Beyond the deep forest, with its snare like roots and treacherous lack of light, was a glittering lake, in the middle of a stone valley. Journeying there meant bending the rules in their favour, crossing barb wire fence after curfew, but time and space for privacy and comfort were rare, so it was worth the risk.
The military would be foolish to banish Mikasa, and she would receive a slap on the wrist, at worst, were they discovered. But Sasha knew trees and how to track and spot intruders, knowing footfall from animal's trampling about, so she worried not. She held Mikasa's hand and guided her, even though Mikasa was graceful and moved without fault, as they ventured between the trees towards a lookout cliff.
In Sasha's free hand she carried a lantern, and she wore a rucksack on her back, stuffed with a blanket she had snatched from washing duty. In Mikasa's free hand, she carried a basket filled with goodies she had stolen from the kitchen, her deft hands finding their use in thieving at last.
They reached the cliff when the moon had risen to subtly watch over them, casting its judging light upon the sparkling lake, and making their lantern one without use. Sasha smiled brightly even when she let go of Mikasa, to lie down the would-be picnic blanket on the rocky surface. She had brought an extra sheet folded into a disorganized pile at the bottom of the rucksack, if the weather would turn cold. For now, the chilling summer night breeze was just perfect.
Once both girls were seated, both nervous though only one showed it, Mikasa opened the basket she had carried, revealing to Sasha what she had managed to bring.
A time back, when a walk had brought up talk of silly dreams, revelation after revelation having poured from Sasha's mouth, she had expressed this desire. A night time snack, the sort she would always try to get on her own, eaten in peace in the company of a friend. When Mikasa had stopped her, she had expected rejection from the determined expression on her face, but Mikasa – who was surprise upon surprise whenever they were alone – had sworn the opposite. With a promise meaning more to Sasha than she likely had understood, Mikasa had decided that they would do this, just the two of them, breaking rules and their own records. And now the promise was fulfilled.
Sasha brought up the lone sausage Mikasa had salvaged with a look of delight, and she studied the bread with a watering mouth. Mikasa had even managed two slices of ham, wrapped in a napkin, and finally there were three red apples, slight of shape, the bullied fruit of the trees, yet appearing sweet as all the others.
While she studied the food, Mikasa pulled out a knife and small leather flask filled with water, which she placed between them.
"There's so much!" Sasha cheered, slapping her hands together. "Thank you, Mikasa! You're my saviour."
Her tone was jovial, and she did not wait for another word before she started to eat, stuffing herself with bread first and foremost. Mikasa copied her choice, though her stomach had been sated with dinner.
In large groups, Mikasa would often observe Sasha talk and complain about silence, so it had puzzled her at first, how comfortable the quiet was between the two of them. Sasha could and would speak about anything on her mind, and Mikasa would reply when she saw fit, but the longer time they had known each other, when the first year had turned into the second year, and months had flown together, they felt no need for empty noise.
Overlooking the moonlit lake was serenity in itself, even with – or maybe specifically because of – Sasha chewing loudly in her ear. They had moved closer to each other already, though Mikasa observed that Sasha had done so as an excuse to reach the food, and said nothing of it, as she nursed on her first piece still.
Occasionally Sasha paused to drink, and she excused herself in that polite way of hers for eating more than half, but when Mikasa said to go ahead, she burst into a smile to rival the moon's beauty.
"It's been ages since I've been able to eat myself full," she said in between bites. Mikasa's smile was solemn in reply, and Sasha swallowed, to make way for a blush covering her cheeks.
Reaching for the knife, Sasha broke their eye contact to slice the apples into pieces. She snuck one into her own mouth and then one before Mikasa, expectantly meeting her gaze once more.
Though she held it in front of Mikasa's face, she had expected it to be taken from her hands. But Mikasa was devious, when Sasha least expected her to be, and she opened her mouth instead, challenging Sasha to feed her. The juices of the fruit wet her lips, when Mikasa ate from Sasha's hand.
It was a seductive scene, watching Mikasa lick her lips clean, so Sasha fed her again, and again, delighting in the display for reasons she did not name. Soon Mikasa switched their roles, and fed Sasha in turn, as she tried to copy those sensual motions Mikasa had showcased. Licking her lips, opening her mouth just slightly, she tried to emulate the way Mikasa so effortlessly had enchanted her.
Only barely, due to her advanced sense of hearing, did she catch Mikasa whisper: "Cute," under her breath.
The apples were done before they knew it and the lonesome sausage was all which remained. The sweet taste of apple lingered, so they waited to eat it, opting instead to pull out the second sheet, as a breeze had turned into wind and they both desired a comfort shared.
Mikasa was taller by a few meaningless centimetres, but her position was not based on her advantage in size, but on her aura of control. She pulled the sheet from Sasha's hands and wrapped it around them both in one swoop motion, trapping Sasha against her body head to chest, hold secure by her strong arms.
Like that, in their moment of bliss, with the silence and beauty of night for their company, they stayed nestled up together. Sasha was smiling at the sound of Mikasa's heart, with her arms circling Mikasa's waist.
There was still food to eat, but for once, Sasha's hunger had been sated, at least for all things edible. Whatever she wanted, much like this close contact, was nameless and unknown to her at the time. All she knew was that she had never felt safer, nor fuller, for as long as she could remember.
She thanked Mikasa once more for making it possible, and for defiling rules for her sake. Mikasa shrugged it off with a non-committal answer, the way she usually dealt with praise, but when Sasha looked up, she thought she saw a private smile meant for only Mikasa to be aware of.
Sasha licked her lips once more, and felt an urge to taste another's, as her gaze stayed focused at Mikasa's mouth. But she was cowardly, and had no means of learning whether Mikasa would enjoy it or not, least she embarrass herself by asking. It would be an action she saved for another time and another place.
The night was theirs, and it was a night of innocent rule breaking and unfair boundaries both private and public. They stayed under the sheet, shifting for comfort from time to time and saying very little. The lantern burnt out by the edge of the picnic blanket when the night sky was slowly etched away by the rising sun, and only then did they start to think of returning to camp. But Sasha failed to see why they needed sleep, when she had already enjoyed a midsummer dream.