Days like this were the kind I cherished the most. The air was cool, a gentle reminder that autumn was on its way, but the sun still lingered, warming the earth beneath us. I sat under a tree, sketching the world around me, capturing the simple beauty of the day. Life had a way of offering these moments, gifts wrapped in sunlight and quiet.
Eren was asleep on the other side of the tree, his soft snores mixing with the gentle rustle of the leaves.
I could hear little footsteps approaching from the other side, followed by the faint rustle of sticks-Mikasa.
It was supposed to be Eren's job to gather his own firewood, but Mikasa, ever the loving sister, had done it for him. Sometimes she's too good to us, always looking out for everyone without a word. I smiled to myself, feeling a quiet sense of gratitude.
"Mika, be a dear, wake him up for me. I think it's already time to go home" I called out to her from the other side while I started packing my art supplies into my backpack.
She softly called out to him, standing just above him, but I didn't hear the usual sounds of him stirring awake. This was irritating-did he want carla to get mad at him for being late again?
So, I did what any sane person my age would do.
"Eren, wake up! the titans are coming to eat us!" I shouted bloody murder from the other side of the tree.
I thought it would wake Eren up in a panic, ready to fight, but as I came around to his side of the tree, I saw him stir awake with just a small jolt and a gasp, blinking up at Mikasa standing over him.
"Huh, Penny? When did you dye your hair black?" Eren mumbled, still half-asleep and clearly out of it.
I raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh. "Eren, I hope for your sake you didn’t go blind," I said in a serious tone, though the smirk tugging at my lips betrayed me. "The Scout Regiment wouldn’t accept you in this state."
I stepped closer, coming fully into his view, and flicked his forehead lightly to shake him out of his sleepy haze.
He blinked a few times, his gaze focusing on me as he rubbed his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered, his tone still groggy. "You were the first person I thought about when I woke up, i guess when I saw someone standing over me, I thought it was you."
He glanced briefly at mikasa, looking sheepish. "sorry, mikasa. things were blurry for a second," he added quickly.
Then his eyes were back on me, his expression softening as he stood up. "But it’s a relief you didn’t dye your hair," he said, reaching out to touch the tips of my hair, letting it slip through his fingers. He always loved its color, and every time he did this, it made me feel... loved.
