Bars of orange sunlight shone down through specks in between the green leaves. Annie laid the thirtieth stack of firewood near the forest entrance. Her hands glistened with sweat. She thought about how ironic her situation was. One of the few times she actually practiced hand-to-hand was one of the few times she was punished.

Behind her, Mikasa was holding a stack on her right shoulder, another on her left hip. Part of the right side of her lips were purple and swollen. Beads of sweat were forming on her face. Everywhere Annie went to collect branches, she followed in silence.

"Don't expect an apology or thank you from me," Annie had told her, when they first ventured into the forest. "We need as much wood as we can get, or Shadis will give us even more work. For now, don't bother me, and I won't bother you." Annie sensed the feeling of unfinished business they shared, but it could wait.

Mikasa understood, nodded. "We'll talk later."

Once they gathered a decent amount of wood, Annie lay back against a tree, wiping off the sweat on her brow. Mikasa placed the wood near the others. She sat cross-legged in front of Annie.

"Well?" Annie asked.

"Eren's a hard worker, isn't he?" The black-haired girl averted eye contact. Her voice was low.

"Certainly diligent. He lacks talent though. His imitations of my techniques are amusing."

"Why are you so tough on him?"

"Because he needs to get tougher. He's a big boy, right - a man?" And watching an idiot like him refuse to give up is... almost inspiring, Annie kept that to herself. "If he can't fight a weakling like me, do you think he stands a chance against anything that lies beyond the walls."

It seemed Mikasa read her mind, judging by the way she slightly pursed her bruised lips.

"Don't be so rough on him..." she said quietly. "He doesn't need broken bones."

Funny, coming from you. "What are you, his mother? No. If he's fine with my training, you should be too. And if you're not, well, it's not like you can stop it either way."

"He doesn't need your training... or you, for that matter." Mikasa stood up, locked eyes with Annie. "I will protect him. I will make him stronger. I'll train him."

"Are you sure you don't mean another type of training?" Annie asked. Mikasa grabbed her by the collar of her uniform, lifted her up with both hands, and pinned her against the tree. For a moment's silence, they glared into each others eyes. Then Annie spoke once more. "Let's get straight to it. You're jealous, aren't you?"

"...Answer me this," Mikasa said. "Do you... do you have feelings for Eren...?" Her hands were trembling slightly.

Annie sighed. She thought about the everlasting fire in Eren's large blue-green eyes. She thought about the camaraderie she shared with him. She thought about the warmth of his body whenever her own pressed against it during their fights. She thought about how, like herself, he scarcely smiled, and how she wanted to see that change. She thought about how irrational her thoughts were now. Her face warmed a little.

"I don't dislike him."

Mikasa released her grip, and distanced herself, back faced toward Annie. "I have a proposal." She turned her head enough for Annie to see a single dark eye. "We'll fight. I win, you stay away from Eren. You win, I won't bother you about him... you can do as you like..."

"Alright, I accept," Annie said. Beating Mikasa was her main goal, anyway, regardless of the circumstances behind it. "But I do have a question. Do you really think you're fully capable of protecting him?"

"Of course. I've watched over him since the day we met... Titans nor you will stop me from doing that."

"Get real. Eren's better off in my hands. While you shelter him when you get the chance, I make him stronger. Can you do that?"

Mikasa's lips twitched. "I can."

"I doubt it," Annie said. "If you can't handle me kicking his ass, you can't."

"What you teach him is useless against Titans. Why do you even bother, really, training him? I don't believe 'because it's fun' is a good enough answer. Is it because you want him to join the Military Police alongside you?"

That question sparked something in Annie's mind. Could that be why we're together so much, so I can convince him? The thought faded almost as soon as it appeared. "The reason is..." What's the reason? Why am I hesitating? She clenched her fists.

"I think that's enough," Mikasa said quietly, before raising her own fists. Her eyes hardened. "Ready?"

That's more like it. "Yeah." Annie matched her adversary.

A wisp of wind blew through the air. Leaves quietly rustled, like they were speaking to each other, anticipating the fight and who would win. Annie breathed in, out. Mikasa stood still as a statue, unblinking.

Then all was quiet in the forest, when they came at each other. Mikasa threw a fist, but Annie launched a foot against a shin, sending Mikasa a foot off the grass. To Annie's surprise, she rolled onto a knee and swept her leg against the blonde's calf; she went down, but her hand found the ground, and she got to her feet.

Mikasa rammed her boot into Annie's gut, knocking out her breath. She grabbed hold of it, spun on her heels and fell back, and threw Mikasa. Unfaltered, she spun in midair, then through grass before standing up.

Annie went for a low kick, and Mikasa pushed it back with her heel, jabbed, but Annie slapped it away and delivered a quick blow to her side. Mikasa staggered. With all her strength, Annie drove a fist into Mikasa's stomach. She grunted, shot out her arms, her fingers gripped around Annie's collar. That's when Mikasa's forehead collided against Annie's.

The world went black for a few seconds, then became hazy. Somehow Annie was on the dirt and grass, head thumping and aching tremendously. Mikasa was on top of her, hands still tight on her uniform's collar. Then she raised a fist, probably intent on giving Annie a swollen lip as well.

Mikasa didn't swing her hand; it remained in the air.

"Come on, do it already," Annie said, pride wounded. Anger and sadness took over. With the current pain in her head she knew fighting was no longer an option. Another pain persisted, too, in her chest. Eren...

Mikasa still had her fist up, but there was hesitation in her eyes.

Annie clutched a handful of grass and dirt, irritated. "Waiting for me to say something? That you're better than me? That you're better for Eren? What, what is it?"

Mikasa lowered her arm to her side and uncurled her hand.

"You remember the deal?" she asked. "It's off."

"Why?"

"Because I just realized I'd rather have him join the Military Police with you than join the Scouting Legion. He'd be a lot safer, and I value that over me training him to fight Titans any day. I know I'm unable to sway him, but perhaps you can." She got off Annie, offered her hand. Is this really Mikasa Ackerman looming over me?

For some reason Annie felt a wave of relief. She accepted the hand, and rubbed her forehead. "What's your head made of? Twenty pounds of steel?"

That made Mikasa smile faintly. "Sorry I hit you so hard."

What Annie would say next, was something she made a habit of not saying. "I'm sorry too. About your lip."

"It's fine, I've had worse bruises."

"You'll get more once we fight again." Annie smirked.

"I look forward to it, but I think it's safe to say we need some time not killing each other. We should hurry back to the base."

Annie nodded as they headed for the firewood stacks. "So when we fight next time, will it be for the sake of seeing who's better, or will it be for Eren's love?"

"..." Mikasa answered. She had turned her head away from sight.

"Relax. It's a joke. But I am curious of something: have you given up your love for Eren?"

Mikasa turned back, eyes determined, face blushed.

"No."

A/N: That's the end. Hope you enjoyed!