#goth!kasa

"Wait, you guys know her?"

While the other three boys are conversing, Reiner sees her sitting all alone at the matinee waiting area with a large popcorn bucket and a large soda with two straws and the saddest eyes he's ever seen on her ever. He'd seen when those eyes held nothing but either sheer determination or fascination when they were in classes together. Despite how the popular clique jeered at the school's wallflower, whispering behind her back and calling her with unsavory names, Reiner knows that underneath those thick makeup and black eyeshadow - that layer of cosmetics actually conceals a human being with a high IQ and EQ despite her introverted front.That girl's secretly a gifted genius yet not even once she wanted anyone to know. He'd once overheard the conversation that confirmed this taking place between the school's counsellor, Mr. Dietrich with Ms. Brzenska, their Physics teacher after school hours.

Bertholdt's voice breaks his instantaneous train of thoughts as the tall boy offers the information of said girl to the group. "She's the new transfer student from East Sea. Came in last summer. Already surpassed Reiner's top spot in the school's Calculus, Physics and Maths ranking and based on the grapevine of the teachers' lounge - a potential valedictorian."

"Beauty with brains, huh? And graduating?"

"Bro," Porco jumps into the conversation, "She threw a ball right across the hallway gobsmack into my balls on her first day in school. I had to get myself iced the whole day. Ackerman's got a strong grip. She would've made a good linebacker if there's a girls football team."

Marcel nods his head in admiration. "Beauty with brains and balls of steel who terrified my brother? I'm going to get her number."

Reiner snorts. "Sure, if you're planning to go to jail."

Porco shivers in reflex. "Bro don't. She'll stab you in the guts. I heard she transferred from a juvie."

Completely ignoring his baby brother's plea, Marcel presses on. "Isn't she your classmate?"

"She's fifteen but she's in the senior's class and Porco, shut your mouth. She's from an elite convent school not juvie. Get your facts straight. Jesus." Reiner's eyes had almost roll back into his skull at that point.

The nineteen year old's mouth gapes open in sheer disbelief. "You don't say." There is a gleam of admiration on Marcel's face as if the metaphorical sun's ray just glazes over him out of nowhere.

Porco quips, "I thought she's always with that loser Jeager and nerd Arlert?"

Before Reiner could answer the question, Bertholdt lifts his head again from his reading and offers an information that even he wasn't aware of. "They're always together but Eren seems to be more annoyed with them both constantly hovering around him."

"How did you know about her?"

"We're in the Theatre Club together. We do talk to each other, you know. Besides, everybody in school knows about her legendary crush on Eren."

"The unrequited crush, huh?" repeats Marcel, giving nod to to the taller boy's earlier remark. "Hey, do you follow her 'gram?"

Reiner squints his eyes and asks, suspicions visible in his dark hazel eyes. "Why?"

"I'm just curious."

Reluctantly, Reiner hands over his phone to Marcel. The latter's eyes reflects the light from the screen as he scrolls down the feed on his classmate's social media profile. He gasps shockingly and snatches the phone away when he realizes what Marcel is doing by double tapping on the screen. "What the hell, man? Those are old posts. She might think I'm stalking her!"

Marcel whistles low. "Hey, I didn't know you guys took a selfie together before? You guys actually looked cute together."

"When did--oh that was for a proof of our Physics project in the lab." After a while only then he registers Marcel's last sentence. "Wait what did you just said earlier?"

"Why did you never like it? Douche." There was an evil grin on the older Galliard brother's face. "Like." He reaches over and double taps on the screen of the phone in his hand.

"You asshole!"

"You can't unlike now or you'll be the asshole." Marcel sends him a sly wink instead. "The future you will thank me a lot in the future."

The group standing in front of them shift, forcing them to move along and he'd almost missed the figure belonging to the topic of their conversation passing by unnoticed.

"Mi-mikasa!" Bertholdt called out for the goth girl's name. Reiner could only hope she never gets the notification on her phone or notice the way his eyes are almost popped out of his sockets upon seeing her up close.

His eyes sweeps over the younger girl. She'd actually look adorable in the full dark purple plaid overall dress and fishnet stockings, a fresh change from her usual attire in school - black shirts and red or black gingham skirts.

Mikasa pauses, her hands still full with her snacks and two movie tickets of a show that had actually began 30 minutes ago. "Bertholdt?" She looks up to the gentle giant with a tight smile on her face. A smile that never seem to touch her eyes. Not the same as the one he'd seen whenever she's around Jeager.

"Great seeing you here," says Bertholdt, a sincere tone in his greeting.

Mikasa nods her head slowly. She looks like she'd rather disappear there and then than having small talk with the same group of people she tends to avoid at school. "Eren took a raincheck." Reiner didn't miss the visible look of disappointment on her face when Jeager's name slips out of her lips.

Porco pipes in unabashedly. "He stood you up? That sucks Ackerman. Ow--" He yelps when Marcel's palm hits the back of his head due to his insensitive remark.

She hands over the huge tub of popcorn and the large drink tumbler in her hands towards his bestfriend's hands. "I don't think I'll be needing this anymore, Bertholdt. Please enjoy it and don't worry, I haven't taken a sip yet."

Reiner felt the nudge from Marcel's elbow against his ribs, prompting him to ask, "Are--are you leaving already?" When did he even begin stuttering?

She gives another slow nod in return.

Bertholdt took the offered snack and already sweating beverage container as the ice had melted quite a while since it was bought. "But it's raining outside. You can't be waiting for the bus in this weather."

"I'll wait." Comes the slow, hesitant reply. It's fairly obvious to everyone there with the exception of Porco who has an inability to read his surroundings, of the well-concealed dejected sigh underneath the girl's breath. She was really looking forward to this 'movie date' with the guy who stood her up.

"Hey," eases Marcel, "Why don't you join us? If you don't mind catching the new Marvel movie. Afterwards we can stay and wait together with you at the bus stop if it's still raining after."

Mikasa's eyes widen in astonishment at the stranger's friendly offer. "I--....Thanks but it's alright."

Reiner smacks his palm on his own forehead. "Marcel, stop being a creep. She doesn't know who you are."

"Introduce me then."

Reiner clears his throat, mildly embarassed at his senior's boldness and eventually introduce them to each other. "Mikasa, this is Marcel Galliard, we've been friends since we were kids. He's studying in Marley U. Marcel, this is Mikasa Ackerman, our classmate."

"Galliard?" Her eyes dart back and forth between the older stranger and the blonde-haired jock whom she knows from school; the latter seems to still be terrified of her ever since the 'ball-busting' incident on her first day in Paradis High.

Porco stammers, "Yeah...he's my big brother. Please don't throw anything at me, Ackerman." He almost hides himself behind someone, which happens to be Bertholdt 'the human wall' Hoover, to take cover like a second nature now. This girl is so dangerous up close and personal. He'd never be caught dead trying to pick a fight with her. She'd be the type to shank him with a swiss knife she'd hidden somewhere inside her combat boots if he'd even so much look at her the wrong way.

He could only gulp in nervousness when he sees his own brother extending a hand towards the girl, which she shook gently. With kindness and a smile. With kindness. And a smile. What the fuck? Porco stares, horrified when he sees an unfamiliar beam and a soft gaze on his own brother's face.

Somebody call the Devil because hell has frozen.

Marcel is already smitten with this girl and they just met!

-oo-O-oo-

Reiner saunters wordlessly next to Marcel who's already smoothing his way into a conversation with the goth girl while the group heads towards the arcade on the fifth floor. Mikasa, despite the initial awkwardness and who seems to be a bit shy at first, gradually settles herself into a cordial conversation with the older teenager. They've got time to kill. Their movie's not starting for at least another one and a half hour.

"So, Reiner told me that you guys are lab partners. Did he mooch off his work a lot on you?," asks Marcel, jokingly.

Mikasa shakes her head. "Not quite. He's been really helpful."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Reiner listens in to their conversation, being the silent spectator while Porco is already dragging poor Bertholdt towards the front of the group. The boy's hand is already shoveling a handful of the caramel popcorn from the tub in the latter's hand straight into his mouth.

"What do you like to do for fun, Mikasa?" He heard Marcel's question, to which she responds to with a quick, "Besides beating your baby brother up?"

Marcel couldn't hold back a loud guffaw from his lips. "Shit- sorry, yeah, besides beating my brother up."

"I like to take a walk into the woods and offer little sacrifices to appease the Dark Lord."

"Se--seriously??"

"Not really. I only hex people for fun."

Marcel's face is already turning pale.

"Just joking."

"Holy crap. I really thought that you're a witch."

"I only ever messed with an Ouija board once. You really don't wanna know of the literal skeletons in my closet."

"Occult lover huh?"

Reiner's already clutching his belly, trying to hold his laughter down. He'd never realize how much he's been missing her quirky comebacks and oddball humor ever since she's become much closer to Jeager. It's like when she's around Eren, she hides the true real person from within.

Just like how he's always putting on this façade of a popular, devil may care and life of the party kind of a guy in school, especially in front of Historia.

The things we do and front just to impress people who don't even think we're worth a minute of their time.

"Bertholdt told me you might be graduating earlier than your peers. Done any college tours yet?" He'd heard Marcel's query towards the soft-spoken girl, who's now walking in between them.

"Not yet. I'm looking into pre-med programs in Karanes or maybe in Hizuru."

"You know, Marley U has an amazing science foundation for medicine. If you ever feel like checking it out, maybe you could give me a text and I can always give you a tour around campus."

"I really don't want to trouble you."

"No sweat. Here, let me give you my number. Whether you text me or not, it's really up to you."

Reiner immediately rolls his eyes when Marcel gives him a sly, victorious smirk; flexing his smoothness.

'Fifteen' He mouths sternly, sensing a natural inclination to be slightly protective over his younger classmate.

-oo-O-oo-

"It's funny that you've never noticed what's in front of your face all this time, Reiner."

"Whatever the hell was that supposed to mean?"

"A polite girl who you can talk to about anything, who has a quirky sense of humor, who saved our asses in House of The Dead 4 and kicked our asses in Street Fighter? That's a keeper, man, for sure."

"Pfft."

"She's a homegirl."

"Haha..."

"Make sure she gets home safe."

"Give it up, Marcel."

"We'll see."

"I'll book you a place in prison if you even dare text her for a date."

"Aah to be able to see the blossoming seeds of jealousy. 'Twas an amazing feeling."

"Shut up."

Reiner suggests out loud as they both stand in front of the mall's entrance, "Hey, I don't think the bus is going be here anytime soon and it's almost getting dark. Let me give you a lift."

"There's no need, really. I really don't like troubling anyone." She shakes her head, a hand lifting in a timid resistance.

"I insist." He could feel a smile on his face when the shakes turn into a tiny nod. "I also insist you keep the jacket on too. The wind seems to be a bit chilly than usual tonight." The cold draft of the evening wind only makes the prickling blush on her cheeks turn a shade darker.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it." She encloses his bomber jacket around her front and she pulls at them snugly. Despite the jacket being two sizes bigger, it truly feels comfortable enough for her.

"Sorry if it smells a bit funky. I always wear it in school."

"I don't even notice at all. Maybe because I'm already used to sitting next to you in classes?"

Reiner couldn't help the little chivalrous feeling from within when he sees her small action ever since she accepted the offer of his jacket from inside the movie hall hours earlier. Unlike a certain girl who wrinkled her nose in disgust whenever he offered it to her in school especially during rainy days. She said it reeked of his sweat.

Marcel's right. Mikasa is a really polite girl.

He pries open the door to his trusty old four-wheeler, a priceless hand-me-down from his uncle and apologizes to her for a potential discomfort. "My car heater's a bit busted so--"

"Do you always apologize when you're nervous?"

"Whuh?"

"I notice that you do that a lot. Especially in class."

"I do?" He waits until she manages to hikes herself up against the worn out leather upholstery of his car seat. He pushes the car door shut and gets into the driver's seat, instantaneously turning on the ignition by reflex. The engine roars to life before regulating into a steady rhythm.

"You notice things like that about me?" He quickly checks on his rearview before heading out of his parking spot, navigating the lanes into the main road carefully.

"We're lab partners for more than 2 terms, it's really difficult not to start picking up things about you."

"I'm really flattered to hear that, Ackerman."

Her eyes remain fixed to the road ahead. "Are you nervous about something?"

"Well, it's just that apart from my mom and baby cousin, you're actually the first girl who's ever ridden in this 4-wheeler with me driving."

She whips her head around, mildly disbelieving his sudden, voluntary proclamation. "That's surprising." She immediately squints as she mock whispers, as if there could be anyone watching or listening in. "Won't your squad be giving you trouble if they know about this?"

"Eh-- don't worry about it. Bert and Porc's seem to be surprisingly cool with you today. Even Porc said his brother's crushing hard on you today."

"Marcel?" She finds it difficult to believe that she had to repeat the name again. "Marcel?"

"Yeah...I'm just curious, what do you think of him?" The grip against his steering wheel tighten apprehensively, waiting to hear her response. Out of pure curiosity as a friend of course.

A quick notification ding diverts her attention towards her own phone, letting his question remains unanswered, and robbing off the demure smile away from her slightly flushing face.

"Is everything ok?"

Mikasa nods her head, yet her pursed lips tell him the opposite. "Just a text from Eren. Saying he's sorry that he just remembered we're supposed to catch a movie together today."

"But you said earlier it was a raincheck?"

She drops her head down in an awkward silence, her hand presses on the phone's lock button. A bit embarassed that he might've caught on to her little white lie.

Eren never texted her earlier to let her know. He'd only texted her at 6pm when the show would've ended by more than 3 hours ago.

He actually left her hanging all by herself just like that.

Reiner huffed none too gently. His mother raised him to be a gentleman and seeing Mikasa's face lost the cheer it had only a minute earlier frustrates him a lot. He quickly turns his head towards the passenger seat, asking, "Hey, are you alright?"

Her quivering lips told him the answer she couldn't say. He gives her the space to gather her breathe, without pressing her any further.

She eventually divulges, "I was fine and I really had a great time with you guys but it only takes one text message to pull me back from that good place."

He listens wordlessly, his eyes focusing back to the road.

She asks, "Have you ever feel so strongly for someone so much that it still hurts you over small things they do or didn't do?"

Reiner nods slowly. "I have." Still do.

The next thing he knows, Mikasa is seen burrowing her face into the folds of his jacket. Her heaving shoulders only confirms her unexpected breakdown.

"Crap" He panics, trying to rummage through his glove compartment for a napkin to offer and grunts when he couldn't find one. As a guy, he didn't really see the need for him to prepare such things but now is also a very bad time to regret his vehicle furnishing decision - or lack of it. On a second thought, he realizes that maybe what she truly needs from him is just his empathy.

And his bomber.

He tries to alleviate the piercing silence by switching on his radio and a slow 80's rock song could be heard mid-play from the vehicle's stereo speakers. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive but I thought maybe you'd prefer not to be heard. Not that I have a problem with either way you prefer to process."

Mikasa eventually lifts her head up and he finally sees her teary face. "I might have soiled your jacket. I'm sorry."

"Hey, you're the first girl who's ever ridden in my car and the first girl who has a minor meltdown in front of me, so don't feel bad about it. I'm secretly honored."

She takes a deep breath before rubbing at her eyes using a hand. "I was being petty over small things."

"You're not." He pauses his sentence when he stops to make a turn into a cross junction. "You always are quiet in class. This is the first time I'm seeing you like this. Hold on, let me just pull over."

"But...why?"

"So I could be able to listen to you better if you need to just talk."

He pulls the car to the side of the curb where it's safe and left the engine running. He places the hand gear to P, waiting for a little while until the engine slows down to idle. The light and easy rhythm of a slow rock ballad serves as a suiting, albeit slightly out-of-place accompanying music to their current situation. Like a scene from a cheesy teen movie. She's the sad, jilted female lead and him the ever loyal classmate slash good friend who's offering her a shoulder to cry on.

"I think I might have stamped all of my eyeshadow on the inside," sighs the goth girl as she pulls the big outerwear aside. Her lips purses in shame upon registering the unintended stains left behind by her sudden burst of tears.

Dismissing her guilt away, Reiner wouldn't be caught dead in ever admitting this out loud, but with her makeup almost gone from her face, he could finally see this girl's natural beauty - the one that's always been hidden underneath her regular cosmetics.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shakes her head without hesitation. "No, thank you."

"Alright then," he clears his throat from the chilly evening air, "but, a little unwarranted advice if you don't mind....from one friend to another."

He holds her teary gaze in his own unyielding stare. He could perceive her anticipation of his next words. He's a bit wary that he could have offended her in any way, considering they've never conversed anything beyond academics or the occasional shared preferences of music in school.

She tilts her head to the side, nodding once and he takes in the gesture as her acceptance.

"I know that you don't want anyone to know of how smart you really are but shedding tears for a guy who wouldn't appreciate your time? It's not befitting coming from someone so intelligent like you."

Another single tear trickles down her cheek when she hears those genuine words. She's stunned. Speechless. She'd never knew that the star quarterback has a lot more empathy than what he's usually displayed in public at school. He's one of the holier than thou do-gooders club members that picks on kids who just doesn't fit their status quo. She could barely tolerate his clique in school.

But on his own, Reiner actually has a good heart all along.

"And you," she chides, "Why do you hide your kindness whenever you're in school? Acting like the cool heartbreaker, trying to impress the head cheerleader?"

"I think we both might have been too caught up in trying to get the attention of the one we like."

They both look down in mutual contempt upon realizing that they could somehow see through the other's façade when it was just the two of them.

"You're setting yourself up for a heartbreak when it comes to Jeager."

"I think you could use your own advice too when it comes to the school queen."

The immediate closeness between them - discovered through their shared plight - instigates an unfamiliar yet a very welcomed feeling. He lifts a thumb to wipe away the melted mascara stain running down her cheek, causing her skin to flush even redder than before.

Have you ever look at someone's face and happened to realize how much you want to stop their tears and take their pain away?

Reiner relishes in the fact that he can now say yes to that question for the very first time.

When she grips his hand and squeezes it appreciatively in return, he could feel his heart's almost bursting out of his chest from such a simple action.

In movies, this is usually the part where they somehow find themselves in a magical trance before sharing a kiss.

"Your hand smells of popcorn." She remarks nonchalantly with a grin and they both burst into a hearty laughter.

"Shh Mikasa...you're breaking the spell you had me in just now."

"What spell? You really believe that I dabble in dark magic?"

"The way you make even the toughest guy like Marcel to be charmed by you upon first sight?"

"Really? How come it works on Marcel but not you?"

"What makes you think that it didn't?"

"Very funny, Braun." She shakes her head as she wipes her cheeks dry with the cuff of his bomber, fighting off the smile on her face.

Reiner smirks at their banter. At least his intended half truth-half humor had made her stop crying.

"Thank you for listening."

"And?" He leered at his jacket.

"Thank you for the jacket."

"Maybe I'm your Dark Knight after all huh?"

"That was a joke that Eren doesn't seem to get." There is a brief pause in her words as she realizes another truth. "But you do."

She's putting him under another spell and she doesn't even know it.

A distinctive guitar riff intro of a song came through the speakers and both their eyes lit up at the same time, proclaiming "That's my jam!"

"Jinx!" Their hands automatically searches the other's. He's very sure she's not the only one with a wide beam on her face inside the car.

Reiner grins as he turns the volume dial up and Crowded House's vocalist begins to sing.

"It can be our jam now. Give it up top, Ackerman!" He lifts his hand up and the girl's smaller, dainty hand meets his in an impromptu high five this time.

"Ready to go?"

She nods.

He puts the gear back to D and steers the car back into the main road, traversing the route heading towards her destination at a cruising speed. He hums the rhythm before he starts to sing along, his deep voice resonates against the four walls of his car.

But you'll never see the end of the road while you're travelling with me.

She remains mum but she couldn't help herself when she eventually joins him mid-chorus.

Her voice is just beautiful. Her speaking voice is slightly deeper than most girls he'd ever met but her singing voice; she could make the angels weep in envy.

'Damn you Marcel for putting ideas in my head.'

He decides to ease up on the accelerator just so he could prolong this moment with her, just feeling like they're on top of the world. No thoughts of Eren. No thoughts of Historia.

If Eren deems his time too important for her today, he'll be more than happy to keep her smiling until the moment he sends her at her door step.

She asks, "Reiner, are you in a rush for dinner with your mother?"

"Not really. She's actually at my uncle's house. Anything?"

"My aunt is inviting you over for dinner at her diner. On the house. As a thank you for treating me to the movie earlier--" She pauses and she bites her lips nervously, before finding the courage to share her appreciation. "-- and also for the company."

He snickers in glee. "You know it's rude for me to say no to a free meal."

"Great. Her diner's meat pies are to die for."

"You know there's a saying, 'A key to a man's heart is his stomach.' I'm flattered, Mikasa."

"Ha-ha." She derides his cheeky joke with a sarcastic laugh.

"Whatever happens in this car, stays in this car."

She rolls her eyes but even in the dim lighting of the sunset from outside the windows, he could still see the ghastly vision of the sweetest smile he's ever seen on her face.

Until he'd heard her asking, "Reiner....why did you like my old photos?"

Crap. Damn you Marcel.

-oo-O-oo-