Amaranth

Chapter 37: White Clover

As promised, Mikasa arrived the next day as soon as visiting hours allowed her to. She entered Annie's hospital room with a gentle knock on the door and a small bouquet of flowers. Oliver, who had stayed with his daughter all night, smiled at the two girls before leaving, placing a comforting hand on Mikasa's shoulders as he did.

"Okay, Flower Girl, what do these mean?" Annie teased while accepting the bouquet Mikasa offered her.

"Heliotropes and white clovers," Mikasa said while pointing to them, "Heliotropes represent devotion, and white clovers basically say 'Think of me'."

"Awe, is this your version of an apology?" Annie said sweetly.

"Pretty much," Mikasa agreed.

"Do better," Annie deadpanned.

"I-" Mikasa began, stuttering like a fish out of water.

"I was kidding," Annie assured her with a gentle smile and soft laughter.

"I know, but I feel really bad," Mikasa admitted while shuffling her feet against the ground.

"It's okay; I get it," Annie assured her sincerely while Mikasa sat beside her on a chair. Annie held her uninjured hand out, and Mikasa wasted no time grabbing it. "My mom wasn't.... completely here," Annie reminded her, "I get that there's some things that are harder for you because of what you've been through. I'm not gonna hold that against you."

"What did I do to deserve you?" Mikasa asked while putting her head against Annie's bed.

"No idea," Annie said with a slight laugh.

"When do you leave, again?" Mikasa asked while lifting her head off the bed to look at Annie again.

"I think later today," Annie said, "considering I haven't passed out or anything yet."

"Again, 'yet' is such a reassuring word," Mikasa mumbled sarcastically.

"Do you want false hope?" Annie deadpanned.

"Annie," Mikasa said in a warning tone.

"Sorry," she sighed while squeezing Annie's hand. She understood from their previous conversations that Mikasa was scared of death talk. From other conversations, she knew Mikasa didn't fear her own deaths, but she obviously feared the deaths of those around her.

In some way, Annie found it reassuring. It gave her some peace of mind that even if Mikasa didn't fear death for herself, she was aware enough that it was real for other's. Annie knew that Mikasa believed death was alright as long as she was loved, but Annie worried that Mikasa thought that as long as someone loved her, she could act recklessly with no regard for the life she had. It was good to know that that wasn't the case.

The two spent the rest of their morning relaxing, occasionally talking, and all around just being together. It was mostly just the two of them sleeping while holding hands or talking with Oliver when he popped in.

Eventually, the afternoon rolled around, and the girl's friends came to visit. "Wake up, bitches!" Ymir exclaimed when she entered the room. Annie and Mikasa woke from their nap with a jump, and their friends snickered at them.

"Seems like both of you are less miserable now," Historia observed, "that's great!"

"Yeah, it's nice to see you two on good terms again," Bertholdt agreed.

"We were never not on 'good terms'," Mikasa said with an eye roll.

"Of course, of course," Eren said sarcastically, earning a glare from his adoptive sister.