I WILL PROTECT YOU

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟕

3rd POV

  "Portrait?" Mike questioned as he was guided to a chair outside the new HQ. The sun was about to set, warm air with frequent breezes of wind. It was perfect evening weather.

"Yup!" Y/n chirped, taking a seat on the chair across from Mike. In her hands, she held the sketchpad Hange had gifted her. "I finished all my chores early so I could ask you if I could sketch a portrait of you! May I?" The young girl asked with a smile.

Mike scratched the back of his head. "Usually Erwin would be the only one getting commissioned portraits, shouldn't you do one of Erwin first?" His arms crossed across his chest. Y/n pursed her lips before answering.

"Well, I can always do one of the Commander later...But everybody here deserves to get a portrait of them done, including you. After all, you're all some of the bravest people I know!" Y/n prevented herself from adding more, knowing she would say something that would embarrass herself in front of Mike again.

Mike's lips curved upward with a deep chuckle. "Fine, do what you must." Leaning back on the chair he stood firm and still so Y/n could begin. A bright smile formed on her— immediately put her pencil to the paper.

-

Staring at the portrait Y/n traced the outlines of the face, remembering how she struggled to draw realism after so long. The conversations she had with Mike as the two of them sat in the evening sun, only to be spotted by Petra who was searching for Y/n. The young woman watched in amazement and soon enough the rest of the Special Operations Squad (minus Levi and Eren) appeared out of the castle. Crowding behind Y/n to see how Mike's first portrait was turning out.

She was very fond of the memory. Such a beautiful moment she got to spend with them now that they were gone.

Flipping to the next page of the sketchpad she saw more of the doodles and sketches she had done at the start of joining the Scout Regiment.

"You're having fun there."

Lifting her eyes she gave Mikasa a welcoming smile. Watched as he took a seat beside her on the grass, leaning his back against the wooden fence post he helped make the other day.

It had been two weeks since Historia became Queen and one of the first courses of action she made was to help the people in need in the Underground City. With the help of Levi, plans were moving quickly and smoothly to bring orphans to the surface. Historia claimed acres of land to make an orphanage they could live in, her friends helping around when they had spare time.

"Just looking at some...not so old sketches." Turning to the next page, she reminded herself to thank Moblit once more for returning her sketchpad after he and Hange ventured out to the old HQ. It had only been a few weeks since they stopped using the HQ, still having important supplies inside there.

When there were only blank pages left Y/n closed the sketchpad and dropped it on the grass between her and Mikasa. She grabbed the satchel she brought with her and pulled out her journal, which was given back to her by Hange. Undoing the button she ran her fingers on the cream pages.

"I have a few here too...these are ones everybody gets to—" she stopped. The page she flipped to...God, she had forgotten she drew that woman one night. Her smile fell, color draining from her face. She hadn't seen or heard from Cameron for two weeks now. Obviously, Y/n knew she couldn't ignore the voice in her head, so it was Cameron who avoided her.

Y/n might have accepted the fact Cameron was her birth mother but she didn't know what to think of it. Even after two weeks...

The expressions she had drawn on Cameron made her uncomfortable, knowing she has never seen Cameron smile.