She remembered staring at him under that tree, watching him sleep. She remembered how she'd woken him up and noticed him crying, how he grabbed her hand and dragged her to watch the Survey Corps members come back from their expedition, defeated with nothing gained and so many lives lost. He wanted to join them, to go outside the walls to defeat the very thing that he had become, to explore the world outside the walls.

A few days had passed since the true identity of the female titan had been discovered. Eren was still recovering and everyday Mikasa would come to watch over him. She'd bring his meals every time without fail before having her own and she'd sit there 'till he had finished it all. She'd watch over him as he fell asleep, watching his chest rise and fall and wondering when the day would come: when this would all be over and there would be no threat, no need to fight, just the two of them together again like they used to be when they were kids. He never did say much, but he enjoyed her company. Just her being there with him made lying there in that small, bare room tolerable, until finally he could leave.

Eren was just fresh from recovery, but he wasn't completely back to full health. Mikasa was aware of this, and yet, Hanji and Levi wanted to carry on with their little experiments and mini expeditions to better understand the enemy. The military police were still raining down on them heavily and the city was still recovering from the damage caused by the two titan shifters. They had found an abandoned and run down building someplace outside the walls in a desolate area near the forests, so they weren't completely hopeless if titans where to find them at this hideout, and yet they didn't have the military brigade on their backs all the time. It seemed pretty safe, for now at least.

"Just get off my back will you!" Eren shouted. "Look, I'm not a little kid who needs to be looked after anymore! I can take care of myself and I don't need your help!"

"Eren, you and I both know that you can't survive without me. You're too rash when you're angry. One small mistake and you-"

"I'm still alive, aren't I? Just drop it already! Besides, Captain Levi is coming with me so nothing will happen."

"What?! How can that short man protect you? It's his fault you were captured by that female titan in the first place!" Mikasa yelled.

She couldn't believe this, all she wanted was to keep him safe and alive but she can't do that if he keeps pushing her away, whether he liked it or not, she was going to be there for him.

"You can't expect me to just stay here, don't you want this to all end? To live in peace and not having to watch our backs all the time? I'm gonna get rid of the titans once and for all and claim back everything that was ours!"

Eren was passionate - she gave him that - but he was also pretty reckless; ever since the truth came out about Annie, he had become even more determined than before to put an end to this. Did she want this to all end? To not live in fear and be caged like animals? Of course not. Because all she ever wanted was to be by his side and live a quiet life. But if by having a quiet life meant putting Eren in danger and being faced with the possibility of losing the one thing she has left in her life, then that was not an option for her. A life without Eren was unthinkable.

"Very well then", Mikasa finally spoke. She stared at the ground, watching the blades of grass beneath her feet, pushed into the dirt by her weight, defeated, and the blades of grass surrounding it, standing, tall. "If I can't make you change your mind then, I'm going with you," she finished her sentence, still staring at the patch of green they were standing on.

Eren couldn't believe it. Why was she so insistent on coming with him all the time? Why couldn't she just once, once! Listen to him and leave him alone?

"Mikasa! Why are you so annoying! I told you quit babying me I can do this by myself! Go bother someone else!" he growled.

"You think I'm bothering you?! I'm protecting you!" Mikasa screamed back.

"NO! You're not! You're suffocating me! What, you think you're better than me? That you're the only one that can kill titans? If I knew you were this annoying I wish I never would have saved you!" He spat.

Eren had finally had enough, he was so angry and he didn't even know why, he just wanted her to leave him alone. Mikasa stared at the ground hard trying to not think of what he just said but every word that fell out of his mouth hit her hard, her body was shaking and a wave of emotions swam through her body. Anger, distress, denial and, was she crying? No, she can't, she won't allow it. Eren turned to walk away from her after his little outburst, which had a big impact on Mikasa, anger and hurt took over her. She grabbed his arm before he could even take a step away, still shaking. Eren felt as though his arm would break any second with how tight her grip was.

"EREN!" She shouted.

"ACKERMAN! You're needed! Captain Levi would like to speak to you," one of the Survey Corps members announced as Eren pulled his arm free and stormed off. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying her breathing, she quickly regained composure and made her way to the Captain.

"What the hell could he want?" she thought to herself.

Eren reached the building where they were all staying - possibly a small hotel or mansion of some sort; it was old and the walls looked dull and grey, like they could crumble at any minute. It had a large hallway with a desk and a broken chair, with a grand staircase behind it. The rooms upstairs were in no better condition, but after Levi and everyone cleaned the building from top to bottom, it was up to standard living conditions.

"Hey Eren, where've you been?" Connie asked him as he walked past everyone, not saying a word.

"Huh? Eren?" Armin called out after him, but still no response. "I wonder what's wrong with him," Armin thought aloud.

"Just leave him," Jean said. "He's probably just pissed about Annie again…he'll get over it."

Eren reached the room he was given to stay in, which was shared with Armin and Jean. Everyone had to share rooms with someone else just in case anything happened. He slammed the door shut and stared at his arm, her mark still showing, and he collapsed on the hardwood floor. All he could think about was her face, seemingly emotionless and yet so full of hurt and by his own words.

"What have I done?"