The fire cast flickering shadows across tired faces, gathered in a loose circle away from the tents. No commanders tonight—just the younger soldiers, sharing warmth, stories, and fleeting laughter beneath a quiet, watching sky.
Annie sat on the edge of it all, knees drawn to her chest, face unreadable. Her wound throbbed dully under the bandage. Her thoughts were less merciful.
She remembered too much: the wolves, Mikasa's blood, the feel of her breath against her cheek. The weight of her pressed close. Her voice. Her scent.
The others didn't seem to notice her silence.
Conny was telling a story, arms flailing dramatically. "And Jean tripped over his own pride! Flat on his face!"
"I was dodging your stumble, idiot," Jean shot back, "You nearly took out Historia too!"
"She was the one who caught both of us," Ymir cut in, grinning. "Our princess always cleaning up after these losers."
Historia smiled faintly, her cheeks flushed from the heat or the company. "You're welcome."
Armin nudged Sasha beside him and nodded toward the fire. "They've been in a better mood lately."
Sasha gave a small laugh. "Yeah… still no Mikasa, though. I wonder how long she'll stay out of the field."
"She trusts Eren," Armin said, more softly than usual. "They're close. Grew up like siblings."
Sasha nodded. "Even if they don't show it. She used to follow him around everywhere before training."
"Still does in some ways," Armin added, poking at the fire with a stick. "But she keeps others at a distance."
Ymir raised a brow. "Except for Eren?"
"Pretty much," Sasha muttered. "She doesn't open up to anyone else."
Annie didn't move, but something tightened in her chest.
Historia looked over. "Annie—you're on her squad now, right?"
Annie nodded once, slow. "Yeah."
"What's she like with you all?"
Annie kept her gaze low. "Efficient. Direct."
Jean laughed. "Sounds like Mikasa."
"Sounds like a sword," Ymir said.
Annie blinked. "She is."Connie: "You know what's weird to imagine? Mikasa laughing. Like really laughing."
Jean: "I've never seen it. She probably came out of the womb glaring."
Armin: (smiling faintly) "She used to, you know. Laugh, I mean. Back when it was just me, Eren, and her."
Connie: "No way. Liar."
Armin: "I swear. One time, Eren got his leg stuck in a fence trying to climb it 'cause he thought he saw a thief. He was yelling at me to help, flailing like a maniac."
Jean: "Classic."
Armin: "And Mikasa? She just stood there… then burst out laughing. Like actual, full-on laughing. Eren went quiet out of shock."
Connie: (grinning) "That I'd pay to see.
Then she stood up abruptly. "I need a walk."
No one stopped her. She moved away, boots whispering over grass and ash, breath caught between regret and a memory she couldn't shake.
She hadn't touched Mikasa for days, not since the wolves. But her body remembered it like it had just happened—every inch, every second.
And she didn't know how much longer she could keep pretending she didn't want it again.