Rivaille came home, wanting nothing but a warm bed, and if Mikasa was up to it, a massage. Her hands are like magic.

Obviously, you can't have everything you wish for; but to Rivaille, he felt that the universe was being extra pissy with him tonight.

" Hi Daddy!" He waited for arms to hug his legs, as she usually does, but she was busy with gluing something on. While he was slightly disappointed from not having received her usual warm welcome, her smile made for it.

"Kimi, for goodness sakes. " He had to learn how to tone down his tongue in front of his daughter, who started school a few months ago. " Didn't I tell you before to keep everything clean? Or to keep your art projects in the living room? Look at what you did, Mom and Dad's room is a mess."

It truly was, the bed looked like a glitter monster jumped and tumbled on it; pieces of cut paper littered the floor and paint, brown paint, was smeared on the white ( "Rivaille, there's a difference between cream and white.") table next to the bed. There were lots of things Kimi scattered on the bed as well, but he didn't want to know what it was.

His felt his left eye twitch; there was nothing more he hated more than dirt and mess. He was tired, he wanted to sleep but can't or else he'd resemble a drag queen by tomorrow; where the hell did she get so much glitter anyway?

"Kimi, where's your mother?"

A head popped out of the bathroom door. " Hey, long day? "

" Can you please tell Kimi to clean up, it's way past her bed time anyway. "

" She can't. " By this time, Mikasa walked out and hugged him lightly. At Rivaille's affronted look, she smiled lightly. " She has a part in their school play. She's busy with making her costume. And no, she can't do it at school because the teacher thought it was a good family-bonding activity."

" I know how to bond with my daughter," was what he wanted to say. Her hands , currently resting on his shoulders, were too close to his face. Her hands were like magic, but in a second it could become a curse to anyone who was laid upon it. He settled for a grunt and went to change clothes in the bathroom.

" I didn't expect that even my own daughter would have me sleep on the couch. " Rivaille said when he got out.

" Oh, shut up. It's just for tonight. Her costume's relatively easy. It'd be done in an hour, right Kimi?"

"Fine, fine. What part did she get in the school play anyway? The lead?"

This time, it was Kimi who answered happily. " I did! Tree number 1! "

Fast forward to three weeks.

It was Friday afternoon.

Rivaille and Mikasa were seated on the second row, facing the center of the stage. They gave their good luck to Kimi backstage a few minutes ago.

" I'm proud of Kimi. She worked herself hard for this. " Mikasa, who had her hand lightly on his lap, whispered. Indeed she did, judging the way she wolfed down on her snacks every time she came home.

She was excited for her play for weeks and it was her favorite topic to talk about when they had dinner. Rivaille decided no expression fit her daughter better: her face was open ,reactive and warm and her eyes lit with such glee that mirrored his when she was born.

He gave her a soft half-smile. If time travel was possible, he would come back and tell the pre-Kimi Rivaille to get rid of , or to an extent, lessen his worries about fatherhood. There was no greater feeling, next to being married to a brilliant and beautiful woman, than being a father to an equally wondrous child.

The curtains drew open and he could already see his daughter , a few inches off the center. She had her eyes closed for this scene, she told him.

A few lines were delivered before Tree Number 1 sprang to life. Though not a trained actress, Kimi's arms were stiff like a branch and used her "rough tree voice" , as she put it, to say her lines. Not one word out of place. He often helped her memorize her lines while Mikasa taught her how to deliver every night.

Rivaille was amused, to say the least about the play. He was surprised that even in their young ages, they managed to do a play that wasn't as horrendous as he expected. He didn't even notice the time fly by; only when the cast, lined up in front, hands together, bowed and waved that he realized 30 minutes have passed.

When the curtain draw to a close, he only had one thought in mind.

Kimi was the most flawless tree he had ever seen perform.

A/N: I apologize because I focused more on Rivaille and Kimi instead of Rivaille and Mikasa. This should have a "RivaMika if you squint/ Sort of implied RivaMika" label, I think. I hope you enjoy though!