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According to legend, the stars that hung over the Cadet Corps training ground were the prettiest, even though they were mostly obscured by trees. Climbing up the steep hillside to get a decent view wasn’t exactly practical, but ever since Sasha came up with the idea, Connie found that the walk wasn’t so bad after all. After grueling days of intense training, the pair found that the best way to unwind was just to sit and talk with each other.
Following the initiation, Connie and Sasha became fast friends. They were always seen hanging out together, whether it be drills or mealtimes, they were practically joined at the hip. Wherever Sasha went, Connie followed, even if that meant getting in trouble with Instructor Shadis. Because of how often that happened, whenever Shadis was in a sour mood, everyone immediately accused the duo of doing something to piss him off.
Connie first suggested stargazing after learning that Sasha would always look out at the sky from her window when she was unable to sleep. She was skeptical about the idea at first, especially considering she had to drag her exhausted body up a hill, but she agreed eventually. Especially since it meant spending time with her best friend.
This particular night was just like any other. The cadets finished their dinner and went about their evening activities, which mostly included extra training or chatting with their bunkmates. Sasha had climbed up the hill earlier than usual, wanting to be the first to their spot.
‘
It’s probably too early,
’ Sasha thought. After all, the sun hadn’t even set yet. The training grounds were still enveloped in the vivid golden light. She dangled her feet over the edge of the hill, accidentally kicking up some dust.
“Hope you weren’t waiting too long,” a familiar voice said.
She turned around to see Connie, smiling at her with that toothy grin.
“You took your sweet time getting up here, huh?” she giggled. “Don’t you know better than to keep a lady waiting?”
He laughed and sat down next to her.
“I hardly think you’re much of a ‘Lady,’” he joked, playfully punching her shoulder.
Most of their talks consisted of camp gossip, playful banter, and the occasional conversation about what life would be like when they graduated. Connie would never tell Sasha, but these conversations were his favorite part of the day. He could listen to her talk for hours, which is usually what ends up happening most nights. He never complained.
“And Mikasa thinks we don’t know, but it’s so obvious!” Sasha remarked, “like, we all know you have a thing for Eren! No point in hiding it.”
Connie had to agree, for it was blatantly obvious, even to the boys. Well, most of the boys. “Eren doesn’t even pick up on it,” Connie exclaimed. “How thick is this man’s skull?”
“With all the concussions he’s gotten from training, it’d have to be pretty thick,” Sasha replied, gesturing with her hands. “At least 3 inches!”
Romance wasn’t uncommon among the Cadets. They were teenagers, it was almost guaranteed. Sasha couldn’t even count the amount of times she’d walked in on an occupied supply closet or a supposedly empty bathroom. It was a very common occurrence. She had to admit that she was perhaps just a tiny bit jealous, especially after hearing the girls giggle about their crushes. Living in a small village didn’t exactly give her many options.
“Having to hear about Reiner’s sexcapades isn’t exactly a pleasant bedtime story,” Connie said, snapping Sasha out of her thoughts.
“Ew, gross!” she shrieked, shoving Connie lightly.
They looked at each other and erupted into a fit of laughter. Connie liked her laugh. It was deep and infectious. The laughter slowly subsided and a comfortable silence fell upon them. The sky was now a deep navy blue color, laden with stars.
“So,” Sasha started, picking at the ground. “Have you ever dated anyone?”
This question took Connie by surprise, and he stuttered a bit. “Wh-what?”
“You heard me, have you ever dated anyone?” Sasha asked again, this time more confidently.
Connie looked away, staring down at the ground. “Well, promise you won’t laugh at me?”
Sasha nodded, giving him a thumbs up.
“I’ve never really, um, gotten with anyone,” he confessed.
“Wow, shocker,” Sasha replied sarcastically. It was fun poking fun at Connie. She liked seeing him get riled up.
“Hey! You said you wouldn’t make fun of me!” he shouted, embarrassed.
“I said I wouldn’t laugh at you,” Sasha replied simply.
Connie couldn’t help but smile at the smug grin Sasha had. He was quite fond of her smile. Her eyes would crinkle at the edges and her eyes would brighten.
“Fine then. What about you , Sasha?” He challenged.
She paused for a second, mulling the question over.
“Well, as you know, I grew up in a pretty small village. I didn’t really have any chances for romance or something like that, and boys my age never really interacted with me.”
“Why not?” Connie was shocked.
“Why do you look so surprised?” she asked.
“Well, cause you’re pretty!”
She blinked.
Shit, did I really just say that?
“Nice joke, moron,” she said.
Part of him felt relieved that she thought he wasn’t serious. The other part of him felt…something? He didn’t really know. Another silence fell over them, but it was different. More awkward.
“Did you see how funny Jean looked when Mikasa snubbed him again?” ventured Connie, trying to break the tension.
No response. Connie wondered if he had fucked up somehow. He mentally cursed himself for not keeping his big mouth shut. She wasn’t just pretty, she was beautiful. He always found himself glancing at her during instruction. He liked the way her hair was slicked back into a ponytail. He liked the way that she talked. He liked everything about her, and he wanted to tell her that more than anything.
“Connie,” a small voice said.
“Yes?” he glanced over, seeing Sasha with her head resting against her knees.
“Did-did you really mean what you said? About me being-”
“Yeah, I did.”
His face flushed and he looked away, his heart was racing.
“Oh,” she whispered, a hint of happiness in her voice. He turned back to look at her and found her staring at him, the same intense look in her eyes that she had when he first saw her train.
“I mean, I’ve always admired you,” he rambled. “You’re so driven and confident, you’re funny and you bring positive energy wherever you go. You’re also pretty and sweet. I really…” he trailed off, looking down at his feet. He didn’t dare to look up for fear of what might happen.
It was quiet for a few seconds before Sasha spoke, her voice wavering.
“When you say admire, does that mean you like me?”
He turned back to glance at her blushing face and nodded. Sasha was taken aback, for she had never imagined that anyone could feel this way about her. Especially someone who had seen her get yelled at for stealing a potato on the first day.
“I, um, feel the same way,” she muttered, her heart sounding in her ears.
He scooted closer to her. “Then, can I do something?”
She nodded, and he leaned forward and brought his lips to hers. It was soft, gentle, chaste. Connie was worried that his heart would beat out of his chest.
“You have no idea how much I wanted to do that,” he whispered, intertwining his hand with hers.
“You’re so sappy,” she joked, beaming.
The next hour was full of suppressed giggles, kissing, and a lot of smiling. When it was getting way too late to be outside, the pair stood up and started walking down the hill hand in hand. Connie’s bunk was the closest, so they stopped there first.
“Goodnight, Connie,” Sasha said quietly, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed, looking around to make sure nobody saw.
“‘Goodnight,” he replied, squeezing her hand. As he watched her walk back to her bunk, he couldn’t help the grin that crept onto his face. His friends were going to have a
lot
of questions.