Rated K for fluffiness and innocent crushes. Jnun)


"You have to now because I double dog dared you!" A freckled face loomed darkly with the sort of expression so scary it can bully any first grader into obeying. This is precisely how little Mina Carolina felt when Ymir, a second grader who could pass for a third grader, goaded her into doing the unthinkable.

"B-But I can't-" Mina locked her wobbly knees in an attempt to hide the obvious nervousness that brought her legs to shake. "They'll hate me!"

"So you do have someone you like?" Ymir crossed her arms over her chest triumphantly, smirking. "You definitely have to confess, then!"

Another first grader's sharp gasp pleaded for their attention. "Mina so you do like someone!" Her bobbing blond hair shined with a radiance that out did the sun. "You need to tell me, please!"

"Don't you worry Krista, everyone is going to know pretty soon anyway," Ymir was sure of it until Mina stomped her foot and shook her head indignantly.

"I won't do it!"

"Oh-Em-Jeez, just do it!" Ymir groused. "You dared me to let a worm crawl over my face and I did! Unless..." Ymir uncrossed her arms and put a big goofy grin on her face. "You're a huge chicken!" Ymir pointed at her and cackled. "Chicken! Chicken! Carolina's chicken!"

Mina went bug eyed and threw herself at the taller child, begging her to shush. "Okay, okay, just stop it, Ymir!" She hissed desperately. Mina wouldn't have another girl call her a chicken even if that girl was bigger than her but neither could she have half the kids on the playground staring at her (which they all were now thanks to Ymir) when she confessed to the one she likes. "I'll do it."

Ymir smiled and Krista clasped her hands in delight.

"But you both must stay here, okay!"

"Fine," Ymir rolled her eyes and Krista nodded. "But we'll be close."

Mina shrugged knowing it was as good as she'd get.

"So where is the lucky jerk?" Ymir looked around the playground for a possible suspect. "Is it Eren? Don't tell me it's Eren." The three of them looked at where Eren swung from the monkey bars with his sister and another little blond boy.

Mina blushed a little but shook her head. "He's kind of cute for a dork but no! I like someone else."

"Is it Thomas?" Krista giggled behind a little hand and pointed to where a plump boy with short shaven hair and pronounced sideburns happily ate a chocolate bar. "You like to walk with him to school."

Mina frowned. "No but don't you make fun of him, I mean it!"

"Whoever it is just go already!" Ymir pouted. "Recess will end soon!"

"Yeah!" Krista quickly agreed. "I want to know who it is!"

Mina sighed dreamily and pointed across the playground to where a group of older kids were playing dodgeball.

Ymir squinted and could pick out a bunch of second graders and a couple first graders. "Bert, Reiner, Annie... Jean and Marco." She shrugged but pushed Mina towards them, trying to muffle her snickering.

Mina huffed and proceeded walking by herself, shooing Ymir and Krista away. The blond and freckled girls hovered on the outskirts of the blacktop, close to the dodgeball square. Mina grew increasingly nervous because, soon, everyone would know who she liked, worst of all the one she liked. Mina gulped down her cowardice and reminded herself that no one could back down from a double dog dare as she came up to the group of older and bigger students.

Marco, a freckled first grader and Ymir's cousin, noticed her first as he waited in line to be put back into the game with Annie and Jean. "Mina?" This drew the attention of the other two who turned to look at the petite girl in pigtails.

"I-I need to tell you something." Mina pretended to find the shoelaces of her tiny converse very interesting. In reality she knew that her extra audience of two was growing when a few kids in the game looked back and got tagged out, joining the line. "I-I-" She whipped her head around to look for Ymir and Krista who cheered her on in the sidelines. She turned back to find two more eyes keeping attention in wait.

"What is it Mina?" Marco was the first to ask. Jean, a baby-faced first grader with dirty blonde and bark brown hair yawned. Annie stood between the crowd a little ways in the back, maintaining a half-lidded icy-blue gaze on the cloudy grey one of Mina's.

"I really really like you! I've liked you since I met you in daycare!" This took the small crowd aback.

Marco took a breath and stood frozen, "Wh-What?" Soon a few snickers and childish cringing took place.

Jean folded his arms. "Is this a prank 'cause,-"

"-and to prove it," Mina cut in, "I want to kiss you." This brought the small crowd to immediately back up or run away, screaming about cooties and kissing. The three who were originally there stood a bit startled at the sudden confession. Mina closed in on her target.

Before Marco could half-heartedly protest he found himself being brushed past. Mina kept walking. Jean jumped in alarm but he too was skipped over. Annie wasn't fazed until the first grader tugged at her sleeve, pushed her bangs away, and gave her a tender kiss on the surface of her lips. At that point Mina knew the heat on her face wasn't all hers and the two girls were blushing with the same intensity. Suddenly the bell rang and recess was over. Children raced away to their classes.

"I really like you, Annie!" Mina exclaimed one last time before running with the crowd to her first grade building.

Annie touched her fingertips to her mouth as if she couldn't believe what just happened. "S-"

"Someone likes you!" Her cousin Reiner supplied.

"And they kissed you," his friend Bertholdt sighed in awe. "I wish I had those guts," he muttered to himself.

Meanwhile a freckled girl and her blonde companion couldn't stop squealing over that twist.

"Holy cow I thought she liked Marco!" Ymir couldn't shut her grinning gape.

"Same!" Krista fanned herself furiously at the unexpectedly cute scene she just witnessed.

"Best dare ever!" They said in unison.