Contribution to EruMika Week.

Day 1 – Kaleidoscope.


"Mikasa Ackerman."

Lifting her head from her packet and releasing the end of the pen she was chewing, she craned her neck in search within the large Starbucks locale of whoever sported her name. Her eyes met with piercing ones – a short man with an undercut and a cravat.

"Levi Ackerman," she replied with a teasing tone. With a small, polite curve of her lips, she arose from her chair and shook his hand as he extended it.

The Ackermans were very known defense attorneys – they were good and they were dangerous. Rarely do they encounter face-to-face, much less talk to one another in public, Mikasa absently thought that this must have been the third time they spoke to each other.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked, slightly breathless from reviewing her case. She had been sitting at her usual, cozy corner for the past two hours mulling over some vague details. She would have to remind her assistant, Sasha Blouse, to correct them.

"I apologize for interrupting you," Levi glanced at the thick packet on the table and briefly observed her laid-back appearance of a crème v-neck blouse, skinny jeans, and flats. The moment he laid his eyes on her, her youthful beauty enamored him and, from their two previous short meetings, her intellect and personality only charmed him more. (And feeling quite old by his outfit of a tucked white button shirt and slacks, with the addition of his cravat).

Needless to say, he was captivated – and he is rarely so.

"Oh, it is quite alright," Mikasa gave a low chuckle while tucking her hair behind her right ear. Turning her head, she shuffled her scrambled papers into a semi-neat pile and sandwiched them as she closed her laptop. All the while, she gestured the seat in front of her with her chin, "Please, sit. I tend to get a little carried away when I get too engrossed with my cases."

Levi thanked her as he took his seat, eyeing the paper mess in front of him with distaste.

Settling herself down as she pushed her work aside, Mikasa clasped her hands and twined her fingers together. "How may I help you, Levi?"

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing drastically important." A strange action, Mikasa noted. One of Levi's well-known qualities was his air of confidence that was almost arrogant.

She remained silent as he cleared his throat, a fist held close to his mouth. At the same moment, a waiter came by and set down two tall drinks of iced Americano. "I actually knew you were going to be here and decided to take this chance to talk to you." As the waiter left, he gently shoved one of the drinks to her.

"Oh, thank you…and what did you want to talk about?"

After taking a sip of his drink, he stared at her directly in the eyes, "You were Pixis' golden girl. 2008, the case regarding his presidential campaign. You proved that fabricated evidence was used in an effort to extort money from Dot Pixis."

Also taking a sip of her own, she shook her head, "That was 6 years ago."

He grinned, his eyes turning dark with impress, "It was a noticeable feat. It was one of the first cases you received after graduating from Harvard Law. Many decided that if it were not for your brilliant handling on the case, Dot Pixis would not have won the election. Thus, immediately leading him to hire you as his personal attorney. Again, a noticeable feat for a young 26-year old woman."

Mikasa scoffed as he mentioned her age. It was barely a year from recently graduating and, all of a sudden, she was given a nation-wide case. She was young – a gambler and stubborn whenever she handled her cases. Although, Pixis did point out it was a part of her charm. Now, 32-years old, her way of approaching her cases still remained the same.

"And what is the point of you mentioning past events?"

"I'm just setting up the foundation to what lead to a fairy-tale romance, Ms. Ackerman," he smiled mockingly.

Her blood ran cold, colder than the iced Americano drink within her hands.

Levi continued, feigning ignorance to her rather obvious reaction, "And through Pixis' Cabinet and with a little help of a presidential ball, you met a very close friend of mine."

Placing both of his elbows on the table, he leaned in and his smiled turned predatory, "I was there that night, Mikasa. I watched at the corner of my eye as my colleague was reduced into a fluttering teenage boy."

She felt her heart race and blood coloring her cheeks. She would never forget that night. It was – still is – the best night she ever had. It was unrestricted and free as she wore her heart on her sleeve.

Childishly, she closed her eyes and looked away from him, whispering, "I don't know what you're talking about."

He sighed, leaning back into his seat, "My boss would be very disappointed by your response, Mikasa. He would be extremely heartbroken."

Snapping her eyes open, she looked at him directly in the eyes as he had done before, "Your boss?"

His predatory grin remained as he casually stated, "Why, yes, I work for Erwin Smith."

Erwin Smith.

The man who stole her heart.

Mikasa could practically hear her heart thumping at the mere mention of his name. It has been a while since she heard it out loud from someone's lips… and her own.

Pixis stated that another part of her charm was her stoic nature – managing to keep a calm composure within any given situation. But whenever it comes to Erwin Smith, her control goes out the window.

Levi silently watched as her face turned into a shade of pink. That night, his friend was not the only one who was taken by her silent beauty. He had let Erwin stake the claim while he was, at the time, in a relationship with the lovely and charming Petra Ral, the daughter of a well-known politician.

As shameless as it was, Levi began to regret letting his friend strike first. The young woman who sat opposite to him had blossomed prettily as she entered her thirties. Stoic and cunning – these were qualities Levi wanted in a woman, someone to relate to and not be intimidated by his own cold disposition.

Mikasa stared at the water droplet sliding down the plastic cup of the drink she held between her palms and nervously questioned, "Is…is he… asking about me?"

"No. He's busy. As you know, he is the head of the MRS." Maria, Rose & Sina, an independent law firm with an outstanding reputation. She had forgotten that Levi did work in that firm. How did she miss that detail?

But right now, she was confused and a little angry. Not at the fact that he did not ask about her, but because it seemed that Levi was treating her like a game.

"Then, tell me, Levi." Her stare turned into a glare. "What are you trying to accomplish here? Are you trying to find some kind of loophole and then present the press with something –

His hand jutted out, waving it side to side, "Oh no, you misunderstand. No malicious intent, I assure you. I apologize, but I am honestly curious as to what your relationship is –

"Was." She interrupted this time.

He paused and his eyes alighted of what seemed like relief. "Was," he repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"I am not looking for a man, Levi. I am content with my present life." Although she had to admit, he was an attractive man.

"Well… it would be a lie if I were to say that I was not interested. But I understand, after all – he was the first one." As soon as the relief left his eyes, regret started to seep in.

Mikasa finished her drink. It tasted bland since the ice had melted. Drifting her gaze past his shoulder and settling on a young couple canoodling at the other corner of the Starbucks locale, she murmured with a sigh, "Indeed… he was, regrettably, the one that got away…"


Dot Pixis won the presidential campaign of 2008.

Mikasa was not shocked to receive an invitation to the President's Inaugural Ball. Dr. Hanji Zoe, her mentor and respected doctorate in law, told her that it was expected, proudly ruffling her apprentice's black hair. But what surprised her was the personally signed invitation – Pixis only hand-signed invitations to people he liked. As she showed it to Hanji, she was literally on her toes and her glasses were in a mess.

As expected, she went bananas when Mikasa told her she was going to be her "plus one" to bring to the ball.

Mikasa found herself thrown into chaos (as Hanji managed her outfit and makeup) of a slate gray, strapless dress – the bodice hugging comfortably, cupping her breasts modestly, and the skirt flowed until above her knees. Hanji arranged her medium-length hair into a sophisticated bun; clipping a small, floral-patterned gray barrette at the side. Her makeup consisted of a pink, rosy shade on her lips, cursing at Hanji when she pinched her eyelid whilst curling.

As soon as they entered the event, Hanji released her arm and floated away to look for a "sugar daddy." She laughed quietly to herself, before stopping as a waiter passing by offered her champagne.

Gliding from one person to another, Mikasa was bombarded with praise and compliments, from politicians, mostly, and she returned their comments in a proper manner.

Although most of the attention was on her that night, the gaze of one man across the large room did not escape her. The blond man stood beside the grand staircase, chatting with a shorter man and a cheerful girl around that man's arm, but she could feel his blue eyes on her most of the time.

She glanced at him when he would not expect it. Was he good-looking? Definitely. She would always catch him talking with a different lady and said ladies would have a blush on their cheeks. Was she interested? Well, she was not looking for a relationship or anything really, but she was open to the idea of it.

His looks continued for the next hour and she began to feel flustered by his gazes. With the addition of champagne and the compact atmosphere of chatty politicians and socialites, she exited the main room and went to a less crowded and open area.

Taking a break on a bench, she checked her phone, which had vibrated a few minutes ago. Hanji sent her a message and Mikasa laughed again, she would definitely be going back to the hotel alone.

"I'm curious to know what is it you find amusing."

Lifting her head, she took a sharp breath.

He was the last person she expected to meet out here.

It was a bold move on his part. Perhaps it was the effect of the cocktail. She had noticed that with each different lady his hand held a different drink.

Settling on the empty space at the end of the bench, he smiled handsomely, extending his large hand for a shake, "Erwin Smith."

Placing the phone back into her purse, she gripped his warm hand, "Mikasa Ackerman."

"Oh, I know," Erwin laughed, his blue eyes gleaming mischievously. "You're belle of the ball tonight, Ms. Ackerman. Everyone is constantly seeking for your attention. Of course, you played an important role in our President's successful campaign."

"Being the center of attention is the last thing I need. And Mikasa is just fine… Erwin." She could feel heat rise to her cheeks as she said his name.

"And I attended the mock trial event in Harvard… the fall of 2006, I believe. I was very impressed by your professionalism, Mikasa."

She blinked in surprise. During her 5th year in Harvard, she took the mantle of Mock Trial Club Leader. Tight competition with many other students and organizations, no one had ever remembered her during the events. Plus, only professors and a few lawyers attended them. "Oh, you remember me?"

"Short black hair with glasses and a red scarf. You wore a Harvard Law "Just Kidding" sweatshirt," he teased and chuckled as Mikasa hid her face in her lap, since she could not hide within her hairdo of a bun.

Oh, how embarrassing.

The night air had become chilly and the two headed inside. Mikasa learned that he was an attorney under MRS. Most of the cases he accepted were ones regarding trusts, estates, property, trade, and finance. He was a different attorney from her criminal defense specialty.

Conversing with him was surprisingly easy, and this was coming from someone who was not a particularly social person. It was comfortable talking to him and she felt like herself, discussing political topics and even debating upon them. They stood beneath the archway of the staircase, halfway within the shadows, a few feet away from where he was standing over hours ago.

The drinks, their location, his gazes, gestures and the way he talked – he made her feel like she was the only woman in the room. It was no wonder why women looked so flustered whilst talking to him.

He was leaning against the column, sipping his drink and discussing his opinion on the current national finance. She could tell that he was trying to impress her, show his knowledge and turn on his charm.

Finding one of his opinions amusing, she laughed, covering her mouth with her free hand and slightly bending forward. He laughed along with her, finishing his drink with one gulp and plucking the empty champagne glass from her other hand before giving them to a passing waiter.

"Despite your infamous stoic nature, you're laugh is gorgeous," he murmured warmly, the copious amount of drinks finally hitting him.

"You digress, Mr. Smith," she tried to let him return to their previous conversation, feeling butterflies arise in her stomach from his warm tone. "Continue with your rather hysterical, yet accurate outlook of our nation's financial problems."

He did not respond as he raised his hand and, very gently, tucked a strand of hair that escaped her bun. He had been eyeing it minutes ago when she bent her neck to laugh. "I'm very captivated by you, Ms. Ackerman."

Before she could reply, he closed the distance between them, tilting her chin up with his fingers, and her lips were greeted by a soft kiss.

The percentage of her going back to the hotel alone significantly decreased.


Mikasa pulled his head back, grasping his now-messy blonde hair. Her chest heaved breathlessly and she shook her head, her mind hazy with alcohol and an unknown passion, "I… I don't do this… this…"

"This what, Mikasa?" Erwin asked softly before placing his lips to the column of her neck. "What do you mean by this?" She moaned quietly as she felt his lips rub against her skin.

It happened so quickly, almost in a blur, but she could remember everything. Leaving the ball side by side because everyone would know what was about to go down if they were seen hand-in-hand. Getting into his car, one with his own personal chauffeur, and taking the flight of stairs to avoid attention. As soon as they entered the room, she was attacked by kisses on her bare shoulder and they dove beneath the clean, cotton sheets.

His shirt was unbuttoned and his tie tossed aside. Her hands shyly traced the smooth planes of his chest and stroked his abdominals. Her hair was undone and flowing past her shoulders, curled from hours of being in a bun. His fingers were everywhere, from running through her hair to softly fondling her calf, then her thigh beneath the dress.

"This," she repeated with her eyes closed, gasping as she felt his tongue trace her collarbone. She realized he could very easily pull down her dress and take her bare brea– She did not even want to finish that thought. "Sleeping with someone on the night they just met."

He laughed, his warm breath caressing her pale skin, "I'm not that kind of a man, Mikasa. I have no intentions of going that far." Then he lifted his head, a rather naughty grin on his face, "Unless you want to, of course… I won't deny your yearning."

Observing her faintly panicked expression, he stroked her right cheek with his thumb, tracing absently over her scar as he glanced at it. "But I think this, what we're doing right now, is perfect." Cupping her face, he captured her lips once more.

It was surreal like a kaleidoscope – the feeling of his body pressed against hers, fingers caressing bare skin, lips and tongues touching, hearts beating rapidly, stolen breaths, whispers of each other's name and everything. The focus of her mind and vision was solely on him and his actions that sent pleasurable tingles all over her body.

Though he did not voice it, the choice was up to her, whether she wanted it to go further or not. But just like he said, this was perfect.