A/N: The idea for this fic came out of nowhere when I was half asleep. I just had to write it down. I didn't care for these two as a pairing, but then I re-watched the series and I adore them now! Right now, it looks like it's going to be 3-5 chapters. As for when this takes place, I'll leave that up for you to decide.

The cover image for this story will be upgraded when I get the chance to draw something.

Disclaimer: No own, no sue.

Enjoy.

All For You

Chapter 1

…

It was rare for the Scout Regiment to have a break, especially these days. Between running recon missions outside Wall Rose, constantly changing headquarter locations, and so much more, it often felt like there was hardly time to breathe. Today was no exception.

From dawn till dusk, they spent the day packing, hauling, and unloading over and over and over again. Everyone, including higher command, had to assist in transporting the brand-new supplies to their temporary HQ. In just a few more days, they'd pack everything up again and go to their permanent location, or so everyone said.

Mikasa didn't pay much attention to that part.

Everyone grumbled about it in the small moments their superiors weren't listening. After all, even though they were elite titan-killers now, the recruits always had the brunt of the work. She didn't mind, though. It was better than going outside the wall. Everyone would stay safe another day. Eren would stay safe another day…

Even rarer than the time off itself was that Eren was here and Levi was not. They had an invisible chain wrapped around his neck and it was nigh unheard of for him to be out of one of the senior soldier's sight. Mikasa guessed today would be one of the very few exceptions.

It was someone's birthday, one of her friends among the new recruits. She couldn't remember who at the moment.

After begging and convincing, their captain agreed to give them the evening off as long as they completed their tasks of transporting their assigned goods. It was not something Mikasa ever suspected Levi would agree to, but he seemed to be in a better mood than usual today. So, they planned a small party. Sasha managed to get her hands on some sweet bread during the day for the occasion. Everyone was excited and, in between tasks, they chattered about the games they would play the moment their time freed up. Spirits were high, and so everyone put in the extra effort to get everything done as fast as they could.

It seemed their enthusiasm may have been a bit too much. They were supposed to be celebrating right now, but the room was silent. Everyone worked so hard and so fast that they exhausted themselves in the process. By the time they got into this room, everyone slumped over in the couches to 'catch their breath before the fun'. That must have been an hour ago.

She didn't need her eyes open to know that everyone had fallen asleep. Most surprisingly, even she did.

Mikasa was ready to call it quits and go to her bed she set up earlier, but there was something about this room that made her want to stay. She was so comfortable right now. So warm.

In her half-asleep daze, she sighed contently. Her memory failed to come up with a time since joining the scouts that she slept so peacefully. She felt so calm and relaxed that she toyed with the idea of staying right here until she woke up in the morning. What was it that was making her feel so at ease? This place? This couch? Her hazy mind couldn't decide which.

Then, she heard something; possibly what woke her up in the first place.

It was the unmistakable sound of a heartbeat. Slow and steady, yet strong.

Her eyes fluttered open, half-lidded. She didn't quite catch on to where she was for a moment. Her torso rose and fell lightly as the sound of breathing mixed with the heartbeats. So warm. So warm that it almost lulled her back to sleep. The only thing that kept her from letting go and drifting back into her dreams was a scent she could recognize anywhere in this world.

Her eyes widened as the sudden realization of where she was dawned on her. Lying beneath her was Eren, sprawled out on the couch with one arm hanging off the side. She was huddled against his chest and her cheek rested just below his collarbone.

With a sharp jolt of clarity, all her sleepiness vanished in an instant. Mikasa was so stunned she couldn't move a muscle.

Armin was at the other end of the couch, a foot away from her, resting his head against his hand. His mouth was open and he looked completely knocked out. The other recruits were sitting on the other couches in similar poses, all still asleep. Someone was lightly snoring, probably Jean, but she couldn't focus enough to tell.

Everyone else barely registered to her. All she could think about was that she had fallen asleep cuddled up with Eren.

Suddenly, he mumbled something and turned his head slightly, facing her more easily. Mikasa moved to get away from him before he woke to see her like that, but she froze again when his hand snaked over her back. He gripped her side lightly, as though he knew she was about to get up and didn't want her to.

Mikasa's face flushed furiously as her mind drew a blank on what she should do, and, try as she might, she couldn't stop her heart from pounding against her ribcage at waking up to such a...intimate position. If she moved and he woke up, what would she say? What would he say? She certainly didn't intend to do this – to lie down with him and fall asleep - on purpose. She had never been this close to him before, and he was so close!

Very carefully, she lifted her head up to get a glimpse of his face. Eren always had a frown on his lips and an intensity to his eyes that she rarely saw in others. It was always absent when he slept, reminding her of their younger years. This was the first time she ever got this close to his face, though. Close enough to pick out details she'd never noticed.

He looked calm right now, the way he used to look when they took naps in the fields just outside of Shiganshina. It certainly wasn't the time for it, but Mikasa's heart sunk at the memory of their old life. They were simpler times, and they were simpler people. Things between her and Eren were simpler when they were children.

As flustered as she was with being so close to him, her eyes started to droop. If she laid her head down on his chest again, she could let the warmth coming from him take her back to sleep. Because now she understood – he was the reason she was sleeping so soundly. If he woke before her, she'd feign ignorance and he'd laugh awkwardly about it and separate from her. By not doing anything right now, she could get swept away by the sound of his heart and that soft grip he still had on her.

Was it so wrong of her to take advantage of this situation? Just to feel close to him, like they used to be?

Mikasa sighed and frowned at her thoughts. This really wasn't as innocent as she was trying to make it out to be. She was just trying to justify as something else because she-

Not wanting to finish that thought, she shook it from her mind as her face reddened even more out of embarrassment. Now feeling incredibly anxious, she slowly and very, very carefully lifted off his chest, setting the arm that was wrapped around her onto him. She didn't separate from him completely, though. She may have realized that lying on him wasn't a good idea but she certainly didn't want to leave.

She continued to watch him as he slept, transfixed by the rising and falling of his chest and the slow and steady breaths that would brush against her face. Eren had rough edges about him, both physically and in personality. It was different right now. Once again, she couldn't help but notice the difference that sleep could bring. She didn't feel that rough, invisible wall she always felt intimidated by - the one that started to grow over the years as they got older.

It wasn't a wall he hid behind in fear, just one he put up for the world to see. The one that hid his soft smiles and calmer expressions.

The barrier was gone right now, and that feeling made her want to reach out to touch him. Touch the skin on his face, his chest, his arm. Just to know what it felt like. She knew she wouldn't do it, though, even when he was like this. She never let this strange urge grow into more than a passing thought. Mikasa didn't know why she wanted to know so badly, and she never let herself think about it. But lately, the need was always there.

When it started was a mystery – this desire to know what he felt like.

She always told herself no when the rare chance to touch him came up. Whether it was just a nudge of the hand, or a brief, concerned brush against one of his bruises, or something as simple as pulling out a stray leaf from his smooth, brown hair.

She always looked away and kept her distance. But what was the reason exactly? Why did she always hesitate when those things used to be second nature to her? She couldn't even begin to come up with a proper idea.

So, like all the other times, she swallowed and braced herself to turn away. It would probably be best if she left this room anyway. For once, she wouldn't insist that he get to his own bed. He looked so peaceful right now, and their day started bright and early tomorrow…

Seconds passed and soon turned into minutes. The room stayed still, absent of her footsteps that should have been fading down the hall. The air was quiet except for the sound of Mikasa's rising heart rate.

She wasn't moving. Her grey eyes wouldn't look away from Eren.

Then, in that moment of stillness, when everything faded out and it was just the two of them, she had a thought.

One that made her veins fill with ice yet run hot with shock at the same time. This, right here, right now, was probably something she'd never be able to have again. He'd wake, they'd separate, and she'd continue to watch him from afar. Always close enough to touch, yet too far to feel.

Only once, she told herself, just this once when no one was looking. Not even Eren.

Suddenly feeling terrified, she moved her hand before she could talk herself out of it this time. It seemed that time slowed as she reached up for his face. There was a tremble in her fingers as she hesitated just an inch away from him. Swallowing the fear that was so unlike her to have, they brushed against his skin.

Warm again. Like the rest of him.

That heat seemed to sap out some of her nervousness and Mikasa calmed down. She cupped his jaw and slowly ran her thumb across his cheek a few times, surprised by how soft it was. Her chest felt so warm. It was the feeling she always got when she was around him. There wasn't a place in this world she could call home, except whenever she was around him. So at peace, so happy, and hopeful.

He was her reason for continuing this fight through life. He believed in her. He sought refuge with her in ways that no one else could offer. He was family. He was, quite literally, everything to her. It was all because of him that she had a purpose to move forward.

With her hand still cupping the side of his face, Mikasa leaned in.

She kissed his cheek slowly and tried to pour her gratitude into it, and her hope. Though, at that moment, she didn't know what her hope was for. Her heart fluttered, but she let the mysterious reason why float right over her head. She wasn't going to think about this too hard, and would instead enjoy this for what it was.

She sighed when her lips left his skin and knew she had to back away now. As she leaned back, she let her hand run down his cheek in one last caress before dropping back to the couch.

Her heavy eyes opened and the moment they did, her breathing stopped instantly.

Green eyes were staring back at her, wide and unblinking. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Panic flashed through Mikasa, but she couldn't move away. She was stuck in his alarmed gaze. Thoughts she couldn't even begin to imagine flashed through his eyes, but he didn't say a word.

The silence and bone-chilling tension was absolutely agonizing. The word 'no' started to echo through her mind painfully over and over. Then, she knew. She screwed up. She knew she shouldn't have done that! What a fool she was to think she was safe to do something like that!

Mikasa's face reddened worse than it had all night when she realized exactly what she'd done. She kissed Eren. She hadn't planned on that. She just wanted to touch his face, but she never planned to do that!

It wasn't meant to be anything more than- than her way of saying thank you! In her mind, she tried to argue that it was just supposed to be something innocent but suddenly felt that was a bold-face lie. And Eren. The look on Eren's face was clear he did not think that was something innocent.

Mikasa kissed him. And now-

She froze.

…and now what?

"E-Eren," she started, completely at a loss of how to handle this.

He blinked, but the shock didn't ware off at all. A second later, his brow creased together in a frown of confusion. He sat up, pushing her off him in the process. "What are you doing?"

At the sound of his voice, people in the room began to stir from their sleep, but Eren's intense eyes never left her. "I-" she started, but couldn't finish.

What was she supposed to say? She was good at making up excuses on the fly, true or untrue, so why couldn't she think of anything to say right now?! He stared at her expectantly, but she had no idea what she was supposed to tell him.

When her hesitation stretched on longer than either of them were comfortable with, his frown deepened. He stood up and started to move away. Panic, again, took over Mikasa and she desperately grabbed his hand as he started to walk away. "Eren, wait! I'm sorry!"

He eyed her for a moment, but then ripped his hand from her and headed for the door, rejecting any notion of letting her explain herself. The sudden fear filling her head to toe grew worse with every step he took further from her, but her limbs were frozen and she couldn't go after him. So, instead, barely breathing, she stared wide-eyed at the door he unintentionally slammed as he left the room.

"Huh? Was that Jeager?" Jean said as he rubbed at his eyes. "What the hell? Did we all fall asleep?"

"Geez," said Conny, "some party this is."

People began to sit up and conversations started to buzz through the air, but Mikasa was completely unaware of it, still staring at the closed door. She could barely see Armin at the corner of her eye looking at her with concern.

"Mikasa, are you okay?" he asked, lightly.

She swallowed, knowing that she was not, and put a hand over her eyes.

A/N: What do you think so far? How was it for a first chapter? Interested in more? Let me know!

Thanks for reading!