Taryn woke up with a jolt at the sound of something crashing. Countless thoughts raced inside her head as she sat up, peeling the layers of blankets off of her. Did the Titans breach Wall Rose? Were we going to die?
She felt herself starting to panic. As she moved to climb off her bed, she looked down and found Sasha writhing on the floor, muttering things like 'meat' and 'gotta eat'. Turns out the girl was just having a nightmare and fell out of her bed in the process.
She let a sigh escape her lips in relief. Hopping out of the comfort of her mattress, she crouched down beside Sasha and started shaking her awake. "Sasha, you have to wake up now."
"Meat!" She wailed in response, though her eyes were still closed. Taryn moved to shake her again when someone suddenly spoke up from the corner of the room.
"Finally. You're awake." Came a voice. Startled, she turned and saw Mikasa coming out of the bathroom, already clad in a fresh pair of uniforms. She eyed her and Sasha before walking over to where they were located at.
"Oh, Mikasa, it's you." Taryn stood up, facing the girl. She looked around and saw that there was nobody here but them. She wondered where the other girls went. "Where are the others?"
"Gone." Mikasa replied, though her choice of words made Taryn feel uneasy. Mikasa must've sensed her discomfort as she quickly added to her statement. "They left to get breakfast."
Though they were about the same height, she couldn't help by feel intimidated by her as they maintained eye contact. What shocked Taryn the most though was the possibility that Mikasa had waited for her and Sasha to get up. Why the girl did so, she didn't know.
"Did you, uh—wait for us?" She managed to say, cringing at herself the moment the words left her lips. Stupid, just because she was the only one left doesn't mean she waited for you. She was just assuming things, and now the other's gonna think she's some egotistical bastard like Jean. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"I did."
This made her stop in her tracks. "Why?"
"No reason."
Taryn blinked at her, attempting to figure the girl out. She didn't know why she was so tense around her for no reason. Maybe it was because she was intimidating, or maybe it was because Jean liked her and she wanted to make a good impression.
Even so, she found that Mikasa was actually quite nice, despite the cold and calm demeanor she had displayed last night.
They didn't say anything after that until Sasha grumbled in her sleep again, breaking the silence. "Meat...bread...meat..."
Her words caused Taryn to chuckle, and even a ghost of a smile could be seen on Mikasa's lips.
"You should get dressed. I'll wake her up." The other girl suggested.
Taryn sighed. "I've been shaking her awake for a while now and it didn't work. I doubt anything will wake her up if she managed to sleep through falling off her bed."
"I think I've got the solution," Kneeling on the other side of her, Mikasa pulled out a potato from somewhere and began dangling it in front of the sleeping female. As if sensing the food, Sasha's eyes immediately opened, her body jolting awake as she her hands frantically began waving around for the food.
She snatched the potato from Mikasa's hands and took a huge bite, only to spit it out a moment later. "It's raw!"
"There will be a lot of food at breakfast," Mikasa said, standing up and reminding the two girls before that they need to get going. "I'll be outside."
Taryn nodded, before proceeding drag Sasha to change into their uniforms. She had heard last night that they were going to practice using their omnidirectional mobility gear today, and she felt rather excited at the prospect. Some might be terrified at the thought of being suspended midair, but she liked being one with the wind as it often gave her a taste of what it was like to be free, just like the little birds in the sky.
Soon they were finished getting dressed, and Taryn struggled to find her ribbon that she used to tie her hair up. She debated cutting her hair the same as Mikasa's so that it wouldn't get in the way of working, not to mention that shorter hair also required less maintenance. She, however, didn't know how she would look with that kind of hairstyle, so she dismissed the thought and focused on locating the little ribbon.
Finally, she found it, just as Sasha had finished putting on her boots. They went outside and met with Mikasa, the three of them making their to where everyone was eating breakfast.
The mess hall was bustling with people, the sounds of utensils clattering against plates and lively chatter filling the room. Taryn quickly scanned the area before spotting Jean and Marco sitting together at a table, along with Connie and a few others. She and Sasha started heading towards them, Mikasa trailing after their steps.
Jean saw them approaching, and instantly frowned at the sight of Sasha tagging along with Taryn. "Hey, why did you bring Potato Girl here—" He stopped as soon as he caught a glimpse of the person behind them. It was the girl from yesterday. Mikasa, he learned from the others. Jean could feel his cheeks heating up at her presence. "G-Good morning."
Mikasa ignored him, and Taryn doubted she even noticed him in the first place as she was too busy glancing around, looking for something. Her eyes lit up when they landed on a table in the corner, where Eren and Armin were sitting at.
She turned back to face Taryn. "I'll sit with Eren."
"Alright." Taryn replied, watching as Mikasa's figured disappeared into the crowds.
She sat down beside Sasha, who had just stolen some of Connie's food. The two were engaged in a heated argument that made everybody in their table watch in amusement.
She looked up and saw Jean in front of her, his face somber as his eyes trailed after Mikasa. Sensing her stare, he whipped her head to face the girl, his expression changing into one of annoyance.
"You didn't tell me you knew her." He said as he angrily chewed on his food.
"I just got here, Jean," She reached over for the ladle, dropping a blob of pudding on her plate. "And we share a dorm. That's why we came here together."
She looked at him again, only to find that he was no longer listening. He was staring at Mikasa, now sitting with Armin and Eren as she talked to them. Eren had food smeared all over his face which led to Mikasa raising a hand to wipe his face. He then swatted her hand away, causing Jean to clench his fists.
Taryn rolled her eyes. "Your food is getting cold."
At the sound of her voice, Jean snapped out of it. He went back to eating his food and absentmindedly stared at the girl in front of him. He studied her bruised forehead, the slope of her nose, her lips that were set into a small frown. He continued this until a sudden idea popped into his head.
He cleared his throat. "Hey, Taryn."
"Hmm?"
"Remember the day I saved you from those bullies breaking your bones?"
She paused, the memory of it coming back to her. She did remember that day, she had accidentally spilled milk all over some boy's favorite shirt. He and his group were incredibly pissed at her, and she would've been in serious trouble had it not been for her friend. Jean had snuck up behind them, beating their asses with a single stick. Taking advantage of the surprise of his attack, he quickly took Taryn's hand and ran away, hiding under a food stall until the coast was clear.
Had they lingered a second longer, there was no telling whether or not they would make it back in one piece. She was incredibly grateful for that, even to this day. "Yeah, why?"
He smirked, resting his chin on his palm. "You still owe me for that."
"No I don't. I repaid you the next day by chopping up firewood for you."
He scowled at her response, crossing his arms. "Well, I don't remember you doing that, which means that it's not valid."
He did remember, though. He had been able to escape his mother's wrath that day, all thanks to her.
She sighed in exasperation. "What do you want this time?"
His mouth formed a pleased smile at her words. "I knew you couldn't resist me," He said, arrogance dripping from his tone that made Taryn frown. He leaned in closer to her, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I need you to talk to Mikasa for me."
Her breath hitched at their close proximity. She pulled away, not facing in his direction to hide the blush tainting her face. "What?"
This time, he was the one to roll his eyes at her. "Are you deaf?" He leaned in again, even closer this time. She could feel his warm breath against her cheek as he whispered into her ear. "I said, I need you to talk to Mikasa for me—"
"I heard you!" She burst out as she jumped up from her seat in panic, attracting the attention of everyone at their table. Sasha and Connie stopped dueling each other with their spoons as they stared up at her, mouths hanging open in surprise.
Embarrassed, Taryn sat back down, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. "Sorry."
Jean stared at her weirdly, raising a brow at her sudden outburst. "What was that about?"
"You stink." She replied, and he slapped her arm as a result.
"I hate you," He threw a slice of bread at her, one which Sasha immediately caught. He glared at the girl before turning back to Taryn, now smiling. "But can you do it?"
"What's in it for me?"
The smile was wiped from his face yet again. "Can't you just do it as a favor?" He whined, grabbing ahold of her hair and yanking on it gently. "I'm your friend, Taryn!"
"I thought you hated me—ow!" She snatched her hair back after Jean had tugged on it rather harshly. Massaging her scalp, she sent him an unimpressed look, to which he responded with a sheepish smile.
"Come on, Tarynnn," He wailed again, dragging out the last syllable of her name to emphasize his lament. He looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Please?"
She knew he wasn't going to stop pestering her about it until she eventually gave in, so she might as well agree at this point. Besides, playing cupid might even be fun. "Fine."
Although he was really annoying sometimes, seeing him happy never failed to make Taryn's heart swell. So when he flashed her a bright smile with joy shining in his eyes, she couldn't help but smile at him too.
...
Taryn closed her eyes, calmly enjoying the moment as the straps holding her up began to go along with the wind, swinging her body back and forth. Their task for the day was to practice with their ODM gear, starting out by learning how keep balance while in being in the air.
She was one of the few that had gotten the hang of it, feeling intensely relieved when she had done it on the first try. She couldn't say the same for the others who were still struggling, much like a certain boy with green eyes.
She watched as Eren hanged upside down, his bizarre position evoking snickers from the surrounding crowd. She honestly felt bad for the boy, as she knew how much he wanted to become a soldier and get revenge on the Titans.
But it was just like he said—if you aren't skilled enough then you would have to leave, and sadly, he belonged in that category. She shook her head, instantly getting rid of the thought. She wasn't going to become arrogant, not when there's a possibility that she was going to be sent home as well.
She cleared her mind and closed her eyes again, deciding not to think of anything for the meantime. She let the wind rock her body and tune out the noise her fellow trainees were making, allowing herself a moment of peace.
Not long after, Instructor Shadis had began yelling out orders for them to be brought back down to the ground. It seems as if their training was done for the day. She briefly wondered why today's session had been short, but she wasn't complaining. She just hoped the instructor would have it in his heart to go easy on them, even though the chances of that happening were highly unlikely.
Her feet landed steadily on the surface. She was concentrated on removing the numerous buckles on her gear when Shadis's gruff voice suddenly reached her ears.
"Freire, Wagner, Yeager! Stay back and assist in cleaning up!"
She could hear Thomas groan from where he was stationed at, grumbling about how he tired he was. Thankfully, Instructor Shadis hadn't heard him, or else he would be sent flying for sure.
She got to work immediately after removing her belt. She began picking up the equipment her fellow trainees had carelessly thrown aside, along with some candy wrappers they had scattered on the ground. She sighed, mentally betting that Jean had been one of those people.
She piled all the trash together and threw them at a garbage bin nearby. She started to return the equipment they used when she heard footsteps, alerting her of someone's presence behind her.
"Taryn?" Said a familiar voice, and she turned around to see Eren fiddling with his fingers. "Hey."
"Hey, Eren," She spared him a glance before moving to set aside the stuff she held in her hands. "Do you need anything?"
"I was wondering if you could—you know," He began scratching his head. "Teach me how to stay balanced—"
"I'll help you, Eren." Mikasa suddenly appeared beside them, taking Eren's arm and dragging him along with her. Taryn watched as the brown haired boy began thrashing around, trying his best to resist Mikasa's hold.
"Hey—I wasn't talking to you—"
"I'll teach you."
"Let me go—hey—Mikasa!"
But the girl never let go of him, much to Eren's dismay. He had no choice but to give in and practice with her and Armin, who had been waiting for the pair at one of the lifts. Taryn chuckled at them, amused by their weird relationship.
She had finished cleaning up, but Shadis had forced her to stay and polish some of the equipment that had gotten dirty. Thomas had managed to slip away without being caught, leaving Taryn all alone by herself. Soon after, the instructor had left as well, although that didn't mean she was done with her tasks. She desperately tried to recall if she had done anything to offend the old man so as to figure out why he was making her do all these extra chores. Sadly, she couldn't come up with any leads, so she left it at that and accepted the fact that today just wasn't her lucky day.
Finally, she had finished polishing all the objects. The sun shone brightly above her, making her sweat from the heat. She put all the equipment inside a box and transported it to a shed where all sorts of things they would need in the future were being kept. She stretched her arms, enjoying the feeling. She started to think about what she would do in her free time when a voice startled her from behind, making her jump.
"What are you doing?" Jean entered the shed, his brows furrowed as he began approaching her. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
It's just him. Taryn tried to calm her heart, its palpitations caused by his sudden arrival. "Instructor Shadis told me to stay behind to clean up, remember?"
"Along with Eren and Thomas, and they got back ages ago." He leaned against a pillar, arms crossed as he looked at her.
She averted her gaze. "Yeah, well, I had to do extra work."
Jean hummed in response, his eyes scanning the area. He faced her again after a while with a smirk painted on his face. "I saw you with Mikasa earlier, before I left. Did you talk to her already?"
"No, sorry. Eren wanted me to help him with something, Mikasa just happened to be nearby and dragged him away."
He scoffed, his features morphing into an annoyed expression. "That bastard. Just yesterday he was going on and on about how he was going to slaughter all the Titans, but now he can't even stay upright while using the gear," At the thought, his lips twitched into a smirk again. "I knew I was better than him anyway."
It was Taryn's turn to scoff at him. "And who decided that?"
"Me," He pointed to himself, his face turning smug. "You know it's true."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." She walked towards the shed's exit, glancing back over her shoulder to look at him. "Let's go."
Jean followed her and the two of them walked side by side as they made their way back. He had began ranting about how much Eren irritated him and how he would give anything just to punch that brat in the face. Taryn merely listened, although she was secretly hoping that he wouldn't dare fulfill his wish.
"—did you see him hanging upside down? Serves him right," A pleased smile rested on his lips as he recalled the memory.
He then turned his head to look at the girl beside him, remembering how she managed to remain balanced while being suspended midair. "You did great today, by the way."
Taryn didn't know what to make at the sudden compliment. Staring straight ahead as she avoided to look at him, she replied in a what she hoped was a neutral voice. "Thanks. You too."
"But when are you going to talk to her for me?" He narrowed his eyes as he switched to that high pitched tone he used ever so often.
Taryn resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. "Why don't you talk to her yourself?
"I can't do that."
"Why not? I thought you said you were 'better than everyone'." She teased. Jean elbowed her harshly before his face took on a dreamy expression.
"She's probably the only one who's better than me anyway," He said, his voice trailing off. "Did you see her earlier? She mastered the gear on her first try."
"Yes, yes, I get that you're in love, Jean." She replied. Mikasa really was incredibly skilled, and Taryn remembered staring at her in awe when she managed to stay upright the moment the instructor lifted her up. She was so cool. The girl had received a lot of praise from other people, Taryn being one of them.
Jean had also done quite well on his attempt, albeit wobbling a bit at first. She looked at the boy on her right, studying him. He had changed a lot while growing up, the kid she had met years ago now unrecognizable. He lost the baby fat that had once adorned his face, now replaced with cheekbones and a defined jawline. His pointed nose made for a stunning side profile, and his lips, pulled into a small smile, completed the picture.
She had to admit, he had grown up to be very attractive.
She really needed to look away, but she couldn't. It was like staring at a work of art, so captivating that she began to forget the things surrounding her—
Thud.
She fell face first on the ground, the fine grains of sand biting against her skin. With all her staring, she forgot to look at where she was going and had tripped over a rock, making her lose balance and causing her to fall. She stayed laying there for a while, not quite processing the situation just yet.
Jean, on the other hand, burst into chortles as he looked down at her. He clutched his stomach, laughing so hard that he found it difficult to breathe. He can't believe it, it was just like that day years ago, when Taryn had fallen on her face as well. Though this time, her face was covered in dust instead of mud, but that didn't make it any less hilarious.
"You—you're so—you just—stupid—" He laughed in between his words.
Taryn scowled at him, finally coming to her senses as she dusted the sand off her. She tried to stand up, only to feel a searing pain in her ankle, making her halt her actions.
Jean stopped laughing as soon as he saw her, concern taking over his previous emotions. Eyes flashing with worry, he kneeled beside her, taking her leg in his hands as he began to look for the source of the discomfort. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"
"I think I sprained my ankle—ow—don't press on it!" She cried out, making Jean retract his hand. Sending her a sheepish smile, he dropped her leg and faced his back to her, beckoning for her to get on.
Confused on what he meant, Taryn furrowed her brows. "Huh?"
"Get on my back.
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"I said get on my back. I'll carry you to the infirmary."
He's gonna...what? Her jaw hung open at his words, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "I-I can walk!"
Jean rolled his eyes, spinning his head around to face her. "Sure you can. Now get on my back before I change my mind."
"I'm not getting on your back, I-I'm covered with dust!" She panicked. She wasn't that concerned about getting him dirty, they had splashed around in muddy puddles countless times when they were children. She didn't know why, but she felt weird about going near him or touching him all of a sudden, even though they had been friends for ages. So the thought of him carrying her on his back and being so close to him made her feel flustered, if not maybe scared.
Jean sighed. "You're really stubborn, you know."
He inched closer to her, placing an arm around her legs and torso. He ignored her bewildered eyes as he lifted her up with ease, beginning to walk towards the direction of the Infirmary.
Taryn froze. It was as if her brain stopped working the moment he got near her. She didn't know what to feel, what to do, what to think, only that her heart was hammering inside of her chest and that his face was so, so close to hers. Her breathing sped up and she began to sweat furiously, she felt like she was going to pass out any moment.
His voice brought her back to the present moment. "Stop sticking out your arms like that." He scolded, referring to her limbs hanging loosely on her sides.
Not knowing what to do with them, she hesitantly snatched them back and let them rest on her abdomen. The position was quite uncomfortable, so Taryn briefly considered putting them around his neck. Almost immediately after the thought entered her mind, she mentally cursed herself, shocked at why she would even think of something like that in the first place. No, stop.
Closing her eyes shut, she wished for the moment to be over as soon as possible, yet there was some small part of her that wished for it not to end.
After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the infirmary, where some of the injured trainees were getting treated. Jean carefully placed her on an unoccupied bed before going to get someone to tend to her. Her mind still being a mess, Taryn lay there, staring at the ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. She didn't want to think about what happened just yet, so she distracted herself by counting how many cracks in the surface were there.
A medic started making her way towards the girl, accompanied by Jean. In her hands were some ice wrapped in a small cloth and a roll of bandages. She sat down beside her and gave her a warm smile.
"I heard you sprained your ankle?" She asked, and Taryn could only nod at her.
The medic turned to Jean, handing him the ice wrapped in cloth. "Here. Apply this to her ankle for fifteen to twenty minutes, then call for me when you're done." She faced Taryn, her smile faltering a bit. "I'm sorry I can't really focus on you right now. A lot of kids also got injured due to the aptitude evaluation, so I hope you'll understand."
Taryn nodded at her again, not finding it in her to speak. It seemed as if the previous events had rendered her speechless.
The medic left, and Jean took this as a sign to start putting ice on her ankle. He took off her shoes and gently dabbed on the spot, glancing at Taryn every once in a while to check her reaction. But the girl didn't even flinch. Her eyes were trained on the ceiling and she hadn't moved once ever since the medic left them.
"What happened to you?" He furrowed his brows. This seemed to break her out of her trance as she turned her focus unto him.
"Eh?" She blinked. Coming back to her senses, she shook her head lightly. "Nothing."
Jean sighed, deciding not to bug her about it anymore. He concentrated on the task at hand, taking extra care as usual. "Does it hurt?"
"A bit." She muttered, ignoring the way his concern made her heart skip a beat. We're friends, she thought. It's normal to be concerned.
He chuckled all of a sudden, catching her off guard. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What's so funny?"
He erupted into fits of laughter, the sound piercing through the dull mood of the place. "You fell on your face. Again." He laughed again as soon as the words escaped his lips, his hands struggling to keep steady while applying ice on her injury.
"Oh very funny, Jean." She snapped, crossing her arms and looking the other way. She was sure her cheeks were probably flaming red by now, either due to embarrassment or the heat.
"It was hilarious," He grinned at her. "Just how lucky did I have to be to witness that incident twice?"
"Can't you just forget about that already?"
"I'll be cherishing that moment 'til the day I die, Mudface."
She frowned at the familiar nickname. "Careful now, Jeanboy. I'm still talking to Mikasa for you."
Her words instantly wiped the smile off his face. Snarling at her, they continued on bickering for twenty solid minutes, until the medic eventually got worried and approached them. The medic had deemed it alright to stop rubbing ice on her ankle, then proceeding to wrap a bandage around it.
"I'm afraid you'll have to stay the night. We can't have you moving around while your ankle is trying to heal." The medic smiled at her apologetically.
Although unhappy with the situation, Taryn had no choice but to submit. She didn't mind staying over, she was just worried that she won't be able to participate in tomorrow's activities, something that would surely have a huge effect on her grades.
The medic left after giving her some reminders, now tending to the other patients. Jean and Taryn were engulfed by a comfortable silence, a stark contrast to a few moments ago when they were arguing nonstop.
Jean traced circles on the girl's arm while his head rested on the clean white sheets. He glanced up and saw her staring at the ceiling again, her body as still as a rock. He wondered what in the world Taryn was thinking about that was enough to force her into this state of shock.
Meanwhile, Taryn's mind was jumble of thoughts, from thinking about what just happened to whether or not her ankle could heal fast enough for her to catch up tomorrow. The fact that Jean was unknowingly making her flustered didn't help at all. She couldn't bring herself to move, so she just lay there holding in a breath and let the boy do whatever he wanted.
Soon, she felt him stop moving. Curiosity got the best of her and she looked down to find Jean asleep while still having his hand on her arm. A small smile graced her lips as she eyed the sight in front of her.
He looked peaceful, to say the least. His ash brown hair fell like a curtain over his forehead, appearing soft and fluffy to the touch. His face got all squished up as he rested on the surface, making Taryn giggle at what she was seeing. If only he knew what he looked liked right now...
She felt her hand hover above his head, hesitating a bit in what she was about to do. Biting her bottom lip, she slowly lowered her hand and began running her fingers through his hair, stroking it lightly. She smiled—it was indeed very fluffy.
Taryn suddenly realized what she was doing and immediately snatched her hand back. She mentally cursed herself, not knowing why she was acting like some lovesick girl. They were friends. Just friends. She told herself that over and over. She convinced herself that it was the pain in her ankle that had been causing her to feel that way, that these weird emotions she was feeling would be gone the next day. She was just injured, that's all.
As she felt her eyelids getting heavier, Taryn let out a heavy sigh, thanking the gods for another day. Falling into a deep slumber, she found herself in dream about a certain boy with a charming smile, who whispered her gentle words and carried her in his arms.
...