A/N: I have been on a strange streak for one-shots. Please bear with me; I know I'm procrastinating my other works.
I've failed you once.
With this second given chance,
I shall make things right,
I shall fulfill my promise with you,
I swear,
I will.
We will live together for ourselves this time. Just the two of us.
-x-x-x-
Staring into the glass of a small shop, Ymir fixed any imperfection of her clothes. She made sure that everything was in place and appropriately portrayed. She couldn't screw this up. She finally found her and she didn't want to mess things up and not be able to meet her again. It was clearly a one-time chance.
Nodding to herself in satisfaction, Ymir turned swiftly, heading to her destination in steady steps.
Upon reaching a small bookshop, she stood at the entrance, contemplating for a moment then walked in as confidently as she could.
"Welcome!" Shouted a worker from the shop.
Ymir peered around until a small blonde caught her eyes. She was sitting at the cashier reading a book. She seemed absorbed in the story was she reading. A small smile was on her face.
That's her. There's no mistaking it. She looks the same as ever, except with a more mature appearance than in my memories.
Rubbing at her chest, Ymir tried to shake off the ebbing pain. It's been a long time since she have seen Krista. One whole lifetime in fact. She could still remember the warmth of the blonde so clearly. She misses it. Why had she broken the promise only to regret it? If she could, she would have return to the past and punch the hell of out her past self, telling her to not give up on Krista not matter what happened.
Walking calmly towards the cashier, Ymir unconsciously swept a hand through her brown hair, messing it up a little. It was a habit and that ruined her fixing up of her appearance just minutes ago.
"...Krista?" Ymir called out hesitantly. Her voice though soft, managed to snap the blonde out of her absorbance in the story.
"Sorry?" Blue eyes blinked a few times trying to figure out who the brunette in front of her was and why she knew her name.
"I'm... Ymir."
"Oh!" The blonde stood up abruptly, causing the chair she sat on to clatter to the floor nosily. The customers present immediately turned to the sound. "Sorry." She apologised loudly to them then they continue with their browsing. Turning her attention back to the tall brunette, she smiled. "Nice to meet you! I never thought you did really come to see me." She offered her hand for a shake.
Ymir took the small hand in hers and gave it a firm shake before letting go. "I wasn't joking. I really did want to meet you." She smiled back.
"You look just like i had imagined!" The blonde exclaimed then she proceeded to pick up the clattered chair to settled back down on it.
"You too. You're as lovely and beautiful as i remembered you to be."
"Remembered me to be." Krista repeated in a mumble to herself. "You know i may be your lover in the past but i don't remember any of it. And It may sound horrible to you but I-"
"No, i understand." Ymir interrupted.
She knew that it wouldn't be easy for another to accept the fact that they were indeed related to her in the past. She wouldn't expect them to believe her in fact.
She had previously met up with Eren, Reiner and Bertolt, who were titan shifters like her in their past life but none of them seemed to remember her either.
Most important to her was Krista, her past life lover. They had made a promise they'd meet again. Since they never managed to fulfill that in their previous life, she thought they would fulfill this time. However, it seemed that Krista didn't have any memories of that. To be honest, it hurt her. Maybe she was being stupid, being the only one who remembers their promise. Yes, she had left Krista on her own accord, causing her to break the promise they made. But she believed that Krista would understand her.
Now that they got another chance at life, all Ymir wants to do was to make sure the promise would be fulfilled this time. Though, how was she to do it if Krista doesn't remember anything?
"Can you give me a chance?" Ymir broke the short silence that came between them. "I've finally found you. I thought I'd never find you ever. After all those years I've searched, I almost gave up. Until I stumbled upon a forum and then we came to discuss many things there. And I became your internet friend." She clenched her fists into balls, frustration building up. She knew she shouldn't push the blonde so much because it isn't fair yet she didn't want to give up so easily.
"Ymir, can we talk later?" The small blonde sighed as her eyes checked the clock on the cashier table. "My shift will be done in another 15 minutes. Wait for me at the café next door. I promise I'll be there soon."
"Really?" Ymir perked up knowing that she'd a chance for explanations or anything at all. When she had found out that Krista was the same Krista who was her lover in the previous life, she couldn't help but blurt out everything about her memories. Part of her hoped that Krista had retained her memories and that they'd be back to being the couple they were. This time living a good life together.
That wasn't the case, obviously. The truth was cruel. This Krista doesn't recognise her as her lover. She recognised Ymir as an internet friend she gained whom she just happened to click well with and became very close with.
It was after she shared her memories that Krista had distanced herself from Ymir and they had even stopped chatting for a whole week. Things got awkward between them and Ymir had to make things right. She couldn't let one picture end everything she had with the blonde; she had casually asked the blonde for picture and never thought that she would really reveal her true face online which led the brunette to realise 'Krista' existed in this world too.
-x-x-x-
20 minutes later, Ymir and Krista were face to face in a two person table in the corner of the café.
After ordering some beverages, Krista broke the silence.
"You really came to see me." Krista started. "I gave you my workplace on a whim. So i didn't think that you would actually come down to find me. Honestly speaking i can't believe what you've said about past memories." She took a sip of her tea, testing its temperature. "It's true we're close online. Though, it doesn't make you trustable in all. For who knows you might be someone trying to cheat me or something. Really, i don't mean it to hurt you but it's pretty much the truth about internet friends."
"And what is there to cheat you about? As much as it is unbelievable. I'm telling the truth. I don't have prove so i can't force you to believe me. But i want to try." Ymir deep a breath then exhaled slowly. She cleared her throat once. "Will you at least be my friend? We'll see how it goes from there. Maybe, just maybe, interacting with me would trigger your past memories."
"If it doesn't?" Krista raised a brow as she placed her cup of tea back on the table. "Will you give up then?"
"I won't. Even if we can't be lovers ultimately, i would still stay by you. Unless if you don't want me to." Ymir stated clearly, looking directly into the blonde's eye.
Breaking the eye contact, the blonde closed her eyes and sighed. She took another sip of tea. She would never want to not be by the brunette's side. All she wished for was the brunette to see her for who she is but she know that the brunette was only interested in the her who resembled her last lover. She apparently had made a promise with Ymir and she was keen to fulfill it this time. "Is there no chance for you to look at me as myself?"
Dumbfounded by the sudden question, Ymir took a few moments to register it in her mind. "Sorry?"
She couldn't really understand what it meant. "I don't quite get-"
"I've fallen for you." She explained. "Way before you found out about me being your lover. It's strange alright. We've never met and I only knew you online but to me you felt honest. You felt like everything to me when I got to know you better." Tears were filling her eyes, blurring her vision. "Ever since you've found out that I was 'Krista' you've only seen me that way. I,too, wish that memories would come filling my mind, remembering you as my lover like you've said. I don't want to believe you but i now do, maybe those feelings i have for you were all 'Krista's' feelings for you." She wiped a falling tear off her cheek. "Will you help me regain those lost memories?"
"I will. I will. We will find a way to. For now we're friends, but i hope we will eventually return to being lovers. I really do." Ymir reached across the table and gently wiped another stray tear off the blonde's cheek.
"Yes." Krista placed her hand atop Ymir's hand that remained on cheek even after a few seconds. "Yes." She leaned into hand, for warmth and comfort.
-x-x-x-
Six months, half a year, having rapidly passed by. Krista's memories mostly returned with of the long months she had spent with the brunette, going on dates with her, parts of her past life interactions with Ymir flooding in certain situations. Their relationship transiting from friends to lovers just as fast as time passed when Krista felt that it felt right to do so.
"Krista? What's wrong?"
Looking up at her lover with a contented smile, Krista was deep in thoughts about the memory of how they met. Her lover was reading her favourite book - given to her by Krista - when Krista started giggling a little to herself. She frowned at first but recovered almost immediately.
"Nothing."
Laying down on her lover's chest as they laid in bed, Krista listened to her heartbeat. She loved how it sounded like music to her ears. The comfortable rhythm it gave off helped her stay peaceful and relaxed. Nothing else could bother her in this moment of cosy and enjoyable warmth that was enveloping her.
"I was remembering the first time we met. Here in the real world."
"Oh... that..."
"Yea." Krista began to draw circles on her lover's chest. And her lover instinctively wrapped her arms around her. She had closed her book, now only relaxing with her small lover in her arms.
A smile tugged at Krista's lips as she stared at her lover's face fondly as she had her eyes closed.
"Ymir?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you for finding me and becoming my friend." She stopped drawing circles and went to look her lover's hand, intertwining their fingers. "For that, we managed to get my memories back and now... we get to finish what we didn't."
"To live together for ourselves." Ymir finished for her.
"Yes."
"I love you, Krista." Ymir leaned down to give her small lover's lips a kiss.
"I love you too, Ymir." She returned the kiss.
"Let's stay together forever this time. For real." Ymir spoke softly when they separated. "It's not just a promise, I'll make it happen."
-x-x-x-
