AN: I originally wrote this on tumblr .com - posting it on FF to organize my stuff better.

Mikasa and Armin talked among themselves on the track field as they waited for Eren to join them after class. When they saw him, Armin flagged him down.

He ran towards them and said apologetically, "Sorry guys! I won't be coming out to track practice today, 'cause Coach Irvin wants me to try out for the soccer team. Apparently he saw me messing around with a soccer ball before class and said I really had potential. Senpai Levi is going to train me! Can you guys imagined? A nationally ranked soccer star is going to train me!"

Armin agrees with him and continues to tell him how great the opportunity is. But all Mikasa could think of was how this meant that they would spend less time together, and how they'll have different training and practice schedules now. Also, she had met Senpai Levi, and she did not approve. She was sure he was going to brainwash Eren… or something. So she made up her mind and grabbed on Eren's sleeve.

"Eren, I'm going to join the soccer team too," she said, her eyes filled with determination.

Eren laughed a little nervously, "Ah, sorry Mikasa, this school doesn't have a girl's soccer team."

She shook her head, "No. I'm going to join the boy's soccer team," and Eren shrugged her off.

"Quit joking around Mikasa, anyways I have to go," he said before running towards the boy's soccer team.

—

The next day neither Mikasa nor Eren showed up to track practice. Eren was busy practicing with Levi, and Mikasa was last seen in the library reading books like, Mastering Soccer Technique and Soccer For Dummies.

She then cut her hair shorter after thinking that it would just get in the way. When the soccer team was practicing, Mikasa was running around the track field, doing one armed push-ups, pull-ups, and drills on her own.

After a couple of days, the other boys started noticing her fierce training. She was at the field before any of the other boys and she stayed until the field was closed for the night. Eren hardly ever saw her anymore, and maybe, just maybe, it started to make him feel uneasy.

When one day, one of the boys on the soccer team, Jean Kirstein, ran up to her after practice and started talking to her, Eren felt a headache coming on at the sight of them.

"Jaeger! What are you day dreaming about? Pay attention!" Levi shouted at him, as he kicking the ball towards his head. Eren didn't react fast enough and it him straight in the face, and he grunted in pain.

On the other side of the field Jean said to Mikasa, "Hey, my name is Jean, and me and some of the guys on the soccer team have noticed you playing soccer by yourself. You're really good! We were wondering if you wanted to play with us this weekend?"

Mikasa didn't bother stopping her sit ups as he talked, but she did reflect on the idea for a second. It would give her a chance to try out some new moves on them, so she answered with a simple, "sure," and continued her workout without dismissing Jean.

—

When Eren woke up on Saturday, he was expecting to have another normal Saturday morning breakfast with his parents and Mikasa. However, just as he made it to the bottom of the stairs, Mikasa rushed down and made for the door.

In his shock, Eren instinctively grabbed at her arm and pulled her back, causing her to yelp in surprise.

"Hey, where you going in such a hurry?" He asked.

"Oh, some of the guys from the soccer team asked me to play with them," she answered as she pulled herself away from his grip and tried to put on her shoes.

Eren wasn't quite sure why he said the following, but they flowed freely from his mouth, "Don't go."

Mikasa looked up from tying her shoes and stared at his face in confusion, "Huh? What are you talking about? I'll see you later, tell Mom and Dad I went out."

She finished tying her shoe laces, and bolted out the door.

—

When tryouts came around, everyone was more impressed of Mikasa than they were of Eren, and he could feel the pangs of jealousy well up inside of him. This always happened, but still, he just wanted to do something that Mikasa wasn't involved in for once.

And when Coach Irvin called out her name as one of the people that made it onto the soccer team, he lost it and blurted out, "Coach! How can Mikasa be on the boy's soccer team when she's a girl?"

Everyone stopped their side chatter and the field went silent. Eren could tell that everyone was embarrassed for assuming that Mikasa was a boy, but he could understand. Her short hair made her look very masculine, and she always had sort of a boyish frame. She was also probably stronger and more fit than most of the boys on the team.

Coach Irvin looked especially embarrassed, while Levi just scoffed. Coach Irvin asked, "Is this true Mikasa? I mean I have to admit that I should have known that Mikasa was way too feminine of a name to be for a boy but…"

Mikasa's eyes narrowed, "What does it matter if I'm a girl? I play better than everyone here."

Some of the team members look angry and offended, and Eren immediately regretted saying anything.

"I'm sorry Mikasa, you are a great soccer player, but I can't have you on the team. It's against the rules; we'd be disqualified from the league, but I'm sure you could find enough girls to make a team. Miss Zoe used to play soccer in college and you could get her to coach-" he explained, but Mikasa gathered her things and stormed off before he could finish.

Eren's guilt overwhelmed him. He technically didn't do anything wrong, in fact he saved the team from getting disqualified… right? And yet, before he knew it he was chasing after Mikasa.

"Mikasa, Mikasa! Wait!" he yelled before reaching her; she didn't turn around. "Look I'm-"

Before he could finished, he heard a quiet sniffle. Mikasa had started crying.

"I just… I just want to be near you. I try so hard to stay by your side, but you just keep leaving me behind, " Mikasa said, and Eren could her voice straining as her throat tightened. "When I lost my parents in that car accident, I thought I would never be happy again, and then you came along… and I-"

Eren walked up behind her and wrapped his arms on top of her shoulders. He said quietly, "Make a girl's soccer team… that way, you can stay by my side. If anyone can do it, I know you can."

Mikasa smiled through her tears.