Shingeki no Oneshot

VIII. Insomniac (Jeankasa)

         “You got it. Maybe you can hurry up, though, since I’m pretty sure I brought you pistachio ice cream and I’m getting kind of hungry. I can only wait so long.” 

         Mikasa didn’t bother to mention that she had a tub of her own beside the bathtub; she’d save her own tub for later while, after she dries herself up, she’d eat out of Jean’s container. He didn’t need to know of her motives. 

         She jogged back upstairs and threw her towel into the bathroom (since it wasn’t doing its job of staying up very well to begin with) and threw on a pair of yoga shorts and a tank top. Because her hair was short, it wouldn’t take too long to dry, and so she left it as it was. When she walked into the kitchen she saw Jean sitting at the little island, the ice cream tub unopened beside him. She raised her eyebrows. “I thought you would’ve at least opened the ice cream.” 

         “But it isn’t complete without hot toddies first,” Jean winked playfully at her. “And don’t you remember the last time I tried making them? That didn’t turn out...good.” 

         “‘Well’,” Mikasa corrected. She was already taking the whiskey and honey out of their corresponding cupboards, along with the cinnamon sticks and the lemon. She couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Jean attempting to make a hot toddy. The lemon was sour, there wasn’t enough sugar, and he somehow managed to spill the boiling water. At least it wasn’t on himself. Once the drinks were ready, she instructed Jean to bring them into the small living room while she put the tub of ice cream in the freezer. They sat down beside each other on the worn wool couch, the centre of the two cushions dented towards the middle.

         As she opened her Netflix account, Jean cleared his throat. “Mikasa, are you...er, are you alright?” 

         “Fine,” she answered robotically. Mikasa cursed herself for allowing the single word to escape her mouth so fast. “I don’t see why I wouldn’t be.”

         “It’s been two years.” 

         “I know. I don’t want to talk about it.” She pressed the play button on the remote. “This episode is where I left off upstairs. Hopefully you’re all caught up in the season.” 

         “It’s no problem.” It was a lie; Jean had an entire season’s worth to catch up on before they were at the same place in Game of Thrones. He wasn’t going to tell Mikasa that, though; no matter how cold and reserved she appeared at school, this was a side that only Jean and Eren have seen. 

         Well, Eren used to see it, before the crash that took place two years ago. But Mikasa didn’t want it to be mentioned, so he didn’t. January was always an insomniatic time for her. 

         They finished their drinks with ease and Jean was the one to get up and grab the ice cream, along with two spoons. It was interesting — normally it would be a girl, maybe Annie or Sasha, that would come over and comfort Mikasa, but here he was, doing just that. He let Mikasa take the first few spoonfuls before digging in himself. 

         “You know it isn’t your fault, right?” Jean decided to say after a second episode. They had two left before the end of the season. Mikasa looked away. 

         “Of course I know that, but it doesn’t make the truth any easier to bear,” she bites. “I mean, this tiny little house I used to share with him now seems so big and I hate it. I hate it so much.” She eyed him suspiciously. “I told you I didn’t want to talk about it.” 

         “It had to happen at some point,” Jean said, wrapping an arm around Mikasa’s shoulders and pulling her closer to him. “Do you want me to stay the night?”

         “Are you doing anything tomorrow?” 

         “No, actually. Just homework, not that that counts for anything.” 

         Mikasa hesitated before a quiet “yes” escaped her lips. She wrapped an arm around Jean’s midsection and cuddled in closer to him, pressing play to begin the second last episode. 

         With a quarter of pistachio ice cream and only twenty-seven minutes of the season 3 finale left, Mikasa ended up passing out on Jean. As much as he wanted to get up to pause the episode and return the half melted ice cream to its rightful place, he didn’t want to wake her up. Instead, he lay down on the sofa and delicately moved her until she was partially on top of him and partially leaning on the back of the couch. Her mouth was slightly parted. He moved Mikasa’s bangs away from her forehead and kissed it lightly before dozing off to the sound of Danaerys Stormborn taking charge. 

         Hopefully she’d feel a little better once morning came around.