A/N: I wasn't going to upload this until the 24th, but meh, I decided why not? You're the best readers an introverted, baking enthusiast, dog obsessed, weirdo could ask for sooooooo bam! Early update cuz you guys deserve it! :)
I already have the next chapter written out, so might as well upload that one early, too!
Once again, thanks to all who've reviewed, followed, and favorited! It means I'm doing something right, I guess :3 even if I'm not always satisfied with the result.
I love getting reviews from all you lovely people in general, and there's something novel about hearing from readers that are separated by oceans! It makes me feel like a big ball of love knowing that some of my writing can bring us together, whether we live in different cities, countries, go to high school or college, come from this background, that background, etc. It's amazing! :)
Thanks for the feedback on what to do with the rating of this fic as well! I think I've found some middle ground...
Last note, if you have the chance I recommend checking out OhGodWhy151's fic, "Bruised." It's centered on Bertolt's character using the oh-so-necessary high school AU as the story's backdrop. And what's more, martial arts and underground fighting are a major theme, which I'm a huge sucker for!
It's a great read! Highly recommended!
Also! Warning for this chapter! Minor spoilers for Rogue One, if you haven't seen it yet.
Anyway, on with the show! :D
Friday, January 6th
Stohess University – Indoor Track and Field Facility
He powdered his hands, rubbing them together in anticipation before executing a few preliminary stretches. He looked up, a customary smile etched on his face as he began reaching for his red tapered pole. The cross bar suspended above ground was elevated up to fifteen feet high, overlooking a giant blue mat at the end of a Tartan runway.
Eren prepared to make his approach, readying himself for the rehearsal of his unmatched vaulting technique, a routine he knew intimately like the back of his hand.
"What the hell are you waiting for Jaeger?!" Coach Shadis shouted, glaring at the freshman from his position at the end of the runway. "Get a move on already!"
Just another day in paradise. Eren thought.
With a deep breath, he lunged forward, taking long swift strides in a relaxed upright position. Aligning his head, shoulders, and hips, he lifted his torso and leaned slightly forward, picking up speed as his sights narrowed just ahead of him on the bar.
He planted the pole firmly in the trapezoidal box marked for establishing a proper liftoff, tightening his grip as he hurled his body up, and immediately extended his hips as he outstretched both legs above. Continuing to propel upward, he inverted his body's position, soaring high above the bar and pushing off from the pole, watching as it fell away in the opposite direction. The rotation concluded as he made his descent, peacefully so, in what felt like a euphoric sense of freedom and release.
The landing was graceful, a soft thud following as Eren's back hit the mat in flattened perfection.
He cleared fifteen feet as if it were child's play.
His own record, and what made him state champ back in his senior year of high school, was seventeen feet.
"That's it, Jaeger!" Shadis commended him, his usual commanding voice thundering throughout the facility. "Keep this up, and the outdoor season will be a piece of cake."
"Thanks, coach." Eren, still on his high, continued to lay on the mat, arms and legs both spread lazily. For a brief moment he forgot he was still at practice, ignoring Shadis' sharp glare as thoughts of blowing the competition away at the first meet of the season fluffed up his ego.
"JAEGER!" Shadis boomed. "Who said you could lie around?! Get your candy ass up! Four laps! NOW!"
Eren inwardly panicked, but remained calm on the outside to avoid giving his coach justification in the lovely term of endearment, "candy ass." With great haste, he forced himself up and began jogging to the track to begin a moderately paced mile run with his teammates.
"Yes, sir!" He complied, scrambling away with just enough time to spare before falling victim to further harsh punishment.
He was quickly joined by Thomas Wagnar and Ilse Langnar within a matter of seconds. Seeking to thwart conversations regarding the amount of pressure they were all under to perform their best at the upcoming meet, Eren delighted in the prospect of sharing his opinion on a completely unrelated matter.
The young collegiate athlete took helm over a discussion about Star Wars; and that's when he made a fatal mistake.
"I was actually kind of disappointed in Rogue One."
Before Eren could get into any more detail and offer up a full-on movie critique, he was instantly ditched by his teammates.
"Was it something I said?" He joked, a subtle laugh escaping his mouth as he hurried to catch up to them.
Arlert Household – Shiganshina Neighborhood
Later that evening, Eren stopped by the Arlert's to pay his friend, Armin, a visit.
He set out for the charming modern victorian home after practice, acknowledging that it had been awhile since he'd seen his best friend. They had a lot to catch up on, but the one subject Eren was seemingly obsessed with kept relaying over and over in his head.
The two adolescents were tinkering with a few prototypes from the early days of Armin's Robotics Club triumphs, setting him on the engineering track for college after receiving multiple scholarship offers.
There were far more engaging, and more significant, topics to address, but Eren just couldn't let it go.
"I just don't see what the appeal is." Eren sighed, shaking his head as if all faith in humanity was lost on his inability to comprehend just this one thing. "Rogue One definitely wasn't the worst Star Wars film to date, but I still thought it was a HUGE letdown!"
Armin, who had seen the movie with Eren over winter break, disagreed but respected his friend's opinion nonetheless. "I thought K-2SO was pretty cool."
Eren continued his rant, releasing pent up irritation. "Think about it, Armin! Can you name any of the dudes in Rogue One other than Jyn and Cassian? Because I can't! The movie completely glossed over their development. I have no idea what IP Man was doing in there. Sure, it was cool, but was it really necessary? Speaking of unnecessary characters, Forest Whitaker… I can't even remember his character's name… but anyway, he was irrelevant to the plot, and he died after like five minutes of screen time!"
"…" Armin figured it would be best to let Eren vent his frustrations without interrupting.
"It was obviously no more than your stereotypical cashgrab!" Eren droned on. "Except for a few fan-serving moments, the movie was rather dull. It totally lacked the charm and chills of Lucas's founding trilogy. The whole time I was sitting there I just didn't feel like I was watching a Star Wars movie."
"Sorry you feel that way, Eren." Armin shrugged, a remote control in hand. He proceeded to fiddle around with a small robotic structure he nicknamed 'Lucy.' The robot followed commands and moved about the basement floorboards. "I actually thought Rogue One was better than The Force Awakens."
Eren shot the blond an intense scowl. "Those are fighting words, Armin." He narrowed his eyes before adding one last sentiment to his film critique. "The only redeeming quality Rogue One had was its scenes with Darth Vader. That end scene where he completely wastes those poor rebellion suckers was absolutely pure gold! Seriously! That one and only scene was worth the 2 and half hour sit through."
Too bad that particular scene was only about a minute long.
Armin looked up and smiled. "See. It wasn't so bad after all. What other Star Wars movies feature Darth Vader going full-blown Sith lord?" He set his remote controller aside and reached for little 'Lucy," studying her mechanics and appreciating his younger self's work. "The original trilogy will always be superior to the other films, but you have to admit, the light-saber battle scenes in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were anything but iconic. Compared to today's standards, they were poorly choreographed."
Eren realized Armin had a point. "Yeah, yeah, but those films were produced decades ago. It makes sense that the action sequences would be outdated." Although they had their disagreements on the subject, Eren was grateful he had at least one friend he could share his love for the series with, going into deep analysis on subjects ranging from why the hell Boba Fett hadn't gotten his own stand-alone film yet, to how terrible of an actor Hayden Christensen was as Anakin, to whether or not selling the rights to Disney was a smart move on George Lucas' part. They routinely argued, however, over who the bigger Star Wars babe was; Padme or Leia.
Jean once insisted that it was Rey, only to be tackled by the hot-headed Eren for even making that suggestion.
"That's it!" Eren declared, turning away from the plethora of robo-dogs and prototype assemblies that resembled bug vacuums. "Time for a Star Wars marathon!"
"Sure!" Armin enthused. "Chronological order, right?"
"Of course!" Eren couldn't have been more thrilled, even if that meant they'd have to sit through The Phantom Menace to kick things off. At least Liam Neeson was thrown in there.
"Want me to order a pizza?" Eren asked as they headed upstairs to the living room. "My treat."
"Sounds good." Armin nodded. "I'll set things up in the living room."
After Eren placed his order online via an app on his phone, a question arose, this time pertaining to his athletic endeavors.
"Your first meet is coming up, right?" Armin asked, placing The Phantom Menace into the Blu-ray player.
Eren nodded, collapsing on the couch. "Yup. It's only the indoor season, though, so I told my parents not to worry about showing up. The outdoor season in the spring is what counts."
"Someone has to show up and offer support." Armin reasoned. He was briefly saddened upon thinking about Mikasa and how they would always attend Eren's pole vault competitions during high school. After hearing of their breakup, he realized those days were over.
If he were being completely honest to himself, however, he wasn't surprised the two ended their relationship. Eren seemed infatuated with whoever 'Annie' was, and Armin had trouble believing Eren had made the right decision professing his feelings for her. Based on what Eren had told him, it didn't seem like she whole-heartedly returned his feelings. Unless she was holding back…
Either way, Armin decided to keep an open mind for the sake of their friendship, and would wait until he had met Annie in person to make a proper assessment of the already complex situation.
"I could ask Sasha and Connie if they'd want to go cheer you on as well." Armin said, shoving his thoughts aside while plopping on the couch next to Eren.
"I appreciate the offer, but you don't have to." Eren downplayed the whole thing, realizing he wouldn't be totally bothered if the stands were empty. Maybe a little, but not totally.
"Don't be ridiculous, Eren." Armin chuckled. "When is it?"
Eren couldn't have responded faster, sounding desperate with each word that followed. "Wednesday night. 5:30pm."
Armin smiled. "We'll be there."
"It'll be like a little reunion." Eren jested, eyes fixated on the TV as the opening credits flashed before them, accompanied by the familiar (and ingenious) soundtrack.
The two hummed along to the Star Wars theme, conducted brilliantly by John Williams, playing air trumpets and waving their arms around like true dorks while in the comfort and privacy of the blond's home.
Friday nights at the Arlerts were always the best.
Sina Health and Fitness Club
"One more, Bertolt! You got this!"
Reiner Braun, the self-proclaimed fitness trainer to longtime buddy Bertolt, encouraged the taller of the two to execute one last rep on the bench press with a loud determined battle cry.
Friday nights at the gym were usually packed, but given that there were several large city-wide events going on all at once, only a few dedicated gym rats ran amok at the classy facility.
The Mayor was holding a beneficiary event to celebrate the careers of several outstanding war veterans at the city hall. The newly elected governor was sponsoring a charity event for families living below the poverty line in their community. The regional film festival, NXNW, was in full swing, attracting a few celebrity appearances. An offbeat protest, with a surprisingly large turnout, was being held at the downtown plaza in an effort to take a stand against the legalization of marijuana. The annual Sina Beauty Pageant was preparing to host live at the convention center downtown in but a week's time.
The TVs at the gym were tuned to the local news channel, broadcasting the Reiss family at the city hall in tandem with honoring the war vets.
Reiner was distracted when the screens displayed his lovely girlfriend.
"Isn't that… Krista?" Bertolt panted, worn out from the rigorous lifting. He was certain he'd be immensely sore the next day.
Reiner beamed, embracing the love-bug jitters with the intense fluttering of his heart. "It sure is." Damn, she's absolutely stunning. "You know, she's competing in the beauty pageant this year." He sounded proud, the way one would over a prized trophy.
Bertolt furrowed his brow. Of course she is. He thought, slightly irked. "I... bet she's pretty excited for that." He sat up from the bench and reached for his bottle of water.
Reiner shrugged. "I don't know. I assumed she was, but when I asked her about it she immediately changed the subject." He turned away from the TV screens and faced Bertolt. "Come to think of it, she's been acting kinda weird lately."
"How so?"
"She's just been distant." Reiner thought back to their last date, troubled by a few 'warning signs' he may have overlooked before. "It's not like she's pushing me away or anything, but it's obvious something is bothering her. Every time I ask her if she's okay, she brushes it off as nothing, or tries to laugh it off."
Bertolt remained quiet, worried by Reiner's hard-to-read expression.
"When we first started going out, everything was great." He rubbed his chin frigidly. "Almost too great…"
What if… she only agreed to go out with me… for appearances?! He thought, suddenly horrified.
The silence was making Bertolt uncomfortable. "You all right, Reiner?"
Reiner ignored the nagging feeling, tugging away on his fragile heart strings while suggesting his relationship was nothing but a sham. It couldn't have been! He and Krista were a match made in heaven!
So why was this awful gut-feeling gnawing away into the deepest depths of his soul?
Reiner was quick to snap out of it, not wanting to leave Bertolt in an undying suspense. "Yeah, man. I'm good. I'm good." He repeated. "Just a little dizzy spell."
Bertolt sighed, offering the bench to Reiner for one last set. "Your turn."
Reiner resumed the topic once he sat down after adjusting the weights. "The Fall Sports Athletic Banquet is coming up." He breathed out in between reps. "Krista's going to be my date, of course."
Bertolt figured the blond had more to say, but allowed him time to recover after completing his set.
Reiner sat up after setting the bar back. Bertolt was quite the efficient spotter, but the blond was confident in that he didn't really need one. "I'm looking forward to it, believe me, I am, but…" He indulged in giant animalistic gulp of water, quenching the thirsty beast. "Her parents are going to be there… and my parents are going to be there."
Bertolt already knew where this was going.
"I've never met her parents and vice versa." Reiner gasped. "I have to make a good first impression, Bertolt!"
"I wouldn't worry about it." Bertolt yawned.
"I bare my soul to you and that's all you have to say?" Reiner huffed. The guy had his diva moments, that much was true.
"Have a little faith in yourself, Reiner." Bertolt said, resuming his position underneath the bar to complete his last set. "This can't be the first 'meet the parents' jitters you've been faced with, right?"
Reiner's silence perplexed the tall brunet.
"Right?" Bertolt repeated, this time with urgency.
Reiner looked around them to be sure no one was eavesdropping or listening in on their very private, very intimate conversation. "Bertolt, can you keep a secret?"
Bertolt was in the middle of his set when he mouthed, "Of course," partially offended.
It's not like they had been friends for over a decade or anything.
Reiner gulped, unsure if he was willing to admit the truth, even to someone he considered family.
"Krista… is my first… real girlfriend." The confession didn't quite come as a shock to the brunet.
"So…" Bertolt murmured, taking a moment to catch his breath after his last rep. "You're telling me, all those girls back in middle school and high school were just for show?"
Reiner nodded in shame. "Every single one of them. They would only use me to get back at their exes, or as a date so they wouldn't have to go to school dances alone."
Bertolt kind of already knew all of this, as Reiner's past "girlfriends" never went out with him for more than a week.
But he chose to play along, and pretend this was all news to him. Reiner was low-key sensitive as fuck.
"Oh, that sucks." Bertolt forced out, trying to be supportive while resisting the urge to smirk.
"Krista was actually my first kiss." Reiner lamented. "I hope she doesn't think I'm a terrible kisser or something!"
Bertolt closed his eyes. The up-and-coming star QB for Stohess University's football team was a virgin! What a sight to behold!
"Think of it this way, Reiner." Bertolt just couldn't help himself. "You're like Tim Tebow."
Reiner scoffed. "But I don't believe in waiting for marriage and all that BS."
"Yeah but after every touchdown, you get down on your knee and start praying…"
"Well, mama raised me to be a man of faith!"
Bertolt had an unimpressed, but slightly amused, look etched on his face. "Don't you see the hypocrisy in that statement?"
Reiner held his hands on his hips in retaliation. "We live in different times, Bertolt!" He expressed urgently. "Everyone's gettin' it in nowadays."
"Which explains why you still have your V-"
"Don't say it out loud!"
Bertolt raised his hands up in defense. "All I'm saying is that there's nothing wrong with waiting. Whether that's until your wedding night… or when the right person comes along."
"Thanks, dad." Reiner smirked, taking none of what his friend was trying to convey seriously.
As they continued resting nearby the bench, talking about Reiner's QB stats and what he hoped to achieve in the future, a person of familiarity made her way to the weights section, sights set on the rack of dumbbells.
The oriental beauty had earbuds in, paying no mind to a couple of gym rats eyeing her lustfully as she picked up a pair of fifteen pounders to begin bicep curls.
"She looks familiar." Reiner paused, the name of the girl on the tip of his tongue.
"Mikasa." Bertolt mumbled. "Eren's girlfriend."
"That's right!" Reiner snapped his fingers upon recollecting past chats with his roommate. "Except I'm pretty sure she's his ex now. Eren mentioned they broke up."
Bertolt only replied with a tsk.
"Pity." Reiner went on, folding his arms across his chest. "She's cute."
"Well, turns out Eren only has eyes for Annie." Bertolt spewed out bitterly. He hadn't meant for it to come out, but he was among friends. Or… just Reiner, anyway.
Reiner was baffled by the bizarre statement. "Annie?" He paused. "You mean our Annie?"
Bertolt nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"Oh, shit." Reiner was conflicted. He wasn't sure who deserved the most pity, and whether or not he could bring himself to dislike Eren for falling for Annie. He almost wanted to congratulate the kid for pursuing what he thought was impossible. Winning Annie's stone-cold heart was an endeavor he believed to be the equivalent of finding the holy grail.
But alas, he vowed to always be on Bertolt's side. It was the bro-code. You can't dishonor the bro-code, man.
In a nervous attempt to lighten the mood, Reiner tried his hand at joking with the awkward circumstances they were presented with. "Well, if that means Mikasa is single, maybe you should ask her out."
Bertolt wasn't amused in the slightest, to which Reiner quickly picked up on.
"Just a joke, man." Reiner exhaled.
Bertolt turned away and thought deeply about Annie. They shared so many fond memories, and although she would never love him the way he loved her, he felt it was about time he take the high road and move on. He needed to reinforce his attempt at personal growth, and focus on his dedication to remaining a steadfast and mature individual.
He needed to accept reality and let his dreams of winning her over go.
If being with Eren made her happy, then so be it. Bertolt only wanted what was best for her.
She deserved to be happy, after dealing with so much in her past; mainly the dysfunctional relationship with her father.
It saddened him that he couldn't be the one to make her fall madly in love.
If only… things were different.
His views on their friendship remained unchanged, however. He vowed to still look out for her, and protect her from the cruelty of others. He promised he would always be there for her.
No matter what.
Reiner nudged him on the shoulder out of the blue, prompting him to look up.
"What?" Bertolt assumed Reiner was going to add something about Mikasa or Eren, or hell, maybe even revert back to some customary football talk.
Entering the weights area, skin glistening with sweat, blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, was the aforementioned Annie Leonhart.
"Woah, woah, woah." Reiner muttered, eyes widening at the sight before them. "It's about to be WWE up in here!"
Bertolt shook his head. "It doesn't seem like either of them realize they're occupying the same space. They're both focused on their workout regiments."
"Wonder what'll happen when they accidentally bump into each other." Reiner chuckled.
"This isn't middle school, Reiner." Bertolt face-palmed himself, but hoped for the sake of all that was good in the world, neither girl would notice the other in their midst. It would only create awkward tension.
In another setting, Mikasa was still working on a few reps, switching up her routine from curls to tricep dips. She reminded herself to focus on all muscle groups, certain to give them equal amount of attention.
Even as she advanced to set her weights back on the rack, her arms continued to feel an intense burn, a satisfying sensation she yearned for to maintain her strength. She tilted her neck from side to side, peering down at her MP3 player in search of the right song.
That's the one. She thought to herself, stumbling upon Three Days Grace.
Lately, her music collection consisted mostly of loud, angsty rock, making the unceremonious transition from cheery pop music after recent setbacks. One of them being her breakup. (Surprise, surprise.)
The coping mechanism was a pathetic one, she admitted.
But hard rock and screamo sure did wonders for the soul.
She looked up into the mirror, making minor adjustments in her position to be sure her form was correct. When she stood back up at full height after completing another set, her eyes wandered around the establishment.
That's when she caught her attention.
Mikasa was initially taken aback by the blonde in her midst; less than a few steps away coincidentally.
Annie hadn't noticed Mikasa was in the neighboring weights section, still focused on the task at hand.
In what she could only surmise was fueled by the adrenaline rush credited to her sustained workout, Mikasa made her way over to confront the blonde.
She hadn't exactly collected her thoughts, but she sought to make her presence known, and see what Annie had to say for herself.
She progressed closer and closer to where Annie had stationed herself, unsure what exactly a simple talk would solve. She convinced herself she wasn't acting on impulse, and that she had enough self-control to conduct a civil discussion.
Mikasa had little respect for girls that were quick to demonize others and declare war over the most ridiculous things.
But Eren was someone she'd lost her cool over before, common sense practically flying out the window on a couple rare occasions a bimbo ventured a little too close. The actions were always a last resort, and for the most part she was able to keep a level-head.
Mikasa was the jealous type, plain and simple; but she wasn't the psycho possessive type.
Even so, this was Annie. Annie was far different than other girls in general. In fact, there was no denying she had a lot in common with the stoic blonde; whether she wanted to accept that or not.
Still. Mikasa felt the issue needed to be addressed. She couldn't stop herself now, as Annie was but one measly step away, prompting the blonde to take notice.
Annie rose to her feet, directly facing the girl from Shiganshina with tactfulness in mind.
"We should talk." Mikasa insisted, her tone calm, but unnervingly cold.
Annie maintained her icy gaze, her usual expression suggesting that everything around her was more mundane than watching paint dry. Her following words further demonstrated that. "Okay. Sure."