Awakened

Chapter 16

Sorry this took long but I was on vacay sooo
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It was silent the entire walk back to the tavern. During the walk, Mikasa's squad would occasionally glance at their Captain, trying to read the way she held the blonde in her arms. No one talked though, and for that Mikasa was grateful.

Words didn't need to be exchanged for them to understand each other. Eventually on their trek back to the tavern a Scout had come across them. He had asked questions on where Annie was and how they got her and why they didn't notify Hange and Erwin, but Mikasa ignored him. She simply walked past him, and her squad followed.

The Scout threw his hands up in frustration and ran off in a different direction, no doubt to tell the nearest Scout and have them spread the message that Annie was found.

By the time Mikasa arrived at the tavern there were several Scouts waiting for her and her team. They looked at them, their expressions saying that they were expecting for them to say what happened, but they remained silent.

Mikasa walked past them, and the Captain noticed how her team stepped closer to her, acting like a shield from everyone.

They walked through the front of the tavern, ignoring all the surprised looks of everyone else inside.

Mikasa took Annie to her own room, and opened the unlocked door by herself. She settled the blind gently on the cot, letting her arms slip from underneath her. Mikasa went back to her door, meeting the gazes of her team.

"Thanks guys...for everything." She said genuinely.

Mavicks eyes went over Mikasa's shoulder and settled on Annie before returning to Mikasa. "Always, Captain."

Arlise showed a small smile, and Hannah gave a slight nod in acknowledgement.

"Go to sleep. It's close to dawn, and I have no doubt Erwin is sticking to his schedule."

They all forbade each other farewell, and went to their own respective rooms. Mikasa closed her door, making a mental note to say more to her team later on. She looked back at Annie, who laid peacefully on her cot, and walked back to her.

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The first thing Annie realized was that she was laying on something soft.

She internally panicked, then the nights events came crashing down on her, and her panic worsened. One again, she didn't stir, in case she was being watched.

There were two scenarios Annie was thinking she was in right now.

One, the bandits managed to slip away with her unnoticed, and she was gods-knows-where with him.

Two, the Scouts had actually found her before the bandits left, and she was in some inn.

Annie controlled her breathing, feigning sleep, and cracked one eye open.

It was slight, so slight she could barely see through her eyes lids, but whatever blurred image she managed to discern surprised her. Next to her head were a pair of legs, clad in white.

A Scout, Annie thought. She closed her eye and focused. She breathed in deeply, and her heart jumped at the familiar scent she smelled.

It was Mikasa's. Annie could recognize it anywhere. Annie had never been this close to the Captain since her Awakening, not even when she was talking to Mikasa in the tavern last night. It brought a sense of nostalgia to Annie, having Mikasa's scent this close. Even after a year she still had the same raspberry and rose hip smell.