( Inoue's POV )

Smiling at my teammates calmly, my insides are screaming.  

It was as if everybody were waiting for me to come down, they watched me take a few more steps from the staircases before reaching the floor. Not one speaks up.

Knowing Kuroyaoi-chan, she must've spouted what she witnessed back in the room out of frustration. I couldn't blame her. I didn't expect that ever happening the moment I wake up, either. Even in my fantasies, I never imagined the Corporal will ever sleep beside me like that, declared he drooled on me a bit, and then admonished me about my performance of our mission not to carry someone while reeling midair. It gave me different kinds of reactions at once, and I hope that will never happen again.

Sasha: "Inoue, your food! I save some for you."

Inoue: "Generous Sasha! Thanks!"

I took the loaf of bread with a smidge of butter and started eating it. Bread always calms me down.

The tensed atmosphere I felt the moment I stepped into the room fades away as I watched them went on to their business. Armin, Kuroyaoi, and Sasha were talking lowly. Sitting on the couch beside Armin was Mikasa, completely quiet, though, looking through the window outside. Isolated to the far wall of the room were Connie and Jean, having a conversation, or a one-sided one. I haven't seen Hanji and Eren around. 

After the short talk, Kuroyaoi went to me and described what happened to the mission yesterday.

Right before I was about to be crushed, Rizuki stabbed Ymir through her Titan form's nape of the neck as Kuroyaoi went for the eyes to give us some escape time. However, Historia was nowhere to be seen. She must've run away like I told her to do. And before we even attempt on looking for her, the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan came at the same time. So we fled. Our mission didn't succeed.

Inoue: "So that's what happened. I wonder why I forgot about it."

Armin: "The moves you did.. Rizuki stabbed Ymir through her spinal column right?"

Rizuki: "I thought I did, but maybe I didn't. But it did the job on giving her a shock without knowing. Though, it wouldn't have succeeded if it wasn't for Rivaille, buying us more time."

Inoue: "He was there?"

Armin: "When the Armor Titan and the Colossal Titan came running in our direction, yes, Corporal Rivaille was there."

Rizuki: "Before Inoue would become a mashed potato—"

Sasha: "Potato?! Where?!"

Rizuki: "Rivaille came rushing in and kick Inoue off the path."

Kuroyaoi: "I cringed when I heard the thud. Corporal kind of kicked you too hard that you flew and bumped into a tree. But you know what, it was better than Ymir turning you into a mud-puddle, no?"  

Now it makes sense why I don't remember anything at that time. Corporal Rivaille gave me a concussion...

Though, rather than being dead, Kuroyaoi was right. Having a little crack in the cranium or two is better than being completely dead... although that didn't make it any less depressing.

Maybe that's also why he was with me last night. To pay back for kicking me too hard. I should thank him for that once he woke up. Even though he's not usually in his good spirits after sleeping than when he doesn't.

Inoue: "By the way, where's Eren and Hanji Zoe-san?"

Armin: "They're outside. Squad Leader Hanji wanted to interview Eren for some experiment."

Oh, so that's why Mikasa was looking throughout the window earlier.

Kuro held my shoulders, her face showing some sort of... triumph? "You must be very happy being in the same bed with Corporal Rivaille!"

Inoue: "Kuro, don't say that in front of people!"

Rizuki: "It's true anyways."

I am not. Not at all! It may be true that I was supremely happy Corporal was the first I saw the moment I woke up... but not in that way. I really really prefer not being in that situation again. The concussion and all...

Armin: "Hm? Inoue likes—"

"Why are you tots blabbering about?"

It was Corporal Rivaille who cut Armin's statement, standing right behind the couch. He still wore the long-sleeve shirt when he was sleeping but his hair was fixed. Arms folded, his sharp-as-a-knife eyes were boring into all of us somehow.

Rivaille: "You are chit-chatting here and you didn't even clean your mess. Stop dawdling and do your morning duties."

We did what he had said, except for Mikasa who was glaring back at him. She stood up and walk up to the Corporal. "I heard you were sleeping with Inoue together."

Rivaille: "What of it?"

Mikasa: "I believe that's quite indecent. That's all."

Rivaille: "You can just say it directly, but I know what you mean. It's only 'indecent' if it happened, but I didn't. I won't even think of considering that because I know it's a stupid thing to do to a comrade who is concussed, and more so, a clumsy brat.

Inoue: "Gck!"

Rizuki & Kuroyaoi: "Pfft..."

Armin: "Mikasa, do you think that way to..."

Mikasa: "Armin."

Armin smiling almost coyly at Mikasa, Corporal Rivaille walked away toward the kitchen.

Rizuki: "Nice one, Armin."

Armin: *sighed* "But they're always like this."

Kuroyaoi: "That didn't degrade their teamwork, though, for some reason."

Jean: "Guys, we should really do what he said just now before he comes back here and gives us a punishment."

Connie: "Just so you know, Sasha, we are not going to have a snack after this so don't even think about it."

Sasha: "I know that! I did hope for it, but I know that!"

We assigned ourselves which spots we will clean. Kuro and I decided to work together dusting walls while we chat. Well, not the normal kind of chat.

Kuro: "I'm so sorry, Inoue! Really really sorry that I had to abandon you like that! I was supposed to be the decoy but then I got scared for a split second and left you alone to your own devices and... and..."

Inoue: "Those words must've been running into your head ever since last night... It's really fine. It's actually thanks to you and Rizuki that Ymir was stopped, right? I'm actually-"

Very disappointed that our mission failed.

Not only I should give thanks to Corporal Rivaille but also an apology. 

When we're almost done cleaning the room, I went to the kitchen. I hear two voices, Rivaille and Rizuki, from the inside maybe having a conversation. Not meaning to eavesdrop, but it sounds private, considering the closed door and their lowered voices. 

I was about to walk away from the door when I heard the door opening. Standing behind the door was Rizuki. Corporal was sitting across the table holding a cup. They both looked at me with an expectant, confused, kind of expression.

What... were they expecting me or they just heard me walking their way?

Rizuki: "Well, anyway, back to cleaning. I didn't get the chance to say this, but glad you're well and dandy, Inoue."

With that, she left the kitchen room leaving me with the Corporal alone. I saw her smirking.

Ack... why are my friends have to always assume weird things?

Well, even if it was true, it would still be embarrassing!

No, wait. Stop making me recall those embarrassing moments, Inoue! Focus on your agenda.

Rivaille: "What is it? Did you accidentally break another dust sweeper again?"

With that unique way of holding a ceramic cup, I couldn't help smiling. I'm not the only clumsy one here, after all.

I take a short deep breath. "Thanks for saving me back there, Rivaille-sama."

Rivaille: "Corporal Rivaille, not a sama. And it was only natural to save a going-to-die-when-she-can-still-save-herself brat."

I winced. Corporal is on fire with the insults today.

Inoue: "That aside, I still want to thank you. And, also... I'm sorry for failing the mission on my part."

Rivaille: "You're not the only reason why we failed. You're only ranked a cadet. Don't be conceited."

"And that's just the thing. I was too confident that I could do the diplomatic role I volunteered to be." All because of my arrogance, things went wrong and failed the mission in the process. And now that I realized that, I can't keep off the guilt. "So I'm sorry. I will try harder, do better, even if it kills me."

He stood up. I was looking down at my fist so I didn't notice what he just did. Until he put his hand on top of my head that had forced me to look up at him. He was so close to my face that my heart gave itself a moment to pause and understand the situation in front of me.

"Even after apologizing, you still sound so arrogant, Inoue," he murmured. "Nothing is linear like you thought everything should be. You will die trying. Our mission, with plans or not, isn't limited to what we think may happen. Anything can be anything. But what you will do against that unpredictability is what matters and you do what you had to do. That's that."

I half understand what he just said. 'Nothing is linear'? Why not? Why should we go all our way to suffer like that? That doesn't make sense.

I felt that my hair squeezed tighter, surprisingly not in a painful way. His face getting closer to my face.

Rivaille: "Are you listening? I told you fault has got nothing to do with you. The mission has failed, and that's that. What I'm grateful now is that you are still breathing. Everyone is still breathing. And even if you grieve all about it, nothing will change. What happened is what happened."

He let go of my hair as if he was done pulling stupidity out from my scalp and settled back in his chair.

Rivaille: "If that's all you have to say, go back to your duty."

Inoue: "Y-yes..."

I left and closed the door behind me. Nothing but his words filling my mind as I get back to my cleaning much faster and thorough than the previous. Whatever we do affect everybody. Moving on is not that simple. Dealing with my emotions is not that simple!

Funny that even after all this time, I still hate him.