Technically I started this for last year's week, but i dug this up and finished it - complete with a half year's worth of writing improvement!
modern au. high school castes inspired.
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Mikasa didn't like Annie Leonhardt. She never had. Annie was rude, and antisocial, and hated Mikasa anyway. They were bitter rivals.
The last thing Mikasa expected to be doing was sitting next to Annie at a party.
There was a heavy bass beating while drunk college students swayed off-rhythm. Weed smoke hung in the air. They were both sitting on a tacky, faded-red couch, drinking dubious punch from plastic disposable cups.
"Don't see Jaeger nearby," Annie said dryly. Mikasa shot her a glare, and took another sip of her punch. This was her second drink, and she wasn't even buzzed yet. It probably hadn't even been spiked.
"Your friends have pissed off too," Mikasa mumbled. Annie rolled her eyes.
A couple passed them, giggling and all over each other. Mikasa drank some more punch, trying to forget her earlier conversation with Eren.
"I didn't pick you as a party person," Mikasa stated. Annie looked over to her.
"I know the host," Annie responded, flat as ever. "Our parents are friends."
"So you were dragged along too."
Annie looked away. "I guess," she mumbled.
Another group of their classmates passed. Annie watched them,and in the moment Mikasa studied her face. Mikasa had never really noticed Annie before. She'd never had a chance to. She was always chasing after Eren and Armin, making sure they got out of trouble, that she'd never really had the time to notice anyone at her school, let alone the quiet punk girl.
Annie was pretty. Maybe the punch was finally getting to her and that was why she was feeling so funny about Annie.
"I had a fight with Eren," Mikasa blurted out. "And now we aren't talking."
Her vision blurred a little, so she blinked to fix it.
Annie didn't respond. For a moment Mikasa was worried that Annie had ignored her (but also glad, because oh god what if Annie had heard her), but Annie was looking directly at her. Her expression was exactly the same as always, but with something in her eyes. Something that made Mikasa feel some way.
"Sorry about that," Annie said quietly. Mikasa, still feeling weird, only nodded.
"I think I just want someone to want me," Mikasa said. Annie's shoulders dropped. She swirled the drink in her cup.
"Yeah," Annie replied softly.
The song faded out, and another began. Desperate to change the subject, Mikasa stood up. Her head spun.
"I love this song," she said quickly. She shot out a hand to Annie. "Come dance with me."
For a moment, Annie stared at Mikasa's hand, and Mikasa was worried she'd overstepped a boundary. Then Annie stood up and took her hand.
Oh. Mikasa hadn't expected to get this far. Mindlessly, she pulled Annie away from the couch, trying to keep her drink from spilling, which was proving to be difficult. Mikasa swayed to the beat of the song. Annie moved with her, still holding her hand. That felt good. It made Mikasa's chest blossom like an unfurling flower, like in those poems she read sometimes.
And Annie was smiling.
"I think you're pretty!" Mikasa yelled over the music.
But she was spinning too fast. And as she realised it, the world seemed to topple over.
No, that was Mikasa. She was the one falling.
But Annie caught her. Mikasa's cup fell to the ground, spilling her drink onto the carpet. Nobody else even saw.
"Come on," she heard Annie say, and she was guided out of the lounge. They went down the hall, into a bathroom. The music was muffled from here.
Mikasa was sat down on the closed toilet seat, while Annie sat on the edge of the bathtub.
"Do you need water?" Annie asked. Mikasa shook her head.
There was silence. Mikasa stared down at the pink bathmat.
"You said I was pretty," Annie said quietly. Mikasa looked up at her. Annie was - blushing. Or maybe that was the heat of the party.
"You are."
There was more silence. Annie brushed some hair behind her ear.
"Do you like me, or do you just want to be kissed?"
Annie's accusatory words unsettled Mikasa. She gripped the sides of the toilet seat, so much so that the hard plastic dug in.
"Because I can kiss you. I could and I'd like it, I've wanted to since year seven, but I don't want to if you're just using me to fulfil the Eren-shaped hole in your heart."
Annie's gaze was firm. Mikasa looked away.
"Maybe," Mikasa croaked out, "I'll only know once I've kissed you."
Annie brushed some hair behind her ear. "Hmm. Yeah."
She pushed herself off the rim of the tub, hiking her edgy ripped stockings back up. Annie stood in front of Mikasa. Mikasa stood up to match her. They were close enough to hear each other's breathing. They both moved in, slowly.
Then they kissed.
It only lasted a sweet moment. It felt... good. Mikasa liked it. She took a deep breath when she pulled away.
"You can't gossip about this, by the way," Annie said quietly. She was looking down. "I have a reputation to uphold."
Mikasa brushed her hair back. "I won't. Unless you ever want to, you know."
Annie turned away. Mikasa noticed the slightest hint of a smile.
"We'll see about that," Annie said.
They left the bathroom together, with something new shared between the two of them.
