A.N: This one's an AU, so no spoilers!
Potatoes
"Stop pouting Gabi; you always have fun with Reiner, don't you?"
Gabi grumbles at her mother. Yes, she does, she loves her cousin. But she doesn't like his girlfriend. She was the reason Reiner no longer came to visit as often; she was the reason he no longer had time to call her as often. And that made her unlikeable.
But if she was lucky, the woman would be out shopping. Or somewhere with her friends. Or even better, had gone off to see her own family. Then Gabi could spend these few days with Reiner alone, just like she used to.
Gabi's the one to ring the doorbell, hopeful. But all her hopes crash down as the door swings open, with a familiar brunette standing at the entryway.
"Oh, you're here already!" she says cheerfully. Gabi doesn't know what'd be more annoying, her genuine cheer that's now in place, or a faked one that she's yet to see.
"Are we too early?" her mother asks.
"Oh, not at all! I mean, Reiner's still out getting groceries, but he'll be back soon. I'll watch after little Gabi in the meantime, so you don't need to worry about being late!" Gabi's face formed in to a scowl as soon as she heard Reiner was out. Why did it have to be him who went out when he knew she was coming to visit? "I bet it was all her fault."
"Thank you" her mother says before turning to her "Be a good girl now, alright Gabi?"
"Always, mom" Gabi replies, and the slightly raised eyebrow she sees from the brunette from the corner of her eye tells her that she doesn't completely agree. And she's partly right, but everything Gabi's done in her presence has always been justified.
Because Reiner's girlfriend is stupid.
After her mother is out of sight, the woman turns to Gabi.
"Do you need help with the bag?"
Gabi scoffs.
"I can handle it myself" she says, storming in from the door and not looking back. She leaves her bag next to the living room couch, knowing that she can no longer take over Reiner's bed. He used to let her do it before, before that woman intruded in his life.
"Do you want something to eat?"
"No" Gabi flat out refuses, taking out her game console. She's not letting go of it before Reiner comes back. She has nothing to say to that woman.
XXXXX
Sasha sighs as she watches the child sit down on the couch without another word. She knows the girl doesn't like her, but would it kill her to at least try to get to know her?
"No need to fuss; she's just a kid" Sasha reminds herself "A kid whose upset about having to share her cousin's affection and attention."
From what Reiner had told her, she had gathered that Gabi was a clingy kid and that they were very close. It was no wonder she saw Sasha as a threat… or perhaps just as an annoyance, but she certainly didn't like her, that's for sure.
"But I annoy lots of people anyway" Sasha thought "Yet they still warm up to me with time. I'll get this kid to do so too, eventually."
Or at least, she really hoped so.
XXXXX
It takes almost an hour before Gabi hears the front door open, her cousin calling out: "I'm home!"
"Reiner!" she cheers, running over to the man, noting that she got there before Sasha. Ha!
"You're here already?" the man says, ruffling her hair "I thought I'd make it back before you came."
"She was early" Sasha says as she comes over, and Reiner's attention is immediately drawn to her instead as Sasha gives him a welcome home -kiss, making Gabi frown.
"That explains it" he said "I thought we'd get the food done before she came, though."
"It won't take long anymore since you brought the missing ingredients" Sasha said, taking the bag "I got this; you and Gabi can catch up for a while before lunch."
Gabi frowns again; it's not like they need her permission! But she lets it slide, just this once, because she doesn't want to waste even a small part of her time with Reiner on this woman.
XXXXX
Lunchtime, and the mood was awkward. Or at least it was for Sasha; Reiner was obvious and Gabi seemed to be too busy with glaring at Sasha and trying to make sure Reiner didn't pay attention to her. The woman let it slide without a fuss though; she couldn't' start a squabble with a kid. Still, she would've wished that they'd get along.
She's brought out of her thoughts as Reiner's cellphone rings.
"Sorry" he says, digging out his phone "Yes?"
There's a moment of silence, and then Reiner says: "Yes, there are potatoes, right at the kitchen table with me right now in fact."
Sasha pouts; she absolutely hates that old joke!
Sure enough, Reiner soon holds his phone out for her to take.
"It's Connie" he says "You probably let the battery die out in your phone again."
"Crap" Sasha says, covering her mouth immediately, glancing at Gabi "Oops…"
"Like she hasn't heard worse" Reiner says as Sasha takes the phone, excusing herself from the table for the moment. If Connie had bothered to call Reiner just to talk to her, it was probably important.
XXXXX
"What was that about?" Gabi asks "The thing about potatoes?"
"That?" Reiner snorts "Just an old inside joke from our school days."
"What kind of joke?" Gabi asks. She had not missed the face Sasha had made; whatever kind of joke it was, the woman didn't like it. And that already made it a somewhat good joke in Gabi's opinion.
"Back in school, everyone called Sasha "Potato Girl"" Reiner explained. Gabi thought it over, but couldn't figure out the reason "Why?"
"She was caught eating one in the entrance ceremony and that kind of caused a scene" Reiner says, laughing at the memory "And the name just stuck."
"Huh…" Gabi mutters, wondering if there's a way that she could use that name.
XXXXX
"What are you making?" Gabi asks, peeking up at the counter as Sasha cooks. The woman is surprised, yet she's glad that Gabi talks to her without prompting for once.
"Meat balls" she answers "The potatoes are already boiling, so once I get these in the oven, it's all good."
"Hmm…" Gabi mutters, then walks away without a word. Sasha sweat drops, but decides to not let this bother her. Baby steps, baby steps were okay.
However, when she later noticed that the pot of potatoes was gone, Sasha had to wonder if they'd even taken those.
"It's okay, it's just a prank" she tells herself "Now where did that mischievous runt go?"
Sasha doesn't have to look for long before she finds Gabi from the dining area, smashing the potatoes.
"There you are!" she says, smiling. Looks like the girl just wanted to cook, too "You didn't need to take the pot all the way here; you could've just said you wanted smashed potatoes instead."
"I wanted to do this myself" Gabi tells "I love smashing potatoes!"
"Is that so?" Sasha asks with a smile. Maybe they could have smashed potatoes tomorrow too then, just to give Gabi something to do. And maybe she'd actually manage to get to know the kid if they worked together in the kitchen.
"Yeah, they're much better smashed" Gabi tells "Potatoes should always be smashed. Always."
Sasha sweat drops. Even she didn't have that strong opinions on how food should be cooked.
"Hm?" Sasha takes note that Gabi is looking at her from the corner of her eye. Weird… and her face was weird, too. It was like Reiner's when he made a bit more complicated joke that he was just expecting her to get and-
Sasha froze.
"He better not has said anything" she thought as she looked straight at Gabi, raising an eyebrow. Gabi looks right back, and the look on her face is all telling.
"…"
"…" Gabi grins in a way that some might consider cute and innocent, but now Sasha knows better.
"Gosh, this kid is dark" she thinks with a shake of her head. Might be best for her to get out of the girl's hair until dinner was ready "Or else I might be the next one to get smashed."
A.N: I ain't on the Anti Gabi -wagon, but it's fun to write her being a brat. :D