Work Text:
Annie's come to expect outward displays of affection from Mikasa at the oddest times. But expecting them doesn't mean predicting them, and Annie still has a lot of trouble reading Mikasa. It's easiest when she can clearly see her face, because for all of her practice at keeping a stony expression, her eyes are easy to read when she's relaxed.
It's rare for Mikasa to be relaxed though, and it usually happens when they're in bed, when Mikasa is more affectionate in the complete privacy of their apartment. Then she becomes what Christa calls a cuddle monster and wraps her in an octopus-like grip, which usually ends in them wrestling around to decide who gets to be the big spoon. (Annie usually lets Mikasa win because she rather likes being the small spoon, and she gets the feeling Mikasa likes holding her, though she'd never admit it.)
She's acutely aware that their relationship seems odd to others; hell it's odd to her sometimes when Mikasa won't just talk and she's pulling out her hair in frustration because she just wants to help and Mikasa's stubborn and why does she love this girl again?
But they make up, usually when Mikasa comes creeping back in late at night and Annie's sitting in the middle of the couch waiting and that's the only time when Mikasa's submissive and allows Annie to wrap her up in a hug, and they sit in silence until they finally fall asleep.
Then they wake up the next morning when Ymir inevitably drops something in the kitchen and swears like a sailor the times it lands on her foot (or that time when she tripped over absolutely nothing, banged her chin on the counter, passed out, and only woke up when Christa investigated the source of all the noise and found her in a crumpled heap on the floor.
And becoming roommates with those two is one of Annie's few lapses in judgment that she doesn't entirely regret, at least when they're not making a lot of noise or having loud sex next door and she and Mikasa take to throwing increasingly larger objects at the connecting wall. (And equally split the batch of apology cookies the next day.)
Kissing is the thing that took the most getting used to, because the first time they met, they punched the shit out of each other before Reiner could pry Annie away and sling her over his shoulder out of Mikasa's immediate range. So needless to say, physical affection had come just as difficulty as everything else.
Actually, she's not sure when exactly punching bag buddies became a segue to a romantic relationship, but the first time Mikasa had limply flopped against her back with her arms over her shoulders, Annie had been sunk.
Mikasa is in very much the same position now, with her chin set on Annie's shoulders and her fingers absently fiddling with the hem of her girlfriend's shirt.
Weekly card tournaments with their group of friends were really what brought them together in the first place, but Mikasa had never actually learned how to play, and when she'd realized Annie did, she'd decided to learn. The others had offered to explain the rules, but Mikasa had declined and simply dragged a chair over into Annie's personal space, sat down, and began to scrutinize Annie's playing.
As their rivalry had evolved into something involving feelings, Annie had begun to mind Mikasa's eyes over her shoulder less and less, especially when she started whispering moves into her ear that had turned out to be subtle ways to completely crush the competition.
“I hate the both of you,” Reiner grumbles sourly, throwing a few chips at Annie's face that she ducks easily. They had all long since given up accusing them of cheating, discovering it was futile to try and stop them because at least this way they could watch them conspire.
The most exciting matches were when Annie and Mikasa both played, for blatantly obvious reasons.
Annie smirks at her best friend, who scowls at her, and Mikasa's body shakes slightly against her back and she knows her girlfriend's laughing silently. She feels Mikasa's head shifts on her shoulder, and when the press of lips against her neck follows, Annie can feel her small smile.
Everyone drifts out over an hour, and Mikasa spends most of that time meticulously stacking the poker chips into appropriate colored towers with Annie occasionally poking one slightly with a finger just to annoy her. But Mikasa's apparently feeling rather patient tonight and only prods Annie in the side with a slight pout and it's actually really adorable so Annie takes to running her fingers through the ends of her hair as a somewhat apology. Even though she keeps messing up her girlfriend's perfect stacks.
“Stop it,” Mikasa whines petulantly when they're finally alone in the living room, and she butts the side of her head into Annie's stomach in a way that reminds her of a cat. She slides her fingers through her girlfriend's hair, and she swears she hears her purr contently.
Then Mikasa wraps a hand on her opposite hip and pulls her down to sit on her lap, and yeah, she's definitely purring. She noses at Annie's neck and begins placing light kisses up her throat, and when she pauses before kissing her lips, an annoyed growl rumbles in Annie's chest, and Mikasa laughs before kissing her properly.
She'd been expecting a firework-like reaction the first time they're kissed, and she'd felt ridiculous for expecting any at all when there had been none. But, she decides, as she tilts her head and wraps a hand around Mikasa's neck, she decides if that's her only complaint, she'll survive.