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Mikasa’s curled fist lightly knocks against Eren’s shut door. Though he has just been freed from his time in prison, he continues to act distant, and Mikasa intends to know why. Her knock echoes off the wooden frame, but no response comes from inside.“Eren,” she calls.The repeated silence is stifling.“I’m coming in,” she announces, her hand twisting the knob. The door slowly opens, revealing Eren laying on his bed, his back flat and his eyes looking upward toward the ceiling. He has most definitely heard her.Only when Mikasa shuts the door behind her does Eren finally glance toward her. His eyes are darkened, lacking every bit of the fire and rage that once existed in them. Though he slowly sits up, he keeps the silence and diverts his gaze down to the ground.“Why didn’t you answer?” she asks when he says nothing.“Did you want me to?”Mikasa frowns. She still stands near the door, unsure whether or not to close the space between them just yet.“Why are you acting strange?” she asks quietly, pressing her palms back against the door behind her. “Why are you here?” Eren asks in response.She digs her nails into her palms, beginning to become frustrated with his lackluster answers. “I wanted to check on you,” Mikasa says innocently enough. “You haven’t been yourself since…”“Since I left to Marley? I hadn’t noticed. Thanks for making me aware,” he replies coldly, still avoiding her gaze.Mikasa takes a deep breath and steps forward. Her shoes clack against the wooden floor until the sound of a harsh slap echoes through the room. Eren clutches his reddened cheek, finally being forced to make eye contact with her.“Oi, Mikasa?! What was that for?” he exclaims. His eyes may still be dull, but she’s beginning to hear the familiar inflections of his voice again. She kneels down so that now they are both at head level.“Why won’t you talk to the others?” she asks.“They wouldn’t want to speak to me. Don’t you think I’m a monster too?” Eren asks, his voice becoming dreary again.In all the trials she’s faced alongside Eren, not once has Mikasa ever perceived him to be so. Even in his titanic form, she’s still seen the same passionate soul deep down. Even in his recent trip to Marley, she knows his intentions were meant to be good. She knows he blames himself for Sasha’s death, for Historia’s pregnancy, and for most likely any future evils that will come to them.Mikasa reaches her hand forward toward his face. Eren winces, most likely fearing she’ll hit him again, but she gently presses the cheek she slapped and runs her thumb across the warm skin there.Eren shuts his eyes and takes in a deep breath.“I’m sorry,” she says quietly. She moves to pull her hand away, but Eren grasps it with his own hand.“How can you not despise me?” he asks. She can hear the pain in his voice. Why must he think that there can never be anything good in the world for him?“Eren—”“I’ve done awful things. I saw the pain in your eyes in Marley. You were scared of me then,” Eren argues. He slowly lets her hand drop from his grasp.Mikasa bites her lip before turning to face him again. “Eren, you’re not a bad person.”Eren looks away. She can tell he doesn’t believe her.“You’re just saying that. Even Armin looks at me differently now. You probably should too. For your own sake.”Mikasa can feel her heart breaking. He is starting to act cold again, just when she thinks she’s gotten him to open up to her.“It’s true the others are frustrated, but that’s because you haven’t been willing to talk to them. But I know you. You’ve done more for me than anyone else,” Mikasa reminds him.“You watched me kill those traffickers violently, ruthlessly,” Eren mentions.“You saved me. You wrapped—” she grasps the fabric underneath her neck, “—this around me.”Eren looks away, seemingly still not convinced. Mikasa has grown tired and restless over Eren’s crippling mental state these past few years. She glances at him, finding that his eyes are looking down at the floor again. He barely seems to notice she’s in front of him. The raven-haired girl takes a deep breath, then leans forward. In a swift action, her lips press against his.Eren inhales in surprise, but his lips move against hers, if only briefly. He pulls away first, his eyes widened more than ever. His fingers begin to move through his own long brown hair that’s been pulled back.“Why?” he asks after a period of silence settles between them. “Why do you want me?”“I love you,” Mikasa honestly replies.“You shouldn’t use that as an excuse for me to always shine bright in your eyes,” Eren murmurs.“I’m not. I love you because I truly believe you have what’s best for everyone in mind. I love the person you’ve become.”“Stop lying to yourself…” Eren’s voice trails off, and she notices that his limbs are beginning to tremble slightly.Mikasa stops talking, wondering if she’s made a grave mistake. She slowly takes a seat on the ground and interlaces her fingers together. Should she leave? Should she apologize? Should she—The silence is broken by Eren’s feet sliding against the floor as he kneels down beside her. He reaches his hands forward and takes her face into them. Mikasa reacts with a jolt as he closes the gap between their two mouths.When their kiss ends, Eren is still lightly holding her cheeks. She finds that tears have begun to spring from his green eyes.“I don’t deserve you,” he tells her pitifully. He collapses forward, resting his head on her shoulder. She wraps her arms around and holds him close as his entire body shakes.“Eren, it’s okay,” she whispers near his ear as he continues to cry into her shoulder. “I’ll stay with you.”He sits up and stares at her, dumbfounded, until she leans forward to kiss him again. This time, he readily receives it. Mikasa clutches the fabric of Eren’s shirt as their mouths fight for dominance while his hands grasp tightly onto her waist, pulling her closer to him until she is sitting in his lap.Mikasa only has a few seconds to catch her breath before their mouths align again. They only kiss briefly because Eren’s mouth begins to slide down from her mouth to chin and then her neck where he sucks the skin. Mikasa quietly whimpers, beginning to feel a tingling sensation throughout her entire body.She moves forward slightly and wraps her legs around his waist, feeling the bulge growing underneath her. Eren suddenly grabs ahold of her and lifts her. Mikasa expects him to toss her on his bed, but he sets her down gently. “Wait,” Mikasa says, sitting up. Eren pauses, his staring intensifying as she leans forward to shove her shoes and socks off. “I didn’t want to get dirt on your sheets,” she explains when he looks at her quizzically.In a second, it doesn’t matter anymore. Eren leans down again to engulf her in more kisses. His hands are beginning to roam under her shirt, his fingertips pressing and tracing across her hot skin. She finds her own hands beginning to play with the bottom of his own shirt. Eren sheds his top in one quick motion. He glances at her, as if to ask the same, and Mikasa silently nods. Heat begins to pool in Mikasa’s abdomen as presses hands against Eren’s bare chest. A moan echoes from her throat when he bends down to suck her throat again.“Mikasa,” he breathes, his chest heaving up and down. “Do you want me to stop?”She slowly shakes her head, even if she is quivering. “Are you sure? I’ve never—and you haven’t—”“I wouldn’t want it to be with anyone else,” she tells him, reaching up to clasp a hand around the back of his neck. She can feel the sweat gathered there.He struggles with unclasping her bra, so she does it for him. She can’t help but giggle at his failed attempts.“Shut up,” he murmurs, beginning to sound like his old self. “Like I said, I’m not very experienced—” As the bra falls away, he kisses her exposed back. Mikasa shudders and slowly lies back down again.Eren’s hands reach forward, cupping her breasts. She lets out a sigh as his fingertips run across the peaked tips of her nipples. When he leans forward and sucks, the growing heat down there becomes unbearable.She slowly reaches forward, grasping onto the waistband of Eren’s pants. As she slowly slips them down, he does the same with her. Clothing is shed until they’re both bare. Eren slips a hand down Mikasa’s underside and runs his fingers along her slick folds. She whimpers and nearly cries out as he presses against her sensitive bundle of nerves. Mikasa slowly pushes Eren’s hand away, noticing his twitching excitement. “Are you ready?” Eren asks.“Please be gentle,” Mikasa begs, barely a whisper.He leans forward so she can rest her hands on his shoulders as she feels his tip pressing against her heat. She lets out a slight grunt of pain as he begins to enter.“Are you okay? Should I stop?” Eren asks, worry in his tone.Mikasa shakes her head, and leans up to kiss him as he fully sheathes himself inside her. She takes a few deep breaths and moves her body slightly, adjusting. Eren is patient until she gives the confirmation to move.Mikasa’s pain slowly begins to dissolve into pleasure as Eren begins to move slowly in and out of her. She would’ve thought him to be quick and rough, but he keeps his eyes on her and leans down to kiss her with every thrust. Gentle moans and whimpers leave her throat as she meets each thrust.Both become too overwhelmed with pleasure to speak coherently anymore. Skin presses against skin and grunts and moans echo from their mouths with each thrust.Though Mikasa appreciates Eren’s gentleness, she is growing restless. She grips onto his shoulders, nails piercing Eren’s skin. She doesn’t feel too sorry, knowing the scratches will heal quickly.“Faster,” she begs.The bed begins to creak loudly as Eren picks up his pace. Mikasa’s eyes are threatening to close as the tension building in her abdomen grows. “Eren,” she breathes, a deep moan rising from her throat. She can barely meet his thrusts anymore.“Mikasa,” he calls weakly through pants. “I’m about to—”Before he can even finish his sentence, a scream erupts from Mikasa’s throat as the tension explodes. Pure ecstasy fills her body as her walls clamp down on Eren’s hardness, and she sees stars. A second barely passes before Eren cries out, and with one last thrust, he empties himself inside her.The two cling onto each other as the last bit of their pleasure fades. Slowly, Eren pulls out and collapses on top of her. Mikasa holds him close as her lungs gasp for air. “I love you,” Eren mutters, so quietly that Mikasa isn’t even sure if she’s heard him correctly. But then he leans forward to kiss her once more, and she knows she’s heard right.Slowly, Eren moves off of her and turns on his side to face her. Mikasa nestles in close to him, the cold now returning as her heartbeat and body temperature drop. Eren is awake just long enough to wrap the covers around them but soon falls asleep with his arm draped around Mikasa’s backside.Mikasa takes longer to fall asleep. She moves a stray hair from his face and stares as him as he peacefully sleeps. The Eren next to her reminds her of a young child, one who never had a huge burden placed on his shoulders and just wanted to see life outside of the walls. She knows that is who he truly still is deep down.Tiredness begins to take over for Mikasa too. She leans forward, planting a kiss against his warm cheek before succumbing to the same blissful sleep.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Lately, his eyes have fallen toward her more than usual. He admires her dark eyes, her smooth lips, her dark hair, and her pale skin with each stolen glance. When her fingertips just gently touch his skin, fire ignites the spot she’s touched until it’s scorching his whole body. And all he can think about is how desperately and hopelessly he’s fallen in love with her.The guilt eats Eren alive. How can he ever return the affection she shows him when he’s slated to die in so many years? He knows she wouldn’t care anyway, that she’s already done her best to spend every passing moment with him while he’s still alive, but how could he ever forgive himself for causing her pain?But Eren also knows that he will die unhappy without ever telling her how he feels, without ever tasting her lips or gently caressing her skin. One morning during breakfast, these thoughts run through his head, as they normally do when he’s near her. His leg shakes with anxiety, practically causing the whole bench to vibrate.“I get it. You’re nervous about fighting,” Armin offers as an excuse for his twitching behavior.Eren silently accepts this reasoning and continues nibbling at his food, his eyes staring forward at the blank wall ahead of him so he won’t have to look at her. She is sitting next to him, as always, casually eating her breakfast and striking up a conversation with her blond companion.“Eren, could you pass the salt?” Mikasa asks kindly.It’s enough to break him out of his trance for just a moment. His fingers reach around the glass container, and as he slowly passes it toward her, he feels that fire throughout him again. It nearly erupts when he makes eye contact with her.The desire Eren has pressed deep down erupts. In a moment, his hand is cupped around her neck and his lips are on hers. A noise echoes from her throat in surprise, but before she has time to say anything else, Eren quickly pulls away and drops the salt shaker in her lap.“Here’s that salt you wanted,” he says quickly before rising from the bench and fleeing back to his bedroom.Eren does not see Mikasa after that. He remains in his room, trying to focus on battle strategy, but the thought of her soft lips pressed against his makes his heart race. They were just as smooth as he had expected them to be. A knock interrupts his thoughts. At first, Eren thinks it’s Mikasa, come to interrogate him on the morning’s events, but Armin stands outside his door instead.“What was that this morning?” he asks as Eren shuts the door behind him.“What was what?” Eren asks, wondering if perhaps he just imagined the whole thing altogether. One look from Armin, and he knows his actions were real.“Everyone’s gossiping about it. You two are the talk of the town. I personally thought it would never happen, but I guess you still like surprising people,” Armin rambles.Eren buries his face in his hands.“Is she mad at me?” he asks at last.Armin frowns. “I don’t think so. Confused would be the best term. But…Eren, where did that even come from?”“I don’t know,” he laments, even if he is very aware of the answer. Only in the past few months has he considered his own feelings toward Mikasa. Before, he never noticed the way she sometimes tucked a strand of stray hair behind or ear or tangled her fingers through her scarf at different times during the day. He admires the way she struts through the barracks as if she owns the place and the way she scolds him truthfully about his actions even when he feigns ignorance. And lately, he’s noticed the way she looks at him.“Do you think she’ll come visit later?” Eren asks.Armin shrugs. “I don’t know. She told me she was going to go work out for a while after breakfast. I haven’t seen her since.”Eren grunts.“What will you tell her if she does visit?” Armin asks.He shrugs in response.“You were never one in touch with your feelings, were you?” Armin mutters to himself, laughing a bit as he says it.“Armin, I want to marry her.”The blond stiffens beside him. “Pardon?”“Do you think she’d say yes?” Eren asks, his heart racing at the thought of her as his bride.Armin pales. “I don’t know, Eren. I don’t know Mikasa as well as you. While she’s in every way obvious about how she feels for you, she’s not very good at vocal expression either.”“I shouldn’t ask her. It’d be stupid,” Eren grumbles, starting to bury his emotions again. Maybe his time limit has made him more reckless than normal. What’s the point of marrying someone for only a few years?But he wants it more than anything else in the world. He wants to wake up beside her each morning and make love to her late at night and tell her quietly in each passing moment how she means—no, how much she’s meant to him for the entirety of his life.“You’re thinking about the curse,” Armin realizes.Eren nods.“Well, lucky you, I know how that feels too.”“But you have a longer time than me,” Eren points out.“I can’t get into your head, even if I’ve tried over the years. Be honest is all I can say. She was blushing when you left, you know that? I think she wanted to kiss you back if you hadn’t pulled away so quick.”Eren can feel his own cheeks growing hot.“I’ll leave you alone, I guess,” Armin decides, heading back toward the door.“Armin, wait,” Eren says.His friend pauses.“Thanks,” Eren says, a rare smile appearing on his face.“Good luck,” Armin says as he shuts the door behind him.Eren waits in the hallway until Mikasa exits her room then quickly sneaks inside. Her bed is made neatly, and her few belongings are neatly stacked around the tiny room. He begins rummaging through her things, desperate to find a ring that will give him some indication of her size.It's stupid of him to believe that Mikasa has any piece of jewelry. The only sentimental item she keeps is that scarf he gave her so many years before, but that won’t tell him a thing about the size of her finger.There’s got to be something, he thinks as he rummages through her drawers. He has just closed one of them when the door swings open.Eren lets out a shout in surprise and watches as Mikasa narrows her eyes.“Can I help you?” she asks calmly.“Er, well, I—”“Did you come here to talk?” she wonders.“I had something to say, but…I just forgot. I’ll catch you another time,” he says, fleeing quickly before she has the chance to utter another word.“I got her ring size,” Armin tells Eren in the evening one day.“What? How?”“I asked her,” Armin replies simply.“She just told you?”“Yeah.”Eren’s mind grows fuzzy. Mikasa is sometimes an enigma that he doesn’t think he’ll ever figure out.“Here. I wrote it down,” Armin says, pulling a slip of paper from his pocket. “She’s worried about you, you know. She found it weird that you were in her room the other day. I think she was hopeful you were going to address what happened but…”Eren groans, pressing his hands to both sides of his forehead. “Don’t remind me. That’s why I entrusted you, remember?”Armin laughs. “I only hope your proposal doesn’t go as poorly.”Eren walks down the hallway to Mikasa’s bedroom, twisting the newly-purchased ring in his pocket. His heart is racing faster than it ever has before, even more so than when he’s been deep in battle. He never knew that something so mundane would make him more nervous than he’s ever been in his life.He’s relieved to see her door shut. That means she’s in her room.Eren shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath before lightly knocking his fist against the door. There’s a pause, and for a second, Eren wonders if he should just head back to his room so that he can gather up courage to ask another time, but the door swings open right after these thoughts pass. Mikasa looks up, almost surprised to see him.“Oh…I didn’t expect you,” she says.“Can I come in?” Eren asks.She nods, shutting the door behind him as he takes a seat on her bed.“Um, how are you?” she asks.Eren’s leg is twitching again, shaking up and down. His foot rhythmically taps against the hardwood floor, creating a light echo. His fingers grip onto the ring in his pocket, but he can’t convince himself to do it, at least not just yet.“Eren?”“Huh?” He glances up, finding her staring at him, concerned. “Oh, I’m okay.”“I thought you’d maybe come talk to me after…”“Oh,” Eren says. He realizes both their cheeks are turning red. Should he do it now? Just get down on one knee and pop the question? But they’re both feeling awkward and confused, and for some reason, he doesn’t want his grand proposal to be in her tiny living space.“It’s hot in here,” Eren realizes. “Can we go outside? We could go on a walk.”“Okay,” Mikasa agrees, her eyes brightening a bit.They step outside into the cool forest air moments later. The nighttime breeze cools Eren’s skin and helps prevent more sweat from gathering all over his body. Mikasa quietly walks beside him, shoving her scarf up over her nose as shelter from the cold.“I guess it’s a bit colder than I thought,” Eren realizes, chuckling a bit. “But look, you can see the stars.”Mikasa looks up and nods. Slowly, she lowers the scarf from her mouth to speak.“What happened earlier this week?” she asks at last.Eren bites his lip. He would’ve guessed he’d already come up with an answer for this inevitable question, but his mind has gone blank. “I like you,” he says simply.“I could’ve guessed that. I hoped you liked me before you kissed me as well.”“You know what I mean,” Eren grumbles.“I like you,” Mikasa responds.“I know.”“Then why are we out here talking then?” the raven-haired girl asks. “Because that’s not all I want to say.”“Then get on with it,” Mikasa urges. “It’s cold, and there’s a warm bed waiting for me.”Eren grits his teeth. Mikasa can be infuriating at times, but it’s also what makes her desirable as well.“You weren’t supposed to say that. That’s not how this conversation was supposed to go.”“What conversation?” Mikasa asks. “It took you that long to try to think of how to talk to me about the kiss?”“It’s not just the kiss!” Eren shouts.“Then, what is it?” Mikasa wonders.“It’s—” He clenches his fists, then slowly unclenches them. Slowly, he takes a deep breath and looks at the stars. His gaze falls back down to her own eyes that shine almost as brightly. Eren slowly steps forward and reaches for one of her hands. He delicately grabs one of them, and then, while still maintaining eye contact, gets down on one knee and pulls the ring from his pocket, holding it in front of her.Mikasa drops his hand almost immediately and gasps.Eren isn’t sure what to make of her reaction, but he speaks anyway. He’s already halfway there. Now he just needs to ask.“Will you at least look at me when I talk to you?” he asks first, noticing Mikasa has completely averted her gaze, whether out of shock or anger or embarrassment, he’s not sure. Slowly but surely, she gains the courage to look at him again.“I don’t just like you. I…I love you, so much so that it’s beginning to hurt me. I know I haven’t been as kind to you as I wanted to be, especially when we were younger. You deserved so much more attention from me, and I wish I had realized that so much earlier. Ever since we were kids, you’ve stayed by my side, taken care of me, protected me, even if I didn’t want you to, and followed me valiantly into battle even when it meant risking your own life. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize how much you mean to me. You’ve been on my thoughts all day and night lately, and because I didn’t know how to confess, I hastily kissed you earlier this week.”“Eren, it’s okay—”“No, let me finish,” Eren continues. His knee is starting to throb, and his fingers are growing cold, but he has to finish his speech. He at least promised himself that.“I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time, and I’m sorry I couldn’t just tell you how I felt. I’m cowardly. But I know I want to be with you. And I know I’m selfish for wanting you to be mine when we’d have so little time together, but I love you, so much, and I don’t want to end my life with any regrets. So, Mikasa Ackerman, will you marry me?” he asks at last, his voice quivering with that last sentence.Mikasa is deathly silent. Eren winces, believing that he’s truly done something wrong, when suddenly one of her hands gently grabs onto his shoulder and the other helps lift him back up so he’s standing beside her.“You want me?” she asks quietly.Eren nods. “I promise I’d treat you like a goddess if—”“Yes.”“What?”“Yes, I’ll marry you, Eren Jaeger,” she agrees. He notices the faintest glimmer of tears in her eyes as she delivers her answer.“Will you really?” he asks, his voice scratchy as the sobs growing in his own throat.She nods and leans forward to kiss him. This is what he wanted the first kiss to feel like. He presses one hand to her waist, the other still holding the ring, as he aligns his mouth with hers. Eren feels her hands wring behind his neck and feels her warm tears beginning to roll down her cheeks onto his as they share a kiss.When they finally pull away, Eren realizes they’re both crying.“C-Can I put the ring on you?” he asks, wiping a tear from his eye.Mikasa lets out a little laugh-cry. “I almost forgot.” She gives her hand to him, watching as he slips the glittery ring onto her left hand.“So that’s what Armin was asking about. I thought he was just being weird,” she admits.Eren laughs and embraces her, hugging her close to his body. He breathes in the sweet scent of her hair and relaxes as she presses her palms into his back. They are silent for a few moments, hugging each other in the moonlight.“Are you sure?” Eren asks once more. “It’s like I said, I don’t have—”Mikasa slowly pulls away to face him. “I don’t care. I’ll marry you anyway. And in another life, I’d do it again. Because I only want to be near you in the time you have left. I love you, Eren Jaeger.”Eren traces his thumb over her engagement ring and pulls her close again to kiss her. Though the night air is cold, he finds himself warmer than ever before as he holds his fiancée close, excited for the future he will soon get to share with her.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The deafening alarm cries out as battle nears. Through the rapid footsteps, crowded hallways, and shouts of orders, Eren Jaeger marches against the massive crowd, his footsteps barely audible with the loud chaos of an approaching fight. He clenches one of his hands into a fist, mentally preparing himself for the task at hand when a figure pushes through the crowd toward him.He can barely hear her calling for him through the blaring alarm.It is only when a hand grasps his arm that he turns around, staring at the ravenette. With a fist held firmly against her chest, she stares at him with a burning intensity.I’ll protect you.Though she doesn’t speak, Eren knows already this is what she intends.The brunet smirks. Since the day he saved her, she has dedicated herself to him, more than anyone else. With every battle and his every insistence that she leave him be, she continues to stay by his side, endangering herself for his sake. But not this time around.“Go to your commanding officer,” he instructs.Mikasa shakes her head. “Do you have any idea how much danger you’ll be in?” he adds, feeling his patience begin to flicker. She’s stubborn, just like him. “I’m going to keep you safe,” she urges. The blaring alarm finally ends its shrill cries. Eren’s ears still ring even with the sound’s absence. Only the clacking of soldiers’ shoes against the tile creates noise now.Eren’s hands reach forward to grasp onto her shoulders. Mikasa gasps in surprise as he grips tightly. “Go...now,” he hisses.Mikasa opens her mouth to protest, then shuts it as Captain Levi approaches. Based on his narrowed eyes and slow, yet forceful movements, Eren can tell he is about ready to snap.“Jaeger, get to your position,” he growls.Eren slowly begins to release his grip on Mikasa’s shoulders. She reaches up to rub them as he removes his hands altogether.“Will you make sure she stays where she is?” Eren asks, watching her avoid eye contact with him as he looks her way.“Eren,” Mikasa begins, interrupted as Levi tightly grips onto her own arm. His action is confirmation enough that she will keep out of any trouble.“This way, soldier,” the captain sneers. Mikasa squirms in his grip. She turns her head back, staring hopelessly at Eren, but he can only stand and watch, letting out deep breaths of relief as she is pulled further and further away from him.“Eren!” she calls desperately.He sneaks one last look at her frustrated figure before turning around. The hall is empty now. Silence engulfs him.While Mikasa is sure to be furious with him when the day is done, he breathes easier knowing she won’t be following him. Eren can’t afford to have her following him to the frontlines these days. Not when he’s only just come to realize how much he cares for her.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The high school cafeteria buzzes with the chatter of hungry students and the clanking of metal utensils. Eren lifts his head upward to gaze at the dark blue Homecoming banner that’s being hung into place. He grumbles and takes a bite of food, having forgotten that the onset of autumn also means that an annual school dance is right around the corner.“A beach theme, really?” Eren mumbles, staring at the illustrated waves on the banner. “Have you thought about who you’re going to ask?” Armin asks besides Eren.“No. I might just not go. Last year was underwhelming,” Eren mutters as he takes another bite of food.“I forget. Who did you take last year?”“Mina Carolina. She just dragged me around the whole dance to show me off to her friends.”Armin tilts his head. “Why did you even take her, then?”“We were in the same geometry class. I don’t know. I heard her complaining that no one had asked her yet, and I hadn’t found a date, so I thought, why not?” “Pst,” Connie interrupts, sliding next to Eren. “I heard a rumor that Mikasa Ackerman is going to ask you this year.”“Huh?!” Eren questions.This is the first time Eren’s been made aware of this rumor. Come to think of it, he hasn’t talked to Mikasa in a while, not since over summer. In their elementary school days they were inseparable, but later on into middle school and eventually high school, their childhood friendship began to weaken. Just for a second, Eren feels a glimmer of disappointment and perhaps guilt for not maintaining a strong relationship with her.“Who did she go with last year?” Armin wonders. Connie shrugs. “I don’t think she went with anyone. Sasha told me that she was too heartbroken over some guy to go.”“Well, she never told me anything,” Eren argues. “Don’t you have Algebra 2 together? Maybe she’ll ask you this afternoon,” Connie jokes.“It’s not like we sit next to each other and hold hands!” Eren shouts, his anger rising from Connie’s incessant teasing.“Eren, are you blushing?” Armin asks, turning his head to stare at his face.Eren turns his face to hide the reddening of his cheeks. “It’s because you two are messing with me!”“Talking about Mikasa Ackerman, are we?” comes the sly, cocky voice that drives Eren mad every time he hears it. He looks upward to see Jean Kirstein has approached the table with a smug look on his face.“Mikasa’s going to ask Eren to the Homecoming dance,” Connie states.“Hey, we still don’t know if that’s—” Eren’s attempt to hush the rumor is broken off by Jean speaking again.“She’s asking you? Shouldn’t it be reversed?” Jean wonders. His eyes then narrow as he stares at Eren. “Has she spoken to you about it?”“No! That’s why I think this rumor is bullshit.”“Good. Because I was planning to ask her later this afternoon myself,” Jean announces, pressing a triumphant hand against his chest.Eren doesn’t know why, but something about Jean taking Mikasa to Homecoming rubs him the wrong way. Why would she want to go to the dance with the boy whose personality is the equivalent of a rotting dumpster? “You got quiet all of the sudden, Jaeger,” Jean realizes, raising an eyebrow.Eren looks away and grumbles. “Do what you want.”“Were you planning to ask her?”“No! Have a blast at the dance. In fact, send my congratulations on your future marriage.”“Stop being sassy with me, Jaeger,” Jean growls.Eren grins. There is nothing so pleasing these days as getting on Jean’s nerves. Rivals since middle school, Eren has always felt a particular disdain toward the boy, and nowadays, he’s willing to do anything to see Jean become unglued. He slowly rises to stand near his rival.“Eren,” Armin warns. These pattern of events always turn out the same way, but Eren is willing to deal with the consequences.“How are you so sure Mikasa Ackerman would go with you? In fact, I’d be surprised if any girl was your date due to that horse-face of yours.”The tension snaps. Jean lunges forward, gripping his hands around Eren’s collar. “Get your hands off of me,” Eren growls, grasping onto Jean’s clenched fist.“Make me!” he challenges.Eren reaches his hand upward to swing a punch when someone lifts him up from his feet before he has the chance to. He gasps in surprise and cries out as he’s slowly pulled away from Jean. Jean seems more shocked than anything else as Eren is slowly carried farther from him, toward the exit of the school cafeteria.He glances down and growls at who he sees.“Mikasa! Let me go!” he shouts, squirming in her grip. It doesn’t help that nearly every spectator is watching and laughing at him being carried away by the young woman.Once they leave the chaos of the cafeteria behind and enter into the empty hallway, she drops him, not very gently, onto the tile floor. Eren curses quietly and stares up at her. She looks back with narrowed eyes, as if she’s upset with him.“What was that for?” he asks, rubbing the back of his neck.“You were going to get a detention if I didn’t step in,” she says. “What’s wrong with you? Fifteen and still picking fights with anyone who crosses you.”He is forced to remember how often she’s broken off his fights before anything got too serious. Eren glances down, almost embarrassed that she’s looking out for him even when he should know better. Still though, his fingers clench as he thinks of Jean smirking at him. If Mikasa had just known what they were talking about…“I didn’t tell you to get involved!” Eren argues. He realizes this is the first conversation they’ve had since the school year started, though he didn’t expect it to be filled with such annoyance.“Then stay away from Jean.”“He came up to me!”“Then ignore him.”“What? Do you believe all the bullshit he spews?” Eren asks.Mikasa sighs and reaches her hand forward to help him up. For a second, his heart seizes as he wonders if the rumors are true. Is this her clever scheme to ask him to the dance?As Eren slowly stands though, she removes her hand and glances away.“Just relax, for once,” she says, swinging her scarf over her neck. He pauses, realizing that’s the same scarf he bought her for her tenth birthday. It was a particularly cold winter, and he noticed that she’d been sneezing and coughing more than normal. She’d worn that scarf for the rest of season, but he hadn’t realized she’d still kept it after all these years.Eren opens his mouth to say something, but she interrupts him.“See you in Algebra. Stay out of trouble,” she murmurs, the bottoms of her shoes clacking against the hallway as she walks away.Eren rubs his neck again and stares at her curiously as she walks away. He feels like there was something else he should’ve said, but he doesn’t know what. Thank you?. Probably. But there’s some other thought buried deep within that struggles to translate into words on his tongue.By the time her figure disappears from his sight, the bell rings for classes to resume. He spends the rest of the afternoon thinking of Mikasa, for some reason, and the scarf around her neck. He supposes he’s seen her wear it once or twice on occasion, but he suddenly wonders if she wears it more often than he thought. He thinks of this past summer, when they went to the beach a few times and gazed at the stars and made smores over the bonfire. Those had just been friendly get-togethers, hadn’t it? She’d seemed more cold during that summer, and even more so in this new school year. When had she stopped staring at him with such admiration? He blinks, wondering if he still craves attention from her, wondering if maybe he liked her nagging him because it meant she cared about him, deep down.Eren shakes his head and does his best to sit as far away as possible from her in Algebra 2. His eyes dart to her every once in a while, but her eyes are either glued to the teacher lecturing or on her own notes. It doesn’t surprise him. She’s one of the smartest in their class.Something hopes that when they pack up for the day, she’ll come ask him to Homecoming. A part of him wants her to so that he can watch Jean crumble in defeat. But Mikasa simply packs her things and doesn’t utter a word to him as she leaves.Mikasa grips the straps of her backpack as she walks with Sasha down the street during the chilly autumn afternoon. October leaves bursting with red and orange give the surrounding neighborhood more color than ever before. The raven-haired girl steps on a fallen leaf just for fun, grinning in satisfaction as it crunches beneath her foot.“Can we stop for food before going to Historia’s?” Sasha begs.“No. That test is Monday, and you barely understand any of the conepts. We need to study for it.”Sasha frowns. “I don’t care about tests. High school is gross. The cafeteria food in middle school was so much better. But I guess the dances are more fun. Who are you going with?”Mikasa shrugs. “I don’t know.”“Don’t tell me you’re not going to go a second year in a row? It was so boring last year without you! Ymir and Historia left to make-out in a corner halfway through, so I had to deal with Connie being annoying the rest of the dance. Please come!”“If I recall, you agreed to go with Connie. And…I don’t know. We have midterm exams the next week after the dance.”Sasha groans. “Ugh…all you think about is school! Loosen up a little. Have some fun!” she states, shoving Mikasa a little.“I am having fun!” Mikasa argues.“We should be doing something fun on a Friday night, but we’re studying instead.”“It’s a study party,” Mikasa corrects her. “Besides, this was the only day that worked for our schedules.”Sasha opens her mouth to speak but is cut off by a voice behind both of them.“Wait, Mikasa!”She spins around, hoping for a moment that it’s who she thinks it is, but she only sees a tall, obnoxious boy pursuing her. “What is it, Jean?” Mikasa asks. “We have a lot of studying to do.”“Can I talk to you?” he asks. He gazes at Sasha briefly before adding, “In private?”Sasha giggles until Mikasa elbows her to shut her up.“Go on ahead, Sasha. I’ll meet you there,” Mikasa instructs her friend.“Okay,” Sasha says, her giggles still echoing down the street as she leaves them behind.Mikasa glances downward at the leaves tumbling in the wind, feeling Jean’s stare burning into her. Annoyed, she looks back up at him.“Well, what is it?” she asks.Jean stiffens for a second. She watches his cheeks slowly becoming blushed, though maybe it’s just the cold blowing against his cheeks. “Oh, uh, that’s right. Well, today’s your lucky day. I’m asking you to the Homecoming dance. I already have a nice restaurant in mind we can go to, Reiner’s probably going to rent a limo, that after-party is going to be—”“No,” Mikasa says simply.Jean pauses. “What?”“No. I won’t go with you to the dance,” she answers.“Why not? Did Jaeger already ask?”Mikasa pauses for a second. Since when was it likely that Eren was going to ask her? Perhaps she’s daydreamed about it once or twice during classes when she should’ve been paying attention but…“No one’s asked me.”“So you…just don’t want to go with me?” he asks, hurt in his voice.“That’s correct.”She watches Jean’s expression change from boldness to one of shock and betrayal. “B-But why? Any girl would kill to go with me. I’ve already had three ask me themselves.”“You’re an obnoxious douche who gets on the nerves of me and countless others. You’re rude and don’t care for the feelings of anyone. You didn’t even ‘ask’ me just now. You just declared we were going together. Why don’t you re-evaluate your personality first before asking a girl to the dance?” Mikasa states. She’s noticed his lingering gaze on her often this school year, and she’s making sure that she puts it an end to it before he gets his hopes continue to grow.Jean clenches his fist, then unclenches it. “Fine. But don’t think you’re going to get another chance. Don’t expect Jaeger to come to your door, begging you to come—”A harsh slap echoes. Mikasa’s hand moves away from Jean’s cheek. He reaches upward to press his hand to the reddened skin. She spins around and marches away without looking back, quietly fuming over his comment. She presses a hand gently to her chest, feeling her heart beat rapidly. Mikasa is tempted to turn back, just to see if Jean’s still standing in place, shocked, or if he’s run off, but she decides she doesn’t want to know.Maybe I should’ve just taken him. He’s right. I don’t know who else would ask me, she thinks hopelessly.When she shows up to Historia’s house, Sasha, Historia, and Ymir are all snickering as she sets her things down to join them in the living room.“What?” Mikasa asks.Sasha finally lets out a squeal of glee. “I’m just excited I won’t have to go to the dance without my best friend this year! We’ll have to go shopping for dresses ASAP, and then—”“I didn’t say I was going.”“But didn’t Jean ask you?” Historia wonders. “Sasha said he—”“He asked me. I said no,” Mikasa explains.Sasha’s mouth drops open. She reaches forward and grasps her hands on Mikasa’s shoulders, beginning to shake her back and forth. “What’s wrong with you?! A boy asked you to the dance and you said no?!”“I didn’t want to go with him.”“Leave her alone. That boy’s a pain in the ass anyway,” Ymir mutters, scrolling through her phone.Historia clutches the electronic device from her girlfriend. “Stop! We’re supposed to be studying!”“I’m only here for moral support. I’m not going to ace the test on Monday.”“Are we all ignoring the fact that Mikasa turned down a date for Homecoming?!” Sasha practically shrieks.“You can always go stag,” Historia offers. “It’s still fun either way.”Sasha narrows her eyes. “You just want Eren to ask.”Mikasa’s eyes widen. “I-I didn’t say that! He probably doesn’t want to talk to me anyway after I broke up his fight with Jean earlier today.”“You’re better off just asking him yourself. That boy is dense,” Ymir mutters, reaching behind Historia to sneakily retrieve her phone.Mikasa blushes. “Let’s just get studying,” she decides, beginning to open her textbook.Eren awkwardly knocks his fist against the dark brown door of the Ackerman home Saturday afternoon. He realizes he hasn’t visited in a while as he glances around. Have the windows been replaced lately? It looks like a new layer of paint coats the old as well.He shifts his feet. After Mikasa’s stern comments toward him, he realizes he owes her an apology for acting out on Friday.The door swings open, and he glances up at Mikasa’s mother.“Eren! I haven’t seen you in ages,” she states, her eyes widening at the sight of him.“Hi, Mrs. Ackerman. Sorry I haven’t visited in a while. School and all that. Is Mikasa there?”“Yes. Just a second…Mikasa!”“If it’s Jean, tell him to fuck off,” Eren hears Mikasa call as her footsteps near the door. Normally, this comment would make him laugh, but instead, he pauses. Did Jean ask Mikasa to Homecoming, then? And was her response what he thinks it was?“Mikasa,” her mother hisses. “Watch your language.”Mikasa freezes when she sees Eren at her doorstep instead. He waves his hand slightly.“Hey,” he says.“Hi,” she replies quietly. “Why are you here?”“I just wanted to hang out,” he says innocently.“Oh…okay.”The next thing he knows, Mikasa is swinging back and forth on the tire swing hanging from the large tree in her front yard. Eren leans against the trunk, watching autumn leaves slowly swirl down, cascading around her figure.They don’t speak, but he realizes he can’t take his eyes off of her. When did she become so alluring? The leaves look beautiful around her. He chuckles slightly as one lands in her hair. Eren reaches forward, pulling it off before she has the chance to.“Oh. Thanks,” she says. “No problem.”“So why did you come here?” she asks.“To apologize and to say thank you. I was being a brat yesterday, and you probably got me out of a lot of trouble. My mom would’ve been angry if I’d gotten in another fistfight.”“Oh. Whatever. It’s what I’ve always done, right?”“I’ll try not to beat up that bastard again,” Eren promises.“You have my permission. I won’t stop you next time,” she alternatively says.“Did he…”“Ask me to Homecoming? Was that what you were going to ask?”Eren quietly nods.“Yeah. He got all butthurt when I told him no. Sasha’s pissed with me. She thinks that was my only chance to get a date. I don’t even know if I’ll go though.”“You should. I don’t think Armin’s gotten a date yet. Maybe you two can go as friends,” Eren offers.He hears Mikasa quietly snort.“What?”“Nothing, nothing,” she says, swinging her legs back and forth. “I guess it’s nice to talk after a while.”“Oh. Yeah.”“Are you going to the dance?” she wonders.“I don’t know. Probably not.”“Hm, well if you’re not going either, maybe we can just do something fun together that night. Go see a movie or have a sleepover like we used to when we were kids,” she thinks.Eren blinks in surprise. “Oh, yeah.”“Do you not want to do that?” she asks. “I guess we might be a little old for that kind of stuff now.”“No, no, it’s fine. We haven’t hung out in a while, after all,” he says, trying to hide the realization that right now he wants nothing more to see Mikasa in a dress, to dance stupidly with her all night, look into her eyes during the slow dance, and share a huge icecream sundae with her after. Of course, he’d done all the normal Homecoming activities the year prior, but they’d just felt like a chore.“Eren?”“Huh?” he asks, realizing she’s just spoken to him.“I asked if you wanted to go inside. It’s getting kind of cold out here. My mom can probably make us some hot chocolate.”“Oh, sure,” Eren agrees. Sipping hot chocolate and chatting with Mikasa sounds like a nice way to kill the afternoon.Mikasa arrives back to school on Monday, still flustered from the weekend’s events. Why now, at a time like this, did Eren Jaeger show up at her doorstep for some casual conversation? She still dreamily thinks of Saturday afternoon. He ended up staying for dinner, just like old times, and she even walked him home under the moonlight.“What are you thinking about? Your face is all red,” Sasha mutters beside her.Mikasa practically shrieks, not realizing Sasha has joined her by her locker. “N-Nothing. Did you study some more like we told you to on Friday?”“Er…”“Sasha!”“I got distracted. This new seafood restaurant opened down the street, and I needed to try it out to get a general consensus. I’ll be fine,” her red-headed friend assures her, waving her hand.Mikasa sighs and shuts her locker. “Something else is bothering you,” Sasha realizes.“Nothing is!” Mikasa suddenly is grateful for the bell as it disrupts their conversation. She finishes placing her things in her backpack and swings it around her shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”Mikasa is more distracted than normal during her morning classes. Even when she finally sits down to take the test she’s spent all weekend studying for, her mind goes blank. She furiously thinks to herself, trying to recall material, but nothing’s helping.She quietly asks the teacher to get a drink of water and leaves her test behind, hoping to clear her head with a quick drink. After a sip of water from the drinking fountain, she presses her back against one of the lockers, furious with herself for letting personal issues get in the way of her grades. Mikasa takes a deep breath, about ready to return to her grueling exam, when she hears a quiet voice beside her.“Hey.”Mikasa’s eyes widen.“Eren, hi,” she says.“Er, everything okay? You look a bit stressed.”“I’m in the middle of an exam right now. Things…aren’t going as well as I thought,” she admits.Eren frowns. “That sucks, sorry. I think you’re selling yourself short though. You could still manage to ace it.”Mikasa weakly smiles. “Thanks. I should probably…”“Wait,” Eren says before she can move a muscle.“I can’t linger. The teacher is going to be suspicious. Aren’t you in class?” Mikasa asks.“Free period. I just wanted to apologize for showing up unannounced. I realize you could’ve been studying or doing something with your family—”“It’s fine,” Mikasa says, glancing down at her shoes as warmth rises in her cheeks. “It was nice hanging out after a while, like I said before.”“We should hang out some more,” Eren suggests. She glances up slightly, just to get a quick view of his blushed state.“Well, are we still on for Homecoming night? We could watch a bunch of horror movies at my place,” she suggests.“Er, well…”Mikasa feels her heart sink.
Stupid. I should’ve known…
“Oh. Sorry. Did you end up getting a date after all? It’s okay, then,” Mikasa says, about ready to turn and head back to her exam when Eren speaks up.“I didn’t get a date.”“Oh…” It hurts more knowing that he doesn’t want to be with her that night regardless.“Jean hasn’t asked you again?” Eren quietly asks.Mikasa impatiently stomps her foot. What is the point of prolonging this useless conversation? She glances down at her feet as she tells him again that she’d rather take five exams in a week before going to the dance with Jean.“Then…” Eren glances away from her again, staring at the ticking clock in the hallway. Slowly, he turns his head. She glances into his green eyes, feeling her breath catch in her throat. Mikasa’s rarely seen his eyes glow with such light.“Would you like to go to Homecoming with me?”Mikasa’s eyes widen. “What?”She watches curiously as Eren tangles his fingers together and shuffles one of his feet against the ground. She can still make out the faintest blush on his cheeks. Is this…“Do you think it’s possible to fall in love with someone in three days?”Mikasa realizes her fingers are beginning to tremble against the metal lockers behind her.“N-No, but maybe…maybe you can realize suddenly that you’ve grown to love someone,” she quietly answers.“You’re right,” Eren says. Her heart races with anticipation as he approaches her. She feels his warm hand grasp onto hers and squeeze it.“I like you—no, I love you—and I want you to come to Homecoming with me. Will you?” he asks.Mikasa, too shocked to speak, quietly nods before wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder. She hears him gasp in surprise before slowly reaching up to engulf her in his arms. She missed his warmth, missed his smell, and most importantly, missed his presence these past few years. Last year, she cried herself to sleep after learning Eren had taken a random girl in one of his classes. But now, as she holds him close, she realizes none of that mattered. Because this was meant to happen all along.“Is that a yes?” Eren wonders.Mikasa laughs against the fabric of his shirt before slowly drawing her arms away to look up at him.“Yes,” she says happily. She traces her fingertips against his cheek. At first, she is afraid he’ll pull away, but he leans into her touch. “I love you, too, Eren.”When his lips press against hers, she feels like her body is on fire. For years she’s dreamed of this moment. It’s hard to imagine one week ago Eren was only a passerby, someone she’d always pined over but was too timid to share her true feelings. Now, she weaves her fingers through his hair and smiles against his lips.“Can we do that a lot during the dance? I want to see the look on Jean’s face,” Eren teases, still breathy from their kiss.Mikasa giggles. “Yes.” She leans up to kiss him again, but he presses a finger against her lips.“Hey,” she complains.“Don’t you still have an exam to finish?”Mikasa’s eyes widen. “Shit, you’re right!” She pulls away from him suddenly, beginning to head down the hallway. She spins around quickly, her eyes falling on his gentle gaze.“Let’s hang out after school at my place,” Eren suggests.Mikasa nods and turns the corner, thinking that she just might have the motivation to finish that exam after all.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“I’m pregnant,” Mikasa says simply as she leans into the doorway of Eren’s room. He sitting on his bed with his hands on his knees, staring up at her as she speaks.She watches him stiffen as soon as the words leave her mouth and slowly angle his head downwards. Eren runs his rough, calloused fingers through the dark hair that’s been pulled back. Mikasa is quiet, watching him take the news in silence. He makes no sound, save for the faint sigh that echoes from his mouth.A night of passion mixed with heartbreak and had led to this situation a month earlier. Both had been weary and distraught over the war with Marley and Eren’s fleeting life, and so they had both sought comfort in each other, trying to bring themselves pleasure in a world that lacked sense of that word altogether.“I want to keep it,” Mikasa adds when Eren still hasn’t responded.He finally glances up at her. Pain reflects in his light eyes, and Mikasa swears she can see the faintest glint of tears mixed in there as well. She takes a step forward, then pauses again when he exhales.“Why?” Eren asks. “You know that I—”“I know you only have a year left,” Mikasa interrupts. She takes the initiative and moves closer before sitting down on the edge of his bed beside him. Mikasa avoids eye-contact, staring forward at the blank wall ahead of her as she speaks.“I’m selfish,” she says quietly. “The curse is going to take you from me too soon. And this…this baby—our child—is the last I have of you.”“You don’t want to raise a child on your own,” Eren murmurs, refusing eye contact as well. “Besides, Captain Levi will be furious that you’re in this condition when a war is still going on. You’re one of our best soldiers.”“I know,” Mikasa says. She glances down at her hands and folds them together as she thinks. That’s all she’s done the past few days since finding out. Think about the future that she truly wants. “But we’ve lost a bit of our population already, and it’s time to start growing it anew,” Mikasa says after a pause. “I never wanted to be a soldier anyway.”“What?”“I only joined to protect you. I’ve done my duty as best as I can. But I’ve always wanted to be a mother and to have a peaceful little home of my own,” Mikasa says softly.“But I can’t join you,” Eren sighs.“I knew that dream would never come true. A part of me hoped, but—” she pauses, taking in another deep breath, “—but the curse changed all that.”The conversation pauses as the two of them stare forward. Both are unmoving and deathly quiet. Then, Eren finally sighs and turns to look at her. Mikasa can clearly see the anguish in his green eyes now.“You really want to do this?” he asks.Mikasa nods her head slowly. She reaches a hand forward to stroke his cheek. Her fingers trace across the stubble growing there.Eren grasps onto her arm and slowly moves it away from his face. Mikasa opens her mouth as if to defend herself, but in one quick motion, he embraces her and presses her tightly to his chest. Mikasa inhales sharply but relaxes as she feels him rest his head over her shoulder. His body is beginning to tremble as she feels his fingertips press deeply into her back.“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he mutters again and again. She hears the choked cries rising in his throat each time he says it.“Why are you sorry?” Mikasa asks quietly, her voice muffled from her mouth being pressed against his shoulder.“I’ve done nothing but caused suffering to everyone around me.”“Eren,” she says. She moves her hands up to run her fingers through his hair. He removes his arms and pulls back to look at her. Eren’s eyes have become red and swollen with fresh tears.“This makes me happy,” she tells him genuinely. “If I ever wanted to have children, I always wanted it to be with you.”Eren stares at her, dumbfounded.“I love you,” she says quietly, ignoring the heat rising in her cheeks. Mikasa looks away, embarrassed to say anymore, but Eren’s hand gently grasps under her chin and twists her face up towards him. His mouth descends onto her moments later.The kiss is warm, gentle, and it feels Mikasa with all kinds of emotion. Even when they were making love, Mikasa felt that they both lacked that genuine connection. Only now does she realize how much he cares as he pulls away and stares at her, unblinking.“I’ll do whatever I can for you,” he says softly. “I’ll protect you.”It isn’t the reciprocation Mikasa expects, but she knows it’s Eren’s way of telling her how much he cares for her. His words mean the world to her.“Thank you,” she whispers, almost breathily. One of her hands reaches up to feel the warm fabric of her scarf, a constant reminder that Eren will always be looking out for her.The news does not sit well with Captain Levi or Commander Hange. Both are furious that a reckless act has lost them one of their best soldiers, but Mikasa defends herself, with the help of Eren, and she is soon dropped from the ranks and instructed to aid the Survey Corps in little ways in the meantime.The others are shocked to hear the news and confused as to why Mikasa has so willingly accepted this fate, but Eren remains closer to her than ever before, and for that, Mikasa is grateful. Armin pulls her aside one day and rests a gentle hand on his shoulder.“I want you to know that I’ll aid you with the baby as best as I can, even if I only have so many years left as well.”Mikasa grins at her childhood friend. “Thank you.”“And I’m going to make sure that you’re not pushing yourself too hard like you normally do.”Mikasa opens her mouth to protest, but she knows better. She’s grown bored only being allowed to do minor exercise and simple chores for the Survey Corps, but as she presses her hand to her growing abdomen, she knows it’s for the better.“Is there a bump yet?” Armin asks, peering forward at her stomach.Mikasa shrugs. “It’s difficult to see, but my clothes are fitting a little tighter than they used to. Don’t worry about me though. You all have a bigger mission at hand.”“Nice try, but we’re all still looking out for you,” Armin warns as he walks away, his shoes clanking down the hallway.Mikasa wants to believe that the pregnancy isn’t difficult, but it is. With a war still at hand, her colleagues are absent often, and she deals with the morning sickness and fatigue on her own. She often finds herself bored and tries to occupy herself with chores, but nothing is enough to keep her mind as sharp as she wants it. Mikasa can’t even be near Eren in battle anymore, though Armin has promised he'll keep a close eye.But when the others are home for a short period, Mikasa is filled with love. Her friends bring her all the food and comfort she desires, and Eren stays especially close and talks to her about simple and stupid topics to bring both their minds off the war at hand and Eren’s inevitable demise.Around four months, she finally begins to show, and the reality that she will be having a baby finally sets in. She sometimes traces her fingers up and down her stomach, imagining what her and Eren’s child will look like and who it will act like. Sometimes she smiles quietly to herself when she thinks these innocent thoughts, but other moments she feels the tears gather when she knows that Eren will barely have time to know his own child.Her and Eren’s roles have reversed. He is the one constantly by her side when he is able to, checking to make sure she’s well-taken care of. At night, she often goes to his room and sleeps beside him. Her heart breaks a little every time she does so, knowing that it won’t be long before she can’t feel his arms holding her in sleep anymore.One night, they sit in bed with only a candlelight illuminating the room. Eren presses his hand against her swollen stomach, gasping as he feels a kick against his palm.Mikasa giggles as he moves his hand away in shock.“I think the baby has your fiery attitude. It likes to kick me a lot,” Mikasa tells him.“I hope not. I hope it’s more like you. It’ll be easier to handle,” Eren teases. He lifts her shirt up slowly and presses a kiss against her round stomach. Mikasa’s heart aches as he rubs a hand slowly across it. She thinks Eren would be a good father if given the chance to.Eren sits back up and covers his mouth with his hand as a coughing fit ensues. When he pulls his hand away from his mouth, Mikasa can see the spots of blood coating his tan skin. He has begun to slowly show signs of degeneration. She can tell he’s more tired, even if he does his best to act as lively as possible.Tears begin to spring from Mikasa’s eyes. Eren notices almost immediately and brings her head to his chest. She sobs into his shirt and clutches the thin fabric with her fist. A part of her knows this was always meant to happen, but she wishes for once this cruel reality didn’t have to be hers.Eren presses a light kiss on top of her head and rubs a hand up and down her back. It does little to soothe her when she knows he has mere months left. Plans have already been made for when he will be eaten.“I’m sorry,” Eren breathes.Eren’s physical state continues to weaken as Mikasa’s stomach continues to grow. He still stays near her, and as he nears his final days, they are practically inseparable. He has been taken off the front lines and told to rest in the little bit of his lifetime remaining.Eren is bedbound near days before Mikasa is set to give birth. She visits him often, even though her mobility has become more difficult. Eren’s mind is still sharp, but his body has endured too much over these past years.Sometimes, she visits him when he is asleep and holds his hand while she strokes her stomach with the other. Mikasa knows Eren will not remember those visits when he wakes, but she will. She desperately wants to spend every last minute she can close to him in a desperate attempt to make more memories with him now more than ever.Mikasa goes into labor early one morning and is rushed to the hospital wing. She keeps her eyes scanned for Eren, but she knows deep down that he will be too weak to leave his bed. So she endures childbirth alone.Through a mixture of pain, tears, and blurred faces, Mikasa is brought back to the present when a baby’s wailing screams echo through the room. “It’s a boy,” the doctor announces.Mikasa’s chest heaves up and down as she catches her breath. She peers forward, exhausted yet excited, to meet her son. He is settled gently into her arms, and she presses him against her chest, listening to his cries softly fade.She glances down at the newborn baby in her arms. This is her son, their child, and nothing will ever change that. Mikasa holds the infant close to her, feeling his chest rise and fall with each gentle breath. She already loves him more than anything else in the world.When Mikasa is given the okay to leave the hospital a day later, she bundles her child up and heads down the hall toward Eren’s room. He must know already that she’s given birth. If her absence wasn’t enough to explain it, Armin or someone else must have told him.She quietly knocks at his door and is relieved to hear a croaky, “Come in.”Mikasa opens the door gently, careful not to wake the resting child in her arms. She spins around, finding Eren sitting up in bed. He looks worse than he did a week ago. His weight continues to drop, his eyes have nearly lost all their light, and his cheeks have become hollow, but the fact that he is sitting up in bed means he is trying to stay alive for as long as he can.She can see the tears in Eren’s eyes before she even gets close to him.“You had the baby,” he says.Mikasa nods and pulls up a nearby chair to his bedside. Eren’s eyes twinkle as they fall onto his son. “Would you like to hold him?” Mikasa asks, extending her arms forward.Eren nods quietly and takes the baby into his arms. She watches him sigh as he gently cradles their child and leans back against his headboard.“He looks like you,” Eren murmurs.“If he wakes up, maybe he can show you his eyes,” Mikasa says. It is true their son’s hair is dark like his mother’s, but his eyes are as light as Eren’s. She could see Eren the first time she looked into them.“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there,” Eren says as he continues holding the baby. “I didn’t expect you to. I was fine. Everything went well,” Mikasa assures him. Eren leans his head down to press a gentle kiss on the baby’s forehead. She frowns, knowing this will be one of the few interactions he will ever have with his son.“I’m happy,” Eren says quietly. “I wish I could’ve lived in that peaceful house with you and raised a family together.”Mikasa can feel the tears stinging her own cheeks now. “At least you got to see him before…” She buries her hands into her face, trying to hold back her cries.“I love you,” Eren interrupts. Mikasa slowly peeks from behind her hands.“I was too foolish to say it before,” Eren continues. His voice is becoming grainy now too. “I love both of you, and I’m sorry that I can’t do much else.”“You’ve done more than enough for everyone on this island,” Mikasa shares. “You’ve done more than enough for me.”Eren smiles weakly at her, then glances down as the baby in his arms begins to wake and squirm. Mikasa is about to reach forward to comfort her child, but Eren begins rocking the baby until his tears diminish.“His eyes are the same as mine,” Eren realizes.Mikasa laugh-cries and leans forward to kiss him. Eren meets her halfway to finish it. The kiss is wet with fresh tears, but it still achieves that level of softness and warmth that Mikasa will miss. The infant begins to fuss between their arms mere moments later.“He’s probably getting hungry,” she realizes. “Come back when you can,” Eren tells her as she removes her son from his arms.“I will,” Mikasa promises.Eren kisses both Mikasa and his son on the forehead before Mikasa gently exits his bedroom, knowing that this will be one of the last visits she ever has with him.Five days later, after frequent visits with Eren so that he can hold his son as often as he desires, Eren is finally scheduled to be eaten early in the morning.Mikasa gives one last good-bye that night, then stays hidden in her room for most of the following day, holding her son close to her. When she is later told that Eren has passed and his presence lives on in someone else, she cries alone to herself. Mikasa tries to remain strong for her son’s sake, but she knows she has lost a part of herself in Eren’s death.But when her eyes peer into the child she holds, she knows she has not lost Eren forever. While his memories may live on in someone else’s powers, she knows that his spirit truly lives in his son. Her son is the last thing Eren has left in this world and his last gift for Mikasa.Mikasa slowly removes the scarf from her neck and wraps her baby up in it. He squirms slightly but settles down once the fabric is wrapped tightly around him. She can see his eyes already closing as he falls into a deep sleep.“It’s warm, isn’t it?” she mutters softly as the infant rests in her arms.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The sea is a mystery. It is a wonder that gently entrances the nearby sailor or strikes harshly with its fangs bared. The water laps quietly and rhythmically against the side of a ship as sunlight reflects the dark water. Hidden under the surface is a world not known to the human eye.Tiny bubbles rise from the ocean floor as the green kelp sways with the motion of the tide. A sparkling green tail pushes against the water and forces the tropical fish nearby to scatter. Following the creature is a small, yellow-scaled fish. It struggles to keep up its pace as the mercreature ahead of him moves quick and smoothly through the long strands of dark green kelp.“Come on, Armin. A little more,” the tan merman calls as they reach the end of the forest. The deep blue ocean beyond is enticing.“Won’t your mother ask where you are? She doesn’t like you wandering off, Eren,” the timid fish warns.Eren rolls his eyes and pushes the last bit of long kelp away with his hand.“You’re sounding more and more like Levi every day,” he mutters as he uses his tail to glide through the ocean waters once more. “Don’t be such a guppy.”Armin sighs and wiggles his tiny tail fin to keep up with his friend.“We’re almost there anyway,” Eren promises. He can see the deep sea cave in the distance and the large boulder keeping hidden his desires from the rest of Atlantica. A quick turn of his head shows no sign of fish nor mercreature in the distance, so he descends toward the underwater grotto.“Are you going to find a place for your new, er, what’s it called again?” Armin asks.“Reiner called it a dinglehopper,” Eren says as he holds up the slim, silver object in his hand. He pushes the stone away and enters into the magnificent world he has created for himself.Lined on the grotto’s rocky walls are treasures he’s collected in his adventures past the sea kingdom’s gates. He carefully places the dinglehopper next to a silver vase and stands back to admire it shine in the underwater moonlight.Eren lets out a deep sigh and slowly revolves around the entirety of his secret cavern. There’s something so fascinating about life above the surface that he cannot describe. Why be confined to the gates of the kingdom when there is a world above that demands exploring? He’s heard of raging fires, ice that falls from the sky, and dense forests that touch the sky, but tradition dictates that he live in this undersea world instead.What he would give to have his own two legs. Eren can always escape to the surface when the confines of the ocean are too much to bear, but he can never explore, dance, run, walk, like the humans do.“Your mother would be furious to know this place exists,” a gruff voice comes from below him.Eren glances down, startled, when he sees the dark crab scuttling across the ocean sand.“Levi. You were following us,” he realizes.“Your mother’s orders.”“Don’t tell,” Armin begs, swimming toward the sea crab. “He’s not doing anything wrong, I swear. We may go to the surface every once in a while, but—”“Armin,” Eren hisses.Levi’s pupils widen. “The surface? Queen Carla will be furious if she knew her only son was—”“That’s why you can’t tell,” Eren begs.“She’s asked me to keep an eye on you, little brat. You two are coming back with me, now, before you—” he points his dark claw at Eren, “—get yourself in anymore trouble.”Eren sinks slowly to the ocean floor. “Haven’t you ever had a dream? You’ve never wished to see what life is like beyond Atlantica?”“No. I’m a simple crab who is content being loyal to the kingdom. And you should—”The crab pauses as Eren’s face twists into a frown. Levi has been a close guardian since Eren’s birth, but Eren knows exactly what sympathetic look to give the crab in order to get his way.Levi growls and clacks his claws together. “Fine! I’ll keep your little hideout secret for now, but if I catch you doing anything else—”“Thank you!” Eren exclaims. He swoops down and picks the crab up in his hands, grinning at him.“Let’s go,” Levi mutters.The boulder is rolled back into place, and Eren’s desires are hidden once again as their underwater movements spur a stream of bubbles behind them.A fresh ocean breeze inflates the sails of a nearby ship. A young woman in a button-downed white top and tan pants leans over the side of the boat, watching dolphins leap alongside it. Her dark hair blows in the wind. She breathes in deeply, letting the ocean air fill her lungs. “Isn’t this great, Sasha?” she calls to her advisor and close companion. “The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face?”The redhead leans over the side of the ship, clutching her stomach. Meanwhile, the young woman’s dog stands on its hind legs to peer over the side of the ship as well. The shaggy gray and white dog rests her giant paws on the edge of the ship and lets her pink tongue flop in the wind.“It feels great, doesn’t it, Rose?” the raven-haired girl asks.“With all due respect, Princess Mikasa,” Sasha says, having just finished expelling the rest of the contacts of her stomach, “perhaps you should refrain from leaning too far over the edge of the boat. We don’t want you falling overboard during your own birthday celebration.”Mikasa waves her hand, failing to acknowledge Sasha’s warning, and continues to keep her eyes peeled on the water below. Though she’s always lived in Maria, the kingdom by the sea, she never grows tired of the dark, rolling waves. The fishermen are allowed to go out daily into those supposedly dangerous waters, but she’s only allowed on special occasions. The beach is usually as close as she can get to feeling the ocean mist on her fingertips.In the distance, she can see the sun gradually setting. Orange hues of light reflect on the water, illuminating the entire sea. Mikasa wishes she was close enough to reach her hand in and feel the cool, salty water on her own fingertips instead of witnessing it from above.She lifts a leg up on a nearby crate to get a better view.“Princess Mikasa, that’s not a lady-like stance,” Sasha whispers from behind her ear.Mikasa rolls her eyes and sets her leg down, running her fingers through her dog’s soft fur instead. Rose lets out a bark and topples Mikasa to the ground. She giggles as the dog’s tongue licks across her cheek.“Enough, enough,” Mikasa exclaims through giggles as she pushes the vivacious dog off of her.“I’ll assist you,” Sasha offers, lending an arm for Mikasa to stand back up.“I’m perfectly fine,” Mikasa retorts as she gets back on her feet. She rubs the top of her dog’s head again and stares out into the horizon. The sun has nearly sunk beneath the endless ocean now.“It’ll be time for fireworks soon,” Sasha tells Mikasa enthusiastically.Mikasa nods quietly.“Everyone on board is happy to celebrate with you tonight, but, you know…”Mikasa’s hands clench onto the side of the ship. She knows what Sasha is going to say next.“They would like if you got settled down…”“There’s no one that I—”“There are plenty of young men who are willing to marry you and ascend the throne. Marriage would be good for you. Perhaps it could tame this—” Sasha gestures to Mikasa’s entire figure, “—wild side of you.”“Wild?” Mikasa questions, raising an eyebrow.“You never have been one to follow all the codes of the aristocracy. Just the fact that you’re wearing pants is—”“Remind me whose birthday we’re celebrating?” Mikasa asks Sasha again.“I believe they need my help setting off the fireworks,” the redhead says quietly and ducks away.Mikasa watches as the first few fireworks are set off, though even as they paint the night sky in marvelous colors, a knot forms in her stomach. She is not a wild animal that should be tamed. Yet no one she’s met has ever matched her in the same vivacious spirit.“Eren, there you are!” the sea queen exclaims suddenly as Eren enters into the throne room. Her long brown hair moves gently in the water as she embraces her son. Her blue tail brushes against his, and she runs her fingers through his brown hair of the same color.“I’m fine,” Eren mutters, turning away to avoid her concerning gaze.“And where were you off to this time? The sunken ship?” Queen Carla scolds.“They went to the surface,” Levi mutters quietly below them.Eren shoots him a glare with his green eyes. The crab has still not mentioned the hideaway though, which means that Levi is still remaining loyal to Eren.“The surface!” Carla gasps. “Eren, you know it’s dangerous. What if a human being saw you?”“I was far from the shore,” Eren argues. “Would it be so bad if—”“Humans do not admire. They destroy. Our world must remain a secret. We are well-protected here within the gates of Atlantica. Your frequent trips outside the kingdom worry me, which was why I sent Levi to keep an eye on you.”“I never go far,” Eren argues. “And you won’t for a while. It’s straight to your sleeping quarters for you,” Carla says sternly, gripping her son’s shoulders. “You’ve put yourself in too much unnecessary danger.”Eren huffs. “What if I don’t enjoy a life down here? Why don’t you care if I’m happy or not?”“I care that you’re safe. Your curiosity is going to be your fatal flaw. Now go,” she commands, pointing a pale finger toward the right.Eren sighs and begins swimming away. He and his mother have always had clashing personalities and opposite wishes. She craves a life of peace and safety, which is never intentionally bad except when it constrains one’s desires. Eren has never wanted a life of comfort. He’s always dreamed of knowing what lies beyond the ocean’s shore. He’s always craved adventure.“I’m sorry, Eren,” Armin mutters as he swims alongside him. “It slipped out.”“It’s fine,” Eren growls.He retreats back to his living quarters as instructed, but he cannot sleep. He lies awake, watching the moonlight dance underneath the waves, until something large casts a shadow over the ocean floor. He can hear something echoing in the distance, but he can’t be sure what.Quietly, he slips from the window and is making his way toward the surface when he hears fins flapping beside him. He gazes down, seeing his fish friend has joined him.“Where are you going, Eren?” Armin asks quietly. “Your mother—”“I’m just taking a peek,” Eren argues. He leaves the underwater kingdom behind and gasps as he emerges to the surface. Fresh air, rather than water, fills his lungs. Ahead is something large and wooden. He’s seen boats once or twice but they’ve never been this large. Colorful lights, he realizes, are responsible for the loud booms.“Eren!” comes a sharp hiss.He spins around to see Levi. Not wanting to engage in another argument, he begins slowly leaping through the water toward the noisy ship. “Eren, come back here!” Levi snaps in the distance.Once again, he ignores the crab’s snarky voice and approaches closer. Besides the loud lights illuminating the sky, he is beginning to hear the sound of chatter and the sweet sound of music. The ship creaks slowly against the water as he swims alongside it. Eren slowly lifts himself up on the plank of the ship near a hole that gives him a view of the deck. His green eyes peer forward at the scene playing out in front of him. A celebration of sorts is occurring. The humans dance and clap excitedly as music fills the air. Eren’s never seen humans this close before out of respect for the safety of his people, but seeing them this close fills him with a new sense of joy. The humans and merfolk don’t seem so different at all. They all possess that friendly and lively demeanor.He turns his head, his gaze falling toward a young woman with long black hair playing a…what had Reiner called?...a snarfblat. She dances happily while a hairy animal prances by her side. She moves her feet in tune with the music and sways her dark hair from side to side. Eren peers forward, noticing her gray eyes that seem to shine with light and youth.His gaze has moved away from anyone else on the ship. He now only looks at her. She reminds him of himself in the way she moves and speaks. Unlike the other women on the ship, she is less-reserved and seems to move with no care. Eren wishes he could possess that same sense of freedom.“All right, all right, enough dillydallying for now. It’s time to bestow our princess a birthday present,” a redheaded woman announces.Eren wishes the young woman would dance again. Instead, he finds her strange, furry companion running toward him. He makes a quiet sound of surprise as a wet tongue licks his face, but the raven-haired girl calls the creature away again.Eren peeks forward as the redhead woman pauses near a bulky object covered with a thick drape.“A birthday present, for our princess adored across the whole kingdom. Happy birthday, Mikasa,” she announces. She pulls the dark drape to reveal a statue carved of stone. Eren tilts his head. He supposes it resembles the young woman, no, the princess, but her hair is pulled up in the statue, and her shirt and pants are replaced with the outline of a dress instead.“Uh, gee, thank you,” the girl…Mikasa…says.Mikasa. Her name is clear in Eren’s head. He’s never seen a mermaid that’s outshone her own beauty. “It’s our honor,” her accomplice says, curtseying toward the princess.Eren watches as Mikasa shuffles toward the edge of the boat and gazes forward in the distance. He can see the disappointment reflecting in her eyes, and her quiet response makes him wonder if she feels trapped as well.“Shall we get back to partying?” the redheaded girl asks nervously.“Ah, yes,” Mikasa says.Eren has been too distracted by her to notice the storm clouds rolling forward in the distance. Winter always brings the most dangerous storms. A flash of lightning causes Eren to jump slightly.It’s amazing how the sea can quickly transform from a gentle wave into roaring waters. Eren leaps from the edge of the boat back into the water, watching the storm play out before him.Torrential rain mixes with high wind. The crew is in panic, trying to steer the ship to safety, but thunder echoes, and the waves only grow more wild. Eren swims nearby the ship, worried for her. It is when lightning strikes the sail that he sees the orange element known as fire emerge and begin to engulf everything on board. His eyes widen as he witnesses the destructive flame that only exists on the surface. The crew is leaping into smaller boats, and his heart rate slows when he sees Mikasa dive into the water below.Her hairy companion barks from the ship, and Eren’s heart races again as he watches her move back toward the burning vessel.“What are you doing?” he whispers to himself.He loses sight of her in the flames but watches a minute later as the furry creature lands in the ocean’s rough waters. But Mikasa does not emerge from the flames. Eren stares, entranced, as the ship explodes with a flash of light.He swims toward the wreckage, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He ducks under the water, and past the slowly-floating remnants of the ship, he sees her body sinking. He dives, grasping underneath her arms before the treacherous waters can take her from him.The sand feels warm beneath Mikasa’s fingers and toes. It’s what begins to bring her back to the present. She was trapped in the high tides of the raging, salty sea, but now she can feel the sunlight kissing her skin.There’s something else. Though not fully conscious, she can feel the presence of someone. A hand, rough and strong, rests softly on her cheek, tracing softly against the aftermath of a stinging wound. Another hand rests gently behind her head. She can feel fingertips tracing softly through her dark hair.The sound of crashing waves begins to fill her ears, but another sound grows louder. A low, smooth voice is calling to her. She thinks she hears music, but it’s only a male’s voice singing softly to her. She feels calm and secure in this stranger’s arms. Her eyes begin to open as she rubs her hand up the arm extended toward her.As the sun fully rises over a new day, she sees the light illuminating a heavenly face. His skin is copper, his brown hair reflects the sun’s beams, and his pale green eyes stare deeply into hers as he finishes his song. She can feel her face twisting into a smile, and she tightens her grip on the stranger’s arm until the barking of a dog causes him to twist his limb away.Rose comes bounding down the beach toward her, and as she fully becomes aware of her surroundings, the stranger is gone. She sits up slowly, trying to gaze forward despite the dog’s tongue licking all over her face.“Thank goodness, you’re all right, princess,” Sasha says, beginning to lift her to her feet.“Did you hear someone, just now?” Mikasa asks, the man’s sweet voice still ringing in her ears. She begins walking toward the water, but Sasha pulls her back.“I think you’re in need of some rest. Let’s get you back,” Sasha suggests.Mikasa nods, but her gaze still falls to the sunlit ocean and warm beach. Who was he? she asks herself. He seemed familiar.Perhaps it is the seawater in her lungs causing her mind to think up foolish fantasies, but she still keeps her gaze on the ocean as she leaves the beach. The stranger who saved her must be real, and when she finds him, she will thank him for saving her life.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Eren watches as Mikasa pulls her hand away from her side, sticky, hot blood coating her fingertips. Her breath is staggered, and she shuts her eyes in pain. Eren watches fearfully as her pale shirt becomes soaked with an expanding red. Why had he not been paying more attention? Maybe then he could’ve noticed the titan lurking behind the tree, ready to strike at its victim.With trembling hands, Eren slowly lifts Mikasa’s shirt to examine the wound, ignoring her quiet groans of pain. One look already confirms his suspicions. He gently lowers the blood-soaked shirt back down and places his face in his hands.This was not how it was supposed to be.Tears gather at the corner of his eyes until he feels her hand grab his wrist. Eren moves his hands away partially, staring at her exhausted face. The bold, strong Mikasa is already fleeting, but she weakly grins at him anyway, as if she’s still telling him to be strong.She brings his wrist down, closer to her, then moves her hand up to his. He interlaces his fingers with hers, feeling her own blood coat his own fingertips. Then, he feels her palm pushing something against his. She slowly moves her hand away, and Eren wraps his hand around the foreign item in his hand.When he opens his blood-stained hand, he sees the engagement ring he gave her three months ago. A startled cry echoes from his mouth, and he reaches up to press his hand lightly against her cheek.This was not how it was supposed to be.They were going to be married in the springtime, when the air was warmer and the cherry blossoms were at full bloom. He would’ve never guessed one of humanity’s strongest soldiers would meet her fate before then.Eren leans forward to kiss her. The kiss is mixed with blood and tears and barely resembles the warm, gentle touch of their lips that they were so accustomed to sharing. He traces his thumb along her cheekbone, feeling her inhale sharply.He clutches the engagement ring in his fist, knowing what the gesture means and being frustrated with her for it. How can he move on and marry someone else when she’s always been his everything? How can he forget the young woman who gave him the courage to never give up?Even now, he can tell she’s trying to fight her demise with every strangled breath she takes. Careful not to further injure her, Eren steps over to her uninjured side and sits down beside her. He leans forward, lifting her into his arms so that her head is cradled against his chest.The forest is surprisingly peaceful. He can feel an afternoon breeze blowing across his skin while the chirping of birds fills the air. At least she can view the natural beauty of this world one last time before she leaves.Eren finds her free hand and squeezes it, pressing his face into her hair. Then, he begins singing to her softly, remembering how she liked to listen to his voice before falling asleep. He watches her shut her eyes slowly at the sound of his gentle voice.That’s it. It’s as if you’re sleeping.He is comforted by the slow rise and fall of her chest, but he can tell she is fading quickly. She is no longer reacting to his thumb stroking the side of her hand or the kisses he’s pressing against her head. Then, she lets out a gasp, as if she’s choking on air, and then…stillness. Her hand loses grip on his, and he feels her whole body sag with a lack of life.Eren fumbles with the ring in his hand and lets out a scream of anguish into the sky, watching the birds gathered on tree branches take off in a clustered frenzy.Eren speaks little in the weeks following Mikasa’s passing. He can barely hold back tears at her service and visits her grave only once to deliver a bunch of budding bellflowers. These days, he does little but pace the corridors and stare out his window at the shining sun that he can barely feel the warmth of anymore. He finds solace in sleep and quiet walks by himself in the woods. When he feels the tiniest bit of joy that possessed him in the days prior to her death, he need only look at the blood-crusted engagement ring and neatly-folded scarf on his nightstand to be reminded of why it is so difficult to smile these days.This afternoon, Eren decides he will escape reality through dozing. Though the sun is out and the birds are chirping, Eren shuts his blinds and traps his room in darkness. Physically exhausted, he crawls into bed and rests his head against the pillow, finding it easy to fall asleep.
She greets him in his sleep. He feels her warm presence almost immediately and nearly cries out as her pale hands reach forward to grasp onto his forearms. She looks well, just like she did before she died. Her gray eyes are illuminated,, and her mouth is slightly curled into a smile.

He embraces her, nearly digging his nails into her back as he holds her tightly, never daring to let go. Eren looks up and makes eye contact with his love. He can hear her faintest giggle as he begins peppering kisses around her face, jawline, and neck. She melts into them, and he catches a whiff of her sweet scent as her hair brushes against his nose.

Her touch feels so warm and so real, her lips as soft as ever when they press onto his. The tiniest cries of pure joy escape Eren with her return. Mikasa traces her slender fingertips up his face to wipe away the tears rolling down his cheek before she leans in to kiss him again.

Eren interlaces his fingers with hers, his thumb rolling over the metal ring still attached to her finger. She is still his after all. She always will be. They will one day be together forever.

Something sickening lurks. The shadows are closing in. Mikasa’s expression turns to worry, and she grips onto Eren, practically urging him to hold her tighter so she doesn’t fade. Eren digs his fingers into her upper arms and buries his head in the crook of her neck, promising that he won’t let go, but her warmth is beginning to grow cold, and her touch feels distant.

Eren holds onto her harder, but she is slipping from his grasp. He can feel her slowly moving downward, out of the grasp of his arms and into the inky blackness surrounding their feet. He calls out her name, anguished, as she slips from him completely, drowning in the darkness.
Eren wakes with a jolt, forgetting where he is for a second. He turns to his side, half-expecting Mikasa to be lying next to him, but the other side of the bed is empty and cold. His cruel reality slowly returns with the realization of her absence.Eren turns his head back toward the engagement ring laying on his nightstand. He reaches for it, feeling the cold material pressing against his skin. He twirls it with his fingertips, then lets out a choked sob. Mikasa is gone.