Waking Up

Shards of crystal fell to the floor. The sound of it breaking woke Mikasa from her thoughts. Fear of the unexpected coursed down her spine. It couldn't be happening. Not now, not so soon. Even Eren was still recovering.

Quickly, to her partner she yelled, "Go inform them. She's waking up."

He was even more shaken, but still responded with a "Yes, Mikasa!" However, at the threshold he hesitated.

"Go!" Mikasa shouted, "I can handle her!" With a nod, he was gone. Mikasa drew her swords as his footsteps faded into the darkness. She was on her own. Now she could only wait.

"We need you to help guard the Crystal," Erwin stared down into Mikasa's hardened gray eyes.

"Yes sir," was her only answer.

Erwin sighed, he had been hoping for some kind of visual response. Not the lost look that had embedded itself into his best recruit. She didn't even have the cold steel eyes that she used to.

Everyone had seen the looks past between Mikasa and Annie while in training. Mostly glares, but something else. Something secret.

Now Mikasa did nothing more than wander the courtyards. Erwin saw her from his office window each day. He had hoped that by giving her the job of guarding the Crystal, (Annie's name had been an unofficial taboo), that Mikasa could get over what she lost and come back to reality. They were still fighting the titans after all.

"You'll be assigned with a regular soldier, as I can't have my best men all tied up on the same job. Levi has the shift before you, so I assume you'll be seeing each other."

Mikasa saluted and moved to leave. As one hand touched the door knob, she heard her name.

"Mikasa. Just know, this isn't a punishment. You've done nothing wrong. On the contrary in fact…"

Not a punishment. Mikasa chuckled to herself. They all knew. He knew. And yet he placed her here. To keep guard on the only thing that ever broke her.

It was only her first time guarding the Crystal. Her first shift. Her first time seeing her since the fall from the wall. Her first time touching the cool crystal cocoon. The crystal that was breaking into pieces.

Larger shards tumbled from the casing. There she was. No longer encased in the glass-like matter that kept them separate. Her slim silhouette swayed from side to side. The person Mikasa shouldn't have had feelings for and yet, she did. Annie.

Mikasa raised her blades higher. She didn't have any idea what the blonde was going to do.

The silhouette continued to sway. Then it rocked forward.

Cold steel hit the ground with a 'clang'.

Mikasa's blades laid on the floor, as she stepped forward to catch the blonde.

Holding the smaller girl in her arms, Mikasa slid them both to the floor. Despite her hoodie and uniform jacket, Mikasa could feel the cold radiating off the blonde's body. Without hesitating, Mikasa shrugged out of her own jacket and laid it across the slim shoulders.

The blonde's eyes fluttered, and Mikasa froze. Slowly, cold blue eyes were reveled to the world once more. Immediately, they locked with Mikasa's. Her heart raced a mile a minute.

'What could she be thinking?'

'Why did I ever want to fight her?'

'Oh my god, I almost lost her.'

Cold lips pulled up into the faintest of smiles, yet Mikasa still noticed since the smile was so similar to her own. With a content sigh, blue eyes closed and the girl was engulfed in darkness.

'Was she dead?'

'She can't just lie down and died like that!'

Terrified, Mikasa pressed her fingers against the blonde's neck. Faint, but the pulse was there nonetheless.

Carefully, Mikasa pulled the slim girl onto her lap and grasped the blonde head against her chest. From the stairwell, footsteps could be heard and shouts echoed against the stone.

Mikasa didn't care that backup had arrived. She didn't need it. The only thing she ever needed was alive and in her arms. Annie.