Author's Note: I originally posted this on Tumblr and it got pretty popular so here it is on FF. Also the world needs more Springles.

(On another note, I post a lot of drabbles/shorter works on my tumblr if you wanna check it ooooout.)

Smooth, Suave, and Debonair
a Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan (© Isayama Hajime) fanfiction

"I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.
'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct,
will pursue their principles unto death."

Connie Springer has massive crush on Sasha Braus. It's a little bothersome sometimes, like when he takes her out to dinner and she empties out his pockets, but it's not totally lamentable. He could be a lot worse off. He could be one of the fools in love with Mikasa (Jean) or Christa (Reiner, plus every other male in the 104th). Sasha's a pain, but she's friendly and bright and personable and a dork and Connie has never had more fun with anyone than with Sasha, and he thinks that's a pretty good basis for having a healthy crush on someone.

All the same, he wishes confessing to her wasn't such a chore.

"Didn't you set up some romantic candlelight dinner for her?" Jean asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but all I got was compliments on how well I cooked the chicken. … And how great of a miracle it was that I got my hands on chicken." Connie sighs, obviously taxed from his trials with love, and slumps against the crates he and the others are using as seats. "My mom always used to tell me stories about how Dad asked her to marry him at one of these homemade dinners. It worked for her, so I figured it'd work for Sasha."

Jean deadpans. "That kinda logic is probably the reason why it didn't work."

"You should just be straight forward with your feelings!" Reiner says. "If the subliminal hints don't work, then you need to be more direct."

Well, Reiner has never steered him wrong yet. (Though the theory of sticking a blade up a Titan's ass to kill it has yet to be tested, and Connie is still doubtful.) Reiner usually has a good idea of what he's talking about, and he looks like someone who's had plenty of experience with romance. "Maybe you're right," he says, with a slow nod of his head. "Yeah, I'll do that."

The next day at drills, Connie does his best to find an opening to be straight forward with his feelings. Unfortunately, this is a lot more difficult than he'd anticipated.

Lance Corporal Levi has them running laps for four hours. When Connie tries to strike up a conversation with Sasha while running alongside her, they both end up winded quicker than usual, and in the end the conversation is composed mostly of heaves and gasps. For sparring, the two of them usually pair up (and dick around the entire time), but apparently today is Connie Springer vs. the World Day because Mikasa gets to her before he can, and he's forced to team up with Reiner.

"How's it coming along?" Reiner asks.

They hear a yelp nearby, and when they look over they find Sasha on her back, one hand grasped firmly in Mikasa's death grip. "It's not," Connie replies. "Obviously."

The blond laughs and pats him reassuringly on the back. "You just need to wait for the opportune moment. If you're too eager, you might overlook the right timing."

"I guess," he says, though in all honesty he has no idea what Reiner is saying. Right timing? Too eager? Opportune moment? What do any of those things have to do with telling Sasha he likes her? Can't he just tell her? Is it really that big of a deal?

He gets his answer when he's stuck on kitchen duty with Christa and Armin, and Sasha is on the other side of the compound scrubbing toilets. "Are you planning anything romantic?" Christa asks, her eyes alight with excitement.

"Tried that already," he answers dryly. "Didn't work. Gonna try the more direct approach."

"You're just going to tell her?" Armin asks. "That's very brave of you."

"Brave?"

"Well, it's hard for most people to just come out and admit they have feelings for someone," Christa explains. "There's always the chance of rejection, and—"

"Rejection?" For the first time since this debacle started, Connie feels something akin to dread gather in his stomach. Rejection? He hadn't even thought of that. What if Sasha doesn't like him back?

"It's not like it would totally suck if we were just friends," he thinks after a moment of horror. "I mean, we're good friends." It'd be really cool if she likes him back, but if not, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

"Nah, it'll be fine," he decides. Christa and Armin exchange a look of admiration. Titans may scare him to tears, but he can confront social aspects head on that most of them can barely handle.

When he's finally alone with Sasha, at the end of the day, they're both hanging upside down with the assistance of their 3D Maneuver Gear. "Lance Corporal Levi's gonna kick our asses if he catches us doing this again," Connie comments as he swings back and forth between two trees.

"Then we just can't get caught!" she replies.

They swing back and forth, laughing and making jokes and trying to knock each other off balance until Connie starts to feel dizzy. "There needs to be right timing," is what Reiner had told him. But how is he supposed to know what's the right time and what's the wrong time? He's hanging out (literally) with his best friend, they're having fun, it's just them — this must be it.

"Hey, Sasha," he says. "I like you."

She grins at him. "I like you, too, Connie!" The answer is so reflexive, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. And, to Sasha, it is — how can she not like her friend, who always makes her laugh and gives her a piece of his bread everyday?

Connie sighs, even though the affirmation makes his heart swell a little. "No, no, Sasha. I like you. Like, as in more than a friend." He's handling this a lot cooler than most guys his age, but his cheeks are still heating up.

The way she looks at him resembles a confused puppy. "You like me," she repeats, as a statement rather than a question. Her legs dangle in the air before she suddenly rolls over so that she's upright. "You like me. Why?"

He shrugs, which is a little difficult to do upside down. "I dunno. Maybe it's because of that dopey face you always make when someone catches you stealing food from the kitchen. Maybe it's because, even when you're crying and there's snot everywhere, you're still really brave and try to do the right thing. Maybe it's because you stay up and talk with me when everyone's asleep. I dunno." And Connie really doesn't know what makes him like Sasha, only that being around her makes his heart do back flips and makes him believe he's on top of the world.

There's some silence between them after that, silence that alerts him of the thunderstorm going on in his chest and the minor (minor, he tells himself) fear of rejection.

Eventually, Sasha allows gravity to take over again, and she falls backwards so that she's hanging upside down next to him. "My papa used to tell me that it's important to make good friends and keep the ones you love close." Aaah, this is it — the "I love you, as a friend" answer. He's prepared for this, he thinks. He can do this. "I don't think I've ever had a friend like you."

Connie blinks. "Huh?"

Upside down, with blood rushing down to their heads, Sasha swings forward and pecks him. It's a chaste kiss, merely lips against lips, and it doesn't last longer than a second, but he can still feel her lingering when she swings back. She pulls away, laughing and cheering, no sign of a blush anywhere on her pretty face.

"Geez, Potato Girl." He means to say it with exasperation, but the grin on his face betrays too much of his obvious happiness. "Quit movin'." When she swings towards him again, he grabs her face, keeps her in place, and kisses her.

It's probably the bravest thing he's ever done.