"Eren was mad.
"It wasn't an uncommon thing really he was always angry about one thing or another but this time he was furious.
"What does Mikasa think I am?" He muttered angrily at Armin,"Her kid?"
"Eren calm down." Armin said as he saddled his horse. They were going out on another scouting trip and the commotion to get ready could probably be heard beyond Wall Sina.
"I am not going to calm down." Eren said,"I thought we'd gotten over this point where she'd treat me like a two year old brother who needs to be coddled."
"She just wants to protect you." Armin reasoned,"And it was Levi who'd offered her the position in his group you can't really blame her for accepting it."
"She could have said no." Eren said,"This entire thing is stupid. I don't need her or anyone protecting me. It's like they've forgotten that I'm the Titan here."
"You're a weapon. The only chance humanity has going up against the Titans." Armin said,"You'd see why they want to protect you."
"Mikasa shouldn't be the one protecting me." He said,"She'll just end up doing something stupid and dying."
"That perfectly describes you Jaeger." Jean supplied from behind,"Not Mikasa."
Eren glared at him as Armin spoke up.
From a strategic point of view, Mikasa is the best person to protect you. She's the one who'd go to just about any length to keep you safe and the fact that she's equivalent to a hundred soldiers just helps her case."
"Any length?" Eren voice was sharp,"That's the problem isn't it? She doesn't realise when to stop. She thinks I'm someone who can't defend himself."
Jean was the one who spoke up next,"It really pisses you off doesn't it? The fact the Mikasa is always the one saving your sorry behind."
"She's not the-"
"If I recall correctly the first thing you did in Trost in Titan form was to attack Mikasa." Jean said,"She still has the scar on her cheek to prove it. Still you hide behind her shadow like a cowering-"
"I'd stop if I were you."
Cool, calm and collected as ever Mikasa had come and stood beside Eren giving Jean a look that clearly told him to shut up.
Jean shrugged and looked at Eren,"See what did I tell you?"
He walked off after that and Mikasa glanced at Eren who looked even angrier than before.
"Have you made sure to pack everything?" She asked Eren.
Eren turned away,"Enough Mikasa. I'm not your little brother."
"I'm just worried-"
" Congratulations." Eren cut her off,"On making it to the Levi squad. I'm ecstatic that you declined the position to be a captain of another squad just so that you can come and make sure I've changed my diapers."
"That's not fair. It was my choice." She said flinching at Eren's harsh sarcasm,"I'm just trying to keep you safe-"
"When are you going to understand this?" Eren said,"I don't need you. I don't need you to coddle me, protect me or any of the crap. You have to understand that. I don't need you."
With that Eren stormed off leaving Armin and Mikasa behind.
Armin sighed while Mikasa stood perfectly still not moving. It made him think of the time when they saw Eren emerging from the Titans body.
All of them like Mikasa now had been standing still on the roof of an abandoned house but they had been staring in horror, disgust, amazement at the supposedly dead boy emerging from the Titan's neck.
None of the soldiers on the roof had even considered stepping off that roof. In fact Armin himself had stood there shocked and horrified.
But Mikasa...
She had just been relieved that Eren was alive.
And then she'd run to run like her life depended on it.
No, Armin corrected himself, Her life did depend on it.
He'd seen her without Eren, carelessly throwing away her own life without a second thought only emerging from her black daze after seeing Eren's Titan form.
She hadn't recognised him then but Armin was sure that somehow that was what had snapped her out of it.
" He doesn't mean it." Armin said turning to Mikasa,"You know he doesn't."
Mikasa looked down,"No, he does. He's never really needed me. Sometimes I wonder if he knows... If he keeps me around for pity knowing how much I need him. How much I'll always need him."
Mikasa didn't wait for Armin to reply and simply gave a curt nod,"Stay safe Armin. For my sake and Eren's."
And that's all she says before turning around and going to her position.
Armin sighed.
If Eren had known how much Mikasa needed him, if he understood that she protected him because she had nothing else to protect, no one else to protect he'd finally realise what an idiot had been.
After all Armin understood his friends pride perfectly.
Eren hated Mikasa because he'd always considered it his job to protect her. To keep her safe and out of harm's way and yet it was always him who ended up dragging her there anyway.
He hated for not understanding his need to push her away, his need to make sure that the scar on her cheek would serve as a reminder to her that staying away from him was the best course of action.
But Mikasa didn't understand, after all her logic was simple, wherever Eren goes, I follow.
She had been through so much and yet she was impossibly strong and brave and she never broke. It was Eren who broke like fragile glass whenever he was with her.
Yes, Eren hated her but he hated himself more.
He hated himself for being the one who always wHe hated himself for being the burden, unable to do anything for Mikasa.
Armin understood that because he'd thought that he wasn't needed and like Eren he'd been wrong.
Eren knew how much he needed Mikasa. She'd been the only thing that had kept him standing after the Titan attack in Shinganshina, the only thing that made his fight against them mean more than just revenge.
But Eren thought that Mikasa had never needed him, that he was just a budern.
Which made him angry, which made him constantly try to break away from her to convince himself that if she didn't need him that he didn't need her either.
If only Eren knew that Mikasa needed him more than air itself.. then perhaps things would have been different.
Armin sighed and Jean next to him gave him a knowing look.
" I know." Jean said,"The both of them are idiots."
Even Armin couldn't have said it better.
Mikasa rode behind Eren.
They'd been riding for a good portion of the day now, the plains starting to fade away and their destination, the mountains near wall Maria coming into view.
It was just the three of them in this group.
Levi a hundred metres ahead of Eren, Mikasa hundred metres behind him.
She wasn't sure why Captain shortie had planned but she could safely assume it involved using Eren as some sort of bait to lure out a Titan and capture it. They'd taken a longer route to the mountains a complete deviation from the path the others followed which probably meant that the rest of the scout regiment had already started setting up traps.
She didn't necessarily like the plan but her job was clear, protect Eren, that's it. She was a damn good soldier and she'd do her job till she died.
Even if the plans went awry.
Mikasa knew things were going to hell as soon as three flares shot up simultaneously.
Black.
Red.
Blue.
"Levi raised his hand a clear signal for them to close up.
" What's wrong?" Even asked.
" We've got an abnormal on our tail." Levi stated.
" Crap." Eren said.
" No. That's not the bad news." Mikasa said,"Your entire objective is capturing the abnormal which means that things are going according to plan."
Levi didn't have time to be impressed that Mikasa had figured it out. "Well from the left we've got a bunch of Titans coming. Ordinary but at least three of them."
" And they'll get in the way of capturing the abnormal." Eren completed,"So I suppose we should simply divert and kill the ordinary Titans."
" The abnormal is after you." Levi said,"If we divert that will cause a problem and I must give the signal once we reach the point so that they can prepare the trap and face the abnormal."
Levi looked at Mikasa.
" Okay." She said,"I'll take out the Titans on the left."
" What?" Eren said,"Are you crazy? There are at least three of them, you can't-"
Mikasa ignored him,"The pine trees are few but should be good enough for ODM gear."
She glared at Levi,"If there is even a scratch on him. I'll kill you."
" That means you'll have to come back alive Ackerman." Levi stated blankly,"I'll look forward to our match then."
Mikasa gave a curt nod before turning her horse around. Before she could move forward though, Eren had already blocked her path.
" Eren what are you doing?" Mikasa pulled on the reins of her horse,"Get out of my way."
" You're not going to fight them alone." Eren said,"It's a suicide mission."
" I recall you've gone on several of them despite my disapproval." Mikasa said,"Why are you stopping me?"
" Because I'm a Titan Mikasa. I heal on my own." Even snapped,"You are human. You can't possibly-"
" It's fascinating and all to see young love but we're running out of time." Levi interrupted,"Ackerman do you think you'll be able to distract the Titans long enough for me to give the signal?"
" Yes."
" Then go." Levi commanded.
" Absolutely not." Eren argued,"We'll all make a run to the caves. Worst comes to worst I'll transform."
"And consequentially ruin everything." Levi stated.
"So what?" Even said,"You're asking her to kill herself trying to protect the two of us. Neither of us need protection."
"It's okay Eren." Mikasa said softly,"One life seems like a small prize to pay. You'll be fine, you've never needed me anyway."
Eren froze. Everything around him froze.
Everything except Mikasa.
Mikasa who rode away from him and straight towards the Titans.