Summary: The girls go on a picnic and discuss their futures.

"Come through, I think I need you here

(But) I swear it's hard to keep these feelings to myself

Now you're the one I'm thinking of

My higher ground, my rocket love

Fuck gravity, I'd rather stay up here, but...

I try not to show how I feel about you

Thinking we should wait, but we don't really want to

I just wanna getaway

And sit right next to you, you"

-I Want You Around

To My Gnomeo:

Hey, wanna hang out today after your match?

Mikasa stared at her phone as the message said delivered and then threw her phone onto her bed. She was trying to ignore the feelings of nervousness growing in her stomach. Annie was her best friend, aside from Eren and Armin, that is. They'd all met when they were children when Mikasa's family moved to the small town of Paradis. Coincidentally, Annie too had been new that year they had all met. She was from the bigger city, Marley. Mikasa chuckled to herself at the thought of their first interaction together. Even at eight years old, Mikasa was lankier than most girls. Annie was smaller than most. This originally made things weird between them whenever they would compete in PE or during recess over who was better at whatever sport or game. Annie would call her a 'freak giant' and Mikasa would make short jokes. It was always just light banter the two kept up, even to this day. However, after one particular match between them resulted in both girls getting detention for destroying school property; they'd formed a silent truce and have been inseparable since.

Walking into her kitchen, Mikasa slapped Eren upside the head as she walked by him just to disrupt his eating. He and Armin were always at her house. The trio practically lived together. "Hey! Mikasa, what was that for?!" the boy exclaimed while rubbing the sore spot. Grabbing a picnic basket, Mikasa answered "No reason. You were there and I just felt like it. Gonna beat my ass about it?" She smirked as Eren shook his head in fear at the challenge and decided to finish his meal. Armin sat there observing the entire interaction in silence. He stared at Mikasa with amusement in his eyes as the girl proceeded to pack several types of fruits, juices, water, and a cake into the picnic basket. "Got a date, Mikasa?"

The girl faltered minutely at the blonde boy's question. Without expressing any emotion, she continued packing her basket and shook her head saying "No. No date. Just gonna hang at the park with Annie. You know, the usual." At this point, Eren was already done with his food and noticed that Mikasa was also wearing a really pretty pink dress that had strawberries all over it. Quirking an eyebrow in question he looked towards Armin who simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders. This meant they weren't gonna comment on it. Both boys knew that Mikasa had feelings for her best friend. It was obvious to both girls' friends groups.

"The weather is just great today and I thought we could spend some of that together before the summer ends and everyone's going their separate ways." She explained, nodding to herself as she made sure everything was packed. Humming, Armin said "Sure thing! Have fun! Eren and I were thinking of taking a drive out to the beach, ourselves." Hearing the faint sound of an incoming text, Mikasa stopped what she was doing and jogged back to her room to check it. Her hand paused before grabbing her phone, an overwhelming rush of butterflies bombarding her stomach. Furrowing her brows, she took a deep breath and grabbed her phone, reading the message.

My Gnomeo:

I'm done with the competition, already. There wasn't much competition. So, want me to meet you there or pick you up?

To My Gnomeo:

How about I come and pick you up? I can be there in 5?

Mikasa felt an indescribable warmth blossom in her chest. She smiled lightly as she watched the bubbles appear, indicating Annie was responding. She placed a hand over her heart to center herself. She shook her head lightly and schooled her expression as she grabbed her car keys and went to grab the picnic basket. Her phone pinged again and with a glance at it, she told the boys ``Okay, guys! I'm heading out so please lock up when you leave. Just shoot me a text if you're planning on coming back later." Armin responded that he'll do as she asked while Eren held a shit-eating grin as he shouted to her retreating back "Have fun on your date! We'll make sure to be out extra late so you guys won't be disturbed!" Mikasa almost tripped on her way out of the door. Placing as little emotion in her voice as possible she shouted back "Fuck you, Jaeger! I'm gonna beat your ass for that when I return!"

Placing the basket in the back seat of her car, Mikasa sent Annie a quick text to let her know she was on her way and checked her face and hair in the mirror. Her stomach was still fluttering the more she thought about how soon she would be seeing her friend. Nodding once all traces of a blush were gone, she pulled out of her driveway onto the road.

When she got to Annie's apartment, she parked and walked up to the entrance. Saying hello to the doorman, she took the elevator to the girl's floor and approached her door. Ringing the bell, Mikasa felt her heart skip a beat as the door opened to show a grinning blonde dressed in a loose white top with brown khaki shorts and a pair of oxfords to match. Annie's hair was down today, she noted to herself. She loved whenever Annie wore her hair down.

"Hey, Mika." the blonde girl said lowly. Mikasa blinked away her anxiety and smiled brightly before grabbing the girl by the hand and dragging her to the elevator. Annie chuckled and exclaimed "Wait! I have to lock my door!" Mikasa rolled her eyes and responded "You know, Bertl will lock it for you. Come on!" Annie shook her head and said, "What's with the rush, anyway?"

Mikasa let go of the girl's hand and subtly wiped her increasingly sweaty palms on her dress and said "No rush, I just really want to hang with you today." Looking at her amused, Annie shrugged her shoulders and just left it at that, a small smile on her face.

In the car, Annie spied the picnic basket and asked. Mikasa said as nonchalantly as possible, "It's a really nice day out and I know you've always wanted us to have like picnics and stuff every once in a while and so I thought, why not today? School is finally over! We both have our respective degrees and even more time on our hands before starting the next chapter in our life." Mikasa knew she was rambling a bit, but she felt too nervous to just sit in total silence for the drive, as well. Annie on the other hand was a little unsettled with this Mikasa she was seeing. Nothing much was different about her but if you knew her as Annie did, you could tell when the girl was also really nervous about something. Annie hummed non-committedly and said "Nice dress by the way. Isn't it that dress that was all over Twitter? I can't believe you actually bought it. It looks nice on you, though."

Mikasa felt a pain in her chest at the compliment and prayed her voice didn't fail her as she said "Thanks. I really liked it and decided to support the maker. Maybe we should get you that black one so we could match!" Annie snorted and said "Me? In a dress?! Fuck you, Ackerman."

Mikasa laughed and pulled the car into the parking lot of the park. She knew just how much her shorter friend despised dresses and skirts. Exiting the car, she saw Annie grab the basket from the back seat and locked the doors. Grabbing her hand lightly, she led the girl to their favorite spot deeper into the park in comfortable silence. The warm feelings in her chest had calmed down a bit since driving. She knew it was all because of her crush on Annie. She just didn't know how to move forward with it or if it was just a passing fancy. It wouldn't be her first time crushing on a close friend. Mikasa made a disgusted sound as memories of her crush on Eren back in high school resurfaced. She shook her head to rid herself of the terrible memories as they came to a stop under a tree. "What's got you making that face, Mika?"

"Oh, my mind felt the need to remind me of that time in high school I was obsessed with Eren. Made me a bit sick just thinking about it." Annie laughed as she set the basket down and Mikasa went ahead to lay the blanket and snacks out. "Oh! That was such a dark time for you. I'm so happy you got over it too when we all got into University. Although, your relationship with Jean wasn't much of an improvement." Both girls cringed at the memory of Mikasa's ex. Yeah, it wasn't one of her brightest moments whenever she thinks back on it. She had originally got with Jean out of spite because Annie was dating this girl named Hitch at the time and although Mikasa wouldn't admit it to anyone, she was jealous of someone else spending a lot of time with Annie.

Laying out the fruit and drinks Mikasa sat gently onto the blanket and patted the spot across from her, asking Annie to join her. Annie's smile grew as she noticed her favorite fruits and juice laid out before her. Grabbing a couple of blueberries, she looked at Mikasa and said "So, remember that interview I had last semester for that translator job with the UN?" Mikasa nodded as she unpacked plates and utensils before placing the small cake in the center. "Well, I got a call earlier today and they proposed a contract for me. They want me to work at their Germany site and do translation work." Mikasa felt her heart stop as she heard that. She was undoubtedly happy for her friend. The problem was that Germany was not Paradis, they wouldn't be able to see each other much. She kept her face emotionless as she peered over at the blonde in front of her, trying to read her emotions before responding.

She sighed after registering Annie's blank expression. She knew just how important this was for her friend. Mikasa remembered how nervous Annie had been the night before the interview and she had to help calm her down enough to sleep that night. Inhaling, Mikasa exhaled with a huge smile lighting up her face. "Holy shit! That's amazing Annie!" Instead of getting up, she dove over the food and into the blonde's chest in a full-body hug. Kissing her on the cheek she said more calmly, "I'm so proud of you, Ann. I know how much you wanted this."

Both girls stared at each other in silence, until Annie said "I get that I'm comfortable, but can you like, get off me?" Mikasa blushed and rushed off her. Annie chuckled and said "Anyways, I told them that I would take the job. I should be getting the details later this week. I don't start until the fall though. They want to give me enough time to relocate." Mikasa was still calming down her blush when she suddenly remembered, "I almost forgot! My mother has agreed to let me oversee the operations of our Japanese branch and so that's where I'll be headed once I've enjoyed my summer post-grad." Annie's eyes widened at the news and her smile grew as well. It was now Mikasa's turn to be jumped on. Both girls giggled at their excitement.

Once calmed, both went back to their original places on the blanket and ate the fruits so they wouldn't start spoiling. As time passed, the silence between both girls stretched comfortably as they took in the sights and sounds around them. This might seem like nothing to most people, but for Mikasa and Annie, this was them. Their times together were usually spent fighting, bantering, or in complete silence. There was just something about being in each other's presence that eased their souls. It was a feeling neither girl could replicate with just anyone.

Suddenly, Mikasa's mood started to drop the more she thought about where the both of them will be in the coming autumn. Annie wouldn't be just five minutes from her anymore. No more late-night walks or impromptu sleepovers. She felt her breathing slow down as the realisation that she only had a few more weeks left before Annie had to leave the country hit her. Looking over at her friend, Mikasa smiled softly as she watched the blonde lay back with her eyes closed and listened as she hummed a peaceful melody. Inhaling, Mikasa asked lowly "Annie, do you think we will stay in contact when we move?" She'd taken to looking down at the cake in between them, scared to see or even hear what the girl's response would be.

Annie sat up, sounding confused, said "Don't say dumb shit like that, Mika. Why wouldn't we remain friends?" Mikasa felt her heart slow down a bit as she tried to explain what it is she's feeling to Annie. Getting irritated with the girl's silence, Annie threw a grape at her and said "Hey! Answer me, dammit. What was that about? What would possibly lead you to think I would ever let us lose touch with each other?" At this point, Annie repositioned herself on the blanket so that she was staring directly at the girl.

Mikasa grabbed a bottle of water to quench her suddenly dry mouth and whispered, "I-it's just that ... We will be on two different continents. You'll have your own life and I'll be in mine. We'll male new friends, maybe at our jobs or neighborhoods." Mikasa gritted her teeth as she forced out "Have new relationships. Things that will take up our individual time. It's only natural that even a friendship like ours will fade away." She exhaled shakily, realising she hadn't taken a breath since she started talking. Taking a peek at Annie, she held her hand up to stop the girl from rebutting just yet. She still had a few more things to say before she heard Annie's view of things.

"I know that we can always facetime or talk on the phone. Schedule vacations to meet up. But that's not the same thing! I won't feel the same to me, Annie. We will be in different timezones ... when I'm sad and just want to cuddle, who's gonna be able to do that for me? When work or family gets stressful? Who will spar with me? We both know there's no one out there who's a better match at sparring for me. Shit, there's no one better for you either." Mikasa gasped suddenly, not realising that she'd started crying. Face red and expressive. Annie watched silently as her best friend expressed her fears for their future.

"Who's gonna cheer me up after I get stupidly drunk or keep me company when my nightmares return? Sure, I could always try and find someone new to help, but I don't want to do that. You're it for me, Annie. I-" Mikasa stopped herself abruptly. Her heart-stopping as she realized that she wanted to tell Annie she loved her, except she didn't wanna risk being rejected either.

Annie meanwhile was reeling. Confusion, anger, and love swirled in her mind as she processed the girl's rant. She can't recall the last time she'd ever seen Mikasa this emotional about something. She just can't understand what the point is either. "Are you asking me to turn down my job offer? Or that you or thinking of leaving your family business? Mikasa, what the fuck are you on about? We could make our friendship work! So what if we're no longer minutes away from each other. We cou-"

"No, Annie. I'm not asking you to turn down your job. I could never ask that of you. All I'm saying is that I don't think this friendship will stand the distance. Not like this. Not with what I'm feeling for you eating me alive inside." Mikasa clenched her jaw and continued talking as she watched Annie's eyes widened. "I'm in love with you, Annie. I have been for years and was too afraid to say anything because I didn't want to ruin our friendship. But ever since I got the news from my mother about the family's company, I realised that I wouldn't be able to be with you no matter where you were stationed. It's because I love you, why I'm not asking you to give up such an opportunity, here. It's also why the mere thought of time and distance slowly eroding at our relationship terrifies me. You really are it for me, Annie. However, your happiness means the world to me and I would never tell you to sacrifice that, especially on the chance that you might not even reciproca-mmph!"

Mikasa felt like her heart was about to explode. Her brain was taking its sweet time processing exactly what was happening to her at the moment. One second she was professing her love for her best friend and then the next she was being kissed, rather harshly, by that same friend. She yelped lowly at the sharp bite of her lip. When their tongues touched, Mikasa could've sworn her heart really did explode at that instance. Her chest and face felt a sudden rush of heat as Annie climbed into her lap, devouring her mouth. Soon breathing became difficult and although she wanted this unbelievable moment to last forever, both girls needed oxygen.

"Mika, sometimes, I swear you're dumber than Eren." Both girls chuckled as they gasped for air. Nipping at her lip again before pulling away, Annie punched the girl in her arm, hard. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"For being a dumbass, duh. Do you know how long I've loved you, Mika? The many relationships I couldn't keep because all I kept talking about was you? Everything they did, I compared them to you. I wanted to tell you so many times but would get all in my head and talk myself into believing you wouldn't return my feelings, either. I get that us moving will be hard, I can't believe you were initially planning on coming with me wherever I was sent had you not gotten that position in Japan. Do you know how happy that makes me feel? How loved?!"

Annie's face was red now as well. Even though she knew the woman in front of her felt the same, expressing such deep emotions was still new and embarrassing to her. She was currently trying to ignore the stinging in her cheeks from smiling so widely. At least Mikasa stopped crying. Wiping away the residual tears on her face, Annie cupped her cheeks. As she was going to open her mouth, Mikasa said "I don't know a life without you in it."

"Mikasa, we will make it work. Our love is strong enough that we will fight for it and we will win. Even if we're fighting against time and distance. Do you wanna know why?" Annie waited until Mikasa nodded and grinned "'Cause you're it for me too. Have been for a very long time. I won't dwell on what could've been had I mustered up the courage to confess earlier but I can hope for what we will become. There's still some time before I have to relocate, we will figure this out together, okay?" Annie leaned in and kissed her softly, once on the lips, then again on her nose, then her eyes, and finally on the forehead.

Exhaling, both women wrapped their arms around each other in a tight hug.

"Okay."

A/N: So, I want to keep a steady update schedule for this and I was supposed to post this a couple of days ago but completely forgot. my bad. But I want to build a consistent writing schedule with an update every 5-ish days. Anywho! I don't know if I liked this one yet or not. There WILL be a second part to this further along in this collection since this ended so opened. Despite my own personal feelings about this chapter, did you guys enjoy it? Were they too OOC? I feel like it worked but at the same time, not all the way. I still enjoyed writing it though, especially this dynamic for them. I look forward to expanding on that! Oh! I will also be mentioning the Gnomeo thing again cause there's supposed to be a funny Lil story as to why Mikasa calls her that.

The next chapter will probably see an increase in the rating of this fic to explicit... I have an idea for that one and I'm excited to start working on it. So, until next time! Thanks for reading!