Freefall | Eren x OC

Chapter 18: Battle of the Bands

For the rest of the week, Eren and Yurie spend time bonding as new friends and roommates. They watch tv together, cook together, swim in their pool as they take in the waning days of August. All while they catch each other's smiles and laugh at each other's jokes, completely carefree with each other. Yurie can't help but find herself laughing more, smiling wider; she hasn't felt this safe and joyful in her own home for the longest time. With Eren around, she feels as if she can ignore everything and all things going wrong with her life. Eren seems to be the only thing going right.

The night before the big show, she accompanies him to his buddy Jean's garage for a last band rehearsal. Yurie finds herself sitting down on a worn-out couch set up for her and Mikasa, Jean's girlfriend. The two smile and nod at each other as Yurie walks up, Eren slugging his guitar bag on his shoulder as he walks in just a little behind her.

"Sorry we're late; Yurie didn't get out of work till 6..."

"Well, I'm glad you kept us waiting so your roommate could tag along," Jean quips before nodding at Yurie with a well-meaning smile on his face. "Good to see you again, Yurie."

"Likewise," Yurie says as she smooths down the back of her skirt to sit down. Eren pulls off his guitar bag and shrugs off his jacket to hand to her for safekeeping. "I'm excited to hear you guys play in a less-controlled environment for once."

"Trust me, we never sound better than when we're in Jean's garage together," Eren smirks before getting a beer for both her and Mikasa. "You guys just relax while we set up."

The rehearsal goes off without a hitch, the two girls intently listening to their 5-song setlist. They both bop along, their crossed legs simultaneously moving to the music without them noticing. During a break in the music so the guys can fix a faulty wire in their sound system, Yurie finds herself shyly smiling at Mikasa who shyly smiles back.

"Do you come to these often?" Yurie asks, not sure how else to approach a conversation.

"Oh, yeah, I've come to a ton of these. I've been here since the beginning..." Mikasa smiles a little.

"Really? Eren told me they started in Grade 11..."

"Yep, I was there for those first sessions," Mikasa nods in the affirmative, "Eren started playing guitar for me actually..."

"He did?" Yurie says, her eyes widening a little as the younger woman nods and tucks some thick black hair behind her ear as she looks on at Eren, busy with trying to fix a wire before a small zip almost fries his finger.

"He did, we were dating and he wanted to learn the guitar so he could sing for me..." Mikasa says somewhat wistfully, as if lost in the memory.

Yurie nods on, watching the guys all try and work together to fix their setup. "I didn't know you two dated... not that it's any of my business, of course," she says quickly, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Mikasa laughs gently, her hand subconsciously reaching up to caress her soft, red scarf that she wears even in August. "We did... we dated for a very long time..." she trails off, lost in thought before she blinks and gives a smile to Yurie though it doesn't fully reach her eyes in this moment. "But I'm with Jean now, and I'd love to get to know more about you. You seem like a really sweet girl."

"I'd like to think I am," Yurie gives her a grateful smile, sliding slightly closer to her as she rubs her arms. "You seem like a sweet girl too; I'd really love to get to know you too..." The two women share a small conciliatory smile, somehow finding new friendship in an unlikely places.

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That Friday evening, the semifinals for the Battle of the Bands competition takes place in the dive bar that is Whiskey & Blues. Mikasa and Yurie have been standing in the crowded dance floor together, bopping and bonding to Massey, one of the competing bands. Yurie is just thrilled to be here on her own volition, no longer having to worry or look over her shoulder at her ex-husband breathing down her neck.