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Prologue. Brother

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Eren Jeager was seven years old when his father brought home a little girl with him. The girl had dark eyes which looked sad and skin as white as snow. Her hair was the darkest black he had ever seen, and her eyes... he couldn't describe their color but he was sure that those were the saddest eyes he had ever seen. They were beautiful, just like every part of the little girl but there were something missing in her eyes and he didn't understand what it was.

Her name was Mikasa Ackerman. Her parents were killed in a robbery, she was the only survivor of the tragedy. Her father said that she had relatives but they were all living far away and it was difficult to contact them, so it was safe to say that the little girl was alone and had no where to go after her parents passed away. Dr. Jeager met Mikasa in the hospital where the police officers took her for a check up and felt like he had to do something for the girl, so the dark haired doctor took her to his home to meet his family.

Dr. Jeager told his wife and son that Mikasa would live with them, and he was glad that both of his wife and son didn't seem to oppose his decision about the little girl. Karla—his wife—hugged Mikasa tightly after the story her husband told her, crying as she whispered 'poor thing' to the little girl. Eren didn't mind at all as the new addition of his family. That Mikasa girl didn't look bad, a little gloomy but he can fix that. When his parents asked him earlier this year whether he wanted a little brother or sister, he told his parents that younger kids were troublesome because they cry a lot. But Mikasa was around his age so he thought thy would get along just fine.

"Hello, I am Eren! Let's get along!"

Mikasa looked at his hand tentatively, then at his grin. Mikasa had never met this boy before but she knew—she didn't know how, she just knew it—that he didn't mean any harm to her. Shyly, she shook his hand, oblivious to the parents who smiled at each other at the view. They had a feeling that their little boy would get along well with the little girl.

Eren pulled the girl's hand and told his parents that he would show her the bugs he caught this summer. Normally, girls hated bugs but it made Eren happy when Mikasa didn't seem to be scared of the bugs. She even knew how to caught beetles and taught Eren how. Eren couldn't wait to take Mikasa to meet his other friends. Armin would like her. They didn't usually let any girl into their secret base camp but ever since he met her, he knew that the girl was special. He would definitely let her enter the secret base.

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Mikasa Ackerman was going to be eight in two months when she got lost in the wood. The Jeagers had brought her for a vacation, they rented a villa far from the town where they lived. Dr. Jeager had taken few days off, which was really rare, and announce to the family that they would all go somewhere for vacation, everyone was excited. Eren couldn't stop talking about it for days, couldn't wait to have fun exploring the new place with Mikasa. She didn't show it in her face but she was also excited.

When they arrived at the villa they started exploring around, the parents had to tell them not to go too far though because back in their home, the green eyed boys tended to get into trouble all too easily.

Mikasa and Eren was following a squirrel into the wood and somehow they got separated. At first, it was Eren's idea of course. His parents were preparing for the barbeque and he was bored. Dr. Jeager and his wife had warned the kids to not go into the wood. Mikasa understood that it might be dangerous but the squirrel was so cute and Eren could be really persuasive if he wanted to.

She was tired and cold. It started to get darker and she had been calling his name again and again to no avail. Eren would find her, she believed it, but it had been hours. Eren was only eight, what if he got lost too? His parents would search for them, of course, but it had been hours, what if they couldn't find them? Would she die in this wood?

Mikasa bit her lip, tried not to cry. She missed her parents. She was tired and scared. Her foot hurt and she couldn't walk anymore. She would die. Just like both her parents she would die, here, alone. She held back some tears that threatened to fall. She shouldn't cry.

The little girl had just started to sob when Eren found her.

"Here you are! I tried to find you everywhere!"

Mikasa couldn't hold it anymore. She was relieved to see his face and started to bawl, surprising the little boy. He had never seen Mikasa like this. The little girl had always shown little emotion. She didn't get angry or happy—she had never cried before. Five months since she started living with the Jeagers—five months since her parents were killed in the accident—Mikasa cried.

"Don't cry, you're gonna be alright, Mikasa," Eren frowned, he was not good dealing with crying girl, he took off his maroon scarf and put it around Mikasa, covering half of her face, "I give you this, so don't cry OK?"

Mikasa still sobbed but she nodded nevertheless. Eren used his sleeve to wipe her tears, the young boy disliked to see the tears on her face. After he wiped all the tear away, he looked at her face once again. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she was still sobbing, but there was no more tears and it made him feel much better.

"You look better now!"

Eren grinned before he took her hand in his and walked her back to the villa where his parents must have been waiting for them. Sure they would get scolded but he didn't really care.

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"I want to be your bride."

Eren tilted his head.

Both of them were nine years old when she suddenly said that. Both kids were sitting under the tree in the hill behind their school, waiting for Armin to come join them to talk about their summer vacation plan. Eren was drinking his apple juice and almost choked at the sudden random statement from the young girl next to him.

Mikasa hugged her knees, resting her chin on it, "that way I can be with you forever."

Eren didn't really understand, but at the time he thought, maybe she was feeling lonely and afraid of the future. She had lost her parents and maybe she was scared that he would leave her too. Which was stupid because he would never do that.

"I will never leave you alone," Eren said confidently, "But I don't think I want to marry you."

Mikasa frowned.

"Listen, you cannot be my bride, but you can always be my brother."

The young girl blinked her watery eyes, "b-but..."

Eren put her hands on her shoulder, he looked into her eyes seriously, "listen, Mikasa, there are ex-wives and ex-husbands, but brothers will be forever brothers."

The fact that Mikasa was a girl didn't seem to bother Eren at all. He had decided his mind and nothing could change it. Mikasa bit her lower lip and nodded.

Whatever made Eren happy would be okay with her.

Little did they know, they couldn't be brothers forever. Seven years from that day, something happened and changed their relationship forever.

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Author's note:

My first time writing EreMika fanfic. There will be other pairing(s) too later in the story coughLevihancough. I really like the plot, really I already have the whole story in my head, problem is just to write it down in English. Well, I hope you enjoy it though...

Love,

Recchinon