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Mikasa told everyone she was going into the woods.
She made this announcement, rather indiscreetly and being very clear about it yesterday when she met some friends for lunch— She told them all how she wanted to perform a private ritual and spend an evening alone among the stars and the trees, communing with nature.
Connie offered her the wise advice of: “Okay but don’t DIE.”
Sasha told her, in a nervous voice, “Hahaha have fun!!”
Marco said, “Stay safe!”
Jean was like, “You SURE you want to go alone? I could come with…?”
Mikasa shook her head.
She said she’d be fine.
And she was being honest when she said that— she thinks she'll be just fine tonight.
But she wasn’t being honest when she said she was going to the woods.
Mikasa digs through her makeup drawer. She’s already got a good deal of dark eyeliner and mascara on. Now for lipstick… red? Black? She decides to go with purple— it works. A bit of a compromise.
And once she’s smacking her lips and her makeup’s done, Mikasa likes the effect in the mirror— it’s the look she was going for. She’s happy with it.
She sighs.
Pulling herself up away from her vanity, Mikasa goes and looks at herself in the full-length mirror mounted on her door. She’s pleased with the outfit she picked out— just an old t-shirt tucked into a black skirt, and some fishnet tights underneath. Cute. But nothing too over the top. It should work well, practical enough for… ‘a trip into the woods.’
The four inch wedge strappy black combat boots she’s set out? Maybe not so practical.
Mikasa hauls the chunky shoes onto her bed, and pulls one onto her foot before proceeding to make sure all the ties and buckles are secure, but not too tight.
And as she straps on the shoes, Mikasa’s struck by their impracticality.
She pauses, in the process.
Staring at the black leathery surface.
And Mikasa knows she likes the way they look on her— she knows that she saved up for this pair in particular. That the shape of them, the height, the way the straps are laid out is all just right. Exactly what she wanted.
But she knows to some people they’re just ridiculous.
She wonders if she should wear her converse instead…
Just then her phone buzzes in the pocket of her skirt. Mikasa pulls it out, and checks. A new message from Annie:
Don’t bail on him.
Mikasa frowns at her phone. Why would Annie say that to her? She wasn’t planning anything of the sort… Maybe Jean or someone mentioned to her the whole fake woods ritual adventure. But still. It’s not Annie’s business either way.
Mikasa sticks her phone back in her pocket, not intending to reply.
With a sense of defiance, Mikasa yanks her second boot on and carefully secures it. With that done, she stands up— the pigtails swinging on her head easily six feet from the floor.
When she leaves her room, Mikasa finds Armin on the couch playing video games— his eyes big and rather determined as he smashes the keys on the controller.
Mikasa quietly gathers her things by the door that leads out of the apartment— making sure her keys are in her purse. Putting her jacket on.
“You’re going already?” Armin asks, surprised, as he continues to play.
“Mhm.”
“Damn!” Armin tosses his controller down on the couch next to him.
Mikasa gives her roommate a sympathetic look. “Are you just playing games tonight?”
“Probably so. When will you be back?”
Mikasa shrugs. “Can’t say for sure.”
“Huh,” Armin glances out the window, “Sun’s still out…”
There’s the hint of a question in his voice. A hint of doubt, maybe. Doubt about Mikasa performing some dark ritual in the woods at this hour? Presumably.
Mikasa just shrugs.
“Huh.”
“I’m sure I won’t be out too late,” Mikasa assures him. “See ya.”
“Okay— text me if you need anything!”
She nods, and heads out.
It is in fact still light outside. But not for long. The January evening is drawing in fast. Mikasa checks for the moon on the eastern horizon. No sign yet.
She gets in her car. And just as she turns on the ignition, another buzz comes from her phone.
Sure enough, it’s Annie again.
If you do bail, at least make up some excuse. He’ll believe it.
Mikasa stares at the message for a moment. She rolls her eyes, just as another one shows up.
I know it’s not really my business. I just feel weird about setting this whole thing up if you’re not gonna show.
Mikasa taps her black press on nails along the side of her phone, thinking back.
She remembers how this all started.
Annie and her don’t really go in the same circles anymore. Sure they had a lot of classes together in high school, and even hung out occasionally, but that was years ago. Nowadays Mikasa would hardly call Annie ‘a friend’. But as it happens, they ran into each other at a party a few days ago.
And they talked. For a long time.
And Annie was able to complain about her dad and her friends without holding back. It was strangely easy for them to talk to each other, even after so many years apart. Perhaps because in a way, they’ve always understood each other.
Mikasa was able to open up too, about her own issues.
About her own heartbreak.
And towards the end of the night, after Mikasa had already spilled her heart and a few tears in front of Annie, Annie’s sage advice was:
“It’s been eight months. You should put yourself out there again.”
Mikasa was ready to protest. But before she could, Annie had an offer ready— to set her up on a date. Guaranteeing her dinner with someone who can hold a conversation and who’s not a total creep. Decent chance he’ll pay for it too. A small step into the world of romantic escapades that might just help her move on from the pain of the past.
And Mikasa had been so ready to protest. But she didn’t.
She can’t be positive why she agreed— all she knows is, even after she agreed, she couldn’t bring herself to admit to her friends that she was going on a date with some random dude Annie set her up with.
But she is going, regardless.
***
They were supposed to meet at the restaurant at six o’clock. Colt planned on arriving at 5:50 just to be safe. But somehow when he takes his seat at the table for two set up at the back of the restaurant, thanking the host before checking his phone— it’s still only 5:37.
Colt puts his phone in his pocket.
He folds his arms on the table in front of him.
And he sighs. And smiles.
He can’t help but smile— he’s not really sure why. All he has to do for the next twenty-three minutes give or take is sit here, on his own, anxiously waiting for his date to arrive.
And he will wait anxiously— there’s no doubt about that. This nervous energy in his core isn’t going anywhere. He taps his foot but it’s still inside him. There’s something undeniably nervous in the stupid smile plastered on his face.
But he’s excited too.
Probably more excited than he should be, for a blind date.
But ‘blind date’ isn’t really the right word— is it? Colt’s not sure. He’s never been on one. But he feels like if it was a ‘blind date’ that would mean he’s never seen this girl in his life— and that’s not the case.
Sure, they don’t exactly ‘know each other’. They’ve never been properly introduced. They’ve never been introduced at all actually. In fact, they haven’t even spoken to each other.
But he has seen her— Mikasa Ackerman.
She’s hard to miss.
Even though they’ve never gone in the same circles, they have friends who are friends— or, at least, friends who used to be friends. And they go to the same college now. Colt has heard her name in passing for years now. And lately he’s even seen her jogging around campus.
As Colt reflects on this he realizes he shouldn’t bring any of it up. That would be weird. Right? It’s for the best that he acts like this is a completely blind date, which it probably is for Mikasa.
Colt is a lot easier to miss than she is.
The light from the setting sun is filtering into the little restaurant— casting a warm glow throughout the already cozy setting.
When she walks in, the energy of the whole place shifts.
And there she is— complete with her fishnets and her strappy boots. Her dark eyes peering out with a somber stare that seems to suck some of the air out of the room— as she glances one way, then the other.
Colt gets to his feet, “Mikasa!”
At the sound of her name, Mikasa turns to look at Colt— meeting his gaze across the restaurant.
Colt waves, that smile on his face going a little extra wide.
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Mikasa walks towards him. Why does he look so happy? She wonders.
“Hey— Nice to meet you,” offering his hand, “I’m Colt!”
After giving his hand a glance over, Mikasa reaches out with hers— practically dripping in fake nails and chunky rings, “Mikasa.”
“Right— hah,” Colt nods as he grasps her hand. He knew that.
“Hm.” Mikasa tilts her head slightly, taking a closer look at the person before her. Dirty blond. Blazer and khakis. ‘Interesting’. She can tell now that she’s standing this close that she’s taller than him. She can tell she wouldn’t be if she was barefoot.
“Here,” Colt pulls a chair out from the table.
For a moment, Mikasa isn’t sure what he means by this. But she gathers soon enough. “Oh, thanks.” She takes a seat.
“Sure thing!” Colt pushes it in for her as she sits.
Mikasa blinks.
It was a strange experience. Not uncomfortable. But strange. So old fashioned— so ridiculously polite that she almost got second hand embarrassment from it.
Colt sits across from her, still wearing that big grin.
Mikasa wonders where on Earth Annie found this guy.
“So!” Colt adjusts, a little closer in, “You go to school here too, right?”
“Mhm,” Mikasa nods, “Anthropology major.”
“Nice! I do theater.”
‘Of course’, Mikasa thinks to herself. “Cool.”
“So are your classes going good?”
Mikasa shrugs, “Pretty good, so far,” she looks over the menu in front of her. “How’re yours?”
“They’re great! I’m taking an improv class which is a ton of fun, and this class on costume design— it’s really interesting!”
“Hm…” Mikasa gives him a look of interest, giving him room to go on.
He does go on— Colt tells her all about his classes. About the eccentric professors, and the projects he’s excited for on the syllabus. About how he had to walk to class in the rain last week so he’s going to make sure and carry an umbrella from now on. About how he always takes notes in pencil but he’s considering switching to a blue or black pen.
Somewhere in there the waiter shows up and takes their orders.
“So— yeah. I mean…” All of a sudden Colt gets the sense that he’s been talking too much, “I know it’s not the most ‘academic’ major, haha—” But for some reason he can’t stop, “I was gonna go for, like, accounting or something but my parents were all like ‘follow your dreams!’ So…”
“That’s good,” Mikasa cuts in.
“Yeah?” Colt asks, seeming genuinely hopeful for her approval.
“I wish I had picked something I actually liked for my bachelor’s…” Mikasa looks off wistfully.
“Oh?”
“It was in Political Science.” She explains. “I’m working on my Master’s now.”
“Oh cool!”
There’s a pause after that.
The food comes— the waiter puts a plate in front of each of them.
“Soo,” Colt starts to pick at the pasta in front of him, “have you eaten here before or—?”
“I’m twenty-four.”
Colt pauses with his fork inches from his mouth, surprised at the sudden change of subject. “Oh okay!” He takes a bite, before adding, “I’m twenty-three.”
“Hm,” Mikasa sighs, relieved.
“Did you think I was like? Younger? Or older?”
“Younger,” Mikasa says without any doubt.
Colt hangs his head slightly, an apology in his voice, “I guess I don’t act very mature…”
Mikasa shakes her head, “I just wanted to get that out in the open.”
“For sure,” Colt nods, “Always good to be honest!”
“Right…” Mikasa picks at the fish on her plate for a moment, before adding, “I guess if I’m being completely honest— I’m turning twenty-five next month.”
“Oh yeah?? Happy early birthday!”
“Thanks…”
“What day is it?”
“The tenth.”
Colt’s eyes go wide. He leans a little closer to make sure he heard right, “February tenth??”
“Uh,” Mikasa squints, unsure what’s so remarkable about that. “Yeah.”
“That’s my sibling’s birthday!!”
“Oh,” Now Mikasa’s the one who’s surprised. Not because it’s especially shocking to learn she shares her birthday with someone— but because there was something so… dear. Something delicate and emotional about the way Colt said it.
“They’re turning eighteen…”
He’s smiling, but he almost sounds like he might cry.
Mikasa’s not at all sure what to make of it.
“I can’t believe they’re so grown up,” Colt shakes his head, aware of how weirdly sentimental he must sound. He tries to shrug it off, “Well I guess February tenth must be a pretty cool day to be born!”
“I guess so…”
There’s a slight blush on Colt’s face.
He called her cool.
“So.” Mikasa wipes her mouth, careful not to mess up her makeup, “When’s your birthday?”
“August twelfth.”
“Makes sense.”
Colt raises his eyebrows, “Huh..?”
“It’s just…” Mikasa hesitates. She wonders if she should say it— she knows, if she goes there, it might just end in him thinking she’s crazy. But there’s something so unassuming in his eyes. So she says it: “You’re a Leo.”
Just as he swallows down some noodles, Colt looks at her. He grins. “Hah, Yeah I am!”
Mikasa shifts in her spot, uncertainly, “Is that? Funny?”
“Err— not really!” Colt shrugs, “It’s just I didn’t know I acted like a Leo. I don’t even know exactly what it means to be a Leo? Is it a bad thing?”
“No. Not really…”
“Oh cool— I always kinda liked being a Leo— Even though I don’t really know what it means…”
It’s pretty clear to Mikasa, that he’s providing her the opportunity to tell him exactly what in her opinion it means to be a Leo. Mikasa considers it. It might be fun to go on an astrology tangent.
“Fire signs have always been… interesting to me.”
It’s not much. She knows it’s not much and definitely not all she could say on the subject. But it’s all she can really bring herself to say.
“And I’m one of those…?”
“Mhm.”
“Huh,” Colt smiles.
She called him interesting.
He’s blushing again.
They keep eating, and chatting occasionally.
Mikasa notices, as she finishes her food, that the sky is completely dark outside now.
“Colt.”
“Yeah?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure!”
Mikasa pushes her plate away a little. “You’re friends with Annie? And Reiner and them?”
“That’s right.”
After looking him over for a moment, Mikasa turns her gaze down towards her hands on the table in front of her. “Did they…? Tell you about me?”
Concern lights up in Colt’s eyes. There’s something precarious in Mikasa’s voice. Something wery. He tries to put her at ease— “Oh, not really…!”
Mikasa doesn’t look convinced.
“I mean…” Colt tries again, “Annie just said that she wanted me to go on a date with a friend of hers…” he trails off.
Raising her eyebrows— even less convinced, “Really?”
“Err…” Colt scratches his head, thinking back, trying one more time: “Okay, actually, I think her exact words were something like… ‘I set you up on a date. It’ll be good for you to go out for once’— Or, something like that.”
“Hm.”
“What about you…? What did she say?”
“Pretty much the same thing.”
“Annie can be pretty blunt,” Colt admits, “but her heart’s in the right place. And I’m glad you agreed to come!”
“Sure thing.”
“I mean… I dunno about you, but for me at least I think she was right.” He gestures around, “I think it is good for me, to get out like this. Ya know. Meet new people…”
The only answer Mikasa gives is a small nod.
When the check comes Colt offers to pay right away. Mikasa wonders if she should argue the point— after all she’s older, more established, and not particularly keen on perpetuating gender roles. But he looks so eager as he gets his wallet out that Mikasa can’t bring herself to question it.
“I’ll walk you to your car okay?”
“Okay.” Mikasa agrees as she gets up.
They walk out of the restaurant together. As they step onto the sidewalk just outside, Colt says, “I like your shoes, by the way!”
Mikasa glances at her feet— she knows how to walk in these heels just fine but somehow she stumbles a little.
Colt reaches out to grab her by the arm, but she gets her balance back quickly and takes a step so that he ends up grasping at air. “You okay??”
“Yeah I’m fine.” She smooths her skirt down. “Thanks, by the way.”
“Hah, I didn’t do anything…”
“For the compliment.”
“Ooooh— You’re welcome!”
“Hm…” She lets out a little sigh, striding ahead of him so he can’t see the smile starting on her face. “My car’s over here.”
Colt follows her to her car— silver and compact.
And when they get there, for a second or two they just stand there. Neither saying anything.
“Well,” Colt smiles, as he begins, “this was f—”
“Look at the Moon.”
“Huh?”
Mikasa points.
Colt turns— And sure enough, there it is— full and low in the sky, casting an orangey glow. “Oh wow!” he grins, “cool!!”
“Hm…” Mikasa makes a slight noise of agreement.
Colt glances over at her. And he gets the sense that there’s something more she wants to say. But for some reason, she’s all quiet. He scratches his head uncertainly. “Um…”
She glances at him.
“Mikasa…”
“Yes?”
For a moment Colt looks for the right words, before asking, “Is there anything? Special about it?”
“Huh?”
“The moon I mean?”
Mikasa blinks.
She’s taken aback by the question. By the sincere curiosity in his voice. She takes a moment to take it all in. And then she answers: “It’s in Leo.”
“Leo?”
“Yeah.”
“Like… Like me…?”
“That part of the sky…” Mikasa begins to explain, hesitantly, “where the moon is now. It’s called Leo. And the Sun…” she turns towards the opposite horizon, imagining the burning light of day just on the other side, “is in Aquarius…”
Colt blinks. He considers this for a long moment, nodding slowly, “Oohh…! Uh, I think I get it!”
Mikasa shifts on her feet.
“So, they’re like constellations right?” Colt prompts her, “Leo and Aquarius and Scorpio and all of those?”
“Mhm…”
Colt keeps looking at her, curiously.
Mikasa looks back at him. Then down at the ground. The sky. Then Colt again.
He smiles.
She leans against her car.
She takes a deep breath.
And then, she lets herself speak— she tells Colt about how the sun moves through the signs. How the moon does too just much faster. She points out how Mars is in Taurus and how you can see it if you look close. She laments that Venus and Jupiter can’t be seen tonight.
The whole time Colt listens closely— following along as much as he can. Nodding with interest at each opportunity.
“I know it’s silly…” Mikasa concludes with a shrug, “the whole astrology thing…”
“Huh?? I don’t think so,” Colt shakes his head, “I mean, watching the moon and stars and stuff— I actually think it’s really interesting! What makes you think it’s silly?”
Mikasa considers the question, for a moment. She pushes a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear. “I dunno…”
“Huh.”
The look in her eyes makes it pretty clear that, maybe she does know.
But Colt doesn’t want to push her.
Still, Mikasa wonders if she should say… something. Something about the last boy she went on a date with. About the one who constantly reminded her that her favorite shoes were impractical and her faith in the stars ridiculous.
But before she can get a word out, Colt goes on, “I used to look at the stars when I was a kid— we’d go camping and my uncle would point out some of the constellations to me and Falco,” He looks directly up, “I haven’t really payed them much attention since then though… I wish I still remembered.”
“Maybe you can learn again.”
“Yeah, I’d like to!”
“Hm…” Mikasa nods.
And for a moment they stand there together quietly.
Mikasa pulls her jacket on a little tighter. “It’s cold. I should probably go.”
“Right— I had fun! Hope you get home sa—”
Before he can finish speaking Mikasa leans in and kisses him on the cheek.
Colt blinks. Stunned. His cheeks red and stained with purple lipstick on one side. He tries to say something. But all he can manage is a smile— bigger and stupider than ever.
“We’ll do this again soon.” Mikasa smiles back at him, although in a somewhat more reserved way.
“Y—yeah!” Colt nods hard.
“Okay,” Mikasa steps over to the door of her car, getting her keys out of her purse, “Drive safe.”
“Yeah— I will— you too!”
With a nod, and another small smile, Mikasa gets in her car.
Colt keeps standing there.
He watches as Mikasa backs out and drives away, waving at her as she goes. And once her car is out of the parking lot Colt let’s out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding in. Some of that nervous energy finally finding an outlet. And he’s smiling. And his eyes are kinda wet for some reason. He just wipes them and tries to shake off the feeling.
“We’ll do this again soon…” he says to himself, “hah… Cool.”