where my imagination rules and rambles.

Mikasa shielded her eyes from the sun, scooting back slightly on the grass to keep Eren in sight. He was skating inside one of the half pipes, just finishing a jump at one curved end, concentration written all over his face as he headed towards the opposite side.

Skateboarding was one of his favourite pastimes—she knew he spent a lot of his free time, especially his weekends, at the skatepark. She had watched him during his early days, after all, when he rode by her house on his way there, still a little wobbly and wearing full protective gear on his head, knees and elbows. Four years had passed since then, and now at sixteen, he had become pretty good at it, at least as far as she could tell. His style of clothing had changed too, becoming more casual and loose over time, as though it evolved along with how much better he got at the sport. She personally thought it suited him very well.

There was something about the boy that had caught Mikasa's attention ever since he moved to their town when he was eleven. Technically, they lived on the same street, though on almost opposite ends of it, which meant they were too far apart to really be part of each other's neighbourhood, as it was a very long street. That was why they had never ended up hanging out.

In high school, they finally shared a few subjects, but although they did chat now and then—either during the rare occasions they ran into each other on their way to school, or when fate assigned them to the same group project—they weren't exactly close. She wouldn't even have called him a friend, an acquaintance at most, a fact that kept nagging at her until she decided she needed to change things and started showing up at the skate park over the past three weeks.

Yet not even her efforts had caused a shift in their relationship, and she wondered whether she was simply expecting too much from him or if he genuinely didn't like her. It seemed like it was up to her to find out, and when their eyes met on that sunny afternoon, and she realised he had just leaned forward slightly to keep his balance because of it, she decided that now was the perfect moment to do so.

She pulled her earphones from her ears and rolled them up into a little bundle, which she stowed together with her MP3 player in a little pouch. In next to no time, her notebook and pencil case were stuffed into her shoulder bag, and she jumped up from her spot in the grass, smoothing her hands over the fabric of her skirt and leggings to brush away any dirt.

With swift steps, she made her way to the edge of the skate park, where the grass turned into grey asphalt. She dropped her bag therr and fixed her eyes on Eren as he smoothly glided over one of the ramps in the centre. Upon seeing her move towards him, he slowed down and turned his head her way, a mix of curiosity and slight confusion flickering in his eyes. Perfect.

"Hi, Eren," Mikasa said, a little out of breath. She had walked particularly fast, fearing he might change his mind and ride off if she took too much time. He came to a halt right in front of her, one foot still perched on the board, his hands brushing the hair from his brows.

"Mikasa," he said with a nod, his voice as kind and warm as always when they talked. "I saw you stop by sometimes on the weekends. Do you… do you skate too?"

"I don't, no," she replied, her mind scrambling for a reasonable explanation other than I really like you, that's why I'm here trying to talk to you. She did not want to come off as weird.

"I… really think it looks cool, though," she added, her fingers nervously fiddling with her sleeve, tugging it down until it covered her other hand and only her fingertips peeked out. "That's why I was wondering… could you teach me?"

"You want to learn how to skate?" The surprise on Eren's face was unmistakable, and he stepped off the skateboard completely.

"Yeah, why not?" Mikasa retorted, her voice sounding much more confident than she truly felt. She tapped the tip of her shoe against the board, wincing when it immediately rolled back and bumped against Eren's sneaker. What on earth was she thinking? Her, on a skateboard? She really should have thought this through better.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to doubt you. I'm sure you'd do a great job," Eren hurried to explain, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. "You seem, uh, very athletic." The bridge of his nose turned slightly pink, and Mikasa stared at it, amazed. "I'm not sure I'm the best teacher, though. I've never done that before."

"I bet you're great at it," Mikasa assured him, the hope stirring in her chest making her insistent. "You're… kind. And not a stranger. Which makes me feel a lot more comfortable when it comes to trying something new that might make me look like a fool."

"I don't think that's possible," Eren said with a small smile, his hand lifting to rub the back of his neck. "I could give it a shot, though, if you'd like. If it would make you feel more at ease."

Mikasa immediately nodded, momentarily at a loss for words. She hadn't expected her plan to work so easily, and even though she had just talked herself into something she would never normally have tried, it at least meant they would get to spend some time together—which had been exactly her main goal.

"First we gotta make sure you're safe, though," he added, unclipping the buckle of his helmet and taking it off. Before she knew it, he had placed it on her head, gently wiggling it back and forth to make sure it sat properly. He told her to fasten it while he took off his knee pads, then quickly sprinted over to his backpack to fetch his elbow pads as well.

Once she had put everything on, Mikasa's limbs felt stiff in an unfamiliar way, and she awkwardly trudged behind Eren as they moved to a calmer corner of the skate park, arching an eyebrow at him when he tried to hide an amused grin behind his hand.

He briefly explained where she had to place her feet on the skateboard, then held out his hands to help her up for the very first time. It was unexpectedly wobbly, and Mikasa gripped his hands tightly as she tried to find her balance, leaning most of her weight against him at first.

He had her step onto the board and back off again until she no longer needed his help and the motion felt much easier. His eyes shone as he praised her balance, telling her she was already much better than he had been when he first started out, making Mikasa's ears turn pink. She knew he was only saying it to encourage her, but compliments from the boy you liked made you feel invincible, and she was determined to give it her all.

Once she had built up some confidence, he told her to squat on the board, then had her tilt it forward and backward to get a better feel for it. When she tried lifting the front end, pressing her right foot into the board, it immediately rolled out from underneath her and she almost landed on her backside—if it hadn't been for Eren's arms hooking under hers to hold her up.

When she tried it again, he gave her tips on how exactly to position her feet for more stability, and after a few more failed attempts, she finally got the hang of it. The proud expression on his face made her stomach flutter, and she had to look away for a moment, the feeling catching her off-guard.

Of course, a few rough falls were inevitable. As soon as she was comfortable enough to ride around the flat area of the skate park and had learned how to brake, they started working on lifting the front of the board slightly to turn, something she would be able to use on the ramp. Eren demonstrated it for her, laughing at her sceptical expression when she announced she would never be able to do it.

In the beginning, all of her attempts ended with her landing on the ground. She was sure she would end up covered in blue and purple bruises, but she kept going nonetheless, her stubborn, fearless side spurring her on. She had caught the bug and was eager to get the hang of it.

When she eventually managed the kickturn and came around a corner, she couldn't help letting out an unusually gleeful, "Yes!", watching Eren pump his fist in the air and give her a high five as she rode past him.

Deciding this was the perfect time for a break, they settled into the grass to drink some water, stretching out their tired legs and letting the sun warm their skin. Eren took out her earrings and the few rings she had taken off during skating and given him to keep safe, counting them to make sure none had accidentally fallen out of his trouser pockets. He kept one particular ring in his palm, running his finger over its surface as though he had never seen such a thing before, and Mikasa had to turn away to hide her smile.

During those two hours, they had grown so much closer than she had ever dreamed of. Part of her was thrilled by the new sensations she was experiencing, while another was becoming slightly overwhelmed by the attention Eren was giving her as they kept catching each other's eyes.

"You should get your own skateboard. You're really good at this," he said after a while, pulling a packet of wafers from his backpack and holding it out to her. "I've seen a few nice boards at the skate shop that would really suit your style. I like the black-and-red colour combination—it looks… good on you."

"Oh—thank you," Mikasa said, excitement fluttering in her chest at his compliment. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, then grimaced when she noticed the state it was in, her two ponytails half undone. Great, she must look like an idiot. "You know, I actually might. I didn't expect skating to be so much fun, and I've been having a good time."

She knew she had already pushed her luck very, very far that day, and ruining the small connection they had just forged by being overeager was the last thing she wanted. However, Eren didn't seem particularly keen to part ways with her, which she wanted to believe meant he didn't entirely dislike her. So she straightened up and, fixing her eyes on him, added, "If I ended up buying a skateboard, would you come along? To help me pick one?"

Eren looked surprised and blinked at her a few times, as though still processing her words. "Yeah, of course," he finally said, a hesitant smile spreading across his lips. "Just let me know when, and I'll come with you. I can also keep teaching you what I know, if you'd like."

He wants to hang out again, Mikasa's mind screamed as she gave an eager nod. Her heart gave a little lurch when Eren handed her his phone with an almost shy smile, asking for her number. "It'll make things easier if we can text to meet up, you know?" he explained, a faint blush colouring his cheeks.

This was even better than anything she had ever dared imagine. Her fingers trembled slightly with excitement as she pressed the buttons, messing up her number three times in a row and cursing under her breath. For good measure, she pulled out her own phone and flipped it open, double-checking the number in case she had made a mistake. Then she had him send her a text, her pulse quickening when a soft ping announced his message.

When she read the four words he had sent, her cheeks instantly warmed. She carefully glanced aside, watching Eren busy himself with the contents of his backpack with exaggerated interest. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she allowed it to show as she reread the words, her thumb brushing over the screen.