Originally written for a friend and posted to my tumblr sneezehq. This is set during the training arc. Enjoy!
Hand to hand combat was always Sasha's least favorite part of training. Practicing with the ODM gear in the forest was fun, and at least she knew running laps was meant to improve her endurance. But practicing fighting skills against humans seemed so pointless when the enemies they would be facing are as enormous as the titans. And this doesn't even count towards their final exam!
Plus, in the off chance that Sasha does have to face an opponent that's her own size, she'd much rather be fighting from a distance with her bow and arrows, rather than a fistfight close up.
Today, hand to hand combat is worse than usual, thanks to her partner.
"Uh, Mikasa?" Sasha begins tentatively, gulping when Mikasa narrows her eyes at her. She does her best not to flinch, and continues. "Maybe you should take a break?"
Mikasa looks at Sasha as if she just suggested that they go live outside the walls with only potatoes to defend themselves. "We still have have an hour of combat training left. We should be using this time to prepare ourselves and get stronger, not goof around like you usually do," she says sharply, after a moment of awkward silence.
Well. That backfired spectacularly. Mikasa really looks like she's about to keel over-her face is even paler than usual, and her nose and cheeks are flushed pink. Not to mention the fact that her voice sounds like it's been shredded. Sasha has been trying to go easier on her during their practice session; not that it really makes a difference. Sick or well, Mikasa can easily knock Sasha on her ass with little effort. Even if she's coughing and sniffling the whole time.
Sasha lets herself get distracted, and Mikasa takes the opportunity to tackle her to the ground. By the time she realizes what's happening, there's a knife at her throat.
"Yield," Mikasa says hoarsely, before turning her head into her shoulder to muffle a cough.
Despite the sign of weakness, Sasha doesn't hesitate to throw her hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright, you win again!" she yelps.
"You let yourself get distracted, and it made you sloppy. I expect you to pay attention and actually put some effort into this." Sasha gulps again and nods frantically.
Anyone who thought that Eren had the worst temper out of the cadets clearly had never been around an angry Mikasa; she easily put everyone else to shame in the anger department. Hence why both Armin and Eren had scattered away from Mikasa as quickly as possible when training had begun today. Sasha can't fault her for being grumpy today though-if Mikasa is showing even tiny signs of illness then she must be pretty sick.
Training seems to drag on forever, but they're eventually dismissed and allowed to shower before dinner. Mikasa takes a long time in the shower, so long that Sasha actually comes in to check on her, only to find that the other girl fell asleep. She nudges Mikasa awake and lets her finish her shower before taking a quick shower of her own. She's lost a lot of time, but she can't really get mad at her friend when she's obviously feeling so ill.
When dinnertime comes, Mikasa makes no move to go with Sasha to the dining hall. "C'mon, aren't you hungry?" Sasha prods carefully.
Mikasa just shakes her head. "Okay, well, I'll bring you back some bread in case you change your mind. At least drink some water!"
No response this time, but at least Sasha tries. She eats much quicker than usual, not wanting to leave Mikasa alone for long when she's feeling so crappy, and returns to the barracks with the purloined bread hidden in her jacket. She'd had to lie to Eren and Armin to get them off her back, but she figured that Mikasa would be less than pleased if those two barged in here while she was sleeping.
Mikasa is sound asleep when she gets back, snoring softly, and Sasha smiles. She leaves the bread on the edge of Mikasa's pillow where it should be safe, and easy to find, before throwing the blanket over the sleeping girl. "I hope that you feel better tomorrow," she whispers, before climbing up into her own bunk.
If she'd been looking at Mikasa's face she would have seen the other girl's lips twitch up into a slight smile before being reclaimed by sleep.
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