a/n
i havent proof read this so if u see errors pls let me know thx
also there arent any spoilers in here but theres a little reference to a quote from ch 123 (aot manga) which you should all go read right now.
——
summer camp // sasha
Sun shone down on the path in spots of sunlight, giving the forest an almost ethereal feeling. It was mid-July, and your vision was flooded with greens and pinks and yellows from the hike to camp. You and Sasha had been coming to WoodCreek summer camp since you were kids, each tear changing cabins named after constellations based on your age. Hydra Cabin was where you'd be staying this year, but unfortunately it was known for being filthy.
"Are those edible?" you heard Sasha ask your guide as she pointed to some crimson colored berries on a round bush.
"Anything's edible if you try hard enough," he told Sasha strangely, making you both a bit visibly uncomfortable, "but... uh—no. No, you'll get sick."
Sasha laughed uncomfortably and slowed her pace to let the guide get farther ahead of you both. "What the fuck?" she asked, "Did you catch that?"
"Yeah," you replied, grimacing. You were genuinely angry at the guide for talking to Sasha that way, but he didn't say anything else for the rest of the hike so you left him alone other than an occasional disapproving look.
You finally arrived at the camp, feeling a huge wave of nostalgia wash over you. You immediately grinned and looked around.
WoodCreek was the exact same as it had been when you left it. A large gravel clearing in the center with paths leading of in different directions to classes and cabins, and a big mess hall and meeting area next to the clearing. Last year, you'd been told that the path to the Hydra cabin was just past the archery range, which Sasha had been stoked about.
"Let's go put our stuff in the cabin," you said to Sasha, glancing over to see her also smiling, "then we can go get our stuff for the classes."
"After we stop at the range!" Sasha half-agreed before turning and running toward the archery range. Everyone looks stupid running in a backpack, but Sasha managed to make it look fun. You watched her run off down the path and followed at a normal pace, but decided 'fuck it' and ran to catch up with her. Unlike Sasha, you were not confident in the way you looked while running with a backpack, but it only really mattered if Sasha was watching.
Not because you wanted her to find you attractive, of course. Just because she was your best friend and you wanted her to not think you were dumb. Yes.
When you made it to the range, you found Sasha's backpack already laying at the foot of the steps to the range's wooden pavilion. You smiled and rolled your eyes, not surprised by the speed at which Sasha had managed to get ahold of a bow and arrow.
You dropped your backpack and walked up the steps to meet Sasha, one arm extended and the other holding an arrow, carefully aiming at a bullseye. She inhaled, then let out a calm breath at released the arrow.
"Nine!" you said, flashing her the smile you hadn't been able to get rid of since you both arrived, "Not bad."
"Get one!" she encouraged you, waving her bow towards the closet where the others were kept, "Let's have a competition."
"Yeah, right," you said, "You're too excited to even put on a bracer. I'd win too easily." You shrugged teasingly, though you truly were concerned about Sasha getting hurt.
Once Sasha had met all the necessary safety requirements, you grabbed a bow, quiver, and bracer and stepped into the lane next to Sasha's.
"Best of three?" Sasha asked when she returned from collecting her arrow.
"Fine with me," you chose an arrow from the quiver and set the bag onto the floor next to you, "but it'll only last two rounds."
"'Cause I'll win?" Sasha asked conceitedly, pulling back the arrow.
You hummed in reply, suggesting it was the other way around, and pulled back your bowstring. You inhaled slowly and lined up the tip of the arrow with the black '10' in the center of your target. You exhaled and the arrow shot forward, sticking in the faded red fabric.
"Yikes," Sasha teased, "Seven? I shouldn't have an issue." Sure enough, her arrow plunked into the yellow nine ring.
Even though you lost the first round, you were still impressed she got a nine pointer on her second shot at camp. Still, you had another chance to stay in the game.
"I'm not worried," you said confidently, lining up your shot once again. "Yes!" you said, as your arrow stuck into the nine ring. "You sure you can get three of those nines in a row?" you asked Sasha.
She couldn't. Sasha's arrow landed just on the edge of the red, barely an eight. "Ha!" you said triumphantly, "One to go."
"Wait," Sasha said, "we need incentive."
"Oh?" you remarked, interested.
"The loser has to do something for the winner," Sasha decided.
"Like what?" you asked. You heart rate sped up, but you refused to think about why. You could ask her anything if you won... any question at all...
"That's up to the winner," Sasha smiled, looking back at her target, "which will be me, of course, but I'll give you one more round."
"We'll see," you replied.
The previous two shots had helped your game drastically, this round, you managed to land a nine again, sticking the arrow just to the left of the ten ring. It was honestly one of your best shots to date.
Sasha's arrow, to your dismay, also landed in the nine ring, though it was just to the right of the ten ring. You squinted your eyes and decided yours was closer. "Good game, Sash," you put down your bow and laughed, "If you ever need a tutor, you know, I—"
"HUH?" Sasha grinned, "Oh no, no," she also put down her bow and crossed her arms. "No way. My arrow is practically a ten. Yours is a whole nine. I won this round."
"Yeah, right," you responded, your cheeks getting hot at the playful argument, "and titans are fake."
"We both know I won," Sasha replied, taking a step closer to you, "you just want to hope that one day you could even dream of competing at my level." At this point your whole face was hot and your stomach was full of butterflies with how close she was to you, but you didn't let yourself guess why.
"It's obvious that I won," you managed to respond, "but I'll let you off with a tie."
Sasha thought for a moment. "Fine," she nodded, before returning to her happy and excited nature. "Alright, let's go to the cabin."
"You want to leave?" you asked her, "You're not one to want to stop shooting, you know."
"Yeah, but I want to check out Cabin Hydra," she responded, already somehow at the doorway. "Ugh," she groaned facetiously, jogging back to where you were and grabbing your hand, "today, preferably. I want to check out the cabin today."
You felt butterflies in your stomach as your hands linked together. "Okay, okay," you laughed, and stumbled off with Sasha back to the path.
——
Referring to Cabin Hydra as filthy was an extreme understatement. When you walked into the cabin, your jaw dropped at the nastiness of the cabin, but you didn't want the air getting in your mouth so you closed it.
"You've gotta be kidding me," you said, laughing and looking around the room. Eight of ten of the bunks in the room were already taken, with a sole bottom and top in the corner. You looked at the empty bottom bunk at the same time Sasha did, mortified to see a massive brownish black stain covering the mattress. "Hell no," you said, shoving back against Sasha who had already made a beeline for the ladder to the top bunk.
"Top! I call top!"
"No way in hell—"
And so you both still sat on the top bunk at sunset, having refused to move for over an hour. The rest of the cabin was out finishing their dinner now, probably to return soon, only to see you both still glued in place.
"This might sound kinda..." Sasha started, "I dunno. It's—whatever."
"What?" you responded, "Nah, I'm not playing this game," you laughed, "Spit it out or I'm kicking you off this bunk."
"Why don't we just, you know, share this bed?" Sasha said awkwardly. It felt strange to be so awkward around your friend of so many years, but the feeling that was rushing through your soul at the moment didn't seem to particularly care.
"I—uh... yeah, sure," you answered, "Sure, why not."
"Okay," Sasha replied strangely, "Yeah, ok."
An awkward silence passed for a moment until you found it suitable to leave the bunk to get a book from your bag. Sasha asked if you could also grab hers, and so you did and brought it back up to the shared bunk. You both leaned against the wall behind the bunk and began reading, continuing even after your eight roommates arrived.
"Sash?" you said, putting down your book. You couldn't even focus on the words with her sitting so close to you. Your opposite shoulders and thighs touched as you both sat there, driving your heart crazy.
"Yeah?" she also looked up from her book.
"For my winner's reward, I want to ask you a question."
"Ha!" Sasha laughed, "good luck with that, considering you didn't win."
"Let's make a deal then," you proposed, "since we tied, I get to ask you a question and you get to ask me one."
Something passed behind Sasha's eyes, as if something was slowly dawning on her. Her smile faded slightly, but you noticed her face was turning slightly red, even in the yellow cabin light. "Alright, deal," she said, abruptly returning to her typical manner.
"What am I to you?" you asked, your heart racing.
Sasha hesitated for a moment, searching your gaze. Then she smiled. "Y'know that one friend you've known for a really long time? And there's this one thing you both ignore... One little detail that you both try to forget for the sake of the friendship?"
You could've sworn you were dreaming. What was she saying? Both... ignore?
Sasha leaned closer to you than she already was, closer than friends lean toward each other, closer than your heart could handle.
"Sounds familiar," you managed to reply without choking. You felt as if your entire life lead up to this one moment, that nothing else mattered in the world but you and Sasha and what she was saying.
"Does it?" and then her lips were on yours. Your hands linked together as they had hours ago, but this time you weren't nervous. You felt Sasha's hands at the sides of your neck, as yours moved to her sides.
Your whole world was revolving around the top mattress of this ratty old bunk and you were not complaining.