Authors note:

First off, a big shout out to Ask-Actual-Annie-Leonhardt who's amazing blog inspired this story in the first place! As well as bungholebung and fanartofmikasa for both proof reading, and editing the chapter for me!

Okay so... It took me way too long to write this first chapter. Leaving school can do that to life though. Now though, I'm content with it enough though to post this and hope for the best. If I revise it too much, I'll do so of course but hopefully now that I'm back to writing regularly, I can roll out chapters pretty quickly.

Fair warning, this will be a pretty angst filled AU story. Some fluff a good times but, that is why the side characters are there. Currently the rating is T, and I hope to keep it there. If I ever change that, it will be precautionary, not because there is blatant graphic content.

Also, while this is a Mikannie centered story, there will be a bit of Mikasha in the beginning. Okay, maybe a bit more than a bit but, it furthers the plot! I promise! Plus, Ymir and Mikasa friendship. Don't judge. Also, I will do my best to keep all personalities as cannon as possible, and if you feel like I am slipping, please tell me. I want to do the best I can, and will gladly except any advice.

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan, or any affiliated characters. Sadly...

AU Plot: Mikasa and her adoptive brother Eren have just started college. Everything is completely normal. Classes are frustrating, new friends are strange, relationships are stranger, and a new life can be difficult to adjust to. Mikasa's new relationship seems great, but enter Annie Leonhardt, the girl who is notorious for hanging with the wrong crowd. Their personalities clash, and neither deny it. And both have a past they would rather forget completely than face. But when a party puts them in a precarious situation, they will both have to come to terms with that fact that under their hate for each other lies a bond that can't be ignored.

Ch.1A New Start

The car ride across the country seemed to last forever. The rolling hills, Rocky Mountains, and scattered trees seemed to go on forever outside of their windows as the hours stretched on. It was the last stretch though, with only about an hour left to go before they reached the school. Mikasa leaned against the door handle, her dark grey eyes unfocussed as she watched the different road signs rush out behind them. A book sat open in her lap, but she hadn't touched it in over thirty minutes. Actually, neither one of them had talked in a while. The excitement of leaving home had worn off, and now the car had a certain tense nervousness about it. She figured the mood would shift again once they pulled up to her dorm and unloaded her luggage. The excitement of being in a new place, with new people; a new start hammered behind her chest.

Her thoughts were pulled back into focus by knuckles rapping lightly on her head. Blinking, she turned and looked over at her brother, both of his hands back on the wheel.

"What?" She asked a bit too shortly.

"Nothing…What were you thinking about though?" He responded, briefly looking over at her with a glance. Eren's face betrayed just the slightest worry. It was in the way his eyes widened just barely in that moment. No one else would have noticed it. Maybe it was also the tiredness from the hours of driving he'd done without much of a break that made it obvious to her. She sighed, leaning back more into her seat.

"Nothing really, just…thinking I suppose."

"Oh. Okay." He didn't press any further; instead he just turned on the radio. After a few seconds passed he smiled and nodded his head to the music, keeping himself alert for the rest of the drive. Mikasa couldn't help but give a small smile in return as she looked back out the window, this time actually focusing on the scenery rushing by.

~

The campus stretched out in front and around the car as they drove down the small road. The lawns were manicured green, complimenting the old styled architecture that made up the buildings. Both of the siblings were impressed by the campus, Eren even letting out a small whistle as they passed the auditorium. For a moment, they both felt that sense that they were small, just new students surrounded by the big world and yet at the same time so engrossed by it. Fascinated, scarred, a bit of everything. They'd talked for months about the move, about what it would be like. Eren would usually go on about how he was going to "Rule the campus", which always resulted in Mikasa hitting him with whatever was convenient. Half the time it was with her hand.

But there they were, and nothing really could describe it.

It took them a few times around before they found her dorm building. It was tucked back in the far corner of the campus which meant a long walk, but Mikasa didn't mind. The building was gorgeous and so was the gathering area around it. There was a two small half circled walls, which on each end held a small garden of roses, and two stone benches tucked into each one. The path led up to a set of double doors, fixed between two columns that rose up to hold up a small balcony on the second floor. There were already a couple other women gathered and talking, and more than a few hauling bags inside. Mikasa took a steadying breath as her brother parked the car. She packed her book back into her shoulder bag and wrapped her fingers around the handle. Not taking even a second to allow doubt to creep into her mind, the girl opened the door and stepped out, stretching her back muscles out immediately. Settling back onto her feet fully again, Mikasa adjusted her shirt and looked back to Eren. He stood across from her and with the most idiotic grin jingled the keys and went to open the trunk.

He handed over her duffel bag and then her suitcase before hauling up her two boxes. Mikasa was glad she packed light. Not that she had ever been one to have a lot of possessions but she had figured that it would be easier to start a new life if she didn't have a lot from her old one. Of course, she loved Eren's parents like her own, but it was time to stand on her own. Her brother wasn't quite the same though. For all of his boasting about being independent, the car was full of his stuff. This was also why Mikasa chose to apply to the same college. He'd need her, even if he would never admit it. Tossing the duffel over her shoulder and pulling her scarf down off of her face a little, she led the way to the door. Even with nerves about the environment, she held confidence with every step and opened the door for both of them.

Letting Eren take the lead, they headed up the stairs. By the time they reached the fourth floor, she couldn't help but chuckle at him when his face fell in relief at the last stare.

"Come on idiot, I'm room 415." She said, reaching into her pocket to grab her key ahead of time. All incoming students had been mailed their key's weeks before to speed up the process of moving in. With such a large college, Mikasa couldn't imagine the crowd that would have been trying to get through admissions doors on the first day just to go unpack. Pushing past him, they walked down the hall, Eren spending a moment drilling daggers into her head before letting the comment go.

Standing in front of the door to her new home, she turned and looked up slightly to her brother. He quirked an eyebrow at her, "Are we going in?"

Smiling softly, she shook her head. "I can do this on my own, and you should go do the same. I'll see you later."

The only response was another knuckle rap on her head and the word "Idiot." before he sported that stupid grin again, set the boxes down and left. That was it, the new chapter. She knew that they both had to grow up sometime, and even if they were just across campus from each other, she knew it wouldn't be quite the same. In that moment, she wasn't quite sure who it would affect more. Tucking her face down into the cloth around her neck for a second, she turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door. Shoving the boxes in with her foot, she crossed the threshold and glanced around the dorm.

It was moderately sized as far as she could tell as she stepped into a small living room that connected with an even smaller kitchen. She'd been told it was one of the larger dorms, as it was meant to be shared with four people, split between two small bedrooms and two bathrooms. It cost a bit more out of pocket, but she wasn't too keen on sharing a kitchen space with the entire residence hall. Luckily, her scholarship paid for most of it. Kicking the boxes a little further in so she could shut the door, Mikasa didn't immediately see anyone and for a moment thought she was the first to arrive. Walking to the center of the room, she glanced down the short hallway and called out. "Hello?"

There was no response. Not right away at least and not a very orthodox one when it came. The sound of laughter and a grunt came before anything else. Two voices from what she could tell. Before Mikasa could move to find the source, a tall woman came out from the bedroom on the right, adjusting a loose shirt and pulling her long hair into a messy pony tail. She stood a few inches taller than Mikasa, her skin a dark freckled tan in contrast to Mikasa's own fair skin, but her hair was a few shades lighter however.

"Hi yourself," The woman's tone was nonchalant, but her posture and face said she wasn't overly amused by Mikasa's entrance. Still though, she extended a hand. "Ymir Langnar."

Guessing she had just given her name, Mikasa took her hand and met her gaze before replying, "Mikasa Ackerman, nice to meet you."

Ymir only gave a small indistinguishable noise and a nod in response, making her apathy overly apparent. However, another girl came into the room just in time to see the exchange.

"Really?" said the petite blonde, poking her tall partner in the side. She was dressed in light skirt and blouse, and her eyes were a bright clear blue. It didn't take Mikasa two seconds to figure out what had just been transpiring. The blonde's face was still flushed and her hair was even more tangled than the others. Her demeanor was much more welcoming though when she turned towards the new comer. "Hi, I'm Krista. Nice to meet you, Mikasa was it?"

Almost surprised by the difference between the two, it took her a moment to recover. Actually, everything about the image gave her reason to take a moment's pause. "Uhm, yeah."

"Great! I think you'll love it here." Krista cheered, taking Mikasa's hands and pairing the motion with the most sincere smile she'd ever seen. It was like everything about the girl was open and bright, and they'd only just met. To say the least it was setting Mikasa back on her heals. Maybe she'd preferred Ymir's uncaring introduction. It at least felt familiar. Finally letting go of her hands, the shorter girl continued, "Have you been around campus yet? I'm only a freshman but I've spent a good amount of time because Ymir's a junior so, I can show you around if you'd like."

Unsure how she would even say no, she just said, "No. My brother and I just drove through it." She informed but nodded to her request. "Sure, but let me set my stuff down first."

"Your room is on the left." Ymir told her with a pointed look and tilting her head towards the doorway. Mikasa nodded, and began to pull her stuff that way. The two boxes were still by the door but she heard Krista say something along the lines of, "Let me help" but when she opened the door and set the duffel bag on one of the beds, it was Ymir who set the two boxes on the floor. They didn't say anything to each other and the older woman simply walked out of the room again. It was clear that she hadn't done it to be helpful but instead to prevent the smaller girl from having to do it. Living with them will be interesting, Mikasa thought to herself, letting her book bag slump off of her shoulder. She took to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Dressed in nice, dark blue jeans, a perfectly fitted white button up and her scarf, she looked the image of someone who was ready to take on any challenge. And she was. Quickly fixing her chin length hair she joined the other two in the living room. They were both leaned up against the kitchen counter laughing about something. Ymir's face didn't even fall when Mikasa came out.

"You ready?" Asked the taller one, and she just nodded. Krista led the way out the door and down the hall, excited to share her experience with a new person. Taking the elevator down, the blonde talked about where they'd go, what they'd see, and what she was sure Mikasa would love.

"If you saw the auditorium driving by, just wait until you're inside. Sometimes, they even showcase student artwork. A lot of it is really good." She said, walking them all outside. There were even more people gathered now. Some girls were with their parents, some saying good bye to their boyfriends. Mikasa was just one in the crowd again and it felt, strangely, good.

"Some of it is good." Ymir snarked dryly, earning herself another small punch in the side before she continued her speech anyway despite the warning. "Hey, I'm right. Some of it's okay, most of it not so much. And the people who are actually good are probably assholes like myself. You'll both find out there's a lot of us here on campus than you think."

It was strange to feel a sense of relief when the last comment was made, but Mikasa couldn't help it. While having someone open and kind like Krista, or Eren's parents was nice, she herself needed to be able to watch. To step back and not be asked to be one of them as well. No, she wasn't mean or cruel normally, but she had a habit of being overly blunt when she actually did speak. Mikasa had never been one to filter out details of her opinions, whether good or bad, or to hold back telling someone off. Deciding though that the first day she would try her best to open up at least a little bit, she asked, "So do you know where our other roommate is? There were supposed to be four of us."

Ymir shrugged, but the blonde answered. "We got a note earlier that said our other roommate wasn't coming. They dropped out about a week ago apparently. Sad that we didn't get to meet them but at least you get your own room right?"

"Oh. Yeah, that will be nice." She replied, walking beside them as they made their way towards the heart of the campus. Krista figured that they would show her the humanities building first, since she'd be spending a good amount of her freshman year there. When they made it there of course, it was Ymir that actually pointed out the different classrooms and study areas, as well as what teachers to try to stay away from. Sadly, one of them was already her English teacher. Ymir simply called him crazy eyes, with the comment "If you aren't sure it's him, always remember, he's as bald as a que ball. Not to mention his mustache."

Less than enthusiastic for her morning class, Mikasa walked with them to the recreation center next.

To say the lawn around the recreation center was overly full was an understatement. Already you had gatherings and tables set up, people throwing frisbees back and forth, and older students handing out flyers. She had to refuse more than one that was shoved in her face. Krista on the other hand had a small pile in her hands by the time they shoved their way to the door. The inside of the building was just as packed but, they managed their way through to one of the larger rooms where people were a bit more spread out. While the blonde was shifting through and reading through all the pamphlets, Ymir spoke up again. "So yeah, here's the Rec center. Usually it's a good place to study and eat. Vending machines everywhere if you want, and there's a game room just down that way. On club day, and around the holiday times, this place will be all decked out. " Her tone was snarky during the last part, and Mikasa had a feeling she was part of the student body that specialized in tearing the decorations down instead of up.

They walked through that building, and then out again towards the auditorium Krista held in such high praise. The girl was right though. The building was quite the sight to behold, with the same brick work and columns as the dorms, but on a much larger scale. If it weren't from the fact Mikasa knew they were still on campus, she would have thought they might be standing in front of a court house or old professional play house. The whole scene seemed almost unreal. There weren't as many people gathered around, and those who were seemed to be upper class men. None of them had the over excited air a good amount, including one of her companions, had. That said companion wasted no time at all dragging the other two up the steps and through the doors. The entree way was just as impressive. It was a wide open space, which was much more modern the exterior. There was an abundance of white wall space, with lights set up to show the art work mentioned earlier, with a high ceiling though, to provide better acoustics. There were a few scattered sitting areas, and what seemed like a small coffee bar off in a corner.

"This place will be full later. The freshman orientation is held here tonight, so don't get used to the pleasant quiet." Ymir remarked. The few students that were inside besides them were those hanging and replacing the art on the wall. Mikasa's eyes stayed on one girl though, who had just stood back to study a frame she had adjusted. The girl was much shorter than her, with her blonde hair tied back and, a roman nose that fit her features well. She wore a white sweatshirt and torn up jeans, and over all had a, "I don't give a damn about anything appearance".

She was about to turn but caught Ymir's more than unfriendly look in the girls direction. For a moment she considered asking but it, she decided better of it, and two Ymir quickly turned heel and walked in the other direction. Even Krista seemed a bit more somber. Still though, she took a moment and looked back. The way the girl looked at the painting, the way she stood and crossed her arms. When she turned though, and saw Mikasa watching her, her blue eyes were less than inviting and she quickly walked away. Deciding it best to follow her companions, Mikasa walked away as well to continue the tour. Ymir didn't say anything on the subject, and the other girl picked back up the conversation.

That was how the next hour went. Mostly it was Krista who pointed things out, usually with the most endearing comments to go along with it. Whenever she had her own moments of awe though, the taller girl picked up the slack so to say, though her comments were usually less optimistic, full of sarcasm, and a bit more pessimistic. Mikasa didn't mind, but she actually found she might get along better with Ymir in the long run. Not to say that she didn't like Krista. No, she found her personality overall, sweet. She just, didn't think she could handle it alone.

Eventually, they made their way back to the dorms, Mikasa urging that she would like to unpack, and Ymir emphasizing her growing boredom of touring her own campus but promising her partner another walk around later. There were no complaints. Finally inside the comfort of her own room, she sat on the edge of her bed and took a deep breath. Mikasa wondered how Eren was doing, if he and his roommate got along. She almost laughed at the prospect of him getting along with anyone really. Most the time, she ended up having to finish fights he would start. Lying back, she brought the red scarf up over her mouth. She was glad they were going to school though, despite her worries.

Eren and his father had been there after everything, and his mother had welcomed her into their home with open arms. They'd stopped her from being alone, from being one more kid without parents. Still though, years later, they couldn't quite replace the part of her that had been taken away that day. They couldn't erase the images she was stuck with.

Putting her arm over the rest of her face, Mikasa sighed. A small smile came to her face though. It was a sad smile but she was still happy at the thought her mom and dad would have been proud of her.

So...?

Hope you liked it! Let me know in the reviews if you want. There will be more interaction between Mikasa and Annie as the fic progresses but, the first two chapters will be intro to the characters mostly.

Stay tuned for the next chapter!