Chapter 1: A Storm Rolls In

It was near the end of February, but snowflakes still fell out of the gray sky. Annie sighed as she walked through the filthy drab next to the road. So much for the sidewalk. It was a Friday, and that was the only good thing about the day. The weekends were her only chance to escape from the drag that was the life of a high school student. She turned left at the crossroads, and her destination came in sight. Several teens hurried towards the school, entering the warm building as fast as they could. Only a few lingered in front of the school gate, lips shivering as they blew out the smoke from their cigarettes.

Annie took a breath before she passed them, not wanting to inhale the smoke clouding her path. She entered the building, the hallway was noisy and the floor wet and filthy, making walking around another challenge added to her day. She forced her way through the crowd, hoping to find at least one quiet corner in one of the many corridors. When she didn't, she decided to go to her first class instead.

Most of her classmates were already seated, chatting with their friends. Annie slouched to her usual seat in the back of the class, next to the window. She glanced over to the smiling faces of her classmates, of whom she didn't even know half by name, despite having been in the same class for years.

The teacher entered, drowning the voices as they immediately started where they had left of at their previous lesson. It didn't take long before Annie averted her gaze, blankly staring at the icicles formed on the window. No matter how enthusiastic Hanji was, she had never managed to get Annie to show even the slightest interest in what she was saying. She had always been able to pass to the next grade, and this was her last year, so there was no need to start putting an effort into it now.

"I will give you the last five minutes to discuss your group work, but remember, it has to be done by next Wednesday!" Hanji said, disturbing Annie's thoughts.

She had completely forgotten about the group work, and couldn't even remember who she was paired up with. Thankfully, or rather, unluckily, a very annoyed looking Mikasa came to remind her just who her partner for said assignment was.

"It is called a group work for a reason, you know." Mikasa placed her hand on Annie's desk, her frown making it clear she would not take any excuses for an answer.

"So?" Annie replied in a monotone voice, meeting Mikasa's eyes with the most uninterested look she could manage.

"It's been two weeks and we still have nothing. I already did some research and should have all the information we need, but I'm not going to do this alone."

"Why not? You just said you have everything you need." It wasn't that she hated homework so much, but she simply had a lot of other things to do. And that did not include spending time with the one person carrying the title of being her rival.

"We get points for cooperation. If miss Zoe finds out I did it all by myself, she'll fail us both."

"I don't care about grades." Annie lied.

"Geez, Leonhardt! Would it kill you to make your homework for once in your life?" she paused a moment, but when Annie didn't respond she sighed and said, "If you don't care about your own grades that's just fine by me, but my grades depend on this too. So please show me you're not as cold-hearted as everyone says and help me out, even if it's just a little."

Annie averted her gaze, there was no way she could refuse after those words, not when they were spoken on such a pleading tone. "Fine," she muttered.

"Thank you." Mikasa emphasized her words by raising a hand to her chest, then took an empty chair and sat down next to Annie. "Now, we have a lot of work to do so I think we will need most of the weekend to finish it."

"What? On the weekend?" Her voice held more panic than she wanted.

Mikasa raised an eyebrow at her tone and said, "If we wait until Monday we simply won't have enough time. Sorry if you already made plans, but you should have thought about our group work first."

Annie sighed again. She didn't know Mikasa that well, but she knew she wouldn't be able to get out of this one. "Okay, so exactly how did you plan on doing this?"

"If I remember correctly you live pretty close to school, so maybe we could do it at your place, if that's okay with you of course," Mikasa quickly added.

"How do you know where I live?" Mikasa opened her mouth to answer, but Annie shook her head. "Doesn't matter, you can come over if you want. Just let me know what time you wanna start. The sooner this is over the better."

"Well, if you think about it that way... perhaps we can start today, right after school."

[RIIIIIIIIIIIING]

"Alright." Annie shrugged and picked up her bag, walking out of the classroom. She had never let any of her classmates even remotely close to her home, and the mere thought of having the strong, beautiful, smart Mikasa over made a knot form in her stomach. But that wasn't something she'd ever admit to her rival.

The day finally came to an end, and Annie pulled her hood up to avoid getting her hair wet. The snow had turned into rain during the day, making the drab on the ground thinner but more slippery. Summer couldn't come soon enough.

As Annie walked through the crowd at the gate, someone placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to stop. Annie turned around with an angry scowl on her face, staring straight in the eyes of the person she had hoped not to see again.

"Shall we go together?" Mikasa's tone was friendly.

Annie pulled her shoulder loose, and allowed Mikasa to fall into step next to her. The school was located near the outskirts of the city, and they soon left the houses behind them. After not having seen any buildings for a couple of minutes, a villa came within sights, surrounded by a wide field of grass and trees.

The snow was completely molten over the length of the driveway, the gravel crunching as they walked over it. The walls of the villa were painted white, and big windows were becoming more like waterfalls with each passing minute. Annie pulled the key from her pocket and opened the door with shivering hands, then quickly let herself and her guest in.

They hung their jackets on the hook in the hall, and left their boots on the mat. Annie opened the first door to their right, leading them to the living room. The room was spacious, and the lack of furniture made it seem even larger. Only a muddy brown couch and a low wooden table near the fireplace showed that the room was used.

Annie dropped her soaked bag near the fireplace, and took a lighter out of her pocket while Mikasa followed her example.

The taller girl looked around the room while Annie tried to get a fire started. The walls were white and empty, rain streaming down the glass.

"Have you always lived here?" Mikasa asked.

"Yeah," Annie replied absent minded.

No wonder Annie was always so gloomy. Despite the rain and cold being kept away, the house still emanated a depressing feeling. The fire had now grown enough to burn without help, and Mikasa went to warm herself by it. Annie left the room, and came back a little later wearing a fresh set of clothes and carrying towels and blankets. The girls dried their hair and sat down close to the fire, wrapped in a blanket.

"So... what was the topic of our work?" Annie asked, hoping Mikasa wouldn't scold her for forgetting.

"Environment friendly transportation. Everything there is, and some further explanation as to why and safety." she replied in an annoyed tone.

Annie sighed as Mikasa took a folder filled with papers out of her bag. Annie wondered just how big their project had to be for them to need this much information. They got started, and thanks to Mikasa's previously gathered information they were able to write down quite a few pages by the time their stomachs started to growl.

"How about we take a break and eat something?" Mikasa asked.

Annie stretched and yawned, "There's some soup left in the kitchen, we can have some bread with it."

"Is that all you have?" Mikasa asked cautiously.

"At the moment. It's a bit late to start cooking so that will have to do. You coming?" Annie stood up and walked towards the door.

Mikasa followed her towards the kitchen. Unlike the living room, the kitchen had plenty of furniture, making it seem like they entered an entirely different house. A wide variety of pots and pans was displayed on a shelf, all of them shining as if they were bought today. More spices than Mikasa had ever seen stood in a custom made rack next to the stove, a clear sign of someone who enjoys cooking. When Annie opened a cabinet and took some bowls, Mikasa noticed that the upper shelves of the cabinet were empty. /

"Do you live here on your own?"

"Since a few years ago," Annie confirmed her suspicions.

"Where are your parents?"

"That's none of your business," Annie snapped.

This was exactly why she didn't want to get involved with others, they only kept asking about things they had no business with. Was that damn group work really worth going through all this trouble for? Ignoring the apology of her guest, Annie filled the bowls with soup and put them in the microwave. While she waited for their meal to warm up, she retrieved the bread from a different cabinet, constantly feeling Mikasa's eyes on her.

They started their meal and Mikasa tried the soup, her face lighting up. "This is delicious! And you made this yourself?"

"Yeah." Annie replied slightly surprised, she had not expected Mikasa to start praising her.

After dinner they worked a little further, the rain gushing down harder and harder, slowly turning into hail. Despite the rolling of thunder and flashes of lightning that broke through the endless downpour, they didn't notice how bad the weather had become, until Mikasa got a phone call.

"Hello, Grisha? ...yeah, I'm still at Annie's... Is the weather really that bad? ...okay, I'll ask her." She looked at Annie, who had been staring into the fire. "Annie, apparently the weather is too dangerous to drive in. Would you mind if I stay for the night?"

"Oh, um, I had no plans for that but I can fix you a place to sleep, I guess." It was not like she had much of a choice in the matter.

Mikasa ended her phone call a bit later, and looked at the papers in front of her with a sigh. "I think we did enough for today," she said and started collecting them. They had been sitting in silence for a few minutes when Mikasa tried to start a conversation. "So… what do you usually do during the weekends?"

"Nothing really." Annie mumbled, her eyes still captivated by the dancing flames.

"I mostly play games with Eren, it is fun, but when he loses he always gets angry and throws the cards around." She chuckled, hoping to get some sort of response from the blonde. When she didn't get that, another silence fell between them. Mikasa tried starting a conversation a couple more times, but with the amount of reaction she got from Annie, she might as well have been talking to the walls. She sighed and checked her watch. It was a little past nine. Perhaps one last try would get Annie to tear her eyes away from the fire. "Just sitting here is kind of boring, but it's too early to sleep. Would you mind showing me the rest of your house?"

It worked. Annie's head turned to stare at her for a while, then she sighed and slowly rose to her feet, leading Mikasa through the many rooms. Most were empty, save for a closet or a table. Even the bathroom wasn't as full as the kitchen. The biggest surprise came when they entered the basement. It was clean, a boxing bag hung in a corner with a wide ring of clear space surrounding it. Iron racks filled the rest of the basement, tons of parts and gas bottles resting on their shelves. One completed set showed what the parts were for.

"Is that a 3DMG? But Annie, that's illegal." She knew this because she had come across it when she gathered the information for their project, but decided not to use it since it was banned shortly after being introduced to the market.

"No it isn't." Annie disagreed. "Selling them is illegal, simply owning them isn't."

"Where do you get that idea?"

"My dad used to sell them, back when it was still legal. It was really expensive, so it barely sold. But there were some idiots who thought they didn't need the instructions and got themselves killed. It was all over the news how dangerous it was so there were people returning them. And since there barely was anyone who still had 3DMG they just put a hold to selling them, not owning or using them."

Mikasa took in what she had just heard, slightly surprised at how much Annie had said. "Do you know how to use it?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah..." Annie rewarded her with a small smile.

"What is it like?"

"Well, it's hard at the beginning, but once you get used to it, it becomes second nature. It feels like you can fly. Rainy and cold weather are not the greatest since there is a lot of wind at that speed, but it is the best feeling in the world."

Mikasa smiled at the emotion in Annie's usually cold voice. The mere mention of the 3DMG had brought out an entirely different side from the girl. It made her seem more approachable, and Mikasa would pay just to see that beautiful smile again. "Can you teach me?"

"Errr... it's not really something you can do indoors." Annie said, being caught off guard. "But I can give you the instruction manual if you want." she said, reaching in a box and handing a small book to Mikasa.

"Thanks, Annie. Will you teach me when the weather is better?"

"Uh, sure, I guess."

"It's a promise." Mikasa smiled, pressing the manual to her chest.

Annie's eyebrows raised slightly in worry, but she couldn't help the small smile that crept up her face. Together they went back upstairs, to the first floor, and entered Annie's room. It was obviously where Annie spent most of her time. The room was only half as big as the living room, but packed with stuff. A king-sized bed stood in the middle of the right wall, above the bed hung an enlarged picture of a lake surrounded by trees, taken from a high place. At the opposing wall stood a desk with a TV and a laptop.

Next to the door were two closets, and the floor near the opposing wall was slightly higher than the rest of the floor, making it level with the wide windows. Pictures hung at every visible spot on the walls, making it impossible to know what color the tapestry had. Stuffed animals were scattered all over the room, and Annie nervously rubbed her arm, eyeing the clothes lying on the floor.

"Wow," was all Mikasa could say. Annie lifted her gaze from the dirty laundry and warily glanced at Mikasa. "This is so different from the rest of the house, it's almost like a different world."

"... Is that a good thing?" Annie asked.

"I don't get you. You live by yourself, yet you still keep everything in your room. If you decorated the whole house like this it would be really cheerful, not depressing like it is now."

"..."

"I don't… I mean, it just seems a bit gloomy with so little furniture. As if there isn't anyone actually living there." Annie scowled at her. Who was she to judge her? "…But maybe the house reflects its owner very well. You always seem so... distant, but maybe, deep inside you're actually a warm and caring girl." Mikasa carefully added.

Annie felt her cheeks getting hot. She couldn't think of anything to say. She really really shouldn't have let Mikasa into her house.

Mikasa came a little closer, a cautious look on her face. "Don't you feel lonely, always being by yourself like that?"

Annie still couldn't think of anything to say. Since when was Mikasa so good at reading her? No, she wasn't reading her, and that stingy feeling in her eyes was her just being tired, nothing more. Actually, why was she saying any of these things? This was not the Mikasa she knew. And why should she care anyway?

Just as she was about to tell her off, Mikasa surprised her by pulling her in a hug, not very tight, so she could still push her away if she wanted to. Annie's pulse spiked and her muscles tensed, she could feel Mikasa's hair tickling her ear, her oddly calming scent entering her nostrils. They stood like that for a few minutes, then Annie felt safe enough to put her hands on Mikasa's waist, barely touching, but enough to feel the warmth. She let out a shuddering breath. As much as she liked it, she was also slightly frightened by what was happening.

Why? Why do I like this so much? Mikasa was the one she got into most fights with, they were rivals, it didn't make any sense. Yet there she was, unable to let go of her. Mikasa stroked her back.

"Don't worry, I will stay with you as long as you want."

Annie didn't respond. She tried ordering her body to hold on tighter or let go, but her body simply wouldn't move, as if she was frozen in an eternal moment. When she finally regained control over her limbs and was able to let go, she looked everywhere except at Mikasa's face.

"It's past ten already, maybe we should go to bed." Mikasa broke the silence. "Where can I sleep?"

"Um..." Annie tried to will the strange feeling away. "On the couch downstairs. I don't have any extra beds. Will the blankets we left there do?"

"Yes. Goodnight, Annie." Mikasa kissed her on her cheek, and left the room.

Annie sank down onto her bed and grabbed one of her stuffed animals, hugging it until she fell asleep, still not quite sure what had happened today.

It was still early in the morning, or at least, early for a morning in the weekend. Last night's storm had passed and took all the clouds with it, allowing the sun to melt the thin layer of ice covering the earth. Annie was in the kitchen, making an omelet, humming as she did so. She was so completely focused on preparing the food, she didn't hear Mikasa enter and jumped when she heard a voice in her ear.

"Good morning, Annie. What are you making?"

Annie cursed under her breath and whipped her head around to find Mikasa standing right behind her, hair messy from sleeping.

"Mikasa? Oh, um… yeah..." She completely forgot the other girl was staying over.

"Did I scare you? Do I really look that bad?" Mikasa started combing through her hair with her fingers.

"Uh, no, you look good. Um... I mean ... I'm making an omelet, you want one too?"

"I'd like that."

Annie slid the omelet on a plate and placed it in front of Mikasa, before starting on a second one for herself. They ate in silence, and Annie found herself throwing glances at Mikasa all the time. What had gotten into her? Why did she feel so at ease having the other girl in her house? As if to answer the question she asked herself, an emotion welled up inside of her. She immediately pushed it away. Emotions were not something she needed. She probably just wasn't used to having someone sleep over, nor interacting with other humans so soon after waking. Deciding her weird feelings were only there because of the unusual circumstances, she pulled up her walls again. They would finish the assignment, say goodbye, and never speak to each other again. It wouldn't take long before they were back to glaring at each other and trying to smash a ball in the other's face during PE.

Despite their work the previous evening, it still took them nearly two full hours to finish the task. "Would you mind if I stayed for lunch?" Mikasa asked after she had tucked the papers safely into her bag.

"Yes, I would mind. The work is finished, so just go home." Her tone was cold, and she lead Mikasa to the hall, making her point clear.

"Okay." She looked a bit hurt as she pulled on her boots. "I'll see you on Monday." Once outside she looked over her shoulder, thinking of the previous day. She had hoped to get to know Annie better, but whatever let her open up the previous night, it was gone now.

Annie leaned her head against the closed front door. Why did it hurt to make the right decision? She sighed as she pushed herself away, and had a meal before she went to the basement. She put on her gear, remembering just how much she had told Mikasa in her moment of weakness. She walked out to the forest, letting the cables of her gear lift her in the air, and allowed the movement to empty her mind. The cables shot from one branch to another, wood splintering where the hooks hit them. She gathered more and more speed, and soon her hands were freezing, despite the thick gloves she wore.

For a split second the memory of Mikasa kissing her cheek the night before flashed through her mind, and she lost focus. Her cable shot past the branch she aimed for, catching nothing but air. The momentum carried her only a bit further before she started to drop towards the ground at an alarming speed. Suddenly she was yanked to a stop, her entire body aching from the strain as she swung back and forth. She sighed in relief as she looked up at the second cable, thank heavens she hadn't released that one yet.

After she recovered from the shock, she launched her cables again, but flew a bit slower this time. At long last she reached her favorite spot. High in a tree, the topmost branch that was able to carry her weight. She looked up at the clear blue sky, a light breeze playing with her hair, and slowly lowered her gaze to the frozen lake before her.

A couple of deer were grazing at the right side of the lake, while a fox trotted on the left, stopping occasionally to sniff the ground. Pine trees surrounded the area, their needles white with frost.

Annie sat down. No matter the season, no matter the weather, this place would always be the most beautiful in the world. Even after the hardest of days, simply looking at the scene could calm her and make her forget about all the hardships of life. But today was different. Today her thoughts went back to Mikasa over and over.

"God damn it!" she shouted, startling a couple of birds.

Why couldn't she get the damn girl out of her mind?

Only when the sun started to set she headed home, without being able to enjoy the view as much as she had wanted to. The next day was no different, and for the first time, instead of relieving her stress during the weekend, she had gathered a whole new kind.