A Wish, a Curse, and a Promise on New Year's Eve

The Promise (Yumikuri)

The Promise

Ymir was in awe. How could such an amazing girl be with her? Christa had her arms around Ymir's neck, and her head was resting on Ymir's shoulder.. She was positively adorable. How could an inconceivably rude, manipulative asshole like Ymir earn the affection of such a kind, beautiful girl like Christa? It surely wasn't fair to Christa. But they were happy together, and Christa's decision was her own. Ymir knew that Christa wasn't really the person she pretended to be out in the streets. She was a stubborn, sullen girl who never really had any friends. Ymir was the only person who knew this; Christa's portrayal of an innocent maiden was so convincing even Ymir forgot about her true self most of the time.

"Happy New Year, Ymir," Christa raised her head and kissed Ymir sloppily on the cheek, then on the nose, then on the other cheek.

"Happy New Year, Christa," Ymir smiled as Christa yawned, and adjusted her arms around the other girl's lower back.

"I'm tired..."

"I can tell," Ymir signaled Armin and told him that they were going home.

"Do you want to stay? I don't want to drag you away from the fun," Christa said, concerned.

"I don't want to be anywhere that you aren't," Ymir said, kissing Christa's forehead. "Plus, there is no way I would let you walk home alone while you're drunk and sleepy and you're in a city full of inebriated men. No way."

They said their goodbyes to their friends and made their way out of the main square, towards Christa's sister's house. They held hands, Ymir's bare fingers curled around Christa's adorable knitted mittens. Christa was humming a tune and smiling. She shouted 'Happy New Year!' to almost anyone who passed by, and gave out little candies to kids she saw.

"Christa, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm leaving some happy candies for the people in the shops when they open up! Do you think I should put lemon or raspberry here?"

"Raspberry. And where did you get these candies?"

"Bertie gave them to me, from his mom. She knows I like them,"

Ymir laughed at Christa's cuteness.

"Hey, sweetheart, how you doin'? Looking for some fun?" It was a guy across the street with a couple of friends, who were wolf whistling. Ymir prepared to punch the lights out of the guy, but Christa was already talking.

"Yeah, with my girlfriend! So stop harassing me and go fuck yourself!" Christa shouted angrily. "Because nobody else it gonna fuck you, you ugly pig."

Ymir loved this side of Christa. This fierce, witty Christa who wasn't afraid to verbally abuse people. This was the side that nobody saw of her girlfriend. This was Christa's upbringing. This was Historia Reiss.

The boys left, and Christa growled. "Fucking misogynistic pricks,"

"I was prepared to punch them out, but you handled them pretty well,"

Christa snickered. "I did, didn't I?"

They continued walking, hands joined, and Christa opened her mouth, thinking, looking up at Ymir.

"Do you think that people think that you're a bad influence on me?"

"Yeah,"

"Why?"

"Because not everyone knows Historia," Ymir shrugged. "And to them, you're an innocent, pure little girl who's dating a rude, mean, horrible, evil bitch," Ymir paused. "And they might be right."

"Of course they're not!" Christa scoffed. "First of all, I am nowhere near innocent or pure, and you're not mean, horrible, or evil!"

"So I'm a rude bitch?"

"Hey, I can't change that," Christa snickered as Ymir pretended to take a shot to the heart. "Second of all, they have no right to judge who I choose to do the diddly doo with!"

"The diddly doo?" Ymir snorted.

"Shut up," Christa smacked Ymir on the shoulder. "Anyway, I'm not dumb, I can tell that this is your projection of your own feelings onto other people's thoughts," Christa said nonchalantly. "And I want to tell you that I really do love you, and I want you to know that I wouldn't have anyone else. I don't want you nicer, or more polite, or less protective, or anything. I'm sick of acting innocent. I'm not pure, or innocent, or pretty, or cute. It's all an act. If everyone saw the real me, Historia, they wouldn't like me. Everyone except you. You understand me, Ymir, and that's so rare for me," she squeezed Ymir's hand.

Ymir was silent. She didn't know what to say to the blonde, whose blue eyes were glistening up at her. "Fuck, I love you," Ymir leaned down to kiss her girlfriend, and when they parted, she pulled Christa closer to her side.

They walked in the quiet alleys of the suburbs, hearing the fireworks overhead. There were very few people around here, so Ymir and Christa were basically alone.

They reached Christa's sister's apartment. Christa was staying with her sister for the holidays, and when they unlocked the door, they found that Frieda wasn't home yet. No surprise.

Christa and Ymir stood in the doorway, waiting for the other to say goodnight. Ymir had helped Christa strip her numerous layers until she was in a knitted sweater with her hair a little messed up. Her cheeks were flushed from the temperature change, and her nose was bright red, which Ymir had noted looked a lot like Rudolph. Ymir was still wearing her coat, because she was supposed to leave to go to her apartment five minutes ago. But they were just staring at each other. Ymir was captive in Christa's blue eyes.

Without breaking eye contact, Christa pulled Ymir's coat off of her. "Stay,"

One word, but it sent chills down Ymir's spine. "Okay,"

They made their way into the living room, and sat down on the couch, Christa folded up in Ymir's lap.

"Really, though, Ymir," Christa looked up at her girlfriend. "I love you. I promise."

Ymir couldn't respond to those lips, those eyes, that nose, that hair, that face. She kissed Christa deeply.

"I promise."