"Do you wish to hear about your treatment options?"

Treatment.

"No."
.

.

.

"Sash, move it," I shoved my foot perfectly right into Sasha's bare ass.

"Ah! No!" Sasha laughed and squealed, hopping up, covering her bum, and glancing back with a grin.

"When is Connie's birthday?" I reached over to the side table, picking up a pack of cigarettes and throwing it at Sasha.

"Hey, thanks!" She picked it up, winking, and dressed in front of me, lingering a bit at certain points, making me snort and roll my eyes.

"Are you going to finally ask him out?" I stretched, popping my ankles, and sitting up at the edge of the bed, rubbing the back of my neck.

It had been a couple of months since Sasha came crawling into my bed after a trip to the local bar. Since then the cheeky little thing would make it a habit to come over no matter what time for a little fun.

Though, I felt confident enough to say that we were pretty good friends. There was nothing beyond using each other to satisfy raw needs.

"Hm," Sasha put a finger to her lips, "I don't know… I don't want to ruin our friendship if he says no…"

"Oh? And our friendship was worth ruining?"

"Oh! Ymir!" She threw a shirt at me as I got up, dressing.

The late winter was beginning to melt outside a little, but it'd be sometime before it stopped getting dark early.

"You know that was not it—I told you and I will say it again," she stuck her tongue out, "I knew you were horny that night and you were eyeing me."

Hm.

She had a point for once.

"I guess so." I slipped on a comfortable sweater.

If I could have it my way, I'd just sleep and arrive late, but Sasha was hell-bent on trying to get Connie to ask her out.

I clicked my tongue.

"I still think you should just ask him out."

In a way I felt something tug at my heart. Seeing how Sasha was going to let Connie have the pleasure of asking her out properly.

When was the last time a girl ever asked me out?

A guy?

It never happened.

I was always the one to do the asking—always given that role of being the 'man' of the situation. Even in bed.

Hm.

I glanced at myself in the mirror, straightening out my shirt, and staring.

I was tall.

I had a bit of muscle and some would say a natural handsomeness.

"You look good! Don't worry!" Sasha clung to my side, grinning.

"Also! I made sure Connie would ask his guy friends to invite a lot of girls!" Sasha put up a peace sign, winking.

What a dweeb.

"You're giving him mixed signals."

"Huh?"

"You want him to ask you out but you ask for him to invite a lot of girls…and when we drink you always come home with me despite him offering a ride home…"

"What!?" Sasha barked, holding her face in realization.

"Yeah. He probably thinks you don't like him."

"No! Oh God! How long has—Ymir! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" She deflated against the bed and I chuckled.

"C'mon. Don't want to be late arriving together. Might give him more mixed signals."

"Oh my God! Let's go! Let's go!"

Sasha dragged me out of my studio and down to the main floor of the Broadmoor apartment complex.

She practically shoved me into her car and we were driving to Downtown Spokane to some sort of bar. It wasn't the usual one I went to but whatever.

Sasha always made sure to buy me a few drinks anyways. Too poor to even get drunk on my own.

It took some time to even get there because of the Friday night traffic and by the time we found a parking spot the bar was packed and we did end up late.

"Oh no! How do I look?" Sasha asked, holding my face and staring intently.

"You look…like yourself."

Sasha squawked in dismay.

"You're no help!"

"Sash! There you are!" Connie was waiting outside the bar, grinning with his usual friends—Jean and Armin.

"Hey!" She slapped out of her sadness and ran over to hug him.

We all went to high school together and I remembered when Connie was a little guy, but now he shot up a bit.

Not taller than me but he was taller than Sasha at least.

"Happy birthday!" Sasha squealed and I nodded, walking past her and into the bar, giving the space they needed.

If I lingered too long Connie might get the wrong idea even then.

Hah.

"Don't know why she won't even ask him out herself," I muttered, glancing around and seeing familiar faces.

I scanned the room and then stopped when I spotted a cute blonde.

I grinned, adjusting my collar and walking over to sit on the opposite side of the booth of her.

"Mind?" I asked because she seemed annoyed.

"Not at all," she was drinking some dark malt and I was about to order until Sasha and Connie came crashing beside me, laughing and forcing me to scoot over.

Fuck.

The blonde's icy gaze intensified for a moment.

"Oh! Annie! This is Ymir!" Connie introduced and then Annie's eyes widened.

"So that's the infamous lesbian."

"What!?" I barked, caught off guard.

Suddenly even Annie was bulldozed over by Jean and Eren and Armin and then Mikasa.

"Fuck, it's too crowded," I complained but everyone was giggling about so I let it slide. I ran a hand through my hair as my foot began to bounce.

"So, what're we going to get!?" Connie pulled out his wallet.

"Oh, no, no! I got it!" Sasha slapped his wallet back and pulled out hers.

Slick move there.

Connie only grinned.

"Alright!"

Sasha flagged down a server as Jean grinned, leaning back.

"So, last time, I scored with this really hot freckled guy."

"Oh? Is his name Marco?" Armin asked.

"What?! How did—"

"We volunteer at the shelter together! He's really cute, isn't he? Especially his butt."

"What!? Are you saying you fucked him, too!?"

"Nope," Armin smiled, "he had his eyes on you for a long time! Did he give you his number?"

"Wha—um, yeah," Jean blushed a bit and Eren rolled his eyes, bored of the conversation.

"What about you Ymir? Any new conquests?" Jean was leaning forward.

It was always a thing between us to talk about who we banged and if it was any good. It was really the only bonding we got… hah. Not really.

We talked about deep shit but it embarrassed us to no end so talking about sex softened the reality of things.

"I don't kiss and tell," I told him because my eyes were set on the girl named Annie beside me.

She simply blinked at me and drank some more.

Oh. Ice queen.

"Pfft," Jean shrugged, "whatever, man."

He was letting it go until he saw where my eyes were.

He snapped back up with a slick smirk.

"Was it a guy this time?"

"What? No." I spat, glaring, because that was the normal reaction to make.

Everyone in the group stared at Jean and laughed.

I forgot to.

"Baha! Ymir with a guy? You got to be joking!" Connie snorted and Sasha was cracking up as he pulled her closer.

"She's as lesbian as they get!"

Even Annie seemed to crack a smile.

"And what about you Annie?" Jean was anything but subtle as I felt disgusted in my stomach.

My foot wouldn't stop going and I was beginning to fidget.

I hated being stuck in close quarters with people like this.

"Am I lesbian?" She clarified and Jean nodded.

"Hopefully not," he winked and I could barely handle being stuck in the middle like this.

"No… I'm not into guys or girls." She blatantly said and took another swig.

"What!?" Jean was blown out of the park.

"Move, I need to go to the bathroom," I shoved Connie and Sasha.

"Oh no! Ymir, don't go! I didn't mean to ruin you game!" Jean was laughing more, still surprised by the blonde's answer.

I was able to finally get out and the group let me leave without another word. I went outside, cursing that I didn't grab Sasha's cigarettes, but the cold air was almost just as good.

I cracked my knuckles, glancing at the nearby people who were smoking.

I could always bum a cigarette, but—fuck—I'd have to talk to people then.

I brought my coat closer to me, regretting I didn't get something warmer when I went shopping at Value Village.

Somehow, some fucking way, I heard Jean's stupid laugh inside and it just pissed me off.

The fucking useless—whatever.

I didn't want to deal with this shit.

Across Riverfront park was a bar I knew.

It also might've been a favorite place where one of my fuck buddies often went to. If I could get them with me they'd give me a ride back home.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets, walking down the sidewalk as people were howling and giggling like the drunks they were. A few bums littered the street here and there, reminding me that the only reason I wasn't out there with them was classes and financial aid that paid for a hefty deal of instant noodles.

I blew hot air in front of me just to come and go. Something to bide time with.

It took a couple of minutes but I was down in the park, glaring at anyone who got too close. A few filthy people here and there came up, begging for change, but a glare made them turn their cheek, wandering to the next passerby.

It was so fucking stupidly cold.

The damn park still had its Christmas lights everywhere.

Fuck.

I stopped, shivering and glancing around. To the right was just the park itself that led to the skating rink and to the left was the side with two bridges directly above the falls.

Now, where exactly was the bar?

Was it this far up or further down the park?

Fuck, all I remember was two bridges… Ah.

"Right," I went to the left, nearly stumbling on my own damn feet.

Jesus Christ.

I wasn't even drunk.

I didn't even get time to get drunk.

God.

What a shitty night.

Turning around seemed pointless. I couldn't be bothered to stick around with Jean being the ass face he was. No amount of beer could drown out his fucking trap.

I was nearing the second bridge when a man went by, sneering a bit.

I gave him a glare but not a response. Fucking creeps out in the park late at night—didn't want to get shanked.

But, then again, if I did… my college tuition would be paid…

"Tch."

I stomped on the bridge because I liked to pretend the support system would collapse and I would fall in and die.

Morbid, maybe, but there wasn't much here anyways.

Just beer and girls.

A pathetic existence—

"Ah." I heard a small gasp and I peered up.

Under the gentle glow of yellow and white lights was a petite blonde.

Fuck, she was super pretty.

I felt myself freeze in my spot, wondering why someone like her was out here so late.

Didn't this creep come from this way?

The damn girl needed to be more careful.

Carefully—as if her own smile would cut her open—she gave a little stomp on the bridge like how I was doing just a moment ago.

I blinked as her smile somehow got deeper, sadder, and so much more at the same time. It was like watching a shiny coin go deep into the well water—blinking once. Twice. And then gone.

She reminded me of childhood—not the sense that people knew but—fuck.

She had the feeling of childhood. Like the love you had for the mundane and the silly notions that went with holidays, the sweet ignorance of believing in magic and that money was just an evil thing that kept your parents away.

She made me feel childhood right in my heart with that smile.

I never met her but I was nostalgic for her—I yearned for her voice and smile as if it was mine all along. Just lost.

"Hey," I kicked up enough courage to approach her, trying to smile, but fuck my teeth chattered.

Her eyes sparkled like stars and snowflakes as she peered over at me. They were glossy—crying, maybe.

It'd make sense, I suppose—for her to be crying that is.

She was alone on a cold winter night in the middle of the park, standing above the falls.

If I had to cry…or potentially die…I'd come here, too.

She cleared her throat.

"Hey," she tucked her hair behind a rosy ear.

Ah. She wasn't wearing much, either—a light coat and a skirt.

"Cold?"

Wow, Ymir. So smooth.

"Not really," she said but her bare legs were shaking.

"You look cold." I stiffened up a bit as I stood closer to her.

She glimpsed up at me with such surprise. Like I had given her perspective of something she couldn't comprehend.

God.

What was this at all?

I was going to speak again because this silence was saying too much about me—that I was lingering for her sake, that suddenly going home and or wherever wasn't as important as now, and just—Yeah. Just yeah.

Then she smiled but it was sweet and soft like vanilla ice cream on summer days.

Fuck.

She was a goddamn beautiful girl.

"We're both cold," she held her hands up to her mouth, trying to warm them.

Ah.

She had such tiny and delicate hands—the fingertips were red.

Just like a porcelain Christmas angel with rosy cheeks.

"Yeah, well," I shrugged off my jacket, revealing myself to the true bitterness of the night, "one of us won't have to be."

I put it on her, dismissing my own redness to the cold.

She stared and then she laughed. It filled the rocky gulch of the falls and my heart, echoing in my ears.

Lovingly.

"You're going to freeze!" She held onto my coat, turning towards me finally, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Not at all," I feigned but it was really freezing cold.

She was so cute as she lightly leaned forward, mocking my eyebrow.

It was so cold we both had tears in our eyes—my nose was beginning to sniffle.

"Your coat won't keep me too warm. I have a skirt," she motioned.

She even turned a bit.

That lump in my throat was beginning to ruin my flow. I found that I couldn't even come with a defensive retort as to why she deserved my coat.

"Fine," I croaked, bringing my hands out, taking hers.

She deserved my hands, too, then.

She didn't even protest.

Did she…?

"Here, you really suck at keeping yourself warm," I grumbled, brushing it off as worry as I rubbed her hands briskly.

"Oh, you're right," she watched my hands as I tried to warm her up.

"I'm starting to feel warm already," she smiled and, again, she stole a few beats out of my heart.

"Um, though, I think we'd get warmer somewhere else…" I didn't even know her name and she was laying the moves on me?

Damn.

I guess I would get a cute blonde regardless tonight.

"Yeah?" I stopped.

Just holding her burning hot hands in mine.

"Yeah, there's a coffee shop not too far…It's open late."

Oh.

She—Hm.

"U-Unless, you'd rather not…It's late and all."

Shit.

She must've saw my surprise or something.

"No, that's fine—um, yeah, definitely…my treat."

Goodbye bank.

Hello Goddess.

"My name is Historia…Historia Reiss."

"Ymir."

"Just Ymir?"

"My last name is a bit of a mouthful."

"Oh. Okay." She paused, taking her hands away from me.

I watched her raise a sole finger up to my nose, pressing on it lightly.

I frowned, a bit cross-eyed.

"Hello, Ymir Mouthful. I'm Historia."

Did she just fucking—

She laughed so beautifully I just snorted, knocking her hand away.

Stupid girl.

A/N:
This story is going to be the first of many for me and I only ask that the readers read onward with an open mind.