A/N: Exactly one year ago, on this day, I joined Fanfiction! Happy 1 year to me LOL
How shall we celebrate? With a new chapter, of course!
Anyway... I feel like I need to incorporate more LeviMika into the story. I guess I want to take my time developing any sort of relationship there, especially since Mikasa is wholeheartedly devoted to Eren. I've read some fics in the past that completely overlook that aspect of her personality, and I think it's important to remember that her relationship with Eren (whether it's romantic or brother-sister type) more often than not, defines her character.
So to all the lovely LeviMika shippers, please be patient with me :)
Moving on... this chapter was fun to write! Here, we shall take a look at how the other characters in the story are faring.
(The sections in this chapter are divided into separate locations, just so ya know.)
Saturday
University of Trost
Mikasa leaned against a chain link fence, wiping sweat from her brow before guzzling down a bottle of Evian water.
Levi was gathering the last of the tennis balls, some strewn about the court, others jumbled in a pile by the nets.
Their third training session, for the third consecutive week in a row, proved to be yet another success, allowing for Levi to fine-tune his already well-developed skills, and for Mikasa to gain valuable insight from shadowing the best UT had to offer. To further convey the efficiency of their newfound commitment, Rico had already hinted at the prospect of being doubles partners on several occasions; an ambition Mikasa was determined to fulfill.
Her thoughts on the matter collided with blurred visions of Biology and Math homework that still needed to be done. The workload this time around was immensely overbearing. No doubt about it, she'd have to lock herself away from civilization for the entire weekend to get it all done.
Amid all the necessary brooding, her eyes became fixated on Levi as he began stowing away his belongings into a duffel bag.
Something... something she didn't quite have the words for... felt off. Mikasa thought Levi had been acting strange for the last few days, but ultimately shrugged it off as yet another bizarre part of his personality. She figured his unusual tendencies could keep things interesting; his quirks and endearing apathy in contrast with the crazy and colorful qualities of others in her small circle of friends.
By god, every single one of her friends were weird in their own way. Regardless, she loved them all, wholeheartedly embracing what some might consider flaws, because they were real. Mikasa couldn't stand people who were dishonest or disloyal; believing it to be impossible for one to stoop lower than a liar or coward.
Levi, the mystery shrouded behind his calm but quiet exterior, and the mutual respect they held for one another, reserved a special place in her heart. She felt comfortable enough to share personal things with him; topics ranging from friends and family to whether or not animals had souls had been brought up by now (even if the latter was mostly a joke).
But one thing was for sure...
They never talked about Eren.
Mikasa wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing... or if it meant anything at all.
Perhaps she was overthinking it, and when she replayed the memory of that day over again in her head, it only seemed to further saturate an already murky concept; skewing her grasp of the situation.
She remembered that she wasn't able to introduce them to each other, as Levi took off before Eren could even realize she had any company at all.
She could accept that Levi was antisocial, and generally wasn't too fond of meeting new people. It's not like the guy was a paranoid hermit or anything.
Either way, none of that seemed to matter. Whatever had him preoccupied before must have been quelled with, what she assumed was, sheer power of will.
Or... something close to that.
Mikasa found comfort in watching him stroll along the tennis court while clad in a light hoodie. He appeared more alive and fully engaged, while embracing the court as his second home.
It relieved Mikasa of any second-guessing, deeming it unnecessary to worry about his well-being.
Levi was keenly aware he was being watched. He glanced over and briefly paused as their eyes met. Curious as to what she was thinking, he gave her a small smirk. "Penny for your thoughts?" He finally said.
Mikasa shrugged, before remembering the impending holiday only days away. "Well..." She tilted her head and swung her bag over her shoulder. "Have you thought about Monday?"
Levi rolled his eyes. He ultimately revealed that, yes, he would be going with the rest of the team to volunteer that night, but he wouldn't hesitate to put the beat-down on any kid that wandered too close.
"I knew you'd come around." Mikasa smiled, wondering if he was joking about the last part or not. It was hard to tell because the tone in his voice was so unnervingly casual. "You got a costume picked out?"
"Hell no." Levi replied, duly noting her amused expression. "I'm just wearing my uniform."
Mikasa sighed. "Why does that not surprise me?" She muttered as they began walking to the parking lot.
Levi reversed the question, avenging himself from her snarky remark. "Oh yeah? What about you?" His face wore a look of disdain, but he realized that he'd grown to admire her sarcasm and offbeat sense of humor. It often mirrored that of his own. "You are dressing up, aren't you?"
Mikasa raised an eyebrow. "Guess you'll find out soon enough."
Koharu Sushi – Sina Downtown Plaza
"What a boring night."
Ymir let out an enormous yawn, and leaned against the front desk of, what was hailed as, the best sushi venue downtown. The popular restaurant also happened to be her part-time job, a steady source of income for an otherwise broke college student.
Hitch appeared from behind, tapping her on the shoulder. "Quit slackin' off."
"Coming from you, that's just funny!" Ymir scoffed, marveling at how unusually quiet it was for a Saturday night. "Hopefully it picks up soon. I'm dying over here."
"It should, but who knows." Hitch sighed. "There was some debate going on at the city hall for the upcoming gubernatorial election and I heard there was a baseball game at Sina Stadium, soooooo I'm assuming traffic is a mess."
"Damn." Was all Ymir had the energy to say.
The two hostesses continued to chat, until they were graced with the presence of what could have been Stohess University's hottest freshman couple.
Reiner Braun swaggered inside the fancy little sushi restaurant, the beautiful nymph Krista Lenz on his arm.
"Sweet pacific rim job!" Ymir blurted out, hoping her boss wasn't around.
"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?!" Hitch muttered, gritting her teeth.
"Actually, no I don't." Ymir stated bluntly. "But don't worry," she whispered seductively, leaning in, "I've kissed lots of women with this mouth."
"Gross." Hitch barked. "Keep it together, Eriksson!"
Ymir… was trying.
Reiner and his leading lady stepped forward, arm and arm, looking as if it were their freaking wedding day.
"Table for two?" Hitch asked. They're so cute, I could throw up.
Hitch had met Reiner through their mutual friend, Annie, and she recalled meeting Krista once... possibly twice... though she might have been too drunk to remember the details.
"Hey there, Hitch." Reiner nodded. "Yes. Just the lovely lady and I, tonight."
Krista swooned, her entire face lighting up. "You're sweet, babe."
Ymir wanted to barf, glaring at the football tool.
"Hey, wait." Reiner remarked curiously, pointing at Ymir. "You're another one of Annie's teammates, right?"
"Yup." Ymir nodded.
"I gotta say," he continued, slightly star-struck, "you were amazing in last night's game!"
"She was player of the match." Hitch chimed in, winking in Ymir's direction.
"Right on!" Reiner grinned.
Ymir's eyes were locked on Krista, as Reiner droned on about… something. Whatever bullshit compliments he was giving her flew right over her head, as she shamelessly admired his date with lustful eyes. He promptly had her attention, however, when he formally introduced her to his lovely female companion; jolting her back to reality and interrupting the naughty little thoughts dancing around in the dark corners of her dirty mind.
"This is my girlfriend, Krista."
Girlfriend.
Not for long, dude…
"Nice to meet you." Krista smiled, shaking hands with a baffled Ymir. Her voice was smooth like honey, her smile oddly contagious.
Ymir despised people who were over the top formal; she equated them with ass-kissers and major suck-ups.
But this girl, Krista Lenz… was different.
Sure, Ymir was a sucker for cute little blondes, but she wouldn't allow herself to be blinded by what she thought was blatantly obvious. She wasn't buying the act, believing the goddess of perfection had something to hide.
Hitch rolled her eyes, knowing full well Ymir was checking Krista out. She hastily pulled out a couple menus and urged the blond duo to follow her. "If you'll just follow me."
"After you, miss." Reiner implored gentlemanly.
With that, Krista stepped in front and followed behind Hitch, the stocky Reiner in tow.
Ymir watched as they settled themselves inside a cozy booth, the ambiance of the upscale restaurant setting the mood for something romantic.
What? Is the guy gonna pop the question or something?!
Hitch returned shortly after, taking note of the combination of jealousy and disgust on Ymir's face. "I warned ya, Eriksson." She sighed. "Krista Lenz is off limits."
Ymir smirked slyly. "All's fair in love and war."
The Springer Household – Ragako Neighborhood
"No scope!" Connie shouted enthusiastically, sounding like a kid who had finally learned to tie his shoe. "I'm on a roll tonight!"
Saturday nights didn't get any better than this. His parents were out of town. Old high school buddies, Marco and Mina, were visiting; the trio playing Call of Duty in the living room.
And finally, Sasha had agreed to come over.
"Ughhh!" Mina groaned, pressing random buttons on the PS4 controller. "I have no idea what I'm doing!"
"You'll get better with practice." Marco remarked encouragingly, a controller in hand as well.
A fourth voice entered the exchange.
"Connie! Your microwave is so confusing!" Sasha yelped, on the verge of a panic attack. "It has like a million buttons!" She fiddled around with a few numbers on the pad before opening the door, only to be heartbroken by such a dismal discovery. The popcorn she had been waiting on was reduced to burnt shards of shit!
A trail of smoke soon followed, hurling Sasha into a coughing fit.
"AGHHHHH!"
"Connie, I think your lover is in need of some assistance." Mina giggled, briefly looking back at a flustered Sasha. The red-headed damsel in distress rushed to grab some towels in an effort to fan out the smoke.
Connie nearly dropped his controller upon hearing that. "We're not together!" He cried out dramatically.
"Whatever you say." Mina winked, using the opportunity to steal Connie's kill. "I got one!"
"Marco, please remind your girlfriend that women should only speak when spoken to." Connie retorted.
"That's sexist!" Marco and Mina gasped in unison.
Connie began cackling maniacally, before unleashing his wrath and going full beast-mode. "I'm on fire!" He gloated, flaunting his kill streak by indulging in random insults and incessant shit-talk.
Marco mercilessly put an end to his kill streak (and trash-talking) before voicing a somewhat alarming concern. "Um, is Sasha all right?"
"Yeah, she's just chillin' in the kitchen. Where she belongs." Connie joked.
"So all women belong in the kitchen?!" Mina exclaimed.
"No! Not like that!" Connie snorted. "Because her stomach is like a bottomless pit! What I meant was that the kitchen is her natural habitat! Ya know? Cuz there's food and-"
"GUYS! I BURNT THE POPCORN!" Sasha shouted in earnest, groaning in defeat.
Unfazed by all the madness, Connie offered a consolation of sorts. "I'll be there in a sec, Sasha." He called out. "The game's almost over."
After he shot up from the couch and headed into the kitchen, Marco and Mina exchanged looks, observing the offbeat couple from the safety of the living room.
Sasha was still losing her marbles. Connie was trying to calm her down and fan out the smoke before the detector could go off.
'Twas a sight to behold, indeed.
"They'll make cute babies one day." Mina sighed.
Random Empty Parking Lot – Shiganshina Neighborhood
Armin Arlert sat nervously in the driver's seat of a red Toyota Corolla, waiting for instructions.
Jean Kirstein sat in the passenger seat, bored half to death.
Why he had agreed to teach the aryan coconut how to drive stick shift was a mystery to him. Ten dollars didn't seem like hardly enough, and the fact that they had been friends for years wasn't all that notable either.
In all fairness, Jean wasn't exactly Armin's first choice. He had initially asked Eren to be his driving instructor, however...
Eren regretfully declined because his schedule was bitch-slapped with pole vault training, homework, studying, and Mikasa.
Newly single, all out of pringles, and not in the mood to mingle, Jean figured he had nothing else to do.
He could sacrifice one measly Saturday night to help out a friend.
"So," Jean yawned, readjusting his seat belt, "you ready or what?"
Armin nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."
"Don't chicken out, man. It's just a matter of knowing when to shift gears and when to use the clutch… there's nothing to it, really."
"R-right."
Jean collected himself and took a deep breath. "Go ahead and put the key in the ignition."
Armin did as he was told.
The engine purred like a kitten as it came to life.
"Okay, next step…" Jean said, looking over at Armin's hands. One was on the wheel, the other was on the stick. "Right foot on the brake. Left foot on the clutch."
"Okay…"
"Now you're going to shift into first gear. Let go of the brake, let go of the clutch, and gently push on the gas."
Armin obeyed his orders. He was successful in getting the car to move but not realizing the pressure he was giving the gas, the car lurched too quick. Terrified, Armin hit the brakes without even thinking of the clutch and the car stopped dead in its tracks.
"What just happened?" Armin asked innocently.
"You stalled it." Jean sighed.
"I'll try it again." Armin was determined to drive the blasted thing into submission one way or another.
"By the way," Jean chuckled, "Was your offer ten dollars by the hour orrrrr ten dollars for the whole lesson?"
"Jean!"
"I'm kidding." Kind of, anyway. "Start the engine. Remember what I told you."
"Right!"
Armin stalled the vehicle once more, jerking them both forward a bit.
"Shit." Jean muttered. "This is going to be a long night."
Isabel's apartment – Trost neighborhood
"Furby, I just ordered the pizza!" Isabel announced, joining him in the living room after hanging up her cell phone. "Did Levi reply to your text?"
"Again with the Furby nickname?" Furlan groaned. "Anyway, yeah, he said he'll be on his way soon."
"Sweet!" Isabel hopped on the couch and turned on the TV. "I'm glad he's off tonight."
While channel surfing through several run-of-the-mill news networks, shamelessly trashy reality shows, and corny soap operas, she stumbled upon the music stations.
Starting at channel 800, there were numerous collections of Jazz, Country, Pop and... Christmas music?!
She didn't hesitate for a second.
Furlan looked up; a look of pure terror etched on his face. "No! It's wayyyy too early for Christmas music! Change the channel!"
"My house, my rules." Isabel retorted, as Nat King Cole's rendition of Deck the Halls played in the background.
The Hoover Household – Marley Neighborhood
A freshly showered young man of about six feet lay sprawled on his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his old bedroom. He hadn't been home in what felt like ages, and if he were to be completely honest, he preferred it that way. Shirtless, wearing only a pair of black slacks, he looked over at the tan colored sweater lying beside him. He swore the inanimate object was mocking him.
Bertolt was informed by his parents that guests would be joining them for dinner that night. Special guests.
Ms. Alexandra Ivanov and her daughter, Annie Leonhart.
I have to tell her soon... just not tonight.
He sprang forward and rushed to get dressed, taking one last look in the mirror before stepping out. As he headed downstairs, his thoughts were encumbered with incessant anxieties.
But if not tonight, then when?
He was greeted by his parents before offering to help with the finishing touches to the ornate decor in the dining room.
Once the table had been set, it wasn't long until the long-time friends to the Hoover family had arrived. The ringing of the doorbell was ceremoniously accompanied by the barking of two miniature dachshunds, wagging their tails as they trotted in unison to the door. After cordially welcoming the guests into their home, sharing friendly hugs and typical "long time, no see" adages, they were soon invited to gather around the dining table. Dinner was served and polite, casual conversation ensued.
Mrs. Hoover was the first to speak after saying grace. "Bertolt mentioned you had a game last night, Annie."
Annie nodded. "That's right." She paused for a moment, taking a light sip of water. "We won."
"They're heading into the semi-finals the weekend after next." Bertolt remarked encouragingly.
Annie's mother hid a guilt-ridden frown, but wanted to show she was proud of her daughter's accomplishments. She reached out and gently placed her arm around Annie in support. "Unfortunately, I was called in to work and couldn't make it." She turned to address the entire table. "But from what I heard, she certainly did not disappoint." She smiled and peered over at her blonde counterpart. "You're a starter for a reason."
"That's quite an impressive feat for someone in their first year." Mr. Hoover regarded favorably.
"Congratulations, Annie." Mrs. Hoover enthused.
"Thank you." Annie modestly accepted the praise and resumed eating. She refrained from avidly participating in any further conversations, avoiding eye contact while staring emptily at a corner between the walls.
Bertolt's eyes occasionally wandered to where she was sitting, sensing something was off.
She seemed withdrawn, as if troubled or preoccupied.
After dinner, his parents settled themselves in the den with Ms. Ivanov, continuing their discussions from before while enjoying a bottle of Merlot from the cellar.
Bertolt and Annie were alone in the kitchen, the privacy offering the perfect opportunity to pull her aside.
"Annie?" He asked, peering over the doorway to make sure no one was listening in. The laughter echoing from the den confirmed his precaution.
"Yeah?" She waited patiently for his inquiry, folding her arms across her chest.
"Are you okay?" He lowered his voice. "Is something bothering you?"
Annie looked away. Having known the guy for years, she felt comfortable confiding in him; entrusting him with things she often avoided sharing with her own mother. "I can't stop thinking about him." She finally relented.
Bertolt shoved his hands into his pockets. "Your dad?"
Annie nodded slowly. "He didn't show up last night. Not like that surprises me."
Bertolt was unsure of what to say, figuring the best thing he could do was lend her his ear and listen.
"Whatever." She muttered under her breath. "Maybe that's a good thing. It's always awkward when he and my mom both show up anyway. I'd rather neither of them show up at all."
"You don't mean that." Bertolt frowned.
Annie knew he was right, but refused to admit it in her state of resentment.
Jaeger Household – Shiganshina Neighborhood
To say that Carla Jaeger was happy to have her only child back home from college for the weekend was the understatement of the century.
She prepared his favorite dish for dinner, Spaghetti with garlic bread, and baked apple strudels for the occasion.
His father had been called into work at the last minute, but promised they would spend the next day together as a family. Eren was looking forward to going to a baseball game, while his mother wanted to go to the zoo.
Eren had to remind her that he wasn't ten years old anymore.
"But the tigers were your favorite when you were little!" She cooed, rummaging through an old family photo album. Watching her son progress from a baby to a young adolescent was what she considered one of the greatest privileges of her life.
Eren peered over her shoulder and glanced at several of the photos, some more embarrassing than others.
Carla's finger hovered over one fond Kodak moment. "Your first haircut." She smiled.
Eren cringed, his face similar to the expression he had in the photograph. "Ughhh."
"Here's us at the zoo." Carla chuckled, eyes glossing over the picture of a seven-year-old Eren gawking at a Bengal tiger, his little hands plastered on the glass.
"Good times. Good times." Eren nodded.
"There's you and Armin." She pointed at an image of the two boys on their first day at kindergarten. "How's he doing?"
"He's doing well." Eren replied. "He really likes his professors over at Ehrmich University."
"You should invite him over for dinner sometime soon." Carla proposed. "I always thought he was a nice boy."
"Will do."
Carla returned to the photo album, scanning through a few more pages. She paused on a snapshot from his high school graduation.
"There's you and Mikasa." She sighed. "You two were adorable in your little cap and gown attire."
Eren gulped. An overwhelming rush of emotions ranging from guilt to nostalgia consumed him.
"How's she been?" Carla asked curiously, with the assumption that the two were still going strong after nearly four years.
Silence waned in the air, as Eren pondered the complexities of his relationship. He had always been completely honest with his mother, but this time he was too ashamed to admit the truth…
That he felt they were drifting apart.
But even that was a lie.
Mikasa was unapologetically devoted to him. She truly loved him with every fiber of her being. He was the one having doubts; struggling with his unfaithfulness and coming to terms with the fact that he was mysteriously drawn to Annie. He wouldn't let himself say it out loud, choosing to suffer in the silence of his own defiance.
"Good, mom." He finally replied. "She's been good."