Pretty sure this chapter would mark the end of the middle section of this story. Enjoy the read and stay safe in these wild times. :)
Until then, Zouboss.
...
Mikasa had scolded the two adults when she found the three of them laying in the snow. She wasn't quite fond of the fact that Ymir and Historia had listened to her seven-year-old daughter and allowed Carly to go out in the cold even if she was dressed appropriately for the weather. Carly had been saved from a lot of scolding due to Ymir's "tactful" ways of pissing off Mikasa. Historia couldn't help but find it quite humorous as the brunette managed to bring out these types of emotions from Mikasa.
After they spent the whole morning opening Christmas presents, mostly Carly if they were being easy, Ymir and Historia decided to head back home. Eren handed over Ymir a gift from his brother which she took with a little hesitance. While Historia was curious about it, she didn't pry. Ymir obviously had some sort of connection with Zeke that made her a little uneasy.
When they got home, Ilse was waiting for them, the reek of alcohol in the air. The sight was unexpected.
"Ilse…?" Ymir called out, her eyebrows knitted together in concern as the woman sat on the couch, looking at the tv angrily as she nursed on a bottle of beer.
Historia glanced at the tv which had the news on.
"You can call it a Christmas Miracle, this morning in the early hours, Ellie Weber, who has been missing for three years now has been found. Authorities arrived on the scene finding Detective Onyankopon Schröder and the missing girl in a small farmhouse on private property outside the small town known as Trost. Weber was unconscious and covered in multiple scars from unknown injections. At the moment, the girl has been hospitalized and is now on the path of recovery. Detective Schröder has refused interviews at the moment but wants to get the message out there that his heart goes out to the Weber family and was glad to finally give them closure."
Ilse paused the report and looked at her two companions. "Did you hear that?"
"You….solved the missing persons case that you have been working on these past few weeks?" Ymir said, a little unsure of herself.
"No, no, no," Ilse got up and pointed at the tv. "Onyankopon did! Not me! He did!"
Historia stepped in, her hands raised in a gesture that implied for Ilse to calm down. "Ilse, I-"
"You don't understand! H-He used me! I've been helping him since day one, I did most of the investigating, I am one who said that she might be in that area and he went there without me! I lost so many hours of sleep just so I could crack the case. I saved her life and he took all the credit," Ilse shouted, her eyes expressing the emotion of heartbreak. She felt betrayed and hurt. Historia had never seen Ilse so upset and it made her own heartache for the dark-haired woman.
"Ilse, I'm sorry-," Ymir tried again, her voice soft.
"No," Ilse gripped the bottle of beer and threw it. The bottle shattered against the wall, barely a foot away from Historia.
The action was all too familiar for her. Suddenly Historia's body started to tremble and the smell of alcohol became overwhelming. Dark memories swarmed in her mind and the sound of glass shattering started to replay on a loop. Her scars started to burn with memory and her body tensed up as her lungs started to squeeze together. A bundle of nerves fizzled in her stomach, making Historia feel sick. Her breaths grew faster with uneasy shudders and she felt tears prickle at the corners of her eyes.
Historia's reaction was enough to make Ilse sober up, even if it was a little. Her fit had triggered a panic attack and all Historia could sense was Porco. She felt pathetic and selfish. She wasn't supposed to be freaking out right now. Ilse was the one who got her heartbroken. But Historia couldn't control it as her heart raced in her chest and her throat tightened.
"S-sh...shit," Historia gasped out as she crouched down, her knees pressing against her chest. She could feel his swampy hands on her. She could feel his breath on her. Historia felt fear flare through her and she wanted to desperately fight it off but it took a grip on her.
"Historia!" Ymir's voice sounded distant.
She doesn't know how long it lasted but the sound of the front door shutting jerked her back into reality. She gasped for air, trying to steady herself, it took her a moment to realize that Ymir was on the ground with her, her hands on her shoulders as she stared worriedly at Historia.
"Ilse…," She shakily said as she started to feel her heart calm down. She looked around and didn't see her friend in sight.
Ymir grimaced. "She left."
"Wh-where to?"
"I don't know."
"Why didn't you go after her?"
"Historia, you needed me," Ymir said, her features hardening with seriousness. "I wasn't going to leave you alone."
"Ilse needed you too," Historia couldn't help but point out as guilt weighed heavily over her. She sniffed, feeling ashamed. Her blue eyes drifted to where the shattered glass laid and she shuddered.
Ymir followed her gaze then turned back to Historia. "Ilse can handle herself, I know she can."
"I've never seen her so upset," Historia sighed, trying to relax against Ymir. She laid her head against Ymir's shoulder, her tear-stained cheeks felt like acid burning her skin.
"Same here," Ymir said, her lips pressed together tightly. She shook her head and then reached into her pocket. She pulled out a small box that was wrapped up in a festive paper. "Here."
"What's this?" Historia asked, taking the box with unsteady fingers.
"It's your Christmas present, I didn't want to give you it at Eren's since it was kinda Carly's moment," Ymir explained, scratching the nape of her neck. "Go ahead, open it."
Historia did. She unwrapped the gift delicately, revealing a small black velvet box. She inhaled sharply and opened the present. Inside revealed gold stud earrings with small round center diamonds. The jewelry was dazzling and Historia could only imagine how much they had cost.
"Oh Ymir...they're beautiful," She whispered in awe.
Ymir grinned the cheesiest grin she could muster. "I figured you would like them."
"Like them? I love them," Historia said and then flushed. "I-I...well my present is nothing compared to yours."
"That doesn't matter," Ymir reassured and then asked jokingly, "And where is mine exactly?"
"Give me a moment," Historia said, getting up from the floor and heading towards the closet. Bending over, she reached forward to grab a medium-sized present and brought it to Ymir in the living room.
Ymir opened it curiously and raised her eyebrows in surprise. It was a wooden box with a detailed carving of a gorgeous goddess who had her hand in the air with a bright light in the air and 7 men and women varying in size kneeling before her. "Wow."
"It reminded me of you," Historia said with a little bit of embarrassment. "The elderly man I got it from told me the story about her." She pointed at the gorgeous woman. "Her name is Ymir too. She was a slave to an abusive king but eventually, she became one of the most powerful beings to ever exist. Those people around are all part of her, her flesh and blood. They're the embodiment of each of her powers. She went through a lot of pain and suffering but once she got out of it, she was the best of the best."
"Huh," Ymir ran a thumb along the picture etched into the wooden box. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Setting the box aside, she pulled Historia in closely and squeezed her tight. With humor, she said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're the best."
Historia laughed as Ymir rocked her then pulled apart from the brunette, feeling so much better compared to before. "I got Ilse a present too, you know."
"Oh yeah, I did too," Ymir said.
"We should go find her."
Ymir huffed and shook her head. "No, she needs time first. To cope and understand what exactly happened because I honestly doubt Onyankopon meant to hurt her, there's probably more to the story."
"Are you sure?"
"I have met him before, he genuinely seems like a good guy, I really don't think that was his intention."
"Well from her perspective, that's how it seems," Historia sat on the couch. "How long do you think she will be gone for?"
Ymir joined her. "I am not sure but I'll go find her if she doesn't come back by tomorrow. I think I have a pretty good idea where she is. For now, let's just enjoy the rest of this Christmas without any more stress, okay?"
"Alright," Historia nodded as Ymir started to search for a movie for them to watch on the tv. Historia knew how Ilse felt. To love someone only for them to use and betray you. It was a painful feeling. Historia just hoped Ymir was right about Onyankopon having good intentions because it was obvious that Ilse cared for him deeply. Historia sighed and leaned herself against Ymir.
…
A day and a night passed without Ilse returning to the two of them. The time was enough to urge Ymir to go out and look for her after her worries got the best of her. While a part of her didn't expect it, Ymir was hardly surprised when she finally found her friend.
"You decided to grace us with your presence once again, huh?" Yelena said as she finished cleaning a small glass. Pieck sat near her, smiling lazily. She offered a small wave in greeting towards Ymir.
"Do you come here every day?" Ymir couldn't help but ask Pieck as Ymir stood from across Yelena.
"Not every day, just most," She sent a teasing look towards Yelena and said, "Who else is going to keep her company since her best customer went sober?"
"I didn't quit drinking, I just don't drink as much," Ymir informed, lifting her chin slightly. She didn't exactly like thinking about it now that Historia was in her life. It was something she rather put behind her. The alcohol she used to cope with grief.
"Well, are you going to get a drink, or are you here for Ilse?" Yelena asked. She placed her hands on the counter, looking at Ymir with a tilt of her head. There was a curious look in her eyes like she wanted to ask what happened but didn't pry.
Ymir sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Where is she?"
Yelena jerked her head to one of the far corners of the bar. "Over there."
Ymir followed to where the woman gestured and caught a glimpse of the sulking journalist. Ilse was covering her face with her arms, slumped over as a half-finished glass of alcohol sat in front of her.
Before Ymir could make an effort to head over to Ilse, Yelena commented, "You know, Ymir, if I didn't know any better, you would have looked like a complete stranger to me. I'm proud of you. You actually got your shit together."
Instead of replying, Ymir walked off. Even though Yelena had good intentions, Ymir couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Maybe because Yelena had never made an effort to help her. All those times she came to the bar to get drunk, Yelena never told her to stop, never told her to get help. A part of her held resentment for that but reasonably she couldn't blame her. It was her own fault. Her own decision. It wasn't Yelena's job. She dealt with drunks all the time and Ymir was just another one of her customers despite their friendship.
"What are you doing here?" Ilse muffled as Ymir sat down on the other side of the table she occupied. She didn't raise her head to look up, instead, she dug herself deeper into the crook of her arm.
"Historia and I kinda wanted you home before New Years," Ymir sat back in her chair, her fingers drumming on the table. She watched as Ilse's posture stiffened and couldn't help but feel sympathy.
"Historia….is she okay?" Ilse muttered.
"Historia is fine," Ymir reassured, knowing that Ilse probably felt guilty after the whole ordeal before she left. "She's just worried about you. We both are."
"Well, I'm okay."
"Just okay?"
Ilse lifted her head, her hair a mess. Dark circles laid dully under her eyes. She looked exhausted. Her usual analytical eyes hardened and her lips pressed together to form a thin line. "Of course not, I feel like crap, Ymir."
Ymir paused for a moment. Her fingers stopped drumming against the table and she leaned in. Her expression softened and she spoke quietly. "I get that we don't usually do heart-to-heart conversations but I am here for you, Ilse. You can talk to me about it."
"What is there to talk about it, Ymir?" Ilse sighed, hunching over. "That my partner solved the case, the one we had been working on together, without me? And that he didn't even tell me anything about investigating over there? Not so much as a phone call or a text message? Yet he repeatedly told me how valuable and intelligent I was, that he couldn't do this without me and then he goes and solves the case without me?"
"He had to have a reason, Onyan isn't like that, you know it too," Ymir said, moving a hand to place over Ilse's.
"I...I know," Ilse broke, shaking her head. She chuckled lightly and placed a hand on her forehead, leaning on it. "I know, but it fucking hurts, Ymir. I'm just so….so angry."
"Then be angry. You have the right to. Just don't hurt yourself in the process. You're just going to make things worse if you do."
Ilse scoffed lightly, meeting Ymir's eyes. "You would know."
Ymir nodded. It wasn't the first time her words had stung but she knew it was the truth. She knew how it felt and she wasn't going to let her friend, who was far smarter than her, hurt herself. "Come on, Ilse. Let's sober you up and go home. Please."
"Alright," Ilse sighed almost in defeat and took a deep breath. She ran a hand through her hair and turned to Ymir. "Let's go home."
…
Historia couldn't really justify what overcame her when Ymir and Ilse walked through that door. Ilse looked so disheveled. Her appearance made Historia's stomach clench and she just knew how Ilse felt at that moment. And almost as a knee-jerk reaction, Historia walked towards Ilse before going in for a hug.
Ilse was shocked for a moment. Historia could feel all her muscles tensing up in reflex before she finally relaxed and returned the hug. Historia could tell, though she didn't cry, Ilse really wanted to. It hurt to know but it helped Historia realize something.
Ilse was her friend. And Historia cared for her.
Ilse...Sasha….The Yeagers….Ymir. They were her friends...her family now.
Historia smiled.
She reached forward, gripping an unsuspecting Ymir by her shirt and pulling her in. Their little group hug was enough to cement something between the three of them. While Ymir and Ilse never seemed to say it out loud, it was clear that the two of them cared about each other. Historia could tell and she didn't mind.
New Year came around a few days later and as Ymir went out to get some items for the holiday, Historia had time alone with Ilse.
Ilse hadn't talked about her situation at all. She seemed determined to keep up a facade of doing alright. But despite it, Historia wasn't a fool and could tell that Ilse still felt sore about the subject.
A buzz in her pocket startled the journalist who appeared more focused on her thoughts than what was on tv. She paused for a moment, recollecting herself before she looked at her phone. With a huff and a flicker in her eyes, Ilse ignored the call, putting the phone away. It wasn't long before the phone started vibrating again which proved to be futile considering Ilse seemed intent on not answering the person who was calling.
After the 4th time, it was enough encouragement for Historia to say something. "It's him, isn't it?"
Ilse nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. She looked conflicted and also upset. Historia had always known as someone who could keep her composure as her only intent always seemed to either mess with or understand someone.
When Ilse didn't say anything, Historia exhaled lightly and spoke up, "How long do you plan on letting this continue?"
Ilse's eyes narrowed for a moment then she looked at her phone. "I...don't know," She said. "I want to continue my work but I don't want to talk to him." She flushed slightly, her eyebrows scrunching to express annoyance. "It's childish, I know but it's the first time this has ever happened to me. I trusted him…"
"You know," Historia leaned forward and couldn't help but offer a small smirk as she repeated something Ilse once told her. "Talk to him. Both of you just need to talk. Maybe his heart was in the right place...maybe it wasn't when it came to you. Either way, you won't find out until you talk about t
it."
Ilse paused for a moment, her dark eyes deep with thought before she cracked a smile. It felt like it had been a while since she has seen Ilse express such emotion and her heart felt warmer when she witnessed it. Ilse shook her head, a light chuckle bubbling in her throat before she said, "Historia, you really are something."
"I'm just trying to make it up to you guys."
Ilse didn't have to ask Historia to know what she was talking about. Even though Ilse didn't know Historia's previous situation, she was smart enough to know that Ymir had saved Historia. Ilse looked away and sighed, slumping on the couch. "I will. Just not now." She gripped her phone tightly as the screen lit up as a certain someone called her cell.
"Are you sure?"
Ilse nodded slowly, her facial features relaxing. "I have you and Ymir for now, I'll be fine."
Historia grinned.
…
A couple of hours passed and when night had fallen over them, the three of them stood out in the parking lot of their apartment complex. Ymir stood a few steps away from her friends, making sure the cigarette smoke didn't reach them. Ilse had her hands shoved in her pocket looking out at the sky while Historia watched Ymir.
Historia noticed how the brunette was smoking her cigarette at a slow pace compared to how she tried to quickly finish one before Historia could get a whiff. Her eyes closed as if she was cherishing each inhale and exhale. When Ymir finally finished, she threw the remains to the ground and pressed on it once with her foot. Returning to gather up with the two other women, Ymir met Historia's ocean blues with strong gold eyes.
"What's wrong?" Historia asked, honestly. The words almost tumbled sloppily out of her mouth.
"Nothing," Ymir replied, placing herself beside Historia. She looked up at the sky and twisted her head to pop her neck. "Just appreciating my last cigarette."
"Of the year?"
"Of my life."
"You're going to quit smoking?" She honestly didn't expect it. It wasn't like Historia had minded her smoking, it hardly bothered her but she had definitely appreciated it when Ymir was careful to not smoke around her.
Ymir nodded, her gaze not leaving the dark sky as stars twinkled back, hardly faltering in their glimmering appearance. "You once told me that you didn't smoke because you thought it was a waste of your life," Her words were soft, only meant for Historia to hear. "Then you took my cigarette out of my hand and took a drag of it before saying that you believe you have plenty of your life to waste."
Historia felt the memory burn inside her. It was the 2nd time they had met. Both of them were eager to see each other again after their accident run in. She remembered how scared she was when she met up with Ymir. Afraid Porco was going to find her. And then Historia reunited with Sasha thanks to their outing and her life had been starting to change since.
"Well, I decided that I don't have a life to waste," Ymir turned to her, her gold eyes blazing in the night. A passion flared inside and Historia felt her throat tighten at the sight. "And you don't either." She reached an arm forward and laced her fingers with Historia's. "Historia, we both have a second chance. I want you and me to live a life that we could both be proud of."
Historia felt butterflies and her fingertips buzzed. She took a deep breath and said in almost a whisper, "I don't think I could live any more of my life without you.
Maybe because of her heart racing and her nerves tingling in anticipation, the silence felt prolonged. But it didn't take as long as she feared.
"I love you."
In sync with her heartbeat, fireworks burst into the velvet vast sea that reigned above them. Explosions, chaos, and beauty, embraced the sky with their colorful light. Somewhere nearby, a roar of cheering erupted, screams, and the words "Happy New Year!" reaching far into the night for the world to hear.
"I love you too."
Fiery sparks whipped the deep comforting dark. Glamorous inks of colors burning brightly along with the stars that hung higher above.
Historia leaned in, her toes rising her body to break that distance between the two of them.
But her lips never met Ymir's.
Instead, they made contact with her palm.
"Let me take you on a date first."
A smile couldn't help but tug onto Historia's lips and she laughed quietly. She leaned into Ymir, her head resting on her chest. As Ymir's arms wrapped around her, Historia felt like the stars were in her veins and fireworks in her chest.
Historia loved Ymir and Ymir loved her back.
Everything in her life felt as if it would be fine from this moment on.
She was wrong.