Born Into This World | Mikasa x Male Reader

Chapter 6: Bandits (Season 1)

Marco: "Hey, it's best if we don't just gallop the whole way, right?"

Y/N shrugged, bored out of his mind. The task was simple: their group (consisting of Eren, Armin, Jean, Marco, Connie, Sasha, Krista, Mina, and Y/N) was to follow their route to retrieve some "item", then return via the other group's route (consisting of Mikasa, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, Thomas, and some other cadets whose names Y/N couldn't remember). 

Y/N wasn't one to complain about having an easy day, but it was hard to feel enthusiastic slowly galloping through the mid-summer heat.

Armin: "I... I guess."

Jean (confidently): "You'll look like a real idiot if ya rush ahead and your horse gives out. Let's keep taking it nice and slow."

Eren (annoyed): "If you wanna keep moving at a snail's pace, be my guest. I'm getting a move on."

Marco (stopping him): "But we need to do this as a group... Jean, what should we do?"

Y/N: "Aren't you the leader? Shouldn't you make that decision?"

From Marco's hurt expression, Y/N could tell that probably came out meaner than he meant it. But he was cut off by Jean before he could apologize.

Jean: "Hell if I care. Not like taking this seriously's gonna get me any closer to the Military Police."

Marco: "You don't know that for sure... anyways, let's just focus on the exercise." 

Jean: "Not happening."

Marco: "Hey, it's too soon to give up-"

Eren (to Jean): "Quit whining."

Jean: "What, so I'm not allowed to complain now?"

Y/N (annoyed): "Can it, both of you. Bickering isn't gonna make this trip any shorter."

Connie (tired): "Be pretty nice if it did though..."

Sasha (tired): "Yeah, you said it..."

Y/N sighed, leaning forward on his horse like the other two. 

Y/N (thoughts): Good grief, why'd Shadis have to put these two in the same group? I'd be fine with either one of them, but together? Ugh, why couldn't I have been put in the other group?

***

A few hours passed, and the mission wasn't any more exciting for it. Y/N had lost track of the amount of times he'd yawned, let alone the amount of yawns he'd heard from Connie and Sasha. 

Y/N (thoughts: Well this is dull. Maybe I should make some conversation? But is anyone even in a talking mood right now?

The only people who looked remotely awake were Jean, who looked about as standoffish as before; Eren, who also looked grouchy; Armin, who was busy writing things down as their group's scribe; and Marco, who was riding up ahead, looking off into the distance. 

Y/N did feel a bit of a lump in his throat remembering Marco's hurt expression from earlier. He sped his horse up a little, riding ahead until he was next to Marco.

Y/N: "Hey, sorry about what I said earlier. About how you should make the calls. I didn't mean anything by it."

Marco gave him a reassuring smile.

Marco: "That's alright." (Looking down) "It's just difficult, being the one that has to make the calls."

Y/N: "Yeah, I don't envy you." (Smiling over at him, reassuringly) "Chin up though, Marco. Today's just a bad day for everyone. If the past year's been any indication, you're a great soldier. Hell, I think you've got more than a great shot at joining the MPs like you want to."