Part 1 - Fight!

Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan. Trust me, if I did Eremika would be a thing by now :)

Mikasa's P.O.V

The first time I saw him

I lay bound on the floor. My wrists were tied tight behind me, the skin red and raw from the rough rope fibres. Dried tears had left cracked trails on my cheeks, but I couldn't cry anymore. I had nothing left to feel.

Two men stood talking in the corner. I flinched when the looked at me, but they just laughed harshly and turned away. The cold easily wormed its way through the thin layers of the dress that I wore, and I welcomed the feeling - welcomed any feeling that wasn't the numbness that sat hunched inside my chest.

A knock sounded at the door. My eyes slowly looked over, a tiny shred of hope blossoming. Maybe someone's come to help. Maybe this isn't the end for me. The men stopped laughing. One of them walked past me, giving me a sharp kick to the stomach to keep me quiet.

I curled up, tears beading my eyes at the pain, forcing their way past the numb ache in my chest. The door screamed a broken warning as it opened, but the boy standing there didn't get the message.

My breath caught at the sight of him. Tousled brown hair fell over sea green eyes, eyes that were beautiful but had hidden depths that I desperately wanted to uncover.

"What do ya want kid?" The man snarled. The boys eyes sparked, but I saw him push his retort down.

"I'm sorry Sir, but I got lost in the woods and came here for help." He gave the man a beseeching look, glancing worriedly at me when the man turned to his friend.

The second man gave a curt nod. "Sure son, come in. The woods are no place for a young boy - who knows what could happen." He gave a cruel, barking laugh and I shrank away.

"Thank you, Sir." The boy said. Light glinted and a wet noise came from the doorway. "Now die." He snarled. Blood pooled from the neck of the man as he slid to the floor. Gurgled words bubbled out of his throat, becoming more and more distorted as crimson liquid spilled like a wave from between his teeth.

The door slammed shut. " Why you little-" The second man shouted, lurching for the door. Before he could get even halfway there, the door swung open again. The boy stood there, tanned skin flecked with red. Darting forwards, he stabbed a make-shift spear at the second man, catching him in the gut.

The blade slid in smoothly, and the man fell groaning to the floor. The boy sprang onto him with feline grace, blade rising and falling in a deadly pattern. Blood splattered in an arterial spray of crimson.

"Die! You animals! You don't deserve to live! You don't deserve... to live." His rant petered off, replaced with pants for breath. He wiped his face slowly, trying to get rid of the blood. Then he looked over, and I saw his face.

He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

Eren's P.O.V

She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I shook myself. Stop staring you idiot. I slowly walked over and cut the rope binding her hands. Black hair fell across her face, and my hands itched to brush it away so that I could see her eyes again.

"My name's Eren. Eren Jaeger. I guess you must be Mikasa, right?" I tried to sound confident, but the adrenaline in my system made both my hands and my voice tremble. She didn't reply, just giving a small nod. "My father came to see you. We saw... I'm sorry." I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Where did the other one go? There were three." Mikasa said quietly. I froze. The floor creaked in the hall behind me and I scrambled to get the knife. So stupid! Why had I not thought that there would be more?

A boot caught me square in the gut, sending me tumbling into the wall of the cabin. I tried to get up, to tell Mikasa to run, but all that came out was a pained groan. "You little shit! You did this, didn't you?" I choked as he lifted me up, squeezing my throat. Black spots burst across my vision, my lungs screaming for oxygen.

Mikasa sat on the floor watching with a dazed expression. Fear shot through me at the thought that they might get her again- that everything that I had done might make things worse. I don't want to die.

"Fight!" I strained to get the words out. "If you win you live - if you lose, you die!" I clawed at the hand circling my neck, gasping for air. "If you don't fight, you can't win! Fight!"

I could see the indecision on her face. Don't doubt yourself, I pleaded in my head. She trembled "I can't do it." Her eyes met mine. You can. You can do it. I tried to convince her, to show my belief in her, even if I couldn't say what I was thinking.

She picked up the knife. My eyes started to close, but a small smile touched my lips, happy that even if I couldn't save her she knew that I believed in her.

...

Mikasa's P.O.V

I cradled his head in my lap, my tears falling on his face. He looked at me, dazed. Don't cry, he mouthed. I smiled through my tears, smoothing his dark brown hair back from his brow.

Crimson marked his skin where my fingers touched. The knife protruded from the body in the corner, more blood soaking into the thirsty wood floor of the cabin. I did it for him, I reminded myself. As I looked into the emerald depths of his eyes I knew there was nothing I wouldn't do for him.

This world is a cruel place, and also beautiful. As long as you're in it, Eren, I have a place to be. I won't leave you. Not now, not ever...