- The SnK Untold Exchange -

Disclaimer: Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin/進撃 の 巨人 is owned by Hajime Isayama and Wit Studios. This is purely nonprofit fanfiction not intending to infringe on legal boundaries. Please support the official release.

Part I – A Three Day's Recovery

Burning. Searing. Aching. All words that mildly described the excruciating pain Mikasa felt as she lay wincing in her bed. During the moment, the many broken ribs and the cuts littering her body were relatively easy to ignore, as she was focused on the task at hand with adrenaline coursing through her body. But now... Damn.

At first, Mikasa woke disoriented and confused, barely managing to open her heavy eyes. Through an unfocused gaze, she noticed the presence of another in her room back at the cabin. It appeared to be a man, with a familiar build and deeply set scowl, pacing slowly in the middle of the room. She wanted to call out, but her rapidly draining energy led sleep to claim her before Mikasa received the chance.

Warm shafts of early light and a gentle breeze woke Eren from his anxious rest. His glance quickly descended on Mikasa, sleeping heavily with a pained expression on her face. It had been three days since the expedition that ultimately lead to her current condition. Three days since a large number of human forces, including Hannes, lost their life to protect Eren from a hoard of titans spearheaded by dangerous titan shifters. Three days since Mikasa said those words as she struggled to stay upright. Even though Levi Heichou continued their rigorous training, Eren could not help but reply their conversation in his head, remembering the depth of emotion in Mikasa's normally stoic eyes and her tears sliding down her pale skin.

Even though Eren fully believed she would recover (she was Mikasa, after all, the world's second strongest soldier), it broke him to see her in her current state. A chronic pained expression adorned her face as she lay sprawled out on the small bunk. She unconsciously gripped the crimson scarf Eren had given her all those years ago, nuzzling her face into the soft edges. While she lay there, Eren had attempted to clean it, only to have Mikasa curl around the old fabric defensively. She was definitely fond of the worn scarf, though Eren could not understand her unyielding attachment to it.

Eren audibly sighed and lifted himself from the bedside chair he was resting in and stretched his stiff muscles. He would have preferred staying by Mikasa's side until she woke, but orders were orders, and Eren decided that he rather not clean the entire cabin as punishment from Levi. Before he could open the door to the hallway, a quiet whimper instantly captured Eren's attention. He returned to the side of the bed, grasping Mikasa's hand and gazing into her cool grey eyes as they fluttered open.

"Mikasa?" Eren's voice was distant and timid, worry clearly present. Although Eren was certainly not the most affectionate type, his gaze spoke volumes for the emotion he was feeling at the sight of Mikasa's eyes open.

Tears formed in the corners of Eren's eyes as he bent down to nuzzle into the crook of her neck. Mikasa felt a blush beginning to color her cheeks at the rare affection. Eren fumbled with his words, unable to coherently form a sentence to describe his relief and anger in his inability to protect her.

"Mikasa, I... When you... I was so worried -"

"Eren."

He paused, gazing into her eyes as she spoke. From all the years they spent together, she could easily deduce his feelings from his expression.

"I know," Mikasa simply said.

Again, Eren sighed, worn from the emotions he was experiencing and the constant pull from the war that never ceased to wage.

A small smile pulled at Mikasa's lips as she noticed the state Eren was in. Here was someone that really cared for her, if the words that were still ringing in her head from the battle were any indication. The image of Eren pacing around the small, sparsely decorated room returned to her, causing what could be called a contented sigh to roll across her lips. With Eren's head inclined away from her, Mikasa took the time to study his profile. In the relatively short amount of time between now and the fall of Wall Maria, he had changed drastically. He had morphed from a care-free boy with huge dreams to a edged soldier, sharpened with the experiences of battles, lost comrades, and the weight of humanities' hope placed across his lean shoulders. His old face of an excited child had long since drawn into a tight scowl, where the evidence of inner turmoil and war rested across his sharp facial features.

At long last, Eren spoke in a deep, quiet voice, "I was so worried. Worried that I would have to continue humanities' battle without you by my side. Worried that you had successfully defended me again, but lost your own life in the process."

Mikasa reached up to brush aside a stray tear from Eren's face, ignoring the pain that shot through her body as she moved her arm. "You have done so much for me; it would be the least I could do to give my life protecting you, Eren."

"That's just it, though! I should be the one protecting you!" Eren responded, once again gazing in Mikasa's direction. "My annoyance has never been directed at you, Mikasa, but rather at my inability to guard you. This is not the first time you have gotten wounded as a result of my shortcomings, after all." As Eren said this, his thumb gently grazed across the scar on Mikasa's cheek. A reminder of Eren's loss of control. A loss that almost lead to Mikasa's death by his own hands. At this, Eren began to shudder, the thought almost too much to bear.

Eren was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a cool hand wrap around his neck and pull him closer to the bed. His breath hitched at the sudden proximity to Mikasa, overcome with the same feeling that always surfaced whenever he was around her. She spoke softly to him, her voice soothing and calm. "I remember what you said, during the fight. And I remember what you did and how you carried me through the fray for my safety. As long as you are around, I am staying with you to the very end."

And, with that, Mikasa reached up and pressed a kiss to Eren's lips. It was tender and hesitant, but filled with a sense of loving companionship. Eren closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling of her lips against his. He curled his arm around her as best as he could with Mikasa still lying in her bed, pulling them closer together. When they finally pulled apart, blushes staining their cheeks, Eren gazed into her eyes before once again nuzzling into her neck, breathing in her scent and feeling her soft hair brush past his face. While he was still close to her ear, Mikasa heard Eren faintly whisper, "beautiful," before returning to her side. As Mikasa's eyes began to close, still tired from her injury, Eren stood from his spot, not before placing a kiss to her forehead. He took one last look at her sleeping form before opening the door and slipping outside, a smile adorning his features.

"For fuck's sake! Where the hell is Jaeger?"

According to the clock on the wall, Eren had completely skipped breakfast and was at least twenty minutes late to training. Levi was fuming as he glanced at the clock once again. Near him, Connie snickered to Sasha, clearly amused at the situation.

"I know who's gonna be cleaning the cabin through the night!" Connie whispered.

'Fucking Yeager and his -' Levi's mental rant was cut short by the sound of his name, spoken by Armin in a timid voice.

"Levi Heichou?"

"Spit it out, Arlert."

"I believe Eren is with Mikasa currently, sir. You see, she recently woke up, and Eren was by her side the last time I peered into her room."

'Well, I'll be damned...' Levi thought, 'I guess I can let them be, just to see if their relationship progresses any. God knows it has taken them too long to get together.'

"Very well," Levi responded.

"Springer! I can hear you would be delighted to take Eren's punishment! You are cleaning the entire cabin tonight, and no sleeping or eating until you do!"

"Yes, Heichou," came the shocked and dejected reply from Connie. "Damnit."

A/N: Thanks for reading the first installment of The SnK Untold Exchange! Reviews are welcome, and new chapters will be posted within two weeks until the completion of the story. For now, I am estimating six parts, with varying lengths per chapter. I am also open to PMs if you want to chat with me. Until next time!