Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mikasa found herself walking along the street under the bright light of the moon. She sighed of tiredness as she leaned onto the railings of the road to support herself, she’d never sweat this much before. A handful of people walking past her gave her curious and worried looks. She’s been walking for an hour already, holy shit an hour of walking while wearing heels, no wonder her ankles started to hurt. She took a deep breath, mentally calculating how many more hours of walking does she have to do until she finally reaches their house. Probably one more. Shit.

“Why did they have to leave me in this city!?” She hissed. Pieck will pay for this. Kicking her out of Historia’s car, stolen from her daddy’s garage, is not something a friend should do, or if they even consider her as their friend. Sure enough, they just keep her around because Mikasa happens to be an Ackerman and their circle is composed of the daughters from wealthy families, if that’s what they’re called. Or spoiled brats, like the insults she heard from her classmates one time. She liked the ring of it, laughed when she heard it. Spoiled brats who don’t do anything in school but to escape tasks and go shopping, but still manage to pass their tests, thanks to their connections.  Sounds really like them.

She doesn’t remember when they all started hanging out but as far as her memory could go, it was freshmen year when a petite figure, wearing a blue dress in the lightest hue, a dark blue headband complementing her blonde hair, looking like Cinderella (that’s what Mikasa thought of the first time she saw her), walked up to her and dragged her to their circle, adding her to the list of the people she’d toss around all year long. Mikasa, as a newcomer who's afraid to feel like an outcast, decided joined them without any hesitation, only to regret it this time. If she could go back, she’d slap herself from three years ago. She'd rather spend her time alone than to go clubbing with them, which was actually the reason behind their petty fight inside the car earlier.

“Why don’t we go to a club for tonight?! Try out something fun before we graduate!” Historia pinched Hitch’s arms, who’s just beside her, in excitement. Her pink lips puckering in attempt to be cute. “I've been dying to go to the bar my dad usually goes to. Pretty sure we can get in without using our fake IDs. Pieck here looks like my mother already.”

“Shut up, Tori, or I’ll crash this car.” Pieck, wearing a purple tank top and jeans, her hair tied in a messy bun, jokingly glared at Historia from the rear mirror, making the two behind her giggle. 

Mikasa sighed and stared outside through the tinted window, sighting stores along the road close their lights one by one. “It’s better to go home, it’s almost midnight.” After all, they spent the entire day in the mall, skipping classes and buying dresses. She’s too tired to spend anymore time with them.

“Boo, girl’s acting good tonight like she wouldn’t suck someone off the moment we step into the club.” She heard Hitch laugh.

“Unlike you, I’m not a slut.” 

Mikasa snorted. She said that aloud?

“Mikasa!” Historia gasped, turning her gaze to Hitch, whose facial expression cannot be read. She's probably plotting a murder for her already, Mikasa could only chuckle at this. Her energy's too drained to even fake a conversation with them.

The car stopped by the sidewalk. They turned to Pieck, but her gaze fell to the person seating beside her by the shotgun seat. “You can either join us tonight and apologize to Hitch or get out of the car.” Pieck’s voice was echoing through the silence inside.

“Pieck, why would you—”

“I didn’t ask for an apology for what she said to me, so why should I do it?” Mikasa looked at Hitch, raised her brow and got out of the shotgun seat. “Enjoy your damn night and good luck, your parents might found out.” She shut the door after; and that's how Mikasa was left alone in the streets, carrying her three shopping bags, her school bag, and her pride. 

She got rid of her heels after a while, there was no choice but to walk in an empty shoes. She didn’t buy a new pair of sandals today, unlucky for her. Her body shivered as the sole of her feet touches the cold, dirty ground. Ew. Her face unlocked a new expression of disgust. She needs to remind herself to thoroughly scrub her feet when she gets home. That is, if she still manages to do so. In the middle of the street, she contemplated whether or not to stay the night in a motel instead of going home tonight. It’s not like she really wanted to go home when she argued with them earlier. She just didn’t want to go inside a bar, she hates the loud music, the dance floor packed with people wanting to find company who will keep them up all night, and the stinky club bathrooms. Between that and their house, she’d choose the latter.

But right now, maybe she’d just choose this. Suffering in the cold night, with no shoes on her feet and lots of bags carried by her hands, and in no time she might pass out of hunger and tiredness but this was more bearable than suffering in that house.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a police car stopped right in front of her. Fear immediately coursed through her blood. She knew where this is going but feeling like she was stuck in her place, she couldn’t move nor run away. 

“What are you, lady, doing here in the middle of the night? Aren’t you too young for prostitution?” The cop who spoke raised his brow, leaning onto the car door, questioningly staring at her. He was in his mid 30s, if she were to calculate his age. She wished, at that moment, she could punch him in the face for being such an asshole but she was a mere teenager who has nothing else in defense. 

“We’ll take you home.” Another cop appeared in her sight, he looks younger than the other, blonde hair and a mischievous smile on his face. He walked towards her and was about to touch her by the shoulder when she countered, taking a step back. “We won’t hurt you.”

“Other cop just did.” She muttered, gulping. Not only are these two adults scaring her but the fact that she has to go to a police station does, too. With her parents finding out, she’s most likely to suffer in punishment after this. What could be it this time? She didn't want to find out. “I can go home by myself.”

“You see, a friend of yours called us a while ago, telling us that there was someone somewhere here who's alone, wearing a black leather skirt, a white uniform blouse and heels," he pointed at her feet, "clearly you do not have one right now, but it's you, isn't it?”

Mikasa stared down, her skirt's wrinkled already but it's exactly as what they described her as. “Who called?”

“I think she said her name's Historia.”

She unintentionally scoffed.

“Now, young lady, look here. Let us do our job and take you home.” The older cop who first talked to her took her bags, shoving it inside the car. She almost glared at him, but stopped, her life's at stake is more important than her newly-bought dresses getting wrinkled with his hold. “We won't take you to the station if you comply and tell us your address.”

Giving them a cautious look, she followed them and sat at the back seat of the car. She wasn't all that religious but at that very moment, she could recite the memorized prayers she encountered in middle school before.

God, help me.

Oddly enough, through the whole ride, there was nothing scary that happened. Only funny, a slightly funny moment when Mikasa told them where she lived. “She's a freaking Ackerman,” she heard one of them said in shock. Freaking, she chuckled. She couldn't blame them. Ackerman is one of the wealthiest family in the country, not to mention, her kin runs in the political and the business fields. Their family's well-known everywhere. They are that big. The car stopped in front of the wide, black gate, with gold accents from each of the corner, surrounding the Ackerman's property. It took them half an hour and a couple of small talks to get there, and in each of the minute that passed by as they travelled, Mikasa felt more and more suffocated, just by seeing the road that leads them to their house. 

“Please be safe, Miss Ackerman.” She wanted to laugh at the change in the cop's attitude, as if he didn't insult her earlier. 

Oh well. Her family's rank comes into play.

Despite feeling her stomach curl up in nervousness and fear, she still managed to mutter a simple "thanks" as a sign of gratitude. They did take her home, after all. She went out of the car, her feet landing on the concrete flooring which extends up to their front door. She was greeted by the guards outside, giving her weary looks and small smiles. Just before she could turn the knob and open the main door of their house, she felt a sharp slap land on her right cheek.

A slap.

That's the kind of greeting her mother gave her the moment she came home. 

“What are you doing out at this hour?! And in a police car?! You're tarnishing our name with your selfish actions!”

She scoffed at this, nothing came out of her mouth. She was too shocked at what happened that she couldn’t come up with a coherent sentence she can throw at her face right now. All she could focus on was the throbbing of her head, it’s hurting her more than the slap itself. She shouldn’t be surprised, honestly. That’s all they’re worried about. The name, the reputation the Ackermans have. Their wealth. 

Not their daughter. It’s never been about her.

“You came home riding in a police car, what the hell were you thinking?! What would you do if somebody sees you? Then spreads rumor about us?! That we have such a reckless, useless daughter who apparently got arrested tonight. Didn’t you think about that?!”

“I wasn’t-” She winced at the headache. “I was in another city, alone! I was walking alone and all you care is that I got home in a police car, thinking I was arrested?! At least they took me home tonight, because apparently, my family’s too busy to even care about me!”

Not even giving her the chance to defend and explain herself, she slapped her again. 

“Don’t you dare to talk to me like that!” Her mother shouted, her voice loud enough for everyone outside to hear them. Way to go. Now, more people know how much a garbage her daughter is. If that's her goal, then she really succeeded at that. “I've been caring for you all my life, I gave and wasted half of my money for you and you treat me like this! I only ask for one thing, that is for you to behave like a good daughter!”

“Then be a good mother!” Mikasa snapped. Her tears threatened to fall, there was a hint of trembling in every syllable she spoke. “And I.. I don't care about your wealth, you can take everything I have, I don't even care anymore.” She was tired of this, the strife between them. If all she ever owes her mother was her money, then she'd gladly return it. She was tired of being treated like this, as someone who's not their daughter, as someone not part of the family. She wasn't always the best, wasn't the perfect one in comparison to her brother, but does she deserve any of this? All she ever did her whole life was to try and get to their level. She studied for them, got the best scores, until she got tired of it, because not even a single praise was heard from her parents. She didn't expect, however, that when she stopped trying to do everything she believed her parents wanted from her, she heard them more, clearer and louder. They'd sit down, talk to her, reciting the repeated sermons full of harsh words and curses, accompanied with series of sensations landing on her skin. She started to hear more from them, their voice, the vibrating sound through her skin each time her mother's hand lands on her cheek, and the cracking of her heart each time it happens.

Her cheeks would burn but it was a progress between them, nonetheless. 

“Mom, that's enough.” Her hand stopped halfway in the air when a monotonous but authoritative voice was heard in the background. “You're being unreasonable.” His sharp gaze met hers. 

“Your sister needs to be taught a lesson. She's too much,” Her mother let out a breath and pinched her temple in frustration. “She's too much.”

“Didn't we talk about this already?”

The attention she had on her daughter was drifting away, Mikasa heaved a sigh of relief at that. She was so sure she's going to receive another slap, the third one for tonight, but it never came when her brother came into the scene. Their conversation continued, they were talking about her but all she could come up was the phrase 'away from the city' and her name constantly thrown in every sentence. She felt her headache worsen and a second later, she was laying on the ground. 

Mikasa's eyes wandered as she trailed behind the crowd, all rushing towards where the airport is. The moment her plane landed, her phone beeped. She was almost surprised by the sudden message notification but then, upon checking the contact name, she remembered what her brother told her earlier.

“I’ll message you in an hour, reply in an instant or I’m dragging you back.”

She pressed the keys and typed “ i’ll be fine here dont worry wait for me to come back ok ”, then hit the middle button, sending it. Checking the inbox, there wasn’t any message from her parents. She supposed that' given already. After all, her brother, Levi Ackerman, was the only person who ever cared about her in that household. Despite the comparisons between them by their kin, which she hears daily from her parents and annually on every family reunion they attend to, she grew fondly of him as her brother. He’s never treated her badly, never showed his superiority to her. He defended her every time, and only wants what’s best for her. Maybe that’s why he was the first to suggest for Mikasa to travel all the way to the Paradis Island for the summer. To stay there until another school year begins, exactly 2 months from now. 

Mikasa opposed to his plan, of course. She thought they only wanted to get rid of her, even just for a while they could have some peace inside their house without their daughter in every corner of the house. Maybe she’s right about it and there was some underlying tone of that idea into Levi’s plans for her, which is why their parents instantly agreed with him, so ready to prepare her documents and make arrangements with their relatives living in the island. They were overly excited, she wasn’t. But then again, that’s two whole months of not seeing her mother, not seeing anyone from school, nor the neighborhood. She needed, badly wanted, to get away so she agreed after pondering onto her brother’s suggestion for quite a few days. There wasn’t much of a choice, actually, because her flight’s already been scheduled the moment she graduated from high school. Speaking of high school, she hadn’t talk to Historia, Pieck and Hitch since that night. It’s better to leave things that way, she thought. Besides, there wasn’t much to talk about if it isn’t about the luxurious things they had bought for the weekend. 

She packed her clothes, the essentials, squeezing in some of her other possessions that she could bring in her luggage. They drove her to the airport, her mom, dad and brother, they all went to see her off. She didn’t say a thing to them, though, only looked at them with a cold expression before turning to Levi to hug him quickly. She said her good byes, waving at them shortly before her plane took off. 

Paradis Island. That’s where her destination is. She could barely remember what that place looked like, pretty sure there’s a lot that had changed since the last time she went there. She was in the little age of six when she last came to that place, the time when they visited her grandparents for her dad’s birthday. A family of four rode the plane, checked in a small hotel, spent the whole time together. Back when everything was still intact. No complications, no family affairs, it was just them, enjoying each and every moment under the bright, blue sky. She desperately wanted to go back to those times, for it to happen again, she’d bet on her life. 

But she knew better than that.

She scanned the airport when she entered the landing area. There were a lot of people packed in front of the barriers, waving their hands and the signage with their beloved’s name inked on a piece of paper. She looked for her name. There must’ve been at least one relative of them who’ll look after her. But she didn't know anyone nor even remember what her relative's faces and names were. Worst of it all, she forgot to ask Levi about that. Since she couldn’t find a paper with her name on it, she turned her heels around and was about to walk out of the door when she heard a loud yelling that startled almost everyone inside.

“MIKASA!!!!!!”

It’s her name.

She looked at where the voice was coming from and she saw a tan-skinned boy with dark brown hair, waving his hand towards her direction. He’s clad with a white shirt, a loose black flannel and a pair of jeans, Mikasa scrunched her nose at his fit. 

He ran to her, taking her luggage to his hand when Mikasa stopped him. She doesn’t even know him and he’s taking all of her belongings. He frowned. “Your aunt told me to pick you up. You’re Mikasa, right? Bob cut, heavy eyeliner, dark lipstick. You really stand out in the crowd. Are you part of a rock band?”

She threw a sharp glare at him. They’ve only met and he’s throwing an insult at her already. “How am I supposed to trust you?”

He scoffed, disbelief evident in his expression. “It’s fine if you don’t. I’m taking you, either way.” He snatched her bags from her hands, opening the exit doors of the airport. She had no choice but to follow his suit. At this point, even if she gets kidnapped during her first stay in the island, it wouldn’t be a huge problem for her. 

Without saying a word, she motioned for him to help pick her luggage up into his pick-up truck. A muttered complain escape his mouth, something about how heavy her luggage were, and Mikasa wanted to smack his head on the door but decided not to, controlling herself. She settled into the passenger seat, him on the driver’s seat, revving the engine. The first few minutes of the drive was quiet, only the engine, the humming of the birds flying past their car, was all that she heard. She curiously looked over the opened window, quite in awe of the sceneries before her eyes. It’s totally different from the city she’s lived in. Not much cars nor cemented side roads, more of the bikes and the yards with blooming flowers and trees, planted along the lawns on each of the house they passed by. They were the only ones traveling down the road, too.

The fresh air coming from outside changed in an instant when a cigarette was lit. Mikasa covered her nose, sending another glare towards his direction. She hates the smell of it, it reminds her of her dad and the casino he goes to. 

“Here.” Mikasa offered a lollipop on her left hand, her right hand held onto her lace handkerchief, keeping her nose covered. She was thankful that she bought a huge pack of candies with her, she easily gets dizzy due to motion sickness so candies are a must-have for her travel. He looked at her as she spoke, curious emerald eyes staring right through her. “This is better than that stick of cancer.” 

“I don’t think so but okay,” He threw the stick out of the window, taking the candy despite not wanting it. He’s had a fair share of lollipops from his childhood already, but he figured she’s right. “Thank you for the concern, ma’am.” 

“Not even a bit of concern for you, I was talking about myself. Haven’t you heard of secondhand smoke?” 

Chuckling at her remark, he opened the compartment and shuffled through the contained cassettes inside. “What’s your favorite band?” He changed the topic, trying to get to know more of her during their ride without asking questions that might be too personal.

“Uhm..” She scanned through his collections. A lot of them doesn’t seem familiar to her. Picking up a tape with an Oasis label on it, she gave it to him. 

“Huh,” He smiled. 

“What?” She rolled her eyes. She’s sure he’s judging her again. She doesn’t know that much bands, she only listens to what random songs playing on the radio.

“I’m practicing their songs with my guitar.” He said casually, putting on the cassette on the player of his truck. 

“You play?” Mikasa had the urge to pinch herself, she’s asking questions with obvious answers. But she couldn’t help herself for being this awkward. She’s never had anyone talked to her like this, despite the sarcasms thrown into some of his sentences, he’s somewhat nice. And she doesn’t know how to handle nice. 

“Yeah, not that good, though.” 

“Maybe you should play for me next time.”

That surprised the both of them.

But instead of taking it back, she just shrugged. “I’ll judge your skills.”

He let out a chuckle. “Yeah, sure. If you aren’t that busy. I can also teach you a thing or two.”

She nodded, not knowing what to say further with their ongoing topic of guitars and music. “By the way, why didn’t aunt Kiyomi pick me up today?” 

“She was busy preparing for a welcome party for you.”

A welcome party.. people she doesn’t entirely know, greeting and surrounding her with hugs and awkward speeches. She grimaced at the thought.  “Seriously?”

He took out his lollipop, licking his lips as he spins the steering wheel, making a sharp turn. “No. But I heard she was preparing something for you, a lunch maybe. And she had to pick your grandparents up from the other town.” He pulled over in front of the closed garage, turning off the engine. “We’re here.”

Well, that was fast. She didn’t even get to see the neighborhood. She’ll do that next time, she has all the time here, anyway.

He jumped out of his seat and opened the door for her. She went down the truck, her eyes scanning the surroundings. A bungalow house right in front of her, the outside walls painted in cream, the sunlight reflecting the bright red paint of the roof. There are trees everywhere. This view’s quite similar to what she saw on the road earlier. 

“This is the place you’re staying in.” By the time she turned to him, he had already placed all of her luggage on the brick flooring just beside the lawn she’s standing in. “And that,” he pointed, using the lollipop stick, at the house two blocks away from them. “Is where I live.”

They’re neighbors.

Mikasa will see him everyday. She doesn’t know whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. Good thing because at least she’s met someone already, she wouldn’t feel much of an outcast in the neighborhood. Bad thing because—

He walked towards her, surprising her a bit with the proximity between them. “Eren Yeager,” he offered his hand, flashing a friendly smile.

She felt her heart skip a beat.

Ignoring this, she shook her hand with his. “Mikasa Ackerman.”

“And I’m sorry for the rude behavior earlier—” His voice was overpowered by a louder shout coming from their side.

“You’re acquainted already!” Mikasa suddenly felt a kiss on her cheeks. “Hello, darling, how have you been? You were too young when we last met, you’ve gotten so big!” Her aunt, Kiyomi, alongside with her grandparents, greeted her.

“Oh, uhm,” She heard Eren chuckle at the sight of her awkward smile. “I’m fine, I’m eighteen now, actually, so I’ve grown.” She looked at Eren, who was leaning onto his truck, watching her plead with her eyes for help. She’s not used to the affection she’s receiving right now.

“Come on, let her breathe.” Eren laughed at them. 

“Eren, come inside with us, I’ve prepared a whole banquet for baby Mikasa here.” Kiyomi invited him, opening the doors to the house. The three adults went inside, carrying one of Mikasa’s bags with them. A smile formed on her lips as she watched them. It’s been a long time since she saw them and she gets to spend her every day with them starting now. It isn’t so bad as she thought. She just hope they don’t give her kisses every waking morning.

“I’ll see you later.” He walked back towards his truck, turning the engine on. 

She raised her brow. “Later?” Her plans for the evening definitely didn’t consist of her meeting him. She planned to unpack, settle into her room and probably cook something for dinner. 

“Oh, you didn’t know?”

Dumbfounded, she replied. “What?” 

“I’m taking you out tonight.” He smirked, waved his hand for the last time, and drove himself home.

Mikasa was left stunned.

She watched as he disappeared into her sight. She heard her name being called inside, her aunt inviting her to eat with them for lunch, but she decided to stay outside for a while. She placed her hand on her chest, feeling the relaxed pounding of her heart and the chill breeze of the air coming from the trees. She was in a foreign place but she somehow felt at peace. This place.. radiates warmness, a difference of the Paradis Island from the city she’s lived in. It’s like everything in her life flipped at that very moment of her realization. The warm welcome she received from her relatives and from a total stranger was the opposite of cold gazes and the cold treatment she got from the people in that city. 

It's so, so different. Even the warming of her cheeks didn't come from her parent's slap this time. 

She immediately shook the thought off. The warming of her cheeks came from summer heat and it definitely has nothing to do with a boy named Eren Yeager.

“Mikasa!”

The hollering of her aunt snapped her back to reality. She pulled her remaining bags on the ground, making her way inside the house. A summer in here wouldn’t be so bad.

Chapter Text

“I have work today.” Eren rolled his eyes when he heard his brother’s reminder for the nth time today. It’s like a chant he’s been repeating over and over since the dawn rises. He could pass as an alarm clock, Eren thought, both have the characteristics of being annoying early in the morning. 

“Yeah, I’m aware.” He curtly answered, plopping himself onto the couch, relaxing a bit after eating his lunch. 

“I’m repeating it because you sometimes forget it. I’m waiting for Yelena to show up so you can both take us to the hospital. They’re probably on their way. I’m going to be late for this day but it’s fine, I’m on night duty, anyway. Yelena’s the one who should be there by now. Why would they want to go with me? Is Reiner coming, too?”

Eren ignored him as he continued on with his monologue. He instead focused on reaching for his bag to search for the cigarette box he’s sure he still has stocks on but to his dismay, there was nothing left of it. He threw the empty box on the small coffee table and made his way towards their front door, checking the time on his wristwatch. He still got some time left before his brother demands him for work. “I have to buy something for a while—”

“You know they’re bad for your health.”

Eren stopped midway from opening the door and looked at him in disbelief. In front of him was his brother, Zeke Yeager, whose profession is a town doctor, telling his own brother that cigarettes are bad, all while puffing off to one. 

He’s kidding him. 

Zeke shrugged after noticing the direct stare of his brother. “I’m an exception.” 

“You’re—whatever.” Eren gave up, turning his back on him. 

“Get back here! If I end up late today, I’m suspending you!”

He shut the door at once, shaking his head at how stupid their conversation was. Suspending him from his monthly allowance doesn’t scare him as his brother thought it will. He could just borrow some from Armin, his childhood best friend, if he’s tight. He jogged over to the house beside theirs. In front of the yard was a small store, which has been pretty useful for the neighborhood because it sells basic items needed for their daily lives, such as Eren’s cigarettes—it became his brand because he’s the only one who spends so much money on buying the stocks. 

“Eren’s cigarettes coming right up!” His lips left a chuckle when Mr. Kruger smiled at him, handing him the pack. “Your brother told me not to sell you these.” 

“I'm your only customer, you can’t do that.” 

“Exactly. Zeke should learn from you.” Both of them shared a laugh. “But you know, kid, he’s right.” 

Eren looked away, sighing. He knew this topic would be brought up again.  

“I’ve been taking care of you ever since your parents..” Mr. Kruger’s voice trailed off, trying to find better words to suit the atmosphere but none came to his mind. So instead, he continued. “And I know you’re trying to cope with it through that stick. But that will only damage you.”

He knew that, of course. His brother’s a doctor and that’s a common knowledge everybody knows about. 

“Yeah, I’ll eventually stop.” Eren bit the inside of his cheek, not wanting to say anything more. That was the only answer he could come up with. He didn’t want to make the old man feel bad talking to him about it. “So you should also stop ordering more of these.” He flashed a grin, lighting up the atmosphere around them.

Mr. Kruger nodded. “Works for me.”

A loud roaring of the engine was heard in the background, making them turn to the car passing by in front of them. For a moment, Eren thought it was Yelena, his brother’s colleague, and was about to run back home but when the car parked in front of the house two blocks away from them, that’s when he knew.

“Hello, Ms. Kiyomi!” He waved his hands as he greeted her.

“Eren! I have a favor to ask you.” The desperation was heard in her voice despite her calm appearance. “My niece is coming here for the summer and I forgot I have to pick her grandparents up at the Trost mall today, I left them there earlier to stroll before I went to work.” She explained.

“Sure. Okay.” Eren nodded. He could take his brother to the town hospital and make a turn at the Trost area before he goes back. That would work. “Where can I find them, then? They’re at the mall?”

“No. I’m asking you to go to the airport.”

Silence took over them.

At the airport? He hasn't been there for a while now.

He tried thinking of any excuses he could use because he didn’t want to straight up deny her request. That would put him at discomfort. But at the same time, he’s also not conditioned to drive anywhere else besides the town of the hospital where his brother works. “But I have to drive Zeke.” 

“I’ll take him, then make a turn at the Trost area.” 

That was my plan!

Before he could say anything, Kiyomi continued to trap him with her words. “I don’t think I’ve prepared enough so I have to buy something too as I pick them up. The airport isn't that far, right? You’d also meet Mikasa. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Mikasa.

That name sounds familiar.

Ignoring his thoughts, he scratched his nape as he looked over at their house. He couldn’t think of any more excuses he could use, Kiyomi’s pretty insistent. “Okay, deal, as long as you drive my brother. I don’t want to hear him nag about being late for work.”

“I knew I could count on you. Where’s Zeke?” 

Eren found himself in front of the airport, an hour after Kiyomi talked to him. He was left with no other choice but to pick Kiyomi’s niece up in the airport since his brother also pushed him to go. After a few minutes of contemplation, he finally drove off to the Karanese airport. What’s there to lose besides a bottle of gas? 

“What’s her name again?” Eren muttered, thinking deeply as he attempted to write her name down the coupon paper he brought with him. Kiyomi told him the spelling and the pronunciation but only that was left stuck on his mind. 

Meekasa.

He snorted. That spelling is ugly.

Mykasa.

Mickasa.

Micasa.

Mikasa.

Doodles and repeated spellings of the same name filled the blank spaces on the paper until there were none left. Kiyomi should’ve written her name on the paper, why didn’t he think of that? The speaker rang, making him slightly jump in surprise. The attendant announced the flight’s landing and in panic that he might lose sight of Kiyomi’s niece, he crumpled the paper on his hand and threw it in the nearby trash can. Whatever. He’ll just scream out her name. 

“MIKASA!!!!!!”

His eyes immediately landed on the lost figure who’s making her way towards the exit. That’s her! Eren felt his heart beat faster as soon as they locked eyes, feeling the excitement rushing through him as he waves his hand. It didn’t take him much effort to find her because she stood out in the crowd, especially with her all black outfit and blank expression. She’s definitely Kiyomi’s niece, they have the same aura and small yet sharp eyes. 

Mikasa Ackerman.

He remembers her now.

“Your aunt told me to pick you up. You’re Mikasa, right? Bob cut, heavy eyeliner, dark lipstick. You really stand out in the crowd. Are you part of a rock band?” He slapped himself internally for spatting that out, he was supposed to keep it to himself. 

They made their way through the exit, placing her luggages securely at the back of his truck. As much as he didn’t want to stare at her, because that would be weird, he couldn’t help himself and notice all the details about her that had changed physically. Her face sure did, and her height, even the way she dresses had changed. Her outfit seems to be darker than the night sky. Judging by that, he presumed she has an ice-cold personality, too. Eren could remember how she used to be bubbly and would wear white and pink dresses paired with a hat, looking very chic on every picnic date.

Well, to be fair, it’s been twelve years since they’ve last seen each other. They were still kids back then. He doubts she even remembers him. 

Eren shifted uncomfortably on his seat, wanting to spark up a conversation but couldn’t think of anything to say. He wanted to ask why she’s here, what is she, a city girl, doing in this small town with nowhere else to go to. But he decided to keep quiet, in respect that she probably doesn’t want to talk after the long, tiring flight. 

So when he heard her speak a word during their quiet road ride, “Here,” offering him a lollipop she got from her bag, he was shocked. Panicky, he almost slipped his hands on the steering wheel. Mikasa fortunately didn’t notice the truck was moving unparalleled to the lane markings. 

That was close.

“This is better than that stick of cancer.” 

Oh, it’s about cigarettes again. That is the third strike for today.

Trying to make himself look cool in front of her, he shrugged and muttered, “I don’t think so but okay.” He threw the stick out of the window and took the candy from her hand. He unwrapped it, briefly studied the color before putting it in his mouth. The strawberry flavor of the candy replaced the bitter taste of the cigarette left on his tongue. It’s too sweet for his liking.

“Thank you for the concern, ma’am.”

“Not even a bit of concern for you, I was talking about myself. Haven’t you heard of secondhand smoke?”

He chuckled. 

At least her sarcasm hasn’t changed. 

The drive continued on with Eren casually leading the conversation by talking about bands and guitars and every random thing he could think of at the moment. From the half-hour drive to finally arriving at their destination, Eren realized that he was wrong about her. Mikasa was rather easy to talk to and doesn't seem too cold, unlike the image he had on her a few moments ago. Eren should've known better that she had always been that way, quiet and reserved but a nice person deep inside. 

He watched her from behind as she curiously scanned the unfamiliar surroundings when he parked the truck in front of the Azumabito's house. The smile on his lips never left, not even once since they began to talk.

Not much had changed about her, that’s what he thought.

She’s still Mikasa—a lot beautiful, but still her.

“Eren, come inside with us, I’ve prepared a whole banquet for baby Mikasa here.” He politely declined Kiyomi's invitation, remembering the house chores he left earlier. He has yet to clean their house since that place reeks of alcohol and cigarettes lately, blame it all on Zeke. He’s taking the opportunity to clean their house since his brother’s away for a few days. Besides, he’s got a plan for tonight, a plan he just thought of a few minutes ago. He wanted to finish everything else before that.

He went up to his truck and revved the engine. “I’ll see you later.” 

“Later?” 

He turned to her with the same dumbfounded expression she has. “Oh, you didn’t know?” 

“What?” 

Eren smirked. “I’m taking you out tonight.”

Oh boy. 

By the time he parked his truck in their house’s garage, that’s when it all sunk in. He slammed his head on the steering wheel, producing a loud honk that startled him. Taking Mikasa out on her first night of arrival at Shiganshina—he must’ve been whacked.

“I could ask her again later if she really don’t want to.” He said, trying to convince himself that he shouldn’t listen to the other part of himself who wants to run back to their house and take back his proposal. That would be rude on his part and honestly, getting kicked in the face by the Azumabitos would be the last thing on his list today. 

“Why are you talking to yourself?” Eren raised his head and saw his brother coming out of the door. “Did you meet Mikasa? How’s she? Was she beautiful?”

“She is.” He nodded, a smile forming on his lips again while thinking about their encounter. “She knows Oasis and gave me a lollipop today, see?” He took the stick out of his pocket, which he ought to throw later. 

Zeke scrunched his nose at the sight of the stick with bite marks on the tip of it. Disregarding his brother’s disgusting display, he sat on the couch in front of him and squinted his eyes. “You sound excited. You still like her?”

“I asked her out.” He spat out, ignoring the main question his brother asked him.

“And she said yes?”

“No, it’s more of a . . . wait.” His voice halted when he realized something. “Why are you still here?! Didn’t Ms. Kiyomi—”

The door opened once again and revealed Yelena, wearing their hair down and a suit as an outfit, like they’re about to go on a gathering rather than a hospital. They placed the mug Zeke probably lent them on the middle table and bowed to Eren in a joking manner. “Sorry, Your Highness, I woke up late and arrived a few minutes ago. So, shall we go now?”

“What?!” Eren shouted, his eyes moving back and forth from Yelena and Zeke. “I’m driving you?!”

“We don’t have much of a choice, do we?” Zeke tapped his shoulder and went inside the truck, followed by Yelena sitting beside him. “Come on, Eren! We’re late!”

“What about Mikasa? I told you—”

“Oh, you have the time for that next week.”

Eren groaned and kicked the poor bean bag peacefully lying on their terrace’s wood flooring in frustration. Things aren’t going well as he planned and he’s not liking it.

Mikasa thought she had adjusted with how things go in this small town of Shiganshina but she knows she’s far from that. She’s been living in her grandparents’ house (she recently learned that the house is actually theirs and not her aunt’s) for a week and there are still a lot of things she’s not used to, like waking up early and eating breakfast with them.

Every morning, she’d wake up at six o’clock because of the broken alarm clock Kiyomi had purposely left in her room. It ticks every minute as the larger hand clicks by the number six, annoying her in every waking moment. The first thing she’d see as she opens her eyes would be the ivory-painted ceiling and a bit of the sunlight reflecting on the window pane. The room’s bland if you ask her, there are no other colors present except the different hues of white and cream, but at least she has some space for herself. She owes it to Kiyomi for giving up her bed space, just until the summer ends. 

She moved around the room, grabbing her toiletries to get ready in the morning. The room’s actually spacious, not too spacious unlike her bedroom in the city but it’s enough for a single person to occupy. There’s a bed with mustard yellow covers placed on the farthest corner, above it are polaroids of Kiyomi’s late husband and of her family pasted on the wall, a window on the opposite side and a cabinet by the door where she left her luggages. She also didn’t miss the small written note, which read ‘welcome, mikasa!’, taped onto the vase of the bedside table when she first entered the room. 

The inviting smell of fresh bread, cooked bacon and brewed coffee greeted her as she stepped out of her room and walked towards the dining area. Her grandmother, Hitomi, as she preferred to be addressed as, would greet her with a bright smile and offer her a coffee, in which she’d decline because she’s never been a fan of caffeine. 

“I’ll buy you boxes of fresh milk the next time I shop.” Her aunt would tell her. 

The conversation would continue on between the adults, sharing some gossip they’ve heard about the other residents in the neighborhood. Mikasa didn't want to hear all of that. Sometimes, her grandfather would throw in some jokes here and there, filling the space with laughter. The loudest laugh coming from her grandma. They're so lively early in the morning, she finds them adorable. After breakfast, Kiyomi and her grandfather would leave for work, Mikasa would stay with Hitomi the whole day in their house, helping her with some chores she’s still trying to learn, like doing the laundry and washing the dishes. 

That’s how her mornings in this town go. Mikasa had seen through every bit of simpleness they have going on with their lives. 

“Afternoons are the worst.” Mikasa grumbled as she stared at the ceiling of her room, her back lying on a soft mattress, feet raised up against the wall. She’s bored to death. If she’s living in the city right now, she’d be at the mall with Historia. But that’s the thing; she’s not there and she’s stuck in here for months. 

She’s spent most of her time watching all of the movies rented by her aunt at the local store. She even memorized some lines from the movie, Clueless, because that’s all she’s been watching in lucky days when Hitomi accidentally falls asleep while watching her favorite television show. She’d snatch the remote and insert the CD onto the player, watch it at medium volume and eat some popcorn. 

She read books, too, when she’s tired of repeating the same films. There’s a whole shelf of books in the basement. Her grandparents’ collection ranged from fiction to mystery, even horror, so she took a couple from the genres she thought she would like. At random times, she’d read short stories just to fill the time. She had given up on Harry Potter in the middle of it and decided to read a classic novel written by Judith McNaught. She finished Whitney, My Love quite fast, deeply enchanted with the story which in some ways resonated with her current situation. Though, she doesn’t want her story to turn out that way. 

She shivered at the thought. She’s not looking for such romance right now, thank you very much. All she wants is to get out of her boredom state. 

“Mikasa?” She saw her aunt coming inside the room. She curiously looked at the clock, surprised that it’s already six in the evening and her aunt’s home. Meaning, she’s been staring at the ceiling, contemplating about her life, for approximately two hours now. “What are you doing?”

She shook her head in response, sitting in a proper manner as she faced her. “Why? Is there anything wrong?” 

“Hitomi said you stayed inside the room all day.” 

“Because I have nothing to do outside.” 

“Maybe you should find some friends here.” Kiyomi opened the curtains wide and pointed outside. Friends. She’s done forcing relationships with other people. 

“I don’t really need—” 

“You know what, why don’t you just come with us tonight?”

Irritated by the way her aunt interrupted her, she gritted through her teeth. “Where?”

“The plaza. There’s an upcoming festival and the opening’s tonight.”

“Right, we all should come!” They both turned to the person by the door, Hitomi was clapping her hands in excitement. “Come, let’s eat for a while before heading there.”

Kiyomi flashed a smile at her. Her plan to drag her out today worked and without much of a choice, Mikasa complied. They wouldn’t let her stay, anyway. They all walked out of their house after dinner, her aunt and grandmother were giddy about the upcoming festival and the fact that she went out with them. This is the very first time she ever went outside so the stares given to her by their neighbors were understandable at her end. She’s the stranger here. 

“You should greet them, alright? Especially people your own age, like Sasha or Armin, they’d be there for sure.” Her aunt advised her.

“I don’t even know what they look like.”

“I’ll point them out to you. Gosh, it would be better if Eren was here.”

Eren.

She wondered if he had died. She hadn’t seen him the night she arrived and the following nights after. He just somewhat disappeared into existence. Even the house he pointed at seemed unoccupied, from what she could see on her window. She didn't want to ask her aunt about him, so she just pretended their conversation didn't even happen. 

“Kiyomi, let her be. If she wants friends, then she’d approach whoever she likes.” She nodded along with what her grandfather had said. 

“I’m just saying.”

“Well, I’m sure she’d meet people during the festival.” Hitomi gave her a pat in the back.

Completely ignoring them and their attempts of pushing her to meet new people, Mikasa shifted her gaze in front of her. She was in awe when she saw the twinkling lights surrounding the posts of the plaza, a designed banner above it which read ‘Welcome to Shiganshina Plaza!’ After minutes of walking, they finally arrived in the town plaza. A huge stage with big speakers on each side was placed in the corner, a few tables for the visitors gathered around it and as she wandered her eyes more, the more she felt out of place. Especially when her aunt started to talk to the others from the neighborhood, even her grandparents greeted some friends. She was left with no one to talk to. She also noticed some of them were wearing their pajamas already. A variety of either colorful striped pajamas or printed dinosaurs and princesses worn by the children. She felt overdressed, wearing a black dress and a leather jacket in the middle of a summer night. 

She sat down by the table near the place where they had left her, feeling a sense of relief as she relaxed her feet. She watched the stage as the host tried to entertain the guests before the show actually starts. From her peripheral vision, she felt a pair of eyes staring at her. When she turned, she saw a kid, maybe an eight year old or something, holding onto his toy car.

“What do you want?” She asked, coming off aggressively without her intending to do so. She’s so bad at this.

“I wanna..” The child stuttered. “.. seat.. beside you.”

Mikasa widened her eyes in surprise. There's a lot of vacant seats everywhere so it's a bit shocking to hear someone wanting to seat beside her. That's a first. And it's even adorable that a child was the first to say that.

She was about to offer the chair when someone pulled it out. 

“I’m sorry but that’s—”

“For Falco. Yeah, I know.” The guy sat in the monoblock chair and called the kid. “Falco, come here. Let me introduce you to miss Mikasa.” He removed his cap and ran a hand through his soft, brown hair, fixing it.

“Eren?!” She called out when she finally recognized him, shock was evident in her voice. “I thought you died.” She wanted to ask where he went but decided not to, he'd tease her again for sure.

“Huh? Where did that come from?” He let out a laugh. He pulled Falco up in his thighs and pointed his hand at Mikasa. “She’s Mikasa Ackerman, the granddaughter of the Azumabitos so be careful with her, okay.”

She glared at him, lightly kicking his leg under the table. “What’s your name?”

“Falco Grice.” 

Mikasa flashed a small smile. “That’s a cute name.” 

Eren raised his brow when he saw the blush on Falco’s cheeks, a smirk forming on his lips. “Oh, you like her, don’t you?”

“I don’t!” Falco responded, defensively. 

“What about Gabi?”

The kid whispered something in Eren's ear as a response, making him laugh loudly. He punched Eren’s chest and pouted cutely. “If you tell her, you’re not allowed to eat in our house anymore!”

Ignoring him on purpose, Eren turned to Mikasa. “Do you want to know what he told me?” 

She nodded at his question, watching as the kid tried to put his hand on Eren’s mouth to keep him quiet. 

“You can’t play in our house anymore!” Falco pouted more, growing frustrated.

“Okay, okay. I won’t tell her.” Eren said in finality. “Sorry, Mikasa. I don’t want to lose my privilege of playing in the Grice’s yard.” 

“It's fine. Secrets are meant to be kept.”  Falco nodded at her statement, slightly throwing a punch on Eren's chest again. “What do you two play together?” Mikasa asked later on, adding herself to the conversation.

“We play basketball in the backyard!”

“They have a huge backyard.”

“We play there often when Eren’s not busy! My brother plays with us, too!” 

“And speaking of your brother, he’s calling you already.” Eren pointed towards the blonde-haired guy standing a few feet away from them, waving his hands as he calls for Falco. Eren tapped his back and put him down. “Baby boys should sleep now.”

“I’m not a baby anymore!” He argued.

“Tell Mikasa goodnight before you go.”

Falco turned to her and shyly mumbled, “goodnight,” before running towards his brother, not even letting her respond. 

“Cute.” Mikasa commented as she watched him run. Falco’s the first person she ever talked to in this town, aside from Eren. “What did he tell you?” 

Eren pulled the chair closer to the table, safely adding a distance between his and Mikasa's chair. “I promised him I won’t tell you that he has a crush on you but he likes Gabi more.” 

“And who’s Gabi?”

“She’s, well—” He scanned the place, looking for Gabi. “She’s not here, she’s probably asleep, but both Falco and her go to the same school and live beside each other.”

Mikasa’s lips formed into an ‘o’ as she nodded, understanding a bit more of the people in this town. Thanks to Eren who seems to know a lot about everyone. Granted, he’s been living here all his life. They stayed quiet after that. Mikasa focused her gaze on the stage yet again. A handful of people were serenading the crowd with the acoustic music playing loudly on the speakers. The show hasn't started officially, but a lot from the crowd were walking home already. Some were complaining, growing impatient of the delayed program.

“Aren’t you bored?” Eren pushed his back on the chair, sighing as he looked at the stage. 

“Not really." Mikasa raised her eyebrow at him. "Or was that your way of asking me to get out of here?” 

He chuckled, his plans busted. “Well, you're enjoying so..” His lips form into a straight line. “But if you’d like then we can head out.” He shrugged, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“You’re six nights late.”

“Tell me, how do I make it up to you?”

She wasn't exactly angry at him for skipping that night but she'd take this opportunity to go and figure out this town. “Depends on where you’d take me.”

“Okay, then.” He stood and offered his hand. “I’ll take you somewhere not far from here.” 

“Wait, I think I have to tell them—” She looked at her grandparents and aunt, still busy conversing with their friends. 

“Where’s the fun in that?”

She widened her eyes as Eren took her hand, both running away from the plaza and ending up in his truck. She doesn’t know where he’ll take her but the mystery excites her. Of course, she’d never admit that in front of him but Eren knew for sure. She pulled the truck’s window down, feeling the breeze of the air. She looked outside and saw the dark sky filled with stars, magically shining down upon them. 

“There are stars everywhere.” She said, her eyes still fixated on them. “I rarely see them in the city.”

“Oh, they’re afraid of city people.”

She rolled her eyes. “Can’t you play some music so I won't hear your voice?”

“You’re stuck with hearing my voice for the rest of the night so no, also because we’re here already.” 

Mikasa got off the truck with some help from him, and was stunned with the view in front of her. They’re on top of a hill and there’s a huge tree in the middle of it. She could see the lights coming from the houses below, a smaller district, as Eren pointed it out. The stars and the moon shone brightly as the night got deeper. 

“You can sit here.” Eren patted the seat next to him, where he provided a blanket for her to sit down on. He put down a pizza box in the middle of them. “Here’s my better apology.”

“You bought this?”

“Yeah, who else?” He didn’t. It’s actually bought by Zeke for their breakfast. He’ll just cook him something else tomorrow. 

“So, where have you been?” Mikasa finally asked, munching on the pizza she’d never eat if she were in the city. 

“Missed me too much?” She didn't answer him and continued munching, patiently waiting for his response. Eren just let out a breath and turned to her. “I accompanied my brother to a town hospital near Trost.”

Mikasa threw him a concerned look. “What happened?”

“Huh?” Eren was dumbfounded for a second. “He’s a doctor.”

Mikasa frowned and looked away when he started to laugh. “You should’ve started your story with that!” 

“Sorry, I thought you knew.” He placed a hand over his lips, trying to suppress a grin. Continuing, he said, “He usually stays there for a week during his shifts. Of course, I have to be there for him. Oh, the amount of horror I’ve seen in that hospital whenever I sleep there is crazy.”

“You’re like a personal assistant or some-sort?” 

“No,” he shook his head. “It’s because he can’t drive.”

“Why not?” 

He sighed. “Well, he’s had an accident before and since then, he’s been scared to drive. So I learned for his sake and in exchange, he bought me a pick up truck.” He explained, leaving the other parts of the story left unsaid. “He said it looks cooler than a car.”

She nodded as she listened to him. The truck meant a lot to him, no wonder he's been taking good care of it. It’s evident, even from an outsider like her, Mikasa could see how well he’s maintaining his truck. 

“I'm really sorry for not showing up that night. I didn't mean to.” Eren said, regretfully. “I even said a cool line.” 

Mikasa chuckled silently with his last sentence. “No, it's okay. I get it.” 

“Thanks.” He offered a smile before getting himself a slice of pizza. “What about you?” 

“I stayed in the house the whole week.”

“No, I mean, what are you doing here?” He casually took a bite from the pizza he’s holding, not minding the squinted eyes directly looking at him. He shrugged at her. “You made me talk so it’s your turn now.” 

Mikasa’s lips turn into a frown. “I guess, that’s only fair.” She brushed her hands on her jacket, getting rid of the pizza crumbs left on her fingers. She took off the leather jacket she’s wearing, revealing the cropped, dark blue shirt underneath. “I’ve been sent here to spend the summer.”

“Sent?” 

“In other words, my parents got rid of me because apparently, I’m a problem child.”

“Ooh, bad girl.” She rolled her eyes, earning a laugh from him. “What did you do?”

“A lot.” Her mind flashes vivid memories of all the days she spent in the city with her so-called friends; the night gimmicks, the colorful dresses and her spent-out credit cards. Even the sirens coming from the police cars. “Nothing notable, though.”

“What do you want to do, then?” Eren asked out of blue, his hands placed on the grassy part of the ground for support as he leaned backwards. 

“Huh?” 

“You told me you stayed inside all week. You know, summer’s supposed to be enjoyed outside.” 

“I am aware.”

“So why aren't you doing anything?” She gave him a confused look and he took that as a cue to continue. “You've been sent here so might as well do everything you want before you back in the city. You know in those films where they have a list of stuff they want to do. You should create something like that.” He suggested, an excited grin showing. “Wouldn't that be fun?”  

Mikasa thought about it; it might be a great idea. Instead of loafing around and waiting mindlessly for the day to end, she should look forward in doing some activities she could do here. But there’s only so little that this town holds.

“If you can’t think of any, I’d gladly help you.” Eren shifted from his seat and faced her. “I’d take you out, every day and every night, if you want to.”

She squinted her eyes at him once again. “I can’t trust you since you left me waiting stupidly for you that night.”

His jaw dropped on the floor by her sudden statement. “You really waited for me?” 

“Shut up.” She stood up from her seat and grabbed her jacket, walking back to the truck. “Let’s go home, it’s late.”

Eren ran after her, putting the empty pizza box on the back of the truck. “No, but really. I’m here now so I can take you anywhere you want.”

“Anywhere?”

He stopped to think for a while then took his words back. “It was an exaggeration. I can only drive around Trost and here.”

Mikasa chuckled lightly, surprising him a bit. “Okay.”

“Is that a yes?!” His voice was so loud, it echoed through the empty air. He stepped inside and sat next to her, still looking at her with stars shining in his eyes.

“Maybe.” 

“We should make a promise.” Eren raised his hand at her, his pinky finger sticking out. “Gabi and Falco told me about this. It’s when you want to make a promise to the other person, you’d lock your fingers together as a seal to the promise you’ve made.”

“A promise of what?” Mikasa asked curiously. She had never done this her entire life.

“Anything. It’s called the pinky swear.” 

“What if you break the promise?” 

“Well, you just have to trust.”

Trust. That’s a big word. She’d never trusted anyone to an extent of making a promise. 

But now that she thinks about it, maybe she trusts Eren Yeager; how she allowed him to take her hands, drive her on a hill, spend the night with him and talk to him about her life, even though she only shared bits of information. It’s the first time she’s ever made a connection like this. And he’s not even her friend.

“Okay.” She faced him. “Let’s seal the deal.”

Eren smiled widely. He intertwined his pinky finger on hers, locking their shared promise with their thumbs.

“I promise to make this the summer of your life.”

Chapter Text

“Mikasa, it’s time to eat!” 

She shot her eyes up once she heard her name, shouting a quick response “just a minute!” as she placed a piece of band-aid on top of her scraped-up knee. It was bleeding a lot, tainting her perfectly white skin with red and violet bruises. She had no one else to blame but herself for that. She was helping Hitomi with gardening and manicuring their front lawn this morning and as inexperienced as she was, she ran over the thorny devil plants (she called them that) placed in front of their house. It didn’t help that she was also distracted looking at the other house, trying to check if he was home. But the doors were closed so she figured he must’ve gone to the hospital. 

Ever since last night happened, she couldn’t seem to take her mind off the promise they made together. 

“Have you cleaned your wounds?” Hitomi asked when she saw her granddaughter finally out of her room.

Mikasa nodded. “It’s bruising.” 

“I have some ointment for you, ask me later, okay. I might forget.” 

“Thanks.” She sat beside her aunt on the dining table, grabbing her own plate and helping herself to the food. 

“We can’t go to the festival tonight.” Kiyomi informed her. “But don’t worry because it lasts for a few nights.” 

“It’s fine. I don’t have anyone to go with, anyway.” Mikasa mumbled. Eren, the only person who’d ever take her out in this town, is probably busy with his own life so there goes her chance.

“It’s just for one night, don’t be sad.” Kiyomi pinched her nose. “Because your grandma needs her sleep tonight. She overused her energy talking to everyone last night.” 

“I wasn’t the one who said that!”

“She’s so old.” Her grandfather commented from the side, receiving a glare from Hitomi.

Mikasa laughed at them as she talked. “I’m pretty tired from yesterday, too.”

“Right.” Her aunt turned to her, giving her a curious look. “Where were you last night?”

She widened her eyes. She completely forgot that she wasn’t with them the whole time. “I went home early.” Excuses. “Because I was—I was so sleepy. The program was taking too long.” She nervously took a drink from her cup, feeling her stomach curl. 

She’s never good at telling lies.

She couldn’t understand why she’s keeping last night’s memory like a secret. It’s not like they did something else together. They just talked, and talked, and he got her home after. That’s all.

“You should’ve told us.” Kiyomi shook her head in disapprovement. I was about to but Eren grabbed me— “And can I just ask, how are you liking this town so far?” 

Mikasa heaved a sigh of relief as the topic changed, at least she wouldn’t have to jumble up her words again. She let out a single-word response: “Good.” Then continued as the table fell in silence. “I thought it was boring. I mean, for most part, it is. But I guess you could say that I’m.. liking it here.”

Her aunt showed a full smile, delighted about what her niece had said. “I’m really happy to hear that. You know, your mother was so worried about you when she called me a month ago.”

Mikasa quirked up an eyebrow at the mention of her mother. “Why?” The mood surrounding the dining table changed instantly.

“For a lot of things. She was afraid you’d get bored so she insisted we should take you someplace. Or that you'd create a mess around here, so she told us to watch over you carefully. She was worried, as any mother would be.”

Mikasa saw Hitomi give a warning look towards her aunt. She felt her blood start to boil by imagining all the possibly inaccurate things about her that her mother told them. “She wasn’t worried about me, she was worried I would cause you trouble.” Just how bad does she think of her?

“Well, that’s besides my point.” Kiyomi let out a breath and spoke in a soft voice. “You know, if there’s anything you want to talk about, you can tell us, Mikasa.” Her aunt was about to caress her hair when she flinched away, surprising everyone at the sudden reaction.

Upset to say anything more, she excused herself and went towards the bathroom. “I’m gonna take a shower now.” 

She went ahead without sparing them a single glance and did her usual night routine: removed her dark tinted lipstick, brushed her teeth and showered, changing into her cotton lilac pajamas after. She threw her body on the bed, her head starting to ache once again as millions of thoughts entered her mind simultaneously. She didn’t expect that she’d be agitated upon the mention of her mother, she suddenly felt guilty about it. She knew they meant well, but the delivery of the message was not something she appreciated. Just this once, in this town, she wants to feel that there’s no one judging her every action.

She turned to the other side of the bed, grunting as she buried her face in the pillow. Frustration about guilt, anger and insomnia growing inside her. She wanted to sleep but couldn’t, not even when she tossed herself around and tried to find the perfect sleeping position. There was something that’s bothering her, and she knew it’s more than just the anger she’s feeling. The absence of the noise inside her room was deafening her for some unusual reason. It wasn’t relaxing, like how she always found silence to be. 

Or maybe it wasn’t the silence that’s making her uncomfortable at this very hour. Maybe it’s the train of her thoughts overlapping one another. About last night, Eren, his smile and the promise he swore to fulfill. It’s left stuck on her mind; for the whole day, it’s all she could think about. How he drove her home after that moment in the hill, playing songs loudly on the radio as they enjoyed the drive, greeted her a good night’s sleep with such soft voice and soft smile. Those little moments replayed in her mind like a video clip on loop. 

Distracted, she didn’t notice the silhouette figure of a man in front of her window. She turned her head towards the direction of it when she heard a knock. At first, it was silent but as minutes passed by and the unknown person got impatient, the knocks gradually got louder and louder. She groaned in annoyance as she stood from the bed, grabbing the pen on the bedside table as her object of self-defense. It was the only sharp thing she could find in the room. She carefully walked towards the window, dragging her feet along the wooden floors. 

She took a deep breath before opening the window, immediately shooting the pen up. “Who are you?!” She asked in a threatening manner, keeping her voice low not to cause ruckus and possibly waking the entire neighborhood up.

“No, who are you?” The voice sounded familiar again. “Where’s Mikasa?” 

She blinked. 

“I’m Mikasa.” She said as a matter of fact. 

“Really?!” The guy took the cap off his head and leaned his face, green eyes staring through her. “Wow, you look different with no make-up on.” He commented as if it was the normal thing to say in their current situation.

She quickly grabbed the towel on her side to hide her flustered face. “What—What the hell are you doing here?!” 

He put his arms up on the window frame, raising his head to level with her gaze because the house was slightly elevated. She could barely see his shoulders. “This is night one of fulfilling my promise. Didn’t I say that?” 

“But it’s midnight already!”

“That’s our schedule, miss.” Eren grinned. “I just got home from the hospital so I wasn’t here the whole day. Besides, the festival’s more lively around these hours.” 

“Point taken, but you could’ve knocked on the door. You scared me.” Mikasa shook her head. 

“Sorry, I didn’t want to wake them up.” He glanced at his watch and turned to her again. “Are you going out with your pajamas?”

She frowned. 

“Get dressed. I’ll wait for you here.”

“Wait. Are we really going out?” She asked in a low voice, uncertainty was painted all over her face. 

“Why? Something wrong?” Eren asked concerningly. 

She sighed and shook her head. “None, I was just asking.”

“If you don’t want, then we can–” 

“I didn’t say that.” She interrupted him immediately. Of course, she wanted to go with him. It’s just that her conversation with her aunt was still bothering her. She doubts if this is the right thing to do at the moment. Then again, it’s not like she could talk to her aunt and make up with her. She’s probably asleep in the other room, living in the dreamland.

Eren stared at her for a few seconds, not knowing what exactly to say. “Mikasa. If there’s something troubling you, you can tell me.” 

“I know.” She nodded, her mind remembering how attentive he was last night when he listened to her. “I’ll—I’ll get dressed now.” 

She closed the curtain before her and let out a breath to calm herself down. Eren, that guy. He kept on surprising her with his entrances and words. She scanned through her closet to find clothes to wear. She had decided to go out this time. Just for a few hours, maybe she could let go of her troubles and have fun, like she always wanted to do in this town. Besides, Eren made the effort of fetching her tonight, she didn’t want to put that to waste. Mikasa finally chose a long jacket to wear despite the heat, underneath of it were her shorts, and her black stockings pulled up to her thighs. She slipped her feet on her shoes and applied a quick make-up, not confident enough to go out barefaced even at the dim of the night. 

She cleared her throat as she opened the curtains once again. “How am I supposed to go out?” 

Eren gave her a plain look. “Through the window.” 

“What? I’m gonna fall.” She furrowed her brows and put her head out, checking the height from her window to the ground.

“Don’t worry, I’m here to catch you.”

Mikasa only looked at him and sighed. She’s blaming it all on him if she earns a new wound this time. She pushed herself up with the help of her luggage under her feet and held Eren’s hands, which he offered ever so kindly. She closed her eyes and took the leap of faith to jump right out of her window. She fell onto his chest, losing her balance from the impact of her landing. Fortunately, it wasn’t that high so Eren was able to keep them still on the ground. He let out a chuckle as he held her figure by his arms. 

“You can open your eyes now.” 

Feeling assured of what he said, she slowly opened her eyes. Her breath hitched at the realization of his hands placed on her waist and the proximity between them. Their bodies were so close, she could smell the strong perfume on his black shirt. 

Eren patted her head. “You did great. You should get used to that.”

“What ‘that?’” Mikasa asked, curling her brow at him. Both still haven’t left their position.

“You know, jumping out of the window.”

“So for the following nights, we’ll continue on doing this?”

“Are you keeping out of your promise now?” He asked in a teasing manner.

Mikasa rolled her eyes and punched his abdomen lightly, making him flinch away. “I didn’t know the promise consisted of this.”

“Well, it’s fun this way and I don’t have the time in the morning so..” Eren flashed her a grin. “We’re sneaking out on summer nights.”

Eren learned about Mikasa’s playful side that night. 

All day at the hospital, he carefully thought of a plan on how he would make her enjoy the festival but it seemed like there was no need to resort to that. Because by the time they had arrived and saw the lights scattered all over the place, contrasting with the dark denim sky above, he saw her eyes sparkle in wonderment. She might’ve not uttered a word of joy but the way she looked at that moment was obvious enough for him.

He dragged her to the booths, teaching her the basics of the games that she admitted she hadn’t encountered yet. Even the arcades in the city malls didn’t have most of these booths. Eren gave her the instruction, demonstrated it for a single time and Mikasa would watch him from behind as she calculated his moves. She was rather a fast learner, immediately succeeding after one try. Winning a candy from the first booth they played at made her so excited. She played for more, eager to win every prize, until he had to step in and stop her because the booth’s stocks might deplete on its very first night of the festival. Even he, who claimed to be the champion among his friends, had lost countless times against her. 

But despite his competitive nature, he didn’t mind losing at all. Because seeing her smile and hearing her snicker every time he loses is probably the most precious prize he could ever ask for. 

“Eren, teach me how to play that.” Mikasa patted his back then pointed towards the roulette booth near them. 

“Isn’t this enough for you?” He asked, raising both plastic bags he’s been carrying. One contained all the prizes she won from the different gaming booths, and the other contained the food sticks they bought from the stalls along the streets. It was mostly Eren who ate, he got so hungry after all the walking they did.

She let out a silent chuckle. “Loser.” 

“Don’t be too full of yourself, Mikasa. I let you win most of the games.” He stuck out his tongue. 

“You want a rematch?” 

“Are you challenging me?” 

Eren squinted his eyes on her. She did, too, as she turned to him again. They were bickering in the middle of the street, eyes locked on each other, not minding the people around them. He was first to break into a smile after a minute of their unannounced staring contest, couldn’t help himself not to when she looked extremely adorable with her pout. 

“Oi, Eren!” 

A voice was heard from the background, interrupting their little moment. Eren internally thanked whoever it was. He was sure if he stared at her any deeper, he'd lose it.

He looked towards the direction of the voice and saw his friend, Ymir, sitting by the other booth. “Yo, Ymir.” He walked to his friend, glancing at his back to make sure Mikasa was following him. 

“Why did you only show up now?” 

“Didn’t know you were here.” Eren shrugged, scanning the booth she’s in. “Oh wait, your booth with Sasha and Annie got approved?”

“Yeah, you ass. Sasha pretty much begged them.” Ymir laughed and made her way behind the counter. “They bought some drinks from the other stall with Armin. You didn’t see them?”

“Nah. Sasha probably dragged them around.”

“What else to expect?” Ymir shook her head. Her eyes then landed on the girl behind him, who’s busy looking around with curious eyes. “Introduce me to your girlfriend.” She nudged his arms.

Eren felt his face heat up. “She’s not my girlfriend.” 

“You two seemed close, though. I saw you bicker a while ago.” Ymir smirked. “It’s also the first time you went out with someone else. Mm, seems suspicious.”

“She isn’t. Now, don’t tease me in front of her.” He muttered, warning her before tapping Mikasa by her shoulder to get her attention. “Mikasa, this is Ymir, my queer sister—”

“Fuck you.” 

Eren furrowed his brows at her angrily when he felt a car toy hit his face directly. “That hurt!”

“Introduce me properly!” She was fuming mad.

He glared at her, throwing her the toy because he knew it was from their booth. “She’s Ymir. And this is Mikasa, Kiyomi’s niece.” He continued.

Mikasa was about to open her mouth and shake her hand with Ymir when three people came into the scene. She shied away and hid behind Eren, not wanting to disrupt anything. The brunette jumped at Eren and ruffled his hair, excited now that she saw him. She’s clad with a long, flowy brownish skirt, a white shirt on top and a bright yellow shoulder bag. The other girl, blonde and slightly shorter than Mikasa, was wearing shorts, a dark colored shirt and a pair of boots. The other blond guy beside him had the same style as Eren, wearing only a pair of jeans and a black shirt. They almost looked identical if it weren’t for their hair colors. They proceeded to talk to Eren, telling him some stories of their experiences from each food stall. She listened quietly from the side.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were here already!” 

“He was late, anyway.”

“Nah, he would still call us even if he was late. But tonight's an exception because guess what? He’s—” 

“Yeah, I’m with someone, whatever.” Eren uttered, glaring once again at Ymir who only laughed at him. His friends’ jaws dropped, shocked at hearing those words coming from him for the first time. 

Ignoring the looks they were giving him, he turned to Mikasa. “You wanna go?”

She shook her head. She didn’t want to drag Eren away from his friends. He’s been busy keeping her company all night. Even when a lot of people went to him, inviting him to either be his date for the night or play with them. He was popular and that was to be expected of him, she presumed. He politely denied all of their requests, though, telling everyone that he has someone with him so he can’t join them. Of course, Mikasa was on the receiving end of all the glares from those younger girls. She almost got back at them but Eren stopped her from doing so. 

“Who are they?” Mikasa had the urge to ask. She’s been awfully curious of his friends since this is her first time meeting them. She was sure that they’re nice people too, otherwise Eren wouldn’t have been friends with them.

“Hmm, the brunette one is Sasha.” He pointed to each as he introduced them briefly. “The blonde's name is Annie, the person beside her is Armin, her boyfriend. They are my friends in this town. We grew up altogether.”

Mikasa nodded at him, replaying their names on her mind so she would remember it. She almost squealed in surprise when someone hugged her from the side. 

“Hi, Mikasa, was it? Ymir told me your name. It’s nice to meet you!” 

“Sasha, didn’t your parents teach you some manners? Stop hugging everyone you meet!” Annie dragged Sasha away, quickly apologizing for her friend’s actions.

“It’s fine.” Mikasa gave them an assuring smile. 

“Sorry, I got excited.” Sasha tried to let go of Annie’s hold and fixed her clothes before turning to Mikasa again. Annie only shook her head and went inside the booth to help Ymir and Armin.  “So, who confessed first?” Sasha asked, wide eyes looking at her. 

“Uh—what?” 

“When did you and Eren start dating?” 

“Huh?” Mikasa’s cheeks started to burn, not expecting her name, and his name, and dating to be put in the same sentence.  

“We’re not together.” Eren had interrupted them, emphasizing the word not. “We’re friends, so leave her alone with that kind of question.” 

Mikasa turned to him in surprise when she heard him.

“Sasha, just come help here.” Armin called out to her, suppressing his laughter at his already-annoyed friend. Eren has been teased enough by Ymir, he was so done with it.

Sasha pouted. “Okay, fine. I’ll get back to you later, Mikasa! I want to know you more!” She ran inside their booth, leaving the other two on the street. 

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Eren asked when he noticed her stare. 

She looked away, hiding her crimson cheeks. “You called me your friend.”

“Then what else are you supposed to be?” He frowned and tilted his head, puzzlement struck on his face. 

“A stranger? Wouldn’t that be more accurate?”

“I don’t treat strangers like this.” He claimed, staring at her with a straight face. He was anticipating a reaction but none came from her. Instead, she shifted the topic and Eren chose to ride along with that. 

“Uhm, why don’t we do our rematch here?” Mikasa pointed at his friend’s booth, seeing as more people gathered around it. “Isn’t that the shooting booth?”

“Yes, I think it was Annie who suggested it.” He looked over to his friends who are busy with their customers. “Are you sure we’ll do it here? You might lose.” 

Tired to think of any retort, she just pushed him to go. Eren squeezed himself in the middle of the crowd, tugging on her wrist to make sure she won’t be lost behind him as they went to the very front of the booth. Some people complained about the two of them shortcutting in the line and Ymir had to silence them with her threatening shout.

“Whoever pays first will go first!”

“For two.” Eren whistled as he paid for the fee, which was immediately snatched by Annie, sliding the coins right through their bank.

“Ooh, nice!! The couple—I mean, the friends—” Sasha immediately corrected herself as Eren sent her a glare. “Are playing tonight. I call in my bet for Mikasa!” 

“Eren for me since he paid.” Annie shrugged.

“I’m on Mikasa’s side.” Ymir winked at her.

“I’ll go for Eren.” Armin said, clapping his hands at him. “If you lose, I’ll never let you play my PlayStation.”

“Okay.” Eren said loudly, rubbing his two hands together as he got fired up. He placed the plastic bags he had been carrying since an hour ago on the table and glanced up to Mikasa. “Whoever shoots the entire two shelves of bottles in a minute will win. Do you want to start?” He asked, wanting to hear her consent first.

Mikasa shook her head.

“Watch me win, then.” His lips form into a smirk before placing his hands on the gun. 

“Game starts now!”

As expected of him, Eren bragged about his first win for the night. He’s been talking about it nonstop as the both of them walked down the street on their way home. He had won the two rounds of their trials, receiving a small rubber basketball as his prize, and since then, he’s been overly happy. Mikasa would only nod at his every remark, eating her cotton candy as she listened to him. 

“Who’s the loser now?”

“You. I still won because I have cotton candy.” She stuck her tongue out, raising her plastic of cotton candy they had bought together. She asked him to buy it for her because she had already spent her pocket money on games.

“I have it, too.” Eren gave her a wry look and they both laughed, feeling the light atmosphere around them.

The moon and the few yard lanterns were lighting up the street they're walking down on. It was quiet, given that it’s almost two o’clock at midnight already. Their footsteps, along with the others behind them who are also on their way home, were all that could be heard on the concrete ground. They walked beside each other, eating their cotton candy like excited children.

Eren took a few steps ahead then turned to her, walking backwards to look at her face. “You’re still up for tomorrow?” He asked, trying to see if she had fun tonight. 

She shrugged. “They’ll probably invite me out but I don’t know, I might just go with you.”

“Why? You like being with me that much?” 

“Stop embarrassing yourself.” He chuckled over her retort and bowed his head, letting her continue. “Earlier over dinner, we were talking about my family, my mother specifically, and.. I got upset about it. I know it was my fault but I couldn’t help myself from feeling upset.” 

Eren nodded once, putting some cotton candy on his tongue. “So that’s what you were bothered about earlier.” 

“Yeah.”

“Ah, I just remembered.” He snapped his fingers in the air in realization and stopped on his tracks, making her pause in the middle of the dark street. “I’ll be late tomorrow since I have to take Zeke for his night shift. I think you should just come with them then I’ll meet you at the festival.”

She let out a laugh with his obvious lie. “You’re making that up.” 

“No, I’m not.” Eren deadpanned.

“Fine. I’ll come with them and apologize tomorrow, maybe.” Mikasa turned when they finally arrived in front of their house. They walked on the yard until they reached her bedroom window. “You’ll be there, right?”

“Of course. We still have a lot to try together.”

It’s been a long night for the two of them. They’ve spent whole two hours of their time at the festival—two hours of walking, eating, and challenging one another. It’s been fun, she’d admit that. She was able to do things that she never thought she’d do and she even met his friends, who never treated her as someone indifferent from the rest of them. She felt like she somehow belonged since they made sure to include her in every conversation. It was rare to be considered like that and she was glad about it. She’ll be able to sleep with such fond memories she can carry tonight in her bed, replacing the guilt and anger she felt a few hours ago.

“Thanks, Eren.” She whispered under her breath. Her voice was too quiet but thankfully, he was able to pick it up. She wouldn’t want to repeat it again if he ever asks.

“You’re welcome.” His lips curved into a smile as his eyes landed on her lips, noticing how the color turned into pink because of the cotton candy. It gave her lips a blended color between pink and her dark purple lipstick. It was an adorable sight to see and he wished he could capture it.

Mikasa stepped onto the small gardening chair outside and helped herself to climb up the window. She carefully stepped on the carpet, not wanting to cause a squeak on the floor. She sighed of relief once she succeeded to enter the room. 

“I think you should go now.” She whispered as she turned to him.

“Let me just give these, these are yours, right?” Eren gave her all the prizes she won, even his basketball. “Those serve as your memorabilia for tonight.”

“Huh? This is yours, though.” She tried to give it back to him but he refused. “Didn’t you brag about winning this? What would you keep for memory then?”

“Didn’t know you were such a sentimental person, Mikasa.” He teased, making her roll her eyes. He placed his arms on the border, staring at her lips once again. He couldn’t stop himself from staring now that he had noticed it.

“Cotton candy.” He said suddenly.

“What are you talking about?”

“That’s my favorite memory of this night.”  

Just like that, after sharing good nights wishes and Eren running back to his house, the first festival night they enjoyed together had ended with a smile on their faces as they drifted off to sleep.

The following night, Mikasa did exactly what she told Eren. She apologized to her aunt for acting that way, to which Kiyomi only shook her head and hugged her lovingly, telling her niece not to worry about it. It shocked Mikasa how easily she accepted her apology. But she figured people like her do exist; those who can forgive and forget, like nothing happened, like it didn’t hurt them one bit. And she knew she was a different case from those people.

“I’m sure Mikasa’s excited to see the booths tonight! It’s her first time, after all.” Hitomi enthusiastically said as they walked towards the festival street.

Mikasa tried to suppress her laugh at her statement. “Yeah, kinda excited.” She looked around once they arrived, her eyes were searching for the familiar figure who promised to see her tonight.

“Mikasa!” Eren shouted as soon as he saw them. He ran up to them, greeting the three adults who are accompanying her. “Glad you’re here.” 

“Have you two become friends?” Kiyomi gave them a suspicious look, nudging at Mikasa.

She nodded her head as a response, admitting it this time after pondering on it the whole day. It’s the first time she had genuinely called someone as her friend. Eren was completely surprised about it.

“That’s great, dear.” Hitomi said in delight, clinging onto Kiyomi’s arm and her husband’s as they walked. “Eren’s such a nice kid.” 

“We should visit your friends’ booth, Eren. You can also introduce Mikasa to them.” Kiyomi suggested.

“Yeah, I can do that. I’m sure they’d be happy to meet her.” Eren chuckled, thinking about what happened last night when they met her. He walked beside Mikasa as they followed behind the suit of the three adults. He turned to her, his cheeks were slightly red from earlier. “So you finally acknowledged me as your friend.”

Mikasa only gave him a smile.