Often // Attack On Titan

Chapter 7

•Eren's Point Of View•

I stood with my bike at my side, staring up at the hospital. The wind was strong and I could barely see, my hair blowing in every direction. It was the second time I had visited since seeing Dr Rhett and I definitely didn't want to be here.

The halls were so cold that I could hardly understand how anybody could improve their health here. Without getting hypothermia? I don't think so.

My shoes squeaked along the tiled flooring as I slowly made my way up the stairs. I was in no rush and only visiting for obligatory reasons. A sudden gush of cold air made me shiver even more and I looked up to see Dr Rhett himself. Great, I didn't want to even be here and now look who I ran into.

He cleared his threat and stepped towards me. "Eren was it?" He continued after I nodded. "Right, well, I'm sorry if I was a little bit unclea-"
"No. You were clear enough." I crossed my arms tightly across my cold chest and looked the doctor directly in the eye. He nodded solemnly and asked if I would like to talk. "Sorry, I was just leaving."
It must have been clear that I was lying, I had been walking in the completely wrong direction. Dr Rhett nodded once more.
"Have a good day, Eren," he said with half a smile, turning around as I did too.

I leaned against the bike shelter and exhaled as if I was smoking, my breath expelling into the air visibly. My hands rested in my coat pockets, numb from the bitter cold. I sighed at my childishness - had I really just walked away in a strop? Ugh, I still lacked maturity and it was no wonder why I wasn't taken seriously. I sighed in frustration and reached down to undo the lock on my bike.

I swiped my phone from the desk and called Connie. Although my mother had become more relaxed on my leaving the house, we still didn't talk and I needed someone to talk to. A message came up, stating that
Connie could not take my call and I put my phone in my coat.

Almost tripping on the last step, being the klutz that I am, I left my room and started to try and find my mother. Usually, as she didn't have a full time job, she would be working on something in her study or cleaning around the house. It was a Saturday, which meant she would probably be working. I rapped against the wood of the door and stepped inside. She spun around in the chair to face me, clearly irritated at the disruption.

"Yes?" She asked impatiently. I watched her foot tap against the floor. I forgot to speak for a moment and coughed.
"Is it okay if I go to Mikasa's?" I croaked, slightly embarrassed at my voice. I sounded like I hadn't spoken in years. My mom sighed and turned around, breaking eye contact. She muttered a 'fine' and I went to go put on some shoes.

[...]

I sat on Mikasa's porch, waiting for her to come back. It sounded creepy, I'll admit, but I knew she was at Tennis up until a few minutes ago and I needed somebody. Not in that way, I just needed company.

I knew that I was using Mikasa and I felt completely and utterly terrible for it. I could help it, but I didn't have the willpower to do so - that's what made me a shitty person. I heard steps from across the street and glanced in Mikasa's direction. She looked slightly taken aback and confused at my presence.

"Uh, hi?" She said, changing her grip on the back that was hanging loosely on her shoulder. I stood up awkwardly and scratched the back of my neck.
"Sorry," I started, walking towards her as a minuscule smirk crept onto her face. "I hope you don't mind," I continued as she moved toward me.
"No, I was just surprised." She said, smiling. A key emerged from her jacket pocket and I watched her open the front door. "Do you, you know, want to come in?" Mikasa said. I nodded and entered her house.

Her skirt flowed behind her as she moved, copying her hair, which was slightly longer than usual. I (accidentally) slammed the door behind me and discarded my shoes by the door. Mikasa's house was fairly minimalistic, there wasn't much inside that you expect in a family home. Every room except the living room, spare bedroom and stairs had wooden flooring, leaving the rest with a bright white carpet. I followed Mikasa up the stairs and into her room.

"What do you need to talk about?" She said, before I even said anything. I sighed and sat on the floor. Mikasa was accustomed to being used - and wasn't it a sad thing. Her eyes stared at me knowingly, as if she could tell my intentions were selfish.

"I just..." I trailed off, not wanting to finish. "...needed company." The words sounded sickening as they fell off my tongue and into the room. The girl just nodded, her hair bobbing along with the motion. "I'm sorry," I whispered, noticing the strange colour of her eyes. They were almost grey, a cold icy colour. I must have seemed like a complete idiot, waiting outside of a girl's house, telling her I just needed somebody's company and basically that she wasn't as important as she should have been, and staring into her eyes. Her hand grasped towards mine and she nodded.
"I'm here for as long as you need me."
Those words hurt so much. She knew, she knew everything that I was thinking of in that moment. She knew why I was really here - I needed a distraction. Somebody who wasn't top priority...

"Listen, Mika," I said, feeling my eyes start to moisten. I couldn't work out how to explain what I needed to say. What was it exactly? She knelt down on the floor and took my other hand in hers.
"It's okay. You shouldn't feel like you need to explain yourself." Her achromatic eyes broke away into mine, seeing straight through me like glass.

Then something happened that I didn't expect.

He grip tightened and a redness spread over her cheeks. Her lips parted ever so slightly and then, they were pressed into mine. My body froze and my eyes widened. I must have gasped, I don't think the shock could have stayed contained in my head. My heart was racing, and racing, and racing. Mikasa pulled away in slow motion and I counted every time she blinked.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," she said, shuffling away and running a hand through her black hair. I looked at the floor and shook my head.
"It's okay," I said, feeling the need to touch my face (which was surely as red as her scarf). "Mikasa?" I asked, my voice skipping an octave. She looked nervously at me and I smiled. "I'd rather stay friends."

"So would I."

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Hello! Thank you for reading and being patient with updates, I can't stop procrastinating with everything, so my whole 'updating regularly' thing was just a facade... see you in the next chapter!