them together, running through fields of meadow flowers together, the girl's worshipful awe as Sasha revealed all the edible mosses and algae to her, her blushing, tearful face when Sasha bestowed that first chaste kiss on her lips...

Sasha was full of beautiful dreams. Unfortunately, reality had to intrude.

"Do you have your Titan Card today?" the girl asked.

Sasha quailed at that voice. It was dry, cold, and emotionless. The voice of someone who had never felt shy in her life, and probably didn't even understand the concept. It could not possibly belong to her dream girl!

The cold gray stare made Sasha feel like a deer that had been pinned in place by oncoming headlights. She fumbled with her wallet, finally pulling the slim green card with its absurd logo of a giant, naked sexless man and the letters spelling out "Titan Food" in a Gothic font.

The girl held out her hand (slim and delicate and perfect, Sasha's mind whispered) and Sasha's fingers trembled as she gave her the card.

The girl (Mika? Her long black hair was covering part of her name badge) efficiently swiped it through the register.

"You have two dollars in points. Would you like to use them today?" Mika asked. Her monotone voice was disturbing, as if she were utterly removed from the store and even the world it existed in. Sasha wondered if that was what minimum-wage work did to people.

"Er...yes! That will spare me paying for these potatoes!" Sasha gabbled on. She patted the bag of potatoes with frantic energy. God, she was being so weird and the worst part was, she knew it.

Without saying another word, Mika applied the points and printed the receipt, handing it over to Sasha and then walking by her and down to the end of the checkout aisle, to await the next customer.

Sasha stared after her, burning the image of this strange young woman into her mind. Her heart was pounding oddly hard, and so intent was she on the new cashier that she did not even notice the arrival of a familiar face.

"You want me to take these out, Sasha?"

"Yaaahhhh!" she yelped, and flung the bag of potatoes in her surprise.

They went sailing toward the head of the horse-faced young man she'd gone to school with, Jean Kirschstein. Fortunately for him, his reflexes were good. Instead of clobbering him right smack in the middle of the face, it just clipped him on the ear as he hastily dodged.

"What the hell Braus!?"

"S-sorry." Sasha apologized sheepishly.

Rubbing his ear, Jean tossed the sack of potatoes back in the cart and began pushing it toward the exits. Sasha opened her mouth to stop him, and then closed it. It wasn't like she needed one of the baggers to take her cart out—she wasn't a little old lady or a mom with a ton of kids and groceries—but it occurred to her that Jean might very well have the scoop on the cute cashier.

"So Jeaaaaaaan~" she began, as he began tying the bags off and putting them in the big toolbox attached to the back of her truck.

"What?" he asked distractedly.

"You gotta gimme the deets, c'mon."

"On what?"

"On that black-haired angel on checkouts!"

Jean slammed the toolbox, frowning.

"Mikasa? What do you want with her?"

"Oh, is that her name? Mikasa...Mi-ka-sa..." Sasha said experimentally, tasting the sound of the syllables in her mouth. She liked it.

"I don't know Jean. She's just like...there's something about her, you know? She's not like the rest. She's a once-in-a-lifetime girl, you can just tell." Sasha said dreamily.

Jean could tell. And he wasn't the only one, and neither was Sasha. In the two weeks Mikasa had worked at Titan Food, she'd already attracted quite a few admirers. He didn't need the idiot potato girl joining them. It was bad enough he had to watch that prick Eren Jaeger come in from the firehouse every day and pick her up for lunch. The guy didn't even give a shit; all he cared about was fighting fires. He didn't even appreciate that he was the only guy, out of dozens, that Mikasa would give the time of day.

"Don't waste your time. She's in love with some firefighter."

"Oh no!" Sasha was tearful. "Is he cute?"

"Fuck no-" Jean paused.

He had an idea. It was a rather mean, petty idea, he knew, but it wasn't like potato girl had a chance anyway. Might as well scare off some of the competition.

"He's gorgeous. Tall, dark, handsome...big intense green eyes."

It was all true. Sort of. Jaeger's eyes did bug out with intensity whenever he talked about fighting fires, and he was tall...compared to his side-kick Armin.

"Hehe. Sounds like you have a crush of your own, Jean." Sasha teased.

"Wha—Hell fucking no!" Jean snapped.

"What's this studly firefighter's name? I say we hook you up with him and...as repayment you can help me get Mikasa!"

"Shut the hell up Sasha!" Jean hissed.

To his horror, he'd spotted the little red economy car that belonged to none other than Armin Arlert, town librarian and amateur botanist. It was parked only a few spaces down, and the topic of discussion, Eren Jaeger, was shoving aside a potted tree to squeeze out of the tincan car of his best friend.

"Come on, I told you about Mikasa! You can at least tell me about the cute firefighter you've got your eye on!"

She was so fucking loud.

"I'm going to kill you!" Jean snarled.

He had to clench his fists tightly at his sides and remind himself that if he strangled a customer, he'd be out of a job.

Luckily, Eren was heading toward the grocery with his usual single-minded determination, utterly oblivious to anything but his goal. Armin though...was watching them and laughing behind his hand.

Jean groaned.

"I've got to get in there. You—just keep your trap shut. About all of this."

He shoved the cart angrily into the cart corral and sped inside.

"Good luck, Romeo!" Sasha called after him.

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