genessia | Chapter 4 | Closed to Mikasa

Entry tags:

Chapter 4 | Closed to Mikasa | Action

Who: Armin and Mikasa
What: Clothes shopping, a couple unfortunate run-ins with magic arrows, and a date
Where: Around Nova City
When: A day or so before Valentine's
Warnings: None so far!

A week after he arrives, Armin already has a job nailed down, but he's still wearing Eren's too-large clothes, given his uniform is pretty much in tatters. As such, he can't really argue when Mikasa drags him to the mall to get him something of his own to wear.

He hasn't been avoiding it, exactly. But he's still wary of technology, it's strange to be in a new place without the Travelers along - the constant hum of psychic activity in his head - and he's been wrapped up in learning how to be an administrative assistant, spending most of his off hours on it too. Besides which, if he's honest... he's still at a stage where he can barely believe he has Eren and Mikasa back, and he feels a lot better when they're close by. So except for work, he hasn't been leaving the house much.

Still, it's probably about time he sees a little more of the city. He keeps his eyes open, taking in everything on their walk. Which is why he notices an arrow sticking out of the bushes. Thinking it odd, given the circumstances, he wanders over to pick it up, lagging a couple seconds behind Mikasa.

Unfortunately for him, he hasn't been paying very much attention to the network, either.

It seems like a perfectly normal arrow - he just can't think of a reason it would be out here. "Ouch!" Well, it's definitely still sharp.

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Armin really couldn't expect to wear that all the time of course. Not even Mikasa and Eren wore their original clothing for a long period of time. She knew she had to get more clothing besides what she had, so they'd gone shopping for some clothing to fit in better as well a few days after arriving here.

She had bills now and could afford to help Armin out with new clothing. If he even complained that she didn't have to, she wouldn't respond. She was going to do it because she wanted to. That was all there was to it.

Mikasa should have paid better attention to the network about these arrows, but she thought nothing of them. She didn't really get the point of this... "Valentine's Day", but then again she'd never actually bothered to ask specifics about it either. Looking back to him once realizing he'd strayed behind, she hadn't seen him prick his finger but she heard the ouch.

"What's wrong?" she asked, fulling turning to him now instead of simply looking back.

"N-nothing, I just pricked my finger." He frowns, still looking down at the arrow in his hands. "This just seemed very out of place. I was trying to figure out where it might have come from..."

He holds the arrow out for her to see, looking up. When he sees her, his eyes widen a little and he stands breathless for a moment. He'd always thought she was beautiful, but... never like this. Maybe being separated from her for more than a year, where he thought he'd never see her again, is making him see her in a different light. Or maybe it's his experience dying, or actually having a girlfriend. Or maybe it's all of these things, combined with the fact that it's peaceful here, so they actually have the space to think about these things.

Whatever it is that did it, Armin sees in Mikasa more than he ever has before. He sees all the years she's taken care of him, everything they've been through, all that they mean to each other, yes, but he also sees the potential for a different kind of love. Though it's not something he's ever really thought about before, right now it makes all the sense in the world to him. Besides Eren, who else could ever really understand them? Who else could they possibly want to share everything with? Looking at her now, Armin is baffled that he's never seen it before. They'd be together forever. Nothing else was even conceivable.

He looks down again, walking to catch up with her. The butterflies were new too - he'd never been nervous around Mikasa before. It's a good kind of nervous, though, he thinks, as a faint blush appears on his cheeks

Glancing to the arrow, she has seen them lying around but thought nothing of them. It was probably out of place, but it had been none of her business to begin with.

Seeing his actions and expressions change made her a little weary. Was he okay? He seemed... different to some degree... Of course she was concerned about him, but she thought it would be best to probe for more answers before making any final judgment on his strange behavior.

"Armin...? Are you feeling okay?" she asked hesitantly.

Armin shakes his head, smiling gently as he tosses the arrow aside. "I'm alright. Let's keep going."

Walking next to her, he makes no other mention of what happened, and seems pretty much normal. After a mınute, however, he reaches out and unobtrusively takes her hand in his.

He still seemed... different... Who was she to continue to prove for answers though? Seeing as he walked with her again, she left it be.. Well, that was until he reached for her hand. Sure she'd held his hand before as a way to comfort, but this was different than normal. Looking surprised to him for a moment, she didn't say anything.

"... Are you sure?" she asked him, not really sure what to think.

His cheeks turn a little red, but he nods anyway. He's okay. That much is true.

He glances sideways at her, a little uncertain. Was taking her hand too bold? "...is this okay?"

Squeezing his hand gently, she nodded for the time being. "It's fine. I don't mind," she said as they continued to walk on. It's not like they'd never done it before, right?

He doesn't make any other peculiar moves on their way to the mall, even as a strange bubbly feeling builds inside him. Holding her hand is exhilarating, even as he wonders how to explain to her this new feeling, and worries that she might not feel the same way.

He reluctantly lets go of her hand when they get to the store and he has to try on some of the outfits they've picked out. It takes a strangely long time before he comes out in the first one, as he's more critical of them, thinking about how Mikasa will like them. Eventually, he comes out in an outfit he's mostly satisfied with, though he still looks a little uncertain - almost shy.

"Wh-what do you think?"

Mikasa wasn't sure why he was taking a while, but she didn't mind waiting. When he finally came out, she nodded lightly to it.

"It's nice, but a bit too formal don't you think?" she asked.

Not that it didn't look good on him. She just figured more casual clothing would be good to have too.

A disappointed look crosses his face at her reaction, but he quickly hides it.

"Y-yeah, I just figured I should have at least one outfit that's more formal. I can find s-some more casual ones, though..."

He turns back to see if a couple of the less formal outfits turned out any better.

Mikasa did catch that look, so she couldn't help but think if she'd given him the wrong idea.

"No, don't get me wrong. It looks good. I think you should get it still," she tried to reassure him. And the other outfits he tried on, she couldn't help that small chuckle. This was Armin after all... He did tend to dress more formally anyways... "I like them. I think the first or second were my favorite ones, but that last one isn't bad either."

He nods with a faint blush. "All right."

He ends up buying all the outfits - except the one she didn't like as much. "Th-that should be all right for now, I think."

He glances at her several times as they're checking out, biting his lip - obviously nervous. Uncharacteristically so, especially just around her. When they exit the store, he finally turns to her and blurts it out.

"M-Mikasa, would you l-like to have dinner with me t-tonight? Just the t-two of us?"

Mikasa has noticed how different he's acted, but it wasn't until that nervousness and sudden question that made her stop. W-What? Well, it's not like they'd never ate together like that, but that... She didn't get too into relationship stuff because they were always busy back home, but that definitely sounded like a date invitation there.

Oh man... What was she going to do? She didn't want to give him the wrong idea, but she couldn't just say no either... Okay.... Think... The fact that this was probably the first time anyone has tried to ask her on a date before was a little weird, but Armin of all people...? She couldn't hurt him....

"O-oh uhm...," Come on Mikasa..., "Well... I.. guess it wouldn't hurt?"

That wasn't exactly as enthusiastic as he might have cared for - but she said yes! It was enough for now, anyway. His expression - pleased and sincere, more than it ever it - makes it obvious how happy the answer makes him. He gives her another shy smile and offers his hand to hold once more.

"Do you have a preference where we eat? There's this place in Attleton - The Garden Bistro. It's 'Italian', whatever, that means, but it looks pretty good...?"

He lets it trail off into a question, looking up at her uncertainly.

"That would be fine with me," she said simply, not sure how to go about things like this, but she'll take his hand since he offered at least.

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Chapter 4 | Closed to Mikasa | Action

/GETS TO THIS YEARS LATER

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