ODM Practice

After separating with Christa and Ymir Asriel and Mikasa slowly walked back to their barracks.

" Oh I forgot, here, for your long hair," said Asriel while giving Mikasa a black hairband with a small black ribbon on it which he bought with the advice of Ada. If you haven't noticed he likes the color black a lot.

"!!!" (Mikasa)

" I think you should not wear the scarf nowadays since it's really hot, I don't want you fainting of heatstroke. In fact stop wearing it in summer." (Asriel)

" N..no I want to wear it. It's...the first-ever gift that I got from you and....it holds a lot of meaning to me...an..and thanks for the hair band." Mikasa lowered her head and replied with a flustered voice while she pulled her scarf up to hide her face which was growing red by the minute. At the end of her sentence, her voice was as small as a mosquito.

" *sigh* jeez.....come here, let me help you put the band on." (Asriel) Mikasa gladly got close to him and turned around for him so that he could do whatever he wants with her hair. After gathering her soft silky hair at the back while leaving some bands hanging from her side, he tied them up into a ponytail with the ribbon part of the hairband facing upwards. After he was done he gave a soft tap on her head to let her know that it was done. She felt extremely excited and felt really good when he was touching her hair and softly combing her hair with his fingers. When she felt the soft tap she realized he was finished and felt like she lost something. She instinctively grabbed his hand in an instant but let go of it when she realized what she did a while later. Asriel was surprised by her action but smiled warmly at her afterwards.

*pet* *pet* *pet*

"Nn...." Mikasa closed her eyes with a slight smile while she enjoyed his petting.

" Alright, come on, let's go back. We have to get up early tomorrow. Go have a rest." Asriel pulled her head in towards him gently and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

" *Nodding quickly* Nn you too Eru" replied Mikasa as she ran away towards her room with a flushed face, her ponytail swaying side to side as she ran. Shaking his head and giving a chuckle he went back to his room. When he arrived in his room, his roommates were already asleep. He got into his bed and quickly went into dreamland.

The next day the trainees got up early to the sound of bell ringing loudly outside the barracks. The sound was so loud that it could wake up a Snorlax. Asriel was already up and dressed, he tried to wake up his roommates but all except Eren woke up and got ready. When Eren heard the loud sound of the bell he quickly got up with a startle.

" Come on Eren, quickly wash up and put on your uniform!" (Armin)

" Why didn't you wake me up!?" (Eren)

" We did! You wouldn't wake up so we just ignored you. " (Asriel)

" Urgh" (Eren)

" Stop being grumpy and get going!" (Asriel)

" I get it I get it...wait for me!" (Eren)

The trainees quickly gathered in front of their barracks in rows. Keith arrived not long after and took them towards the training grounds where the ODM practices will be done. The equipment was already set up by the seniors and there were also some other examiners there with their notepads. Keith separated the trainees into five groups and told them to gear up and to start the practice. When it was time for Asriel and Mikasa they balanced perfectly as they had practiced their balance before. After getting some praises Asriel found that Jean has also finished his practice. He walked towards him but when Jean saw him coming towards him he shivered as he remembered the events last night. His facial expression turned dark as he unconsciously stepped backward.

" Hey Jean, I wanted to apologize to you about last night. I was just a little bit annoyed with you when you mocked Eren. He was like a little brother to me so I might've reacted a bit over the top. I hope you don't take it to heart. Let's be friends shall we?" asked Asriel with a smile and his hand stretched out towards Jean.

[Just a little bit annoyed!!?? I wonder what he would do if he was angered instead!] thought Jean. " Y..yeah man....l..let's be friends," Jean replied while shaking Asriel's hand.

" I know we didn't start off on a good start but I hope we get along in the future. Alright I'll go check on Eren and see how he's doing. See you later." (Asriel)

"..." (Jean)

" Eren Yaeger! What the hell are you doing!? Get yourself upright! " (Keith) as the other trainees watched him fail they began to mock him and look at him in disdain.

[What...why.....how is this possible....am I doomed to fail...?] Eren thought dejectedly.

" Sir! I think that his equipment is faulty. Sir!" shouted Asriel, now joined by Mikasa, giving a salute.

" Faulty!? You think we gave you faulty equipment for you trainees to train in?" asked one of the seniors. " We checked every single one of the equipment and found all of them to be optimal. Just because your friend over there is talentless doesn't mean you can just blame it on the equipment!" shouted another senior.

" I implore you to check his equipment, Sir! If I'm wrong I'll go back to the landfills myself but if I am right I hope that you can give appropriate punishments for neglecting to thoroughly check the equipment as the equipment is a lifeline for us soldiers! "(Asriel)

" Asriel...." (Eren) [I can't let Asriel down!]

" I see.....Eren Yeager, take off your equipment." (Keith) After pretending to check, he saw some rust in the equipment but knows that the equipment was faulty as he was the one who changed the equipment for Eren. He asked Thomas to give Eren his gear and after Eren tried to do it again he succeeded easily.

" I....I did it!" (Eren)

" Yes now get down. I didn't think there would be rust in this part of the equipment. That's one more thing to check on the list." (Keith)

" What's your name kid?" (Keith)

" It's Asriel from Shiganshina District, Sir! " (Asriel)

" Shiganshina eh.....how did you know that the equipment was faulty Asriel?" (Keith)

" I know for a fact that Eren could balance himself on a long thin pole with one leg when we were young so I know he could easily balance himself on the ODM gear. Sir!" (Asriel)

" Is that right, Eren Yaeger?" (Keith)

" Yes! Sir! " replied Eren stiffly with sweat rolling down his face.

" Alright continue the practice! " shouted Keith to the rest of the trainees and said "I will deal with you two later." to the two seniors who were in charge of the equipment.

" Yes Sir!" replied the two seniors with some sweat rolling down their faces.

" Asriel, thanks man. If you didn't help me out there I would've failed." (Eren)

" Haha I'm sure you would be fine even with the faulty equipment....just for a while though," replied Asriel with an amused smile.

" I don't think I'm that good though but seriously thanks, if not for your training when we were young I don't think I would do that well haha." (Eren)

" Hey, we are family, don't worry about the little things," Asriel replied with a smile.

" Yeah...." replied Eren with some emotions in his words.