Chapter 4, yay!
Gonna get all these chapters uploaded soon.
EreMika Week is coming! I am so excited.
Anyway, enjoy reading.
Next week the trainees had to do a test. A knowledge test.
Mikasa, sitting on a log, distanced herself from everyone else, held a piece of paper, trying to remember the details.
"These are fucking useless. Why we have to study all of these, just cut its neck, done." - She complained.
Suddenly, the light was blocked in front of her, as she looked up, seeing a blond-haired boy.
"Mikasa, why aren't you joining us?" - The boy asked.
She tried to recall who he was.
"Armin, right?" - She asked. "Eren's close friend?"
"That's right. Eren and I are studying with the rest of the trainees over there. Only you are missing."
"I don't do... group studying."
"You can ask the others to explain things for you. It's easier to learn."
"I...am not exactly...a talkative kind."
"I see." - He said, then sat down next to her. "Then do you have anything you want to ask? I saw you struggling with the papers."
"Actually... this part." - She pointed at a line.
"Oh, that talked about the design of 3DMG. Basically, it's like this"
Armin started to explain things to Mikasa, in a much more understandable way than the paper.
"How about this?" - She got interested in his teaching skills, decided to ask as many as possible.
Then the two sat there for a while, talking in a peaceful atmosphere.
"Wow, you are smart. Like...really smart, especially compared to that brat." - Mikasa said.
"That brat? You mean Eren?"
"Yeah, who else can it be."
"He has other good traits."
"Like what? I can't see them at all."
"He's strong-willing, brave, friendly, and he has a kind heart. You should have noticed that."
"Huh?" - Mikasa looked up.
"He has been trying to get close to you since day one, hasn't he?"
"He was just..."
"He really cares for you. He tells me about ...what happened. He feels guilty for not be able to save you that day."
"He shouldn't. It's not his fault to begin with." – She murmured.
"Yeah but once he made up his mind, even I can't do anything about it."
"How troublesome." - She sighed.
Armin stood up.
"It's almost dinner time. Let's go."
"OK." - She followed him to the dinner hall.
"He's such a nice guy." - Mikasa thought. "I should start talking with him more."
With Armin's help and her own brilliant mind, Mikasa was able to get top score in the test.
"Damn I almost failed." - Eren sighed.
"I can't believe you messed up such easy ones. Even I got it right." - Connie said.
"You should score great marks in the combat test if you want to be in the top 10." - Armin advised.
"Yeah, I think I must excel in that test. I need to be recognized."
It was about at evening, few sun rays were left, as about to turn night soon. And the trainees were practicing with the cardboard once again in the forest.
Mikasa, like usual, took down many "titans" from all height.
Then the bell rang.
"Finally it's over." - Jean quickly shot his hook to return.
"Dinner time!" - Sasha shouted cheerfully.
At that moment, Mikasa heard a scream. She looked around, most of the trainees had left, and the one hadn't didn't seem to hear it.
She found that voice familiar, one thing came straight to her mind.
She hadn't seen him, not once, which was surely strange.
She shot her gear to the direction of the scream. She moved so fast that no one noticed.
She got deeper into the forest, yet still hadn't found the source of the scream.
Finally, she saw a 15-meter cardboard lying down on the ground. It looked terrible, the material itself seemed bad.
She guessed it was an old one, and probably was abandoned here, as no one would risk going this deep in the forest.
Yet the cut on its neck seemed new.
She looked around and found a figure hanging on a tree branch.
"Must be him." - She said and flew closer.
It turned out to be Eren, one of his wrist was tangled up with the gear of the 3DMG. One hook was still on the tree branch he was sitting, the other was hanging freely in the air.
"Just what did you do?" - She spoke in annoyance, checking his wrist.
"That cardboard was disposing or something. I hooked to it to cut its neck, but then the hook stuck there. I didn't notice and moved. This is the result." - Eren said.
His face was a pale, and he seemed not like his usual self. Normally he would curse the cardboard, the tree, the 3DMG,..
She checked his wrist again, seeing his skin turned red, and small blood drops came out.
"You're bleeding!"- She shouted.
She tried to remove the gear fast, but couldn't.
"Everyone has returned. If we don't hurry..." - She panicked, continued on removing it.
"Calm down Mikasa. Maybe you should just rip it off." – He placed a hand on her to calm her down.
"Idiot! That would injure your wrist badly, and cut your veins! If that doesn't kill you, you would die from blood loss!" - She yelled at how reckless he was thinking, carefully untangled the gear.
By the time she finished, the night had taken over.
"It's night now. We can't return. Let's stay here tonight." - She said in a annoyed voice.
"I'm sorry Mikasa..." – He murmured.
"Now explain yourself why you're here? This deep? You know how fucking dangerous it is? And you were even giving me a lesson about killing a 15-meter class alone the other day."
"I know, I just..."
"Just what?" – She grunted.
"I need to excel this. I need to! Or else..."
Mikasa remembered his conversation with Armin when the previous test score was revealed.
"We still have combat skill test, and you're already good at it. No need to risk your life like this." – She lowered her voice down.
"We don't kill titans by punching it." - He refused to admit he was wrong.
"We still have time, don't push yourself too hard."
"Did you yourself also say we must not waste anytime to me the other day?"
"I guess we both don't listen to our own words..."
He suddenly grinned.
"What?" - She asked seeing his smile.
"I'm just glad you're concerned about me."
"I'm not!" - She denied it right away, quickly changed the subject "So, guess we have to spend the night here on this tree branch."
"Probably. It's big enough for both of us."
"Then let's rest. We'll head back to the barrack before the wake up bell. That bald man should not find out about this." - Mikasa said, attempted to lie down.
Then she saw it. His white pants were stained with red.
"Let me see your leg!" - She checked his legs right away.
One leg was bleeding.
"Did you hit something?"
"When the cardboard felt down, I think?"
"Why didn't you say anything about this! We need to stop the bleeding!" - Mikasa started to panic again.
She took off her jacket and rolled it around his leg, then tied it up tightly.
"This should work." - She said.
"Mikasa...your jacket..."
"Don't mind it. Your injury is more important."
Then she lied down.
"Let's rest. It's getting late." - She mumbled.
Then a fabric was covered on her body. It was Eren's jacket.
"Don't catch a cold." - He said, lying down next to her, but kept a distance.
"Good night, Eren."
Eren was happy. The way she just called his name made him happy. A soft voice, a caring voice.
A few hours passed, Mikasa still found herself wide awake.
It was cold, it reminded her of that time, being locked down in the basement, lying on the cold floor.
She felt insecure at times like this.
She turned herself, only to find Eren peacefully sleeping.
She stared at his face for a while. It was nice to see him like this.
He mumbled something in his sleep. It was cute. Mikasa became curious, leaned down to hear what he was saying.
Out of nowhere, his arms wrapped around her, pulled her down, laid her head next to his chest.
"Eren!" - Mikasa shocked. But she looked up, found out he was still asleep.
He held her tight, his breath was on her forehead. He was using her as his body pillow.
She could hear his heartbeat. His steady heartbeat.
She felt warm.
The warmness she had forgotten.
"Mikasa, stop hitting me." - He spoke in his sleep.
Mikasa giggled. It was so adorable how he said it.
She somehow blushed thinking it was her name he spoke out during sleep.
She closed her eyes and finally felt sleepy.
"Maybe he's not that annoying after all." - She smiled, loosely hugged him, buried her face in his chest.
This would be her first peaceful sleep since that day, thanks to him.