Let's Play Pretend

SUMMARY: Mikasa Ackerman knew what she signed up for when she joined the police academy alongside her adopted brother, Eren. What she hadn't counted on was the inevitable attraction between her and Corporal Levi. A series of Mikasa-centric drabbles set in a modern AU with assorted pairings.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Shhh I'm awkwardly trying to join this fandom. Treat me kindly because I wrote this really early in the morning and I can already feel that it's not that great.

There will be a lot of pairings featured in this series, the most prominent of which will be Mikasa x Levi but it will be more implied than actually seen. Mikasa x Eren will appear from time to time, as will other pairings.

DISCLAIMER: Don't own.

Mikasa Ackerman leaned against the white cast iron of her apartment balcony, breathing in the mugginess that permeated the air of the large city of Maria. The summer nights were unusually warm, causing tendrils of hair to stick to the back of her neck in the most uncomfortable manner. She sighed slowly, running a hand behind her head and flipping her hair back.

"This city is just too warm," she murmured to herself, pulling her thin tank top away from her body. Deciding that the humidity was too much of an annoyance, she strode indoors, leaving the patio door wide open.

She snuck a look at the picture frame above the mantle. A smiling portrait of her foster mother greeted her gaze, its merriment almost mocking Mikasa's current state of grumpiness.

"I should light the candles," she said to no one in particular. She was used to it by now, her foster-brother, Eren, becoming more and more sullen as the number of days since their mothers passing increased.

The box of matches was almost empty. Mikasa pulled one out, striking against the side and brought the lit match close to one of the fat white candles. As the flame flickered on the wick, she caught herself gazing at it, almost absentmindedly. If it weren't for the awful, awful heat, she might have even tried touching it, it was so pretty.

There was a knock at the door.

Mikasa unfolded her lithe body from its position on the floor. She yanked open the door, only for it to slam shut.

"Stupid chain," she muttered, furiously trying to unlatch it. "Sorry about that," she said to the unfamiliar man—no, a cop—standing outside.

He nodded in a show of acknowledgement. "Is this your brother?" Beside the man stood Eren, bruised and a little bloodied as he slightly swayed from side to side.

"Yeah," Mikasa replied. "Where did you find him?"

"Bar fight," said the man bluntly, averting his eyes from Mikasa. "Near the Trost district." He was short, nearly a whole head shorter than Mikasa herself.

"Did he hurt anyone?"

The man shook his head. "Not seriously. Just a couple of bloody noses and broken glasses. But he's completely drunk."

"How did you know where to drop him off?" Mikasa asked, looking at Eren. Her poor brother didn't even seem to be awake.

"His friend told me," the man replied. "You should get an ice pack on that eye of his right away. It's probably going to swell."

Mikasa, never one for knowing how to deal with minor injuries as she had never really received any of her own, nodded slowly. "Thank you, officer."

The man picked up Eren from underneath his armpits and handed him to Mikasa. As he passed the nearly unconscious boy over, Mikasa caught a whiff of cigarette smoke.

"Was Eren smoking?" She blurted out.

The man blushed, the blooms of pink on his cheeks looking rather out of place on his stoic visage. "No," he said. "That's me."

"Oh." Mikasa balanced the surprisingly light weight of Eren on her shoulders. "Well, thank you officer," she repeated, not knowing how else to fill the awkward silence.

"You're welcome."

As Mikasa began to close the door, he spoke again.

"It's Rivaille."

"I'm sorry?" She opened the door a crack.

"My name," said Rivaille. "Well, usually people just call me Levi."

"Thank you, officer Levi," Mikasa said.

"Goodnight." As she tried to close the door again, Eren starting to weigh down on her, Levi spoke up once more.

"I'm sorry about your mother."

"Pardon?"

"It was in the newspaper and we all heard about it. Drive-by shooting. That Titan gang is really getting out of control."

"I appreciate your condolences." Mikasa never quite knew how to reply to the dozens of people who'd already told her this.

"The last name outside your door matches the name of the woman who passed on, so I figured you were probably her daughter."

"Adopted daughter," corrected Mikasa.

"I see," said Levi. "I shouldn't be keeping you, then. It's getting late. Goodnight, Miss…?"

"Ackerman," said Mikasa, "but you can just call me Mikasa."

Levi smiled almost grimly. "Goodnight Mikasa. Make sure to keep an eye on your brother in the future."

Mikasa closed the door. As she tried to soothe a half-asleep Eren, she dragged him over to the couch and placed a cold compress on his forehead. She quietly tiptoed around the living room, putting out the lit candles with wetted fingers.

As she finally went to bed, Mikasa swore she could still smell that faint whiff of cigarette smoke.

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